I watch his face as he speaks, as he sorts out his words even while speaking.

My Eiji.

Is he still my Eiji?

I let out a slow, even breath, trying to calm my thoughts a bit, trying to stay rational and... and centered.

"No," I say, surprised by how even my voice is. How calm my tone. "We don't do that very well."

How long it too me just to tell him I loved him. How serious the situation had to be, feeling his life bleed out in my hands, before I was able to tell him.

I don't want to lose him, but what if he... What if we realize we're not good for each other? What if we can't work through our issues together? What if our paths in life, the ones we each need to take, don't lead to the same place?