[ Ryouma can't even think of what to say. Izō's silence hurts in a way he can't articulate and in a way that feels entirely unfair to Izō. He just manages a sad smile and squeezes his hand. ]

Maybe I am...

[ As they settle down into bed, Ryouma snuggles up to he can hold Izō close. There's so much he wants to say, but he can't make himself say it. He's such a coward sometimes...It would be so unfair just to leave it like this, to leave Izō with the doubts he surely has. It'd be unfair for Ryouma to sit here and pretend like everything is just fine, like he hadn't just said what he said.

He idly plays with Izō's hair as a distraction. ]

...But I meant what I said. Izō, I like havin' ya in my life, I can't imagine it without ya. Yer important t' me an' so is yer happiness. Don't...Don't let what I said change anythin' if ya don't want it to. I can handle bein' th' way we've always been if that's what ya want. I jus'...I got scared'a losin' ya an' I'd never have th' chance t' tell ya how I really felt.

[ Ryouma is so vulnerable right now that he feels like he might die. It's so hard for him to speak about his feelings so frankly. Making decisions that changed the course of history in Japan were easy compared to this. ]

'm sorry I put ya on th' spot like that...It wasn't fair t' ya at all. I jus'...I jus' wanted ya t' know. An' that was selfish'a me.