Steve awoke sharply as the plane came to a shuddering halt, the huge, metal frame of the vehicle vibrating fairly violently as the rubber of the wheels met the firm tarmac of the runway. It was only then that he regained the majority of his senses and realised that he had slept through the entire flight. He wasn't sure how long that was, exactly, but it was now clear daylight outside. It had at least been overnight.

Through the tiny, rectangular window, he could clearly see one side of Washington's Reagan International Airport, where he had only ever been once before in his life, as a child, during a short vacation to the country's capital. Through one of the windows of the terminal, slightly shadowed by the sun's reflection on the glass, he could faintly see the familiar red and blue of the American flag. It felt strange being back in America. It wasn't quite 'home', but it was familiar, the people there spoke his language, and best of all, he wasn't an 'outsider' anymore. As long as he could hide his arm…hide this other side of his existence, he looked just like everybody else.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned from the window in response, quickly remembering the presence of his long-time travel companion. Leon's hair was a little scruffier than usual; it wasn't exactly 'messy', it just wasn't as perfectly neat and tidy as it usually looked, as though he'd just woken up. Of course, it could have partly related to the fact that Steve was still pressed quite closely against him, and that Leon's movement from his rigid position in the chair was obviously restricted.

"S-sorry!" Steve mumbled quickly, shifting properly into his own seat, where the seatbelt had been fastened securely around his hips, and a heavy, woollen blanket had been placed caringly over the bottom half of his body as he slept.

He spent a while looking at the blanket, feeling the same sense of deep, confused emotion he had felt the previous night. He was happy…ecstatic, really, at having someone care so much about him, but at the same time, he felt a strange, uncomfortable ache, not unfamiliar to sadness.

"Here."

Leon passed a bottle of water to the distracted younger male, smiling warmly as he watched him. There was something so affectionate in his eyes, so tender; almost reflecting the way a loving parent may look upon their child. Steve couldn't help but be reminded of the way his mother used to look at him sometimes.

Leon was not nearly old enough to be a parental figure. After all, there were only four years, if that, between them. But there was something so comforting, to Steve, in feeling as though he had someone who he could rely on so heavily. Someone who would gladly take care of him when he was sick, who would lend him a shoulder to cry on, who could teach him about the world, and stand by his side when he had no one else left.

"You feeling okay?"

Steve looked at Leon again, pausing briefly, before meeting his eyes.

It was the first time, in the entire month they had been together. Steve had not once been able to look Leon properly in the eyes when they were talking. It was partly because of his…strange affection towards the older man, but that wasn't the main reason. It was almost as though he felt unworthy to look at him directly; that there was so much space between them, whether it be life experience, physical ability, or knowledge, whatever it may be, Steve felt this 'gap' between the two males. Regardless of the fact that Leon never showed him any hostility, and never attempted to assert any kind of authority, Steve still felt as though he owed his companion the highest of respect, and didn't even deserve for their eyes to meet.

However, for whatever reason, the gap between them seemed so much smaller now. Steve's confidence had begun to return, along with his strength, his memory, and his willpower. He knew that it would take a long time for him to fully recover, after everything that had happened, but Leon's constant enthusiasm seemed to have somehow rubbed off on him.

"I'm fine." He said resolutely, returning the smile slightly timidly, "Th-thank you for…"

"Don't mention it." Leon watched him for a while, still smiling, "I've had a lot of fun with you."

Steve really wasn't sure how to reply. He knew that Leon was probably only trying to be nice and make the best of a bad situation. Sure, Steve had enjoyed himself; so far, this had been the best trip of his life, even if it almost involved his death. But for Leon, it was just another job. That's all it was. Not only that, but Steve had made it far more difficult for him than it probably had to be. Maybe there was some part of Leon that genuinely felt affection towards the boy whose life he saved…but in the end, Steve was just a name on the list of people who had all been saved by Leon Kennedy.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Leon questioned, more rhetorically than anything; he knew the answer. "You think that I don't care about you because I save people like you all the time. Because this is my job. But you're wrong. In fact, this has never happened to me before. Not once."

Steve watched him quietly, as Leon continued.

"I don't normally get to meet the people I save. I don't see them face to face. They don't find me for the chance to say 'thanks', because that's not how my job works. I'm not a superhero. I'm just a man. I do what I can, and then I move on to the next problem. I don't need gratitude to keep doing what I do. I save people because I want to, not because it makes me a hero. Truth is, this is the best I've ever felt on a job before. Because not only did I get to meet the person I saved, but I got to see him get better. I got to see him as he probably was before this all happened. Not as a figure on my performance sheet, but as a real human being. And you know what? He's pretty great. He's funny, and smart, and kinda charming, and I wouldn't have met him if I hadn't taken this job. So I don't regret it at all. Not one little bit."

As Leon finished speaking, he smiled, before standing up as the seatbelt light went out, starting to remove their possessions from the overhead storage, leaving Steve to sit there slightly dumbstruck, and once more on the verge of tears.

He knew very well that he was still in a weak state, physically 'and' emotionally, but he was starting to get slightly irritated at his body's susceptibility to crying whenever he felt any kind of emotion. He really wasn't an emotional person…at least, he never used to be. In any case, he hoped that it wasn't a permanent thing. A guy his age should cry maybe once, twice at the most in a year, and he was pretty damn sure he'd already filled his quota.

Still, that didn't stop him from watching Leon unpacking jackets and scarves from the storage compartment and having a very desperate urge to cling to him. Steve had always been a rather affectionate person, and although he could…on occasion, be quite crude and irritating, as his friends and family had lovingly pointed out, he was a soft guy at heart. He was definitely a 'momma's boy', and had never refused a hug from any of his female relatives or acquaintances. And it had never been something he was ashamed of.

In light of that, he quickly sniffed back the tears, discarded the blanket from his thighs, and stood up, wrapping his arms around Leon's waist in the process, resting his head against his shoulder, feeling the older man stumble back very slightly in surprise.

If Leon wouldn't let Steve thank him verbally, then this was the best he could do to show his appreciation. It wasn't much, and there was a distinct possibility that it would make things very awkward, but Steve didn't care. Leon's body was just warm, and steady between his arms, and Steve felt hair that wasn't his own brush against his neck as Leon turned his head. It was all just…nice.

After only a few seconds, though, Steve began to worry that it was a mistake. What if Leon wasn't a 'hug' person? He didn't immediately return the gesture, or move at all, actually. Well, crap.

Only after the initial bout of surprise, did Steve feel arms stronger than his own wrap around his back, and he heard Leon start to laugh. Although his primary emotion, at the time, was relief, he was slightly overwhelmed once again by the aching feeling deep in his chest. He wasn't sure what it was.

Maybe it was fear, that he'd never see Leon again.

Maybe it was happiness, in the presence of the best friend he'd ever had.

Maybe it was love.