Kevin was staring blankly at the ceiling on his back when Connor woke up.

"Morning," Connor stretched with a groan.

Kevin's head turned towards Connor, "I don't remember coming back here."

"I didn't think you would. You were already halfway gone on the way back to the hut."

"Oh."

Connor pushed himself up from the bed, "Do you remember what happened?"

"I got drunk?" Kevin looked adorably confused with his messy bed hair.

Connor couldn't stay mad at Kevin when he looked like that.

"You sure did. Did you just forget that you shouldn't have?"

"I was just being an idiot, I guess? And maybe…I don't know, I was kinda afraid too."

What was Kevin scared of? The General? But he was already dead. He couldn't hurt them anymore.

Connor leaned closer, "What were you afraid of?"

Kevin sighed, "Leaving this place. Going to London with you."

Connor's next words were caught in his throat. What did Kevin mean by that? Was he having second thoughts about leaving with Connor?

Did Kevin want to break up?

"Hey, relax," Kevin assured, "I was just overthinking is all."

Connor didn't want Kevin to feel like he had to follow Connor home. He wasn't forcing Kevin to do anything against his will, was he? Then Connor realised that he didn't exactly give Kevin any choice back at the hospital. But it wasn't like Kevin had anywhere left to go.

"Do you not want to come with me?" Connor checked.

"No-"

Connor must looked panicked because Kevin hurriedly held up a hand, "I do, Connor. I do. I meant to say 'no, it's not about that'. I'm just afraid of not knowing what's going to happen next, you know? I've never…"

Connor waited.

Kevin took a deep breath, "I've never told anyone this, but all my life, my parents were the ones who told me what I needed to do, where I needed to go. 'Kevin, why don't you join the boy scouts', 'Kevin, you should go on a mission and spread the word of God', 'Kevin, you should study medicine at Harvard'. And I've always been so eager to please them, to make them proud of me. Until I no longer know the difference between what I wanted and what they wanted anymore. This-," Kevin shook his head, "This is the first real decision I have ever made for myself. I'm not gonna lie, but this is scary for me."

"I'm glad that you're telling me this, Kev. How long have you been worrying about this?"

"Well, it never really seemed like we were ever going to leave, until yesterday. It only started to dawn on me last night that this was it. We're really leaving this place," Kevin sighed, "And I don't even know if they were going to be able to fix this," he gestured to his arm, "If I'm ever going to be back to normal again."

"Normal is overrated. Everything's going to be fine, Kevin," Connor promised, even though he couldn't be a hundred percent certain, "We're going to get you fixed."

Connor was going to get Kevin better, both his mind and body.

"You make it sound like I'm some broken thing that needs to be put back together," Kevin laughed, "I guess I kinda am, huh?"

"If the shoe fits," Connor was relieved that they could still joke about this.

"And what if," Kevin became quiet, "What if we don't work out somehow? Where will I go? I'll have nobody."

Connor frowned, "Do you think we won't?"

"I don't know? I mean, I've never thought that my relationship with my parents could go so south, but here I am."

"Whatever happens, we'll just figure it out when it does. There's no point in worrying about something that may or may not happen," Connor shrugged, "Besides, we're not gonna throw you out on the streets just like that? I'm not that mean."

"You say that now," Kevin scoffed, "Wouldn't be the first time. I was told that I bring out the worst in people."

"Who told you that?"

"It doesn't matter."

Was that going to be Kevin's new catchphrase? Because in Connor's opinion, it was not any better than his trademarked 'I'm fine'.

"C'mon, help me up," Kevin said before Connor could reply, holding his arm out, "Let's go home."

—

"Take care, Poptarts. I'll see you soon," Connor nodded.

"You too. I promise I'll come and visit during Christmas."

"I'll hold you to that."

Connor glanced over at his mother in the car, and then to Arnold and Kevin.

"Kev, we gotta go," Connor called out, "Arnold let go of him. We should get going."

Arnold had been clinging to his companion for about twenty minutes now.

"No no," Arnold refused, "Kevin! Don't go! I'm never going to ever see you again! How will I cope?!"

Nabulungi just rolled her eyes at the melodramatic pair.

"Umm...I'm sure we'll see each other again some time, Arn," Kevin smiled.

Connor gave them a few minutes more, before he called out again, "Guys."

Nabulungi had to pry Arnold apart from Kevin. She stood between the both of them in case Arnold tried to pounce onto Kevin again.

"I'll miss you two," Kevin hugged Nabulungi, "so much."

"I will miss you too, Elder Price," Nabulungi said, and then louder to Connor, "Take care of him."

"I'm not a kid."

"Of course I will."

They finally got into the air-conditioned car an hour past their scheduled departure time.

"Excited to go home?" His mother turned around from the passenger seat.

"Sure," Kevin answered, sounding more nervous than excited.

They waved until everyone was out of sight. Connor felt a sense of loss as the village disappeared in the rearview mirror.

—

The drive to Kampala took forever. Connor was already dreading the even longer plane ride. They made a detour to the hospital, to bid goodbye to the remaining three Elders. By the time the three of them arrived at the airport, it was already dark.

Connor was more asleep than awake at that point. He even had to take a few sips of Kevin's disgusting black coffee so that he could at least make it to their gate without kneeling over in exhaustion.

Who knew being stuck in a cramped backseat for a whole day could be so draining?

Connor bumped his knees against Kevin's, as they sat and waited for boarding to commence. Kevin gave a questioning look. Connor shook his head, smiling to himself. Everything was going to turn out perfect. If they didn't, Connor would make them.

He couldn't wait to show their love off to the world. He had to sit on his hands to stop himself from running his hands through Kevin's hair, placing his arm around Kevin's waist, or interlocking his fingers with Kevin's.

Fifteen more hours to a different kind of freedom.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Kevin narrowed his eyes at Connor.

"Just thinking...about us."

Kevin's frown deepened, "Okay?"

Connor leaned over and whispered into Kevin's ear, "I love you."

The frown on Kevin's tired face was instantaneously replaced by a smile. It made Connor's heart soar.

"Sap."

They have been at rock bottom. Now, there was nowhere else to go but up.