Steven's smile brightens, trying to take those words to heart. A new life. New people. Maybe even some of the old ones, too. He could hope. Things had to get better than this. They just had to.

Ginko and Axel have already been so kind to him. He can't take that for granted.

"Thank you... for taking care of me," he says after a brief hesitation, flushing in the cheeks as he looks away shyly. "I was really scared that... no one would."

Without them, he wouldn't have made it through the night. No question.