Leon's initial reaction was to pull away; somehow the idea of being comforted felt perverse. But he stopped himself. Alex's hands felt hot against Leon's cold face, and he found himself closing his eyes and leaning into the touch instead. The knot in the put of his stomach began to loosen.
"All I've ever wanted to do was protect people," he said, opening his eyes and looking into the younger man's face. If he concentrated on Alex, it was easier not to think of the man they'd called Rociel. "To protect every one of the seven billion idiots I hate in this world. Which means that even of Jack the Ripper himself was standing in front of me, I'd do everything in my power to keep him safe until we brought him to trial. But you're right. I know you're right. I've always known someday I might have to take a life to save one." He just hadn't thought it would be this hard.
Leon started to raise his hand to bring to Alex's face, but he remembered belatedly that they were still freezing cold, and while not as noticeably as when he first walked in, were still trembling, so he put them back in his jacket pockets instead. "Guess I'm not much like John McClane after all," he added with half-smile.