He paused along the way only to listen for the sounds of pursuit or soldiers in the area either talking or having a piss. Most were huddled around camp fires or trying to rest for the long journey, so they were relatively safe where he lead Steve away.

Once he considered them a safe distance and the trees and brush was thick enough for his liking, he pressed his smaller body up against the now much larger one and wrapped his arms around Steve's waist. "No, you did what you thought was right, not what was easy. That's a noble thing. War makes us worse than animals," he murmured as he rose on his toes to nuzzled Steve's jaw.