Stop being so nosy. I'm sure you can rein in your curiosity for a few minutes.

[ A jab as much as it was a challenge. Steve could be pretty impatient sometimes, but he should know better than anyone that the more he tried to get it out of James, the likelier the man was to not tell him anything.

He let out a faint snort at the apology, shrugging. ]

Forget about it. And if I'd really wanted to leave, then I would have. Nothing you could've done to stop me. [ Short of locking him up against his will, but that would've definitely ruined their relationship in the long run. ]