He mutters a thank you he isn't sure she hears, though he's relieved when she comes back. He needs her within reach now. And here it comes, does he tell her the truth? That his new friend had helped him slay the beast in the forest? Or does he leave it open. It feels like betraying a trust, though Steve hadn't implicitly told him to keep it quiet. For some reason, he feels a connection to the man he only met tonight, even before they went on the kill together.
"Is anyone who they claim to be here?" he asks loftily, scrubbing the grit out of his scalp before moving a loofah along his skin roughly. It's for his benefit, but he also knows Pepper will have trouble sleeping if any traces remain. Not that he's actively being so considerate. That would be... wrong. "I'm definitely not." It's something that gets under his skin, even if he knows the reasoning behind it.