[ Steve's not entirely sure what he did to make Louis relent and let go of him, slumping against the cave wall at his side instead, but he isn't going to question it too much. It's hardly the first time he's been threatened (not by a long shot), but there is some relief that he's managed to crack through the effects of the ritual and how it's poisoning their minds.

Both of them just deflate against the wall instead for a few moments, the exhaustion of the ritual process and having been here for well over a week sinking in deep.

That being said, Steve's still concerned about how Louis' hunger might get the better of him. This isn't just about the ascension, this is a part of him and it might get harder and harder to control as the days go by, especially if he's only feeding off of rats. That's normally what he does, which also means that despite his cravings, he doesn't usually want to hurt humans.

Steve somehow dredges up a wry smile at the "golden boy" remark (just how many times is he going to be called some version of that while down here?), then huffs out a breath. ]

I don't wanna kill you. [ That's true, and speaking the words helps to imprint that back into his mind. ] Listen, if it'll help you keep your head on straight, you can take some of my blood. I'm... I'm enhanced. I heal faster than most humans. [ His enhancements are very touch and go right now, but he doesn't draw attention to that because he doesn't want Louis to turn him down.

As far as Steve's concerned, this is the safest way to keep Louis' hunger contained and to ensure that he doesn't attack anyone else with his fangs out, ready to tear into their jugular. ]