If you take someone's items, then befriend them, are the items still stolen?

Question

At some points in the game, you do a quest for an NPC and afterwards they let you take some of their less valuable items.

If I steal items from an NPC, then do the quest for him so that he lets me take his things, do the items stay marked as stolen?

Answer 1

Yes

Once stolen, items are simply marked as stolen, and do not contain any information needed to mark them as not stolen (such as where you've stolen the item from).

Answer 2

Yes, they still retain their 'stolen status' as you still essentially stole it from them i.e. took it without their permission at the time.