"Perhaps so." There was a twitch of his lips at that, acknowledging how it went. "I'd guess trust has some role there too. I trust you, so it makes personal things a little easier."

At least in terms of his feelings. And it would be fair to say he'd started out much in the same way. It had gotten better here, in regard to the Grandstanding too. When some of your morals were almost non existent, or things challenged them...you adapted. And when you got to know people, quite a bit of what you'd done or said before faded as you came to know each other better, understood what mattered for the friendship.

And, in terms of this relationship, being quieter, and making things real had become the most important. There was a casual comfort with them now, a way of his mind shutting out the need to argue for something bigger, something more. There was enough here, between them, and he was grateful for that too.

"I get to be the good guy." He repeated, nodding. "I don't know that they'd say that there, but I did have that luxury. Not many people get it."

Obviously, she hadn't. "That's the good thing about being here, though. We can change things for ourselves. You don't have to be anything they told you, now."