"I got your garden ready for you," Logan said, speaking of the little things. "All clear, I promise I won't touch it, not even to clear things out. Don't want to take away your responsibility, after all." See? He could be thoughtful, even conscientious. Really. He was actually kind when someone got to know him. Brusque, but kind.
And small talk? He wasn't good at it. He was more content to just sit there in silence with her than he was to talk. He could deal with silence. He liked silence. He could sit for an hour with someone without saying a word and consider it time well spent.
One thing that was better than small talk was inserting a snide remark here or there. Like now. "What're your students gonna say when they catch you in here with me, huh? I'll have you know they all think you've got a stick shoved farther up your ass than Cyclops does."