He found himself curious as they talked. Did it surprise her? That he’d changed, that everything that had happened to him in this place had had a lasting effect. Oh he was still Freddie. He still hurt from what she’d done to him and he’d still punch Sergievsky if he ever had the bad sense to show up here. He almost hoped the seal did it. One punch and he was pretty sure it would make him feel that much better. “You wind up getting used to it. I mean that's probably not healthy or something but you do, the people around here they become like family cause they go through what do you. Maybe that’s what happens in wars, wouldn’t know myself obviously. But yeah. They’re good people, not everyone, there are morons in every walk of life but mostly they pull together when you need it.”
He laughed, unable to help it. He would have never thought he’d been talking like this, though there were moments that were still pure Freddie. “And look, I’m growing as a person. I befriended my hippie face twin and everything.” Roger he couldn’t help but feel sorry for sometimes. How he’d gone so wrong with the drugs and everything. “That feeling though, the one like you dreamt it? I still wake up and wonder if I might have. But then it comes back and you kinda just get on with it because what other choice is there.” He smirked at the cookie thing. It was very them. She’d turn down the cookie citing watching her weight as a factor then she’d take it anyway.
“Look, I’ll help you out. Things aren’t okay with us. Until you work out why what you did was wrong and apologise things aren’t gonna be okay. But you’re someone I...you’re someone from my life that I’ve been through a lot with. So cause of that you’re not gonna be on your own here. Best I can offer.” He knew she’d probably yell, call him arrogant, find a way to blame him for Merano. Yeah cause getting to some freaking mountain inn for a meeting he didn’t want and finding his girlfriend and his opponent cuddling up was his fault.
No, there was no point getting into all that again. So he decided just to focus on his coffee. That was the most sensible move. Coffee and explaining the place to her. Anything more than that was dangerous territory.