[As it were, he had no expectation at all that he'd freak her out when he was so stubbornly trying to be as level-headed and non-combative as possible.

In a sense, returning to what he once was might have been his most dangerous move, all while he thought he'd created a safe haven for her to relax--.]

It does, but I was thinking that I don't really get to see you smile that way. There isn't a shred of conflict in it.