Softening - if that is a thing for him. He wants us to believe he's alone, but a man alone wouldn't take such precautions as he does. He's protecting people and not just because they're useful to him.

He's changed, Steve - he just doesn't want us to know. He's extremely suspicious of me because I'm walking a line between you and him, but at the same time, he's willing to talk to me. I have no illusions that he isn't trying to play me with some sort of hand of his, but after all the experiments we've gone through? I've noticed patterns. Haven't you?