I'm reading an excellent book (The Name of the Wind) and in that book the main character is homeless for a while and mentions how when he eats an apple, he east the whole thing, core and all and how sometimes all he ever got was the core. He doesn't wallow in self pity or anything, it's just what he did to survive.

I want to see post-movie Graves having some such habits from his extended time with Grindelwald, maybe reinforcing habits from his childhood. Newt starts to notice these habits and instead of calling him out on them, or pitying him, or making fun of him like some people, just goes with it and helps Graves eventually move past them.

Can be just friendship.