Holding still for the hug helps him keep from crying, himself: conflicting emotional responses are fun. It isn't the world's best hug, but he is putting in an effort, and it's warm, flesh arm around her shoulders and metal one on the small of her back.

It's when he steps back again and tries to answer that he finds his eyes are burning, and he has to blink a few times. "You'd better not. Somebody needs to. To drag Steve out when he turns into a hermit." Because Steve will.