He smiles slightly and gives a nod of acknowledgement and appreciation. He's not one to accept comfort easily (or at all), but it's a lot simpler when it's not really his own pain. It's detached in a way that doesn't make him want to reject it. Still, he doesn't lean into either, he just lets it happen.

"So, why'd you give up being a sober companion?" he asks, changing the subject a little bit.