He doesn't realize how close Daryl has gotten until he feels the gentle headbutt against his shoulder. At that, he jolts in surprise, his head snapping up and the whole front half of his body whipping around to get Daryl back in his sight. There's no show of teeth this time, although he does let out a long, rumbling growl while watching the cat warily.

It's a tense stretch of time, but he seems to slowly realize what the sound Daryl keeps making is. A fucking purr- he doesn't know the word for it or anything, but as a human he's always been sort of a sucker for purring cats. It's that remembered impression that gets him to accept the sound as something positive, and what ultimately gets him to huff out a sigh. His ears are still folded back, because he's definitely still grumpy. But he seems much less frantic.

Stupid cats and their stupid noises.