Togusa keeps his hug in return just as gentle, but he lets one hand clench at Shinji's shoulder, a point of reassurance. See? He's tough, he can take it.

"I won't. Okay? It meant somebody else didn't get hurt. But I won't do it again."

They both know that he only has so much control over that, but he needs to say the words in this moment. He'll say it, he'll give Shinji something that he can hang on to. He is absolutely not going to be the first one to break this hug.