Think of all the movies you've seen that brought emotion into play. It wasn't necessarily when someone broke down an cried, but maybe when they didn't. Mannerism plays a role. Robert Newton Peck called them tools. Give your character a tool.
Tools make sounds.
Remember Captain Ahab and that confounded loud thudding of his peg leg. Pierce his ears. Ever seen a person run around with a toothpick in their mouth, not necessarily a noticeable thing. But what if they had the habit of sucking air with that toothpick. What if a man carries too much change in his pocket and is always jingling it.