[Aidan had been called plenty of things in his lifetime and words like naive and gullible definitely applied every so often. Sometimes though... sometimes he could read people like an open book and the fact that Helix wasn't very good at lying to him specifically only made it that much clearer that this wasn't the whole truth.
He wanted to believe him. He wanted to think that everything was fine - and maybe it was - but with that expression? The way his tone of voice was off just so? The choice of words, putting the level of okay-ness on him rather than them?
He couldn't.
Nonetheless he smiled, a little weary, shoulders slumping as he did his very best to just go with it and relax. It could just be the place, right? The situation? The time apart and nothing more. There was a very easy way to test this and so he finally reached out with the intent of stroking Helix's arm. Nothing explicit about it at all, he could've done this to a perfect stranger without getting yelled at. Things like places and situations and time apart wouldn't affect a gesture as simple and innocent as this one.
If they really were fine, this wouldn't be weird at all. ]