Why was it in your thoughts, I mean?! Seriously, what's up with that?

And at that feeling of helplessness... he couldn't help but want to protect her. To reassure her, to make her safe and confident again.

But he was TERRIBLE at doing that sort of things, so he was dodging the topic like crazy, assuming that status quo would abruptly reassert itself and they'd laugh and go blow something up and nothing would change and all would be well.