Am I overthinking? (Straight 18M)

So basically I have some female friends who sometimes vent and honestly speaking,I don't mind it all.I try my best to put myself in their shoes and try to understand them as I really care about them and don't want them to be stuck in life/relationship/problem.According to me, umm I don't think a females life is easy and they have enough things to think abt,so I try to help them out in the best way I can.(Am I being sexist here?)

Recently one of them got very emotional whilst telling me something and I really wanted to extend a shoulder/light-hug her maybe....but I was not sure if she would...take it the right way.....?

This has happened twice before too.

I see her as almost as sibling maybe (or maybe I'm just a simp,idk).

So my question was-

Should I have gone for it?

Is it situational and/or does it depend on the chemistry between us?

Also whenever we crack a joke, she stops just inches away from me while hitting me playfully. So do women do this becoz they don't want to convey the wrong message or is it something else?