We’re friends but does he like me as more?

Anonymous
So we’re good friends, we work together. He often does thoughtful things like buys me my favourite drink without asking me but I also buy his. He remembers little details that I’ve told him and he knows me pretty well, like he’ll bring it up in conversation like a week later and I will be like oh yeah I forgot I told you that!

He is always there for me when I’m stuck at something at work he always helps me out. We are in a big group of friends and we go out together often. He offers to drive me and drop me home at these gatherings even though I offered to drive us.

We have similar interests and he always talks to me about these interests and gets really into it like we’re the only two in the room. He gets super close to me when we talk often and there’s accidental touching like knee brushes or touching hands and he never pulls away.

We have a lot of eye contact and I’ve noticed him looking at me as I walk back to my desk in the office.

He’s always making jokes and laughing and he teases me. I also tell him everything and he listens and offers me advice.

I have asked him to go out with me one on one like casually shall we get a drink after work and he says he’s busy and tells me what he’s doing and to be fair like they’re valid reasons or he suggests we go in our usual group.

We used to text a lot and now it doesn’t seem as much almost like he’s pulling away a little?

We hugged for the first time recently and I asked him if I could hug him goodbye and he said yeah and leaned in. It was a quick hug as I was nervous but he seemed happy after, but I don’t know if he is just shy but I suppose we do work together and there is an age gap between us, me being younger.

I’m so confused and not sure whether he likes me as a friend or more and is just worried about making the first move as usually I’m so good at telling these things. With him I’m confused as hell! Thoughts?
We’re friends but does he like me as more?
5 Opinion