How to deal with an immature, fickle guy?

siquetumeamaste
I've been romantically involved with this guy (who I consider my closest friend) since I met him 8 months ago. We had the unfortunate fate of meeting my senior year, his junior year, but we are the same age--so basically, we knew that starting things would end with my graduation.

He is American, but grew up abroad, just like me. He's really intellectual but isn't much for the institution of school, but I wouldn't call him the "bad boy" type--he's more of a "nerd" who's just really not happy with the way his school runs.

As a brief summary of our history, we met on a school trip, flirted/met for coffee for about a month, and then he asked me on a date. We then dated on/off for a couple of weeks because he kept breaking up with me. At this time he was dealing with the issue of realizing that he still had feelings for an old friend (who was/is unavailable), and he didn't think it was fair to me to keep dating, but he did still have feelings for me.

Even during the periods when we are "off", we have still remained best friends and talk everyday, and even when we aren't together, he has never pursued another girl.

At times he has told me he loves me, and I think he has a lot of confusion surrounding that because his parents fight a lot and threaten to get divorced, and in his own words he has "never seen a functional relationship".

As a said earlier, I met him when I was a senior--I was already bound to attend a university in a different country. I'm in college now and we talk twice a day for hours, send each other letters, mail packages, etc. Throughout this period of being apart he has said he misses me a lot and has admitted to feeling something for me, but he goes back and forth on it.

He is now applying to college. Originally he was going to apply to a college in my city (for his major, not for me), but he changed his mind on what he wants to do and is now looking at a school a few hours away. It's possible he won't get though, so he might still end up in the same place as me.

I have always had the notion that he felt something for me even when he denied it or didn't speak about liking me. He is the type of guy who would stop talking to a friend or wouldn't put effort into a relationship if he didn't care for them, and with us, we have stayed so close the whole time.

To the best of my knowledge, I love him. He was also my first boyfriend and I have a lot of history with him--he was the first and the only guy that I feel intensely attracted to.

I don't know if he'll end up being "the one", but I have the strongest feelings for him and that sense that what is between us just isn't over yet. After fights or breaking up, we always come back to each other and I know there is something between us that quite possibly will always be there to some degree.

Is there anything I can do in this situation to make things better, or help with his indecisiveness? It's not an option for me to end things right now, I am just too attached to him.
How to deal with an immature, fickle guy?
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