Does my crush like me back?

[Anonymous]

We have known each other for about 6 months now. He does not being vulnerable much, but I have been slowly seeing sides of him as time passes. He does not really tell me much about his life, if I ask questions about it he sometimes gives me one worded answers or he seems uninterested, although he has asked me what I am doing during the day and questions why I have time off from work (He knows my work days off heart) and has asked general questions (e. g. colour, movies I like etc.). We have brief texts about 3 times a week, if I am hanging out with friends he will join us and talk to me between then. He also invites me to play games with him occassionally, maybe once a fortnight. He always teases me and messes with me in games and in person too, we match each others wit.

I have made some advances in the past, like telling him to DM more if he wants to ask more personal questions. He seems to be very untrusting with his vulnerability though I have noticed he is slowly opening up, he is letting his ego down a bit and showing humility.

I do like him, but I am discouraged by him pushing me away when I cross a line that might cause him to be vulnerable with me. He does also call me a grandma and other nicknames and tells me goodnight when I go to sleep after gaming with him.

Does he seem to like me back more romantically or not? Should I keep going with him or let him make the moves?

[Oliverlogan263]

It's honestly kinda hard to tell for sure based on what you described. Here are a few thoughts:

- The teasing and messing with you is usually a good sign. Guys don't tend to bother doing that to girls they're not interested in.

- Asking about your days and work schedule could just be him being friendly, but it shows he pays attention to you at least.

- Having you join games and chat when you're with friends is another positive. He's making an effort to include you.

- The back and forth texting a few times a week is decent too. Not a ton, but enough to keep in touch casually.

On the flip side, his reluctance to open up or share much about himself is a yellow flag. And only hanging once every couple weeks isn't super frequent interaction.

My advice would be to keep subtly flirting and pushing his boundaries little by little. See if he starts reciprocating more openly over time. Be patient since he seems shy. In the meantime don't wait around - keep talking to other guys too so you don't put all your eggs in one basket.

If he's still kind of hard to read after another month or so, you might need to just straight up ask how he feels. Guys can be clueless! But it does sound promising so far. Hope this helps give you some perspective! Let me know if anything else happens.

[Asker]

What are some subtle ways of flirting? Im usually a bit bold in my flirting approach, and not really sure how to keep things subtle. I have flirted boldly with him but he seems to become REALLY reversed, I had introduced him as my friend after that to reduce the potential pressure or shyness he may be facing. Getting to know each other on a friend level has been working and his slowly opening up now. But flirting? Im not sure how to do it subtly

[Oliverlogan263]

Here are some ideas for more subtle ways to flirt:

- Light, playful touching - a gentle nudge when joking around, a quick touch on the arm when making a point. Nothing prolonged.

- Compliments that aren't just about looks - like how smart he seems or a skill he has. Keep it brief so it's not awkward.

- Smiling and making eye contact when talking to him. Hold it for a second longer than usual conversation.

- Laughing at his jokes, even the dumb ones. Guys like knowing they can make a girl laugh.

- Casual physical proximity - find reasons to sit/stand close to him when hanging out one-on-one.

- Ask questions that show you're interested in getting to know him better on a deeper level.

- Share little personal things about yourself too when it feels natural in conversation.

- Flirty tone of voice when teasing him back, with a smile so he knows you're playing.

- Sneak in subtle head tilts or hair flips when making a point during conversation.

The key is keeping it lighthearted, not forcing it, and focusing more on listening than talking when with him. Let him do most of the opening up for now. Hope this helps - let me know if you have any other questions!

[Jamie05rhs]

You're making progress. Just let the process play out. Don't give up! Some people take longer to trust. But the relationship that grows out of that can be a very beautiful thing.

[Jamie05rhs]

Also, him not seeming interested in talking about certain subjects doesn't mean that he doesn't like YOU. It's not you; it's him. He could very much still want to spend time with you in other ways (and even talk about other things).

[Asker]

I dont know. I feel like everytime I try to get to know him I feel pushed back and rejected. Yet he seems to want to know more about me. I give him little pieces of information to avoid getting hurt. He does like spending time with me which is a good sign but it isn't often. Its very demoralizing to feel this way.

[Jamie05rhs]

"I give little pieces of information...". Which is the exact same thing he's doing. You're both being very cautious in order to protect yourselves.
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Just take it little by little.
Slow and steady wins the race. 🌻

[bededazzle]

it’s hard to know. i’d say ask him out. then you can know and get in with your life either way