Say "I love you" to a friend jokingly?

[Anonymous]

Guys, do you just randomly say "I love you" to your friends jokingly? I've got a male acquaintance who's lately acting weird like complimenting me about my looks, teasing me about random stuffs, and just acting funny when we're together in a group of friends. He's a mild-mannered guy so I just thought he's doing all that to make me comfortable around him because I'm quiet shy. But during one of his "teasing sessions", he just said "I love you, (my name)". LOL I could not react because I was trying to figure out what he meant by that. Plus, we were with friends when he said that so I have to take it as a joke to avoid getting awkward.

Updates

+1 y

Yeah, you guys are a bunch of "water testers". LOL.

Actually, I later heard him say "no reaction". =))

[KERMlT]

People joke in general. I have some friends that act like they are married to the same sex but they are straight themselves. It's all about how comfortable you are with the joke.

Some people play comments off as a joke with some serious comment in there. Some might to it to take a jab at you jokingly others might say flirtatious things to test the waters.

[Anonymous]

I have girls who say it to me but it more of a platonic thing. it is not a word that I would throw around so freely myself. if a guy said it I would question if he just did it too see what your reaction was, like if you blushed or hit him or ignored it etc

[doobey123]

lol I say it to friends that are girls, but they know its a friend 'i love you' not more than that :)

[htse7en]

sometimes guys do that, mostly it's a rush of emotions like for that brief moment he must have really like you