Hello, I am back to tell you more! (I originally wrote the post the day it happened and didn't post it for 2 weeks)
My friend 21m and I 21m had two instances where we did things together in the last post.
1st was at a bagel shop where we caught up, and he tried the place out since he'd never been to it before. We connected and had a good time.
2nd time was our day of thrifting that then evolved into us having lunch, then going to the movies later in the day post thrift, and finally it all ended at my apt where things were very intimate (not sexual or kissing)
This leads to the next part:
I didn't know what to do next for a while. I was scrambling and couldn't focus on my life. I slowly realized I was going down the rabbit whole and developing a major crush.
Calling him made me nervous, and seeing him gave me that sharp feeling where my nerves were triggered around him.
I called him 5 days after, and i pitched that we should get together and study since I have some time before an event I was going to attend that evening, which he was not able to go to that night because he had already seen the performance at a different place. (I tried)
He said not today but that he was down another time to study, which is fine and great to know. I also mentioned us going to mini golf, which still hasn't happened, but will eventually.
Some days go by and we see each other again. We talked briefly, and he told me that he's free the next day. So I cleared my schedule for the evening and planned that we would study and go get dinner.
Later the same day he texts me, he actually has a meeting to go to in between our study and dinner time. The thing I find interesting is that he still wanted to study together, go to his meeting, and then we go grab dinner.
All went accordingly to how it was set, and he and I walked to this Italian restaurant that he had never been to. We were sitting in, and i've already been to this place multiple times, and I ordered what I was craving.It turns out before I even had said what I was gonna get. He wanted the same thing.
Now you might be thinking you're gonna share a plate together, but no, because I did want my own portion, lol.
BUT, once the dinner was finished, we got dessert and shared a slice of cheesecake, and even though they gave us 2 forks with my fork. I beat him cutting the first piece off of the cheesecake, and I fed it to him. Then, after I fed myself with the same fork. After feeding myself, then I proceeded to feed him more than once from MY fork cheesecake, and he did have his own fork. At some point, he asked me, "Why do I feed him?" And I said I don't know. After that, he never questioned it.
There's a little bit of banter talking, and then we pay for our food, but I covered the dessert. We got mints back with our receipts, but his came first, then I took his mint, but then I put the mint in his breast pocket and then he makes a joke cause it kinda rubbed against his chest when I put it in the pocket.
As we walk out of the restaurant, I do the same thing again but with my mint, but it turns out he grabbed an instrument on the way out. So, now he has three mints. (Not relevant, but wanted to mention.)
We could have taken a shorter walk to go back to the place we needed to go to, but we ended up walking to a building where there was a private space where we could chill and watch the youtube videos I was referencing.
We bonded a little bit, although I did read the body language and did not want to get too close to him. Because he kinda moved himself with a little gap in between. Which I think is fine, considering that we're not in like a truly private space.
After that, we continued our journey, walking back to where we needed to go. But then I see a swing bench, and since he likes spontaneity, I said, "Hey, let's get on the benc swing." It was very silly because we were sitting parallel but not right next to each other. At some point, I put my hand on your shoulder briefly, but other than that, not much happened.
(As much as I would have liked to make a move.
I'm still taking my time and not trying to come off too strong)
After ten minutes of lounging there and talking, we finally get up and head to our final destinations. I walk him to his thing, and then I give him a bear. Hug, then I go grab my stuff so I can head home.
In the timeline, I had mentioned to him a day later that I needed to get to a meeting in the morning, but the weather wouldn't have been ideal to travel to it. So I needed a ride. He was my last resort because I wanted to respect his request. The morning came where he was going to pick me up, and he did not wake up on time, and I had a hunch to call him an hour before, but that didn't happen.
Well, he tells me to have a good meeting and offers to pay for my Uber, so I need cash. Have some money to pay for my Uber. I don't see any of this until after the meeting. Turns out he sent me triple of whatever the Uber cost, and I ended up texting him if he meant to send me that much.
He said, "Yes, a little extra for the trouble..."
I thought that was odd to do.
We end up texting a little bit more in the evening and for the record. (He is not a good texter, so this is more than what he would normally do).
Regardless, I thanked him.
And that was the end of the night.
The next day comes around, and he told me he was performing midday at a place that I so happened to pass by, and remember that he was performing there. So I go into the space, and I end up sitting in a good area with a view that so happened to have him directly in my sights.
I have to add.It was a very nice performance.
Once I got to the halfway point, he got off stage.
So I went down to talk to him. We mainly caught up, and I told him that that was a good performance.
And I mentioned that I had to go to a class but then, I tell him that I guess I won't see him till Monday (since we would probably run into each other somehow that day).
Well... he pulls up his calendar on his phone immediately to see what he has going on monday, and he says, "Let's get dinner that day." I gave him a hug before I left.
So now, since then, it is planned that we get dinner very soon again.
Final Thoughts:
I know there's going to come a point where I will have to have a conversation with him to let him know that I am attracted to him. I do deserve some clarity to identify what our relationship is.
While he does use dude/bro/man a lot, it feels like masking.
I'm excited, scared, and optimistic!
Thank you to everyone who's been responding. The encouragement is much appreciated!