Ladies, this one is a keeper.
1. He steals a glance at you when you’re not looking.
2. He wants to sit beside you in a group.
He’s eager to occupy the seat beside you, and after quite some time, he starts making a light and casual conversation with you. He even gives a genuine laugh to your silly joke. He keeps asking you more questions when it’s apparent that his communication with you is fizzling out.
3. He initiates an invitation to hang out.
He approaches you one day and works up the nerve to ask you if you can hang out with him some other time. You can see him shifting from one foot to another as he waits for your answer. As soon as you accept his offer, you notice that the worry on his face is replaced by a smile from ear to ear.
4. He knows what your interests are.
He follows you on all your social media accounts so it doesn’t surprise you that he knows your favorite color, favorite food, favorite show, and favorite place to be. Sometimes he even pretends he wants the same thing that you love, just to make sure that you have plenty things in common. He is pretty much interested in what you like and what you don’t like.
5. He pays close attention when you’re talking.
He listens to every single word that you’re saying. He looks you deep in the eyes while you talk. He nods his head when he agrees with you, and asks for clarification about a topic he finds hard to understand. He never touches his phone whenever he is with you, and that is a clear sign that he wants to be more than friends with you.
6. He is different when he’s with you.
You notice the way he treats you as if you’re the most special person to him. He’s careful with the way he presents himself to you. He makes sure he looks good, smells nice, and says the right words when he’s with you. And you know he’s trying so hard to impress you because you notice that he is different when he’s with other people than he is when he’s with you.
7. He blushes when you make body contact with him.
He becomes nervous when you accidentally touch his fingers. You see him blush when you tap him on the back. You feel his body tenses when you rest your head on his shoulder. And you can tell he likes it when you fix the mess in his hair, even if he doesn’t admit it.
8. He playfully teases you once in a while.
When you become comfortable with each other, you start to hear him throwing flirty jokes on you. He tickles you on the ribs randomly. He pokes you in the arms then pretends it’s not him. He mimics your tone and the way you speak sometimes. But he’s quick to apologize when he’s becoming too much.
9. He keeps complimenting you.
Even on the days that you wear something ordinary. He is always amazed by your skills. He compliments your intelligence. And he keeps saying how beautiful you are either to make you feel good about yourself or to let you know that you are truly beautiful to him.
10. He gives you a gift.
A guy isn’t going to give you something valuable if he is not interested in you. A guy doesn’t spend money on other people unless they are special for him. When a guy hands you an item in a gift wrapper, you have the right to assume that he likes you.
11. He introduces you to his male friends.
He wants you to meet his friends. He introduces you to them with his chest puffed out and a smile on his lips, like he’s proud to have you in his life. He doesn’t want to keep you as a secret to everyone in his life. Instead, he wants you to get to know the people he cares about.
12. He shows interest in knowing your family.
He asks about your parents once in a while. He is curious to know if they have standards about the man that they want you to date. He is interested in knowing how much you value them, care for them, and love them. A guy who says he wants to meet your parents one day is someone who’s interested in staying in your life for a long period of time.
13. He always makes sure you arrive home safe.
He drives you home even if he’s tired, even if you ask him not to, even if your place is far from him. He drives you home because he wants to be protective of you. He wants to make sure you are safe all the time. He drives you home and doesn’t go away until he sees you close your door.
14. He texts you in the morning.
He sends you a message early in the morning because you cross his mind. He likes to show you that you are one of the few things that he remembers, as soon as he opens his eyes in the morning. A simple greeting is a huge indication that he is interested in you.
15. He calls you when you feel troubled.
16. He prioritizes you most of the time.
You are not a second option to him. You are never a “maybe” to him. Rather, you are someone he wants to make time for. You are the one he’s willing to clear his schedule for. And you are the only person in the world he wants to spend most of his time with.
17. He is a gentleman when he’s with you.
He doesn’t let you out of his car until he opens the door for you. He shows interest in carrying your bag when it’s heavy. He pulls a chair for you in a restaurant. And he pays the bill most of the time when you hang out with him. He is a gentleman when he’s with you because he wants to prove to you that someone like him still exists in this day and age.
18. He is honest with you.
He tells you his past openly, wholeheartedly. He doesn’t try to cover any bad parts of his life because he wants you to know the real him. He likes to show you that he is someone you can trust. He tells you when something bothers him. And he answers each of your questions in all honesty.
19. He shares his future plans with you.
It’s rare that a guy opens up his thoughts about his future with anyone. So when a guy shares his future plans with you, it means you are someone special to him. He is willing to be vulnerable and reveal his goals in life with you. It’s an intimate, sacred act for him to tell you the dreams that he has on his mind. He’s giving you the opportunity to know the man that he’s aiming to become one day.
20. He respects you.
He respects your opinions, even if they are different from his. He acknowledges your limitations and makes sure he doesn’t cross any boundaries. He doesn’t use your weaknesses for his advantage. He understands when you’re busy and you’re unable to share a piece of your time with him. And he highly respects the fact that you are a human being that needs space sometimes.
This article was originally published at Thought Catalog.