There are so many movies and TV shows on this subject, where the love between two friends is so obvious that we’re left yelling and screaming at them to kiss already! And you’d think that’s just how things work on TV. He looks at her in awe and she steals a glance at him every time he looks away. There’s chemistry and whatnot but they are so fricking blind to it and scared that it leaves us frustrated. Constant cliffhangers, almost love and characters hurting makes us addicted to a show, wondering if something similar can happen to us. But you don’t have to have your own TV show to have that. Trust me, we can hide many things but love is not one of them.

There are friendships where there’s chemistry from the beginning but you’re not sure if he has feelings, so you wait. There are friendships where feelings develop many years later, when you realize that his eyes change color in the sun and that his freckles are so adorable. And there are friendships where you suspect that he is in love but you’re not up for it, so you’re considering friendzoning him.

Whatever the reason and friendship, knowing where you stand is important for your friendship to work out. You see, friendships take work, the same as relationships. And the possibility of someone having unrequited feelings is a serious threat to your friendship. So, here are some unmistakable signs that he likes you as more than a friend that will help you with working on your friendship or even a relationship. Either way, keep in mind that you deserve to be happy too.

1. His body language is confusing

He will accidentally touch you and pull away the very next second. He will mirror your movements but still deny any feelings. This often happens when a man is scared of how much he likes you. He’s afraid that he will ruin your friendship or that you will reject him but he’s unable to control his body language, which often leads to it becoming rather confusing.

Other signs to look for are him leaning in while you’re talking and his body turned toward you. He will also seem nervous quite often and fidget with his fingers a lot. And if you notice that he’s suddenly dressing up, you got him!

2. He compliments you often

And I’m not talking about those generic, everyday compliments you can hear from just anyone. These are the compliments only someone who knows you really well and cares for you can give you. If you succeed at something, he will tell you how he never doubted you in the first place, because he knows how amazing you are. He will compliment your strength, mind and ability to handle whatever life throws your way.

He will also notice all those little things only someone who is in love can notice. The way your hair shines and moves in the wind, the way you smile when you’re happy, when you’re faking it and when you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re uncomfortable. If he gives you those special and adorable compliments, he could give you his heart as well.

3. He sits next to you when you are in a group

If there is a group hangout, he always happens to be right next to you. That’s not something you’d pay attention to usually, thinking that he’s your friend and that it’s completely normal. But if there are other signs from this list, this could mean only one thing; he wants to be as close to you as possible and for as long as he can. Plus he could be protecting what’s his if there are other male friends in the group as well.

4. He steals glances at you every time he can

You can feel him looking at you but the moment you turn around, he looks somewhere else. If you catch him, he smiles at you and makes up some random excuse. This is usually the most obvious sign that warns us when someone is into us and it’s usually after this that we start looking for all the others. How do you think he notices all those little things about you?

But keep in mind that there is a difference between the romantic glares and those ‘you have spinach between your teeth’ ones. If his eyes are smiling and he looks at you all the time, especially when you’re talking to each other, he’s interested in you. Men who are not interested will often look around when they’re talking, sometimes even at other women. But if the focus of his attention is entirely on you, it’s time for you to start thinking about what you want.

5. He initiates the hangouts

When men are interested, they will initiate the hangouts and texts. He will always be the one who will call you first and think of something you can do together. And he has no problem with being the first one to text or initiate communication. You will soon find yourself always being around him, always texting and having something to talk about.

He will also remember what you like and what you don’t, so he can avoid the possibility of recommending something you don’t like. If you mentioned that you don’t like romantic movies, he will never offer to watch one with you. If you mentioned how much you love hockey, he will all of a sudden ‘win’ some tickets for the next game and he wants you to go along. He will never make it too obvious or uncomfortable for you but you will notice that you’re spending so much more time together than you did before.

6. It often seems like you’re the only person on the planet for him

When you’re talking, he looks like he has lost himself in your words completely. It seems like the rest of the world has vanished and to him, you are all that is left. And this happens not only when the two of you are on your own, it also happens in group hangouts. If you’re talking, he won’t talk to anyone else. His entire focus is on you, regardless of what’s going on around him. If you notice that every time you look at him, he’s already looking at you and listening to every word that comes out of your mouth, look no further. You already know what it means.

7. He brings you gifts

Not the romantic kind of gifts but something you crave and love. It’s either chocolate when you have PMS, ice cream when you are sad or beer when you feel like it. You will find yourself wondering how he knows what you need better than you do but it’s really simple actually. He listens to you when you talk and remembers the important things. It just happens to be that everything you say is important to him. So if you ever mention how you crave ice cream, he will bring you some next time you meet. If you said how you could drown yourself in chocolate during shark week, he will make sure you have enough of it.

But not once will he ask you for a favor back or expect something from you. You see, seeing you smile and making you happy is what makes him happy. If he is at peace with the fact that there are no feelings on your side, he’s doing all of this because he cares; it’s as simple as that. And if there is even the slightest possibility of you returning those feelings, that’s just great motivation for him to be the best boyfriend you ever had. And if it never comes to him being your boyfriend, at least he can show you the way you deserve to be treated and that’s like one hell of a queen.

8. You notice a change in behavior when he’s with you

There is one behavior he has when you are in a group of friends, one he has with his guy friends and the one he has with you. If he is usually loud, joking and the main entertainer in the group but with you he is all nice, silent and kind of nervous, it just means that you are special to him. Men don’t change their behavior for just anyone. If he was previously the same loud, funny guy with you that he is with his friends but lately he’s changing, his feelings are changing too.

He is trying to show you that there is a serious, responsible side of him that won’t embarrass you if you go somewhere fancy. The side of him that’s not all fun and games and that you can rely on. He wants you to see that he is not the fool that he is with his guy friends and honestly, that’s the most adorable sign that he is into you. A man who knows his flaws and works on them is a man worth having in your life. A man who knows when you need someone to laugh with and when you need someone to share silence with is a man who knows you truly.

9. There is a lot of playful teasing

Men love to tease and they do it often but you know this is a different kind of teasing. He will do it playfully, with gentle touches and softly punching you on the shoulder. He will tease you with a nickname he gave you, something that only the two of you know the meaning of. And you can especially notice this if you’re hanging out with the rest of the group. He will use the opportunity to tease you with some inside jokes you two share, letting others know that you have your own thing.

The whole idea of inside jokes and nicknames you use in privacy is to have something intimate, something private you can bond over. He will never tell someone else your nickname unless you are there too and he will never use a nickname that can hurt or offend you.

10. He blushes when there’s physical contact

While he welcomes any touches and even looks for any excuse to touch you, he still feels nervous and blushes when you actually do. It’s because he wants those touches to be different and, well, to him they kind of are. You know that when you are in love with someone, whatever they do or say to you makes you blush and makes all those damn butterflies dance around like it’s a hurricane in your stomach. And it is completely the same with him too.

If you touch his leg, well, you know what’s going on down there and it’s completely normal for him to blush. If you shake his hand or fist bump, he will find a way to prolong the touch. It’s the perfect way for him to question how you feel when he’s touching you and if you will pull away once he does. And of course, it feels really good to be near you.

11. You have met all of his male friends

You could dismiss this one, because friends share everything. But think about it. If you met them in a group before and he never really cared about the way he would introduce them to you, that was him being a friend. But if he tried really hard and he looked nervous while you were meeting them, it means that there is something more to it.

And believe me when I say that he warned them about their behavior in front of you. The last thing he needs is them being their true selves. Men are not so horrible but in groups they can be unbearable.

12. He’s protective of you

Men are always protective but this is a different kind. He will always help you when you are in trouble and he will always come to your aid if someone is bothering you in the club. He makes sure that you get home safe and checks on you regularly. If you live somewhere far away, he will even offer you a ride or be a chaperone to your place. When you are out clubbing, he is always somewhere nearby, making sure no one bothers you or looks at you inappropriately.

And when you tell him a story about when someone pushed you out of the way by accident, he gets angry and upset for not being there or being able to protect you. Men have the need to protect what is theirs, and even if you two are not an item yet, he cares about you that way already. And he will act highly protective as long as he has feelings toward you.

13. He remembers small things about you

If you find yourself constantly being amazed about how much he knows about you and how much he remembers the little things you mentioned a long time ago, you could find yourself in his arms soon enough—or in the process of friend zoning him, it’s up to you really. But him remembering all the little details you mentioned, details even you forgot, is a surefire sign he is in love with you.

14. When you need him, he’s there

You never have any doubts about him answering your calls and when you call him, you know he will be there. He even offers his help without you asking him for it and while it can seem like he is trying to be a great friend, in combination with all of the other signs from this list, it means he wants to be closer to you and he wants to be a great part of your life. He even answers your 3 am phone calls and has no problem with discussing all the silly topics that are running around your mind when you can’t fall asleep. Even if it means he’ll be tired as fuck the next day, it is still worth it to him because he gets to help you.

15. He jokes about it

Men tend to joke about their feelings to check how you would react and avoid being rejected. If you turn him down and keep on joking about it, he will laugh with you as well. But if you decide to take it seriously, he will too. Men are vulnerable around women they love and they will do anything to hide their feelings if they’re not sure how you feel. But once you give him the green light, he will go at it holding nothing back.