12 Subtle Signs He’s Catching Major Feelings For You

You may be in the early stages of dating or not sure if you’re dating at all. Regardless, you have a dude in your life who’s definitely falling for you. How can you tell? Well, if he’s doing any of these 12 things, they’re signs that he’s catching major feelings for you.

  1. You catch him staring at you. When you two are spending time together, you often glance up to see him lovingly looking at you. There’s almost nothing subtle about those puppy dog eyes, but he’s trying to be discreet. He also can be found staring at you across the room when he’s talking to someone else. It’s just obvious you’re always on his radar.
  2. He’s talking about you a lot to his friends. Maybe you’re able to tell because he says “I was talking to my friend about you and…” Or you meet his friends and they say that they’ve heard lots about you. However, you know that he’s talking about you to his friends and it’s a sure sign that he’s caught feelings for you. If you were just another girl, he wouldn’t take the time to mention you over and over again.
  3. He texts you about silly things. You know about that weird car he saw the other day and what he ate for dinner last night. He loves to text you and what he texts are often the mundane things. This is a huge indicator of him falling for you because if you weren’t important, he wouldn’t feel the need to talk about the mundane with you. You’re worth it, so he wants to share those silly details of his life with you.
  4. He happily spends his free time with you. He’s a busy dude, like most of us, but he’s happy to give you part of his schedule. He doesn’t give up his whole life for you because that’d be codependency, but he does give up a sizeable chunk. The thing is that he’s happy to do it too. He never complains about not having enough time or having to cancel something because he loves spending time with you. He’s got it bad.
  5. He kisses you passionately. There’s definitely a difference between kissing someone you hardly know and kissing someone who has feelings for you. If he’s gotten to the point of kissing you passionately, meaning running his hands along your face and neck as well as kissing in that special way, he’s smitten as a mitten.
  6. He loves to cuddle. DTC? He totally is. Cuddling comes with the territory of hanging out with this guy. Sure, spooning could be no big deal, but he loves it. He goes out of his way to be cuddly with you and when you are spooning he’s all lovey-dovey.
  7. He knows little things about you. Is it weird that he knows how you like your coffee and how you got that scar on your arm? No, because you two have been spending tons of time together, swapping stories and enjoying each other’s company. You’ve learned a lot about each other along the way. He remembers small things which is a big indicator that he’s falling for you because if you didn’t matter, he wouldn’t care.
  8. He tells you he misses you. When you aren’t together, he’s sure to tell you that he misses you. He knows that you’re a girl worth missing. It’d be one thing if he felt this on his own and kept it to himself, but he takes it a step further to make sure you know. He’s definitely catching feelings!
  9. He reaches for your hand when you’re together. It doesn’t matter where you are, in public or not, he reaches for your hand to hold it. He’s secretly a hopeless romantic and just wants to be close to you. If you were just a girl who was a one-and-done he wouldn’t waste time holding your hand. Instead, though, he wants to savor the moment with you and may even want others to see it.
  10. He stops talking to other girls. If he mentions that he’s stopped talking to other people, he’s definitely got it for you. Sure, you two haven’t talked about getting serious yet, but he’s already feeling like he wants the course to steer that way. He’s telling you this because he wants you to know that you’re the only one for him right now.
  11. He talks about emotions and feelings with you. It’s not just a stereotype, many guys aren’t good with their feelings or emotions—especially when it comes to getting vulnerable in dating. Instead, they hold them in and pretend the feelings aren’t there. With you, though, he talks about what’s going on for him. He’s opened up about how he feels and what emotions are attached.
  12. He keeps mentioning commitment. Maybe beyond not talking to other girls, he also mentions committing to each other. Sometimes he says it in passing and other times he says it with a joking tone. Always he means it, though. He’s not afraid to get serious with you because he can feel that he’s falling.

What to do when you notice the signs he’s catching feelings for you

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  1. Figure out how you feel about him. That is if you haven’t already given this plenty of thought. Chances are, you already know if you’re on the same page as him. If you’ve never really considered it either way, think about how you feel and if you could see yourself being in a relationship with him. After all, dating might be fun, but could it be something real?
  2. Feel out your romantic potential. Just because you like each other doesn’t mean you’d work well as a couple. There are lots of things that go into determining compatibility, so it’s important to figure out where you land on this scale before making your next move. Do you have similar lifestyles? Do you want the same things? Are you alike as people in ways that would make a relationship harmonious? You can figure this out by talking to him more and spending more time with him as you already have been.
  3. Get your flirt on. While you don’t need to go over the top and throw yourself at the guy to show your interest, you should at least let him know that you’re on the same page by making your feelings clear. A suggestive joke here or there, laughing a bit more than normal at one of his jokes, touching his arm when you’re talking, showing positive body language… there are plenty of little ways you can reciprocate when you notice the sign she’s catching feelings for you. Hell, maybe you’re already sleeping together but you decide to show him it’s more than that by staying for some extra cuddles. Do what feels right.
  4. Go with the flow. It’s a major ego stroke, not to mention super reassuring, to discover that the guy you’re dating is developing real feelings for you and it’s not just one big game. However, that doesn’t mean anything really needs to change between you. You’re still in the early stages of dating and need to pace yourselves so you don’t burn out too quickly. There’s no shame in that. Keep spending time together, keep deepening your bond, and see where it goes.
  5. Take steps towards being official. Once you know that you’re both on the same page about your feelings for one another, there’s really no reason to play coy and pretend you’re super casual when neither of you wants to be. There comes a time when defining the relationship is right, so figure out when this is for you and then have the talk. To be honest, this probably won’t be too much of a talk at all since you both know what you want. Then you can move forward in sweet, coupled-up bliss.
Ginelle has been writing professionally for more than six years and has a bachelor’s degree in digital marketing & design. Her writing has appeared on Birdie, Thought Catalog, Tiny Buddha and more. You can follow her on Instagram @ginelletesta, via her Facebook page, or through her website at ginelletesta.com.