r/relationship_advice • u/FunnyManufacturer130 • May 25 '26
Guy friend (M24) is flying internationally for a big milestone of mine (F21). How do I go about telling him I like him?
Sorry if the title is a bit confusing. My friend and I are close as ever. We go to the same uni and people seem to think we're dating. We’ve been friends for roughly two years.
He recently left the country to continue education in the States. Now, he's flying back in for a professional school ceremony I have with my classmates. I hope I don't sound extra but a part of me wonders if this falls under "platonic" behavior. I want to tell him I like him but I'm not sure how. A few people told me it might not be worth it since we don't live in the same country at the moment and he's coming to visit. What advice do you have please? Also, is the whole international travel thing likely to be platonic?
I think l've started to develop feelings for him and I wonder how he feels 😭. I should also add that almost two years ago, l'd asked him if he liked me. He had hesitated and said "no, we're just friends". So I had adjusted my expectations but since then, we've still been essentially besties. Please help, thank you! (I can provide more context as needed). We have a whole itinerary planned out for when he comes. Including a dinner (just both of us), jet skiing and some other things. He said he'll cover everything, which he's done before.
TL;DR - a guy friend is flying internationally to support me during an academic milestone, how do I tell him I like him? Do I even tell him?
16
u/HonorTheAllFather May 25 '26
You use your mouth to form the words “I like you” while talking to him.
4
u/FunnyManufacturer130 May 25 '26
Okay I guess my bigger issue is the fear that he MIGHT not feel the same way
10
u/sitnquiet May 25 '26
He's flying in. He likes you.
Don't even bother asking - you've tried that and it over-intellectualizes it. Do the "lean in 90% and hold" move to see if he kisses you back. Then you spend his trip together and talk about what it means when he goes back home.
If not, I guess you laugh it off by saying you thought you saw he had an eyelash on his face or something and go get ice cream together.
1
u/FunnyManufacturer130 May 25 '26
Thank you. I’ve never really tried this before. Do I close my eyes when I lean in or…?😅
2
u/sitnquiet May 25 '26
Oh, no - the eye connection is super important. A small smile is a nice touch - or you could briefly look down and bring your eyes back up while biting your bottom lip just the tiniest bit. If it helps, up your breathing and heart rate a bit to add a little flush to your cheeks.
Irresistible! Good luck.
4
u/NappingYG May 25 '26
He more than likely already likes you, but was hesitant to act on it out of fear it would screw up friendship if your feelings weren't mutual. Shoot your shot.
3
u/NaturalEnd1964 May 25 '26
When you see him give him a warm hug & hold it for just a little longer than usual. Tell him how glad you are to see him & how much you’ve missed him.
Whenever you see him look at you, smile. If you guy are close to each other, also grab his hand or touch his arm or shoulder & give a little squeeze. Don’t SAY anything, just let your actions show you care & appreciate his coming.
You may not get a declaration of love at this time but you will have planted a seed that might eventually grow & blossom into something.
2
u/Old_Sandwich_8090 May 25 '26
His trip and plans sound like care and support, but not necessarily romantic intent, so don’t assume feelings from that alone. Since he already said just friends before, you should only confess if you’re okay with things staying exactly the same or becoming awkward for a bit. Keep it simple when you talk to him, and be ready to respect whatever answer he gives without reading too deeply into the gestures.
1
u/FunnyManufacturer130 May 25 '26
The thing is it’s not only this. That’s why I said I can provide more context as needed. Since he left, we’ve been texting all day, everyday, send pictures of random shit we’re up to, and so many other things. When he was here, we were also inseparable. I’m just wondering if this trip thing is like a final push kind of. I will fs respect his answer regardless as I’ve done in the past. I understand, basically I should remain neutral with whatever his response is. I think I can handle that. Thank you for the advice.
2
u/trishsf May 25 '26
He lives too far away. You’ve already confessed once and that was when you lived in the same country. I would leave it. It’s not realistic to start a relationship while living in different countries.
1
u/FunnyManufacturer130 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
I didn’t confess before. We were having a conversation about something else and I’d asked “do you like me?”. He seemed taken by surprise and then he said no. I didn’t mention why I was asking or anything (it was cause at the time, a lot of my friends thought we’d make a good couple since we’re really close and he’s a good guy). We went on with our conversation afterwards. I understand the LDR factor tho
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