Should we be friends first or is it not too early to date?
So I have liked this guy at my university for a long time. We use to have World History together and worked on a paper once. But now I just see him around his friends or passing in the halls. Last May he was going to ask me out, but he chickened out. His friend kind of told me later. He had just broken up with his girlfriend. A couple weeks later after he almost asked me out I decided to ask him out. He said he would say yes but that he had gotten back with his girlfriend since then. He said they were trying again to make it work. Later on he would act happy to see me if I said hi and smile at me. There wasnt really any bad feelings but his friends would jab him and point at me if they saw me and whisper something to him, but I never really heard what they said. They always had this smile like "Look who it is". Stupid guy stuff I guess. But they still won't let it go. Kinda stupid.
So recently he broke up with his girlfriend and a month later he asked me out to see his friends band play. He seems like a whole different person now, he really seemed depressed for a long time. But when we talk he smiles the whole time and his eyes light up. I think he was unhappy for a long time and tried to make it work with her. I'm just worried about dating him because they were together for 2 years. I don't really know the details about why they broke up yet but he seems so much happier. If he had some sort of feelings for me all this time, judging by his actions and his friends...maybe he thought it was time to end it. Thats the feeling I get. The same friend that told me some info before said he personally didn't like his girlfriend, that she was "cold". But this guy doesn't know his friend told me anything. I didn't ask him by the way, he kind of came up to me and offered it. I thought it was strange but at least I know something now. So should I be afraid? I know I should take it slow, but I don't want him to think I am not interested or not that into him because I really am. Also I want to add that he is a good person, not the player type at all. From what we had talked about in History he had many values and morals. I'm just afraid of not doing this the right way. I know even if he was unhappy, he still tried to make it work. He did care for her and he has to process those emotions.