I'll start by giving a little background on the situation... about 6 months ago, I moved back to my home state after being across the country for 9 years. Periodically for those 9 years, I would get random messages from my first boyfriend (age 14) to check in, see how things were. Twice, during trips home, we met up at a bar and just hung out. We started talking quite a bit for the year that led up to my move back and then I moved. The house I'm in now needs MAJOR renovations I wasn't really prepared for and got a little stressed but we went out a few times anyhow. Things seemed to be alright. He literally spent every night at my house for a week, sex included of course, replaces all the light switches, installed ceiling fans and broken light fixtures, and pretty much anything else requiring tools. Then he out of the blue, had a hundred excuses of why he was busy and couldn't come over... dude lives with his parents so there really couldn't have been that many emergencies going down. I called bullshit and I stopped trying to make plans and he eventually kinda faded out for a few months with random texts to see how I was every couple of weeks. Fast forward to December, my shower drain is clogged... I post on Facebook to see if anyone knows a plumber. Who jumps into action and spends 5 hours fixing it? That's right. Saves me like $700. So for Christmas, I wanted to do something nice and got him a really nice watch. He makes more excuses of why he can't stop by before Christmas. Don't think much of it, it's a busy time. I ask him if he wants to come over for New Years and if he wants to stay the night, bring a bag (can I be any more obvious?!) He says he'll come over but probably can't stay and ends up leaving at 11:30. Between then and last week, we have been texting sporadically. He's sending music he thinks I'll like (mostly songs involving marriage) and making little comments here and there that are kinda flirty. Last week, he asks what I'm up to that weekend and I said "I think I'm going to paint the kitchen" well now since he was a painter for 7 years he's going to come over and help. Help basically meaning he took over the entire project while I sat on the counter and watched Saturday and Sunday. The kitchen is almost done and he proceeds to ask about more projects for him. I'm like, the whole house is a giant project, I'll let you do anything you want! Now last night he comes over and brings every single tool he owns and we go to home depot so he can show and tell me about every tool he used to own and lost (I did a fantastic job looking like I really cared...) He goes home around 10pm after he finds a home for all his tools in the basement. I literally have NO idea what is going on with him. He leaves, we hug. I can't even get eye contact unless he's talking to even go in for the move. My common sense says guys don't just do all kinds of free work for someone they aren't interested in and maybe he's just scared of me, but then the other side is thinking, what the heck, he should be at least trying a LITTLE TINY bit to get into my pants again. He said there was never another girl and I've never had to worry and that sometimes he would just rather stay at home and do nothing.
I've spoken to a few of my male friends and they can't figure this out either. Does this seem like he's really starting back at square one to take things slowly, or does he really just like fixing stuff and painting with absolutely NO favors in return (other than cookies and dumb little stuff I can do)? We are 32 years old so it's kind of in between the old fashioned and technology era of dating and everyone is stumped.