The results
Mostly A’s — He asks and remembers. Being asked about and remembered without prompting is the whole thing. Keep noticing how you feel afterwards — feeling more like yourself is the clearest green flag there is.
Mostly B’s — You’re the audience. You’re being talked at, not to, and you’ve been calling it closeness because he opens up. Would you be impressed if a friend described this exact dynamic to you? That’s the test.
Mostly C’s — He only turns up late. Curiosity that only shows up after midnight is convenience, not interest. Has he ever started something before 6pm that wasn’t logistics? If the honest answer is no, you have it.
Mostly D’s — He keeps it all surface. He keeps everything at the surface, yours and his. That’s self-protection rather than indifference, but it only changes if he’ll talk about it. Ask once, plainly, in daylight.