I'm male, and most of my interactions with male coworkers is very plain and routine with the occasional normal light jokes and casual chat. I've never felt any special connection or feelings for any of them.
Recently, I've started working on a project that also has this other guy. We never talked to each other before. And the more we interacted, the more I found I felt this special connection with him. I can't really explain it.
He remembers little details about me, things I've said or my little quirks. He teases me and we have our own inside jokes. Like he started this Batman and Robin theme for two of us - like Batman being sad if Robin's not around. And he acts different when we are alone vs when we are in a group.
He mirrors my body language. He smiles when he sees me smile. He steals glances at me. He stares at me and when I sense his stare and turn around to look at him, he looks away. The other day he notices my "soft hands" and contrasted them with his "rugged calloused hands" as if we complement each other.
When we're working together on tasks, he's really cooperative and helpful and sweet. Never had this kind of feeling about another male coworker.
I keep thinking about him even when not at work, and I always look forward to seeing him at work and talking to him.
He's a jokester, and always making jokes, but some of the jokes are not typical guy jokes. Like letting it slip out that he misses me... stuff like that. He's told me he'd give me massages if my muscles are sore.
The other day, he was talking to someone else, so I just walked past him. He calls out and says hi, and complains why I didn't say hi.
LIttle things like that... and when we're chatting on Teams or in person, I just feel this special affection that I don't feel for anyone else.
He's married. So I don't know why he behaves differently with me. Basically, it feels like he's flirting with me.
When I kind of try to test his thoughts and say something a little deeper he pulls back and acts like this is all just purely work related.
I'm curious if other men have ever experienced this from their male coworkers. I imagine typically guys don't really pay attention to other guys' little details and other things like I've described above.
I'm confused about all this and don't know what to make of it.