Sounds like things are a bit awkward for both of you ;-) You have a interest in him, but before you can find out more about him, you need to gain his trust, and you are unsure how best to approach the situation without screwing things up. It is my opinion that one of the best ways forward is to be patient, let him know that sometimes you feel awkward around people, and you are worried that sometimes you scare people off. Build up a two way understanding where the pair of you can be honest with each other, and as trust develops you can start to find out more about each other. First and foremost you are friends, and see where things go from there, I think...