should I play by ear w/ this "straight" guy? Falling for me?

So i have this friend whom I had been friends for over a year. We pretty much connected instantly. The thought of him being gay has always been in the back of my mind, but I never said anything because its pretty private shit. But lately, the urge and the need to know if he's gay has been growing. Now, I do identify myself as straight; however, this guy is just so special, and I'd be pretty incredible to know he'd like someone like me. I honestly feel like he has feelings for me. It's just the stuff he does for me, i dont imagine doing them for anyone unless i have feelings for that person. He's bought me multiple dinners at fancy restaurants. I'd try to offer to pay, but he would just say "lol good luck with that". Whenever we would agree to hang at mine, he'd always call ahead to see what I'd want to eat, and he would then pick the food up before coming over. I'd always ask how much do i owe him, but he'd just look like me funny and say "a movie is payment enough". He has also cooked dinner for us, multiple times actually. Each time more obvious he spends hours in the kitchen. Really, the meals look like restaurant dishes. He even said he spent about 8 hours once cooking for us lol. He would then walk me back to my place. He has said some of the stuff he does for me, he wouldnt do for every other friend. When he jokes, he would occasionally slap lightly at my lap (while me wearing shorts). He did say he get hit on by guys a lot, but he expressed he'd have to turn them down because he's "not really gay". He did say once that people tell him that he is too nice, and he explains that he doesnt want people to have expectations of him because of how "nice" he is. He then said that i was different, and it's fine for me to have expectations of him because we were "close" and he'd do those things for me. Now, he has never made a move on me. Although he did put his arm around me one time when we were high (Canada, its leagl), I grabbed his arm and put it back tho. Later that week, our conversation somehow circled back to the putting your arm thing around someone without mentioning it in our context. He explained that how he hates north Americans (sorry yall) are so insecure and keep labeling things, like how two guys cant cuddle without being called gay. He's british and expressed that he cuddles with his European friends because it's just a thing, not a sexual or romantic thing, but a thing. He then said that putting your arm around someone isnt sexual or romantic. I felt he said that on purpose? Almost like, "look i want tryna get with ya mate". Our friendship was never awkward or weird, I just keep swallowing the things he throw at me (very gladly) and wondering. What do you guys think?

 

lol i dont get it at all either, but apparently its an European thing