How to respond when he says I want you over text

A line like this is almost never a proposal. It is a flag, a way of showing interest that also lets him retreat if you do not bite. So the first thing to read is not the words but the tone around them. Did he lead up to it with a warm message about your day, or did it come out of nowhere? Has he already asked you out, or is this the first time you have talked in person? Those details tell you whether he is already leaning toward meeting or whether he is still feeling you out.

It also tells you how much he is hoping for a reaction. If he has been sending you real, specific messages, he probably wants to know you are into it too. If the conversation has been thin and this is a sudden jump, he may be testing whether you are looking for something more casual. Neither reading means you have to say yes or no to anything. It just tells you how much warmth to put in and how fast to move.

Replies that work here tend to fall into a few shapes. One is a warm acknowledgment that tells him he landed, without committing to anything physical or emotional. Something that makes it clear you noticed and you are pleased, but keeps your options open. A draft in this shape usually says the comment made you smile or made your day, and then stops, or asks one light question back.

A second shape is the forward nudge. You take the interest and turn it toward meeting, since that is where the rest of this gets answered. A draft here names a plan or a loose time, and it reads as a continuation rather than a pivot. A third shape is the honest pause, where you say you like where this is going and want to see him in person first. That works when the line felt a little fast. In every case, leave out heavy declarations, leave out sexual detail, and leave out any apology for how he phrased it. The reply should sound like someone who is comfortable and curious.

Timing does a lot of the work here. If the message came late at night and you are tired, it is fine to sleep on it and answer the next day. A reply that is warm and clear in the morning reads as considered. The same reply fired off at 2am can read as either eager or like you are working hard to match his energy. Give yourself a few hours if you can, but not so many that he assumes you are not interested.

If he does not answer after you reply, wait a couple of days before following up, and keep the follow-up light, like a question about his week or a suggestion to get a drink. If he still goes quiet, let it go. One unanswered message after a line like this usually means he has either backed off or lost interest, and pushing will not change that. If he answers warmly but keeps things vague, make a specific plan yourself so the conversation has somewhere to go. Stop when the texting is no longer building toward anything you would want.