One of the biggest obstacles to heterosexual romance is that women are often taught to be coy and subtle when showing romantic interest, but guys generally don't realize a woman likes him unless she makes it really, really obvious. And even then, he might think she's "just being nice."

Women on Reddit are sharing stories of "the most obvious hint they dropped" that they liked a guy that the guy somehow didn't pick up on.

If we can take anything from these 25 women's stories, it's to tell your crush you like him immediately. Because hints clearly don't work.

1.) From othermegan:

We were playing Life and he was the police officer. The rule is, if you spin a 10, he gets your “speeding fines.” I literally pulled open my button down and exposed my breasts and said “what can I do to get out of paying this.”

He said, “ma’am. I am an officer of the law. Are you trying to prostitute yourself to me?”

A couple days of flirting and sexual innuendo later I literally had to spell out that I was trying to fuck him. We’ve been together 6 years now

2.) From kkjalnc:

we were talking about canoes and i said “i’m like a canoe because i’m wet and you can go inside me” and he said “canoes aren’t really wet”

edit: some ppl think he was rejecting me but we ended up dating for 2 years

3.) From CaptPizza:

He told me my hair looked nice. I said, "bet it would look nicer with your hands in it." He said, in a very confused tone, "...you want me to style your hair?"

4.) From deerpajamapants:

When my boyfriend and I had just started dating we were laying down watching a movie, but this was a small bed and he was being respectful and giving me space. I kept wiggling backwards so I could get closer to him and he kept inching backwards too, since he thought I was just trying to get comfortable and he was in the way. He ended up sitting in a chair next to the bed.

Three years later we are still together, and I still think it's pretty funny. He told me that when he was in the chair he purposefully left his hand next to me in case I wanted to hold it, but I guess I missed that sign too. ( He didn't get out of the bed because he was uncomfortable, he truly thought he was taking up too much space and didn't realize I was trying to cuddle

5.) From cattoepicker:

I threw my panties at him and he kept explaining God of War lore

6.) From frapp-my-ccino:

After chatting for hours on top of a mountain from sunset until like 2am, sharing a blanket, me leaning my head on his shoulder, telling him he’s attractive, etc. he turns to me and says ‘how do you tell if a girl is into you?’

7.) From hotlikesauce11:

A couple of weeks ago to my boyfriend of 3 years:

Me: Undresses and lays naked on the couch, waiting to bone.

Him: makes dumb joke, “ooh you’re naked! That’s so weird!”

Me: dies a little bit inside

8.) From JenJMLC:

I asked a guy on a festival to come take a shower with me. He didn't get it. He just repeated there was only one free shower and I was like "well they are big I'm sure it's fine" and he just looked confused and told me I could go first. We became close friends since that happened about 2 years ago and this summer I spoke to him about it and he really had no idea. He did the biggest facepalm I've ever seen.

9.) From Wassabiman117:

I'm a guy but I once had an experience where I took the hint but still got rejected. A girl had asked me if I lost my virginity yet (we were in high school). When I said I hadn't, she said that I could practise on her whenever I want, mind you we walking home after school because we lived close. I try to act on this hint when we get to her house and she said she was only joking and doesn't want it to be weird with us as friends.

10.) From nothingweasel:

For Valentine's a couple of years ago, I mailed my husband a package. The note said, and I quote, "I want you NOW!" I was ready to spring into some extra fun sexy time whenever he opened the package. I had to sit him down and explain a couple of hours later. He was like "OHHHHHHH..."

11.) From throwawayL1G2B3:

On our first date, my current boyfriend and I went out to dinner, to a bar, and eventually back to his house to watch scary movies. After hanging out for almost 8 hours at that point, practically cuddling into him the entire time we were watching movies, dropping as many hints as I could, around 3 am when we were both fighting to stay awake, I finally had to look his dumbass in the eye and ask, "so are you going to kiss me or not?"

Though he was totally oblivious, it did show his good heart. He was about to let me me fall asleep on his couch and spend the night without even trying to kiss me. I knew he was a keeper after that.

12.) From Empty_Insight:

So answering in lieu of my late wife here- I (husband) am dumb. Like, really dumb. She and I met and became friends very quickly, but I didn't know she apparently had a huge crush on me.

I thought she was out of my league, and apparently she thought I was out of her league too, but she couldn't stop the feels. She rubbed her feet on me while we were talking, asked me in detail about my 'package', gave me her phone number with the line "Hit me up if you want pizza and sex." We went out for lunch, she offered to fellate me for a Dr Pepper, and she was very insistent that we got Meat Lover's pizza when I asked her what she wanted for watching a movie later.

After we watched the movie (she was in my bed), I figured she was just wanting to keep warm and cuddle, but she strutted into my bathroom stark naked and I had some DD's staring at me. She kissed me and told me "I want you to fuck me, you idiot." A regular romance story there.

In my defense, she had a really warped sense of humor and I thought she was kidding with all that stuff. It felt so natural with us being friends that the thought didn't even cross my mind until she propositioned me that there was potential for more. I'd had some really fucked up ex's and I thought romance was something where I had to jump through hoops for the other person and wait on them hand on foot... but she was different. That's why she was the one who I got on one knee for.

Advice to the ladies out there: if my wife telling me "I want you to fuck me" got through my legendarily thick skull, I think as a last resort that'll get through to anybody.

13.) From BBNUK91:

Guy here but once had a girl drag me into the bathroom while at a college party saying she needed help finding her marker/pen. We didn’t find it and I figured out what was really going on a year later.

14.) From aimeeerp:

I'm not as brutally upfront as some of these people but mine happened yesterday:

"How do I know a girl is flirting with me?" He asks.

"She touches you a lot while you two are talking."

"I cannot relate at all. That never happens to me."

"I'm sure it does!" I tell him and hit his arm.

"I can't think of any time that's ever happened."

15.) From karamelais:

complained I was a bit cold, so he gave me a blanket. I then told him there's space for two under the blanket (in an obvious flirting tone). He answered with "No thanks, I'm not cold". I still tease him with it once in a while (we're married now)

16.) From koroshitai:

one time a girl straight up asked if i wanted to take my pants off and I didn't get it. I was like: "nah, they're actually not uncomfortable at all"

17.) From FeelsBlind89:

Invited him over to "watch a movie" eventually laying my legs across his lap and hard flirting but after 4 movies I had to finally make the move.

Edit for clarification: We'd been flirting via text, sexting, exchanging nudes, etc. I had previously told him to his face that I liked him and I'm giving him the green light to make any move. Still nothing after a month of dating. I seemed to always take the lead on things and I like assertiveness but I wanted to give him the opportunity to feel like he could be in control, that it was ok. I was very direct many times, we'd had several discussions about it. Still nothing, even after I finally made the move I had to literally say, "I want to have to sex with you" 🤷🏻‍♀️

18.) From outerproduct:

I am a guy, but I can share my density as the guy that missed the hints. I went to a store where there was a girl I liked in college. We used to small talk while I browsed and never bought anything, bring a poor college student.

This time I came in the store and she said I and we chatted a bit while I shopped. She complained, "I'm going to be home alone tonight, my family is out of town.".

I replied, "oh that's too bad.".

She says, "I'm off at 5 today (it was 4 at the time), what are you up tonight? I'm up for anything".

"Oh nothing, just sitting at home and watching a movie.".

My brain must have completely self destructed, because the conversation ended there. I never saw her again after that, she either quit, or was avoiding me. I must have been in a daze from school to miss that cue.

19.) From jjdanielle511:

Before we started dating, I told my current boyfriend "I love you" and he said "awe I love you too you're such a good friend". The whole time we thought we were both friend zoning each other. Wasted half a year going in circles smh.

20.) From cauldronbubblesover:

We were discussing costumes and I sent a picture of me in my bunnysuit and said I'd need help out of it . His response was telling me he hoped my roommate was home or that would suck .

I had to tell him I was implying I'd like HIM to take it off me and it took him a minute to catch up

Edit: For those of you concerned it was very much a suggestive picture , I'm not sure it could have been percieved as just friendly( And no you wont be getting proof of said picture for those in my DMs lol).

I was very much ready to hit him with the bat of bluntness because we get along great and he'd seemed flirty with me before

21.) From Moves_like_Norris:

Guy here. Was invited back to study by one of the girls in my class at her apartment. We’re about half hr in and she says she might take a shower. I’m like ok - kinda random - but ok. Anyway she starts telling me the door to the shower is broken so DON’T come in. Says it three or four more times. Again, I’m like ok - weird she’s said that multiple times - but ok. Hr later the shower is still running. I can hear her singing and humming away so I know she’s ok and hasn’t drowned. Thinking gee that’s a long shower though. Water goes off and she comes out dressed and says you didn’t come in? I’m confused as I’m like WTF she told me not to... She sits back down, clearly distracted and not wanting to study. We wrap up after 5 mins. Drive home. Mate asks me how study was about a week later and the situation - which I hadn’t given a single brain cell of thought to since - I explain to him. As I’m saying it out loud the penny drops as to what a big fuckhead I am.

22.) From kaethegreat:

He invited me to his house to watch a movie after a few dates. He ended up playing league of legends for hours while I was laying in his bed and asked him many times if he would like to join. "sorry just one more match" We dated for 2 years.

23.) From ChingchongIgotnodong:

Literally said "I want to be yours" and the dude just keeps smiling and goes on about random space facts.

That one hurt a bit.

24.) From bearvszombiept2:

We matched on Bumble (dating app that the girl has to talk first) AND I started a convo with him.

He thought I just matched him because we were friends. Uhh no it’s a DATING APP.

We didn’t start dating until almost a year after that.

We are married now.

25.) From littlelavenderdreams:

I went out of my way to come in early and talk to this guy every day for like a month before someone else told him I was into him.

I also repeatedly told him I liked him

He thought I was just being nice.

25 women share stories of guys who didn't pick up on the obvious hints they liked them.