I'm a 21-year-old female who enjoys chatting, and my boyfriend, who is 23, tends to be more reserved. Here's how things have been developing. Is this a positive sign?

I’m a 21-year-old woman who plays in a band, and I met him—a 23-year-old man—during a trip where he was the best friend of our bassist. After the trip, he asked me out. We went on several dates, but despite feeling physically attracted to him, our conversations often felt lackluster and led nowhere. At that time, I valued myself a lot and ultimately decided to decline pursuing anything romantic. We remained friends for about a year. As for my background, I'm a designer with an insatiable curiosity about the world. I thrive on long, meaningful conversations and enjoy discussing a variety of topics, including art, social issues like women's rights, and philosophical questions. My previous relationships were with artistic types who could talk for hours about deep subjects, but eventually, they would become avoidant, leading to breakups. I've realized that I tend to be attracted to charming, avoidant men, and I often rush into relationships, focusing more on feelings than actions. I love reading and listening to discussions or podcasts on specific topics. On his side, he’s an architect who excels at math, chemistry, and physics—not because he has a deep passion for those subjects, but because he’s naturally good at them. His thinking is practically oriented, as he enjoys solving everyday problems and focuses on what’s useful rather than exploring broad ideas. However, he does engage deeply with his interests like coffee, fashion, playing guitar, and music. He’s responsible, hardworking, and displays a calm confidence that many older individuals struggle to maintain. After a year of friendship, I began to see him in a different light—more as a companion than a potential partner. We had our own relationships during that year, but nothing serious. We shared a dark sense of humor, and although I still found him attractive—especially his stoic demeanor—I had my preconceptions about what "interesting" looked like. I often thought he didn’t fit my type since I favored conversationalists who were equally curious and adventurous. Then, about five months ago, he invited me out for coffee. I found myself comfortably chatting, even if I did most of the talking. The chemistry was undeniable, prompting me to write about it in my journal as I tried to convince myself not to develop feelings. For the next couple of months, we spent Sundays together, but old patterns emerged; I felt like I was carrying the conversations again. Despite that, we explored different activities, attending galleries and socializing with our band, which helped build trust. One day, I confronted him about what we were—friends or something more? We tried to create some distance, but after a few drinks, we ended up kissing. Even then, I hesitated to fully dive into a relationship due to my frustrations with our conversations. However, we couldn’t maintain the distance and ended up spending more time together. Eventually, we faced our feelings, became intimate, and within a month and a half, we were officially a couple. Initially, I felt overwhelmed by our communication issues and the silences between us. I sent him a long note detailing what I valued in our relationship and my need for deeper conversations. At that moment, I didn’t quite understand my own needs, just knowing I wanted more meaningful dialogue. After much reflection, I finally articulated my thoughts during a call, and he admitted he worried about not being knowledgeable enough for me. I reassured him that love encompasses more than just intellectual conversations; it’s about connection. I’ve realized that he calms me with his wisdom and genuine care, which resonates with my emotional nature. The best part is that I’ve noticed progress. I’ve discovered how to engage him in conversations about topics he doesn’t usually discuss, and he’s willing to contribute his perspectives. I can teach him how to ask questions and keep dialogue flowing, even in less familiar territory. However, we both need time to better understand one another. I’m eager to keep fighting for this relationship because I believe it’s worthwhile. We’ve already met each other’s families; his are incredibly warm and welcoming. I genuinely see a future with him and would love to hear any similar experiences or advice from others about navigating such dynamics.