Need some help / opinion

I've been swimming at the university pool since July and sort of known this boy. It took him a couple of weeks of saying 'hi' and chit chat to ask for my number and ask if I wanted to have lunch (that was August).
Although we agreed to meet up (weeks later), he didn't show up... And had soem reasons which I don't believe to be totally true.
I eventually invited him to my house wraming party in September which he couldn't make it to cause he was sick.
We've since exchagned online contacts and we do talk more comfortably now at the pool and online. He occasionally gives me lifts back to my house after swimming.
We've since gone for coffee twice alone and a couple of dinners with another friend in October. He would suggest things like movie and watching tv shows together but wouldn't follow up on them although I agree to them.
I like him and I feel he does like me as well but I have a hard time understanding why he never seems direct in approaching me... We may have a nice conversation over coffee one evening and the next evening... He might seem a little awkard...or he doesn't seem that sure of himself.
Is that what is going on?
He's said a lot about his family life or the lack of it..... His mom is gay, been with a partner. He doesn't like to stay at home much. His dad (to my knowledge) is in his third marriage. He has a half sister from his dad's second marrige who had a baby at 19. He seems close to his uncle and seems to visit his grandmother a lot. He sometimes imply not being too happy with the way things are with his life, and seems to want to open up.
I feel I could be a friend to him if nothing else.... But I don't know where I stand with him... It feels like he's interested in me as more than a friend but then he doesn't consistantly approach me in that sense. Is he just confused about his life or me?