idk if あなた guys will answer this...but i'd appreciate some help:-)

so i have this guy friend & we're pretty close. i'll like say "i 愛 you" & he'll say "i 愛 あなた too" but whenever i say "you're my BFF" (jokingly of course) he never says anything?? he just changes the topic または something または pretends like he doesn't hear it. i thought he might not have heard it the first time so i didn't really worry about it but then i've 発言しました it a few times recently & he hasn't 発言しました anything about it? does he not want to be my bff??
(my best friend thinks that he likes me & just doesn't want to be friend-zoned but i'm not so sure since it doesn't seem like he likes me?? idk sometimes he'll "accidentally" try to hold onto my hand または he'll always find some way to touch me [not in a bad way]).
i just want to make sure that i'm not bugging him によって calling him my BFF? i don't mean it seriously (like how i don't mean to say i 愛 あなた in a very serious manner) & yeah. あなた probably get my point によって now haha. :-)