He got snippy when you asked about his relationship status? What to do

The useful split is between a reaction to the question and a reaction to you. A defensive "why are you asking" is usually about the word "seeing" or the feeling of being pinned down. It's rarely a judgment of who you are. Someone who is fine but wants to keep things casual tends to say something like "we're just getting to know each other." That's vague, but it's still an answer. Someone hiding a current relationship tends to get sharper, change the subject fast, and often rush to make you the problem for asking.

Look at what came after the snippy line. If he gives you a real sentence about where his head is, the reaction was probably nerves. If the next thing he sends is a joke, a topic change, or silence, treat that silence as the answer until he shows you otherwise. Also notice whether the rest of the conversation stayed warm. One sharp line followed by normal texting is not the same as a whole exchange going cold.

Your reply has to do three things without making the moment bigger than it is. First, restate the question in plain terms so he can't pretend you meant something else. Second, say in one line what you're looking for, like wanting to be clear before you put more time in. Third, leave him a clean way to answer, so it's obvious the ball is in his court. Keep your tone level. You're not angry and you're not pleading. You're asking for a direct answer.

Don't argue about whether the question was fair, and don't ask him to explain his tone. Those are traps. They pull you into a debate about you while the actual question stays unanswered. Keep the message short enough that a one-word answer still counts as a complete reply, and make sure you're okay with whichever answer you might get.

Send your clarifying message during the day, not late at night when you're both more likely to be guarded or tipsy. Give him a reasonable window to reply, usually a day or two for a casual match and longer if you're already texting most days. If he gives a real answer, respond warmly and let the conversation move on. Don't reward evasion by rushing to reassure him.

If there's no answer, or he deflects again, don't send a third version of the question. Let the silence stand for a few days, then decide whether you want to keep investing. A sustained vague reply to a clear question is an answer in itself. Stop chasing. If he comes back later acting like nothing happened, you can decide whether the earlier non-answer still counts.