What to do if he suddenly became less affectionate

Most sudden drops in affection come from a few places, and you can often tell which by looking at what else changed around the same time. If his work, sleep, or family situation got heavier, warmth tends to slide to the bottom of his list, and you're not the cause. If the change followed a specific moment, like a disagreement, a conversation about the future, or you saying something that made him uneasy, he may be pulling back to think it over. The third possibility is that he's losing interest, and that usually shows up gradually in shorter messages and fewer conversations he starts himself.

A useful check is where his speed went. If he still answers quickly about logistics but takes hours to reply to anything personal, he's choosing to be less warm, not simply too busy to be warm.

Mention one concrete thing you've noticed, like the texts getting shorter or him skipping the nightly call, and leave out general claims about who he is or how he feels about you. Keep the tone ordinary, the way you'd mention a change in weather. Then say what you want in one sentence, such as wanting to know if something's going on, or wanting to keep things warm between you. Give him a clear, easy way to answer, like a question he can reply to in a few words. Don't tack on a hidden test or a dare. He should be able to say "work's been brutal" or "I'm not sure how I feel right now" without feeling punished for it. Whatever he says back is your next piece of information, so respond to that, not to the version of him you were bracing for.

Send your check-in on a normal day, in the daytime, when you're not stressed or tired. Late-night messages almost always come out sharper than you meant. After you send an open question, wait a day or two for a real answer before you do anything else. If he replies with a short but honest line, let it stand. Don't fill the gap with a second message explaining yourself, because that just turns his short answer into a reason for you to chase.

If he goes silent, one lighter follow-up a few days later is fair, and it should be easy to answer. Stop pushing when he's answered a direct question with a clear no, or when the warmth hasn't come back after two honest attempts. At that point you're learning what he wants, and it's time to plan around that.