this is a gold nugget of mine

my theory of escalation goes like this.

platonic
intimate
kissing
petting
sex

the only 3 ways to go from platonic to intimate are these

1 platonic touch and facial expression > platonic touch and intimate expression > intimate expression and touch

2 intimate touch and platonic expression > intimate expression and touch

3 intimate expression and no touch > playful sexual expression and touch > Intamite expression and touch

and i guess the third one could be replaced with "move in slowly" instead of "playful sexual expression and touch" but there's still usually that playful smile in there

Nothing "platonic" is on the proper route to sex. You want to be flirtatious and sexually suggestive from the start.

In my experience there is only one natural progression:

1) making eyes (flirtatious eye contact)
2) kino (ie touching hands or hair)
3) kissing
4) sexual kino (sexual rubbing through or under clothing)
5) sex

It's also nothing I've ever had to think about. It just comes naturally.

well i guess i made it a little more complex then it had to be. i'm talking about that exact moment when you decide to go into a more intimate interaction for the first time. and like you said it can go from giving flirtatious eye contact into slowly moving in and giving intimate touch. but you honestly can do the opposite and go from a very intimate touch with a platonic face then move into a more intimate look. also like i said you can do the thing were you like playfully grab her in some way, but it would be weird to go into an intimate interaction after a playful grab if you didn't do the intimate touching or looks first. know what i'm saying?

but yeah, usually every time i look at her i give her a more than friends look. but when i'm talking about sex or teasing or escalating in a certain context sometimes i have to give a more normal face to not come off as weird.

I'm curious what your "more than friends" look. Boring your eyes into her while licking your lips? All you need is to smile, make eye contact and show confidence.

yeah, that's pretty much what it is, it's like a confident considerate i'm enjoying what's in front of me type look

very easy on the eyes, you could almost say it's kind of submissive.it's nothing to think about. just an urge your body gets to look at a women a certain way when you find her attractive.