Imagine starting to fall in love with your much younger F/O. You feel a pang of frustration and melancholy in your heart, sure that they will never see you as a potential partner because of your age.

However you are confused and delighted when you discover them genuinely trying to flirt with you.

Or reverse:

Imagine noticing your much older F/O starting to fall in love with you. You can sense their frustration and sadness; you know they think you won’t see them as a potential partner because of their age.

That’s why you step up and increase your flirting attempts until they finally understand you are trying to get their attention.