Is it normal for a straight guy to touch my head like this?

I have been friends with this guy for about two years. He had a girlfriend (they've been together for 4 years) until recently. I'm gay, and he knows. I've been confused by his behavior, and I was wondering if it's "normal" straight behavior, or something else? We're both 22.

He has complemented me on my eyes, and has said it's "adorable" the way I sit on the couch with a pillow. Once when it was just me and him in our apartment, he walked over to me (I was sitting at my computer) and tried to tilt my head up with his hands. I rolled my chair away, and he did it again. He put both of his hands around the area below my cheeks and gently lifted my head up so I was looking at his eyes. He just looked back. I rolled away in a panic after a couple of seconds of this, because I was so confused. He has also done some other stuff, like get very close to me while talking. I am not sure if he simply doesn't know what personal space is, or if it's something else. On many occasions he'll get right behind me, and I'll move away, and he'll move up again. I also noticed him looking at my crotch a couple of times - but does that mean anything, or maybe his eyes were just kinda wandering around?

When we were both very drunk, I told him I liked him a lot. He replied only with "I really like eating and penetrating pussy." We were with a bunch of other drunk friends, it was not just me and him. We never spoke of that night again, and our friendship has remained entirely unchanged. He still does things like get very close to me.

I am extremely confused, and I do not know what to do. I like him a lot, and he also knows that. I am not sure if he's just a really weird straight guy, or a gay guy in denial? The face-touching thing felt extremely intimate and gentle, which is why I panicked. Another guy has never done anything like that to me before.

is it normal for a straight guy to act like this?