Try to lead him on by flirting and stuff and see how he reacts, and if he feels the same way, he'll probably say something first, and if not and you think he likes you but is kinda too shy to say so, you should tell him openly.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.