Am I making the right decision by staying

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on my relationship and wanted to get some outside perspectives because I can’t tell if what I’m feeling is a compatibility issue or something that can be worked through. The important part is that I know my boyfriend loves me. I don’t question his love or his intentions. He’s kind, listens to me, comforts me when I’m upset, and I know he genuinely cares about me. The issue is that I don’t always feel loved because the way he naturally expresses love is very different from the way I receive it. For me, I feel most loved through consistency, emotional openness, quality time that feels intentional, playful friendship, affection shown through actions, and little things that make me feel like I’m on his mind. I don’t need grand gestures I just want to regularly feel seen, chosen and emotionally connected. Just like the way I see others (I know not to compare but it’s something I long for). He’s much more reserved. He’s not very expressive emotionally, doesn’t naturally show affection in those ways, and can come across as nonchalant. One thing I struggle with is that he doesn’t feel very consistent. Sometimes he seems engaged and present, and other times his mood feels distant or out of place, even when nothing is wrong. I know he’s busy, and I’ve wondered if he’s just naturally awkward or not very expressive, but then I start questioning whether I’m making excuses for behavior that’s simply not meeting my emotional needs. The confusing part is that whenever I’m upset, he becomes incredibly attentive. He listens, comforts me, reassures me, and acts like the emotionally present person I’ve been wanting all along. It almost feels like I only receive the type of love I crave when something is wrong, instead of during everyday moments. Because of that, I don’t find myself wondering, “Does he love me?” I know he does. What I do constantly wonder is whether I’m wasting time. I worry that if this is simply who he is, am I staying in a relationship hoping for something that may never come naturally? At the same time, I’m scared of walking away from someone who truly loves me if this is something couples can learn and grow through together. I keep wondering if there’s someone out there whose natural way of loving would align more closely with what makes me feel loved, or if every long-term relationship requires accepting differences like these. I also constantly find myself caught between two thoughts: “Maybe this is just his personality, and I’m expecting too much,” and “Maybe I’m dismissing my own needs because I love him and don’t want to lose him.” I genuinely can’t tell whether I’m giving reasonable grace to someone who expresses love differently, or whether I’m talking myself out of recognizing a real incompatibility. Then I think about what qualities he does have and I think we have a lot of similar morals and values and have lots of similar interests. So the question I keep coming back to is: Can a relationship work long-term if someone loves you deeply, but their natural way of showing love doesn’t make you feel loved? Has anyone been in a relationship like this? Were you able to learn each other’s love languages and genuinely meet in the middle, or did you realize that love alone wasn’t enough if your emotional needs were fundamentally different? I’m looking for honest experiences from people who’ve been through something similar. I don’t think either of us is doing anything wrong I just don’t know whether this is something couples grow through or whether it’s a sign that we’re fundamentally incompatible.