To be scared about this attraction I'm feeling?

[justwonderingtbh]

I've name changed for this post, but a long time poster.
I'm 22 years old and have just started a new office job. There was another newbie at the same time as me so we were trained together and have now become friends.
I found myself having a bit of a crush on him, he's tall, got a tattoo sleeve, great hair and a good beard, dresses well too.
I don't shit where I eat so wouldn't ever want anything to happen anyway but I do feel attracted to him - a lot!
Ive found myself fantasising about him and I assumed he was around 23/24. I've just found out that he's 17! I feel disgusted in myself! I feel so ashamed, he's still a minor! I feel like some sort of predator

I think people are quite funny about things when the woman is the older one. No one I know would bat an eyelid at a 17 year old dating a 22 year old if the sexes were reversed. When the woman is older people get all pearl clutchy about it.

My dh was 22 when we started dating, I was 32 and divorced with one child aged 6. He was living on his mums sofa! He had moved back home after a job he had taken up north hadn’t worked out and he was applying for other things.

10 years on we are very happy- married with a young child together and he is a brilliant step dad to dd now aged 16.

I think some people are just born older! He’s often more mature and sensible than I am.

Is this for real?

Yes, kids get tattoos underage, but they are usually a shitty blurry Chinese symbol by some cowboy artist, a sleeve takes months of repeated visits and are usually pretty good.

OP are you trying to make some sort of point about men who 'accidentally' go for underage girls because they 'look 18' or whatever?

Lol at 'a good beard'.

Oh God this reminds me when I was 17 and had left school and was at college. Went on a youth trip with an organisation. Really like a boy there. 6ft, broad shoulders, completely hunky THEN a friend of his told me he was 13 - omg I felt like a child molester for even thinking about him like that. To make matter worse the 13 yr old really liked me and we had be so flirty. Oh the shame

Turns out he's 18 on Monday, I wasn't trying to make a point but it has made me think how it is important to make sure you know someone's age before you pursue them. As for the tattoo I'm not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if he just walked into the shop because he really does look so old!

Sounds like you've already decided its a no go for at least a few years. I expect the difference in maturity would show itself as you got to know each other better. Look him up in 3 or 4 years time

No such thing as a good beard. Reported for bullshit.

Fair enough 😂😂😂

It's not that big of an age gap.
If you both feel the same go for it.