The first step towards love is emotional dependence. You need the other person to look at you as someone they can safely be themselves with.
Ever watch The Big Bang Theory? There’s only one reasonably-normal guy in the whole show, the rest of the characters border on two-dimensional. Despite this, they all manage to find working relationships towards the end of the show. Of course, this is due to the magic of plot, in real life they’d all still be living with mom.
The main characters are all needy and mean. Their girlfriends are patient and accommodating. In the end, the male characters all fall in love with the female characters because having someone to push your emotions off onto that’s willing to accept them and love you back anyway is more important than anything else they have.
Watch The Big Bang Theory. You won’t be disappointed.