As a very shy, awkward guy myself, I can tell you that he's going to try anything to keep away from entering an awkward situation. So if you ask him for his help, don't be put off if he seems to not want to help you, he's probably just too scared to do it. You do need to make him feel comfortable around you and it seems that what you're doing right now is going to help build his confidence around you. This will take a LONG time, but with patience, he'll probably eventually be comfortable to spend some time with you..