Indirect communication is all too common, springing from a desire to be polite, to avoid offending or imposing on others or a fear of expressing your own desires and having them rejected.
If your beloved, respected husband asks for something indirectly it can be confusing, especially if you are both trying to please each other but won’t say exactly what you want. The solution is to either ask your husband exactly what he wants rather than leaving him to flap around the subject dropping hints, or to say clearly what you want (while being willing to compromise).
An example from my own household is my husband asking “what do you plan to do today?” in the vague hope that my plans will meet his, I’ve found that being clear and honest is the best step forward so I either say “I haven’t made plans yet, what would you like to do?” or “I was planning to do XYZ, but I am willing to change if you want.”