I have Saturn in the 8th and it is hard for sure. I kept to myself for a very long time, but I also have my Venus in Aqua to blame. Intimacy is extra scary to me However, over the last year, I found myself becoming more open and letting my walls down for sure. Confidence was a big theme for me as well. I know I am attractive, but was very timid and insecure about certain areas of me. When I started accepting the things I saw as flaws, I noticed I started attracting more people into my life. As weird as that sounds. I was just in my first serious serious relationship from July 2014-April 2015 and he really helped me get my walls down. We didn't last forever and he wasn't the one like I thought, but I got over it. Of course I cried over 100 times for him but our relationship was toxic. There are days where I wonder if I'll ever find that kind of passion again, but I know I will. I have faith. Our 6 or 7 times breaking up did make me lose hope and made me go into hermit mode again and want to never try committing to anyone.. but it's a learning process.
I guess my advice is to let your walls down slowly and go with the flow. Let things happen as they should. Don't force it-- but don't deny things either. If something you are interested in comes along, don't push it away. Take a chance The first relationship may not always last and sometimes they will. There's no true way of us knowing, we just have to accept things as they come and live in the moment.
Sometimes the first relationship is just practice for the real, truer love/relationship to come along.
My ASC is in Leo too by the way but I'm a 95 baby.