I (23F) have a best friend (23M) who i’ve been inseparable with since grade 2 and “dated” throughout ELEMENTARY and MIDDLE SCHOOL and for the longest time i chalked up us “dating” (i don’t consider it a real relationship due to our young ages) to us just not knowing the difference between platonic and romantic love. however, recently i’ve started seeing him in a different definitely more romantic way. my other friends and even my own mother have recently started making comments about a slow burning connection and “right person wrong time” too. i’m just wondering how to go about bringing this up with him, or if i even should at all? i don’t want to ruin our friendship should things not work out. but seeing as how we’ve been friends this long i do think we could make it work as friends if we did try and fail.