Friends turned lovers: how did it happen for you?

[JollieJullie]

If you ended up dating/ marrying a former friend, how did the transition happen? How did you realize you had feelings for a friend? Who made the first move? How long were you friends before catching feelings and getting together?

Asking for a "friend"

Friends to fwb to friends to fwb to relationship to marriage over about 15 years. Been married 5 years now I was more into him for the first half but not overly into him or in love.

More mutual by the time we decided to actual give a relationship a go. Both were in other relationships during the friends bit.

I texted him one day and asked him over for an Indian, something we’d done many times before. He said yes so I asked him what he fancied… he said me. I said ditto… that was kinda it, he came over but others were there and the next morning he came over again, gave me a neck massage and when I looked up at him he kissed my forehead (he said because it wasn’t as full on as a full kiss, gave me time to say no etc). I smiled, he kissed me properly, we now are married for 8 years next month and have two kids, 12 & 16 nearly.

I would never date someone who wasn’t my best friend again.

We worked together for 10 years. Realised after our managers told us we weren't going to work together anymore that there was more to it.
I made the first move. We've been together 9.5 years.

Not a happy ending one -Met at an alumni event, he asked me out to dinner, and we kept going out to dinners and drinks and shows, discussing future dreams and hopes. I fell for him and told him I had feeling, and he said he wanted to just be friends and doesn't have any space for a relationship. I cut him off completely. About a year later he got in touch and we started dating. Then moved within a year. Unfortunately we would have been better as friends. He was totally emotionally unavailable and had many issues. We got engaged, but eventually I ended it.