grinds my gears
nothing more annoying than the situation where a long time friend wants to be more than friends.
you know 'dating'
but then.. you don't want to, you gently deny this option. you do not want to date your best friend and YOU KNOW WHAT that is PERFECTLY FUCKING FINE.
then you get the whole WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR SO LONG WHY NOT? then pull all kinds of emotional manipulations and memory flinging because denial is such a horrible thing. valid reason? does there need to be? is an explanation owed? can a simple no to dating just be accepted? was the entire friendship based around dating to begin with? to lure them into a trap and emotionally abuse them if they do not comply?
saying no to dating someone you've known for a long long time doesn't mean you are invalidating their feelings - it just means you don't say YES for the wrong reasons, it means you DON'T SAY YES WHEN YOU REALLY MEAN NO. who knows maybe one is afraid to say no.
the entire IF U DONT DATE ME I WONT BE UR FRIEND ANYMORE situation occurs.
news flash - they weren't your friend to begin with if it comes to that.
just. just. for the pursuer not accepting the answer;
shut the fuck up and respect the answer and respect the choice given - why try to convince a good friend to date you when they do not want to? why is it so hard to take no for an answer? the fact one has to resort to bringing up the past and trying to make a 'perfect connection' with the whole we like the same things, do the same things, etc etc - still that does not make great dating relationship material.
YOU REALIZE THAT YOU CAN BE BEST BEST BEST FRIENDS AND NOT HAVE A SINGLE ROMANTIC FEELING FOR THEM RIGHT? long long time friends do not automatically make great dating relationship material.
respect choices - you do not make the choice for them - you don't convince yourself (before or after) that they will agree no matter what.