15 Reasons To Fall In Love With Your Best Friend (AKA - Love In The Time Of BuzzFeed)

A Valentine's Day post for my BFF, partner in crime for over a decade, and (sappily enough) the love of my life.

1. Just friends

It starts off innocently enough. Two like-minded folks become instant best friends. Despite insistence from all quarters that you two must secretly be dating, you're actually just really good pals.

2. Until...

Maybe it's a goodbye hug that lasts a little too long, an innocent game of Truth or Dare that gets a little awkward for some reason, or a snowy St. Patrick's Day evening on a porch surrounded with pine trees....

Whatever the reason, something changed. Your strictly-platonic relationship took a turn for the weird.

3. Denial!

You both flat-out deny there's any chemistry going on. You don't want to ruin your awesome friendship. And who can blame you? You're the two best friends that anybody could have.

4. But eventually...

Finally, your resolve breaks down, and you're both forced to admit that which have until this point vehemently denied: you (gag) have feelings for each other.

5. BFFs in Limbo (aka the ninth circle of hell)

Dante forgot to mention best friends who attempt to transition into "more than just friends" when he was writing The Inferno. But that was mostly just an oversight on his part.

Navigating the waters of this awkward transitional phase is difficult. Going on a date with your best friend is beyond weird. What do you talk about? Normal date stuff (tell me about yourself) is pointless. You already know everything about each other.

You finally decide maybe alcohol will help, but then you both just have an omnipresent urge to undress each other, which makes you feel a little incestuous.

6. The Honeymoon Phase

After all the awkwardness of the BFFs in Limbo phase is over, the awesome part - the blissful period of crazy sex, and easy conversation, and the part where you're dating your best friend - begins.

7. Rushing to the Altar

What do you do when you're in love with your best friend, and life just could not be any better?

That's right! After a few months of blissful dating, you rush off to the courthouse and get married.

8. Wedded Bliss

Getting married quickly (and very young) can lead to interesting outcomes. Like celebrating your 21st birthday as a newlywed.

9. Family Time

Bonding with each other's families as husband and wife (and not BFFs) is a fun and slightly daunting experience.

You might find yourself engaged in activities you'd never imagined yourself doing.

And cross-cultural indoctrination becomes the norm.

10. Partners in Crime

Having your spouse/BFF as your hi-jinks partner is awesome, because an experience shared is double the fun!

You travel the world together...

See the sights...

Have some adventures...

And become that couple - the one who's so in love that others find it slightly nauseating.

11. Settling In

Maybe you adopt a dog...

...or perhaps a cat or two.

12.

You acquire cool (or not-so-cool) new hobbies.

'Cause learning is fun-damental!

13. Life Happens

Maybe you have a kid.

Or maybe your big, crazy family is more than enough.

14. As time goes by

As the years progress, there will be highs...

...and lows.

But you can make it through all the fights and the craziness, the birthdays and funeral pyres...

15. Best friends forever!

Because at the end of the day, you have each other.

Billy & Va

Going strong since 2004