i wouldn’t call myself very pretty, but i do clean up nicely when i try. :) the long term fall-out included me and this guy laughing about the situation about 6 months after it happened, and i asked him, “did i freak you out by just asking like that?” he said that yeah, no one had approached him like that before, but once he thought about it he decided he liked it. i made it clear that door was open but it wasn’t a big deal if we didn’t go through it, so he felt like the ball was in his court but that i’d still be his friend if nothing happened. and that’s where we stand, non-messing around friends who like each other. that’s fine with me.