First and foremost, you say you don't want to risk your friendship but if you are going to tell him how you feel you are going to have to be prepared to accept and embrace RISK. Only you, not your friends, can decide if you are ready for this. The potential to be a "cute couple" is not enough to go forward with the whole thing. The boy is obviously your best friend for some reason but good friendship does not always translate into great romance. On the other hand sometimes excellent relationships begin as friendships. I think you need to spend lots of time really listening to yourself and thinking about your feelings.

If you think that you will kick yourself later for missing this opportunity, take action whenever you're ready. If you do decide to tell him how you feel soon (or even much later) then make sure you prepare and protect yourself against unpredictable results as best you can.

Instead of taking such a big first step, you might test the romantic waters with something less direct. For instance, tell him you had a dream that the two of you went on a date to some otherworldly place and then ask, "Do you think that it would be crazy if we were going out? I'm just wondering." This could give you a better idea of how he may react. However, he might not reveal his own feeling to protect himself from rejection. If you are unwilling to put your heart on the line quite yet, don't feel badly, perhaps in the future you will be able to make the leap or maybe things weren't meant to be.

The friend or boyfriend world is confusing territory. Sometimes you may need to figure out if something is better left as a friendship full of tension and unspoken feeling but leave it at that, enjoying both the friendship and the occasional confused feelings. However, sometimes the risk really does pay off and a wonderful relationship begins. Good luck in making your decision and try hard not to pressure yourself in any way--you have a great friend and that is a very good thing.