Your fear of ruining your friendship with him can be a major impediment.
You shouldn’t be so focused on that.
When you are worried that you may ruin your friendship by telling this guy that you have feelings for him, you may come off as nervous or unsure of yourself.
This may actually make him wonder if indeed you are being sincere.
It can also make him feel uneasy about himself and the situation in general.
Your focus should simply be in asking him out or letting him know that you like him romantically.
You could do so while you are both hanging out or alone.
It is normally best to do it when there are no other distractions around that could take away from the moment.
If there are too many people around or if you are both engaged in a strenuous activity, he may not be of the frame of mind to take you entirely seriously.
Since you are sincere, you should come off as being just that.
This means that you should tell him in an environment that allows him to digest the information.
He has to be able to realize that you mean what you say.
You are better off being firm and clear with your message.
The mistake that so many girls make in your situation is they will delay saying how they truly feel and only drop hints here and there.
They do this because they are hoping that the guy will give them some kind of hint that he feels the same way before they decide to go all out and tell the guy that they have feelings for him.
You shouldn’t be this weak or hesitant.
You will have the best shot at getting an honest response from him when you are upfront and direct.
If you keep allowing the fear of ruining your friendship with him to get in the way, you will be unable to come right out with it in a forthright manner.
This will mean that he will find it that much harder to respond to what you are saying because he is not entirely sure of where you are coming from or whether you are even serious.
To ensure you don’t risk ruining your friendship with him after you have told him that you are interested in him clearly and directly, or you have asked him out, simply act normal after the fact.
Try not to be so concerned about what he will tell you.
Be prepared to take whatever answer he gives you and move forward.
If he gives you a no, don’t let that affect how you start acting around him.
Be kind and just keep moving forward with your relationship as though he never denied you.
If he says yes, don’t become demanding all of a sudden.
Just let the relationship flow naturally to wherever it is going.
In other words, the way you behave after delivering the message will determine how your relationship goes.
He will follow your cues.
When your cues make him feel like you are being real and honest with your approach, this may encourage him to realize the value of pursuing more of a romantic relationship with you.