Before you get your head all twisted in a knot thinking about this friends forever BS, let me tell you how is plays out in real life. Let's get one thing straight- you are not her friend. You might not hook up and you most likely legitimately enjoy her company, but the mere existence of your thread shows you aren't really satisfied with a platonic relationship. Congrats...you're human.
So let me try to answer your querries through my experience to show you one example of how this friend/relationship thing can play out.
-personality couldn't be more compatible
-Nothing changed for me. I had been chasing her around since I was 14 but I was a late bloomer and finally I started looking more like a man instead of a little boy, and thus became more attractive to her. After the growth spurt my pestering and teasing looked less like a little kid she was babysitting and transitioned into the flirting of pseudo-capable mate. So I guess you could say that I was never really her "friend" because friend was never my intended status with her but it did take a whole high school campaign and some serious puberty to break out of that.
-was a shitty boyfriend for a few years(i was young and didn't know what i was doing and a part of it was me transitioning from a flirty little boy into somebody more than that)
-long distance=inevitable break up
-we are still very good friends years after we broke up
-Girls believe it is possible to turn EXs into friends after the fact, however this is unachievable. If you think I'm wrong then you are in for a wild ride. The closest that girls can get to a post-relationship friend are ex-boyfriends that tolerate a friendship out of fear of losing somebody close. The girl can't tell the difference, but the dude sure can.
-The hardest part about moving back to friend status is hearing about the new boyfriends or even somebody else she is interested in. As a friend emotional reactions or sarcastic quips are not allowed. Honestly it feels like somebody is squeezing your heart with a vice grip every time you hear this and it sure as shit messes up the rest of your day.
This is never a problem with the other girls I've dated that did not stay "friends" because I never talk to them anymore, probably because I was never as close to them as the friend-girlfriend.
-Also be prepared for constant remarks of "how if we were still dating" years past the breakup date. This will always keep you thinking about how things could've been, just in case there was any chance that you might start forgetting soon.
But anywho, you might as well go through with it because if your asking anonymous internet posters you are already headed down that path. Just don't expect the "let's stay friends" bit to be a good idea when you do break up. It's a head twister.
Jaded drunk man signing out.........Payce!