I am in a small grad school program. This girl and I have been talking due to being in lab group and she lives in my building. We've worked together since August on a once or twice a week basis. However, only since December she now comes over to visit, bakes me stuff, cleans my apartment, but it has been strictly platonic. We have never mentioned "just being friends" but she does have a few orbiters. However I am not one of them. I find that she comes to me rather than the other way around.

There is lots of receptive kino and we are almost always touching, every time we see each other. Legs are in contact whenever we sit next to each other, she leans in on me when she laughs, she grabs me and I grab her, playful palm reading, etc. I want to escalate things with her by telling her next time we are alone something along the lines of "I value our friendship, but I feel that there is the potential to be more that just friends. Are you open to exploring that?". I know it isn't as aggressive as the stuff posted here and saying the friend word may not be ideal, but keep in mind that we are in a class with not many people. I am not afraid of rejection, but I don't want to pressure her and give a bad vibe that can hurt my image at the school. However, rejection or not, no harm will come from trying to move forward. Other people in the class have hooked up and it isn't bad press for them. I am all for making a physical move but I am afraid that could be incongruent but at the same time, maybe it isn't. What are your opinions?