Yesterday, my best friend (25M) came to visit my city. He lives far away, so we don’t get to see each other often. We both work as chefs, so we met up after my late-night shift. He was only in town for the day, so we made the most of it and caught up on everything.

When we saw each other, I hugged him warmly. He’s kind of an idiot sometimes, but he’s one of the best people I know. We talked about a lot of things: games, movies, work, future plans, and relationships. Both of us have girlfriends (I'm 23M, my girlfriend is 23F; his girlfriend is 20F).

I get along well with my girlfriend, but his relationship is pretty toxic. His girlfriend mostly just tells him the only thing he’s good at is sex. He’s an amazing guy, and it really pains me to see him with someone who doesn’t appreciate him. He told me he feels lonely even when he’s with her and that it seems like she just wants him for sex and doesn’t give him any affection. He said he wished she’d hug him more often.

At that moment, I hugged him and told him he deserves someone who truly values him. While I was hugging him, I felt something very strange—a deep sense of intimacy and an overwhelming desire to kiss him, passionately. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, feel his body close to mine, and kiss him with intensity.

Is it normal to feel this way? Am I catching feelings for him, or is this just a strong emotional connection with my best friend?