Staying Friends Post Breakup

Slim and I met online, not through a typical dating site though. It was a very popular site at the time called Blackplanet (is it still around?), a group of us would spend out days at work having discussions and answering many hypothetical questions to keep ourselves entertained. Over time the group of maybe 15-20 us the "regulars" got pretty close....well as close as you can get virtually. As time passes, we began to have "trolls" in the section" so Slim, along with another regular brought a domain and created their own forum. They all invited the "regulars"

During all of this Slim would sporadically send me little notes through the sites and my personal email. I was in a relationship with my first love, however thing began going downhill for us - and the last thing I wanted/needed at the time (or so I thought) was another guy in my life to abuse me and my time, so I blew Slim off constantly. What I didn't know was he was going through a divorce and had began a friendship (w benefits) with the regular he began the new site with.....la da di di. Around the new year I gave Slim the digits and we spoke daily offline and via IM about any and everything - he broke through....I needed a distraction from the relationship I had just escaped from....I was starting over...Slim provided that to me. I considered him no harm since he lived here in IL and I was back home in DC.....Hell he piss me off I would just not answer....

Well that same year a meet and greet was planned and Slim asked me to come to it, of course I was like 'oh hell nah' because I wasn't down for traveling alone to a city I didn't know anyone. But eventually I looked in the mirror and asked myself "What do you have to lose Bri?" *crickets* So a ticket was booked and date was set to come into town on Slim's Birthday a day prior to the date everyone else would be in town.

Around this time the chick had moved to IL to be with Slim, I still being his friend heard it all....he said he wanted to be with me *shrugs* I didn't know what I wanted and was taking life one day at a time - I was in NO hurry to be in another relationship....but could get some 'D' if it was worth it......

So with all that back story, obviously Slim and I got together I was a permanent resident in IL by the end of that year and with who I thought was my soul mate.
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Seven years later we are no longer together, I moved out - he moved 3 miles down the street and we still have sex occasionally. We were friends first and I would like that to stick. I have no mean things to say about him as a person, never will I assume.

I believe with time our friendship will relish and be as it once was, we have so much history and I am sure as he is that 'we' will never be ever again. I love him and he loves me - I believe we can be friends.