I think that you should make sure he knows you're interested before you ask him out just so that it doesn't come as a complete surprise. And there is nothing wrong with a girl asking a guy out, it's not weird. Maybe you could flirt with him a bit or talk to him more then you already do.
You could also try to get caught looking at him when he's not looking. I'm not saying go stare at him but from across a room, you could look over at him and catch his eye. Anyways, after that, ask him out.
I don't think that it's too much of a risk, because you got over him liking you and it didn't ruin the friendship so I don't see why it can't work the other way around.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.