Should Cole and Phoebe have been friends first?

[imdb lives on]

It would have helped them to talk and work things through I believe

[Elle Em]

I think it definitely could have helped if they had more of a history before they became romantically involved. It would have made it a lot more believable that she would fake his death. It would be cool if they had known each other for a while, extending the time that we saw in the first few episodes of season 3 when they were just around each other occasionally, and then having them get into a relationship. 

I would have also liked if Cole had ultimately survived and he and Phoebe had been friends or at least on good terms after their relationship was over. Ideally, I would have Phoebe come to terms with her role in becoming evil in season 4, and she would take responsibility for it. Cole would end up with no powers whatsoever and just be a normal human again. I would want them both to forgive the other and decide that it just wasn't good for them to be in a relationship, as they tended to bring out the worst in each other.

I would end their story sometime in season 5 with them deciding to go their separate ways for a while, perhaps Cole moving to another city, with them acknowledging that they might end up together someday, but they both had a lot of growing to do before that happened. 

Then if Phoebe turned back into Phoebes, I'd have Cole come back at the very end of the show, as they would both now be ready for a relationship together. But this only seems possible if they have more of a history as just friends before getting together in the first place. 

[Maite Halliwell]

Honestly, I think their whole storyline would've been much better had they started off as friends. Especially because I think it would've then made the season five storylines so much better.

Although this is still depending on how it was written-- if it wasn't executed in a good way, then it would be just as sucky of an idea as the whole canon storyline.

[MistyPrue]

I do feel they might have had a better chance that way, now that you mention it

[BriannaWarren2.0]

I personally love the idea that they became friends, it could also strengthen their relationship, possibly with them being endgame. 

I would personally wanted it played like this:

Cole meets Phoebe the same way presented in the show however he starts to become close with her, taking her to classes, buying her coffee in-between said classes, which is strictly a move to get to know the sisters by Cole however over the duration of a season we see that he has started falling in love with her and disobeying the Triads orders to kill the Charmed Ones.

We see Phoebe struggle in making a decision to tell Cole that she a witch, we also see Cole going through the same struggles about telling Phoebe the truth about why he was there and why he became friends with her, to which the Triad figures out why he isn't following orders, and pays a Bounty Hunter to kill off Cole knowing that now he isn't an asset to the plan. 

Cole figures out that he is being followed by someone and identifies it as a Bounty Hunter. The Triad offers him am incentive, the Charmed Ones death and he gets his fathers soul or his death and they can replace him, being forced to make a decision he decides to follow the Triad's orders because he wants his father. 

Cole transforms into Balthazar and with the watchful eye of the Triad, attempts to kill them to which Prue telekinetically takes him out and Phoebe along with Prue goes up stairs and researches the demon that attacked them and to call Piper to let her know what happened. Phoebe decides that now isn't the time to tell Cole about her being a witch until after vanquishing this demon. 

Cole gets punished by the Triad but they decide to let him carry out the mission due to his willingness to kill them. To which the events of ''Sleuthing With The Enemy" takes place, with Phoebe trying to get Leo to heal him resulting in a backfire leading to him telling Phoebe about his suspicions about Cole's authenticity about him being human, which he Orbs out and tells Prue and Piper, then when they Orb back to Cole's apartment, to Cole shimmering out with Phoebe to the mausoleum, Leo tries to track her which leads to the graveyard surrounding them. 

Phoebe then lashes out at Cole for being a demon also with him attempting to kill them, however Cole explains everything and she understands but states that it might take sometime for her to forgive him but gives him an out.

Prue coming to the conclusion that she vanquished him with the potion she slipped him, Phoebe doesn't agree nor deny anything, just cries.

Cole returns around Prue's friend becoming a demon, Shimmering into her room while she is doing homework to tell Phoebe that he is back, removing Balthazar's possession of him and only keeping the powers he inherited from his mother, Shimmering, Sensing and Energy Balls.

Phoebe and Cole reconcile over lunch, while Cole reveals that the new demon recruits are being initiated in the next coming days, with him revealing that a man named Tom Peters is rumoured to be impressing a few upper-level demons in the Underworld, they finish having lunch, Phoebe returns home and can't shake the name Tom Peters off of her mind, she looks through her yearbook and can't find anything but decides to go through her sisters school stuff after feeling nostalgic, to which she finds Tom Peters in Prue's school things. 

She decides to call Cole, to say come over to see something, to which Cole shimmers into the attic with Phoebe asking if this was the Tom Peters he was referring to, he confirms it, she hears Prue downstairs yelling out that she is home, Phoebe tells Cole to go home and if there is any updates to contact her, he agree's then shimmers away. 

(I hope you liked it)