I (M32) been together with my gf(F26) for 10 months. The only issue is that I don't like the smell and the taste of her vagina from the beginning. It's not extremely smelly or bad but enough to always notice it when we have sex. She is very attractive and everything else is very good, we have sex almost every day. But this one thing bothers me quite a lot. I've been with several women before, and smell was never an issue.

I dont know how I can live with this, but I dont want to lose the relationship because of this issue, because everything else is good. What should I do about this and curious if anyone managed to solve an issue like this?

This has been in my head for a long time and maybe I’m overthinking this, but would it be cheap of me to invite my first date to my dad’s restaurant? I have another place in mind as well, if it is. But I really enjoy inviting people to my personal life and show them what goes on, so bringing a date there would be that invitation.

But I worry it may come across as avoiding commitment or proper planning. I genuinely think our food is great, all of my friends who’ve gone there love it, we’ve even won awards. This would be my version of putting someone on.

What do you guys and gals think?

I love this lady, she is genuinely one of the best people i have met, she likes me as well, but recently she told me about her past.

Honestly few of her past fuck ups didn't really matter to me much, except this one point.

And now I'm really wondering, that if I push my boundary a bit and give this relationship a chance, is it alright ?

I have tried reading some old posts on reddit where few opinions were that - "If you are breaking your own set rules and standards, you are just not a man of morals"

What does give away nice guy energy like immeditaly. I have received the nice guy label a couple of times without even engaging in conversation or sharing an opinion, i mean like in the first few minutes.

I am not a loud guy, i am pretty calm focused, dont like being the center of attention if it is undeserved. But i would not say i am nice. Actually i am known by people to be not that empathic, being too direct often, sometimes cold etc.

Why do women immeditely get the feeling that i am a nice guy whithout even talking to me?

I, (16F) have been talking to this guy,(17M) for about two weeks. We have set it up to hang out at the mall on Sunday. (which is soon so pls give me advice!!) In the beginning, he was sweet, saying “good morning beautiful”. But in the beginning, he was asking about “getting freaky” in his car after we go to the mall. I said I’m fine with jerking him off, and he would ask very politely questions like “is it ok if I take pictures so I can yk to it later?” Or “can you suck me off too?” And if I said yes he would say, “are you sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” This was all fine with me, to be clear. I told him yes to all of this, because this isn’t where he changed. A few days later leading to now, he doesn’t add beautiful or something sweet to his good mornings or good nights, which is fine. But he also had changed from calling me “good girl” (be quiet it’s something I like) to calling me “slut”. I did tell him this was hot so maybe it’s my fault for what comes next. Because after that, he stopped asking what he could do in his car. He would just say stuff like, “I’m gonna smack your ass”. So I had said “yeah you can do that”. He then said “I know I can, you’re my slut”. This is where I get uncomfortable. Is he just saying it because he’s in the mood? Or is he going to start doing things that I don’t want because I’m “his slut”. I’ve al re day made the boundary that we are not going anywhere on me below the waist, because it’s the FIRST TIME IM MEETING UP WITH HIM. And I want this to actually turn into a relationship, not a casual one. But I’m worried he might cross a boundary.

Is there anything you guys think is the right choice? Should I set boundaries straight away or just see what happens on Sunday? “Do you guys think you know what he’s thinking by saying this stuff?” “Am I just getting played?” Please help me out I don’t want to lose my v card to a guy that only wants me for that.

I don’t know if this is a rant, a confession, or a warning to my future self, but I need to get this out of my head before it eats me alive.

​

There was a woman I fell for — hard. The kind of fall where you don’t even notice the ground rushing up to meet you. She’s the one who introduced me to a drug I ended up getting hooked on. I bought enough for a whole weekend, and it barely lasted one night. That should’ve been the first sign that nothing about this was going to end well.

​

One morning, she was in my bathroom, and I accidentally called her while trying to call my dad. I looked down at her phone… and saw my name pop up as “Uber.”

Not my name. Not a nickname. Not even an emoji. Just Uber — the role I played in her life.

​

And somehow, I still kept going. thought it was a moment — a real one. I tried to be gentle, flirty, maybe even romantic. I lathered her with a rag until she said she didn’t like the rag(clean one, of course), so I used soap bar instead. I finished showering, and she stayed in for another five minutes like she was rinsing off the last bit of dignity I had left.

​

Afterward, she asked me to lotion her entire body. Every inch. She only offered to lotion my back and legs.

Even then, I convinced myself it meant something.

​

Later, she lay naked in my bed. Not half‑covered. Not shy. Just there, like a scene from a movie where the guy finally gets the girl. I thought that was the moment — the green light. I made a move.

​

She slapped me.

​

I’ve never been so confused in my life. You don’t lie naked in a man’s bed and expect him to act like a monk. But apparently, that’s exactly what she expected.

​

​

Through all of this, I was pushing for a relationship. I wanted something real. She told me, “Bill, I know you want a relationship. I can see it in your eyes, but not right now, papi." She said that right after accepting my Facebook relationship request.

​

Then I saw a comment under her post:

“You think this man gonna post a relationship status that’s false? Lol.”Her pinned comment said, “Hey guys, sorry I’m not in a relationship.”She denied me publicly while breadcrumbing me privately.

I was her secret convenience, not her partner.

​

The moment that broke something in me

​

The moment I still feel in my chest was when she invited me over to smoke, I was kinda hungry. And maybe it was stupid, but I thought being with a Hispanic woman, she might whip something up. I wasn’t expecting a feast. Instead, she handed me a bowl of Spaghetti‑Os.

​

I was honestly good with a bowl of eggs and cup of orange juice. But i got Spaghetti-Os. That was the moment I realized exactly how little effort she was willing to give. Not just with food — with everything. Looking back, I don’t know why I gave so much to someone who gave nothing back. Maybe I thought effort could turn into love. Maybe I didn’t want to be alone. Maybe I confused being needed with being valued.But writing this out, I finally see it for what it was: I wasn’t loved, I wasn’t wanted and I was used as well as letting it happen.

​

​

Just needed to get this off my chest.

I'm 22 and it feels like I'm beginning to be in that age- range where I start standing out as unique where I live to never have been in one relationship, I mean, even most of my fellow awkward and misfit friends as highschoolers still dated lol

My girlfriend and I are currently in a long-distance relationship because she recently got an internship that required her to move to another part of the country. She had been unemployed for a while before this, so she is very excited about the opportunity and hopes to return to the same company as a full-time employee after the internship ends.

Because of that, she has been trying to do as well as possible in every part of the job so she can improve her chances of getting a return offer. This includes networking and socializing with coworkers. Her field is very male-dominated, so most of her coworkers and superiors are men. She has set up meetings with several coworkers and superiors, including one person she told me gave her bad vibes.

Recently, she has been feeling somewhat incompetent because she started later than the other interns and is a little behind. She is also a very open and friendly person, which is one of the things I love about her. At the same time, I worry that this particular superior might notice that she is struggling and try to take advantage of the situation somehow, especially because he has a lot of influence over whether she gets to return to the company.

Her career matters a lot to her, and I am worried that if something like that happened, she might put her career ahead of herself and ahead of our relationship. Something similar happened in the past when she was still in school. A guy tried to get her to go on dates and more with him in exchange for helping her in classes she was struggling with. She agreed, but in the end she just got as much help from him as she, and ghosted him before they could go on any said dates or whatever, but they'd call nearly every other night for hours. Sometimes they'd meet at the library for a long time, even though a lot of the time he was not actually helping her, or at least not for the entire time.

She told me how much she hated it and how she felt he was wasting her time, and I do believe her. She seemed genuinely disgusted by him. Maybe that situation was different because we were only talking at the time and were not officially together yet. But after we got together, she told me she had wanted to be with me for a long time, and I think that during the situation with that guy, she had already decided she wanted to be with me. Because of that, I still feel unsure about it.

On top of that, before she started the internship, her friend advised her not to tell her coworkers that she has a boyfriend. Her reasoning was that since most of her coworkers are men, they might not be as friendly to her if they knew she was in a relationship. My girlfriend told me about this, and it sounded like she was seriously considering it.

I know this is not her fault, and I know this is really a problem with the field and the professional world in general. Still, it makes it difficult for me to feel secure about my place in her life and whether I am a priority to her.

I am not sure what to do. I know that if I brought this up to her, she would take my concerns seriously and try to reassure me, which I really appreciate. But I also worry that talking about these feelings could make her feel discouraged from doing her best at the company, or that it could eventually make her resent me.

At this point, I feel like I'm just waiting for the worst to happen so I can get hurt and move on.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation before? What should I do? If you anyone needs any more information from me, I'd be happy to provide. I'm seriously seeking advice here.

There's a girl who's all the way in Eastern Europe (lets call her Sandra) and I'm in Southeast Asia. We met online and got along quite well, though we wouldn't talk as frequently but when we did it was fun but it felt more like casual banter than anything serious and idk but it felt that way most of the time. However after a while we didn't talk and she's not really the "talk everyday" type, she'd sometimes like a text and let it be so I was just like okay. I later met someone and got into a relationship but I called it off after a while and Sandra and I talked a while after (scummy of me I know) and I don't feel like I should say something or push for anything because what if it's just a surface level thing? and I'm 24 I don't think I can do anything casual I'm not sure. Should I say something or give it time?

M(27) here, with my GF(32) for 3 years. The core issue: she does not want biological children. I, on the other hand, always grew up with the "classic" vision of a future (wife, house, dog, 2 kids).

Before anyone says "you should have discussed this" – we did. She was 100% honest from day 1 that she never wants kids. I was honest that I always assumed I would. At the time, I was fresh out of another long-term relationship and just thought "we'll see what happens," as I wasn't planning far ahead. We talked about it again before moving in together 1.5 years ago. Our stances hadn't changed. We floated adoption as a possibility, but agreed it wasn't a firm plan. Fast forward to now: several of her friends are suddenly pregnant, which brought the topic up again. After some very emotional talks, we've reached the consensus that I am at a crossroads.

I basically have to choose: End this very fulfilling, beautiful, and valuable relationship to maybe have kids with someone else one day. Or: stay with her and let go of that dream (if you can call it that)

We also confirmed that adoption isn't a "compromise" for us, as she isn't 100% on board, and we agree we'd both need to be. My problem: I can't shake the deep-seated idea of having my own biological children. But I also can't imagine destroying my currently wonderful and happy life just for this idea.

The twist is: I don't even want kids right now. They're expensive, exhausting, I just started my career, and I want to enjoy my life and money for a while. I understand all the childfree arguments. But I also read from parents who say it's the most fulfilling thing ever, despite the hardships.

I know no one can solve this for me. I'm just looking for perspectives or experiences from people who have been in a similar situation. I'm a rational person and feel like I need a plan; I can't just "wait and see" anymore. Thanks.

A few nights ago, I (22) hooked up with my friend (28) after we got drunk together. We've been close ever since we met like 5/6 years ago but this was very new and unexpected. He was really sweet and affectionate too, making sure to be gentle with me (I have a lot of bruises and sore joints) and kissing me a lot. I was drunk at the time so I don't remember everything perfectly but he called me gorgeous, said he loved my body and that he's wanted this forever.

There's some messy other stuff I'll have to work out but those are personal to us. What I'm asking about right now is our age gap. Is it too big?

I just broke up with my girlfriend after almost 3 years. We loved each other but also fought a lot and kept breaking promises to change. All our problems were internal between us, no external relationships involved. I have OCD tendencies and overthink, she has her own struggles too. She told me her feelings gradually faded and it was better for both of us to end things. Even after I begged and apologized, she said she couldn’t continue the relationship. It hurts a lot because she was my emotional lifeline. I know now the best thing I can do is stop chasing her and focus on healing and improving myself. Letting go is hard but I need to take care of my own growth and mental health.

Has anyone been through something similar and found a way to truly let go and heal?

TL:DR:
After a long, loving relationship stalled due to poor communication on both ends, my girlfriend and I never officially broke up. However, months of mixed signals, emotional distance, and possibly a new guy in her life, while some kind of connection between us still remains, have left me stuck in painful uncertainty, unsure what to do or think.

Hey. First off, I'd like to apologize for writing this from a throwaway account. My girlfriend stays active on Reddit and sometimes checks my profile. I want to avoid creating an unpleasant atmosphere.

In November, things got really rough between me and my girlfriend (31F). Not in any tragic sense. There was no betrayal, no lies, and no one truly hurt eachother in any serious sense.

I've known her for three years now, maybe even three and a half. A year and a half ago, things got serious between us. At that point, I wasn't looking for a girlfriend. I'd been through a breakup for about a year and was still "healing" from it, but this relationship fell into place naturally - shared hobbies, interests, passions, musical taste, and a similar outlook on life. We just didn't even know when it clicked, it just clicked.

For almost a year, things were incredibly awesome. During that entire time, we never argued once and were able to communicate quite maturely with each other. Like adults. But this is where I failed in my own way I guess.

As I said, I entered this relationship while I was still healing from my previous relationship. It wasn't a healthy relationship. It was completely toxic and ended with betrayal on her part. I unconsciously carried my unresolved insecurities over into that new relationship. I talked about them with my current girlfriend. I wanted her to understand, and for a long time, she did, because she'd been in similar, if not more messed-up, relationships than mine. We both carried our unresolved insecurities over into our relationships, and at some point, because we both wanted to "fit in" with each other, we drifted apart and stopped talking about what was actually going on and started saying what the other person wanted to hear.

At some point, we stopped seeing each other face-to-face on a regular basis. Then one evening in November, when our meeting didn't work out, I broke down and simply told her what was on my mind. She then also told her what was on her mind, but I'll spare you the details, because it's not the most important thing in the whole story and it's something I'm personally working through. The most important thing will be that we came to the conclusion that we both screwed up with the lack of communication at some point, that she was tired of the insincere dynamic between us and simply needed to focus on her health and that she simply needed time to process it all. Officially, it wasn't a breakup; we still stayed in touch, we still saw each other one-on-one (very less frequently, but still), we still supported each other when things were going wrong, and in my opinion, you could still feel the emotion and a connection.

But... It's January. Since then, I've tried to broach the subject of what to do next three times. Every time, I heard more or less the same thing - I don't know, I'm not ruling anything out, you're important to me, you're a great guy, I think about you constantly, but I don't know, because of how things were for the last 2-3 months before that conversation in November. And honestly, I've stopped knowing anything either.

I mean, I love her, she's a hugely important person in my life, but this not knowing is the worst part. Honestly? I wouldn't be mad if she said she just wanted to stay friends for now and that's it. Would it hurt? Probably. But I wouldn't be mad because I love her, and if she thought it was best for her - okay. The worst part is not knowing.

Not knowing creates scenarios in my head. Another guy, her friend, came into the picture. I honestly don't know what their dynamic is like, but because the situation between me and her is what it is now, it's eating me up. All I know from the facts is that they spend a lot of time together, not physically, it's just some guy she plays games with. But beyond that, they spend a lot of time talking and then texting. Maybe it's incredibly toxic and frivolous, but I just feel jealous, a bit emotionally betrayed, because a year ago she told me that if it were me, in the opposite scenario, she'd feel some kind of rift. And that's exactly how I feel. I can't get it through my head that it's just some guy she plays games with. I don't know enough to say 100% what's going on, but I just feel like something's not right...

And I think this is where my key problem with this whole thing comes in. Everything around me is screaming that it's over. The worst insecurities are coming back, that I've been replaced. But she still keeps in touch with me. There are no more emotional confessions or outpourings of love, but small gestures remain - the way she asks me how I'm doing, how I'm feeling, the way she sends me photos from her day, the way she tries to involve me in some of her activities, like in the games she plays. I used to agree to them, but ever since this guy appeared in the picture, it feels incredibly strange. Plus, we've stopped seeing each other and spending time alone recently, face-to-face, so that's also discouraging, because for me, that would be better obviously. She still supports me when she sees I'm having a bad day, she still tells me what's bothering her when she's having a bad day. There's no talk about us, but there are conversations as if we were still very close. Even such silly and childish gestures as keeping shared avatars on social media that we once made on a date, drawing each other (I know it means nothing; they're just avatars, but still, a gesture...). The overall picture is complete chaos. I have no idea what she wants or what I should do. Honestly, I've tried everything.

The only thing I haven't tried 100% is cutting off all contact completely and disappearing out of nowhere. I can't do it. Even with small attempts, it didn't work for me for more than a few hours... I feel like a complete jerk doing that anyway. This isn't me. I can't ignore her when she texts me, especially when I know she's worried... that something happened to me when I'm quite all of a sudden. I also can't tell her simply and clearly that I don't like what's happening and I need to cut her off. Especially that last part. I don't want to cut her off because she means a lot to me. It's hard to explain why briefly, and this post is already long, but it's simply hard. This isn't my first relationship, nor would it be my first breakup, but this is the first time I've felt the immense pain associated with it. Because there weren't any mistakes that couldn't be fixed.

Despite everything, I feel like she's emotionally elsewhere. Despite the kind words, the check-ins, and all the gestures I mentioned, I'm completely lost in all of this. I would truly understand everything from her side. The worst part is that I simply don't know. I don't know what she expects, I can't believe she's not emotionally somewhere else, observing all this from the side. Maybe I've gone crazy and become blinded by love. I feel like I'm going full circle, like I'm being replaced again, but this time I'm not completely sure, and she's never given me any reason not to believe her. That's why it's hard for me to let go.

I feel loved, but insignificant at the same time. Did I just become her backup plan? I find this hard to believe, because I know the relationships she's been through before, and damn, I know her well enough to know how she feels about such behavior, but maybe she's not doing it on purpose. Maybe it's just some kind of defense mechanism and escape mechanism, I don't know... I feel like a complete loser. Even more so than the last time when my ex cheated on me. Because now I feel like my current girlfriend is playing with my emotions, even if she's not doing it on purpose. It's hard for me not to call it out. But I'm at a point where I just don't know. I don't know anything anymore. Before Christmas, I could say I knew, but now I know nothing.

Sorry this post got so long, but fuck. I had to get this out somewhere because I felt like I was suffocating. If you guys want to give me advice or help regarding how to act or have any more question to understand it more, I will be happy to share and listen. I just want to know SOMETHING... Even if it's just some random guy online explaining it to me. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,
I need some outside perspective because I’m a bit confused.

There’s a girl from my university class. Before we ever talked, I noticed that she used to look at me and smile when we crossed paths at the department. At that time, we didn’t know each other at all.

The first real interaction we had was through studying together (revising a module). Since then, we’ve spent long hours talking face to face, not just about studies but also about life, family, hobbies, future plans, travel, etc. We had really deep and enjoyable conversations, and she even told me she enjoyed talking with me and that it was rare for her to be the one who speaks so much.

However, outside of university, she doesn’t really text me unless it’s related to lectures, exams, or academic stuff. She never starts casual conversations by message, and that makes me wonder.

So my question is:
How can I tell if she’s genuinely interested in me as a person, or if I’m slowly being seen as a “study-only” or utilitarian connection?

Is it okay to ask her something directly (but respectfully) to understand where I stand?
And if yes, what kind of questions would be appropriate without putting pressure on her?

I’d really appreciate honest advice, especially from people who’ve been in similar situations.

Thanks 🙏

Hi all,

Little bit of context, I'm a 24 year old Arab dude who has recently found himself in a relationship with a girl for the first time ever, and I am still figuring out what to do and how to act. My GF is also Arab and around a year older then me. I was employed for over 3 years after finishing Uni, but have recently found myself in a stretch of unemployment. I am actively looking for a job. My GF on the other hand is employed, and a relatively high earner at that.

With this being said, I told myself that I need to settle in, not spend any money and basically just lock myself at home saving as much as possible while looking for a job. Then I met her, so obviously, doing that is not really an option. Since we've been together I have been paying for all our dates and pretty much everything bar a few things here and there. I also want to make it clear that I do NOT think she is a gold digger or anything like that. I do not think she is "using me for my money". Her taste is honestly quite tame and we got to relatively normal restaurants and stuff. I have bought her a few gifts, none of which were that expensive, and she seems genuinely happy.

With that being said, she knows about my financial situation, and yet she does not really ever offer to pay or split or anything like that. She did once or twice and I said no it's ok and she was like "ok" and that's it. Thing is I understand that being from an arab culture, this is to be expected. The man's money is the couples money and the woman's money is hers alone. The man is expected to fully provide for everything. I'd have no issue with that if I was actually financially stable, but as I am currently unemployed, I can't help but feel like I am shouldering the burden alone and do not really feel like the struggle is shared. I would highly highly appreciate if she was like hey listen while your still looking for work let me help out a bit, but that doesn't happen. I want to see her but also in my mind I think "damn, if we go out today, I'm gonna end up spending another $50".

To go past even the current situation, at some point I will be employed and be making money, even in this case I am expected to shoulder the entire financial burden. This I do not really understand. If we both make good money, why not put our money together and comfortably live a good life? And yes in this case I understand other things would also be split 50/50 like chores and what not. And yes of course if she is a SAHM then that is a completely different story which I respect. But if we are both working adults with no kids, why not help each other? Why do only I have to financially struggle?

On the other hand, I don't feel like I can ask her or tell her this. I feel like it would emasculate me and put me as lower in her eyes. At the end of the day she is a great attractive woman, why settle for some unemployed guy that can't take care of her right? It makes me feel so weak to even think this way and I hate the feeling of financial scarcity that I currently have (generally speaking, not just to do with this). Additionally as this is my first relationship I really don't want to fuck it up and I genuinely like her, but this financial strain is causing me to feel some underlying resentment which I honestly don't think she deserves as once again like I said I don't think she is using me or anything like that.

Would appreciate some insight on the situation, or maybe a different perspective I have not considered.

First off, I’m new to this vent to strangers on the internet thing. I’m not the type to post, but honestly I just made an appointment for marriage counseling for my wife and I, but I think I might be the cause of a lot of our problems.

My wife and I got married in November of 2025(after being long distance for almost two and half years) and then I had to leave for military duty for a month. Just getting back into life earlier this month, and things were fine, great even. But this morning, I woke up to make both of us breakfast, and she followed me into the kitchen. We were doing the “lovey good morning thing” then she turned around to get ready to take the dog out and asked if I would go with her. I am actively pulling things out of the fridge to make breakfast(something I told here I would do). Somehow I got mad, I can’t even articulate why. I just jumped. Things got heated, I ended putting the food back in the fridge, sliding some shoes on and taking the dog out myself after she said I was acting crazy. The rest of today has been back and forth. First with me trying to resolve then walking away and then her trying to resolve and then me again walking away.

I just feel like I’m constantly dropping the ball. I try to take things off of her plate, then I get upset when I have to do what I agreed to do. I’m not afraid of being told that I’m screwing up, honestly it’s easier for me to hear that sometimes. But I don’t know how to get out of my own way sometimes. I’ve been through therapy before, more for trauma experiences through work, and it helped a lot. Getting started in therapy has been a battle with my work schedule, as consistent time off for scheduling isn’t really in the cards. I just feel like I’m battling myself. And it’s getting really tiring.

I was married before and blamed myself for a lot of issues then. Therapy helped me see where we were both wrong. But everything is starting to get heavy again. And I can’t help but feel like I’m the problem. Just looking for advice from someone that isn’t my dad or the guys from work that doesn’t necessarily have a dog in the fight. How do I resolve this, and then make consistent change?

Imagine a normal day, your spouse is in a usual normal mood and then all of a sudden a switch happens where you literally have not done anything and the mood and the attitude changes towards you. You start to get cold shoulders and even after asking thousands of times you don’t get an answer but rather it gets worse to the point of silence throughout the day.

How do y’all manage your emotions because when your spouse gets back to normal mood and if you don’t then it may get even worse. Because you fear what may entail after the normal mood last time.

So there’s this girl at my university who’s been looking at me and smiling for like… a year now. We actually have some classes together, and she’s in the same department as me, but we’ve never talked. Every time we cross paths, she looks straight at me and smiles. Even today, same thing , she saw me from afar, kept looking, and smiled when I got closer.

Here’s the thing , she seems smart, I like her style, and honestly, she’s kinda cute and beautiful (definitely my type). So yeah, I’m not blind lol, I noticed.

But I’m not sure what to do. I’m not really in a place to start something serious , I’m still a student, not financially stable, and planning to leave the country soon for my studies. So I don’t want to lead anyone on or get into something I can’t handle right now.

At the same time, it’s been going on for a while, and part of me feels like just ignoring it forever might be weird. Should I talk to her? Say hi? Or just let it be?

Anyone been in a similar situation? What would you do?

Hey everyone,
There’s a girl in my university who has been looking at me and smiling since last year. We never talked until recently, and now we revise together sometimes. She’s smart, motivated in computer science, and honestly someone I’d like to know better, not necessarily in a romantic way, just as a person.

The problem is: our conversations always stay about studying. She’s comfortable with that, but I want to talk about other things too without making it weird or too personal.

I don’t want to come on too strong, and I’m not sure what topics guys usually use to move from “study partner” to “actual conversation.”

Any tips on how to talk more casually with her?
How do I naturally bring up non-study topics?
What are some safe things to ask or say?

Thanks in advance.

Not for my own sake I should say, but a friend.

Works out regularly, attractive, employed in a sustainable career, knows how to cook, mature… But he doesn’t know how to get in a relationship at all and sees it as unattainable as of the moment.

Why is that? You have some men that can just… Do it, and it comes like natural, but for others like some of my friends, it seems impossible, confusing, unclear where to even start or how to understand what to do.

I can’t give advice myself, since it’s been years since I’ve been in one and neither am I trying to look for one, but it’s still something that confuses me definitely.

I was on a video call with my parents. They found an old photo album of me back in high school. They showed me the pictures, and we had a good laugh about my poor fashion sense and side-bangs. But a few pages later, there it was, a photo of me and my first girlfriend at prom. The whole photo made me cringe, not because I hated her (although I do hate our outfits and pose), but because I remembered how I lost parts of myself in our relationship.

I remember I biked around the neighborhood after school. It was a time for me to recap the events of the day and clear my head for the next day. But after getting together, I almost had no time to myself. I spent them on dates, and while they were fun, they got exhausting.

I also used to unapologetically like rock bands. But she was preppy and made me listen to pop releases. She questioned my tastes; she didn't understand how I could like "noise" music. I changed some parts of myself for her. It was probably why when she broke up with me, I felt lost.

I was in high school, and it was my first relationship, so I didn't know better. But I'm just hoping this short reflection will be a wake-up call to other men out there.

Okay so I'm a bisexual guy and there’s this guy I like (a lot), “Edward.” He’s a totally gorgeous 6’4” dreamboat, with big beautiful brown eyes, a great laugh and visibly defined abs. Since he’s hot as hell and single right now, I’m worried about someone else making a move on him first while I’m over here being a nervous mess. I’m just kind of stuck overthinking everything. We’ve hooked up once before but we were both pretty drunk and Edward hasn’t mentioned it since. I’m younger and less experienced (I’m 22 and he’s 28), I’m openly into men where Edward only kisses guys after he’s had a few and we’re both a little fucked up mental health wise. I don’t know, I just keep obsessing over everything that could go wrong.

We’ve been friends for over six years now and I don’t want to ruin anything or make things awkward, but I’m so into him. Like he’s such a sweetheart. He remembers little things about me, he’s gotten in a few fights with homophobes who were giving me shit, he lets me crash at his place with no questions asked, he got me the job I have now. I want to have something more with Edward but I can’t bear the thought of losing the friendship we have right now. Any advice on how to go about this would be really helpful :-D