I'm beginning to think that I actually really like the friendzone

EVERYTHING IS COOL IN THE BROZONE

BROZONE FOREVERRRR

we should

I HATE DATING TOO

DATING IS FUCKING BOGUS

CAN'T WE JUST HANG OUT

can you, the dude, hang out without worrying through the whole date when/how to kiss me at the end of it

and can I, the chick, not have to go through the date with the anxiety that you might want to kiss me

and I might not want to kiss you

just NO

NO KISSY

I don't understand how kissing on the 1st date is a social norm

I JUST MET YOU

I don't want to swap spit with someone I met 2 hours ago

and PERSONAL SPACE KTHX

even if it is a norm, it doesn't mean you're obligated to go with it

I think the problem might not be the friend zone, but rather the expectation of the guy when on a date

just because it's a date doesn't mean he should get some or that you're obligated to give him anything

schadenfreudere: right. I know there are a lot of social pressures on the guy

about needing to clearly indicate interest i.e. kiss the girl

but... can't you just clearly indicate interest in WORDS idek

I know I'm being unfairly ragey and I didn't like immediately cross out this guy or think of him poorly after he tried to kiss me

I'm more defensively raging for having been put in the position where I was increeedibly awkward

and left to think, YOU'RE 26 FOR FUCK'S SAKE SURELY A LITTLE PECK ON THE 1ST DATE IS ACCEPTABLE

and the other half of me is like NOPE NOPE NOPE FUCK THAT SHIT

so, to clarify, on Saturday night I met up with a dude from OKC for dinner

It was fun! It was cool! It was so comfortable and friendly through dinner and then we went back to his place to play Wario Ware

(yes I know going to the dude's house is sort of sketch)

(but I still firmly, stupidly stand by the fact that if I'm okay going to someone's place after I've been hanging out w/ them

in a NON date context, then I should be able to do the same here)

anyway, even at the dude's place, it wasn't sketch at all cuz Wario Ware

then he talked Pokemon and I talked Mass Effect and it was nerdy and bro-y and awesome

then I announced that I should leave, and he turned towards me and SUDDENLY THIS SHIT JUST GOT REAL

the change in mood is imo as alarming as the kiss itself

no, we didn't kiss, he didn't even lean in, but I'm pretty sure that's what he was going to do

until I was like "what?" at... whatever he said

and he repeated it and I said "what?" again and SDLFJG SO EMBARRASSING

"...well, this just got awkward."

and I physically facepalmed

and told him sorry but I'm new at this so let's take this slow

and he smoothed over that remarkably well! By instead taking my hand and kissing it

and then I laughed like a stupid twit

I CAN'T HANDLE ROMANCE

ALL GUYS THAT WANT TO TAKE ME OUT, PLEASE NOTE

DO NOT TRY TO CHARM ME IT WILL HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT

I'm at my best when I'm a bro. Please just treat me like a bro.

I know most people date and then move their dates into the friendzone

I'm the opposite

everybody starts in the friendzone and have the potential to stay in it or move out of it

now I just have to preface any date I go on with this spiel orz

I don't think you should have to explain your thoughts or MO

you do what you want to do

there is no reason to apologize or justify it

Your comfort zone is what it is.

Yeah... I need stop being reflexively defensive when it comes to this and just be okay with how I approach it

Especially given how adamant I am about doing relationship stuff My Way