Hello, can you continue the aroace story between the hero and the villain about a QPR?
I really liked reading it
Thank you anon for the request! I really hope you like it :)
The hero sucked in a breath. The villain was at their door.
The villain was at their door . . . and holding a bouquet of flowers?
âFor you!â they said, and handed the bouquet to the hero before brushing past them into the apartment.
âThis is a secure facility,â the hero said, staring down at the flowers.
âI got blue periwinkle and salvia, white camellias and tulips, and then orange marigolds. Itâs like your flag!â
âThis is a secure facility. There are trip wires, and dogs. How on earth did you get in here?â
The villain waved their hand. âI have my ways.â They stood in the living room, peering around at the furniture. âNice place you got here. Do you like the flowers?â
The hero closed the front door, and glanced down again at the bouquet. âTheyâre beautiful,â they admitted. âDid the florist help you pick them out?â
The villain shrugged. âDidnât go to a florist. I just raided the Agricultural Departmentâs botanical gardens.â
â[Villain], thatâs a federal building! You canât do that!â
âOh no, who will protect the poor widdle federal government?â The villain shot them a smile. âCome on, who cares? Thatâs not even what I came here for.â
âWhy did you come here?â
The villain moved to the couch and settled themself down. âWell, weâre going to have a QPR together, right? Might as well figure out what that means for us.â
âOh.â The hero felt their face go warm. âRight. Of course.â
They walked on wooden limbs to sit in the armchair opposite to the villain.
âSo, [Hero].â The villain leaned forward, as though this were a business deal. âWhat do you want from a relationship?â
âUh, I guess I . . .â
The hero paused. Because, well, theyâd never really thought about it before. They were viscerally aware of what they did not want, but it was hard to think about what they did.
âI donât want to kiss,â they said, voice decisive.
Theyâd forced themself to do that, back then. Back when they thought they needed a significant other, or theyâd be a loser. Back before theyâd learned better.
They remembered the slimy wetness. The wriggling tongue. The unwavering awareness that someone elseâs spit was in their mouth.
Theyâd rather eat a live bug than do that again.
If the villain was disappointed by the heroâs declaration, they didnât show it. âFair enough,â they said. âHow about cuddling?â
The hero thought about that too. Thought about being warm. About the weight of an arm around their chest. Gentle fingers twining in their hair, soft music playing and a novel in their hands.
âYes,â the hero said, their voice soft. âBut could we mainly do it in private?â
The villain nodded. âSure thing. And I know you donât want any sex or romance, but what about the occasional date activity? Like a movie, or a restaurant? Those are things that can also be done platonically.â
âSure,â the hero said. âThat would be nice. But um . . .â They cleared their throat. Scrunched their fingers in their lap. âAbout the no sex or romance thing . . . In your, um, research, did you see that some aces are sex favorable, or sex neutral?â
The villainâs eyebrows shot up. âAre you saying that youâre . . .â
âI donât know!â the hero said. Then they sighed, looking away. âI donât know. There are some days where Iâm sure that Iâm sex repulsed. But then other days where, I donât know, I kinda feel like I might want to experiment a little?â
The villain sat there, looking dumbfounded.
âI wouldnât want to do anything intense,â the hero continued quickly. âAnd absolutely nothing goes in my mouth.â
This seemed to help the villain regain their footing. âFine by me,â they said, holding up their hands. âHow about you come to me when youâre feeling experimental, and weâll talk about specifics then.â
The hero released a breath. âI canât promise itâll happen soon. Or ever.â
The villain shrugged. âSounds good. I mean, donât get me wrong. I like sex as much as the next criminal, and itâs a pleasant surprise to hear that you might be interested at all. But it also isnât everything. There are many ways to feel closeness, and to express care. You are so much more valuable to me than any kind of physical activity.â
The hero blinked, memories flashing. Their ex had insisted that if the hero loved them, theyâd compromise their boundaries.Â
They stared at the villainâs open face, their eyes that held no trace of judgement.
âYou asked me, earlier,â the hero said, âwhat kind of relationship I want.â They glanced to their well-stocked kitchen. âI want someone to eat my food.â
The villain raised an eyebrow. âThatâs all?â
The hero ran a hand through their hair. They needed to make themself clear.
âI want to go to the grocery store.â They breathed. âI want to go to the grocery store, and I want to pick out all my partnerâs favorite foods, because Iâve memorized their preferences long ago. I want to take the ingredients home, and take the extra time to roast the spices whole, and grind them myself, because oh my god you donât know the difference it makes. And I want to stand at the stove, taste testing over and over again, finding the perfect combination of flavours. And then I want my partner to come home, to a house that smells like a fresh-cooked meal. And weâd put on a k-drama, and Iâd hand them a bowl, and theyâd tell me itâs the best food theyâd ever had.â
The hero looked to the flowers. Thought about the time and effort the villain had put into gathering them.
âI donât get crushes. I donât feel sexual attraction. I donât always understand why people make such a big deal about romantic gestures, or physical intimacy. I just really, really want someone around, to eat my food.â
The villain paused for a moment. And then offered a warm smile. â[Hero], may I come to dinner tomorrow?â
The hero smiled back. âIâd love that.â
A/N â Thank you all so much for the love and support you showed for Part 1. I read every single comment, and they all made me insanely happy
This part gets into specifics much more than the previous one did, so it inevitably canât be 100% relatable for everyone. And frankly, thatâs okay. There are countless different ways to be a-spec, and there are just as many different ways to have a QPR
If you are looking for a relationship (of any kind), I encourage you to think seriously about what you want, and what you donât. Know where your boundaries are fixed, and where theyâre flexible. And if youâre unsure about some things, thatâs fine too! Just communicate your uncertainty
Asexuality and aromanticism are beautiful identities, and Iâm so grateful for the communities that have formed around them. You can have any kind of relationship you want, whether thatâs sexual, romantic, platonic, familial, or otherwise. Happy pride month
