Reverse Engineering done.

Price- He'd say it first right after a dangerous mission. Before that mission, he promises himself that he'll say it if he survives. God, he wants to say it before then, but he doesn't want to say it only to be immediately taken from you. So when he gets off of that plane, he runs right to you, crushes you to his chest, and kisses your head and face and lips, telling you that he loves you more than anything.

Gaz- Says it first because it slips out while he's ending a call. Just a quick "Alright, I love you, bye." that he doesn't realize he said until a few seconds after hanging up. Overthinks how he might've said it too soon for a minute, he's the smooth one, how did he just let that slip out? Keeps thinking until you text him back "btw, i love you too 💕". The relief he feels is un-fucking-matched.

Soap- THINKS about saying it first. He wants to say it at the right moment, has a list of scenarios where he says it in some grand declaration of his feelings for you. There may or may not be a horse and him decked out in a full kilt outfit in some of those scenarios. But alas, you said it first during a random date :/ he said it about twenty times afterwards the same night though, he won't stop saying it, someone stop him

141 version

Characters: König, Horangi, Nikto

König- He said it first... Accidentally. It slipped out while he was waking up from some strong as hell anesthesia. You, being his concerned partner, ran in as soon as the nurses gave the okay. So there he was, lying on the hospital bed, and he was on the verge of tears the moment he saw you.

"Schatz …! Oh, da bist du ja … Ich habe dich vermisst!" His words were a bit slurred, and you had to place a hand on his chest to encourage him to stay down. "Oh, ich… Hehe... I love youuuu..."

When you tell him about it later, he's mortified but confirms that he meant it... He just wishes that he could've done it with more grace.

(Translation: Honey…! Oh, there you are… I missed you!)

Horangi- For someone who loves games of chance, this man was not going to take a chance by saying it too soon. Horangi did not want to come off as some clingy, mushy bastard. Or at least not yet.

So, of course, you had to say it first. It was before a massive operation, one where you wouldn't be by his side. You gave each other the usual 'don't die' and 'I'll haunt you if I die' talk, all lighthearted and nonchalant... Until the one meant to lead your team calls for you over the radio. You gently butt your helmet against his and just go for it.

"Kim... I love you. Okay?" You keep your voice low, only so he could hear.

His brain short circuited for a second, but he managed to respond very eloquently.

"I... Y-you too..."

You're gone (and laughing) before he can correct himself. He might've only lived through the mission out of sheer determination to actually say it back.

Nikto- This man would say it first as if he's said it before. So casual... Too casual.

It catches you off-guard, he was just complaining about how he had to go and clear up some mission details with his boss. His voice goes from soft, to a near growl, bored, and back to soft again... You're pretty used to his mannerisms since he always comes to you with a post-mission rant. You let him ramble a bit while you sharpen some knives, being the active listener he needs.

In the middle of it all, he suddenly hits you with: "You are a good listener... We love that." He pauses, then corrects himself with, "We love you. Anyway..."

this and also the only difference between fanfic writers and writers who sell their own original works as careers is that fanfics aren’t monetized. that’s all.

being a “professional” writer doesn’t mean your works are inherently better than fanfics. I’ve read so many fics that are more professionally written than some published books.

I think as an adult, we're pickier about friends, because "liking the same stuff" is not enough for a meaningful relationship.

We want people who share:

Our interests

Our values

Our energy (for me, it helps if the other person is autistic)

Try to find a group or activity where at least 2 of those are immediately present. For me, that would look like a queer meetup at a craft or game store, or an over-30 cosplay group. Online, I'd be drawn to a small historic fandom that leans older or has a lot of trans people in it.

Then, you start vibe checking folks, and perhaps exchange socials where you can learn more about a person in order to check off that third criteria from our list.

Not everyone is going to become besties, but you still could end up with various playmates that are fun to be around -- maybe you go hiking with Group A, or play D&D with Group B.

You can still be that kid on the playground who is like, "I think you're cool, wanna play?" Speed running friendships happens a lot in online and special event spaces. But it does take regular effort - you need to interact somehow, be that leaving comments on fanfics, participating in events, baking cookies for a meetup, etc. You have to put yourself out there.

Learning how to do small talk for the space you are in is very helpful, too. Remember to give the other person ample opportunities to talk.

Just like in romantic relationships, "nice" doesn't cut it as a personality trait -- you need to show what you bring to a friendship, be that as the supportive/encouraging type, the creative type, the organizing type, etc. So, spend some time figuring out what kind of friend you tend to be, or perhaps want to become.

Some overlapping advice posts:

Being autistic and how to look for help/community

More on finding friends

Coping with loneliness