You and Stu had recently just started dating. You wanted to take it slow, which Stu reassured you he was totally okay with. Despite what people thought, he could be patient—only for you.

Everything was going great until… well, now. Stu noticed you were still your regular self, but something was… off. Whenever he touched you, you flinched away or seemed uncomfortable. He knew you weren’t a touchy person so he just decided to try and give you the space you needed, respecting your boundaries—which only made it way worse for you.

How could he know you weren’t one to initiate that sort of thing because you were afraid of it. To let yourself relax under someone’s touch and comforting caresses. Letting yourself be open to that meant you were vulnerable and that? That shit was scary.

What you didn’t know was that this was just as hard for him too. He had to physically hold himself back since he was a naturally affectionate person. It felt like he was fighting off a piece of himself and it was tearing him apart. He wanted to show you how he loved you by holding your hand and giving you kisses whenever he felt like it—but he didn’t.

He loved you deeply and wanted to show it but he cared about your feelings more. So… you two were left in a sort awkward stand off, not knowing the other was suffering just as much as you were. That needed to change.