All Comments on 'Requited Ch. 08'

I love this story! I'm so glad they have got together. Don't break my heart lol

6 stars?

Yay!

Oh gosh…. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I feel so much when I read this story. Requited’s almost ending I can’t handle this. This is just beautiful. @herdirtymind You are my idol, I’m in awe of the way you write. Please keep up the good work!

Night three on shift, I’m a little cranky more coffee required haha. In a quiet moment I check in and damn... a new amazing chapter. When I read unrequited I loved the story so much, the heart in mouth. Twist and turn, I could never have imagined that you could write a version from West’s point of view, that is even better.... I absolutely love it , thank you. 10 stars

may they make it official and live happily ever after? at least leave us on that note

Fantastic chapter! I love that they are fully together and would like to read about the first time West tops Andy in the next chapter. Please have them stay together forever - no one but them. I loved this alternate ending but need a HEA. One nitpick, I hated when Andy whispered (during sex) that it wasn’t his first time. No one wants to be reminded of that when they are being intimate. For the first time. With your soulmate!!

amazing.....I loved it

An incredible series, and another incredible chapter. I'm thinking there is at least one more chapter, maybe two?

Then: ? maybe another series of stories, with new characters? I'd love to read another example of your art and style. Your character developement is amazing, I feel like I know these guys..

Thank you for so much great and entertaining reading..

More please?

DV19

Why do I have the distinct impression that Ash has something up her sleeve? Things are way too smooth, almost as a preparation for a storm to hit West and Andy’s relationship. I hate the thought, but can’t escape it. I pray I am wrong, because, I too want a happy ending. Love both characters and the author.

Really? Everyone is loving this new timeline, but I just can’t get into it. The first time they are together in the original is so perfect, and the scene in Andy’s studio is so hot I’ve reread it multiple times, but this version obliterates both those scenes. Why? And why do so many readers prefer this mundane version? A large part of Unrequited’s allure was the real possibility that West will honor his commitment to Ash and Andy’s love will remain just that—unrequited. The payoff is better with a longer buildup. This version suffers from premature...connection.

Glad that West knows that the painting was all about Andy's feelings about him. It was kept a secret in the other reality.

@DragonflyRobin29

Everyone loves this timeline because it removes a lot of emotional stress. No loveless marriage for West, Andy does not have to buy rings and be the Best Man for the person he loves and blackout-drinks himself into fucking Tyler which ruined his friendship with him for years to come. And Andy does not fuck and drink himself through a depression.

Nothing of that screams 'perfect' when they finally do get together after a decade of lying. There is just too much wasted time.

4 years is far from premature to me and the payoff in CH.6 is way better than the one in Unrequited, in my opinion.

I’d like to offer a response and counterpoint to DragonflyRobin29’s question of why I strongly prefer this version. First, their love was not unrequited - both men had immediate and deep attraction to the other and each still fought it for years. In the first version there were hints of West’s true feelings but since it was from Andy’s POV we weren’t certain until deep into the story but his requited love was always there. Next, the decade plus of denials and alternate choices was unbearable. It went on far too long and became destructive and far too painful. I love a true romantic tale and the first version was far too dark and torturous for me. I also disagree that this version was mundane. There was still drama, intrigue, uncertainty (I mean it went on for 4 years) without the too heavy years of self-loathing. Next, the first version had way too much collateral damage to others in their lives. I did not need the marriage to Ash, the one night with Tyler, the sex club and meaningless fucking, the ill-fated settling for Paul, the infertility struggle, the agony of Ash’s request for embryos…. Much too much, IMO - only serving to bring more pain and spread heartbreak around to lots of other people as well. So when you ask why, I believe that many embrace this version because it focuses more on the “requited” love between Andy and West and cuts the suffering by more than half. Longer in this case was definitely not better, IMO. The author is exquisite in her ability to weave not one fantastic tale but two versions - and different readers clearly prefer each. Hope that helps you understand the other POV - which as this story points out can be so enlightening! Thanks again, herdirtymind! Keep the chapters coming please.

Such a hot chapter and amazing sex - just wow! Love it!

Thanks for your comments. It's interesting reading your different perspectives. I was on the fence about this version. As I said at the beginning, I didn't intend to write it. I just didn't feel that I was done with the characters. I was on the fence about publishing it, as I wasn't sure how readers would handle an alternate reality, but I've been pleasantly surprised.

Personally, I prefer Andy's voice, but this version of events, if that makes sense.

In Unrequited, the characters went through so much, they were worn down and jaded and that couldn't be written out, their friendship had changed and so I really like that this version sees them together before life knocked them around quite that much.

In this few days I've read this chapter several times, each one just as good as the one before. Thank you for your stories, thank you for writing this POV. It's truly something when you find a writer that suits you, whose writing reaches to you and leaves you wanting more. That's you for me.

Sucker for a long sweet ending. You can write like 15 more epilogues to this and I'll always be down to bathe in the warmth. I see the arguments for the more battle scarred and wary version and you wrote (some damn good scenes in it) but this one makes me happy which is exactly why I read dumb romance when I could be doing literally anything useful with my life.

I get kind of annoyed at how good you are at this ha ha. Keep writing please.

I love both versions, but one thing I do miss in this version is the focus West had on active consent throughout the first version. I'd be curious why the choice to make that much less evident here? Obviously a little thing, but the writing is so good it invites that type of analysis!

Great question about active consent, Anon.

There were a few reasons I chose not to emphasise it in this version. The first was to avoid being repetitive. I wanted this version to be 'the same but different.' Secondly, I wanted to highlight the extent to which West was outside himself and I wanted to emphasise the sense of confusion and disbelief that both parties were feeling. I wanted Andy to have a long, "What the fuck is happening here?" moment. Thirdly, because gaining consent is so engrained in West, I don't think he'd see it as a big deal/worth mentioning. From his point of view, it's only natural to ask/warn/wait to see your partner's reaction before touching them, so he doesn't feel the need to spell out that he did it.

In Bent/Bent Backwards, I mainly kept the dialog identical, only altering it slightly towards the end. In this story, I changed it up a lot, as I'm interested in the way two people can experience the same moments, or hear the same words, but take different meaning from them.

I just want to say: I'm stuck on this chapter. I read and I re-read. I'm captivated, captured really, by its beauty. I think, more than anything, it's the 'always' and everything that means and might mean. Truthfully I'm not even sure if that conversation is in this chapter or one that came before. It's where I'm stuck, at 'always'. To be clear I have mine, my always. Watching, reading these two find theirs fills me with joy. Thank you, Author, thank you...

I am rereading it. 👍👍👍👍