How to deal with catching feelings for the first time?

ThrowAway912

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I'll try to make his as short as I can. I could definitely use all the advice I can get.

I'm 23 years old and bisexual. I'm not out; I'm "in the closet". No one knows except me and of course, the guys I've done things with. I only recently started messing with guys a few months ago. Up until now, I've told myself that I'd never date a guy and that I'm not romantically interested in them. I genuinely did feel that way until I met this new friend of mine.

Ever since I started experimenting I've stayed far away from doing things/meeting up with guys in the same age range as me. The way I see it, a lotta guys my age are immature, detached, and us being in the same area/being the same age runs the risk of us knowing the same people. Despite this, I'd always thought that it'd be nice to have someone my age that's in the same boat as me with this whole sexuality thing and who I don't have to pretend around etc. etc.

That's where this new friend of mine comes into the picture. He hits me up on Jack'd (I was on there for hook-ups/chat only) a couple weeks ago, wanting to talk/meet. I had my hesitations since we're the same age but something told me to go for it. We talk on the app for a few days, eventually agree to video chat, and we go from there. I met him for the first time a few days ago.

Before we even met, I stated that I'm not romantically interested in guys, he was ok with it. We agreed to be friends with benefits. When we video chatted for the first time I asked him if he saw himself with a wife and kids (He's bi/DL too). At first he said yeah, then he threw in that he would marry whoever made him happy. That gave me the implication that he would date/marry a man.

Anyway, we meet and our chemistry is just crazy. We have so much in common, we mesh well together, everything is really nice. I have no complaints at all. It doesn't even feel like we're friends, it feels like we're more than that. I'm doing and saying things that I didn't before.

It's no exaggeration to say that I've been more comfortable around him than I have with anyone else. It's like I don't have to wear a mask around him, I can just be me and that feels nice as hell. We've seen each other a handful of times, done things, and it's all been great to say the least. He motivates me, advises me, great conversation, etc. etc.

I like him. And I know he likes me back. He tells me all the time that he does, although he doesn't specify the context of his like (Like as in a crush/like as in "I like the color blue"), but I know he does.

A part of me would be willing to date him but what would that even look like? We're both DL and I have no intention of coming out, and from what I know, neither does he. My grand plan in life is to have a wife and kids but now that I'm considering dating a guy, that kinda changes everything for me and I don't know what to do. I know ideals can change but this decision I could make can very much turn everything upside for me and I think I'm fighting that being the case, because having a wife and kids has been my end goal for so many years now. A part of me feels like if were to come out and publicly date a guy that it would ruin my chances with a lot of women just because of stigma/stereotypes; I imagine that's where the bi-to-gay pipeline comes from.

The next time we meet I'm going to ask him "What is this to you?" in the context of him and I. I'll tell him how I honestly feel after he responds and we can go from there, but again, I'm not sure that I'm ready to make such a big jump and date a guy. He's never dated one either, so he says.

I'm just lost and unsure of what to do and how to go about things. I typed all of this and I still feel as though I have way more to say. I'm sorry for the lengthy post, but I'd really appreciate any advice, stories, and whatnot. It'll help more than you know.

-----

Short version: I'm bi/DL and believed that I'd never date another guy. But now I've caught feelings for my friend with benefits and am considering dating. This goes against what I've believed/wanted for myself and I don't know what to do. He's DL too so what would us dating even look like? Any help is much appreciated.

Thank you
 

theplayerking

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Two men can get married and have kids. You have lots of time to figure that out. Don’t stress. If you’ve found someone that makes you happy, take some time to explore and enjoy it. You have the advantage of both wanting similar things, i.e., a DL relationship. That may change, but for now I would just see where it goes.

Finding someone that you can be completely open and honest with is rare.
 

hvdude

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You use some phrases over and over which I think are very revealing. "We're both DL", "No intention of coming out", and "having a wife and kids". You've got yourself so trapped in society's narrative that you aren't allowing yourself to a life that you want. What do YOU want/need? If you like him, could you see it going farther? As the poster above says you can be with a man and have kids (surrogate, adoption). Are you looking for people to tell you that it's wrong? That you are immoral? etc. Remember this adage I was once told, "Life is not a dress rehearsal."
 

hvdude

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I also wanted to say that there are so many men on this site who tried to deny their feelings and went with what society expected and now regret not allowing their natural instincts to guide them. Don't be one of them.
 

Stephenmass

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The only advice I will give you is don't become that married (to a woman) guy who screws around on the side. I'm not saying you are gay or whatever. Or if you marry a woman and she has full knowledge that's also different and my advice would not apply. Why not just see where this goes while you are FREE to do so and enjoy (no pun intended) the ride.
 

Almost40

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Don't go against your bi nature it will hurt you in the end.

Just try not to be so sentimental , it is wonderful and , even worse, potentially harmful if you are not in charge of your feelings like it can seriously kick u in the guts... so keep it cool, simply put.

And equally important
be as open (to your partners) as possible , right from the start so u don't face any nasty surprises

Like come clean about playing on both sides

Then you know if they can stand by you or not

Peace
 

syberyenta

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'You don't neeed -- Analyzing ... "

Seriously, though, at 23 you're still a fledgling.

I think you're also hung up on 'what it means', which I fully understand. But that's not important really.

Follow your heart. Have fun. Call it a 'bro-mance' if that makes you feel better - that sounds like where you are now. My partner and I had over 35 years together, and he always called me his 'best friend.'
 
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Jamesforeon

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It’s good to have goals in life but expectations will always change. That could come from your personal choice or life evolving around you. I’m gay and I always thought I wanted 2.5 kids, a wife, and a suburban home. Now that I’m financially stable, I found that I love to travel, like to eat well, enjoy dating various men, and cherish my time with my friends. I can’t imagine putting children into the equation to put a dent in my financial or social freedom.

I came out in college in a very liberal city so I can see your hesitation if you were to start a public relationship with a man if you’re in a small town. If you’re open to it though, you should be dating a lot to see what you enjoy most. For me, I’ve had periods of casual dating, serious relationships, and single life. The casual dating really helped me weed out the men. The serious relationships were great and ran their course. They weren’t the one to spend my life with but I enjoyed the time spent together. My single life is most fulfilling. I can focus on my career when it becomes most demanding, I can hook up with men on my travels to other countries, and I can still be open for a local relationship if the right guy comes along.

All of this is to say is that you should allow some flexibility in your expectations. If a public relationship is difficult for both of you right now, you two could privately have a serious relationship. You guys can still do what you do but also go on trips together, spend time together, and exclusively sleep with each other. If in 3month/6 months/1 year you guys are still together and want to make it public, you can.

On the flip side, he may not be into dating men. That will happen in life. Prepare yourself to either accept that and reserve your feelings if you can, or tell him that you’re at a point in your life where you need to experiment with dating (publicly or privately) a man.

Please keep us posted. I’m very happy for your exploration and wish you luck on your future, whichever route you choose!
 

bradford350

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I'll try to make his as short as I can. I could definitely use all the advice I can get.

I'm 23 years old and bisexual. I'm not out; I'm "in the closet". No one knows except me and of course, the guys I've done things with. I only recently started messing with guys a few months ago. Up until now, I've told myself that I'd never date a guy and that I'm not romantically interested in them. I genuinely did feel that way until I met this new friend of mine.

Ever since I started experimenting I've stayed far away from doing things/meeting up with guys in the same age range as me. The way I see it, a lotta guys my age are immature, detached, and us being in the same area/being the same age runs the risk of us knowing the same people. Despite this, I'd always thought that it'd be nice to have someone my age that's in the same boat as me with this whole sexuality thing and who I don't have to pretend around etc. etc.

That's where this new friend of mine comes into the picture. He hits me up on Jack'd (I was on there for hook-ups/chat only) a couple weeks ago, wanting to talk/meet. I had my hesitations since we're the same age but something told me to go for it. We talk on the app for a few days, eventually agree to video chat, and we go from there. I met him for the first time a few days ago.

Before we even met, I stated that I'm not romantically interested in guys, he was ok with it. We agreed to be friends with benefits. When we video chatted for the first time I asked him if he saw himself with a wife and kids (He's bi/DL too). At first he said yeah, then he threw in that he would marry whoever made him happy. That gave me the implication that he would date/marry a man.

Anyway, we meet and our chemistry is just crazy. We have so much in common, we mesh well together, everything is really nice. I have no complaints at all. It doesn't even feel like we're friends, it feels like we're more than that. I'm doing and saying things that I didn't before.

It's no exaggeration to say that I've been more comfortable around him than I have with anyone else. It's like I don't have to wear a mask around him, I can just be me and that feels nice as hell. We've seen each other a handful of times, done things, and it's all been great to say the least. He motivates me, advises me, great conversation, etc. etc.

I like him. And I know he likes me back. He tells me all the time that he does, although he doesn't specify the context of his like (Like as in a crush/like as in "I like the color blue"), but I know he does.

A part of me would be willing to date him but what would that even look like? We're both DL and I have no intention of coming out, and from what I know, neither does he. My grand plan in life is to have a wife and kids but now that I'm considering dating a guy, that kinda changes everything for me and I don't know what to do. I know ideals can change but this decision I could make can very much turn everything upside for me and I think I'm fighting that being the case, because having a wife and kids has been my end goal for so many years now. A part of me feels like if were to come out and publicly date a guy that it would ruin my chances with a lot of women just because of stigma/stereotypes; I imagine that's where the bi-to-gay pipeline comes from.

The next time we meet I'm going to ask him "What is this to you?" in the context of him and I. I'll tell him how I honestly feel after he responds and we can go from there, but again, I'm not sure that I'm ready to make such a big jump and date a guy. He's never dated one either, so he says.

I'm just lost and unsure of what to do and how to go about things. I typed all of this and I still feel as though I have way more to say. I'm sorry for the lengthy post, but I'd really appreciate any advice, stories, and whatnot. It'll help more than you know.

-----

Short version: I'm bi/DL and believed that I'd never date another guy. But now I've caught feelings for my friend with benefits and am considering dating. This goes against what I've believed/wanted for myself and I don't know what to do. He's DL too so what would us dating even look like? Any help is much appreciated.

Thank you

Life doesn't always follow the script you want or expect it to.

You really like him, so much so that you have posted this, and he likes you. Express how you feel to him, set out what you want and see where that goes. Hopefully he will reciprocate. Based on your description, it sounds like staying as friends with benefits could be painful emotionally in the long run, so take the plunge, ask him out.