#aromantic asexual riz gukgak

[cookies-over-yonder]

the friend zone

"Yeah, I—I dunno. I guess I'm curious what it feels like? But everybody sees it as romantic, or—or sexual, and I don't wanna like, like, I don't wanna kiss somebody who's, like, into me."

"I would kiss you," Adaine says.

Riz, who's curled so far in on himself she can barely see his face, looks up at her with wide eyes and cheeks flushed a dark green. "Really?" - Riz and Adaine share a first kiss.

ao3

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" Riz asks, spinning around in Adaine's desk chair to face her, on her bed in a sort of half-laying half-sitting position. Riz's fingers continue to run along the pages of the open textbook in his lap, but he's looking right at her.

"I mean, Kristen kissed all of us—"

"Aside from that," Riz says, and Adaine notices his tail anxiously flicking against the floorboards. "I don't know, I don't think that counts."

"No. Have you?"

"No," Riz says, scrunching up his face a little.

"Do you want to?" Adaine asks, though she's sure she knows the answer.

"No. Well, I—I've been thinking about it." Riz closes the textbook and puts it back on the desk. "'Cause I—I'm... romance isn't really my..."

"Yeah," Adaine says, sensing his anxiety.

"But, like, the idea of kissing doesn't have to be romantic, you know? Like—like kissing on the... on the lips," Riz says, drawing his knees to his chest and resting his chin on them.

"I never thought about that before," Adaine says, sitting up to face him properly.

"Yeah, I—I dunno. I guess I'm curious what it feels like? But everybody sees it as romantic, or—or sexual, and I don't wanna like, like, I don't wanna kiss somebody who's, like, into me."

"Yeah."

"'Cause like, well, if they're interested in me, that'll make me feel, like, really bad, and like, even worse if I don't even like kissing. But I'm, like, curious, because online, aro—uh, some people who don't wanna date and stuff said they still like kissing and stuff, so I don't know. Sorry, I don't know what I'm saying."

"I would kiss you," Adaine says.

Riz, who's curled so far in on himself she can barely see his face, looks up at her with wide eyes and cheeks flushed a dark green. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm honestly curious too. And I don't have a crush on you or anything. I think you know that."

"Yeah," Riz says, grabbing his crystal off the desk and walking over to join Adaine on the bed.

He flops onto the bed, lying on his stomach and opening up a search engine. Adaine sees him type in "how to kiss someone".

He clicks on an article, and Adaine sees him cringe at a picture of two people making out. And then reading another article and cringing at its instructions. And then cringing at another picture.

"I'm pretty sure we could ask like, any of our friends how to do this," Adaine says.

"I don't want to," Riz says, sitting up and facing her.

"Alright."

Riz puts his hands on Adaine's cheeks, and the intensity in his stare makes her giggle a little.

"Is that okay?" Riz asks, tilting his head in question.

"Yeah, where do I put my hands?" she asks, cupping his face the same way he cupped hers.

"That's good, I think," Riz says, blushing harder.

"Okay."

"Can I..." Riz trails off, his eyebrows knitted together and his gaze falling to her lips. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yeah," Adaine breaths out, watching him chew at his lower lip with his fangs before she closes her eyes.

Riz pulls her forward and he meets her in the middle, pressing his lips against hers.

It's funny, Adaine thinks, the way people talk about kissing like it's the best thing in the world. Right now it just feels like lips touching lips. No butterflies, no sparks. Somehow, exactly as she expected.

And it's kind of rough. His lips are excessively chapped.

And just as quick as it started, the kiss is over.

Adaine opens her eyes, and chuckles a bit at Riz immediately wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Your lips are extremely chapped, dude."

"Somehow, that felt exactly like I expected it to feel," Riz says.

"Same. What did you think of it?"

He scrunches up his face. "Not my thing. You?"

"I didn't mind it," Adaine says with a shrug.

"I guess now I can definitively say to the others that I don't need to get my kisses in because I know I don't like it," Riz says, lying on his back beside Adaine. She lies down as well.

"I don't think that you should even need to justify it," Adaine says. She loves all of the Bad Kids, but sometimes they can be a little insensitive when it comes to this.

"Whatever."

"It's not whatever."

"I'm the one who's weird and different. Not them."

Adaine turns to lay on her side, facing him. "Riz..."

"I haven't even told them, really. That I—that I'm... that I don't wanna..."

"You shouldn't have to. I don't think you owe that to anyone."

He turns to face her, fiddling with his rings. White on the middle finger of his left hand, black on the middle finger of his right.

Adaine has noticed that he doesn't wear them at school. Or around the other Bad Kids. Only when he's with her.

He's never come out to her, and he doesn't have to. It's his business. They almost have a sort of unspoken understanding about it. He knows that she knows even though he's never said it.

She looks him in the eyes, and he's on the verge of tears.

She reaches a hand and cups his cheek. "You know you're not broken, right?"

Riz shuts his eyes and sighs, letting the tears fall. "Let's not have this conversation right now."

"Okay," Adaine says, scooting closer to Riz and moving her hand from his cheek to wrap an arm around him, pulling him close. He buries his head in the crook of her neck and drapes an arm over her side, taking a deep breath and loosening up ever so slightly.

Maybe one day they'll finally get to that conversation, but for now, Adaine takes Riz's glasses off and puts them on her bedside table, and they take a much needed nap.

[sunnybearvampire]

what's so important to me is adaine saying that "at least her and Riz" have to get into college. Riz was so afraid of abandonment and that his friends would move on (especially to romantic partners) but this seems to me like adaine commiting herself to him and their friendship. at least the two of us are gonna get into college and be together. two (likely) aroace nerds finding eachother and saying they're gonna stick together. we have a plan. i'm gonna cry now.

[rooolt]

but also can we talk about how seemingly none of the other bad kids know how big of a deal baron was for riz. Like they know he kidnapped him and they fought them, but did “a very private boy” riz gukgak ever tell them about his experience in the nightmare forest? Did he ever explain the extent of his insecurities that baron represents? Do they know that baron is a manifestation of what riz in sophomore year believed to be too different about himself that he needed to like about it? DO THEY KNOW?!!?!!??

[agueforts]

EXPLICITLY AROMANTIC RIZ GUKGAK FOR FHJY. YOU AGREE. REBLOG

[shitpostingkats]

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When I tell you I fucking sobbed my eyes out.

[applebees4prez]

the bad kids don’t even know riz is aroace, and he’s never said the words out loud. murph please babygirl i am BEGGING YOU to give us a cute little coming out moment it doesn’t even have to be that deep just please say the words aromantic and asexual please please please

[littlefoxwithbighat]

A reflection on some complicated thoughts about being aroace in webweave form.

[do-you-know-this-queer-character]

Do you know this queer character?

Riz is Asexual and Aromantic and uses he/him pronouns!

[grimeye-j]

The number 1 quote of any fictional media that emotionally devastated me has got to be "The years will go by and everyone will find someone that matters more to them than you."

Brennan was truly speaking my deepest fear as an aroace person in that moment & he said it with so much conviction, as if it were a fact.

Although, hearing it acknowledged out loud does feel good & it's always heartwarming to hear Riz affirm that he and his friends love each other & that's not going to change.

[ratgrinders]

The Aromantic/Asexual flags, color-picked using the official art for Riz Gukgak from Fantasy High: Junior Year.

Credit to @caitmayart for the wonderful art!!

And some bonus icons:

[cookies-over-yonder]

happy pride month to riz gukgak who is aromantic and asexual

[little-doggy-girl-kisser]

idc brennan is the biggest supporter of aroace riz

saying riz was asexual in an adventuring party for the seven

bringing baron back to try get SOME confirmation of his aroness

"what awkward conversation were you trying to avoid?" - baron

[carelessapples]

pride month art challenge day 22: riz gukgak

masterpost

[askmeaboutmyoctopustheory]

what if riz is avoiding talking with jawbone because he, like many aro and ace people, worry that his orientation will be misunderstood and medicalized or over therapized (however misplaced that worry might be because we all know jawbone would never) and yes i’m projecting

[kermit-coded]

my aro ass was not prepared for this

[erelux]

literally the only reason I want Riz to come out as aroace is so that part of the fandom shuts up. “Erm he’s canonically asexual, not aromantic /:” said after we see him extremly uncomfortable with sex AND romance, so much that he makes up a ROMANCE PARTNER to fit in with his friends. yeah alright.