I’m so sick of self centered/abusive x nonsensical doormat trope. No matter what skills, experiences, tendencies, or personality traits the mc has, they always magically become a doormat when it comes to demanding respect or accountability from the controlling, hurtful, selfish, or abusive man/top. Authors write a toxic character incompatible with a healthy relationship, and instead of giving them an actual growth arc, literally bend over backwards to selectively alter the plot and character responses to make their behavior seem less shitty than it is. Mason is an experienced mercenary who is extremely independent and has held his own in very dangerous situations for years. Even if he’s physically weaker, it doesn’t make sense for him to be such a pushover in every single situation between him and Noah. Noah does not love Mason, he is obsessed with, and has a para social relationship with him. There is a weird codependency, but it all comes down to wanting Mason around so HE feels psychologically safe, because HE wants to be with Mason, because HE wants to do XYZ with Mason. When push comes to shove, Noah prioritizes his own desires in every single interaction. They have no real chemistry beyond superficial comments than Noah’s obsession and Mason’s protectiveness. Every single sex scene felt like Mason was being pressured into it or not really enjoying it, but going along with an unpleasant experience for Noah’s sake. A lot of them were really sketchy and pretty gross in terms of how Mason was abused by Noah. I also don’t understand the trope of f@cking your partner into near disability and the plot laughing it off as normal and not weird. Noah knew Mason had to work the next day and went that extreme anyway, knowing it would make it difficult for the partner he supposedly cares so much about. This story felt less like the development of an actual relationship and more like Noah constantly crossing boundaries and making demands, and doormat Mason just going along with it because why not.
I’m so sick of self centered/abusive x nonsensical doormat trope. No matter what skills, experiences, tendencies, or personality traits the mc has, they always magically become a doormat when it comes to demanding respect or accountability from the controlling, hurtful, selfish, or abusive man/top.
Authors write a toxic character incompatible with a healthy relationship, and instead of giving them an actual growth arc, literally bend over backwards to selectively alter the plot and character responses to make their behavior seem less shitty than it is.
Mason is an experienced mercenary who is extremely independent and has held his own in very dangerous situations for years. Even if he’s physically weaker, it doesn’t make sense for him to be such a pushover in every single situation between him and Noah.
Noah does not love Mason, he is obsessed with, and has a para social relationship with him. There is a weird codependency, but it all comes down to wanting Mason around so HE feels psychologically safe, because HE wants to be with Mason, because HE wants to do XYZ with Mason. When push comes to shove, Noah prioritizes his own desires in every single interaction.
They have no real chemistry beyond superficial comments than Noah’s obsession and Mason’s protectiveness. Every single sex scene felt like Mason was being pressured into it or not really enjoying it, but going along with an unpleasant experience for Noah’s sake. A lot of them were really sketchy and pretty gross in terms of how Mason was abused by Noah.
I also don’t understand the trope of f@cking your partner into near disability and the plot laughing it off as normal and not weird. Noah knew Mason had to work the next day and went that extreme anyway, knowing it would make it difficult for the partner he supposedly cares so much about.
This story felt less like the development of an actual relationship and more like Noah constantly crossing boundaries and making demands, and doormat Mason just going along with it because why not.