I’ve seen a lot over the last few weeks about fandom relationships and scares some people (very reasonably) have about them, and

Having been in one for nearly a year and a half, I feel I should talk about one of the most important and beautiful things about them:

Communication.

The recent Lore Olympus chapter from the past weekend really got me in the heart because of not only the pure interactions with our lead couple, but also for striving the important of honest and open communication, something I’ve realized and been grateful to have had for so long

Past friendships and relationships have left me a little nerve wracked (even among close friends) to open up about stuff at times, fearing I’d scare them off with certain feelings or things

Only to realize they aren’t as bad as I’d expected them to be when one does open up

With Maddie, not only have I been able to go to her about certain things, but I’ve also been able to help her through some of her own personal things as well and

Having that mutual comfort and care for one another and the ability to be open about certain things feels so nice

While it’s great to have a positive relationship, there ARE going to be those rough areas that’ll be tackled at some point and some things that need to be addressed

It can be scary but it’s so much worth it if it comes out stronger than ever because of it

For me and Maddie, we’ve been working to give it equal give-and-take with everything, which forms one of THE keystones of a healthy relationship: The ability to be equally honest and open about everything and anything going on and talking about it, even if it’s difficult at first

Having to conquer your own anxieties and fears is a scary thing to do in any scenario, especially with a loved one

But when you realize you’ve both gone through some of the same things, you might yourself on a more solid foundation than you’ve realized that you both can build on

It’s a scary thing to dive into a relationship online, especially with the climates we’re inside

But taking those steps and having those conversations will make it so much better and make it stronger and more beautiful than you could ever imagine

I’ve been incredibly thankful to have had Maddie not only as a good friend for nearly four years, but also an amazing girlfriend for now well over a year

And having that feeling of being open and free in communication for both sides is a feeling I don’t think one could match.

In short, relationships will always have some difficulties in them, even in person

But being able to communicate in it will go a LONG way