It’s not rape but it’s only “weird” because Ash used sex as a way to force Lyle to say something that was a once in a lifetime special moment. It wasn’t wrong nor was it necessarily the right thing to do..but it’s completely valid that a lot of people found it really odd.
Why are u even baffled bro. Imagine ur boyfriend using bdsm or sex on you just to get you to say sumtin instead of communicating with you. That’s a red flag and it is weird.
periodddd u tell em
Let’s be objective here lol, just to clarify my perspective a bit more because I think some of the reactions are missing context. To be super clear that I absolutely do not condone rape or any kind of non-consensual behavior I’m very much against that. But I also think we need to be careful not to throw words like “rape” or “red flag” around too easily, especially in fictional stories with complicated dynamics.
In this scene, yes, Ash did use sex to try to get Lyle to open up emotionally, but to me, that doesn’t automatically equal coercion. These are two grown men in a long-term relationship. Lyle isn’t a child, he isn’t being manipulated out of ignorance or fear, and he clearly has agency in the situation. If at any point he truly didn’t want it to happen, he could’ve said no or stopped it. In fact, his reaction shows that he wasn’t traumatized by it—he was just being stubborn about something he was hiding (a proposal, not a deep dark secret).
I understand that not everyone sees sex in a relationship the same way, especially when it involves power play or emotional tension, but for a lot of real couples, using physical intimacy to break through emotional walls isn’t abnormal. It’s not the most “therapeutic” method, sure, but that doesn’t make it abusive. Ash didn’t punish Lyle, didn’t degrade him, didn’t hurt him without consent. It was still within the framework of trust and affection that the story has already shown they have.
If this scene makes some readers uncomfortable, that’s valid. But calling it “rape” or a “red flag” without acknowledging the mutual trust and the context between these characters just feels like oversimplifying a nuanced moment.
Genuinely baffled, I feel like the ppl calling this “weird” or saying it was rape have genuinely never had sex with a trusted partner bc wtf do u mean??