Every now and then, we've all craved sex, but not a relationship.
Not everyone enjoys hookups and one-night stands, as they need some sort of connection or chemistry when having sex.
As a result, they look for a "friend with benefits," someone they enjoy regular company with, among other things, but don't share romantic feelings for.
An arrangement some might say is simply too good to be true.
Leading many to wonder, can a "friend with benefit" situation actually work?
Redditor mycroons was eager to hear first-hand accounts of people who had friends with benefits, and how they all turned out in the end, leading them to ask:
"What do you think about friends with benefits? Have you ever been in that situation?"
Case By Case Basis...
"Few times."
"One turned into a 2 year relationship ands ended on friendly terms."
"Second went up like a nuke."
"First time we met was in a date capacity, we had 3 dates before doing anything."
"Third date was in the afternoon and she went out that night and hooked up with someone."
"We both agreed, that given she did that and I wasn't overly fussed, we probably shouldn't date and left it at that."
"6 months later she drops a message, one thing to another and we agreed to be FWB."
"We met up once a week / fortnight for 6 months."
"We had an agreement if any feelings popped up we'd tell the other person and cut it off."
"We also agreed each month we'd both check in with the other to make sure we're still happy as FWB."
"And lastly, if anyone of us went on a date with anyone else, we'd knock it on the head if the date went well + tell them we were going on a date."
"Everything was going fine, then 6 months in someone asked if I wanted to try a date."
"So told the FWB I was trying a date, had a real nice night and felt an instant connection."
"So told the FWB and we both agreed it was time to knock it on the head then."
"Next day I wake up to a barrage of abuse for wasting her time for 6 months, from her, her mates and family I had never met, some of our mutual friend group, the entire package."
'Both gone our separate ways and thats that."
"I don't think the reaction was done out of malice or anything, just something built up as a 'what if' type scenario."- Goetre
What's The Harm In Trying?
"I had that for two years with a close friend."
"We never had romantic feelings, but we're super close."
"After we both went through breakups at the same time roughly, we just had a funny 'should we' moment and tried it."
"It was two years of the absolute most guilt free amazing sex we ever had."
"It ended when she started seeing someone, and it sucked, but no hard feelings."- Coldfire2050
FWB And Matchmaker!
"I have."
"It was fun and was what we both needed at the time."
"She actually was the one who told me to really commit to the woman who is now my gf."
"And I’m glad."- AdMaterial9419
Robert Redford GIFGiphy
You Never Know What The Future Holds...
"I drunk messaged her at 3am on Facebook and asked her if she wanted to be FWB."
"She said maybe."
"We've been married 7 and a half years."- ImLazyWithUsernames
Communication Is Key
"I’ve had pretty good experiences with it, but they’ve always been situations where both of us were mature adults who could communicate and see the bigger picture at all times."- AnotherRickenbacker
You Can't Fight Chemistry
"I had a friends with benefits relationship 8 years ago."
"Developed into more than that."
"Now we're married and have two kids."- reedipie108
Season 8 Nbc GIF by The OfficeGiphy
Feelings Got In The Way...
"I was in a sort of friends with benefits thing."
"Mostly would just hang out with this girl and if we were alone she said I had free reign to play with boobs."
"Never fully went all the way though."
"I eventually developed some feelings that she didn't share and we went separate ways."
"Feels like that's how most fwb situations go."- dracomaster01
It Was Great... At The Time...
"I was in one for 5 years.. and it was great!"
"(Amazing) sex on tap, when we wanted, and we both seemed to want it at exactly the same time."
"Never with anyone so sexually compatable.... dinner if we were in the humor, wine, movie... No hassle.. could leave at the drop of a hat... "
"But thinking back, did I waste those 5 years with someone I knew I'd never stay with."
"Maybe the love of my life slipped by in those 5 years?"
"Who knows, it was good fun while it lasted though."- Cuchullain99
When Your Serious When Saying "Let's Be Friends..."
"My first ex became a friend with benefits a few years after we first broke up."
"It's going well."
"It's just nice to spend some time together every few months without the pressures of a relationship."- talknight2
Friends With Benefits Herkenbaar GIF by GoPlayGiphy
Worse Than Anyone Could Have Imagined...
"Tried it once, my partner didn’t stick to the rules and got emotionally involved."
"Wound up leaving my job to get away from her."- Comfortable-Figure17
One And Done
"Did it, wasn’t really for me, we stopped and we’re still great friends."
"He’s married now to the perfect woman for him."
"She knows about our past and doesn’t care because we both know it would never have a chance of ever happening again."-Successful-Snow-562
Still The Chance Of Being One Sided...
"I tried but I caught feelings, she didn't."- teethalarm
break up GIF by The Breaker UpperersGiphy
Still Figuring It Out...
"I'm in one rn, she's also the girl I lost my verginity with."
"Honestly idk how to feel about it, I always had in my head as a definition of love 'a friend that you enjoy sex with' and now I think I was wrong since while she's a friend of mine I don't think I'd call this 'love', like I never had a crush on her like I did for other girls in the past."
"Was going to write more stuff but it was becoming an incoherent wall text."
"Tldr: It gets complicated dude."- culo_
It Always Ends With Feelings
"Numerous time."
"It’s awesome for awhile."
"I’ve had a couple last years."
"Someone catches feelings though every time."
"Once it’s over it’s kinda sad because you also lose a friend."
"If you have the opportunity, I’d take it."- Drewskeet
Maybe A Contract Is A Good Idea?
"I've been to that several times."
"To me, It's ok."
"Important here is that you have to understand and to make sure the other person understands, from the very start, that you are not entitled to anything other than friends and, maybe, benefits."
"Otherwise you can get your heart broken."
"Happened to me."- uaPythonX
sad broken heart GIF by AM by Andre MartinGiphy
The danger of having casual sex with friends is the fact that maintaining a friendship involves having feelings of some sort.
And feelings have a way of evolving in ways we never see coming.
As a result, sex becomes anything but casual...