My partner and I have a great relationship aside from what I’m about to go over below. We’ve together two years. And his love language is physical touch, and he needs a lot of it. Whereas, I certainly don’t. I think we touch regularly, kiss in the morning, hold hands, cuddle on the couch, he’ll have his hand on my leg if we’re driving in the car, random hugs in the kitchen and our sex life is good too, and all of this is enough for me. However, my partner wants to be touching ALL THE TIME. And we’ve often had disagreements about it. He feels it’s natural to want to do that all the time and often tells me he needs more. He likes to cuddle or have his arm round me or have me pulled in tight in bed (same when we wake up) and if that doesn’t happen then there will be a bit of an atmosphere and the usual chat about why I don’t feel the need to be like that the next morning. Or he’ll want to be hanging round my waist in the kitchen if I’m trying to make dinner. But in all honesty it just stifles me, and makes me recoil.
We’ve had constant disagreements about it, and now it’s just got to the point where I know I have to do certain things out of routine or he will be upset. Sometimes I don’t want to be cuddled in bed and I just want to read my book or chill out after almost an 11 hour shift. And I think now because there has been such a fuss about made about certain aspects, physical touch is now a routine to avoid upset and it’s not natural. I am also at t point now where, where ever he comes near me I get irritated and that’s not fair on him as he genuinely just wants a bit more affection than I like and feel comfortable giving.
AIBU about this?