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I want to start this Valentine’s Day paper with some prep for context. Valentine’s Day is usually framed as a celebration of romance, but it can mean different things to different people. Before diving in, let me quickly brief my readers on how I’m thinking about attraction here. In its simplest form, being attracted to someone means feeling a pull or interest that makes you want to be closer to them, whether romantic, physical, or emotional. Attraction can be romantic (wanting to date someone), sexual (physical desire), aesthetic (enjoying someone’s looks), or even platonic (drawn to be friends). Everyone experiences these feelings a bit differently, and some (like me) hardly experience certain types of attraction at all. With that groundwork laid, let’s get into the story, because this isn’t your typical Valentine’s essay. This is about candy and crushes, friendship and fandom, all from the perspective of an aromantic-asexual person finding meaning in a romantic holiday.