The Fatal Flaw

I know that I've touched on "Find the Fatal Flaw" in a previous post, but to reiterate: Find the Fatal Flaw was a game that my girlfriends and I would play when we went out. It stemmed from being hurt way too often and was a form of self preservation. It segued into dates, where it was easier to pick a guy apart then it was to concede any emotional ground. Hey, we were young and probably shouldn't have been dating. Sadly, finding the Fatal Flaw became way too easy. And once played, it is a hard habit to shake. Two years ago my friend tried to set me up with her brother. It didn't work out. He was actually kind of a jerk when we initially met. But after several more encounters we became somewhat acquainted. We became FB friends and ever so often we'd exchange texts. I always felt as though I annoyed him when I would text him or fb him. When I mentioned this to him, he laughed and said he loved my stories and jokes. And we became friends- the real kind. He would text when he was debating changing jobs. I would ask him for boy advice (ps- he sucked at dating advice). Oddly enough we never hung out. But, little by little, over two years time we became good friends. In January I sent him a text about going on a date and finding a fatal flaw before appetizers were served- the guy asked what kind of underwear I was wearing? Blech. After I told the weirdo to lose my number I sent Tim a text. It was 10pm my time, and since he lives in Kentucky, it was 1am for him. He applauded me giving the guy the boot and then asked, "Have you ever played Find the Fatal Flaw with me?" Hmmm...No. I told him that since we never dated I had never thought to list his flaws. As a joke, I started listing some of his habits: side hugs, thinks he can actually be a contestant on The Voice, likes to throw in uplifting quotes, and averages hours to respond to a text. When he didn't respond I wondered if I had crossed a line. So, I called him at 2am his time and left a long rambling voicemail about how I was joking, I was soooo sorry, I addressed each of his flaws and pointed out that they're actually good things. I summed it up with, "I can't think of anything flawful about you!" I then went to bed feeling really guilty. I woke up the next morning to the longest text I have ever received- it was actually broken into five texts. Apparently, he passed out after hitting send on his initial text. He apologized and then listed all of the things he valued about me. He ended with, "I'm afraid to know how well we would click, if and when we actually hang out." Huh? Was I reading into things or was he interested? That night he called and we talked for 2 hours! I realized that maybe I was interested in him. He had all of the attributes I wanted in a guy, he made me laugh on a regular basis and I knew that he was an all around good guy. So we started "talking" (apparently this is some slang term that means you're interested in someone, but not dating them). Being the pessimist that I am I figured that his fatal flaw was who he is- my best friend's brother. Things would get complicated and messy and in the long run I would lose both, at least that's what my fears told me. But when I finally told him this he said, "I would never put you in that position. I will always be honest. We are two mature adults who will always be in each others lives. If things get messy, it will only be for a minute." Hmmmm, well played, sir. It's funny to look back on this, now that we're dating.