We’re back for another installment of our tear-jerking franchise, where we recognize true love and passion between young Zillennial couples. Valentine’s Day is a symbolic occasion to celebrate those around you and pour into your partner. Diving into more love stories brings a new perspective to those still searching for their special someone while also gushing at hearing others share their own. In our evolving digital sphere, it’s important to emphasize the importance of authentic fairytail love for each couple.
By showcasing genuine relationships, Zillennials sees the ups and downs of fostering new relationships. We are not only celebrating pure love, but these couples serve as a realistic example of what it means to prioritize yourself to grow in your relationships. Whether you’re a sucker for platonic or romantic love, these couples bare it all on Girls United. Read more about each queer couple’s love stories through their bond and future plans with each other.
Read ‘Three Queer Couples Share Their Love Story’
Keyann Reaves & Diamond Love
Girls United: How did you both meet?
Love: We started as frenemies [in college]; she was not the friendliest towards me, and everyone called her out on it. So, she started taking me around the city to be nicer, and that’s how our friendship started. One day, she told me she liked me, and after giving her a chance, it took off.
Was there a specific moment when you knew you were in love?
Reaves: I didn’t work on Wednesdays, and she didn’t have class, so we used to call Wednesday adventure days when we used to hang out, and her friends used to be like, “You’re the only person she’ll come out her room for.” Over that summer, we used to go to sleep on the phone like we were together, and I was like, maybe this is a relationship.
What are your favorite qualities about each other?
Love: One of my favorite qualities about her is that she loves me in my love languages. She knows I prefer acts of service, and she always does things for me that save time, which I really appreciate.
Reaves: I’m in my head internally all the time, and my anxiety is peak high, and no one pays attention to it except for her. Even in our friendship, she was always a calming agent, and I love that. She notices it when I’m stressed out before I even notice it sometimes.
How have you seen growth in each other from your relationship?
Love: This was my first ever serious relationship, and I had a lot to learn, so overall I probably had the most growth [laughs].
Reaves: This was both of our first same-sex relationships, so we were both very new to that. We’re still learning day by day. I always ask her how she’s doing and check-in. People change every five years so you don’t know the small changes someone can make every 24 hours.
What advice do you have for couples when they have a disagreement with their partner?
Reaves: Looking back on some of the arguments that we had in the beginning, we see that many were not that serious. Everyone in their 20s starts as a terrible communicator because they jump straight into relationships, and [we] realized being friends before the relationship was a plus. Our generation now is so into social media and wanting to be in a relationship instead of wanting to be a friend to that person first and taking time to be in a relationship and fall in love.
What are you most excited about in the future?
Love: I come from such a small family and look forward to the large family dynamic with game nights and holiday parties.
Reaves: I came out to my family first that we were a couple, and they’ve grown so much in the past five years as far as accepting both of us and coming on family vacations. I look forward to exploring each other’s families more.
Sarah Rand & Azya Moore
Photo Credit: @eyeamnovember
GU: How did you both meet?
Moore: I sent her a DM trying to be funny, and it was a water gun emoji. I said, ‘if I send you this, that means I want to shoot my shot.’ She was like ‘Is this a stick up?’ [laughs] I read it as she didn’t want to date me. I’m a Pisces, so it was dramatic, but then I asked her back out to go see an art opening with me, and from there, we’ve been dating ever since. We bonded over the art and being in person for the first time; it felt natural.
Was there a specific moment when you knew you were in love?
Moore: I said I love you first and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I was like we’re going to have a date and make bracelets for each other, and I put I love you on my bracelet.
Rand: I realized I did things very differently with her. I’m not a very spontaneous person and with her I was calm enough to do spontaneous things. I had never gone on a trip with somebody, and I realized it when I randomly went with her to Florida, which was strange for me [laughs]. The trust I had with her early on made me reflect on why I was doing these things.
What are your favorite qualities about each other?
Rand: She’s very empathetic and considerate to people. Also, the way she cares for me and others, I don’t feel like I have to ask for anything because she understands that on a basic level.
Moore: Her logical side, she’s emotionally intelligent and takes her time to process things. After taking a minute she’ll come back and express how she was feeling. She balances me out from each other because I’m more emotional and she’s logical.
How have you seen growth in each other from your relationship?
Moore: I’ve seen growth in the trust. She’s been very spontaneous and opened up at the most random times. She’s very independent, and I can see when there are moments when she doesn’t want to ask for help, but she’ll be like, ‘Okay, I need help,’ and it’s nice to see her lean on me a little more and invest herself emotionally into the relationship.
Rand: She’s let me be her rock in certain situations and allows herself to talk through it with me. She divulges her real emotions with me which I appreciate. We’ve learned each other’s attachment and argument styles, so that helps us figure out how to be there for each other. Conflict isn’t easy to deal with, but at the end of the day you need to know you’re both there for each other and to figure things out and not fight against each other.
Tembe Denton-Hurst & Connay Bratton
GU: When did you know you were in love?
Bratton: It was a moment when we were on campus studying, and we locked eyes, and I was like, I could do this forever.
Denton-Hurst: I was in love probably three days in because I was insane. The first time we cuddled in my dorm room, I was like, ‘I love her.’ When it comes to falling in love, it could happen multiple times in the relationship. Being together for 10 years I’ve fallen in love with her so many different times, and it’s deeper and new levels so many times. Love is dynamic and flexible, so I can’t name just one moment.
How have you seen growth in each other from your relationship?
Bratton: We grow constantly and we learn how that we need to grow as individuals before we can grow as a couple. We were able to figure out what we needed from each other.
Denton-Hurst: We met when we were 18 and 19, so the growth has been massive, so I think we had to grow. I’ve seen her become more sure and confident in herself and steady in who she is, and that’s been cool to see. Falling in love with yourself makes you a better partner, so I’ve seen her grow into herself more.
How has your communication evolved throughout the years?
Bratton: We made communication a priority, so now we understand it’s really the only way for us to work. It’s okay to be scared, but the key part is to show up every day and understand who you are at the end of the day.
Denton-Hurst: [Laughs] We communicate so much better. I’ve gotten so much more comfortable expressing my feelings, and we’re very in sync about what we want. It’s way easier to talk to each other about things. There’s nothing wrong with compromise, but you must tell the truth to do it. You have to be clear about your non-negotiables and be steady in that.
What are you most excited about in the future?
Denton-Hurst: We’re getting married this year, so that’s exciting. I’m excited to buy a house and farmland, and I’ll finally let her get a dog [laughs]. I’m excited about what life looks like because she’s in it and I don’t have anything to worry about.
About the Author: Kenyatta Victoria is the lead writer for Essence GU, working on all things pop culture, politics, entertainment and business. Throughout her time at GU, she’s garnered devoted readers and specializes in the Zillennial point of view.