I (19F) recently made a drawing for my boyfriend (25M) of Makima from Chainsaw Man. He’s a fan of the character and also really likes ravens, so I added that detail in as a personal touch. I’d been working on it for a few days and even showed him sketches and progress shots while I was working on it.

He had told me earlier that he was feeling kind of down, and I asked him if there was anything I could do to help or support him. He said, “not really,” and that he just needed to relax. So I thought maybe sharing this drawing—something I had put time, care, and love into—might cheer him up in a quiet way.

When I sent it, all he replied with was: “Thank you sweetie.”

That was it. No follow-up, no reaction, nothing about the effort or the details I added just for him. I didn’t expect some huge emotional response, but I did expect something more than a generic “thank you.” It made me feel unappreciated, and I ended up deleting the drawing from our chat because looking at it just made me feel worse.

Later on, we talked about it, and he told me I was trying to “make it all about me,” even though I had explicitly asked beforehand if there was anything I could do for him, and he had said no. So I went with my own small gesture instead.

Now I feel conflicted. I know he didn’t ask for it, and maybe I was hoping for too much. But it genuinely hurt to have my effort brushed off and then be told I was being selfish for feeling disappointed.

AITA?