What to Gift Your Situationship This Valentine’s Day

There is a moment, sometime in early February (or maybe now), when it dawns on you that Valentine’s Day is coming. And not in a hearts-and-chocolates, planning-a-sweet-dinner sort of way.

No, it arrives with the cold and undeniable realization that you are in a situationship.

Not quite single, not quite in love. An undefined something that exists in the in-between. A Schrödinger’s romance—alive in the right light, dead if looked at too closely.

So what does one gift a person who is both deeply intertwined in your life and yet, simultaneously, not? The wrong move could tilt the delicate balance—too much, and you’re staring down an accidental confession; too little, and you may as well be leaving them on read.

It is, in essence, an art form.

1. The carefully careless gift

You want something that says, “I thought of you” but also, “I am not expecting anything in return.” This is the sweet spot.

A book they once mentioned in passing. A vinyl from a band you both pretend to like more than you actually do. Something that feels like an inside joke but isn’t a commitment.

2. The “we’re just vibing” gift

Minimal effort, maximum effect. This is where you lean into low-stakes charm.

A playlist, thoughtfully curated but never explicitly labeled “for you.” A bottle of wine that costs slightly more than what you’d usually buy for yourself. A candle with an enigmatic scent that makes them think of you without knowing why.

3. The existential cop-out

A meme. A TikTok link. A screenshot of a tweet that you could have just sent but instead printed out ironically.

Something that acknowledges the absurdity of the entire situation while, somehow, making them feel seen.

What not to gift

Avoid sentimentality at all costs. No handwritten letters (unless you’re prepared to have The Talk). No matching anything—no bracelets, no pajamas, no custom keychains with both your initials carved into them. Do not, under any circumstances, commission a painting of them.

And above all, no grand gestures. No surprise dates at restaurants where the waiter might refer to you as a couple. No gifts so elaborate that they force a response beyond a casual “thanks, that’s cool.” The goal is effortless intrigue, not a sudden define the relationship conversation.

The unspoken rule

Perhaps the greatest gift of all is the plausible deniability of it. Something given with a shrug, an “Oh, I just saw this and thought you might like it.”

A gesture that neither confirms nor denies anything, that allows the situationship to remain suspended in its delicate and undefined beauty.

Because maybe that’s the point. That you were thinking of them. That they’ll think of you too. And that, for now, is just enough.

Photos courtesy IMDB