A shared mishap can become affection when neither person needs someone to blame.

Things go wrong constantly, and what happens next decides what the wrong thing becomes. If either person reaches for fault, the event turns into a small trial with a verdict to remember. If neither does, the same event becomes a story you both own, and the closeness comes from having been in it together rather than from anything going well.

The next time something small collapses in company, try letting the first sentence be about the situation rather than the cause. Blame can always be assigned later, and usually turns out not to be needed.