Thanks surf and awal, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't muddying the conversational waters as it were.
I have to say surf, I never saw neediness in your interactions you have shared. If you have an expectation (and yes, we are allowed to have those lol) and it keeps getting tromped on, a certain amount disgruntlement seems normal to me, just means hey - something is not ok with this, for me. How you deal with it is, of course, your choice, be that through detachment, self reliance or meditation!
I totally get what you mean about your example of making dinner vs dealing on an emotional level as well.