which subtle way of saying “i love you” are you?

by doing little things for them. washing the dishes, running errands, opening doors, making them lunch — anything to help, to ease the burden on their shoulders

with subtle looks and touches. a hand on someone’s arm, a loving glance, a reassuring wink, an arm around their shoulder

by telling them! i don’t always declare my love in bold letters, but i tell them when i appreciate them, i give them little compliments, or ask them how they are

by bringing them things that remind me of them. small gifts, food, anything that might communicate that i thought of them — so i won’t have to say it out loud

by always being there when they are. asking them for lunch, arriving a little early when they’ll be somewhere too, planning an outing, or sticking around a bit longer just because they are, too

restless

hard-working

perceptive

persistent

guarded

patient

content

helpful

thoughtful

unique

reliable

sweet

spirited

caring

they’re a mystery i’ve half unravelled. there’s always something new to discover, some hidden depths to uncover. i’m proud of how much i learned about them already, and i feel honoured every time a new layer of them peels away, leaving even more beauty to be discovered underneath.

their company makes time stand still. they’re one of the few people who can keep me in the same place for more than a few seconds, captivating enough to quiet my perpetual restlessness

radiant. their smile lights up the room, their eyes contain an entire universe of their own. i could sit and look at them fill up space with their warmth all day, and be content.

they’re beautifully, inspiringly appreciative of the world around them. their eyes sparkle when i do them a favour, and my heart fills with the way they laugh at the jokes i tell. the gentle way they interact with the world is beautiful; i think they might be the world’s biggest admirer

they’re always in a rush, never still, always moving. i watch in awe as they do it all without complaining — but it’s not effortless, no matter how hard they try to make it seem so. and it hurts to watch them exhaust themselves for everyone else’s sake sometimes

they’re special, there’s no one else like them. their presence is a comfort, being around them is like finally coming home. i feel safe when they’re here, and i can only hope they feel the same way with me

even five minutes with them is worth more to me than five hours with someone else. even the memory of their presence fills my heart with warmth. i wonder how anyone could live life without them in it

“I pray every night that I may live after him; because I would rather be miserable than that he should be — that proves I love him better than myself.” (wuthering heights, emily brontë)

“Some things are more precious because they don’t last long.” (the picture of dorian gray, oscar wilde)

“The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history.” (the picture of dorian gray, oscar wilde)

“It’s finished, it’s done. You can’t take loved away.” (nona the ninth, tamsyn muir)

“if your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours.” (carmilla, sheridan le fanu)

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am. You hear nothing but truth from me.” (emma, jane austen)

“I want to be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.” (the lord of the rings, j.r.r. tolkien)

all the time. through words and actions! if i love you, i’ll make sure you know it.

i hope my actions speak loud enough for me

no, i’m too afraid to

being told “i’ll do that for you” when you’re so tired all you want to do is lie down in bed. you didn’t expect someone to offer their help. you could cry with relief

you’re playing a game and you catch them cheating to let you win. are they doing this just to see you smile?

they seem cheerful enough in a group, until you’re alone and you watch the smile drop off their face instantly. you realise they feel safe around you, they don’t have to pretend to be happy when it’s just the two of you

they’ve complained about other people doing this thing, but now that you’re doing it, they simply smile at you like you’re the sweetest person in the world

writing them a letter, spilling the contents of your heart on the page (it’s a love letter. platonic, romantic… who cares, when you love them enough to do this?)

saying the words, plain and simple, when it’s just the two of you

telling someone else about how much you love them — but you know they’re close enough to overhear. you can’t quite bear the thought of telling them straight up, but you want them to know. you think this is the closest you’ll ever get to telling them. you hope it’s enough