1. Your smile warms my heart.

Goodness gracious, when you smile, my soul lights up like a lantern. It’s not just because of that dimple on the side of your face, but it’s because I’m so happy you’re happy. When you smile, I feel so great about bringing a bit of happiness to your life, even if it’s for a second. I want to make you happy and when you are, I feel warm all over.

2. You make me do my ugly laugh.

I can’t help but laugh with you. It’s not just my normal flirtatious I’m-on-a-first-date laugh that I’ve practiced in the mirror; you make me do my true, ugly laugh. That laugh that’s probably so annoying to everyone and ends up in me snorting like a pig. You bring that out in me, and I find you truly witty and entertaining.

3. Good god, are you cute or what?

I used to stare at you in class before we met. You have this wonderful combination of being handsome and cute in all the right ways. Plus, you don’t even know it. When I tell you you’re handsome, sometimes you give a sarcastic “thanks”, but I really mean it. I don’t care about the girls who didn’t see it before or that awkward high school phase; I think you’re handsome in such an elegant way. From your hair to your wide feet, you’re so lovely to me.

4. You’re kind of clumsy.

When you stub your toe or trip in the grass (over your own two feet), I can’t help but blush a bit. I like that you don’t pretend to be perfect or the Almighty Thor. You’re you, clumsy and all, and I like that you’re not pretending.

5. You encourage me to do my best.

Whether it’s in stat. homework or a job interview, you build me up. You don’t settle for my mediocre self when you know I have the potential to excel. A relationship isn’t about dependence on another person; it’s about building each other up so you can both reach your potential.

6. You compliment me.

Not in the way that you shower me in cheesy compliments every day. You tell me I’m beautiful during the random moments and I believe you.

7. You really look at me.

Sometimes I catch you staring at me and I ask you “What?” and you say “nothing,” or, “I just like looking at you.” While I’m wondering if there’s left-over food on my face, you’re just looking at me like I’m the most beautiful person in the world.

8. You think about the long-run in a non-creepy way.

You’re not shoving marriage down my throat, but when you speak of us, you think of a year down the road and such. I’ve been in situations where a guy couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of going on for more than a month. I like that you’re comfortable with thinking semi-long term even when I’m just a huge wanderlust weirdo who sometimes flees from the idea of long term stability. But with you, you make me want stability.

9. You date me.

Some couples get so caught up in being a couple they don’t really go on dates anymore or make an effort to actually go out and do something exciting. You make me feel like there’s a new adventure around the corner every single day. Whether it’s a three hour tickle fight, a late night at the beach, or dinner at the most hipster spot in Long Beach — you take the time to actually date me.

10. You’re intelligent.

If we are both in the mood, we can sit and talk about global issues. You can make Great Gatsby references and I’ll smile because I know the book backwards and forwards. You make witty jokes sometimes that other people might not understand. You write quite nicely about what’s going on in the world and I read every single thing. You know a bit more about certain topics and at first it frustrated me because I’d met my match in the dating world. I was so used to acting as a human thesaurus and dictionary for a guy I dated in the past, I was happy when you came along.

11. I can be myself around you and you can be yourself.

You accept me just how I am even though I can get pretty freaking weird. Sometimes I roll up in a blanket and yell “Look, I’m a SAMOSA,” and instead of calling me a freak, you actually volunteer to roll up under the covers and be a samosa with me. The thought of pretending to be anything but who I am never crosses my mind with you. I don’t try to be perfect because I feel so comfortable around you. Darling, it just feels right.