Those Three Words

So here I am, laying in bed catching my breath after some pretty spectacular displays of bedroom prowess, when Those Three Words pop out of my mouth like a bunch of cats with cabin fever making a break for it:

"I Love you."

Beside me, your breath catches in your throat. I don't think you're breathing. I'm grateful We kicked over the candles earlier because now I can't see your face, and you can't see the horror on mine that I just blurted Those Three Words like that. Where in the Nine Hells did they come from?

My mind is racing–did I say it too soon? Why did I say it at all? What if you don't feel the same way? Have I just ruined a Really Good Thing?

In the darkness I hear you slowly let out a controlled breath. I don't hear you inhale. The silence, it's torture. Why aren't you saying anything? To keep my head from exploding I frantically analyze what I've just said. Do I mean it? Do I Love you? What does that even mean?

You're everything to me. Before you, I was alone; I was angry all the time, unmotivated and possessed of an extremely low opinion of myself. That all changed when you came into my life, the first time those bright blue eyes caught mine when Our hands touched as We reached for the same bag of coffee all those months ago.

"All those months ago?!" It has literally only been two months! What's with the melodrama all of a sudden?

Since that moment, it's been me and you. You see me. Like, really see me. You know when I'm having a bad day even if We haven't seen each other. You'll call me out of nowhere at just the right time and make everything better with just a few words. I can't get enough of you, can't spend enough time with you; I can't hear your voice enough, or think about you enough. When We talk, We both feel like We need more than one mouth so that We can say all those thing in Our hearts that are fighting to be let out first. Like We can't say things to each other fast enough, like there's never enough time to say everything We need to say. It's insanity!

And at what point did I stop thinking of myself as "I" and begin thinking in terms of "We" and "Us," capitalized like We're Divinity? But We are, aren't We? You see the God in me, I see the Goddess in you. I mean, if you can make all those cheesy, sappy 80s power ballads I Love so much make sense, you've got to be a Goddess, right?

Why haven't you said anything yet?!

The moment continues to stretch, suspended in time like a filament of spider silk, Those Three Words glittering in the darkness like diamond-bright drops of dew.

The way you look at me, nobody's ever looked at me that way. Like I matter. The way you understand all those crazy thoughts in my head that I thought only I had. The way you obsess over the latest horror films as much as I do, and the snarky commentary you make at bad acting while We watch them always perfectly matches my own thoughts. And the way you completely outclass me in my favourite video game! How is it I Love getting my ass handed to me like that? I hate losing, but whenever you beat me, I'm sitting there grinning like an idiot without a care in the world. How does that even work?

The way you take the pain away seems so effortless, and you humble me the way you bring yours to me, trusting me with your hurt. You bring out the best in me without even trying, you inspire me to a greatness I never thought I was capable of. You make me feel protective and nurturing and brave and terrified of spending even a moment without you all at once.

All that's come before, all of it–all the joy and the sorrow of Our lives before meeting each other has been given meaning when contrasted against Ourselves. Together, We blossom and grow, infinitely, like two mirrors set before one another, reflecting back upon each other forever.

I've always thought it's too easy to say you'll die for someone; I mean, who's really going to ask you to follow through with that? Life is hard, and sometimes it downright sucks. It'd be easier to give up. But you make me want to live for you–for Us! No matter the difficulty, you're worth it. Love conquers all, right? So, yes! Yes! By all the Gods, yes! Bring on the world! Bring on the hardships! Because I Love you! Simply, completely, and without reservation, yes!

You and I together, Our Love will conquer anything life throws at Us and together We will build a citadel of Our Love to leave the Gods Themselves in awe of Us!

But why haven't you answered?

The spider silk moment, stretched taut and singing with the strain, breaks. The dewdrops fall in the darkness and splash lightly into my ears, your words:

"I Love you, too"

I can breathe again–I didn't even realize I was holding it. Then, you are crushed against my chest and there is only Us in the darkness: God & Goddess, Man & Woman; Above, Below, and Everywhere.

~~~

Love is Perfect. Love is Divine. Love can ignite stars, and it can strengthen even the weakest of Us. The capacity for Perfect Love is given to us by the God's so that We might share it and find in Ourselves that spark of Divinity that We all possess. As living embodiments of Divine Love, We are called upon to share Perfect Love and Perfect Trust in all that We do. In this often cruel world, We must never forget that Love truly is the answer. It is through Love that souls are united, harms healed, and hope born. Blessed Be!