1. Taking care of him when he’s not cute-sick. Nursing someone with the sniffles is easy. Passing the puke bucket = not as much. Maybe the diarrhea is making him emotionally vulnerable. Maybe seeing maternal instincts is making him think about having babies together. Maybe he’s delirious from all the NyQuil. But having you nurture him back to health like a sweaty baby bird is just making him fall deeper in love with you.
2. Going through old pictures on his phone. There are few things that make someone as wistful as backing up their old phone before trading it in. Going through his old pictures, videos and Instagrams is just going to remind him of all the great times he’s had with you and the funny things you’ve sent him. It’s basically a scrapbook for people who would never actually make a scrapbook. Which is him. He’s not scrapbooking.
3. Having vacation sex. It’s not just the sex itself, it’s doing it somewhere totally out of the norm for the two of you that reminds him just how...compatible you are. Plus, vacations are effectively a Love Cocktail™ of things on this list. There’s no stress, you spend all your time together, and you get to experience new things side-by-side.
4. Getting to brag about your promotion at work, or the candle company you started out of your basement. It might be a little embarrassing, but that pride is all coming from a place of love. Talking about your accomplishments with others reminds him how motivated you are.
5. Going skydiving together. Okay, so it doesn’t need to actually be skydiving if even the mere thought of that makes you so scared you want to vomit uncontrollably. But taking a risk that requires serious trust in your partner can reignite that glimmer of how solid your relationship is, and how much he loves you.
6. Learning that you took five years of ballet as a kid. Finding out you can stand on your toes while you’re out with friends at a bar was shocking for him. Even more shocking was finding out you never told him you did ballet as a kid. Even after years of being together, if you can still learn new things about each other, he’ll love you even more. It’s nice to know that there’s always something new to share. And yes, he will make you reenact that scene from Titanic.
7. Celebrating anniversaries... and birthdays...and pretty much anything else you can find an excuse to celebrate. Whether it’s an anniversary, major birthday, or a huge life event (like buying a house), getting to be by your side for these events deepens his feelings for you. It’s nice to know when he looks back on these memories, you’ll be right there next to him. Even the goofy ones count, so celebrate your first fight, the first time you had sex, and the first time you got burritos together.
8. Seeing you at the airport after a week away on business. This wouldn’t be cliche if weren’t true: absence makes the heart grow fonder. Whether it was a week long business trip or a tour of duty, seeing you again after being apart is almost too much for him to handle. You’ve got a lot to catch up on.
9. When you just teach him how to get a chili stain off the carpet. Great partners support each other. And if you can teach him something, whether it’s how to be a better listener or that "rubbing in that stain only makes it worse", it’s a show of support. Making him a better person is something he’ll love you for.
10. Arguing over whether or not it’s time to move in together and then making up. No one likes arguing. But having a real, raw argument can bring you closer together. It might be as fun as slamming the car door on your finger, but being forced to be honest with each other can bring you closer together. So you might have a ton of reasons not to move in together, and he might have just as many reasons why it’s a good idea. You might not even come to an agreement. But learning to work through serious arguments is huge.
11. LOVE HIM WILL ALL YOUR LOVE.
12. MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR HIM.
13. HELP HIM PLAN HIS WEEK
14. DON'T LOOK DOWN ON HIM. CHEER HIM ON POSITIVELY.
