You scare me, because you make me want to be better. To be more open to the unknown. To be brave enough to explore it on my own. To be stronger, and kinder. To be the one you feel safe with. That you can rely on. So that you can be braver too. I'm not there yet, though.

I've got that heart of gold. When it's warm it's soft, and easy to play with. When it's molten my crucible will take anything you need me to, good or bad. The good gets incorporated, strengthening my heart with its alchemy. Most of the bad melts, or burns away, but when things cool down sometimes the remnants of those things get lodged in it. Others before you have left big ol' fish hooks, and shards and slivers of glass. You see this, keeping your distance because you never want to hurt me. You're afraid you can't avoid it because you don't see what you need from me in me yet, and don't know if you ever will.

I promise you, it's there. I feel it when my heart breaks knowing that you're alone and don't want to be (because I am, too), or when it leaps when I catch you making eyes at me because you think noone is looking. I wonder sometimes how often you notice that I notice the things you do just for me, and I do notice.

You warmed my heart when it was cold from fear, and I made myself brave for you. It got soft enough that I was able to start working some of the debris out on my own. I will always love you for this, even if you replace what I take out with some pieces of your own. I don't think I could live without them anymore anyway.

Edit: TY for the gold, kind stranger.