We're going to the ballet tonight. I've been wanting to go to the ballet forever and ever. I told you that on one of our first dates. I know, it seems weird that I've never been, I'm a dancer. I mean, I've been to ballets, but I've never been to THE ballet. Your eyes sparkled when you handed me the tickets in an envelope this morning, before you pecked my cheek and told me to wear something pretty, turning around and smirking as you left the apartment to head to the studio.

You knew exactly what you were doing. You left me wanting. Your devilish smirk burned into my brain until later tonight.

You texted me in the afternoon and said you were getting ready at the studio and you'd be by to pick me up, from our shared apartment, at 6. Just in time for a quick dinner before the show.

My heart melted. I was a puddle in the floor.

We've been dating for over a year now. It's not our anniversary. It's not my birthday. I can't think of any reason for you to do something this big and sweet. The butterflies that seem never ending when I'm with you or when I'm thinking about you or when I'm looking at you have taken flight again in my belly.

I decide to curl my hair and pull it up into a fancy updo and throw on that blue dress that you love. The one I bought for my cousin's wedding. The one that made your eyes bug out of your head when I walked out of the dressing room. I think I could actually see your brain short circuit that day. It's one of my favorite memories of you, baby.

I haven't worn that blue dress for you yet. I wore it to the wedding and tucked it away for a special occasion. Or for when I wanted to tease you. This is definitely that moment.

I spritz on your favorite perfume and pull on your favorite pair of lace panties and the necklace you gave me for our one year anniversary. I look good, I know, but my favorite accessory is the smile I haven't been able to wipe off my face since this morning.

You know what you do to me, babe. I know you know.

I hear a soft knock at the door as I'm getting my clutch ready and trot over. The butterflies somersaulting. I open it and you're there in a slinky black dress, your long dark hair straightened over one shoulder, a delicate necklace dangling down your cleavage. I hear myself gasp, and then I giggle when you look at me with those bugged out eyes again. Guess you really like this dress. You rake over me a couple more times and I see you lick your lips. You make me feel so, so beautiful.

You stammer out a soft 'Hi' and hand me a bouquet of flowers. I accept them with an equally soft, 'baby' and pull you in the house for a minute. I place the flowers in the empty vase on the table and fill it with water. I smile as I remember the look on your face the first time I brought you flowers. You looked at me with amazement in your eyes, like you couldn't believe I would want to make you happy.

It's another one of my favorite moments of you.

I smile again as I see you ogling my dress. You've never been discreet, babe. Not even on that subway platform. I'm just so glad we were heading to the same party that night.

I head back to you, putting some extra oomph in my steps and watch as your eyes slowly travel back to mine. Their dark and lusty already, but there's no way we're missing this ballet.

I give you a soft peck on your cheek, lingering longer than you did this morning, and whisper in your ear, 'Later'. I grab your hand and fold your fingers with mine, pulling you out the door.

There's a town car outside. I hear you giggle as I stop and turn to look at you with wide eyes. You just shrug nonchalantly and say something about how it's a special night and open the door for me. I slide into the car and pull you in with me, dragging you close to me so I can give you more than a sweet peck on the cheek.

When you pull away you are breathless and looking at me like I just breathed life into you. Your eyes are on fire and you look at me like I'm the greatest thing in the entire world. And, right now, I feel like I am, baby. I hope I look at you the same way.

We end up at the restaurant where we had our first date, and I laugh at how overdressed we arebut I don't really care. For a second I wonder if you're going to propose tonight. It would be just like you, to propose the same week I finally get my act together to buy you a ring, and steal my thunder.

You're shyer than usual while we eat, which raises my suspicions. We keep glancing at each other, in a soft silence while we eat. Stealing looks and small, shy smiles. We talk quietly every so often, but it's a dinner of content silence between us. It's as if we both understand this moment, how it stands outside of time.

I don't fight you for the check when it comes, I know you had this whole evening planned and you want to lead. You're so cute when you do grand gestures like this, baby. You get so shy and small like you're afraid I won't like what you've planned or something equally as crazy. But, what you don't understand is that you're it for me. You've been it for me since our first kiss. Since before our first kiss. Since that first genuine smile I was able to put on your face.

You place your hand on the small of my back as we head out of the restaurant. Baby, I love when you do that. I look at you and smile in a way that I hope you'll understand means that. I've told you before that I love it.

The town car weaves through the crowded streets and we make our way to Lincoln Center. The city looks so beautiful tonight. Your hand is woven with mine between us on the seat, your thumb absentmindedly drawing circles on my hand. I see something interesting outside and turn to get your attention, but I find you looking at me already. Your eyes soft with love. I smile and lean over to give you a gentle kiss, leaning my forehead against yours to stare deeply into your eyes, before kissing you softly again. I whisper 'I love you' against your lips, and feel you react more than see it. You hand squeezes mine and you kiss my nose and my forehead before pulling away.

We pull up close to Lincoln Center and I can feel my body buzzing with excitement. I step out of the car and hear you say something to the driver, but can't pay attention. I'm too busy people watching and trying to calm the butterflies which have once again taken up their antics in my belly.

I reach inside and help you step out of the car, pulling you into me as soon as you're straight on the pavement. You let out a bark of laughter when I start dancing and bouncing in place with anticipation. I giggle and start pulling you towards the entrance.

I love when you bark with laughter, it always sends a spark to my heart. You look so alive when you do that.

We present out tickets at the door and are led inside. It's beautiful here. I can feel my face splitting with happiness when I look at you. We're both impressed. Our seats are fabulous and I shouldn't be impressed by how much thought you put into this, but I am. I'm always impressed when I'm reminded just how much you feel for me.

We sit in a happy silence taking in our surroundings for a few minutes. I look through the program, reading about all the company, and feeling my heart fill with that strange feeling it gets when I watch other dancers.

The lights dim and the Orchestra starts to play, and I reach over and grab your hand, squeezing it in anticipation. I hear a breathy giggle as you squeeze back. And then it starts and I am mesmerized, enchanted, enthralled. It's every bit as magical as I thought it would be. I get lost in the music and the movement, the only thing grounding me is your hand in mine. I feel myself lean towards the stage to try to get closer, as close as I can to the spinning and twirling, following and studying their movements with trained eyes. I feel myself tear up a few times with the splendor before me. I hear your soft gasps and breaths next to me, and I know you're just as in awe as I am.

We don't get to talk at intermission; you bolt out of your seat cursing the wine you drank at dinner and run to the bathroom. The line must have been super long because you don't make it back until the lights start dimming again. I haven't moved, though. I'm still sitting and absorbing everything around me. You slide into your seat and grab my hand again, and I feel you lean over to kiss my ear.

It's not until the ballet is almost over that I break out of my trance for a moment, and turn to look at you. I want to see your face, I want to know if you love this as much as I do. But, when I turn my head ever so slightly, I see you looking at me. You've been watching me watch the show. I give my full attention to you for a moment, meeting your eyes as they sparkle in the lights bouncing off the stage. They way you're looking at me, it's as if I can feel every part of you. I smile and glance down at your full lips before giving you another kiss. Harder than the others we've shared all night, but just as quick.

I smile at you and pull you onto my shoulder as we continue watching the show. I don't know how long you've been looking at mebut I want you to see some of this magic.

When the ballet ends we stand to applaud, and I wipe the few tears that have escaped my eyes. I look at you and smile as big as I can and tell you just how much I loved it. You laugh and smirk at me and say you knew I would. But, I won't let you get away with brushing it off. I grab your face and make you look at me, before I repeat again how much I loved it. Your face softens I know you heard me. And I know you know that I don't want you to sass your way out of the compliment. You get shy again and smile your full, dimpled smile at me, before replying that you're glad.

I rub my thumbs along your cheeks and stare at you for a moment as our area of the theatre starts to clear out. You're so special to me, and I want you to feel it. I need to make you feel it. When your eyes start to fill with all the love and wonder that I'm trying to pass into you, I know that you do. I know that you feel it.

We start to head out of the theatre and you put your hand on the small of my back again as we weave through the crowd. It feels so right there, and I can feel your warmth spreading all over me. We stop by the fountain and take a few pictures, not wanting this night to end. I kiss your dimple at the last second as you snap one and you giggle. A young man offers to take a few for us, so you hand him your phone and we smile and pose. We stay for a few more minutes until I can't stand it anymore, and pull you towards the car. I just need to get you home.

We spend the car ride in silence, as close to each other as we can get without getting obscene in the backseat. I leave a trail of soft kisses on your cheek, your ear, your neck, not getting too heavy, but letting you know what I'm thinking about. I can feel your heart beating wildly underneath my lips as they graze your pulse point.

I stop and sigh and lean into your neck, resting my head on your shoulder. Your arm is behind my shoulders, pulling me closer into you. You start humming softly under your breath and I toy with the fingers of your other hand on your lap. I'm so happy and content and alive right now. I don't know what I ever did in this life to deserve you, babe, but I would do it again and again and again.

I remember that we took pictures at the fountain and pull your phone out of your clutch to swipe through them. They're adorable and we look so good together, so happy, so in love. I giggle when I get to the picture of me kissing your cheek as you snapped the photo. It's so us. You kiss my forehead and squeeze my shoulders tighter. I flip through the few that the friendly stranger took of us, and swoon when I get to the last one. I'm smiling at the camera and my eyes are sparkling in the night, but you, you're looking at me, adoration splayed across your face. You are smiling your biggest, dimpliest smile, the smile I know you only use on me smile, at me. And I am so, so, so in love with you. I drop the phone back into your lap and grab your face with my free hand, bringing you the short distance to my mouth in one swift motion, and kiss you with all the passion, love and reverence I have for you.

It's long, deep, life affirming.

Neither one of us has noticed the car has stopped moving until the door opens behind you and we both gasp. The driver is polite and smiles, and ignores our lipstick smudged mouths as we climb out and thank him. You slyly hand him some money as you shake his hand and say goodnight, while I climb the steps to the apartment, keys in hand.

I hear your high heels approach me as I try to unlock our front door down the hall, but can't seem to remember coordination. Before I have a chance to think your body is against my back and you're attacking my neck with those beautiful lips. You reach your hand down to mine to help me unlock our door, but I can't think. I turn around and meet your lips with my own in a searing kiss, my hands on your waist trying to pull you closer into me. I hear you jingling the keys and know you're having just as much trouble as I was trying to remember how to unlock a door. You pull away and try to focus, but I bury my head against your neck and slide my hands to your ass and I hear you growl in frustration and lust.

The door finally opens behind me and we both stumble into our apartment, giggling, shedding our heels and throwing our purses onto the couch. You tangle your hands into my hair and pull me into you again, all teeth and tongue and want.

You pull away and rake your eyes down my body again, leaning in to whisper as you nip my ear 'I've wanted to do that since you opened the door in this dress.' Your voice all husky, dripping with lust and desire.

I groan, and reply into your mouth 'That's why I wore it.'

You push me towards the bedroom and ravish me with pleasure. I didn't think I could ever feel closer to you than I already did, but I was wrong. My love for you grows with each new day, and I know that I will always find new ways to feel closer to you.

You smile your most impish smile and I know you're proud of yourself. I pull you to my lips and flip you over, returning the favor with as much adoration and love as I can pour into you.

It's not until we're curled up against each other, sleepy and sated, that I kiss you and thank you for the wonderful night. I'm still buzzing with my feelings for you and I feel you sigh against me. I know you're drifting off to sleep, but I remember something. Softly, I ask 'Sweetie, why did you say tonight was a special night? What did you mean?'

I feel you cheeks bunch up in a grin as you kiss my collarbone and sleepily reply 'Every night is a special night when I'm with you. It doesn't always have to be a special occasion or anniversary for grand gestures, baby.'

And my heart flip flops, and the butterflies spaz out, and I breathe deep and realize that I love you even more than I did five minutes ago.