Love

36 Secretly Special Ways A Man Shows You He Loves You

Photo: BGStock72, Cup of Couple | Canva
Woman getting into a hot bath after a long day, her guy handing her wine

By Hilary White

Grand gestures are great, but sometimes elaborate expressions of affection can seem a little over the top. With my boyfriend, it's the little things that really mean the most — the stuff that shows me that I'm on his mind or the things he does that I know he wouldn't do for anyone else (like wipe up my cat's vomit). That's love!

There's nothing like coming home from a long day of work to a glass of wine and a pair of comfy pants laid out for you, and you know you've snagged a keeper when they do sweet things without even thinking twice about it. If your significant other does any of these gestures below, then hang on to them!

RELATED: 10 Subtle Ways Your Guy Is Secretly Saying 'I Love You'

Here are 36 small but wonderful ways your guy shows he loves you:

1. They make the bed (when you didn't even ask them to!)

2. They give you foot massages while you watch TV

3. You get coffee or breakfast delivery in bed — and your drink is in your favorite mug

4. They can tell in one look, and without a word exchanged, what you need at that moment

And sometimes it's the fact that your mother-in-law is driving you insane

5. A glass of wine is waiting for you when you walk into the house after a hard day

6. They take your nail polish off your toes so you don't ruin your manicure

7. They bring you your contact lens case so you don't trip and fall on the way to find it

8. They know that what you really want when you get off a plane is food, not flowers

9. You don't need audiobooks because they read your favorite series out loud to you when you're driving on a long road trip

10. They actually take an interest in your fashion choices

11. They let you kiss them with bright lipstick on

And those are the best kind of kisses.

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12. They unzip your pants when you have to pee and you just paint your nails

13. They make little compromises, like keeping the house stocked with almond milk when they are a half-and-half type of person

14. You find your phone plugged in and fully charged after leaving it unattended

15. They prepare a bubble bath for you (and then let you enjoy it in peace)

16. They separate your clean clothes between the ones to hang dry and the ones that go in the dryer . . . or they do your laundry at all

17. You find little love notes left around the house for you

Love letters are a lost art form.

18. They call your family members just to say hello and catch up

19. They cook for you

20. They take care of your cat or dog and clean up their poop — even though it's not their responsibility (or their pet!)

21. They go to the corner store when they forget something but are already settled on the couch in their comfy pants

22. They make an effort to get along with your friends, even the ones they aren't big fans of

23. Your toothbrush already has toothpaste on it when you go to brush your teeth before bed

RELATED: Married Men Answer 20 Very Personal Questions About Their Wives

24. They let you know when something is stuck in your teeth

25. The toilet seat is left down

26. They take the hint and get you a gift after you mention something you saw and liked at a store or online

27. They understand when you need alone time, and they give it to you — no questions asked

28. They tell you that you look perfect — even when you've just rolled out of bed

29. They read a book you recommended and then discuss it enthusiastically with you (or let you talk about it at length even if they didn't like it much)

30. They let you listen to your favorite song. On repeat. For hours

31. You get the last (and best) bite

32. They do little favors for your family members

33. They stay home to let the cable guy in so that you don't have to miss work

34. They bring you Tylenol and water when you're sick (or had a little too much fun the night before)

35. They hold your bags, sweaters, shoes, or anything else you can load them down with

36. They send a text just to let you know they are thinking of you

Does your guy do any of these things? Do you want him to do any of these? Hopefully you can give him some hints to be more romantic, or use these as signs to see how much he loves you.

RELATED: If You Can Answer Yes To These 8 Questions, He Loves You (Even If He Hasn't Said It)

Hilary White is a freelance writer and former editor for PopSugar. She has experience in journalism, copywriting, editing, and managing teams of writers within the worlds of digital media and e-commerce. 

This article was originally published at Popsugar. Reprinted with permission from the author.