Within the Shadows

Coming out of my cage and i've been doing just fine

I used to think love was for the foolish. 
It used to make me sick, watching all these couples around me, so blind with this dangerous emotion, stupidly thinking love would make them whole and happy. 

I had loved once too, and look where it got me. The pain became so much that I thought the best thing for me would be turning to illegal substances just to feel again, just to get away from this numbness inside me. 

I was dangling on a thread with life and death on the two sides, not caring that a step here or there could end me. 

Numb. Empty. Broken. 
That's what love did to me. 
And that's what it does to everyone. Makes you think you're the happiest you've ever been in your life. 
Makes you vulnerable. Weak. And then it kills you. 
Slowly, but surely, it kills you. 

But that was before
Before I met you 

You
With your long curls the colour of blood
Blood that froze the moment I laid my eyes on you 

You
With your beautiful hazel eyes 
Eyes that drew me in too deep too soon 

You
With your plump soft lips 
Lips I wanted to feel so badly against mine everytime they opened. 

You pulled me in the moment my eyes found you.
And I never wanted to look away. 

I know I said I wanted it casual 
And you were fine with that
We'd built our walls so high that no one would ever dare to climb them. 

But piece by piece, you broke my castle. You conquered my kingdom and took your rightful place on the throne. 

You
With your sharp wit and endless sarcasm 
Brought me back to my senses and made me want to be good 

You 
With your words of wisdom 
Taught me things I never knew I needed to learn 

You 
With your fiery spirit 
Filled the gap in my heart and made me whole again. 

I didn't even realise I was empty until you made me feel whole. 

And before I could stop myself, I realised I was already falling. And I didn't want it so casual anymore. 

I wanted it all
Cuddling and talking under the blankets till late 
Loving you senseless until you forgot your own name 
Looking at you doing absolutely nothing and feeling the most satisfied and content 
I wanted it all with you. 

You 
Who pulled down my walls as if they were nothing, as if I hadn't spent years building them in the first place. 

You
Who became the center of my universe with just a few words and beautiful smiles. 

But most important of all, 
It was you 
Who pulled me out of the cage that I'd built around my heart, this cage that kept me from loving and trusting people in fear that they'd eventually hurt me. 

You made me believe in myself at a time when I didn't want to believe in life itself.

You bet on me as if I was worth it. 
You made me realise I was worth it. That my life wasn't a total and utter waste.

You made me want to live. 

You barged into my life like a hurricane without any warning and turned everything upside down. 

Nothing I could've done would've stopped me from feeling this, this immense love and respect for you. 

This is the love I used to hate so much. 
This irrevocable, senseless, completely head over heels kind of love. 

Every day I fall in love with you more. 
I never understood how much love my heart could hold until I felt everything with you. 

I have given you my heart without thinking. I have placed my life in your hands, giving you the power to destroy it, hoping you'll choose me just like I have chosen you. 

For the longest time, I kept my heart in a cage, watching from behind bars as people came and left, never bothering to come out. Until you. 

You
With your heart of gold and the purest of souls

You helped me leave that cage. And surprisingly, I've been doing just fine.