Men desire respect - not as ego, but as alignment with their innate role. When a man truly loves you, he instinctively watches over you. Protection becomes second nature. Leadership, then, is about responsibility - and with it comes the quiet withholding of certain struggles - not to deceive, but to spare you unnecessary emotional burden. If he's invested, he sees you as a responsibility in the highest sense - someone to guard, guide, and provide for.
Good men express affection through duty and action - and so, this is often how they most naturally receive love in return. To love a man well is to notice, to remember, to learn his idiosyncrasies and the texture of his preferences. It can only be done well - fully and attentively - for one man at a time. And perceptive men know this, they understand the magnitude of that effort - that no sane woman would go to such lengths unless she truly adored him.
This effort is felt - not through grand declarations, but in the quiet easing of his mental and emotional load. This is what men mean when they speak of "peace" - having their silent burdens gently shared, their responsibilities subtly seen and appreciated. Because if he loves you, he is already scanning for risks and subconsciously tracking your safety. So when you make it easier for him to protect and provide - by offering meaningful consideration and thinking with him - he feels respected and cared for in the language he instinctively understands.
In the end, love is about mutual one-shotting.
Very well written