I guess it's really only one thing. *she pauses, trying to gather her thoughts* Whenever you hear people talking about soulmates, they always make it seem as though every scar from your past, all your flaws and bad habits just disappear, go poof!, and all your soulmate sees is how perfect and wonderful you are, and vice versa. It's such sanitized bullshit, y'know? All that "stuff" - the mistakes you've made, all your fuck-ups and less savory bits of your character - they make up such a big part of you and it's like saying you have to cut that out of you to be worth loving. And it's just not true.

*her fingers knot and un-knot on the bar top* I get overly defensive sometimes, and reactive. Peevish when someone's really mad at me. I grew up spoiled, for all my being a rebellious tomboy, and it shows on occasion, when I don't get my way. My father was crazy and a part of me is seriously screwed up over that. I can be clingy. And he knows all of it, he doesn't ignore it, and he loves me anyway. That's better than being perfect in anyone's eyes.