Hey sweetie! I hope you're doing well! I was wondering how often would ROs tell their partner that they love them? Who would only say it on special occasions? Who would not say it but show it? Who would spam it whenever they could? Who would confess often but only using romantic terms like "You are the light of my life/I belong to you/You complete me"? 👀Thank you for your time! 💕
Sally: It takes a while to get used to those words in her mouth, but once Sally gets comfortable the phrase, she says “I love you” all the time. Written across Button’s napkin after she sets the table, whispered into Button’s ear at work, murmured sleepily into their shoulder at the end of the day. Sally can be lazy, however. As time goes by, she drops the “I”. Next to go is the “you”. Eventually, all Sally says is the word “Love!” and Button automatically knows what she means.
Grayson: “I love you” isn’t a simple phrase to Gray. It’s an intense declaration, and remains thus for the rest of his life. Grayson says "I love you” frequently, but never casually. “I love you” isn’t thrown back over his shoulder on his way to work. No, Gray holds Button’s hands, gazes deep into their eyes, and announces the words with heartfelt reverence--every time. He can hear Button’s thoughts, and wants to make sure that Button knows how sincere his feelings for them are, even though they can’t read Gray’s mind in turn.
K: Says “I love you” maybe twice total in the first couple years of dating Button. They’ll try to say it more if Button makes it a thing, but they’ll never be someone who’s fully comfortable with verbal declarations of emotions. Instead, K shows how much they care for Button with a thousand and twelve overlookable gestures: buying Button’s favorite ice cream after a stressful day, letting them sleep on their preferred side of the bed, suggesting that the two of them go away for a weekend because Button mentioned wanting to visit Bali . . . K’s love is quieter, but evident in their every action.
Glitch: Button better like Byron, Angelou, and Neruda, because Glitch has been waiting to quote love poetry at someone for their entire life. Glitch’s love for Button is beautiful, and thus deserves all the most beautiful words. Why express their feelings with a mundane phrase when they can instead recite:
“I lean into the rhythm of your heart to see where it will take us.” (For Keeps by Joy Harjo)
Button also receives love poems written by Glitch, although Glitch is a bit shyer about quoting themself aloud. “I love you” is a phrase reserved for when Glitch is extremely tired and can’t draw upon a verse.
Rosy: “I love you?” The first time Rosy ever utters the words, it’s more a question than confession. Yet every time Rosy says those three words after, they become more and more certain of the statement’s veracity. They do love Button. Completely, unexpectedly, and irreversibly. Rosy would save their “I love you”s for special occasions, however, since those words are not to be taken lightly--nor does Rosy want anyone other than Button to witness the vulnerability on their face when they say it.
