Saying "I love you"

[Minerva]

He said it first. We were friends for a few years before we started dating, and we said it all the time to each other. He's the kind of person who always tells his friends he loves them and hugs everyone good-bye. A month or two into our friendship, I was having a horrible day and said that I felt like the only person in the world who loved me was my son. He replied, "and me. I love you."

We've always said it a lot, and we both like hearing it. It's never filler, and neither of us ever says it to hear it in return. In fact I have a rule to never end "I love you" with "too". I don't say it because he says it; I say it when I feel it.

I must admit now that we're more than friends, hearing it always gives me a thrill, and sends me to that giddy oh-my-god-I'm-so-lucky-this-man-loves-me! place. I don't think that feeling will ever grow old.

[Sierra]

We said our first I love yous this weekend during our visit. We're 5 and a half months into our relationship.
After our last visit he spent a lot of time saying that I was the love of his life, calling me his love, basically telling me he loves me without saying I love you, so I felt really comfortable and safe saying it first. During our visit I told him I love him at the end of each days, and of course before he left. I plan on saying it every night and probably every time we get off the phone, it just takes some time to get comfortable with those words.

[Madge]

I think I was playing chicken with him.

He said it first. He said it when he was slightly drunk so I wasn't sure whether or not to believe him but then the next day when we were in the car on on roadtrip with our mates he lent over and whispered "I love you" in my ear.

[BoogleBee]

When Natalie was here in NZ during her first visit in February 2010 she told me one night while we were lying on the bed that she thought she was falling in love with me and it made me cry.

After her visit, on a recording she told me that she loved me and then I did a recording in response and said I loved her too. It was really special.

We tend to say it a lot. We add it to the end of a lot of our emails that we send and texts and such. Or just randomly. I think we say it about equal

I try to remember to say it even when we argue too.

[11MikesGirl21]

He said it first. Days after we got together officially. (We started out CD) I made him tell him actually. We were laying in his bed talking, kissing, listening to a movie in the background and he got really quiet. I asked him what was wrong and he said, he didn't want to tell me. Finally after some prodding, I finally got him to say it. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. He said "I love you," and my heart jumped, flipped over, stopped. And then he said, "And now you think I'm crazy." I did, I wasn't about to tell him that though, not then anyway. I simply told him the truth, no one had ever said that to me other than family and close friends, and I've never said it anyone, not like he had said it to me. And I wasn't about to just say it back so I could just be able to say it back. When I was going to tell him, I wanted to be sure. I wanted to mean it.

A month or so later almost exactly, I did say it. In a facebook message one of my first love letters to him it was six written pages. My plan had been to give it to him to read when he got to my house but I couldn't hold it in, and I caved and typed it out and sent it to him early Christmas morning, (it was one of those times we were LD for a short period of time because of school breaks, he was in Lousiana and I was in Massachusetts). Then after he drove for practically 2 days straight to get to MA (this was already planned), I told him to his face that I loved him while we were standing in my driveway. I'll never forget that look he gave me when I did.

We now say it at least everyday multiple times, we always have. We say it kiddingly, seriously, "threatenly"( you know those times you say and you're like, "you're lucky I love you, because they've done something annoying), he has this voice he says "i love you, honey" in when he knows he's taken kidding a step too far. But we keep the way we say it when we whisper it to each other and add the other's name on the end to a minimum. THAT way will always be special for us.

[Tabitha]

About three months into the relationship. He said it first.

[milaya]

In Japanese there's two types of "I love you".
The first type is "easier" said, because it can also mean "I like you". My SO said that after 2 months of dating.

Then the second type is the very "serious" type, especially since it's not used so much. After 4 months of dating he used that one.
I was determined to let him say it first, so I just waited... and then when he finally said it, I was actually a bit overwhelmed - since it's was the first time a guy had told me that (my SO is my first actual relationship) so it took me a few minutes before I even started thinking about how to respond. My poor SO was just sitting there... waiting in silence.

[squeeker]

My SO said it first. This is my first relationship and I wasn't sure of my feelings as quickly. I'm not sure the specific instance though, but it was before we officially began dating, though we were unofficially dating and together before we made it official, I just don't know that specific date really. We say it about the same amount of times each, well, just whenever we feel like it so we don't really keep track.

[Enric]

She said that first, too soon... in may, the first week together. I still remember that, she said "I'm really love you" (I know, this sentence is wrong but it's how she said that). I delayed a little bit more in say that to her but few... I guess that her attitude made me rush. Our relationship was too fast but it's ok now except the distance problem.

[HollzHeartsChris]

My SO said I love you first, and actually it was even before we'd entered a relationship. It was clear he had feelings for me, but I was completely unsure of what to make of it at the time, since I had conflicted feelings. It didn't take me long to realise that I loved him too, and I had no shame in letting him know shortly after. We were chatting on msn when it happened, and I remember it really clearly

[beckychan]

When I asked my SO out, it was clear that we both had strong feelings for each other, thats why I did it and we already told each other we liked each other a couple times int he past but we never went out. (idkwhy????) but anyway, when I asked him out after he said yes I said I had one more question and I asked if he loved me?
Well his response was that he didn't know. That he definitely liked me and had feelings for me but he was sure with time that he could love me... I was like ... he asked me the same thing and I didn't want to sound crazy, even though I did love him, so I gave him the same response.

About 3 days later we got in a fight over something stupid, and we got off the phone angrily, but then like an hour later as I was about to fall asleep I got a very long text from him apologizing to me and then at the very end of it all he said, "By the way, I really think that I love you." It was probably one of the cutest moments of my life.

[michellemybelle]

My boyfriend said it first. It was on our second face-to-face date on July 9, 2011. We had been talking online, on video chats since May 2011. He said it after we walked up a hill at a park that partially overlooked the city (we were too tired to walk up the hill to see the full view of the city, plus it was crazy hot outside that night). We found a bench to sit and we were looking at part of the city. We had snuggled up to rest on the bench. Then we kissed (for the first time) and he said I love you. I said it back.

I don't know if one of us says it more than the other, but we always say it when we get off the phone or skype or before we call it a night when we are in person.

[LilyChiba]

We've both typed it plenty of times.. pretty much since the third month. We'd been jokingly saying it before we were together and before we knew how the other felt. Saying it though.. neither of us has over the mic. Part of me is actually wondering on this, whether he is waiting for me to say it (since he's pretty much made all the moves) or if he's waiting for our visit. In a way, I want to be bold and say it first over the mic just to surprise him and get it out of the way. But at the same time, I don't know if I should wait incase he is waiting to come see me first.. I wouldn't want to ruin it. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I want it to be special XD

[JessicaT]

We haven't said it together yet. I have no idea who's going to say it first. I hope he doesn't say it while we are LD though because I think it's more of something I want to hear in person. We won't be LD for too much longer, a couple months maybe from now, but that's about it. I can definitely wait to hear it (I mean I can't wait, but I can). I think I need to be able to see his feet first before he can commit to saying "I love you!" (he wears his socks ALL the time, even to bed. I'm working with him on that one). We are yet fresh in this relationship so I don't expect to hear it from him in a long long time. I know, I don't really want to be the first one to say it, but you never know...I might have to eventually. Right now our "I love you!" is "I miss you!" and he was the first one to say that one.

[JessicaT]

Here's a beginning: He just texted me: "I just love knowing you care!" (one step closer lol)