James rolled his eyes pointedly, letting out a quiet sigh. Of course he had to get fixated on that, didn't he? Considering Steve probably never expected him to say it, he wasn't too surprised, but he honestly hoped the man didn't expect him to just go around saying it on every occasion, completely unprompted.

Still, once more he could do. Steve would just have to believe that his feelings were still the same in the future unless he stated otherwise. James just wasn't the sort for mushy confessions, not all the time at least.

"I love you," he said almost matter-of-factly, even though he felt his heart beat faster in his chest. He let out a huff. "You're not gonna ask me to say it over and over again now, are you?"