[He curses something under his breath before shaking his head. When he speaks next, it's with the sort of honesty he could only pull off with her, of anyone else in this 'verse (the sort of honesty which made him miss his best friends from Luceti, just a little)]

Been years since we've been here, Ororo. Been years since we've gotten all close, and there's no one in this whole, wide universe I love more than you. And really, I think I can say the reverse for you, hmm? [A beat] I've been getting bolder by months and years, and there's no way you haven't noticed me steeling my nerve until now.