Hearing her say it was like having time momentarily pause around them as if it knew he'd want to bask in the moment. He'd heard her say it before, of course, but it had been when Jasmine was in her body and she was telling him that nothing could ever be due to an inability of being able to move past the horrid things that he'd done as Angelus. But, he wasn't Angelus -- Cordelia understood that, right?

It wasn't important at the moment, though, for the fact that there were now tears spilling across her cheeks took precedence. Angel pulled her to him and into his arms in an attempt to quell her tears. "Shh," he soothed. "It's alright. I love you, too, Cordelia and I know. I understand."

Angel hadn't expected her to say anything in response to his confession, after all.