Theseus wasn't quite sure what she was going to say, but that kind of knocked the wind right out of his lungs. His eyes were big as those words rang in his ears and he thought maybe he'd misheard it. He looked like a stunned rabbit for a moment before he realized she was probably looking for a response. It wasn't exactly the words he felt would ever pass her lips, so in a way it was his safe card. Even if he had been head over heels for her for some time now.
"Love? You just said love?" Clearly there was still something stuck in his ears. Maybe the sea water had clogged up his hearing.