So I'm on my second read through of Cherophobia despite only first reading it a couple days ago (because I'm normal), and I'm reading chapters 14 and 15 for the fourth time (because I'm normal) and OUGHHH
the detail of D3r first starting to use nicknames for Avery in that moment. Both Aves and Firefly. It kills me every time. I wish I could know what part of D3rs heart broke seeing Avery cry. What awful feeling occurred to shake that tenderness loose. And then CONTINUEING to use the nickname when Avery is put together enough to notice it??? I'm super super normal about that detail. I wish I could see inside D3rs head for those scenes.
anyways. Uh. Good fic!
:3c
D3r had been just kinda mentally using the nickname and term of endearment for Avery for a solid while before it slipped out when he was comforting Avery, though he's not that great at outwardly showing it he's incredibly fond of Avery, that's his guy!!!
It definitely broke his heart that Avery originally wasn't going to wake him up and was just going to deal with it himself, D3r didn't have the best childhood either but even he had someone to reach out to when he had night terrors so the fact that Avery had learned not to do that was upsetting to say the least
Part of the continued use of the nicknames is because he wants Avery to know that he cares, he cares a whole fucking lot about Avery, he's also a little shit and thinks it's funny that Avery doesn't really know how to react to the affection
One of these days he's going to have to explain that ⎓╎∷ᒷ⎓|:॥ means firefly and Avery probably isn't going to survive due to his servers lore on the little lights, but D3r is more than happy to catch him when he falls so he'll be alright
