the spetsnaz and pet names…
cw nothing much lol just what it says on the tin. a short and sweet post while i work on one of the requests in my drafts :-)
glaz is pretty traditional about pet names.
timur's the type of guy to refer to his partner by name more often as opposed to a term of endearment, but he's not above dropping a few pet names here and there. his pet names are pretty occasional– he thinks referring to his partner by name is far more intimate in a sense, and he's not fond of how corny pet names can be (especially modern ones). he does, however, like classic terms of endearment (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). so, think "dear" or "love".
except they'll be in russian, because of course they are. while timur isn't much for poetry as he is for visual art, he does have to admit that he thinks everything sounds more heartfelt in russian. on that, if there is a russian equivalent to your name, he'll also refer to you by the given diminutive (i.e "masha" for mary or maria).
on your end, he'd much rather hear his name or his own diminutive, "tima", but he wouldn't be opposed to classic pet names. he'd honestly be touched if you called him "dear" or "darling" or anything similar. he would, however, cringe over really corny ones like "honeybun", "snookums", "babycakes"… you get the picture. he won't outright stop you, but he will tell you to keep it private. he doesn't need his comrades calling him that too– god, he can hear it in alexsandr's voice already.
pet names he'd use: милая (milaya/darling), родно́й (rodnaya) or дорога́я (dorogaya) – both are words for "dear", but it depends on how strongly he feels about you (the former is deeper, the latter is a more common term).
fuze isn't that huge on pet names.
shuhrat isn't that fond of pet names (or nicknames in general), deeming them far too corny. he's the most apathetic about them out of everyone in the spetsnaz, even– shuhrat can be pretty serious to the point of coming off as cold (which ultimately also had a hand in the dissolution of his engagement, but that's neither here nor there). he's generally just not the most affectionate man out there.
that being said, like timur, shuhrat is surprisingly sentimental about names. he's used to being referred to and known by either his callsign or his surname; his first name isn't just a name– it represents the identity he compartmentalizes away from work. anyone who's on a first-name basis with shuhrat is special to him in some way, so he'd apply that same logic to you. he'll never admit it, but it warms his heart to hear you pronounce his name, especially if you don't share his language(s). so he doesn't like pet names for himself– only his name (maybe a diminutive in private).
of course, he'll cave every now and then if terms of endearment make you that happy. he'll incorporate it into his uzbek language learning; his tentative favorites can come off as morbid but are overall very, very meaningful, so he'll only pull them out if he's deeply serious about you.
pet names he'd use: умница (umnitsa/"clever one"), more of an affectionately sarcastic one if anything; will occasionally pull this out to "praise" you if you are interested in his work in any way (like watching him tinker in his workshop). yurak (heart), ko'z (eyes), and jigar (liver)– he always gets a little embarrassed whenever he uses them; he's not used to expressing such deep devotion.
kapkan surprisingly enjoys pet names.
alright. just hear me out. remember when he called emil a "pup"? i know he meant that condescendingly, but i think it's in his general nature to be a little patronizing, especially given his seniority over a lot of the other ops. naturally, it extends to you.
in line with his hunter theme– and, again, alluding to emil– he'd favor animal-themed pet names. he'd occasionally refer to some of the younger, more inexperienced ops as "pups". grace and julien are one of the most frequent victims of this, though after what happened with deimos, maxim has since let up on the latter a little. he also used to call lera a "pup", but after she broke his nose, took to referring to her by callsign in grudging respect.
the names he'd call you would really depend on your personality. an energetic thorn in his side? pup. aloof and demanding with your affection? kitty cat. shy and a touch naïve? bunny rabbit. and so on. the names would start out as his sarcastic, patronizing little observations on you, only for his tone to gradually deepen in warmth and affection the more he's serious about you.
the only people maxim consistently refers to by name are his spetsnaz comrades; on the rare occasions he's feeling particularly affectionate, he'll even refer to them by diminutive. "sasha" or "sanya" for alexsandr, "tima" for timur, perhaps "shuh" for shuhrat. he doesn't do it intentionally like shuhrat does, but to refer to someone by first name is a true sign of intimacy for him. so when you're both truly locked in? he doesn't let the pet names go, but he would find himself calling you by name more often. he'll even refer to you by a diminutive just like he does with his friends, but only in private– that kind of nickname is the deepest form of intimacy for him.
that being said, he's kind of a hypocrite. like shuhrat, he doesn't really like pet names for himself, so just call him "maxim"; perhaps "maximka" in private or among the spetsnaz. he'll begrudgingly allow "maximochka" if you're feeling extra sweet, but he'll quickly shut that shit down if you let it slip to anyone outside your shared immediate circle.
pet names he'd use: зайчик (zaychik/bunny), котёнок (kotenok/kitten), собачка (sobachka/doggy), ласточка (lastachka/swallow), мышонок (myshónak/mousy)… you get the picture.
tachanka loves pet names.
oh, this man. he lobs terms of endearment around so easily, it's almost as if corniness is his second language. and honestly, it is. it's not as if he makes a conscious effort to be sappy– his boisterousness just inevitably transfers into his affection too, which he's absolutely brimming with. he'll loudly (and proudly) refer to fellow ops as "brothers and sisters in arms" just as often as he would use their callsigns. it doesn't matter how long he's known you; fresh recruit or a fellow veteran, as long as you're working with him, you are his comrade.
like maxim ("maximka"), alexsandr refers to the rest of the spetsnaz (and lera, who's "lerochka") by diminutives. to their shared chagrin, however, he insists on them even in public; almost as if he's a father trying to embarrass his children. and speaking of which, his actual children are probably who sparked his penchant for nicknames in the first place. he's the type of father to baby talk his kids with childish nicknames; partially because he deeply misses them, and partially because he feels guilty for not being present as much as he wants to be. it's not as if he smothers them– quite the opposite– but he tends to drown them in affection to make up for lost time.
he likes all kinds of nicknames, but he surprisingly favors cutesy ones the most. again, influenced by his children. it's either pet names like "little bee" or "sunshine" or very affectionate variants of russian diminutives (i.e "maximochka", much to maxim's horror).
oh, he loves pet names for himself, too. like come on, he's canonically the type to get a tattoo of his partner's name, so a sappy pet name is small beans compared to that. don't be shy! bring on your corniest ones, even– he'll absolutely own it. "teddy bear"? hell yeah. "my big strong man"? you're goddamn right! but you know his absolute favorite? папочка. i won't translate it– if you know, you know.
pet names he'd use: пчелка (pchelka/little bee), лапочка (lapachka/little paw), солнышко (sólnyshka/sunshine), ягодка (yagatka/little berry)
finka treats pet names like a competition.
out of everyone in the spetsnaz, she's honestly the most normal about pet names. she's not as gung-ho as alexsandr is, but she's not as much of a stick in the ass as maxim or shuhrat either. she's also not as concerned with discretion as timur is. while she mostly goes for first-name basis with friends, she'll occasionally drop nicknames here and there; olivier, for example, is "oli". elias is "el" or "eli". meghan is "meg". gustave is "gus". strangely enough, unlike her spetsnaz comrades, lera's more likely to use more "western" nicknames instead of russian diminutives– likely a habit picked up from her friends in the other units, as opposed to the spetsnaz men who tend to stick to their roots.
so of course, the same would apply to you. she'd refer to you by a similar nickname or other affectionate terms like "my friend". this is often accompanied with an equally affectionate gesture, like a hand on the shoulder (or the head, if you're shorter than her). when she realizes she has feelings for you, she'll simply amp up her friendliness and throw in sappier nicknames. think something like "baby" or "cutie" or "sweetie". she'll be so insistent with the names that sometimes, the other operatives think you two are already dating (not that she minds).
loves being on the receiving end too! she'll take it as the green light to really up her game. she even likes "cringy" pet names, they make her laugh. but her favorites are the simple kinds– maybe "lee" for "lera"; maybe "babe" or "sweetheart". she'll also be thrilled with nicknames from your native language. if you really want to impress her though, try russian pet names. it's not that she has an inherent preference for russian like the other spetsnaz operatives; it's moreso about the effort you put in. she specifically has a weakness for the term "лисичка" (little fox), as people would often refer to her by that due to her red hair.
ironically, when you guys do get together, she's a little more shy and reserved about pet names. not to the point of completely eschewing them– she'll still love teasing you with new terms of endearment– but like, it's different when she's serious about you, you know? she's used to not letting people in because of her illness, so even simple acts of tenderness– that aren't couched in the guise of jokes or flirtatious teasing– are luxuries. the flirting is fun, but what really does her in is genuine, open affection.
pet names she'd use: пупсик (púpsik/cutie), малыш/малышка (malýsh/malýshka/baby), бусинка (búsinka/little bead), кошечка (koscheka/kitten), жизнь моя (zhizn moya/my life), only when she's truly serious about you.
