Sweetheart doesn’t use pet names.
Milo was well aware of this fact. They didn’t mind him calling them Baby or Sweetheart, but they warned several times that they don’t give people pet names. The closest they got was nicknames for their little brother. This was fine with Milo. He didn’t want Sweetheart to do something for him just because it was stereotypical. It would be nice, sure, but if they say they don’t give them then he’ll respect that.
So, you can only imagine his shock one morning when Sweetheart sleepily mumbled a “Love”.
“What was that?” Milo asked, turning his head to look at them.
“I told you I was behind you,” Sweetheart repeated, rubbing sleep out of one of their eyes. Their hand came up to rest against his lower back as they skirted around him.
“No, no, you just called me Love,” Milo said, a grin spreading across his face.
Sweetheart froze for a second, processing. “I did not,” they denied, but even they sounded unsure.
“You so did!” Milo nearly crowed.
Groaning, Sweetheart went back to making their morning tea. “What does it even matter? Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
“Oh, it’s totally not a big deal,” Milo said sarcastically. “Mx. “I don’t give people pet names, ever” giving me the honour of a pet name is not a big deal.”
“‘The honour of a pet name’,” Sweetheart scoffed. “Really, Mi?”
“Oh come on, I’ve, like, unlocked the next level of relationship with you,” Milo joked. He kissed their cheek on the way by them, grinning like a fool. “Let me have this,” he added.
“It’s such a basic one though,” Sweetheart grumbled, “it’s not even original. Not even special.”
“Trust me, it’s special when you say it,” Milo said to them over his shoulder.
“Yeah? And how is that?”
“Because I’m madly in love with you,” Milo said, ignoring the groan it got him. “And, well, you did say you don’t give people pet names. Tough Department Investigator Sneaks giving lil’ ol’ me a pet name? Unheard of.”
“I’m going to smack you,” Sweetheart threatened.
“So the pet name is staying?” Milo asked. He couldn’t help but feel a small glimmer of hope in his chest. Again, he’d never want Sweetheart to do something they didn’t want to, but… well, he was open to change.
“It’s too early for this,” was the answer he got, as Sweetheart retreated out of the kitchen.
“Is that a yes?” Milo called after them.
“Fuck you, Greer!”
Milo laughed, turning back to his task. They didn’t confirm if it was staying. Maybe it would’ve stayed if he just kept things to himself. But, could you really blame him? He dreamed of Sweetheart giving him a term of endearment, and hearing one on this random Wednesday morning was a bit of a whiplash.
Sweetheart didn’t say it was staying, but they didn’t deny it either. Milo knew that, with them, that was basically admitting they were going to at least consider it. And that was good enough for him.