michael kaiser’s highest form of respect is calling you by your name.
Kaiser loves you in a strange way.
Contrary to common opinions held about the flamboyant man, he is not excessive in his affections towards you.
Kaiser doesn't do cute pet names like any other man in love would, nor does he shower you in endearments like you've seen people do their lovers in movies and books.
Instead, he just calls you by your name.
That's it. And that's all.
Curt, blunt and straight to the goddamn point, Kaiser refers to you in arguably the most boring-est way possible whilst being absolutely adamant on his refusal to call you anything else!
Gosh! Would it kill him to at least call you the fond terms everybody else calls their lover?! Even for a small moment?!!
The thought has you simmer in a fit of envious rage as your narrowed gaze landed on him across your shared bed, visibly occupied with the psychology book he'd been perusing this evening.
You would think, that the guy who was quick to assign everybody else a role in his life would have done the same to you, that he would've given you some kind of label like he did the others, however, and much to your absolute dismay, he hasn't even done that— he doesn't even call you his lover.
The realisation has your brain spin with countless questions and your heart thump with unease for your shared future — just what the hell were you to him?
"Micha…" Your voice is thin, weaved with uncertainty and taut with misplaced fury.
"Hm?" He immediately looks up from his book at the beck of your call, eyes fixating on your hunched figure with mild concern. "What is it [Name]?"
There he go again… just calling me by my name…
You huff with effort, arms crossing as your nostrils flared with irritation. "You keep doing that…"
Kaiser eyed you for a short moment, forehead creasing with growing confusion at your sudden change in demeanour. Closing his book shut and placing it aside, he gave you his full attention with a pointed stare and an arched brow.
"And what exactly is it, that I keep doing [Name]?"
Your jaw clenched instantly at his tone, frustrations growing tenfold. Ugh, did he seriously need you to spell out everything for him?
"You love to read psychology books, don't you? Why not use them to figure out what you keep doing?"
"[Name], reading psychology books doesn't suddenly give me telepathic abilities—"
"That! You keep doing that! Goddamn it!" You pointed at him an accusatory tone, ignoring the way he flinched under your blame. "You keep calling me by my name!"
"Well maybe because, I don’t know— that's your fucking name!?" His eye twitched at your sudden admittance, just what the hell were you trying to fight over now?
"Yeah but— but what about the cute pet names that couples in movies give each other?!" You whined with a phlegmy sniff, throwing your hands up in the air in disbelief.
Kaiser resisted the urge to drag his hands across his face at your complaints for a non-existent issue. Were you seriously complaining about this?
Of all things to complain about— not being called a pet name was your biggest concern?
"Why won't you call me 'babe' or 'my love' like every other guy does?!"
"Because that's not your name." He persisted, unwilling to relent like you'd hoped.
Your silence to his response urged him to cup your face and guide you closer to his proximity. "And I'll always call you by your name."
"Why…?" You jut your bottom lip out in defeat, revelling in the way his calloused thumb rubbed at the flesh of your cheek.
"Because that's who you are, [Name]."
The blue hue of his eyes glistened bright with quiet devotion, a reflection of the ardent affections he held for you.
And curse him, really, because how could you remain stubborn when you could only see reverence in his desperate expression? When you could practically hear the deep candour of emotions laced in his soft admittance?
When you knew instantly that he meant every word he said?
What a cruel man he was, targeting your gentle heart that was simply helpless against the force of who he was.
"You're… you’re making me really angry, y'know?" You grumbled, voice muffled under his shirt.
"Don’t care.” He held you close, nose pressed against the warmth of your temple. “And… won’t apologise for it.”
Kaiser just couldn't bring himself to do it, to call you by anything else besides your name.
Because for the boy who has never once been called Michael, not by his father nor his mother, there was nothing more profoundly intimate than the direct acknowledgement of one’s existence.
A name is the unique manner of recognising an individual, and Kaiser has come to learn, that there is no better show of respect than speaking your name.
Nothing will come close to the intimacy of being seen.
You are not just his lover, that is not the extent of your existence, rather, you are someone who he has come to love. And Kaiser will always remind you of that every chance he gets.
There isn't a particular role you play in his story, not when he wishes that you simply live as yourself.
For the boy with no name will value yours with upmost reverence.
a/n: lwk this means sm to me, the art of calling someone by their name is a deep intimacy i can go and on about, and to me, love should always be founded on respect.
you are always yourself before you are anything else <3
i think kaiser perfectly encapsulates the emotion i hope to convey, btw this is the opposite scenario of my oneshot called just a love interest !!
