August 15th, 2014 - Pet Names

ARTIST: Stephyhime

AUTHOR: seductive-tonia

August 15th, 2014 - Pet Names

It started out as a mistake. America and England had been dating for a few months and it had just slipped from Alfred's lips, when England had called him in on a summer's day in 1997.

"Hey, sweetheart. What's up?" He had said, the words flowing so naturally from his lips, Arthur doubts he had even noticed what he had said.

"Sweetheart?" Arthur had asked, his stomach flipping, in reply, making Alfred nervous and his heart fluttering in his chest all of a sudden.

"Yeah…haha…" He had chuckled nervously, unsure how Arthur would react to that. "Sweetheart."

"Oh…" Arthur had bit his lip. "Well, then, poppet. I just called to ask you about that document you emailed me yesterday…"

He continued talking, but he could hear Alfred's smile through the phone. After that, pet names became the norm for them. Arthur called Alfred pet names all the time, mostly including things like poppet, babe, darling, sweetheart, sweetie, love, pet and dear.

Alfred, however, was the king (err, president?) of pet names. His pet names ranged from babe to baby and darling and darlin' and sweetie and sweetheart and dollface and buttercup, honey buns, sugar booger (which Arthur pretended he loathed, but actually loved), sweet pea, puddin', honey…the list went on.

Arthur loved these nicknames mostly during sex. When they'd make love and Alfred would talk to him, and call him all these pet names, it would make him melt.

And Alfred loved them, too. Whenever he made dinner for Arthur while he was at work, Arthur would smile and sit down and kiss Alfred sweetly and say "Thank you for the meal, love. It looks delicious." And he'd eat and Alfred would smile through the whole meal, because pet names were Arthur's way of showing Alfred that he loved him. That he did something right. That he was proud. That he was comforting him. Alfred loved that about him.

And they both loved when Alfred would wake up, and smile so lovingly at Arthur sleeping next to him, playing with his hair, stroking his cheek, letting him cuddle until he too would wake up.

And Alfred would say, "Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep okay?"

And Arthur would sigh happily, yawning a bit and reply with a smile, "I sleptperfect, darling. Good morning."

And they'd stay like that for a while, and kiss and tell jokes and giggle and laugh, until it was time to get up and they would and they'd give each other little kisses and touches and doting little looks throughout their entire morning routine, until they unfortunately had to say goodbye, and end their little moment of happiness with a sweet, deep kiss.

They adored pet names.

But they loved each other, more.