blehhh u can't make us :P

⚝ Adores cuddling! Does it more so for his mental well-being over anything, just being close to his partner is an add on to it.

⚝ Vylad has started giving silent signals that he could go for some one-on-one time with his partner, either it be a certain nod of his head or an amount of squeezes he’d give his partner– he’d more than likely request some cuddles than [YourName].

⚝ It never seemed to bother [YourName], but it did make them question the reasoning behind Vylad always seemingly like he couldn’t go 24 hours without holding them which dwindled into a cuddling session each time.

⚝ And there is no way to go about asking without sounding odd, blunt, or rude. For a while, [YourName] didn’t ask much about it, just accepting the cuddles as they were! But then, one night, [YourName] and Vylad had started relaxing for the night. 

⚝ The two sat in front of the fire, their travel mates having gone to sleep in their own tents about an hour ago. “Vylad?” [YourName] asked, their head resting on their boyfriend’s shoulder, their body slotted perfectly in Vylad’s lap and arms. 

⚝ Vylad hummed softly, acknowledging his partner and signaled to let them keep talking, “What's with.. The cuddling?” [YourName] questioned softly. Vylad paused, trying to figure out if his partner is asking and trying to stop him from being so clingy or touchy. “Not that I don’t enjoy it, I just am curious..” [YourName] cleared up quickly, Vylad relaxed. 

⚝ Vylad took a moment, trying to figure out the exact reason he enjoyed being so close to his partner. I mean.. Who wouldn’t want to be close to the one they love? 

⚝ “I think it’s because I just want to make sure you’re safe.” Vylad mentioned, chopping it up to that at the end of the day. If Vylad wanted to be brutally honest? He did it to remind himself that he’s still human deep down, he remembers his siblings, his childhood, his monster of a ‘father’ and angel of a mother. 

⚝ He was human despite it all, it didn’t matter if biologically he was dead and revived as a Shadow Knight, if he could feel [YourName]’s heartbeat and memorize their heartbeat and keep them safe, then he’s human. 

⚝ Vylad’s love for cuddling truly stems from his need to protect, his want to be human once more, and to remember the good from his childhood. He remembers sitting in his mother’s lap, squished between his older brothers, listening to her tell them stories as he fell asleep. He was trying to provide that sense of comfort to his partner, truly. 

⚝ [YourName] could just tell from the look Vylad had, they knew there was more to the story- but they didn’t push. Instead, they fixed themselves so they could hold on to Vylad more and press kisses to his cheek. 

⚝ Vylad seemed to snap from his dazed memory-lane state, softly chuckling as he fixed his hold on his partner. It wouldn’t be long before Vylad and [YourName] put the fire out and head to their own tent to rest.

⚝ Vylad loves any position that involves [YourName] facing his direction, he keeps them close and buries his face into their hair to get a whiff of their smell. A smell that Vylad couldn’t forget, forever associated with [YourName]. Brought him comfort, something that he seeks and places with his partner and their comforting snores as they sleep and cling to him.

Gene ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ (0.5k)

⚝ Gene is definitely another dude I can’t pinpoint much of a personality out of? Another one I’d deem peculiar one (i’m trying to call him weird while being nice about it–) 

⚝ Won’t ever admit to liking it, but definitely lets you cling to him. Not a huge toucher unless others are around & he knows they want to piss him off.

⚝ Gene wasn’t usually one for personal connections, he kinda thought his loyalty was suppose to go to Shad and Shad only. He had this facade that he had made up and thought he had to keep up with, but in reality he didn’t.

⚝ Each Shadow Knight was human once, it’s natural for them to fall back into hold habits or never let go of something from their humanity. Gene’s would be wanting to be loved.

⚝ So when he met [YourName] and they were more than okay being second in his mind, Gene fell into a romantic relationship with them. It was definitely odd to hear about, most of the lower ranking Shadow Knights started some rumor about Gene using [YourName] or [YourName] using Gene. 

⚝ Made Gene feel small, like he was cuffed up once more in that prison cell after his stupid little brother ratted him out. 

⚝ Then, one day, the rumors had randomly stopped? Gene didn’t question it, claiming he wasn’t one for gossip since he found it childish. [YourName] would just shrug, acting as if they’re unaware of the rumors in general.

⚝ During Gene’s moments of weakness, [YourName] would do their best to comfort their boyfriend, which is how cuddling came up as a topic. 

⚝ Gene was very much hesitant on doing it, he found the thought of being so close dumb and the little sleep Shadow Knights required wasn’t enough to validate cuddling in general. [YourName] pulled out their begging eyes, Gene groaning as he caved and flopped down so [YourName] could do as they pleased cuddling-wise.

⚝ [YourName] definitely is the one who has to start all the cuddling sessions, and they have to be quite up front about it too; “I want to cuddle.” [YourName] says, their arms crossed as they approached their boyfriend.

⚝ “Pardon?” Gene asked, giving his partner a confused look. When [YourName] gave him a look as if they weren’t going to repeat themselves, Gene sighs in a little frustration and pitched the bridge of his nose. After a little bickering, Gene excused himself and assigned someone else to take over his post.

⚝ Gene won’t ever admit to anyone, no one, dead, alive, undead, NO ONE!!!! That he actually quite likes cuddling. He likes it because [YourName] is usually the big spoon or holding him. He likes being able to bury his face into their shoulder and actually feel peace. 

⚝ Prior to cuddling with [YourName], Gene felt as if he’d never know what peace felt like. Ever since his rugrat of a brother ruined his human life, he just knew he wouldn’t feel peace ever again. 

⚝ So when he found that peace was in [YourName]’s arms? Gene swore he wouldn’t ever speak of that, scared it would be ripped from him the moment he acknowledges it out loud.

⚝ Cuddling sessions last up to as long as Gene sleeps or takes a break, so varies from 35 minutes to 4 hours. There was no need for words either to end a session, all he had to do was gently tap at [YourName]’s waist and they let him go, demanding to kiss his cheek before letting their boyfriend return to his post.

Zenix ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ (0.6k)

⚝ Zenix was always an odd ball, you know? From the moment we meet him throughout the entire series he’s kinda just a ghost figure that’s mentioned and pops up when we don’t expect him to– so.

⚝ Awkward. Confused at first. Eventually gets comfortable.

⚝ Let’s set the scene; it’s in those 15 years that the main group was in the Irene Dimension, which kinda gives me a little more free reign? Anyway..

⚝ Zenix takes a little while to realize that cuddling is an enjoyable thing to do, not just something humans do to keep warm.

⚝ At first, he let [YourName] cuddle him because he thought that since they weren’t undead or anything special of that nature, they were seeking warmth.

⚝ But when he noticed they were sweating throughout the night, he would push [YourName] away and let them rest- but by the morning, [YourName] was pressed right back up against Zenix.

⚝ After a few nights of this, Zenix finally asks about it: ‘What the hell is your deal?’

⚝ “My deal?” [YourName] asked, looking up from counting the coins they had stashed away. “Yeah. Your deal. You always are against me at night, the weather is starting to warm up. You don’t need my heat, you just sweat.” Zenix said, his brows furrowed with confusion. 

⚝ Zenix had been a Shadow Knight for so long now, he forgot that when two people (undead or alive) can cuddle for more than just warmth and need to remain alive. 

⚝ [YourName] laughed, rolled their eyes, and finished counting the money. When they realized Zenix was being 100% for real, [YourName] sighed as they shook their head, “I just like.. Cuddling you. I feel safe.” [YourName] summarizes awkwardly, setting the coin bag into their backpack.

⚝ Zenix had some sort of ‘ah-ha!’ moment, realizing that [YourName] was simply seeking normal couple actions. He also wasn’t use to dating, nor was he a touchy guy. He had just started holding [YourName]’s hand in public, not just to make sure they remained beside him when they were running.

⚝ From that conversation, Zenix started to be more open about cuddling. It took a few weeks, but he started initiating cuddling rather than waiting for [YourName] to hint that they wanted to be held. 

⚝ Zenix definitely randomly squeezes [YourName] when they cuddle, but not like death-grip squeezing, just a reminder to him or his partner that he’s there. It’s also his way of making sure [YourName] is still breathing as 9 times out of 10, it makes [YourName] stir when they’re asleep or giggle when they’re awake.

⚝ As hinted before, Zenix is a natural heater, so he’s an excellent fella to have around in the colder months. [YourName] loves being held by Zenix, and he had found this out because despite it being hot and [YourName] just kept on chugging along with the cuddling when they were able to lay low. 

⚝ So, during the hotter months, Zenix does everything he can to cool his body temperature down and that includes manually breathing. It’s so odd, and it doesn’t bother him, but just being aware of bodily functions is odd– especially when people don’t naturally focus on breathing or count seconds between when their chest rises and falls, but it seems to do the job to cool down the heat. 

⚝ Zenix 100% takes over big spoon once he’s aware of [YourName]’s love for cuddling! He can’t handle the thought of not being able to jump up or roll over his partner if danger comes along.

⚝ Zenix doesn’t have a certain cuddling position he likes, he’s noticed as long as he gets to hold [YourName] to his chest and feel that they’re still very much alive and safe, he’s satisfied. He does have a preference on if he is in the position to kiss [YourName]’s head or not (he 100% wants to have them face him so he can, hehe)

Laurance

This man is a big fan of any nickname that gets you flustered, but he has a few particular favourites.

Love and beautiful are nicknames he uses on the regular, so much so that it occasionally makes you wonder if he even remembers your actual name. In fact, Laurance rarely uses your name - why should he, when he has a repertoire of nicknames that fit you perfectly?

Out of all the men mentioned in this post (maybe even out of all the men in MyStreet), Laurance is the frontrunner and reigning champion in making up sickeningly sweet nicknames, such as sugarcakes, buttercup, light of my life, etc.  If stringing together random words into an affectionate term was a crime, he’d be in federal prison at this point. He usually does this to get a rise out of you, especially in front of your mutual friends (who all think its equal parts funny and embarrassing), but he also just enjoys it. He thinks it’s a cute thing to do, and doesn’t really care if others find it odd or embarrassing. Why should he?

He mostly uses your actual name when calling for you or if you’re arguing, mainly to underline that he’s being serious. It’s not really a conscious decision. I like to think that it’s a habit he picked up from Cadenza when they were kids. At some point, this becomes so ingrained in your dynamic that if he, for whatever reason, calls you by your real name, you automatically start wondering if something’s wrong, and if you’re an overthinker…well that can snowball quickly.

Again, that’s not a conscious decision - hence the slip up. Once Laurance becomes aware of this, either by you telling him or him noticing (because if there is one thing this man is, it’s observant), he’ll actually start trying to alternate between using a nickname and your name more often, especially during serious conversations or arguments. Mainly because he is slightly disturbed by the idea that he accidentally had you associating your name with you two arguing.

Another nickname he uses is angel, though it’s reserved for more intimate moments when he gets really sappy. It’s accompanied by whispers of adoration, confessions of love, and reminders of how much you mean to him. He genuinely believes he’s the luckiest man alive to have you, wonderful you, as his partner. You brighten up all of his days, even those you aren’t present for, and bring out the best in him. Sounds a lot like what an angel would do, doesn’t it?

Gene

Another man who loves to make you flustered.

Babe is one he uses often, but for him it’s more a word that's interchangeable with your name, rather than a term of endearment. Still, if someone else called you that - you’d have a really annoyed Gene on your hands. Exceptions are made for people like Lucinda, who will call everyone and their mom every nickname in the book.

A nickname he absolutely loves to use is doll. He thinks it’s really cute (and these days, unique), and it almost never fails to make you blush. Especially when it's accompanied by his signature smirk and husky voice - that usually has a playful lilt to it. When you’re busy doing something, he loves to come up behind you, wrap his arms around your waist and mumble a small “hey doll” into your ear - and if that’s not distracting you enough, he might press a few kisses to your cheek, slowly trailing them down to your jaw.

Another thing he does is add “my” to almost any nickname he uses - “my doll”, “my darling” or just a plain old “my girl/boy”, depending on what you’re comfortable with.

On that note, he’ll sometimes say “good girl/boy” as a response to you listening to him, mostly to get a reaction out of you. And Gene, being the little prick he can be, will deliberately stop saying it for a while if he even suspects you’re getting used to it. It’s really just an ace up his sleeve that he loves to pull whenever you don’t expect it, and your reactions entertain him endlessly.

He’ll also call you sweetheart, though not nearly as often. It’s mostly used when he’s trying to comfort you, or if he himself is having a really shitty day and just needs you nearby (preferably, in his arms).

I cannot remember if this was confirmed or not, but i HC Gene as being at least partly hispanic, so i think he might occasionally use spanish terms of endearment such as mi amor or mi cielo.

Zenix

Honestly, this guy isn’t really all that big on nicknames (unless dumbass, pain in the ass and idiot count). He has nothing against them, but you already have a name, and he likes it, so why not use it? He’s not great at thinking of good ones either, and he feels like most of them just don’t roll off the tongue that naturally. Nicknames like love, darling and dear feel especially awkward to him, and it’s only slightly because emotional vulnerability and casual proclamations of love scare the shit out of him.

Like Gene, he’ll use babe more than others, though mostly in an obnoxious way. If he wants something, or is just being whiny in general, he’ll call you that until you give him the attention he wants.

If you like nicknames, he honestly tries really hard. Most of them just feel really awkward to him, and he doesn’t really see the point until you start calling him various nicknames, and it kind of clicks in his head why people like it so much.

At some point you stop using them, thinking they make him uncomfortable, and he gets genuinely upset. He stumbles through a flustered explanation, where the bottomline is that withholding affection from him like that should be considered a crime, a description you laugh at, but take to heart. When you tell him that you simply assumed he was uncomfortable because he doesn’t call you anything in return, he grumbles about how assumptions are stupid and you should just ask him instead.

Still, Zenix knows it takes two to tango, and after that, he grows a bit more comfortable with nicknames. He tries out a bunch, but it’s mostly because he gets a kick out of your reactions. 

In private, he likes to call you sexy, mostly as a joke. There is truth to it of course, he thinks you’re extremely attractive, but the word is just really funny to him. Plus, your flushed face is one hell of a bonus. He would never dare call you that in front of others, especially not Gene and Sasha, so that’s a prime opportunity to get revenge for whatever torment he puts you through.

Honorable mention; hot stuff is another one he might use, for the same reason.

Zenix also really likes to just refer to you as “mine”. He’s possessive, moreso out of insecurity than distrust, though he does find it difficult to put his faith in anyone - especially a romantic partner, which he struggles to admit. He needs a lot of reassurance, which sometimes just comes in the form of calling you his, and with you affirming.

Unironically (well, kind of) refers to you as his partner in crime. Both in private and with others; it’s not that sweet, sure, but it’s a nice middle ground for him when calling you more affectionate names seems so daunting, especially when others can hear. It kind of becomes your thing after a while, even if one day he grows comfortable enough to express his love for you differently.

Zane

He probably grew up with his parents calling each other all kinds of classy terms of endearment like honey, darling, love, and beloved, and I feel like that kind of carries over to him. In the beginning of the relationship at least. He has other nicknames he prefers to use later on.

Beloved is the one that always sticks. It’s simple, but carries a lot of meaning - literally referring to someone or something that is “dearly loved”. And that perfectly describes how he feels about you.

Zane is not the type to use many terms of endearment in public, if any at all. Not out of shyness, he’s just a pretty private person, and while he doesn’t mind PDA, he doesn’t see the need to flaunt everything about his relationship out in the open. He views terms of endearment as a pretty intimate thing by default, and while he doesn’t mind you using them in public (it makes him smile, honestly), he prefers to keep it to a minimum.

If this bothers you, he’ll use them in front of your friends a bit more often. He doesn’t want you to think that he doesn’t love you enough to show it in front of others.

In private, on the other hand? He’s a sucker for cute nicknames like muffin or pumpkin, both of which he uses a lot. As soon as the door shuts behind you two, he’s practically forgetting your given name in favor of those two. He prefers pumpkin, not for any particular reason. It’s also the one he defaults to when you’re upset. He’ll notice quite quickly, and move you to a quiet area, offering you a hug and mumbling “what’s wrong, pumpkin?” into your hair.

He’s not rapid-firing nicknames like Laurance is, but he’s quite close in the race. It’s just a simple way for him to remind you that he cares about you, something intimate he saves just for you. His family have heard him call you sweet things before (and they definitely enjoy this softer side of him), but he tries to keep it between the two of you.

Nicknames he uses less often, and definitely in a more teasing manner, are bunny or kitty, sometimes just pet. You would not catch him dead calling you any of these in front of anyone else, not even while completely wasted, but if you’re alone and he feels like teasing you? He’s pulling out all the stops.

Pet is one he especially uses when he’s trying to convince you to do something for him. Most of the time, it’s something mundane, like taking care of yourself properly - or making him a cup of tea because he’s too lazy to get up. He knows you can’t say say no when he uses just the right tone of voice, even if you’re cursing him as you stomp off to do whatever it is he said.