My partner and I have tried out various terms of endearment (like “love”, “dear”, “baby” or “babe”), but none of them ever sounded natural when either of us used them — it just ended up being silly, and so we do occasionally pepper them into conversation, when we’re being silly.
The one I tend to use most often is “my love”, because it feels silly in an overly poetic and melodramatic manner. Recently I also used “my serendipitous saccharide” (saccharide meaning sugar, because he’s sweet, and serendipitous because this relationship was a surprise to both of us).
Anyway, I’m running out of ideas for terms that will evoke an affectionate eye roll out of him. Any suggestions?
I think the best ones stem from deep shared history. One time, I spilled a little blue paint on the toe of my shoe. For a few months whenever I wore those shoes my partner would occasionally say something like “here comes ol’ blue toe” just to get a chuckle out of me. It was stupid and perfect.
Eventually, that transformed into “blue guy” with occasional mutations: big blue guy, big blue, or just plain “blue”.
We have other nicknames for each other too, but that one has been around for years and is one of my favorites.
A key is being able to lovingly poke fun at each other, and not take yourselves too seriously. Sounds like you’ve got both of those things, so just keep an eye out for an opportunity to make your own!