Not embarrassment, but I've always found the word a little cringe, definitely not sexy or cute, a tad infantilising. I prefer stories that barely (or even better; NEVER) use it
Cant relate i think it’s the cutest thing everrr. Even the babys DONT GET ME STARTEDDD
I hope someday someone will call me babe
I feel your pain!
I actually dropped a story because the author had the nerve to start two chapters with a panel in which a character said “darling”
(╯°Д °)╯╧╧
I forgave them for the first one, but the I couldn’t take it the second one, it’d probably only get worse
(╬￣皿￣)凸
Can't say my reaction is that strong, but I get where you're coming from.
I don't so much mind the alternatives. Darling, love, petal etc are usually fine as long as there is a little variation and they are used sparingly.
Babe has always seemed so juvenile (shallow in a way), and is the default many land on, making it less intimate and personal than it supposedly is
Am I the only one who gets second hand embarrassment when he calls him "Babe"???
(⊙…⊙ )