My personal headcanon is that the Vermillion Warriors aren’t entirely familiar with human concepts like “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” because those terms are specific to human culture. They wouldn’t associate relationships with social expectations like humans do (ex., romance, dating, or fitting into modern relationship norms). Instead, their focus would be entirely driven by instinct. They might view human relationships as unnecessary or overly complicated. Their behavior is more akin to animals, where a male courts a female by competing with rivals to prove himself as a worthy mate for life. The Vermillion Warriors follow similar instincts, needing to demonstrate their capability to protect, provide, and prove their superiority over others. This aligns with their drive to show strength and worthiness, and earning the title of a successful mate. That’s why they use the term “mate” for their significant other. Because it carries a deeper meaning to them than typical human relationships. When they call you their mate, it signifies that they’ve chosen you as someone to share their life with—a partner they want to protect, provide for, and remain loyal to.
[I should start writing instead of yapping my bad—]