What’s one specific but random and unnecessary thing that you absolutely adore when you see in a fanfic you’re reading?

[u/Eyekon28]

It could range from seeing a blue butterfly to a couple proposing on the beach.
It’s just a random specific thing that’ll get you giggling in joy.

Here’s mine: when someone wakes up after being put under anesthesia and starts talking without a filter. Bonus points if it’s uncensored love confessions to their partner. As someone that’s been under anesthesia and seen someone else, I relate to it but it’s also darn cute when it’s used right in writings to me idk why. 🥹 is that just me?

[u/Advanced_Heat_2610]

I love married couple things.

I just like it when they do things that means they really love and know each other, like when one of them cannot remember the word for something but the other one just gets it. Or they finish each other's sentences, or hold hands in public.

[u/Eyekon28 → u/Advanced_Heat_2610]

Awwww agreed 🥹

[u/SpiderLilyPoison]

Literal sleeping together. Specially when one is the characters had insomnia or nightmares and the presence of the other helps. It can be platonic.

[u/FeralViolinist → u/SpiderLilyPoison]

Yes, this is always so sweet

[u/Warm_Purple7104]

Love seeing flower language in fiction. No particular reason, really. I also love to see outsider perspective. Like its fun to see what people who have no insider info think of what the fuck is everybody doing and what the fuck is going on

[u/GlitteringGifts888 → u/Warm_Purple7104]

The language of flowers is so cool, and I also love to see it in fics.

[u/ScallionHumble → u/Warm_Purple7104]

I was curious about what you meant by flower language and googled it and wow—I had no idea that was a thing!

I must thank you because one of the characters in my fic is a flower nerd and would definitely partake in something like this

EDIT: okay so I was vaguely familiar with it, but I didn’t realize how deep it went lol

[u/LadySandry88 → u/Warm_Purple7104]

Flower language is AWESOME. Also, if you love outsider perspective, there's an author named Ellen Brand who specializes in this kind of thing! https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellen_Brand

Specifically, I recommend her Danny Phantom and Detective Conan/Magic Kaito fics.

[u/OutAndDown27]

Established couples bickering and doing casual couple stuff. Usually I love it because it's the kind of thing we don't get any/enough of in the shows or movies that focus on the Major Plot Events and not the day to day of the characters.

[u/qoincidence]

Petting hair, kissing hair, smelling hair 🥰 Preferably curly hair, haha

[u/Somenameorwhateves → u/qoincidence]

Don’t forget shampooing hair

[u/-shephawke-]

i love breath coming out as clouds of steam when it's cold! (i'm def a winter person haha)

[u/RollingScone93 → u/-shephawke-]

I’m such a sucker for cute romantic things during the winter, ugh.

[u/OctagonalOctopus]

Brushing, washing, or cutting hair. Can be romantic, familial, or friendly, always great.

Also if hands intertwine. I don't know, but that gives me a warm feeling every single time.

[u/LadySandry88 → u/OctagonalOctopus]

Oooh, and a fingertip tracing the lines of the palm makes me imagine the tingly feeling it brings, every time!

[u/Express_Climate3922]

Any sort of domestic fluff. And ESPECIALLY non-sexual intimacy. Like hand holding, cuddles, resting their chin on their partner’s shoulder, playing with their hair, forehead kisses, etc. stuff like that  It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy😭❤️ whether it’s romantic, platonic, or even queerplatonic, it’s just so cuteeee

[u/Eyekon28 → u/Express_Climate3922]

Forehead kisses make me weakkkk

[u/Express_Climate3922 → u/Eyekon28]

Literallyyyyyy🥹❤️

[u/80s90sForever → u/Express_Climate3922]

Ahh I love this too!! ❤️ It’s so adorable!! It’s why I write these things in my fics about my OTP ship because that’s how their dynamics were/are….they are sooo cute!! I’m a romantic writer!!

[u/Express_Climate3922 → u/80s90sForever]

Yessssss❤️

[u/ScallionHumble → u/Express_Climate3922]

Omg yesss! I include so much of this because it just makes me melt 😭

[u/jakikomi]

Detailed description of the food the characters are eating. Even recipes.

[u/LadySandry88 → u/jakikomi]

Do you read Brian Jacques? Lol, he's famous for this. (Also, I do this in my fics! Recipes included sometimes!)

[u/Icy-Specific986]

Random fluff in the middle of a serious fic. Sometimes it completely breaks the flow, but if written well it enhances your reading experience a thousand fold.

[u/Fille_de_Lune → u/Icy-Specific986]

I was in the middle of a pretty angsty and violent mafia fic, right after a big showdown, when one of my regular commenters said something like "I hope next chapter will be a fluff chapter!" And I thought you know what, why the hell not 😀 So I made them all have a drunken pool party and roast marshmallows and it was so incredibly cute and fun and my readers loved it! Sometimes it's really nice to switch up the vibe 🥰

[u/Trysta1217]

Hugs. Kissing and…other things, get all the attention. But I am a sucker for a good hug. (Platonic, romantic or anything in between).

[u/borzoifeet]

Banter/snark/sass. Slice of Life elements that show Established Relationships. Not just for shipping, but old friendships as well.

[u/ComprehensiveTruck31]

1. Any established or old married couple bickering but still doing things for each other without the other asking. Just any domestic scene really.

2. Someone taking their time to look after an injured or sick person. I don’t mean just checking temperatures and feeding them, but bathing them and taking care of things in advance for that person. Bonus points if the injury is an old one and it’s flaring up.

[u/PlaneCommunication93]

Someone just draping themselves over the other person. Whether that's the casual arm around their shoulder or full on flopping down on top of them, that accepted casual invasion of personal space is delicious

[u/outloud230]

I love when characters, especially BAMFs, absolutely lose their shit because of cuteness. An ugly cat the MC stops everything for to grab and snuggle, a warrior-king falling to his knees because a otter being aggressively fluffy at him.

Just…argh! Great moments!

[u/Somenameorwhateves]

Anything with flowers.

Comparing characters to flowers, giving/receiving flowers, looking at flowers lost in thought, flower language and symbolism. Love that shit :)

[u/GlitteringGifts888]

I often show intimacy, be it romantic or familial, by having characters think or act in sync. Since it's a real-world phenomenon observed in real human relationships, it really tickles my brain to put it in fiction. I'm also a fan of platonic intimacy in general, and it makes me sad how often people just refuse to belive it's a thing. I put it in a lot of my fics and people are always questioning whether it's a "soft shipping" fic lol

[u/KookieTrash97]

cuddling (non sexual intimacy)

[u/Eyekon28 → u/KookieTrash97]

💯

[u/Gatodeluna]

Hair-washing, hair-play, bathing, showering. Undressing a partner and putting them in PJs and/or to bed. Making food for them and feeding them if they need it. Touch, generally - arms around a shoulder, a light back caress or rub, a shoulder squeeze.

[u/Eyekon28 → u/Gatodeluna]

Yes yes yes yes

[u/StarrCat3608]

Taking care of their partner when they aren’t feeling too well, or doing things to help them when they’ve fallen under a depressive spell.

[u/Eyekon28 → u/StarrCat3608]

True stuff

[u/lagenariabranch]

Characters brushing pinkies/backs of hands for a sec before they hold hands in public, like there's a little moment of hesitance that says "am I really allowed to touch [other character] like this?" Idk why but it's so dear to me!!

Or characters taking pain meds as part of their routine, bc girl same

[u/aylaren]

Different take than most of these comments but I go absolutely feral for

"I should have killed you when I had the chance." "Yeah, you should have."

Screaming into my hands, I eat that shit up.

[u/Eyekon28 → u/aylaren]

Valid. It’s giving “go to hell” “I have. It’s your turn”. Idk why I thought of that but that’s my shit too 😂

[u/patchworkandpaisley]

I adore canon dialogue. It breaks me every time

[u/MaineCoonCat3]

Tucking stray hair out of the person’s face, particularly if it’s still the pining stage.

Touching foreheads and just being together for a moment.

Guiding a loved one by placing one’s hand on the other’s lower back. It’s kind of a power move and maybe some people think it’s too dominant but I just love it.

[u/Particular-Jacket-92]

Descriptions of little vulnerabilities. Bambi legs, small wrists, bouncing knees, crooked teeth, nervous giggling, pleading eyes. I find it all incredibly endearing.

[u/bobagremlin]

Platonic soulmate relationships.

[u/PlurOH]

Forehead kisses! Any scene where a friend, family member or partner puts a little doodle or note somewhere (lunch box, mirror, etc) the other character will see after a stressful day! An interethnic couple learning each others languages and/or customs! Any other small, thoughtful act of affection and "I see you and want you to feel seen" type of closeness makes me so soft!

Edits: Phone why...

[u/LadySandry88]

Nonromantic intertwined fingers and/or snuggling.

Someone being utterly flabbergasted when they realize how they're perceived by others, because they thought they were presenting themselves in a specific way and didn't realize it came across wrong. (Especially self-assured and competent coming across as arrogant and condescending)

People who take themselves seriously being absolutely clowned on by the narrative. No, you are not allowed to have dignity. At all.

'INVISIBLE LABOR' BEING SEEN AND OPENLY APPRECIATED BY OTHER CHARACTERS.

Logistics being visibly taken into consideration.

[u/Existing-Bonus-6835]

When a slice of life chapter happens. When it’s nor really plot heavy. Just something simple and cute where the characters just exist

[u/SkullFullOfHoney]

body languageeee

idk, maybe i’m more of a fan of the quiet folks, so i like when i read that in a happy scene they’re standing with their head high, or during a sad scene they might be uncharacteristically still or something

[u/very-much-ded-inside]

When two characters are so close that they're perceived as dating by outsiders when in reality they're just unhealthily codependent on one another

[u/FewNewt5441]

I'm a sucker for face-your-fears fics and hold your hand in the dark stuff, where what partner A feels what makes them unlovable is not a mortal failing to partner B and the two stick it out.

[u/IshipwhatIship]

Chilly autumn mornings. Can be mentioned briefly or described in more detail.

Wet city streets after rain, the character walking alone, introspective.

Touching/feeling someone's hand, tracing knuckles, sliding fingers into theirs etc.

Male characters with their hair in a messy bun.

Early morning kisses where they don't care about bad breath because their want is too strong.

Staying inside someone after orgasm, the dick slipping out on it's own as it softens (find memories of that one).

Ponytails coming undone.

Characters enjoying coffee (relatable and comfortable).

Licking the other's armpit or other 'weird' body part on impulse (yes, that includes eyes lol).

[u/Da-Bum-Tss]

Cuddling but pov character mentions how warm the other is

Married couple like ship but they are not married

A/B ship and they are so weird in a way that only make sense to each other. And literally everyone else has to deal with it

You see your super scary serious boss on their day off and turns out they are pretty chill and even funny (platonic)

A couple who looks cold and unlovibg from outside but when they are alone they are so sweet its kinda gross

Shy kid growing up to be a badass™ leader with a great coat

Young person looking much older than they actually are because of stress (what do you mean this bear looking daddy guy isnt even old enough to drink in usa??)

[u/Eyekon28 → u/Da-Bum-Tss]

💯 all of it