Pix

"how can you possibly justify cold-blooded murder?'

Henry lit a cigarette. 'I prefer to think of it,' he had said, 'as redistribution of matter."

We can’t be certain that we have the same idea of what constitutes a soft fic, but we’ve done our best to give you a nice selection (by no means complete) with various pairings here to start you off, both in the previous recs, and in the main body of the post.  Really, we could have listed so much more adorableness in fic form! - S

Previous recs:

Long soft fics here

Cute and happy andreil here

Fave super fluffy andreil* here

Long-distance soft Nerik here

Short fluffy Jerejean here

Post-canon Jerejean fluff here

Fluffy kandreil here

Soft high school aus here

Less well known soft andreil/kandreil here

Dan/Matt & soft renison here

... and for fics with a romcom feel look here

‘his elastic life’ here

‘Foxhaven’ here

‘This Complicated Life’ here

‘Change of Scenery’ here

‘coming loose’ here

‘Point Nemo’ here

‘waiting up for better things’ and ‘00:00 (Zero o'Clock)’ here

‘best thing’ here

‘Petal-shaped epiphanies’ here

*NB: check out our new staff faves tag to see other asks for our faves!

Andreil:

(lift me higher) let me look at the sun by MmArgent, queersardonicrat [Rated T, 18936 words, complete, Aftg Mixtape Exchange 2021]

A rustling noise, followed by the tschick of a lighter. Beyond the netting, the flame lights up a face for a short moment, igniting a cigarette. Andrew pushes down. Click. He already knows it’s a good picture.

---

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action

Soft Andreil headcanon by @smol-midgets [tumblr, 2021]

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of soft andreil

Andreil & Kevaaron

Life's a Beach by Stjosten [Rated T, 17984 words, complete, 2020]

Kevin comes back to Palmetto after two years away with a familiar face in tow. Aaron is a mess, Wymack is trying his best, and Andrew really doesn't want to have to see Neil Josten's face ever again. It's too bad he doesn't have much choice in the matter.

or a surfing/beach town au with a whole lot of pining

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: drug use

the one with all the ships series by Welikesandalwood [Rated T/E*, Collection, Incomplete, Updated 2021]

Part 1: The one where Andriel get Cats [T, 3696 Words, Complete]

"We did not canoodle for at least the first year," countered Andrew.

“you were the little spoon" Neil wasn't backing down on this.

"big words coming from a bottom," a smirk in Andrew's voice.

Neil’s cheek’s flushed, “Power bottom.”

Andrew smiled at this, "shh, not in front of the kid's," he said quietly, gently stroking the now sleeping kittens.

Part 2: The one with Kevaaron [E* (we say T) 29161 Words, Complete]

“I’m asking,” Aaron says confidently

“what?” Kevin asks quizzically

“you promised Andrew you wouldn’t touch me again unless I asked” Kevin makes eye contact with him at that, his pupils dilating, “I’m asking”

tw: alcohol, tw: violence, tw: knives

Some kevaaron headcanons by @whatareyoudoingwithamaserati [tumblr, 2020]

For the amazing @leoisgayforwriting because he gave me an idea and then next thing you know here I am!

Kandreil:

since we've no place to go by justadreamfox [Rated T, 8430 words, complete 2020, AFTG Exchange]

Neil is already regretting the decision to spend his winter break alone at The Snarky Fox Inn, but then a snowstorm blows in along with Kevin and Andrew, and, well - maybe there's some Christmas magic to be had after all.

Jerejean:

The Smell Of Honey by lilaliacs [Rated T, 11601 words, complete, 2017]

Martha's was a cozy little coffee shop that always smelled of honey, lilacs and something that couldn't be described as anything less than home.

And that's what it was to Jeremy, who had spent his childhood sat on a stool at the tiny bar, coloring in the patterns of the menus, or watching his mother creating the most beautiful cakes and pastries that he had ever seen.

tw: panic attacks

Jerejean fake dating au part 1, Jerejean fake dating part 2 and Jerejean fake dating part 3 by @wesawbears [tumblr, 2016]

Jeremy Knox is a bad idea.

Jean knows this because all Jeremy has to do is smile at him and Jean is prepared to hand him the entire world on a platter. It’s an exaggeration of course- Jean has lines, things he can’t or won’t give. He just knows Jeremy would never cross them, knows that Jeremy is so different from everyone who’s hurt Jean in the past.

Renison:

Love You a Latte by ceilingfan5 [Rated G, 8465 words, complete, AFTG Exchange 2017]

Allison's favorite barista is adorable Renee, so when she gets the news that she has to go on a terrible family vacation and bring an "appropriate plus-one", she decides to finally get herself uninvited from the rest of those events for all eternity. She and Renee go together, pretending to be a very much in love couple, stir shit up, and leave a lot closer than they ever expected.

tw: homophobia 

make me a cradle, hold me instead by IzzyAguecheek [Not Rated, 26135 words, complete, 2021]

Of course, being the nice rich aunt was still being an aunt, so Allison got the boring stuff too, like babysitting so Matt and Dan could have a date night, and changing diapers, and picking David up from school every now and then, but she didn’t mind it as much as she’d expected to. It seemed like a fair price to pay for the undying and devoted love of a five year-old.

She specially didn’t mind picking him up at school.

Specially with his kindergarten teacher looking the way she looked.

tw: alcohol, tw: past drug use

Art

Soft jerejean aesthetic by @palmettofoxden [tumblr, 2017]

Renison art by @secondus [tumblr, 2017]

Beth didn’t think often of her birth-father.  From all of her memories, his role in her life seemed limited to her conception, and nothing else.  The few times he appeared, the situation had always been fraught and imbued with complications that her young brain couldn’t yet comprehend.  She could still remember watching him from the window of the trailer when she was just a girl and when their eyes met she felt nothing.    

           When the woman knocks on her door, Beth hadn’t thought of her father in well over a year.  Which is why she finds herself confused when the woman, whose name is Ann, tells her, “Your father is dead.”

Read Part 1 HERE.

Beth’s house isn’t like anything Benny imagined.  Yet, he knows from the moment he steps into the foyer that it is without argument her.  From the abstract artwork to the trophies lined up on top of the baby grand piano.  She seems nervous, which now explains her uncharacteristic chatter for the last ten minutes of their drive.   

When Benny meets Jolene.

Benny is done with Beth Harmon.  Yeah, he helped her out in Russia, but that was different.  It was the Russians.  Helping her out was practically him doing his patriotic duty.  But, now the game is over and she’s off taking her third or fourth curtain call, giving as many interviews as a Beatle, and he’s back to forgetting her.  Beth Harmon had given him more grief in the few months they had spent together than the rest of his twenty-some years.  Good riddance.

Except, he still reads every article.  Listens to every interview.  When he goes into his front closet he sees that damn air mattress, and suddenly he’s thinking about the one time they made love on it instead of his bed, laughing when it popped a leak.  He doesn’t even know why he has the mattress anymore, but he doesn’t throw it away.  Just like he doesn’t throw away the scarf that she used to wear in her hair.  He found it under his bed a week after she left and stuffed it in the top of his dresser.  Each time he took it out it got pushed further back into the drawer, suppressed much like his own feelings.

For all their weeks in Kentucky, Benny and Beth hadn’t discussed returning to New York besides the tense conversations before he visited her high school chess students.  After that, the conversation seemed to be tabled and Beth had been reluctant to bring it up, not wanting to push them into choppy waters, and also, somewhat selfishly, not wanting him to leave.  Part of her was always afraid that if they went back to New York, he would never come back, just like she could never stay.  But one morning, New York is pulled squarely back into focus when Benny says, “I have to go out there for a few days.  I should be back by Monday.”

           “Is everything okay?” she asks gingerly.

           “It’s my mom.  My brother called and said she’s been having some problems recently.  So, I’m going to go down there and try to sort it out.”

           Beth realizes that for all the time she’d known Benny, he hadn’t mentioned his family before.  She wonders then if it was because she never asked, and was she supposed to ask?  She also notices that he didn’t ask her to come with.

           “Okay.”  She hesitates before she asks, “Do you want me to go with you?”

           “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

           His words hurt more than she expected and she crosses her arms over her chest.  “Oh, okay.”

            “It’s not that I don’t want you there.”

           “You sure?  Because it sort of sounds that way.”

           Benny’s face softens and he says, “Beth, you should know by now that there isn’t anywhere that I don’t want you with me.”

           “Then why is my going with you a bad idea?”

           “The reason my brother called is to stage an intervention.  My mom’s an alcoholic.”

Beth wouldn't dream of selling her mom's home, atleast not for a long time, and they both love New York far too much to leave permanently, so they split time between New York and Lexington. Usually based on what tournaments are coming up and the season.

Benny discovers he likes the winters in Kentucky far better than New York but Beth absolutely loves it when it snows, so after much arguing they decide to spend most of the winter in the city. And honestly, Benny decides being cold is worth seeing Beth happy (not to mention she looks stunning when the snow gets caught in her hair, the white a stark contrast against red).

Eventually Beth convinces Benny to get a place that isnt a glorified bomb shelter

Benny tells her he grew up with very little money and even though he has money now hes still scared to spend it

Benny spends months trying to convince her they should get a dog and one day drags her to a shelter. They end up bringing home two

Beth sets a rule that they arent allowed on the bed but a week after getting them benny comes home to the three of them sleeping in a pile

They infuriate each other on a daily basis when they play chess because "that's a dirty, rotten trick and you know it"

Then "show me exactly how you did that"