are not a niche fetish. They are a necessary nutritional supplement for the lonely, anxious modern soul. They are the literary equivalent of a cup of tea and a blanket.
Fanfic writers filled the void.
This is why the "Golden Retriever Boyfriend" trope has exploded. This is why shows like Heartstopper (Netflix) became a global phenomenon. Heartstopper is the ultimate text of harmlessness. The biggest conflict in Season 1 is whether Nick will tell his friends he likes Charlie. No one dies. No one cheats. There is just hand-holding, texting, and the terrifying (but harmless) prospect of coming out. To understand the demand, you have to look at the supply chain: Fanfiction archives like Archive of Our Own (AO3). For years, mainstream media refused to write healthy, low-stakes romances because they were deemed "not dramatic enough." just a little harmless sexhd better