Domestic

Tropes and genres
Synonym(s)	Domesticity, Domestic Fluff, Family AU, Curtainfic
Related tropes/genres	Kidfic, de-age, pregnancy, marriage, Family Dynamics
See also	Mundane AU, futurefic
Related articles on Fanlore.

Domestic fic or Domestic AUs are works showing canon characters living their everyday lives. This form of AU is particularly popular in fandoms with supernatural or science fiction elements, but unlike Mundane AUs, it's not necessary to remove these elements to have a domestic fic. Instead the characters are placed in domestic scenarios, which are removed from the stresses of canon.

In a domestic fic, characters in a canon or non-canon relationship are sometimes married with children, so there is an overlap with kidfics.

Fan Comments

1996

...there is a definite difference between the on-duty Professionals coolly brandishing their big guns because that is the tool of their trade (all Freudian implications happily accepted) and Bodie or Doyle doing the laundry or shopping for groceries. The tension between these two personas is the important thing, in good scripting or fanwriting alike: one can't omit the everyday persona without losing something in the character. Equally, one can't omit the action-hero aspect either, even when the story is about two guys in love doing their laundry, or you have... a story about two gay guys doing their laundry, instead of slash.

Fanworks

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

The 100:

• One of the Greatest Titles in the World is Parent by jollyrogerjayhawk, “One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad.” Bellamy and Clarke have somehow quasi-adopted a plethora of children.
• Routine by mg0918, Bellamy isn't sure how it became a routine, Clarke curling up in his bed every night and him clinging to her like she's his only lifeline.

Bandom:

• Nesty Verse by Bexless and cimorene

Good Omens:

• All I Need, Darling, Is a Life in Your Shape by deadgreeks:After everything, Aziraphale and Crowley, by unspoken agreement, begin sharing their lives.
• Any Way You Want It by Justkeeptrekkin:Saving the world is exhausting work. With Heaven and Hell off their backs, it seems as good a time as any for Crowley and Aziraphale to take a proper break. Neither one of them predicts the direction their holiday takes. Who'd have thought that sharing a cottage in Scotland would be quite so romantic?

Invader Zim:

• Wannabe Insomniac, by hamletmustdie:“Wake up, earth-worm. I have a question.” It took three more pokes to get Dib to stir. He groaned, half asleep. “What?” “This sleep. Does your pitiful human body do anything to keep watch from massive predators?”
• The Window, by cupidty11: Sometimes it was 2 in the morning, and the window opened, tiny faux invader stumbling around in the dark, avoiding the stacks of papers and artifacts, to crawl into Dib’s bed. To curl against the human’s warmth, silence and peace. A rare acceptance. Tonight, Dib slammed the window shut. The lock clicked in place with a dark finality.

Marvel Cinematic Universe:

• Superfamily
• Domestic AUs are good but domestic AUs with dorky children are great by bannannibal (Steve/Bucky with kid!Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff)

Sherlock:

• The White Lotuses by SilentAuror: One day John realises that he just isn't where he belongs, which is back at Baker Street with Sherlock. So he goes back and Sherlock, in his own way, courts him. Romance.

Smile For Me:

• Kamal... Oh My God, by NavyRuby: Kamal's shared apartment with Parsley gets quarantined, where else would he go but directly into the arms of his goofy boss?
• everything that you have undone, by gealbhan: The man formerly known as Dr. Habit goes to therapy, makes amends, gets a few hobbies, and plants a garden. Not necessarily in that order.

Supernatural:

• A Life Most Ordinary by sonofabiscuit77, Sam and Dean Winchester are two ordinary brothers living ordinary, small-town lives. Okay, so maybe having a mother who was brutally murdered by one of America’s most notorious serial killers and a father who needs 6 different kinds of medication to get out of bed in the morning is not that ordinary, but the rest of their problems... well they’re entirely ordinary... The only thing extraordinary about Sam and Dean is this: the story of how they fell in love and how they learned to cope in such an ordinary world with such an extraordinary love. (Wincest)
• until the end and after by Philyra912, A year ago, the world didn't end. Now it's summer and the cicadas are buzzing, and something is changing. Something is going to give.

IT:

• French Toast and Daffodils, ^{Archived version}: Bill and Mike have been together for fifteen years and have been through everything together. They deserve some domestic bliss with hot anniversary sex.

• Juxtaposition, ^{Archived version}: No, they wouldn’t change a thing. Stanley wouldn’t change the fact that Richie tears his clothing off and tosses them haphazardly around the room before they get into bed, or how they never even make their bed. Richie wouldn’t change the fact that he’s nagged at least once a day to put something away or clean something up. Because it's balanced. It’s a juxtaposition, sure, but it’s balanced. And they need that. Both of them.

• This little bungalow, ^{Archived version}: In this series of headcanons, the losers and party members all live together (through various age ranges - essentially forever) with Joyce and Hopper, with Jonathan, Steve and Nancy all being key parts of their lives as well. Everyone is happy, and healthy, and occasionally we get visits from Bob, Kali, Georgie, Erica, Holly and others, too!

Fannish Links

• Alternate Universe - Domestic tagged works at AO3
• Domestic tag at AO3
• Domestic Fluff tag at AO3
• domestic au tag on Tumblr
• Recs tagged as Domestic at Fancake