Friendly Tickle Torture

In fiction, tickling is most often seen in the context of Tickle Torture, where it is used as way of, well, torturing someone. However, it does show up as Friendly Tickle Torture, an affectionate act to emphasize how strong a bond is between two characters in a playful manner. It can often be used flirtatiously, but it's also often common with children, pets and other small, cute loved ones. While it might still be shown as unpleasant for the "victim", it's unpleasant in a playful manner rather than in a cruel or malicious one. In real life, this would certainly be more common than the villainous counterpart, though ticklers should note that what they think is friendly may not be received as such. Compare Friendly Scheming and Insult of Endearment for similar cases of mild unpleasantness being used to show how close a bond is.