Heartwarming / The King Nobody Wanted

• Of all things, Stannis and Cersei's relationship. While they're still awkward with each other, and it's still a political marriage (and there's an early period where Cersei absolutely hates him due to his refusal to budge on sending Jaime to the Wall), they both clearly come to care for each other, Cersei gets Character Development around him and he can even be uncharacteristically gallant toward her.
• Viserys recognizes Ser Barristan as his guardian and his father's rescuer (after Barristan was just ungently interrogated by Lord Commander Hightower, and chided for recognizing honorable men among the Stags), and enthusiastically introduces him to all his new friends.
• Janos Slynt holding his son Morros on his shoulders to watch the coronation.
• Despite the tension between Quellon Greyjoy and his son Balon, they both dote on their granddaughter/daughter Asha.
• When Stannis sentences Jaime to the Night's Watch, Tywin's first action is to argue with him, but Kevan and Gerion's first is to comfort Cersei.
• Stannis makes Davos Master of Ships and lord of Driftmark and grants him the right to decline the former honor if he feels unworthy of it (he ultimately doesn't) but not the latter one.
• The Odd Friendship arc between Tyrion and the two youngest Greyjoy brothers is quite bright and pleasant, and gets moreso as Jayne Bracken, the Starks, and Alysanne Whent also begin bonding with them.
  • When Tywin arrives at Harrenhall and speaks disapprovingly toward Tyrion, Aeron steps forward and praises his friend's cleverness to his father. Unsurprisingly this does not move Tywin at all, and Aeron is clearly very nervous and stammering when talking to him, but the fact that he likes Tyrion enough to stand up for him against a very powerful and intimidating man is quite touching.
• Aeron and Urri reaching back out when their temporary guardian Ned sympathizes with their father's death, Aeron remembering that members of Ned's own family have been murdered.

  Aeron: That which is dead does not die, Lord Stark.
  Urri: It rises again, harder and stronger.
  Ned: Do you truly believe that?
  Aeron: We hope it, Lord Stark. We hope it.

• Tytos is constantly A Father to His Men, even winning over a Commander Contrarian and helping him deal with some PTSD.
• The many friendships throughout Viserys' court often provide good moments of levity, with implied Blackfyre infiltrators Uthera and Falena having some sweet and hopefully long-lasting Becoming the Mask moments with both the other kids and Oswell.
• Nightmare Fetishist Barb Bracken has a rare Pet the Dog moment with her sister Jayne (toward whom she otherwise acts as a Big Sister Bully) by scaring their Creepy Uncle away from Jayne (which is also an awesome moment) and then comforting Jayne about his past treatment of her.
• Alliser Thorne meeting his extended family for the first time in years brings out his tender side as well as theirs.
• Benjen Stark and Jonelle Cerwyn (an Old Maid in canon) start up a shy but cute relationship as Benjen begins to accept that he has a role in the North besides joining the Watch. The way he and the other nobles at Winterfell show Jamie sympathy and understanding also helps him out a lot.
• The burgeoning Interclass Friendship between Davos and Lord Chelsted (and their wives) does a lot to make Davos and the readers feel light-hearted.
• Gerion engaging in Platonic Prostitution and finding someone to talk to about his issues with Tywin.