Unresolved Sexual Tension/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: Two people are obviously attracted to each other, but some element of the story is keeping them apart.

  • Straight: Alice likes Bob, Bob likes Alice, but neither admits it to the other, ever.
  • Exaggerated: All of Alice and Bob's conversations end with both of them flushed, breathing heavily, and sweating, but the relationship never goes anywhere.
    • Alternately: Alice and Bob are living in the same house, regularly attend events as a couple, have a joint bank account, haven't dated anyone since they met each other since they met, have a biological child together and radiate sexual tension around each other but neither will admit they like the other, ever.
  • Justified: They both have other significant others and don't want to complicate things.
    • Alternatively, they're both shy and have trouble telling each other how they feel.
  • Inverted: Both Alice and Bob think the other is interested, but neither of them actually are.
  • Subverted: Alice and Bob spend a lot of time together, always seem perkier while the other is around, and even get flushed around each other often, but neither has any romantic interest in the other.
  • Double Subverted: ...until a situation Gone Horribly Wrong leads them to think they're going to die, and they discover an interest in one another, only for them to be rescued just before it all comes out.
  • Parodied: Alice and Bob quite obviously like each other, but when asked about their relationship, they act a though they are repulsed by the thought.
  • Deconstructed: Alice and Bob like each other but won't admit it. This leads to all sorts of friction, eventually ending their friendship on bad terms.
    • Alternatively: Alice and Bob's attraction ruins all their other romantic relationships, leaving them perpetually alone and unhappy.
  • Reconstructed: Alice and Bob like each other but won't admit it, because they're each afraid the other doesn't reciprocate. Eventually, they realize the other does feel the same way, and get together.
  • Zig Zagged: Bob wants to admit his feeling Alice, but she's involved with Andy. At the same time Alice develops green eyes due to Bob developing a closer relationship with Carol. Eventually both Bob and Alice return to being single but are still unable to admit their feelings for each other.
  • Averted: Alice and Bob meet, get to know each other, eventually fall in love and develop a relationship.
    • Alternatively: Alice and Bob meet, and are genuinely not attracted to each other.
  • Enforced: The author aims to avoid a Shipping Bed Death
  • Lampshaded: "They're never going to get it on, are they?"
  • Invoked: ???
  • Defied: "I'm going to tell her how I feel, I don't want this uncertainty to drag on forever."
  • Discussed: "Bob and Alice obviously like each other. Why don't they just hook up?" "Just...because."
  • Conversed: ???

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