History Main / MaybeEverAfter

* The film ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' ends this way.

* ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'' ends with [[spoiler: Kendra and Bracken]] tentatively considering getting into a relationship. On one hand, there's a definite attraction between them. On the other hand, [[spoiler: Bracken]] is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld and [[spoiler: [[TheFairFolk not technically human]]]]. Meanwhile, [[spoiler: Kendra]] is still a teenager, and [[MayflyDecemberRomance human.]] (Mostly.)

* Creator/MaryStewart's ''The Stormy Petrel'' ends with a promise that [[spoiler: Rose and Neil]] will see each other "next term," suggesting the potential for a romantic relationship. In this case, ending the novel with just the beginning of a potential romance is quite realistic, as they've only known each other for a few days.

* ''{{Series/Bones}}'' has a scene in the finale with Aubrey having chicken take-out with Karen Delfs after his break up with Jess.

* An interesting case in ''Series/{{Chuck}}''. After two and a half seasons of WillTheyOrWontThey Chuck and Sarah become an Official Couple after the mid-season finale of Season 3, and marry at the end of Season 4. [[spoiler: Season 5, however, ends with Sarah MindRaped by the BigBad Quinn with a faulty Intersect, wiping out much of her memory of the past four years and turning her against the team and leaving her believing her marriage to Chuck was part of her mission. By the end of the first part of the finale Sarah is shown that these events were genuine, but she doesn't ''feel'' them now. The second half drops hints that her memory hasn't been entirely destroyed and she may recover, and the very last scene is of Chuck and Sarah [[BookEnds sitting on the beach from the premier]] with Chuck telling Sarah their story and both laughing as he tells her about their adventures over the last five years. The episode and series closes on a kiss between them, but the ending is ultimately ambiguous over whether Sarah's memory and feelings will ever fully be recovered.]]
** [[spoiler: Though WordOfGod is that the ending was meant to show that Sarah has ''always'' loved Chuck and always will.]]

* ''Series/DerryGirls'' ends without resolving [[spoiler:Erin and James's]] feelings for each other, even though in the finale they're still clearly into each other even a whole year after sharing their first (and seemingly only) kiss. Judging from comments made by Lisa [=McGee=] from earlier seasons about how she wasn't sure that the pair would fully realise their feelings for each other until they grew older, it's quite likely she {{Invoked}} this trope quite deliberately. [[spoiler:She later stated that [[WordOfGod they did eventually end up together]], but not until they were in their 30s (a good 15 years after the events of the show), having stayed close friends the entire time.]]
* The drama adaptation of the manga ''Manga/FlunkPunkRumble'' has this for [[spoiler: Adachi and Shinagumi.]] The former finally confesses in the last few minutes and the latter seems to be playing hard to get, grinning and teasing him by feigning [[ObliviousToLove obliviousness]] when he asks her for an answer. Things are looking good though.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''

* The first generation of ''Series/{{Skins}}'' ends with Sid packed off to New York by his best friend to find Cassie, the girl he loves. The final scene is of Sid looking around ''right'' in front of the restaurant where she works. Although as of Series 7, [[DistantFinale Cassie's episode "Pure"]] [[spoiler: both confirms that they found each other, and also reveals that it [[DowntimeDowngrade didn't work out]].]]

* The stage version of ''{{Film/Holiday}}'' ends with Linda running after John, who has just broken up with her sister Julia. Her brother Ned drinks a toast to them and to his grandfather. Curtain. We're never told what kind of relationship John and Linda end up having, we can only hope that Linda wins John's heart in the end. The 1938 film adaptation adds an extra scene of the couple reuniting, and ends on their kiss.

* ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion'''s C ending hints that protagonist Garlot and his childhood friend Siskier might be getting together in the near future--if for no other reason, because their third childhood friend Jenon (who had a crush on Siskier) and Garlot's first crush Nessiah are both conveniently dead, leaving Siskier with no more obstacles. [[WordOfGod Remarks by the creators]] in [[http://disaresta.livejournal.com/73795.html#cutid1 an interview]] confirm that they eventually do get together.

** Nearly every single possible pairing in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''. Vaan and Penelo have known each other a looooong time and are travelling together at the end, Penelo's final line being "Every sky pirate needs a partner" and that's it. Supposed PlatonicLifePartners Balthier and Fran get a bit of ShipTease in the game, as do [[WellExcuseMePrincess Balthier and Ashe]], though nothing ever comes of either relationship. That said the SecretExpandedEpilogue to the game's direct sequel, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIIRevenantWings'', shows [[spoiler:Vaan and Penelo briefly kissing. Making the status of their relationship much less ambiguous.]]
** Despite having a happy ending, ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'' leaves a lot of things frustratingly unclear, like [[spoiler:did [[OfficialCouple Snow and Serah]] ''[[EarnYourHappyEnding finally]]'' get married? What happened to [[OfficialCouple Noel and Yuel]]? Did the two sets of {{Implied Love Interest}}s, [[HoYay Fang/Vanille]] and [[TeacherStudentRomance Hope/Lightning]] hook up?]]

* ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'' ends on an ambiguous note no matter who the player chooses between [[LadySwearsALot Chloe]], or [[GiveGeeksAChance Warren]].
** Having Max pursue Chloe can result in a kiss during episode 3, if Max accepts Chloe's dare, and a second kiss between them during the climax of the final episode. Yet, Max's final journal entry states that she still isn't sure what her actual feelings for Chloe really are.
** In Warren's case, Max can accept a movie date from him during episode 2, but the game ends before the date is scheduled to happen. Despite subtle implications that the attraction might be mutual, the closest Max ever comes to expressing feelings for Warren only happens [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XkSmyBx4_s if she writes on his door slate]] during episode 4.
-->'''Max''': ''(thinking)'' "I can have some fun with Warren for a change. And ''he's'' the one who wants to "Go Ape!"... and sometimes, [[WillTheyOrWontThey you have to take a chance and see what happens."]]
* The "Blood Brothers" ending for ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2'' has Sean in a situation where he could easily reconnect with his optional love interests (Cassidy or Finn), but isn't shown doing so on-screen. {{Fanon}} generally takes it as read that they did indeed hook back up, given the similarities to the "Parting Ways" ending where Cassidy or Finn ''does'' make an on-screen reappearance as Sean's partner in the DistantFinale, but in canon at least it falls into this trope.

* ''VisualNovel/Ever17'': [[spoiler: You and Hokuto]] in the true ending. The ending involves a scene when he confesses his love and asks her out to her suprise, but whe don't actually see her reaction. They DO get together in one of the other endings and have a mountain of ShipTease so...

** The sequel comic shows what happens. [[spoiler: [[DeathOfTheHypotenuse Vixen gets killed]], and John and Shayera get together.]], however, this is later contradicted by the sequel series ''Justice League Infinity'' by J.M [=DeMatteis=], which ends with [[spoiler: Vixen very much alive, but chooses to leave John as she becomes aware he is still deeply in love with Shayera. Shayera and John do not get together at the end, but she offers him her support as a friend after his break-up]]

** The series 9 episode "Dragon Dropped" does this for the Spike/Rarity ShipTease that's been going on since the first episode. On the one hand, it shows Spike with a new friend who he enjoys hanging out with more than Rarity, and the ending implies he might have gotten over his crush on her. On the other hand, Rarity's behaviour towards him has ClingyJealousGirl undertones, Spike is touched when she admits she missed their time together, and the episode ends with Spike saying he'll always want his "Rarity time" and Pinkie making a comment that could be interpreted as ShipperOnDeck. [[spoiler: Neither are explicitly shown together with anyone in the DistantFinale, making it even more ambiguous.]]
** The DistantFinale implies that [[spoiler:Fluttershy and Discord]] got together [[note]]there was even supposed to be a kiss between them, but it got changed in the final version[[/note]], as well as [[spoiler:Applejack and Rainbow Dash (though even the initial passes left their status ambiguous)]], and [[spoiler:Yona and Sandbar]], but there's nothing beyond an implication for any of them. When asked, Jim Miller [[WordOfGod stated]] that the ambiguity was [[ShrugOfGod deliberate]], to allow the fans to interpret the moments for themselves.

* ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'': The WillTheyOrWontThey situation between Sparx and Nova is seemingly finally resolved in the final episode, as she gives him an AnguishedDeclarationOfLove [[spoiler: in order to [[ThePowerOfLove free him]] from his [[BrainwashedAndCrazy corrupted state]]]]. However, this is immediately overshadowed by [[BigBad Skeleton King]] coming BackFromTheDead and a cliffhanger ending, so we don't know if they actually hooked up or not.

-->-- '''Music/TheBeatles''', [[Music/AbbeyRoad "Something"]]

What about those romance plots that end on an ambiguous note? What if both parties seem interested, and there's no definitive "no," but there's no kiss, no embrace, and no wedding? This can occur when a story ends with the tentative start of a new relationship, rather than with the culmination of the relationship. In some cases, separated characters are reunited, or a quarrel between two romantically interested characters is resolved, but it isn't entirely certain where the relationship is going to go. Instead of a "yes" or "no" answer to WillTheyOrWontThey we get [[ShrugOfGod "probably" or "kinda sorta maybe."]]

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12321109/1/Gap-Year-Adventures Gap Year Adventures]]'' by Creator/AAPessimal, a sub-plot is the [[UnresolvedSexualTension strained relationship]] between graduate Assassin Mariella Smith-Rhodes and a [[AmoralAfrikaner compatriot]] Horst Lensen, a young man who in the course of seven years education together she has come to utterly despise as a walking reminder of all the reasons why she wanted to leave [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Rimwards Howondaland]]. Her best friend (and a wiser older sister) see more clearly than she does - she is actually attracted to Lensen but indignantly denies it on every occassion this is suggested to her. Meanwhile, he is secretly more than a little bit in love with her. The tale ends on a cliffhanger of Mariella reluctantly admitting that maybe he isn't as bad as all ''that''... but while both families involved are not-so-subtly nudging them together and they end up serving in the same Army unit during their national service, the eventual outcome is left unspecified.
* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'': [[spoiler:Harry and Hermione]] think it's ridiculous for them to make ''binding'' agreements at age 12 regardless of what they feel for each-other in that moment, so their ultimate romantic fate is left ambiguous, although [[spoiler:Hermione]] in any case makes a magical vow to always be [[spoiler:Harry]]'s friend.

* ''Film/AlreadyTomorrowInHongKong'' - a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Before Sunrise'' below - ends with Ruby and Josh realising that they might have fallen for each other, but they don't know whether or not they should leave their spouses. Ruby in particular has just got engaged and is due to leave town next week. The film literally [[NoEnding cuts off]] just as they're in the taxi together, unsure of what to do next.

--> '''Fran:''' Shut up and deal.

* At the end of ''Film/TheGraduate'', Ben saves Elaine from the wedding she doesn't want to have, and they jump on a bus. So what happens then? We don't know, but the looks on their faces don't seem terribly promising. What's more, the wedding is already over by the time Elaine runs out of it - meaning that she's legally married to someone else.
* ''Film/AGuideToRecognizingYourSaints'' does this with Dito and Laurie. He left town fifteen years ago, she waited for a while and eventually had a baby with a man who's not around anymore. When he returns, there's clearly a spark between them. But it could go either way, as the climax's focus in Dito reconciling with his father and best friend. The movie is VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory and the open-ended nature is deliberate - as the real Laurie had died of AIDS long before Dito returned to Astoria, and her portions are partially written as a FixFic.

** Cinderella agrees to come live with the Baker, Jack, and Red Riding Hood at the end. Nothing is said and it could be an entirely platonic thing - but there does appear to be ''something'' between her and the Baker that indicates they could fall in love somewhere down the line.

* ''{{Film/Pandorum}}'' ends with a rather tender moment in the escape pod between Bower and Nadia. Of course they've only just met and Bower has just remembered that his wife left him, so it could go either way.

* Trish and Han in ''Film/RomeoMustDie'' end the movie just hugging and comforting each other over their losses. They've only known each other a short while, but it's unclear if they'll pursue a relationship. A kiss was filmed for the end but replaced with the hug due to potential {{Narm}} - as the cast and crew thought it would be odd for Han to kiss Trish right after [[spoiler: seeing his father shoot himself]].

--> '''Mal''': So, you ready to get off this boat and back to civilized life?
--> '''Inara''': I, uh... I don't know.
--> '''Mal''': ''({{Beat}})'' Good answer.
* ''{{Film/Sideways}}:'' Miles and Maya break up due to his lying about Jack's upcoming wedding. Hearing about his ex-wife's pregnancy finally hammers in that it's really over between them, and then Maya sends him a long letter about how much she loved his (likely never to be published) novel. The film ends as he rings her doorbell.

* ''{{Film/Superbad}}''. In the last scene, Evan and Becca, the [[OfficialCouple Alpha Couple]] of the movie, go off together to buy a new comforter. Meanwhile, we see Seth and Jules, the [[BetaCouple Beta Couple]], heading away so he can buy her makeup. Whether or not Seth/Jule will become romantically involved is left ambiguous.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces.'' Hubert and Pascal. Before the final cutscene Hubert confessed his love to Pascal and she essentially ''[[ObliviousToLove didn't get it]].'' But ''in'' the ending cutscene she interacts with him and nearly no one else, gives him an AffectionateNickname, and [[ItMakesSenseInContext meows at him.]] Then resident BigBrotherMentor and {{Troll}} to end all trolls, Malik, takes Hubert aside, gives him Pascal's communicator, and encourages him to "tame the stray cat." During the credits there's a sketch of Hubert sitting at a fountain and receiving a message from Pascal.

* In ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall,'' [[SociallyAwkwardHero Wirt]] and [[GirlNextDoor Sara]] end the series finally acting on [[TwiceShy their mutual undeclared attraction]], agreeing to have what's ''probably'' a date, but it's up to the audience to guess where things went from there.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'': The constant strong ToyShip of the game would suffice by itself, but it goes further. The last shot of the game is Link and Zelda holding hands in a very romantic tone. Also, in two of the three epilogues of the game we see that they still are together in some way.

** ** TheMovie of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'' has this trope. Just prior to Tieria Erde launching for the final battle with the ELS, ''Mileina Vashti'' surprises him with a short but cute love confession out of the blue. Right afterward, he hitches a ride to [[spoiler:the ELS homeworld]] with Setsuna and the 00 Qan[T]... and that's it. She's never seen again and it's unknown if he ever returned to Earth... although there ''is'' a Tieria-type Innovade aboard the [[spoiler:''Sumeragi'']] fifty years later.

*** TheMovie, ''[[Anime/MobileSuit GundamSEEDFreedom Gundam SEED Freedom]]'', however, has Cagalli showing Athrun that she ''is'' wearing the ring he gave her. This could be a flag that they are indeed still together, but an official statement from [[WordOfGod Mitsuo Fukuda]] states that he ''[[ButNowIMustGo disappeared]]'' after the final battle. He let no one know of his whereabouts, throwing further shadow across Athrun and Cagalli's status.

** Roy and Riza. Fans can debate forever on whether or not they love each other, but even in the [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist manga]] epilogue, where there's BabiesEverAfter for other characters, there is no almost hint of what happens between them since the end of the series. It ''is'' confirmed by their last photo that she's still working alongside him. The third art book has commentary from the author that the military regulations prevent them from getting married, if Riza wants to remain working under Roy.
** Al and May Chang. They had some ShipTease and the epilogue shows May and Al in the Elric family photo, but never clarifies exactly what their relationship is. The anime muddies the waters further by adding [[HandicappedBadass Paninya]] and [[CampGay Garfiel]], who ''definitely'' aren't family members, to the same photo.

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
** TheMovie of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'' has this trope. Just prior to Tieria launching for the final battle with the ELS, ''Mileina'' surprises him with a short but cute love confession out of the blue. Right afterward, he hitches a ride to [[spoiler:the ELS homeworld]] with Setsuna and the 00 Qan[T]... and that's it. She's never seen again and it's unknown if he ever returned to Earth... although there IS a Tieria-type Innovade aboard the [[spoiler:''Sumeragi'']] fifty years later.
** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny Gundam Seed Destiny]]'' ends on this note for Athrun and Cagalli. They were together at the beginning of the series, then a war and politics got in the way, Cagalli almost got into an ArrangedMarriage with another man, harsh words were said, and near the end of the series Cagalli is shown not wearing the engagement ring Athrun gave her. It's obvious they still care for one another, but whether the relationship is salvageable is unknown. Also, Athrun's given some ShipTease with Meyrin and Cagalli tells her to 'take care of him' just to make it more confusing.

* ''WebVideo/Kontrola'': It's strongly implied, though not confirmed, that Natalia and Majka will get back together when the series concludes.

** The third to last chapter of SpinOff series ''We Want to Talk About Kaguya'' mentions that in the near future a resturant by the name of "Miso Matsuri" opens to rave reveiws. This had been a hypothetical name that Erika had previously said she's want to open up with Kazamatsuri, implying that she eventually figures out that he has a crush on her and they get married.

** Shintaro and Ayano spend a good deal of their screentime [[ShesNotMyGirlfriend fervently denying any kind of attraction]], despite [[EveryoneCanSeeIt blantant cues that that's not the case]]. Later, Ayano admits privately that she isn't the girl Shintaro needs (implying that she ''wants'' to be), and Shintaro [[spoiler:went into solitary seclusion when Ayano died]]. The last time they are seen together, they make awkward small-talk and then both try and say something... [[CannotSpitItOut but refuse to finish after they interrupt each other]]. Then go straight back to denying everything when Kano appears and calls them "love birds".

* Happens in one episode of ''{{Series/Castle}}''. The main witness to a crime has [[IdentityAmnesia amnesia]] and doesn't remember anything. As a part of the investigation the police end up bringing in his ex-wife (who he doesn't remember). At the end of the episode the two of them decide to go out on a date together.

* ''Literature/{{Oreimo}}'' zig-zags the issue all over the place. Kyousuke and Kirino are unambiguously in love. But right after their mock wedding and TheBigDamnKiss, it turns out they decided to end their relationship, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome because brothers and sisters can't really get married]]. But Kyousuke kisses her in the epilogue, and there's a vague implication that they're secretly still in a relationship...maybe. The afterstory then virtually confirms that they remained together, and only ended the public side of their relationship to continue privately without the worry of social repercussions.

* During the ''ComicBook/SpiderGwen''/''[[ComicBook/MilesMorales Spider-Man]]'' crossover, Gwen Stacy discovers Earth-8, a reality in which older version of herself and Miles Morales are a married BattleCouple with two children. When she reunites with the regular Miles, they share a kiss, but decide not to get together just because destiny said so. They agree to remain friends for the time being, but are open to being something more in the future.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' ends with ComicBook/MilesMorales and [[ComicBook/SpiderGwen Gwen Stacy]] becoming friends before she returns to Earth-65, her home dimension. Throughout the film they have been hinted to be attracted to each other (especially given their romantic history in the comics) and the last scene has Gwen finding a way to contact Miles across dimensions.

* ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'': Shelby's perspective of Season 2 ends with her visiting [=GlimmerGrove=] to apologize to Katherine about how she acted while BrainwashedAndCrazy and asks her out for coffee as a first date, an invitation which Katherine accepts now that her main problems throughout the season have been resolved. [[spoiler:In the epilogue and [[WebVideo/WitchCraftSMP sequel series]] ten years later, Shelby is known to have a girlfriend/partner, but the partner's identity is left as TheUnReveal.]] The ambiguity is clarified to be intentional on the content creators' part, not wanting to rush a relationship for the characters.

* ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'': Shelby's perspective of Season 2 ends with her visiting [=GlimmerGrove=] to apologize to Katherine about how she acted while BrainwashedAndCrazy and asks her out for coffee as a first date, an invitation which Katherine accepts now that her main problems throughout the season have been resolved. [[spoiler:In the epilogue and [[LetsPlay/WitchCraftSMP sequel series]] ten years later, Shelby is known to have a girlfriend/partner, but the partner's identity is left as TheUnReveal.]] The ambiguity is clarified to be intentional on the content creators' part, not wanting to rush a relationship for the characters.

* ''Anime/{{Oreshura}}'' ends like this. He and Masuzu [[RelationshipUpgrade confess their feelings to one another]] and he then tries to get all the other girls to hate him so that he can avoid "the battlefield". This ''somehow'' leads to some kind of weird individualized pseudo-RelationshipUpgrade with each of them (Hime now thinks she can hold him rather than have him hold her, Ai now has his seal(blood) on her "marriage certificate" and thinks she is as good as his wife(she intends to have the form recognized officially once they graduate... because that will work), and Chiwa apparently is now spurred into being more sexually aggressive with him (she kissed him out of nowhere)). However, Masuzu ''seems'' to have the upper hand and actually be the object of his affection. Probably.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', Ness takes Paula back home and leaves her there. They're just kids, but EveryoneCanSeeIt.

** Nearly every single possible pairing in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''. Vaan and Penelo have known each other a looooong time and are travelling together at the end, Penelo's final line being "Every sky pirate needs a partner" and that's it. Supposed PlatonicLifePartners Balthier and Fran get a bit of ShipTease in the game, as do [[WellExcuseMePrincess Balthier and Ashe]], though nothing ever comes of either relationship.