History Main / SecretRelationship

* Mari and Akko in ''Manga/GirlFriends'' keep their relationship from their friends, probably because they're both girls and aren't sure how they would react. However, while Sugi-san had mostly figured it out even before Akko and Mari had (thanks to a rather transparent attempt at IHaveThisFriend by Akko), even in the epilogue set a year after they got together Tamamin still hasn't figured it out.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Due to being an interracial queer couple, which is doubly illegal and taboo given the story begins in the early twentieth century of Louisiana, Lestat de Lioncourt (a white Frenchman) and Louis de Pointe du Lac (a black Creole) carefully keep the fact that they're lovers a secret (albeit [[OpenSecret many realize it]]) from all but a few (obviously their daughter Claudia knows). Once, a police officer discovers that they have only one bed in the house and threatens them with a five-year term in prison for a "crime against nature" due to this, but doesn't do anything further.

* ''Film/LesMeilleures'': Nedjma and Zina keep their lesbian relationship a secret, until the day Nedjma's group of girls stumbles upon them kissing, with one of them stealing Nedjma's cellphone and looking at the SMS the two exchanged. The other girls then shame Nedjma.

* ''Film/LesMeilleures'': Nedjma and Zina keep their lesbian relationship a secret, until the day Nedjma's group of girls stumbles upon them kissing, with one of them stealing Nedjma's cellphone and looking at the SMS the two exchanged.

* ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}'': In season 1, Anthony Bridgerton and Sienna Rosso have been in a clandestine relationship because StarcrossedLovers he’s a viscount and she's a working class opera singer]]. They eventually break up once realized their relationship would never work out.

* ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}'': In season 1, Anthony Bridgerton and Sienna Rosso have been in a clandestine relationship because he's [[StarcrossedLovers a viscount and she's a working class opera singer]]. [[spoiler:They eventually break up once they realize their relationship would never work out]].

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': In addition to being co-conspirators, [[spoiler:Moiraine and Siuan]] are lovers, while presenting an image of mutual antagonism to the rest of the world.

* Many ''Manga/SoulEater'' fanfics that pair Soul and Maka together have them trying to keep their relationship a secret. Usually it has more to do with Maka's OverprotectiveDad than with their friends.

** It's repeated again in ''VideoGame/Persona5''. There are some more justifications for the secret aspects, not just for Ren's party members, but for his Co-ops as well: Haru is like Mitsuru in that she also ducked out of an ArrangedMarriage, Futaba is his caretaker Soujiro's adopted daughter and he is [[OverprotectiveDad very protective of her]], and half of the romanceable Co-ops are [[LikesOlderWomen older women]] who all suggest him to lay low, especially if he romances ''his homeroom teacher Sadayo''. Like ''4'', the player can make Ren juggle multiple relationships, but this time around he ''will'' face the consequences for doing so... [[AmusingInjuries by being confronted and then beaten up by the (very understandably) angry women]].

* ''Film/AllAboutE'': Trish didn't like having to keep her relationship with E a secret from E's parents (as she [[ClosetGay hadn't come out]]) at all, which strained them even prior their ultimate breakup.

* In ''Fanfic/IzukusProHeroHaremLife'', at the request of the many girls, Izuku's keeping the whole harem thing a secret until they're ready... which is quite the challenge when you're basically a celebrity and know people who have Quirks that can help them figure out what's going on. Staving off the inevitable public fallout of the revelation that the current Number One Hero having such an absurd number of girlfriends is part of it as well.

* ''LightNovel/HybridXHeartMagiasAcademyAtaraxia'': By volume 8, Reiri officially begins dating Kizuna in secret. She has to keep their relationship hidden because she's an adult (age 27) who's sleeping with a minor (17), in addition to being his Commanding Officer ''and'' [[spoiler:his biological sister]]!

* ''Literature/{{Presidential}}'': Connie and Emily keep the fact they're dating secret at first, as Connie's being US President it would put them in the public idea invariably. They soon grow tired of this however, with both deciding it's better to just be open on the fact rather than hiding.

* ''Film/AugustInTheCity'': August and Clem were secretly together years before, while both pretended they were attracted to guys.

* This is a favorite trope of fics about [[MinionShipping pairings of lesser villains]], such as [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Jessie and James]] or [[Anime/SailorMoon Kunzite and Zoisite]]. The couple will go out of their way to hide their love because their superior will likely kill them for so much as having feelings for one another, complete with lots of angst. This goes double for fics where a villain falls in love with a heroic character and vice versa, [[Franchise/SuperMario Bowser and Peach]] being a favorite example.