Belligerent Sexual Tension in webcomics.
- In Arthur, King of Time and Space, which ports the Arthurian legends to various genres, this is usually how Guinevere and Lancelot start out. In the genre where they're based on McCoy and Spock, they form a belligerent nascent threesome with Arthur/Kirk.
- Hetalia: Axis Powers:
- France/England fanworks are often portrayed this way, due to their tendency of taking potshots at each other. As well as fanworks, this trope is played with in the series with France playing the Jerk with a Heart of Gold and England playing the Tsundere role. This is lampshaded in the dub of Hetalia: Paint It White when an alien machine is describing BritainNarrator: ...France is a long time acquaintance he's often found bickering with for bickering's sake. However, in their heart of hearts they love each other (Beat) Sexually.
- Also for Denmark/Norway with Denmark as the thick-headed but ultimately good-hearted Boisterous Bruiser and Norway as a mostly stoic Deadpan Snarker who can get quite violent with his slaps when Denmark is being particularly tactless.
- This is the most popular fandom take on Hungary/Prussia, with Elizabeta/Hungary as the Tsundere and Gilbert/Prussia as the Jerkass with a VERY well-hidden softer side.
- America/England to a lesser extent. Both characters have Jerk with a Heart of Gold qualities. This was even lampshaded in the dub with France's remark, "When you two are done releasing sexual tensions, we have a meeting to finish."
- And Turkey/Greece, too. As a contrast to Greece/Japan, it has Turkey as a grumpy Boisterous Bruiser and Greece as a violent mix of both Tsundere types (he's usually technically a Tsundere who's pleasant to everyone except Turkey, but often comes across as instead due to him being with Turkey almost all the time).
- The High School AU Gakuen Hetalia uses the formula too. While France and Seychelles aren't 100% a couple there, they play the Jerk with a Heart of Gold (France) and Tsundere (Seychelles) roles quite well.
- Oddly enough, Russia / China gets this too; usually in a comedic situation, China will flat out reject Russia's advances in sometimes violent and hurtful ways while the other remains blissfully ignorant of the former's infuriation. The pair can be subjected to Alternative Character Interpretation, either between this and Birds of a Feather, Mind Game Ship or Happily Married.
- Taiwan and Hong Kong: she is fanonly portrayed as a Tsundere with a Kawaiiko side (admittedly, her canon personality seems to be leaning towards this too) and Hong Kong as a Deadpan Snarker with a Sugar-and-Ice Personality. Taiwan and Korea also can qualify, though Korea tends to be shown as more oblivious and childish than a real jerk.
- France/England fanworks are often portrayed this way, due to their tendency of taking potshots at each other. As well as fanworks, this trope is played with in the series with France playing the Jerk with a Heart of Gold and England playing the Tsundere role. This is lampshaded in the dub of Hetalia: Paint It White when an alien machine is describing Britain
- In Bittersweet Candy Bowl
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold Paulo and Tsundere Lucy are an example of this.
- Mike and Lucy even more so!
- The fandom also likes to poke fun that Mike and Paulo have this. Also in the non-canon Ask Roseville High comics, Sue likes to tease this. She even uses the trope name
once.
- Womanizer Sven and deconstructied Hard-Drinking Party Girl Faye of Questionable Content. Yes, even after they kind-of sort-of get together.
- No-Woo and Mu-Hyang of Divine Bells. Though this may disappear after the recent reveal of Mu-Hyang's connection to the Big Bad Baek-Yeom.
- Karkat and Terezi of Homestuck. To the extent that it has been commented upon in canon:EB: anyway, i kind of got the impression that you and terezi were a thing.
CG: WHAT DO YOU MEAN A THING.
EB: Like, i dunno.
EB: Going on weird fight dates and beating the crap out of each other, and being in hate-love or love-hate.
EB: Isn't that how it works?- Kismessitude is BST by another name. Troll society considers having such a relationship a critical part of mental and romantic health. The intensity of the hate also has a valued effect on offspring.
- Jack Noir and the Black Queen, while not trolls, have this attitude towards each other, whether they realize it or not. Their alternate universe selves Snowman and Spades Slick also have this relationship, heavily implied throughout their appearances and interactions, which include both violence and flirting. While in Doc Scratch's apartment, Snowman saves Slick's life, and they share an embrace and a "hate snog", emblazoned with a bloodstained spade (the symbol of kismesissitude.)
- Ménage à 3 had Sonya and Yuki, who were heated rivals, particularly involving their mutual crush on Zii (yes Sonya, we heard you saying you weren't a lesbian), with whom they formed a Rock Trio that predictably only lasted a very acclaimed performance before both women's in-fighting took it down. But the day after said performance, both seeing they were sharing a bed with each other, naked (along with Zii, that had left the room), leads to a fiery and eventually physical discussion, that when Zii re-enters the bedroom, has evolved into angry and passionate lovemaking. And one of their later spouts was interrupted by a very drunk Kiley, a psychology major spewing about "the benefits of sex therapy" — advice they seemingly couldn't wait to test, as it only took bringing Kiley back home amid angry shouting for both to have sex again.
- Misfile:
- Ash and Rumisiel seem to be dating despite her constant annoyance at him, but it's a fake relationship and she's really just angry at him for other reasons.
- The relationship between Ash and Emily. It's been established many times that they have feelings for each other, and Emily has struggled with the idea of being in a lesbian relationship with a former guy. They finally officially get together, but have to keep it secret for reasons other than not wanting to come out of the closet (so to speak).note
- In Monster's Garden, both Todd and Kilo attack each other the first time they meet. Todd decides to shoot Kilo inside Kilo's own home, but Kilo gets distracted by Todd's pretty face. But then Kilo decides to break Todd's hand. Todd's reaction? To grin and blush.
- Sluggy Freelance
- Riff and Gwynn dating is a bit like this, she being very Tsundere and he an insensitive jerk towards women he dates. It doesn't last, though. The relationship isn't focused on, and while it goes on, it doesn't seem to have any redeeming features, but afterwards it's shown clearly enough that there had been some actual positive emotions involved.
- A slightly complicated version between Gwynn and Torg. They're not the expected couple, because Torg has an epic Will They or Won't They? going on with Zoë. Nevertheless, they're attracted to each other, don't particularly want to admit it, and don't get along. Most of this happens on Gwynn's side; Torg gets on her nerves but usually not on purpose, and he's not unwilling to admit she's "got a lot going for her" and is "hot". He also doesn't think their fighting is serious. Meanwhile, Gwynn thinks she hates Torg's guts, acts accordingly, and thinks that the feeling is mutual and that Torg is out to get her. Naturally, she's completely unable to admit her attraction.
- Between Riff and Izzy, one of the main reasons is that Riff visited an alternative future dimension where his counterpart had married her counterpart, and he's terrified of marrying anyone.
- WTF Comics: Grouchy dragon warrior Straha and haughty elven summoner Maguna.
- Yongbi The Invincible: Hong Ye-Mong loses her cool against Yongbi for swindling her wealth. It is revealed that she was attracted to Yongbi and was engaged to him, before he swindled her. It is unknown how they made up, but in the sequel Gosu, they are both legendary martial artists and have been married for a few decades, with occasional quarrels.
- Girl Genius:
- The mellow fellow Abner and fiery gal Pix start out this way, then get together soon after Agatha joins the circus.
- Parodied with Tarvek and his cousin Violetta, when she's first introduced, Violetta's rage at and contempt for Tarvek makes Moloch von Zinzer ask it they're married. Violetta responds with revulsion but some in the fandom already shipped the two.
- Black Mage and White Mage in 8-Bit Theater would have this. Only BM lacks the heart of gold. Probably a heart at all. Oh and White Mage finds him completely and utterly repulsive in every single way possible. And some that aren't.
- Zexion and Namine spend much of Ansem Retort alternating between baiting and belittling each other in an unending battle of wits, and helping each other coordinate and execute incredibly unlikely plots. They claim to hate each other, but spend all their time around each other anyway. Namine was impressed when Zexion sold territory to Mexico for a sexy Spanish name, Zexion knew immediately who had swapped his cyanide pills with Mentos, he detoured from his booty call with Belle to brag to Namine, and Namine developed a psychic "Zexion-sense" alerting her that he was in trouble... not that she cared enough to do anything about it, mind you. It ultimately is resolved when Zexion announces that he will have sex with everything Namine loves, and Namine immediately replies that she loves herself, daring him to go through with it. He does.
- Domenico and Zoé of Sandra on the Rocks demonstrate the "divorced couple with unresolved tensions" variant of the trope, at high intensity. Buckets of cold water may be required.
- Briefly in Sarilho: Nikita and Steffano's discussion NICE FOREPLAY, LOSERS!.
- Parodied by Oglaf comic "Perhaps", with a storyteller whose stories consist entirely of describing two characters with conflicting interests, who "fell to the ground and started fucking". There's no development, no plot, and no resolution of their conflicts beyond the sex. "Perhaps that's enough."
- Ophelia Banksly and Simon Emmett of Riverside Extras. They're on opposing sides of a gang war, and their attempts to foil each other's plans frequently turn into flirting. He draws knives on her; she drugs him with ether. Lampshaded by Simon's best friend Jefferson, who "doesn't want to be a part of the foreplay". Their having sex in the chapter "Consigliera" is preceded by Ophelia telling Simon exactly how she'll destroy him if he gets in the way of her plans.
- Mage & Demon Queen features one of the most extreme, yet lighthearted examples, in that Demon Queen Velverosa keeps murdering her love interest, the Mage Malori. However, Death Is a Slap on the Wrist in this universe as Malori can easily revive in town; Malori has openly stated that she rather enjoys all the pain, suffering, and death Velverosa inflicts on her; and Velverosa is simply far too stubborn to admit the attraction is mutual.
- To Love Your Enemy: Yeonhee and Yikyung are initially either ignoring or sniping at each other, because Yikyung thinks she was trying to scam his mother and Yeonhee thinks he'll reveal her secret to the school. However, their classmates can sense some sexual tension, which is why it's easy for them to believe they're in a tenuous new relationship rather than straight enemies.
- Trapped has a very dark example with Chae-ah and Yunsu; they do bicker a lot, to the point more than a few readers have pointed out they're almost Like an Old Married Couple with a kid (Grimm), but their fights are often a matter of life or death.
