Basic Trope: Two characters are friends, then they fall for each other.
- Straight: Alice and Bob are friends. At the end of the series, they end up in a relationship.
- Exaggerated: Alice and Bob have been best friends since early childhood. They end up married at the end.
- Downplayed: Alice and Bob are close, and may have dated in the past, but they try not to dwell on it. Or they're already together and qualify for the trope, but it doesn't play an active role in their story.
- Justified: Alice and Bob have been together so long they are comfortable with each other, and a transition to a more serious commitment comes easily.
- Inverted: Better as Friends
- Subverted:
- Everyone assumes that Alice and Bob like each other, but they really are just friends.
- Alternately, Alice and Bob have UST, but resolve it more casually.
- Double Subverted:
- Alice and Bob have convinced everyone they are Just Friends, but once everyone stops bugging them about it, they come to realize that all those people had a point.
- Alternately, Alice and Bob attempt to be Friends with Benefits when they see the UST, but lo and behold, Sex Equals Love.
- Parodied: Bob is completely ignored by Alice every time he tries to tell Alice he loves her.
- Zig Zagged: Alice falls for Bob. Bob has just given up on his love for Alice. Alice then gives up on Bob, just as he falls for her again.
- Averted: Alice and Bob simply remain friends. No-one mentions how great they'd be together, neither develops feelings for the other.
- Enforced: The executives wanted the writer to add scenes where Alice and Bob insist they are just friends but everyone can see their UST to facilitate shipping and viewership.
- Lampshaded: "Alice and Bob still think they aren't going to end up together."
- Invoked: "I feel the best relationships are built around a solid friendship. This way, we have the chance to really get to know each other."
- Exploited: While Bob is busy stumbling over his feelings for Alice, Charlie swoops in to steal her.
- Defied: Alice rejects Bob because she doesn't want to ruin their friendship.
- Discussed: "Alice and Bob have a really good friendship, I think Bob has feelings for her though."
- Conversed:"Characters with that good a friendship will always fall in love with each other. Therefore, Alice and Bob will become a couple because the plot says so."
"Uh... Bob is characterized as someone who dislikes romance. Having him fall for Alice would derail his character, no?" - Deconstructed: Alice and Bob start a relationship; the relationship is staid, boring, and and one or both regret ruining their friendship.
- Reconstructed: Alice and Bob decide to separate, their old friendship develops again, and after a period where they stay friends, they develop love for each other once more, but with experience and more maturity, they take steps to avoid repeating their old mistakes, and remain together from then on.
- Implied: Alice and Bob are just friends for the whole series, but there is copious Will They or Won't They? ending with the implication they might start a relationship.
- Played For Laughs: Alice and Bob continue to insist they're just friends even after they're Friends with Benefits at least.
- Played For Drama: Bob feels entitled to a relationship because he was a good friend with Alice, even though Alice thought he was just being nice. Or they go through repeated romantic trials and tribulations involving themselves and other characters before they do get together.
The main page and I are Just Friends, okay?
