History Main / CannotSpitItOut

%%Zero Context examples are commented-out. Please do not re-add without adding context.

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[[caption-width-right:350:And Reiko was so close too! From ''Webcomic/{{Rascals}}''.]]

* ''Webcomic/TheDreamlandChronicles'': [[http://www.thedreamlandchronicles.com/the-dreamland-chronicles/todays-dreamland-chronicles-550/ Silly girl just say something]]

* Eric (one of the ''Webcomic/{{Loserz}}'' webcomic's protagonists) has this problem with Alice, even after she told him she liked him. See [[http://the-qlc.com/loserz/go/142 here]].

* In one episode of ''Series/{{Psych}}'', [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Henry]] is given fifteen seconds to deliver a final message to [[WellDoneSonGuy Shawn]] in the hypothetical situation of dying in a plane crash (like the victim of the episode). He stumbles over his words until the fifteen seconds are up. Only after Shawn stalks out does he string together "I love you."

!!Examples

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* In ''Series/StrangerThings'', Mike gets pretty easily flustered telling Eleven how he feels about her, to the point that Mike cannot even say the word "love" around Eleven. In the first season finale, Mike is explaining to Eleven how she'll be a member of his family, with his older sister Nancy as one to her, but he doesn't want to be like a brother to her, so to explain, he instead kisses her. Eleven's face lights up in absolute delight afterward. In Season 3 [[spoiler:after getting back together following a temporary break up]], Mike gets into an argument with Max and Nancy about El overtaxing her powers to find [[BigBad the Mind Flayer]], and in a rush of emotion finally admits that he loves her. However, since El had been in the other room at the time, she didn't hear him. [[spoiler:At least, that was what Eleven let Mike believe; in the season finale Eleven reveals that not only did she hear Mike, she also loves him.]]

* And the similarly titled "Things I'll Never Say" by Music/AvrilLavigne: "Marry me today/Guess I'm wishing my life away/with these things I'll never say"

** The subplot of the Season 5 episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E16DrBashirIPresume Dr, Bashir, I Presume]]" involves Rom attempting to confess his love for Leeta, only to repeatedly chicken out. For her part, she feels the same way, but mistakes Rom's timidity for reluctance. In the final scene, as Leeta's about to leave [=DS9=] with Zimmerman, Rom finally tells her how he feels. Much to Zimmerman's disappointment, she returns Rom's affections and decides to stay.

* Odo of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' spent the better part of a decade in love with Kira without ever being able to confess his feelings to her (well, unless you count [[spoiler:his AnguishedDeclarationOfLove to what turned out to be a changeling that had taken Kira's form]] or the [[spoiler:confession made by a 200-year-older future Odo in "Children of Time")]], to the point that when he finally does Jadzia comments [[LampshadeHanging "It was about time"]].

* Initially played for laughs, then played for drama in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' episode "Jedi Night". Hera, who is a bit delirious due to being given a TruthSerum while being interrogated by the Empire, spends the entire episode trying to tell Kanan something while he breaks her out of jail, only to BaitAndSwitch to something silly ("I have to tell you something... [[ImportantHairCut I hate you hair.]]"). At the end of the episode, she finally manages to tell him that she loves him... [[spoiler:and then [[HeroicSacrifice he dies]] right afterwards]], leading to her anguishing over why didn't she tell him sooner. The GrandFinale later heavily suggests, however, that she was trying to tell him something ''else'' — [[spoiler:she's pregnant]].

* ''Comicbook/{{Shazam}}'': For most of his super heroing career, Captain Marvel Jr couldn't tell anyone his name, because it happened to also be his [[ByThePowerOfGreyskull transformation phrase]] (minus the "Jr"). (He's now known as Shazam, having taken over for Billy Batson, who took over for the Wizard Shazam as guardian of The Rock of Ages.)

** Late in Season Five after [[spoiler: May tells Coulson that she loves him]] Coulson repeatedly tries to reply and fails each time.

** The whole series would have been much simpler if Aoi and Kaoru could just tell Kaoru's [[TheUnwantedHarem Unwanted Harem]] that he was taken. Also much shorter. On the upside, it paves the way for Tina's [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome crowning moment.]]

* [[http://www.myanime.me/screenshots/115206-episode-13-screenshot-005.jpg Shallot]] from Creator/TatsuyamaSayuri's ''Manga/HappyHappyClover'', has a secret crush on [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIrNEiChB8E/UJXnXltOkoI/AAAAAAAAAVk/sdbUuqxYuMQ/s1600/vlcsnap-2012-11-04-10h42m25s69.jpg Clover's best friend Mallow]]. In one story from the first volume, Shallot asks Clover to deliver a secret letter to Mallow and tells her it's a secret between him and her. [[{{Foil}} But Kale's baby brothers hears]] what Shallot and Clover we're talking about and later when Clover loses the letter. She decides to look for it, but the entire forest animals hears about the letter which was a result that Kale's brothers said to one of them and started asking each animal. When things start getting out of hand, Clover then see's Mallow asking for the letter that Shallot secretly gave Clover. By the end, the entire forest knows about this while Mallow is confused and Shallot is embarrassed. In the second volume, where a the main characters would answer questions to readers/fans. Shallot reveals that he wants to tell Mallow that he likes her, but its impossible to him since she's mostly spending time with Clover. However in the final volume, when Shallot get's hurt. Mallow recently in that volume wanted to be a doctor and decides to visit Shallot. Near the end of the story, [[LoveConfession Shallot accidentally admits to Mallow that he likes her.]] [[DoubleTake When he realized that he said that,]] [[ThatCameOutWrong he tries to say that it wasn't supposed to sound like that.]] But Mallow's response? [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments He gives]] [[OfficialCouple him a big hug!]] After Mallow hugged him, Shallot get's so excited that he passes out as a response. Mallow responds by trying to wake him up, she also monologues about her heart feeling "fuzzy and warm" after he said that to her. Ever since that day, [[GenkiGirl Clover]] [[CuddleBug mentions that Mallow's been giving alot of hugs to him lately.]] Near the end of the final volume, [[HappilyMarried he and Mallow get married during the epilogue of the series.]]

%%** Also subverted early on by Nodoka, [[ShrinkingViolet the last person you'd expect]]. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Aww]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments yeah!]] Which makes it all the more unfortunate (as revealed in the ''rushed'' ending) that she was rejected.

* Knuckles and Rouge in ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' seem to have a mutual affection for each other, as heavily hinted at in their last interaction in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', but their respective duties as guardian of the Master Emerald and government agent keep them from pursuing things further.

** Amy Rose's ''Boom'' counterpart, like [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog the main universe version]], is in love with Sonic. But Boom!Amy tries to keep this to herself rather than obviously fawn over him. In "Translate This", Amy is actually visibly horrified when the Universal Translator nearly blurts out her crush for her, so she smashes it with her hammer.

* In ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' novels, Kolea cannot bring himself to admit to Dalin that he is his real birth father.

* [[http://www.myanime.me/screenshots/115206-episode-13-screenshot-005.jpg Shallot]] from Creator/TatsuyamaSayuri's ''Manga/HappyHappyClover'', has a secret crush on [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIrNEiChB8E/UJXnXltOkoI/AAAAAAAAAVk/sdbUuqxYuMQ/s1600/vlcsnap-2012-11-04-10h42m25s69.jpg Clover's best friend Mallow]]. In one story from the first volume, Shallot asks Clover to deliver a secret letter to Mallow and tells her it's a secret between him and her. [[{{Foil}} But Kale's baby brothers hears]] what Shallot and Clover we're talking about and later when Clover loses the letter. She decides to look for it, but the entire forest animals hears about the letter which was a result that Kale's brothers said to one of them and started asking each animal. When things start getting out of hand, Clover then see's Mallow asking for the letter that Shallot secretly gave Clover. By the end, the entire forest knows about this while Mallow is confused and Shallot is embarrassed. In the second volume, where a the main characters would answer questions to readers/fans. Shallot reveals that he wants to tell Mallow that he likes her, but its impossible to him since she's mostly spending time with Clover. However in the final volume, when Shallot get's hurt. Mallow recently in that volume wanted to be a doctor and decides to visit Shallot. Near the end of the story, [[LoveConfession Shallot accidentally admits to Mallow that he likes her.]] [[DoubleTake When he realized that he said that,]] [[ThatCameOutWrong he tries to say that it wasn't supposed to sound like that.]] [[FragileFlower But Mallow's response?]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments He gives]] [[OfficialCouple him a big hug!]] After Mallow hugged him, Shallot get's so excited that he passes out as a response. Mallow responds by trying to wake him up, she also monologues about her heart feeling "fuzzy and warm" after he said that to her. Ever since that day, [[GenkiGirl Clover]] [[CuddleBug mentions that Mallow's been giving alot of hugs to him lately.]] Near the end of the final volume, [[HappilyMarried he and Mallow get married during the epilogue of the series.]]

** Subverted in "Once More, With Feeling", in which several "Can't Spit It Out" plot threads that could have been milked for weeks, if not seasons, are dragged into the open by a demon's musical curse.
** In Season 3's "Revelations", Willow wants to admit something to Buffy--which gets interrupted by a fight. Then Willow lies to Buffy to avoid saying what's going on and it later nearly costs Willow her relationship with Oz. Could've saved a half a season's worth of relationship drama (and she helped break up Xander/Cordelia).

** Also subverted early on by Nodoka, [[ShrinkingViolet the last person you'd expect]]. See [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v04/c033/18.html here]]. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Aww]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments yeah!]] Which makes it all the more unfortunate (as revealed in the ''rushed'' ending) that she was rejected.

* ''Manga/OreMonogatari'' plays this straight between Takeo and Rinko for about three episodes before Makoto gets annoyed and forces them both to tell the truth, resulting in the two going steady almost immediately. Makoto basically spares the audience about 20 episodes worth of angst and romantic tension.

*** From [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E3SchoolReunion "School Reunion"]], the Doctor tells Rose that he leaves his companions behind because he will always outlive them:

*** Also in "The Satan Pit", where it looks like he might finally ask another character to pass "I love you" along to Rose, the Doctor bails out at the last minute — in a very sweet way, mind. "Tell Rose– tell her... Oh, she knows."

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