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* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In the Season 1 episode "The Fortune-Teller," Katara initially dismisses Aang as "a sweet little guy, like Momo [their pet lemur]." At the end of the episode, she has this realization when Sokka remarks that Aang is a powerful bender, which is the description the fortune-teller gave her of her future husband. Downplayed in that Katara doesn't give much weight towards pursuing a relationship with Aang following this realization, even after Aang makes his feelings for her clear, wishing to focus more on the group's efforts to end the Hundred Year War.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'', Callum had a childhood crush on the PerkyGoth Claudia -- right up until she chooses to ignore their friendship in favor of helping her father try to kidnap not just him, but his kid brother along with the titular Dragon Prince. Later, his new friend, the ActionGirl Moonshadow Elf Rayla, kisses him when Callum comforts her during a low moment; he's caught off guard, but the kiss makes his feelings for her crystalize, and they become an OfficialCouple.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', the titular protagonist is initially so emotionally stunted by his upbringing in the village that resulted from his parents' deaths and the way the majority of the villagers treated him because of Kurama that he is completely unable to tell the difference between romantic love and the kind of 'love' one would feel for a favorite treat (such as ramen). And as a result, he proves completely oblivious to how Hinata is just about the only one who genuinely likes (and later loves) him for exactly as he is even back when they were both little kids (and the fact that he also ends up developing a shallow crush on Sakura as a result of him coming to view her as a prize to be won in his rivalry against Sasuke (whom Sakura herself likes) certainly doesn't help either). It isn't until long after he's matured and later realized the true nature of different types of love (among other things) that he finally becomes aware of how Hinata had always been willing and able to give him the love and attention he'd wanted for so long even when no one else would and that he himself had in fact already loved her as well without even realizing. And from there, the two eventually manage to become an OfficialCouple.

* ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'': Penelope joins the gang and develops a bond with Bentley, but she spends a good portion of the game crushing on Sly, completely obvious to Bentley's own crush on her. However, after being rescued by Captain [=LeFwee=] in the penultimate chapter, she comes to realize her romantic feelings for Bentley, and they hook up. Of course, by ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'', this was thrown out the window when Penelope reveals her true colors as a manipulator and sociopath.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In the Season 1 episode "The Fortune-Teller," Katara initially dismisses Aang as "a sweet little guy, like Momo [their pet lemur]." At the end of the episode, she has this realization when Sokka remarks that Aang is a powerful bender, which is the description the fortune-teller gave her of her future husband.

-->--'''Rebecca''', ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'', [[Recap/CrazyExGirlfriendS2E3AllSignsPointToJoshOrIsItJoshsFriend "All Signs Point to Josh... Or Is It Josh's Friend?"]]

!!This is a [[TheReveal Revelation Trope]]. [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff All spoilers are unmarked]]. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

* In ''ComicBook/LauraDeanKeepsBreakingUpWithMe'', Freddy Riley spends most of the comic struggling with her on-again-off-again relationship with her girlfriend Laura Dean, unaware of the affections of her friend Doodle who's always checking on her.

* In ''Anime/{{Naruto}}'', the titular protagonist is initially so emotionally stunted by his upbringing in the village that resulted from his parents' deaths and the way the majority of the villagers treated him because of Kurama that he is completely unable to tell the difference between romantic love and the kind of 'love' one would feel for a favorite treat (such as ramen). And as a result, he proves completely oblivious to how Hinata is just about the only one who genuinely likes (and later loves) him for exactly as he is even back when they were both little kids (and the fact that he also ends up developing a shallow crush on Sakura as a result of him coming to view her as a prize to be won in his rivalry against Sasuke (whom Sakura herself likes) certainly doesn't help either). It isn't until long after he's matured and later realized the true nature of different types of love (among other things) that he finally becomes aware of how Hinata had always been willing and able to give him the love and attention he'd wanted for so long even when no one else would and that he himself had in fact already loved her as well without even realizing. And from there, the two eventually manage to become an OfficialCouple.
* In ''Manga/YonaOfTheDawn'', Princess Yona is initially infatuated with Su Won, failing to notice the affection of her childhood friend and eventual bodyguard Son Hak. Once Su Won kills Yona's father, the King, she begins to take note of Son Hak and his loyalty, and fall for him.

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The Lion King]]'', Simba and Nala initially react to the notion of their betrothal with revulsion, since they are JustFriends. When they become adults, they realize that their familiarity as cubs makes them more compatible than they thought.

* ''Literature/{{Emma}}'': Near the end of the novel, Emma realizes that she is in love with Mr. Knightley, her late father's best friend who had been like an uncle to her when she was growing up.
* ''Literature/TheExpanse'': In ''Cibola Burn'', Elvi Okoye spends most of the book pining for Holden, who is already spoken for and mildly put off by her awkward advances. But after Fayez explains that [[YouNeedToGetLaid she's just horny]] and that he is available, she consents. Four books later, they're HappilyMarried.

* While Simon and Baz ARE the OfficialCouple of the book ''Literature/CarryOn'', Simon initially is dating the nice pretty Agatha for half the book. Only when she gets upset with being the StandardHeroReward and Baz messes up by letting shine through that he actually has been in love with Simon for ''years'' does Simon realize that he and his brooding roommate are actually pretty compatible. It takes another quarter of the book and multiple dramatic life-and-death situations for him to actually fall in love though.
* In the ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' series, Anne declines Gilbert's proposal and instead dates [[RomanticFalseLead Roy Gardner]]. Anne eventually realises that she only loved the idea of Roy as her childhood "romantic ideal" and she and Gilbert eventually get together at the end of ''Anne of the Island''.

* Callum in ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'' had a childhood crush on the PerkyGoth Claudia -- right up until she chooses to ignore their friendship in favor of helping her father try to kidnap not just him, but his kid brother along with the titular Dragon Prince. Later, his new friend, the ActionGirl Moonshadow Elf Rayla, kisses him when Callum comforts her during a low moment; he's caught off guard, but the kiss makes his feelings for her crystalize, and they become an OfficialCouple.

* In ''Series/OneDayAtATime2017'', Elena spends a whole episode doggedly trying to figure out if her crush Dani is gay. She finds out she is... and has a girlfriend already. A dejected Elena is then approached by Syd, who has been present the entire episode and made conversation with her a few times, but she hadn't paid them much attention, until:
-->'''Syd:''' She has a girlfriend. She's so lucky. ''[awkward laugh]'' Hey... [[ItMakesSenseInContext you wanna split that cookie]]?
-->'''Elena:''' Huh? Wait. ''[realization as Syd looks at her shyly]'' OHHHHHHHHH.
-->'''Syd:''' Oh -- never mind -- sorry, sorry! I just--
-->'''Elena:''' NO! GAY! Me! Gay!
-->'''Syd:''' Oh! Uh... [[HulkSpeak me gay, too]].

-->'''Shaun:''' For the record, I'm also your "Mr. Right There in Front of You."
-->'''Nina:''' What the fuck is that?
-->'''Shaun:''' Like in [[RomanticComedy rom-coms]]. The one who's always there if you just take the time to notice.
-->'''Nina:''' Yeah, no, but nice try.
-->'''Shaun:''' Well, no. It's true.
-->'''Nina:''' Okay, look, you're a lot of things, including ginger-ish and intermittently ruddy--but you are definitely not my--
-->'''Shaun:''' Mr. Right There in Front of You. And here's the beautiful twist: [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend the more that you deny it, the more that you're just proving my point.]]

* ''Series/YouMeHer'': For multiple seasons, Nina caries on various drama with her sometimes-boyfriend Andy. All the while Shaun is in the background, being generally grounded and solid. Shaun eventually lampshades it near the end of season 3:

-->'''Shaun:''' Like in rom-coms. The one who's always there if you just take the time to notice.

-->'''Nina:''' Okay, look, you're a lot of things, including ginger-ish and intermittently ruddy -- but you are definitely not my--

* In ''Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me'', Freddy Riley spends most of the comic struggling with her on-again-off-again relationship with her girlfriend Laura Dean, unaware of the affections of her friend Doodle who's always checking on her.

!!This is a [[TheReveal revelation trope]]. [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff All Spoilers are Unmarked]]. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

!!Since this is a reveal trope, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff spoilers will remain unmarked]]. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

!!Since this is a reveal trope, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff spoilers will remain unmarked.]]

'''Since this is a reveal trope, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff spoilers will remain unmarked.]]'''

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': While Ginny Weasley had a crush on Harry all the way back in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Harry was too young and too embarrassed by the attention at the time, seeing Ginny as simply Ron's little sister. After he saves her life, Ginny relaxes around him and they develop a friendship over the years. After Harry's longtime crush on Cho Chang goes south and Ginny goes with Harry to the Ministry of Magic, by the time ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' rolls around he finds he's jealous of Ginny's relationship with Dean Thomas. [[spoiler: This culminates in the two getting together and later marrying]]. [[spoiler: Ginny later reveals she never lost her feelings for Harry, and was advised by Hermione to date other boys and relax around Harry on purpose to give him a better chance to get to know her as a person, purposely invoking the trope.]]

* ''Theatre/MeAndMyDick'': Joey (and his Heart) ''think'' that he's this for Vanessa, with Heart saying, "Sometimes your one true love turns out to be the person you initially disliked". But Joey's HollywoodHomely friend Sally ends up being this for ''Joey'' after Sally confesses her real feelings for him. Discussed in "Even Though".

* In ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'', Anna is initially romantically attached to the debonair Prince Hans, but after Hans reveals his true colours as a manipulator and sociopath, Anna starts to contemplate her feelings for Kristoff, the sassy ice harvester who assisted her on her journey. Kristoff himself is initially hesitant to acknowledge that he has feelings for Anna, believing Hans to be her TrueLove, but after it becomes clear that Hans is the RomanticFalseLead, at the end of the film, he and Anna begin a relationship.

Perhaps [[WrongGuyFirst the lead was previously with someone else who wasn't right for them]], or even if there wasn't anyone else, [[UnknowinglyInLove perhaps the possibility of being in a romance ]] with the lead [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend hadn't necessarily occurred to the suitor, either]]. Either way, there needs to be an in-universe justification for why the two end up together.