History Main / StalkingisLove

* ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'' has a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent strain of vampire]], known as "Chronic Tragic Gothic Romanticism"-type, who ''all'' believe in this trope InUniverse and take to the knowledge that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Vampirism does NOT make stalking attractive]] as though it's an AwfulTruth. The trope itself, incidentally, is ''not'' in force for any of them: Most people find vampires ''incredibly'' annoying to deal with as a result.

* One time while watching [[ComicBook/XFactor2006 Siryn]] sleep, Characters/{{Deadpool|WadeWilson}} laments that what he's doing used to be considered romantic, but now it's called "stalking" and generally considered "Trespass". But that's Deadpool.

* Similarly Characters/{{Black Cat|MarvelComics}} stalking [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] isn’t presented as creepy. At one point she even shows Spidey the StalkerShrine she made for him and while a little freaked out, he still pursues a relationship with her.

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{The Games We Play|FriendshipIsMagic}}'' is about one of Rainbow Dash's friends having a crush on her and using the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E8TheMysteriousMareDoWell Mare Do Well]] costume as a means to disguise their identity and get close to her without risking their friendship. Except "get close to her" pretty much ends up meaning "stalk and sexually harass her". [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]] in that Dash is very unhappy with this, but starts to reciprocate, and ends up feeling pretty damn confused.

* The plot of one book in ''Literature/TheBabysittersClub'' series featured the girls fearing the actions of a prank caller/prowler roaming the neighborhood. One night when two of the girls are sitting together, they're frightened by mysterious phone calls and noises outside. When one of the girls actually sees someone running away from the house at one point, she gets fed up and calls the police, who bring in one of her classmates. When she and the cops demand to know why he's been harassing her, he shyly admits that he was trying to work up the nerve to ask her out--and she ''accepts''. This isn't PlayedForLaughs or made out to be adorable like so many other examples, this is flat-out creepy and scary behavior that still results in the guy getting the girl.

* Played all over the place in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex''. Mikoto is being stalked by the grandson of her school's dean. While he's pretty attractive, she still finds him creepy and she can't just [[ShockAndAwe zap him]] because of his status, so she enlists Toma to pretend to be her boyfriend long enough to throw him off. This doesn't work--because he's actually a spy sent to keep an eye on Toma's growing list of powerful TrueCompanions, specifically Mikoto. Except that he really is in love with her, and volunteered for the mission so that they wouldn't send someone else, who wouldn't have a problem killing her if she got difficult (and "difficult" is a pretty good way of summarizing Mikoto).

* ''Manga/FutureDiary'' plays around with this trope regarding [[{{Yandere}} Yuno]] (the [[StalkerWithACrush stalker]]) and [[ActionSurvivor Yukiteru]] ([[ShrinkingViolet the stalk-ee]]). While Yuno certainly believes firmly in this trope to the point where [[spoiler:she actually traveled to a [[AlternateUniverse parallel space-time universe]] ''just'' to be with him again]], Yuki is... less than convinced. He falls in love with her by the end, if only because [[spoiler:[[BreakTheCutie he's just as messed-up as her]]]].

* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'':
** Sōsuke is assigned a mission in which he must follow Kaname around and protect her from terrorists, all the while not letting her know. Although his actions are ''way'' overboard by any normal standards and could easily be constructed as stalking, Kaname seems to view it with a mixture of curiosity, annoyance, attraction, and a bit of amusement. The reasons are probably a mix of the factors that Sōsuke's actions are ''extremely'' [[RefugeInAudacity outlandish even by stalking standards]], he appears to have [[ChasteHero as much grasp of romance and sexuality as her hamster]], and of course that he is [[BeautyEqualsGoodness extremely attractive]]. This disappears when she finds Sōsuke on her balcony [[NotWhatItLooksLike with a pair of her panties in his hand]] (which, in fact, were snatched back from Shinji, who was the one trying to steal it because some bullies put him up to it), at which point she attempts to beat him to death with a baseball bat and completely refuses to trust or talk to him until he explains the truth behind his actions. Once Kaname is in on the whole secret and can relate to Sōsuke better through an understanding of his background, it's the beginning of a friendship that develops into love.
** Leonard, a PrettyBoy antagonist, seems to believe this trope justifies his pushy advances towards Kaname, but this is treated very differently from how Sōsuke acted. Sōsuke never had any ulterior motives besides protecting Kaname to begin with, and he spent a long time learning from Kaname how to behave properly in society and respect her feelings. That she started to fall in love with Sōsuke -- and he with her -- is because they truly value each other as people, whereas Leonard acts like he's [[EntitledToHaveYou entitled to have her]] as his conquest just because he's ostensibly more suave. He only succeeds in getting Kaname to hate his guts, especially since he [[spoiler:[[SacredFirstKiss stole her first kiss]], which she wished she had given to Sōsuke]].
* ''Manga/TonaGura'': Yuuji Kagura towards Kazuki Arisaka. His efforts are clumsy, and easily turned away, and he does not insist on being and knowing her entire existence. Despite being mostly a ChivalrousPervert. Repeated beatings at her hands and the bullets of his little sister's guns do not seem capable of dissuading him from grabbing at her and raising her skirt, or trying to bear-hug her in a state of undress.
* Played with the usual amount of taste and seriousness ([[PlayedForLaughs that is, none at all]]) in ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'', where Matoi and Kafuka certainly believe this. Of course, Nozomu kindly informs her that ''[[CrossesTheLineTwice mutual suicide]]'' is true love. And then unfortunately informs her that he'd be happy to kill himself with her at any time, so she took up stalking him while her previous stalking victim started stalking ''her.''
** [[InsistentTerminology It's not 'stalking', it's 'Deep Love'!]]
** Which actually leads to a chain of stalking. [[PlayedForLaughs Hilarity Ensues]].
** Despite many of the girls in the class believing this, they are off-put by an expression by a (clearly perverted and weird) Buddhist Monk of this philosophy in one episode. The episode deals with different things in life being "previews" for later things, and the Monk claims that standing outside of your beloved's home is a preview for a date. His audience protests that this is just stalking.
** Arguably, the series (if only for RuleOfFunny) shows the philosophy validated. After a while, Itoshki seems completely used to Matoi following him everywhere, even into the bathroom, and is quite comfortable in one episode with her living in his home, and is also comfortable with Kiri Komori living in his closet, and she also followed him into the bathroom at least once.
*** Then again, it's pretty clear that none of these people, Nozomu included, could be considered even remotely well-adjusted.
* In ''Manga/AskDrRin'', this is Meirin, full stop. Maybe justified by the fact that she and Asuka are {{childhood friend|Romance}}s, but that angle just makes it look even more awkward.
* ''Manga/{{Zetsuai1989}}'' is about a male singer named Kouji whose childhood crush on a male soccer star named Izumi — who he fell for as a kid — leads to assorted sexual harassment when the two meet in person years later. The series romanticizes stalking and rewards the attacker in the end when the victim becomes comfortable with his stalker and stops running away.
* Spoofed in ''{{Literature/Durarara}}'' when Anri (jokingly) implies that she's been stalking Mikado. Upon hearing this, Mikado's brain starts zig-zagging the hell out of this trope (complete with Mikado's Inner Puppet Theater) like only a hormonal teenager can before Anri finally tells him she was kidding.
-->'''Mikado:''' Oh, crap! Is she a stalker? Wait. If she's cute it's okay, rig—''No'', this is ''bad''. It might go like... She might stab me! Or set my house on fire! And what if she takes my parents hostage?... But, maybe she has a nice personality. Then it would be okay, right?... Wait. If she did, ''she wouldn't be stalking me!''
* Shuichi from ''{{Manga/Gravitation}}'' chases Yuki constantly, despite being rejected, verbally abused, and often being called a little brat. They eventually end up together.
* In ''Manga/KoharuNoHibi'' while Akira ''is'' freaked out by Koharu's StalkerWithACrush tendencies he still eventually ends up dating her because as he said he can't leave her alone.
* In ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'', Mizore constantly stalks the main character by hiding in a dozen various places and spying on him because she has a crush on him. [[AboveTheInfluence Too bad he never notices]].
* Arima's dark side in ''Manga/HisAndHerCircumstances''. Any time that he comes onto the screen, you just know Arima is seconds away from shattering. This is made worse because to the outside world, he appears to be a put together, genius with his only match being Yukino, his girlfriend. It's scary to slowly see his thoughts morph from wanting to be with Yukino, to wanting to isolate her from everyone and keep her just for himself. His fighting with these thoughts proves that Arima is a good guy, but him imagining tying Yukino in chains does not bode well for their relationship. This is a rare case of StalkerWithACrush in which not only is the stalker in a committed relationship with his crush, but he is also portrayed as so sympathetic that you just want to save him from himself.
* Played all over the place in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex''. Mikoto is being stalked by the grandson of her school's dean. While he's pretty attractive, she still finds him creepy and she can't just [[ShockAndAwe zap him]] because of his status, so she enlists Toma to pretend to be her boyfriend long enough to throw him off. This doesn't work--because he's actually a spy sent to keep an eye on Toma's growing list of powerful TrueCompanions, specifically Mikoto. Except that he really is in love with her, and volunteered for the mission so that they wouldn't send someone else, who wouldn't have a problem killing her if she got difficult (and "difficult" is a pretty good way of summarizing Mikoto).
* Sho Kano in ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' followed Miu around, watching her from high places for nearly the entire [=DoD=] story arc due to an obsession with her based on her having similar "wings" to his.
* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'':
** A variation. While Torso's actions towards his "lovers" are depicted as being very disturbing, Torso thinks what he's doing isn't wrong. Sasaki theorizes that Torso removes the legs of his victims so they won't "leave". Once he becomes obsessed with Mutsuki, he becomes obsessed with following him and making him his, which especially escalates after Mutsuki responds to his affections in the negative leading to him to cut off his limbs to keep him from leaving. A volume 4 diary entry reveals that he believes they share a mysterious connection, and this "spark" of desire will be his salvation. He just believes they need to have a long, private talk.....then Mutsuki will understand their destined bond, and return his love. After he cuts off Mutsuki's legs and arms he declares he will forcibly marry him while having him dressed up in a white dress and putting a wedding ring on his cut-off hand. He then stands in front of him shirtless while breathing deeply which heavily implies Attempted Rape. Usually, his past "lovers" rejection of him drives him to extreme violence to punish them including destroying their faces. Also, in chapter 73 of re: Torso brings Mutsuki a flower crown, but gets angry when Mutsuki glares at him and won't accept his compliments. He beats Mutsuki violently while screaming insults. He later has them on a makeshift bed and says he only beats Mutsuki because of how deep his love for him is. He also gets a sad backstory and Mutsuki finds himself sympathizing with Torso after hearing it despite how he abused him. Despite [[spoiler: Torso's gruesome end at Mutsuki's hands]] they are still shipped together in the 2016 calendar.
** Tsukiyama is depicted as Kaneki's StalkerWithACrush in a HoYay way radiating fanservice and is portrayed very sympathetically following him [[spoiler: being rejected by Kaneki and falling into an AngstComa after believing him to be dead]].
* Mika in ''Manga/SeraphOfTheEnd'' has HoYay with Yuu and is depicted as being a very loyal and caring friend. He also has stalker tendencies towards Yuu in the Serapuchi comic and he's portrayed sympathetically with many fans hoping they get together.
** Despite Mahiru being a {{Yandere}} stalker towards Guren and him realizing he's walking down a dangerous road by having anything to do with her he still loves her and [[spoiler: they have sex in the novels]].
* ''Manga/AirGear'': Akito's relationship with Ikki. For example, Akito once kissed Ikki full on the mouth and often tries to kiss, bathe, and sleep next to or with Ikki, and constantly has No Sense of Personal Space around him. And after "rescuing" Akito, Ikki lets him stay at his house, and the only thing in any of this he seems to have a problem with is Akito's tendency to kiss him. Akito's also apparently fond of crossdressing and is even shown to have a dark side of his own, becoming jealous to the point of scaring Kururu when she gets too close to Ikki.
* In ''Manga/KaitouSaintTail'', Saint Tail always sends her nemesis/crush Asuka Jr a calling card giving him advance notice of her next theft. While some of them are delivered publicly in ways where it would be natural for her to be able to deliver given that her civilian identity is in his homeroom at school, some of the ones he finds in private would be rather creepy if they weren't played for laughs, as it wouldn't be possible for her to send them if she wasn't stalking him in her free time. Incidents include doodling the note on his face while he slept, planting it in the eggs he would have for breakfast, writing it on the back of a packet of noodles he was buying ''while still at the supermarket'', and writing it on the back of his ''bath towel'' (with the implication that the note hadn't been there when he stepped into the tub).

* In ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' fan fiction [[FanFic/TheNotSoShortSecondLifeOfBreeTanner The (Not So) Short Second Life of Bree Tanner]], the main character, Bree, is the object of some restraining order-worthy affection from [[spoiler:Alec]], though -- unlike Bella with Edward -- she's not nearly as charmed by the creepily felonious antics or isn't shy about mentioning it.

* Most ''Series/{{Glee}}'' fanfics that involve Kurt/Dave Karofsky will have this trope.

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{The Games We Play|FriendshipIsMagic}}'' is about one of Rainbow Dash's friends having a crush on her and using the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E8TheMysteriousMareDoWell Mare Do Well]] costume as a means to disguise their identity and get close to her without risking their friendship. Except "get close to her" pretty much ends up meaning "stalk and sexually harass her". [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]] in that Dash is very unhappy with this, but starts to reciprocate, and ends up feeling pretty damn confused.
* In the ''Manga/DeathNote'' [[AlternateUniverseFic AU]] ''Fanfic/ThoseWhoStandForNothingFallForAnything'' L gets upset when Light ''stops'' blatantly stalking him.

* Essentially applies in the celebrity fanfic "[[http://celeb.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600092617 Best Days of Our Lives]]", which portrays Music/KellyClarkson and Music/CarrieUnderwood as childhood sweethearts; their relationship fell apart after high school graduation because Carrie's mother was constantly making it clear when things weren't going well for them, even though the relationship itself was always happy, and after a run of bad luck involving their potential new apartment burning down before they could move in, Carrie was persuaded to return to her parents. After Kelly had her victory on ''Series/AmericanIdol'', it was basically impossible for Carrie to get back in touch with her through normal channels, to the extent that Carrie tried out for ''Idol'' herself just to get Kelly's attention and was genuinely surprised when she won.
* Explicitly rejected in ''Fanfic/WhatYouAlreadyKnow: Chimera''; when Sam Carter learns that Pete Shanahan was trying to dig into her real background even after she told him her job was classified, she calls the relationship off, stating that his actions demonstrate a lack of trust that she can’t accept.

* In the ''Fanfic/FacingTheFutureSeries'', Maddie once told Jazz that Jack would camp out on her family's yard when they were away just so he could see her when she got back. While Jack and Maddie thought it was romantic, Jazz thought that it was nothing to be proud of.

%%* Ben in ''Film/TheGraduate''.
* Trinity in ''Film/TheMatrix'' likes to watch Neo as he sleeps. This is complicated by the fact that she'd been given a prophecy by the Oracle that she'd fall in love with the One.
* The RomanticComedy ''Film/{{Management}}'' was completely undermined by the fact that Creator/SteveZahn and Creator/JenniferAniston's otherwise sweetly quirky relationship consisted of him stalking her across the country.
* The protagonist of ''Film/{{Diva}}'' stalks an opera star, then finally meets her... and she sleeps with him.

* We're introduced to Ricky in ''Film/AmericanBeauty'' when he's following Jane around with a video camera, filming her. Funnily enough, she asks him to stop filming her and he puts the camera away, saying okay.
* In ''Film/BramStokersDracula'' the titular count stalking Mina through London is put under a sympathetic light instead of being creepy like it would be in any other context, since she’s the reincarnation of his dead wife. Though even Mina herself is clearly bothered by it and [[UnfortunateImplications only relents]] to his presence when Dracula hypnotises her.
* In ''Film/KissingJessicaStein'', Jessica ends up with Josh who quite obsessively went through her personal files (including letters) at work. Apparently, because he was motivated by jealousy from their past relationship, this is fine.
* In the film version of ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', it's [[http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2010/08/081110scott_pilgrim_vs_the_world_rev.html noted]] in one review:
--> Scott falls in love with roller-skating, punk-haired Ramona Flowers at first sight, across a public space. He stalks her in a way that’s apparently meant to be adorable... To be fair, it's lampshaded right off the bat ([[FunWithSubtitles "And then... he stalked her..."]]) and played for laughs. She agrees to go out with him the next time they speak and is never really aware of his previous stalking, but neither does she seem to like him any more than "meh, he's a nice guy."
** From what is shown of her various exes, she also has a tendency to date psychotic people. This includes Gideon, who creates The League of Evil Exes to keep her from dating anyone else and return to him, [[spoiler:brainwashes her into being with him again, and hits and shove her down some steps in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything a decidedly non-comedic way]]]]. Compared to that, a guy who shyly follows her around at a party would be normal.
* The obvious ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' rip-off ''Blood Red Moon'' features this, with the male lead Victor. However, he does it... poorly. As ''[[Creator/AllisonPregler Obscurus Lupa]]'' put it in her review:
-->''"At least Edward Cullen stood more than six feet away when he was stalking someone."''
* In ''Film/UntamedHeart'', Adam and Caroline's relationship really begins because he rescues her from attackers while stalking her. He also enters her room while she's sleeping which he somehow pulls off without her calling the police.

* A blatant example in ''Film/MajorLeague'', Jake stalks his crush several times after Willy's character says to follow her home (Since he didn't know where she lived) and she seems to take this all with just a shrug of her shoulders despite telling him it's over several times. They end up together at the end of the film.

* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'':
** Peter's love interest Gwen Stacy doesn't have much of a problem with finding out she graces the background of his computer, or him attending a tour of hers that he clearly didn't sign up for[[note]]he didn't sign up for the tour for her sake[[/note]], or him repeatedly visiting her room via the window rather than by the door[[note]]he explains it as being scared of the doorman the first time and by the second she knows he's Spidey[[/note]]. May be lampshaded by showing she owns several ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' books.
** Even more so in the sequel ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'', where Peter takes to watching Gwen from rooftops after they break up. We get this exchange:
--->'''Gwen:''' Have you been following me?\\
'''Gwen:''' How often?\\
'''Peter:''' Just once a day. Sometimes... Sometimes more.
* In ''Film/{{P2}}'', Thomas expects Angela to be attracted to him even after he kidnaps her, chases her through the parking lot, kills two of her coworkers, locks her in the trunk of a car, and sics his dog on her.

* ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'':
** Ripcord's amorous designs on Scarlett tend to come off as stalking, despite most likely being meant to be charmingly goofy.
** Destro has this sort of relationship with the Baroness. Unlike traditional versions of the romance where it's entirely consensual, he seems ''very'' interested in the current one despite her showing only marginal interest in return. [[spoiler:He even has her husband killed for touching her.]] However, he also knows [[spoiler:she's mind-controlled]].

* In ''Film/IndecentProposal'', Gage's behavior towards Diana following their one-night stand, something that was ''contractually agreed on'' to be one night and nothing more. He shows up at both of her workplaces (she's a realtor who teaches ESL part-time) uninvited and unannounced and otherwise manipulates situations in order to bring her close to him, essentially forcing her into a relationship. At one point, incensed at his conduct, she shows up at ''his'' office to tell him off, and here the DoubleStandard kicks in full force -- whereas his behavior was portrayed as adorable and playful even though she clearly found it upsetting, hers is made out to be alarming and disruptive even though she has every right to be angry with him. But sure enough, she gradually softens towards him and they end up together for a good portion of the movie.
* In ''Film/TheHairyBird'', Snake pursues Tinka even though she isn’t interested, going as far as to proclaim his love for her outside her window and showing up at her school claiming to be her dad.
* ''Film/{{Hannibal}}'' turns the title character into a StalkerWithACrush for Clarice Starling. While in ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs, he simply seems to enjoy being creepy for creepiness' sake, the sequel turns it into a kind of weird romantic love for Clarice Starling, with him sneaking into her house and watching her sleep (while touching her face and hair). In a deleted scene, he breaks into her car and licks the steering wheel to get the taste of her. Not to mention the part where she's talking to him on a cell phone trying to find him, and it turns out he was behind her touching her hair. The weird thing is that it's actually meant to be romantic.
* Notorious Music/VanillaIce star vehicle, ''Film/CoolAsIce'' sees BadassBiker Johnny Van Owen playing this trope jaw-droppingly straight. He obsessively pursues Kathy, whom he knocked off a ''horse'' in their first meeting, and yet she's somehow charmed by him and his early 90s witticisms, at the expense of her current jock boyfriend. The most infamous moment is when Johnny sneaks into Kathy's house early in the morning, lays down right next to her(!), and wakes her up with [[ActorAllusion an ice cube.]]
* In ''Film/WrittenOnTheWind'', Lucy eventually falls in love with Kyle and marries him despite initially trying to get away from him several times.
* ''Film/WishUpon'': Paul, under the influence of the wish box, falls madly in love with Claire. So madly that he starts breaking into her house and taking photos of her while she sleeps.
* ''Film/JasonsLyric'': Jason follows [[LoveInterests Lyric]] from the restaurant where she works at to her home, because he's determined to get to know more about her.
* ''Film/{{Flipped}}'': In the beginning, as Juli instantly falls in love with his new neighbor, Bryce, follows him almost everywhere he goes. Particularly, everytime they go to school, much to Bryce's annoyance.

* In Creator/{{Ovid}}'s ''Literature/TheMetamorphoses'' (specifically the Daphne and Apollo chapter), Apollo tells Daphne that he chases her not as a foe, but from love (although ''she'' certainly didn't see it that way), making this trope at least OlderThanFeudalism.
* In the musical's sequel to ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'', [[spoiler:Christine realized long ago that she wasn't "looking with her heart" when she chose Raoul over the Phantom. So stalking and murder IS love in this version]]! It's especially sad considering that in the book Erik realizes that he's a sick, psychopathic, horrible stalker, but can't stop himself, eventually choosing [[spoiler:suicide]] as the solution. He may be TheWoobie, but the kind of Woobie who [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds doesn't mind killing hundreds of people to get the attention of his love interest. ]]
** Fans of the Broadway Musical are also unaware (or at least don’t acknowledge) that in [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera the book]] while Christine does care for Erik and pity him, she’s [[AbhorrentAdmirer still horrified and disgusted]] by him and how he haunts her steps. In fact when faced with the prospect [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe of marrying Erik]] in the book Christine literally ''bangs her head against the walls trying to kill herself'', but she only succeeds in knocking herself out. The musical and other adaptations have made the relationship between Christine and the Phantom LostInTranslation, by glossing over the darker aspects and just how [[BreakTheCutie tormented Christine is by him]].
** Also in ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', Raoul's claim to Christine's love is that he's been obsessed with her since he met her when they were children, becomes jealous and possessive the moment he suspects she's seeing someone else (Note: that at this point he hasn't even spoken to her since they were teenagers). And then he waits in the darkness outside her dressing room so he can sneak inside and search for The Phantom. Christine does call him on this creepy behaviour and Raoul does eventually cool down by the end of the book. Christine also choose not to speak to him before since Erik was close by and murderously jealous of Raoul, so she was actually protecting him.
* In ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'', Edward Cullen starts out by flat-out stalking Bella and watching her as she sleeps. Does she mind? No. Even as he tells her how dangerous he is, she finds him more and more attractive, eventually allowing him to entirely isolate her from her old life and friends (even granted that she wasn't particularly happy with them to begin with, her sheer passivity can still come across as disturbing). Edward even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this in the prequel ''Literature/MidnightSun2020'', becoming disgusted with himself when he sneaks into Bella's window to watch her sleep and berating himself as a creepy stalker who ''should not be doing this''. [[IgnoredEpiphany It doesn't stop him from going ahead and doing it anyway.]] [[ParanoiaFuel Repeatedly.]] When he does finally confess that he has been watching her sleep, she is actually ''flattered'' by it.
* In the Literature/KateDaniels novel ''Magic Strikes'', Kate learns that Curran has been breaking into her apartment to watch her sleep (and eat her snacks). While she calls him a stalker to his face and threatens to call the cops on him, [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent the shapeshifters]] consider this normal courtship behavior.
* In ''Literature/HushHush'', Patch constantly stalks Nora. Her being flustered and bothered by this is treated like a MeetCute, even though we later learn that [[spoiler:he initially was stalking her to learn how best to murder her]]. We also later learn that [[spoiler:he decided that he loved her during said stalking before they even met once]].
* This happens in the ''Twilight''-ripoff ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey''. The title character actually tracks Ana via her cellphone, which, in addition to being creepy, is kind of illegal. In the same book, Grey also stalks Ana Steele across state lines when she goes to visit her mother in Savannah, Georgia. Ana calls it stalking, too; she's just unable to grasp that stalking is a ''bad'' thing.
* In the second book of ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'', Alanna explicitly calls George's behavior "stalking" while he's doing his DoggedNiceGuy routine, and in the third he has a couple of his spies follow her into the desert (where she is trying to get ''away'' from this and other complications of Corus). Although Alanna is annoyed with these things at the time, she eventually marries him. Tamora Pierce has since acknowledged this as a major case of ValuesDissonance, as stalking was much less understood in the '80s, and even says it's the one thing about the franchise she'd like to go back and change.
** Then ''The Immortals'' has Numair stealing a lock of Daine's hair without permission while she's suffering from a debilitating illness, which she doesn't mind at all since she suddenly realizes she's in love with him. It was actually so he'd have a way to magically track her if she went missing, but given the fact that Pierce had previously given us George and Alanna, many fans cried {{Unfortunate Implications}}. There's also the whole thing about her being 16 and him 30, and a teacher and student - which was why he initially rejected her, pointing to the age gap and his [[ReallyGetsAround reputation]] (also, she was kind of concussed at the time).

* While he doesn't flat-out stalk her, Peeta Mellark admits to Katniss Everdeen during [[Literature/TheHungerGames the 74th Hunger Games]] that he used to watch her walk home from school every day.

%%* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'', it is revealed in repressed memories that when Ezio initially met Cristina, after failing to get her attention on the first try, he proceeded to stalk her from the rooftops Le parkour style. This is glossed over of course because A) how else would you expect Ezio to use his family's natural skills to impress the ladies (don't answer that question) and B) because you proceed to save her from Ezio's arch-rival whose [[FridgeHorror intent kind of makes the stalking pale in comparison]].

%%* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', if you recruit Tharja in Chapter 9, she instantly falls head-over-heels for your PlayerCharacter. This being a game where you can [[{{Shipping}} pair]] [[RelationshipValues up]] (opposite-gender) couples, if you're playing as a male character you're free to return her feelings by raising the Support rank between you and her up to S if you wish.

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] / Played with in ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama World Tour'' -- Cody does ''not'' appreciate [[StalkerWithACrush Sierra's]] torturous obsession with him for most of the season, but is generally touched when she remembers his birthday when [[ForgottenBirthday not even]] ''[[ForgottenBirthday he]]'' [[ForgottenBirthday did]]. Finally having him return her affection seems to prompt her to tone herself down. Somewhat, at least. Funny, he had no problem with stalking Gwen. Then, [[NoGuyWantsToBeChased when the roles get reversed, he's a bad guy]]...although to be fair, he left Gwen alone once he knew she was interested in someone else and only went after her again once she was unattached.

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''. Timmy casually references that AlphaBitch Trixie has a restraining order against him but Timmy’s own [[AbhorrentAdmirer disliked]] [[StalkerWithACrush stalker]] Tootie is someone he considers creepy and Timmy has filed a restraining order against her. However, many episodes have Timmy come to the conclusion that Tootie is genuinely in love with him.

* In ''Manga/KaitouSaintTail'', Saint Tail always sends her nemesis/crush Asuka Jr a calling card giving him advance notice of her next theft. While some of them are delivered publicly, some of the ones he finds in private would be rather creepy if they weren't played for laughs. Incidents include doodling the note on his face while he slept, planting it in the eggs he would have for breakfast, writing it on the back of a packet of noodles he was buying ''while still at the supermarket'', and writing it on the back of his ''bath towel'' (with the implication that the note hadn't been there when he stepped into the tub).

* ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'':

* Spoofed in ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}'' when Anri (jokingly) implies that she's been stalking Mikado. Upon hearing this, Mikado's brain starts zig-zagging the hell out of this trope (complete with Mikado's Inner Puppet Theater) like only a hormonal teenager can before Anri finally tells him she was kidding.

* In the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' fan fiction[[FanFic/TheNotSoShortSecondLifeOfBreeTanner The (Not So) Short Second Life of Bree Tanner]], the main character, Bree, is the object of some restraining order-worthy affection from [[spoiler:Alec]], though -- unlike Bella with Edward -- she's not nearly as charmed by the creepily felonious antics or isn't shy about mentioning it.

* In ''Fanfic/IfBellaWereSane'', Edward stalks Bella [[spoiler:and tries to trick her into marrying him while she's drunk]] because he's in love with her. Unlike the Bella of the ''{{Literature/Twilight}}'' books, the fanfiction has her creeped out and punch him over it. The last chapter, in which [[spoiler:Bella's very loopy, very Mormon [[Creator/StephenieMeyer Aunt Stephenie]] comes to visit from Arizona]] makes a huge TakeThat at the trope.

* The obvious ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' rip-off ''Blood Red Moon'' features this, with the male lead Victor. However, he does it... poorly. As ''[[Creator/AllisonPregler Obscurus Lupa]]'' put it in her review:

** Peter's love interest Gwen Stacy doesn't have much of a problem with finding out she graces the background of his computer, or him attending a tour of hers that he clearly didn't sign up for[[note]]he didn't sign up for the tour for her sake[[/note]], or him repeatedly visiting her room via the window rather than by the door[[note]]he explains it as being scared of the doorman the first time and by the second she knows he's Spidey[[/note]]. May be lampshaded by showing she owns several ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' books.

* ''Film/JasonsLyric'': Jason follows [[LoveInterest Lyric]] from the restaurant where she works at to her home, because he's determined to get to know more about her.

* In ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'', Edward Cullen starts out by flat-out stalking Bella and watching her as she sleeps. Does she mind? No. Even as he tells her how dangerous he is, she finds him more and more attractive, eventually allowing him to entirely isolate her from her old life and friends (even granted that she wasn't particularly happy with them to begin with, her sheer passivity can still come across as disturbing). Edward even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this in the prequel ''Literature/MidnightSun2020'', becoming disgusted with himself when he sneaks into Bella's window to watch her sleep and berating himself as a creepy stalker who ''should not be doing this''. [[IgnoredEpiphany It doesn't stop him from going ahead and doing it anyway.]] [[ParanoiaFuel Repeatedly.]] When he does finally confess that he has been watching her sleep, she is actually ''flattered'' by it.