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->''So I cross my heart and I hope to die\\
That I'll only stay with you one more night\\
And I know I said it a million times\\
But I'll only stay with you one more night''
-->-- '''Music/Maroon5''', "One More Night"

One way of getting around the potential [[ArcFatigue monotony]] of WillTheyOrWontThey is by [[RelationshipUpgrade getting them together]]... then [[BreakUpMakeUpScenario breaking them up]]. Then getting them back together. Then breaking them up. This allows writers to both explore the pair as a romantic couple, but still (hopefully) avoid a ShippingBedDeath by keeping the relationship novel and keep an air of drama as the relationship isn't set in stone. (That said, there's still the looming threat of RomanticPlotTumor if done poorly.) Naturally, this can be TruthInTelevision as people can break up with a lover but find themselves back together.

While this trope was once considered one of the main ways to create drama between the show's couples and keep viewers intrigued, as opposed to the standard characters that genuinely do love each other despite all the wacky shenanigans they get up to, in [[FollowTheLeader no small part thanks to]] [[Series/ILoveLucy a famous show in the fifties]], and thus was seen as a nice breath of fresh air, it's slowly becoming more and more of DiscreditedTrope with each new generation of media. Indeed, because of the overuse of this trope, [[FollowTheLeader in no part thanks to]] [[Series/{{Friends}} a famous nineties show]] that took this trope to its LogicalExtreme, this is slowly starting to be viewed as one of the ways to ''not'' write a relationship in fiction. Instead, it's often viewed better to have a couple who genuinely love each other despite their differences, and focus more on them trying to find a middle ground with each other's quirks, and at the end of the day, it all works out.

In other words, to paraphrase, [[{{Irony}} the breath of fresh air ended up becoming a cliché itself, and making the cliché it replaced a breath of fresh air for a new generation]].

Of course, writers often TakeAThirdOption by having a couple who's in a loving relationship, but not have it be the main focus, but that's a completely different topic entirely.

Remember though, despite it being viewed as a DiscreditedTrope among more recent media, this [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools doesn't make it an inherently bad trope]]. This trope ''can'' be used as a fine source of drama in fiction, but it needs to be one that's handled with care. Have the couple break up ''too'' many times, and it'll end up stretching the audience's WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief, and it gets to the point where it's more annoying to viewers than interesting, causing a show to fall under.

Compare NewOldFlame, which is usually a one-time getting back together and usually used as a form of RememberTheNewGuy May result in FriendsWithBenefits for a while... but don't expect that to last terribly long. May also result in RelationshipLabelingProblems as a form of LampshadeHanging. Sometimes starts with SexWithTheEx. This trope is a specific form of YoYoPlotPoint.
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/DragonBall'': Bulma and Yamcha had a pretty rocky on-again-off-again relationship, partly due to Yamcha being a ChickMagnet and Bulma getting jealous over all the attention he kept getting from other girls. They split up for good in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', and Bulma eventually married Vegeta.
* In ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}'', Chiquita and Lehm have been married twice (and divorced twice). The reason behind their breakups hasn't been explored.
* ''Franchise/LupinIII'':
** The series has the "official couple" of Lupin and Fujiko, which is ''usually'' him chasing after her, but rare examples have Fujiko trying to get him to marry her, or the two of them actually united in purpose. Their on-again-off-again relationship is best summarized in ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'', as she explains to [[GirlOfTheWeek Clarisse]]:
--->'''Fujiko:''' "We've been allies, and enemies, too. On occasion, [[FriendsWithBenefits we've even been lovers]]."
** A good portion of ''[[Anime/LupinIIIPart5 Part 5]]'' gives focus to the cyclic nature of the Lupin/Fujiko relationship, particularly with TheReveal that[[spoiler:, in the interim between [[Anime/LupinIIITheItalianAdventure the last series]] and this one, Lupin and Fujiko [[RelationshipUpgrade actually settled down]], [[ReformedCriminal tried to go straight]], and even ''tied the knot'']]. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:they weren't able to maintain a HappilyMarried lifestyle for various reasons and divorced]], causing Lupin to [[WorkingWithTheEx give Fujiko the cold shoulder early on]] (and there are a few times later on where she's just as frosty towards him). It's not until the final episode that they patch things up and go back to being an OutlawCouple -- and if their interactions in ''[[Anime/LupinIIIPart6 Part 6]]'' are any indication (such as one episode depicting them trying to enjoy a romantic dinner together or Fujiko having moments of open, genuine affection towards Lupin), ''it sticks''.
* Touko from ''Manga/RandomWalk'' constantly breaks up and makes up with her boyfriend Tsukasa. However, their relationship is never given focus by the narrative (with the [[OffscreenBreakup breakup]] and [[OffscreenRomance make-up]] always happening off-screen), and these ups and downs only serve to influence what sort of romantic advice she will give to {{The Hero}}ine, Yuka.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} and [[Characters/AquamanSupportingCast Mera]] have one of the most egregious examples, particularly pre-[[ComicBook/FlashpointDCComics Flashpoint]], as the death of their son Aquababy caused them to drift apart. When Mera came back, they were no longer officially together due to Aquaman hooking up with Dolphin[[note]]in Aquaman's defense, he thought Mera never wanted to see him again[[/note]], and stayed together mostly to keep with appearances, only reuniting for good after he came BackFromTheDead at the end of ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''. Post-Flashpoint, their relationship as fiancees was on more steady ground, but less certain on when they would finally consummate their relationship. That is, until they had a child and brought democracy to Atlantis in #65 of the ''[[ComicBook/DCRebirth Rebirth]]'' era.
* ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}'': Stephanie Brown and Tim Drake constantly go through this, partially due to external factors and partially because Tim isn't the most supportive of boyfriends (though he has his moments), but is still one of a very small group of people who actually care about her at all. It's exceptionally notable since, even after the ComicBook/New52 reboot, they're ''still'' at it!
* The comic continuation of ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' does this with Buffy and her two [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys vampire boyfriends]], who she gets together with again and breaks up with again throughout the six-season run. By the final twelfth season, [[DidNotGetTheGuy she's not with either of them and remains single]], though a MaybeEverAfter is implied with Spike.
* ''ComicBook/LauraDeanKeepsBreakingUpWithMe'': The titular Laura Dean has dumped the main character Freddy ''three times'' by the time the story starts, and then proceeded to insert herself back into her life and act like they were together again without so much as an apology. Deconstructed, as the relationship is toxic in more ways than one, and Freddy's friends cannot figure out [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim why she keeps taking her back]]. Freddy, for her part, is constantly walking on eggshells, paranoid that Laura Dean will dump her yet again. [[spoiler:The story ends with Freddy breaking the cycle by breaking up with ''her'' for once, and outright telling her, "You're a shitty girlfriend."]]
* ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} actually has ''two''. Both Starfire and Barbara Gordon have been his on-and-off girlfriends through several real-world decades and three continuity reboots, and certain possible futures have shown that he could be very happy with either of them if DC Comics would let him. However, because TrueLoveIsBoring, the editors will never allow the LoveTriangle to be resolved within the main continuity, to the frustration of fans.
* In ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'', Steven Stills and Julie Powers break up with each other then go back out with each other constantly, although as they're not a focus of the comic it's downplayed. By the end of the series, [[spoiler:Steven realises he's gay and ends up in a relationship with Joseph]].
-->'''Knives:''' Sex Bob-Omb broke up?!\\
'''Stephen:''' What? No. Me and Julie broke up.\\
'''Knives:''' For like the fiftieth time.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Peter Parker and Mary-Jane Watson go through a constant on-and-off relationship with each other; they actually started with more or less only flirting friends. They got a relationship update once Peter's FirstLove Gwen was KilledOffForReal. Than they come together and break up till they eventually marry. Even than, during [[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski J. Michael Straczynski's run]] they go on a temporal separation. It reached it's extremes when their marriage was RetGone via a DealWithTheDevil in ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', and even since than, their reconcilation or permanent seperation are both teased again and again with uncertain ending.
* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Rogue and Gambit have been in a constant state of on-and-off ever since Gambit first joined the X-Men, to the extent that it's practically a permanent sub-plot. While they both have declared love and devotion for one another on multiple occasions, the relationship never lasts too long before something happens and they end up separating again, only to reconcile at a later stage. This is partially due to the strain on the relationship caused by Rogue's mutation, meaning the pair can never make physical contact, but also both partners carry some serious emotional baggage that surfaces every so often, sometimes leading to a breakup, whilst other times bringing the pair together. 2018's ''[[ComicBook/RogueAndGambit2018 Rogue & Gambit]]'', after a lenghty examination of this very trope, has the two decide to get back together, followed by an impromptu wedding in ''ComicBook/XMenGold'' and [[ComicBook/MrAndMrsX a series]] depicting their (still chaotic) life together as newlyweds, but it remains to be seen if this time is for keeps.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/BloodAndHonor'': "On, off, on again" is roughly the pattern for Quinn and Sanguis. They're attracted to each other almost from the start, but Quinn isn't willing to act on his feelings until Sanguis is about to leave the planet he's stationed on. Once he decides to transfer to her crew, he asks that they end their short relationship, and she (more or less) agrees. It takes him some time to change his mind again, but they remain together once he does.
* ''Fanfic/TriptychContinuum'': Stile has one with Allie Way. They're described as having breakups as regular and nearly impossible to reconcile as a seven-ten split.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'': Marion Ravenwood is introduced as Indy's former girlfriend in ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', being broke up for ca. a decade before the film starts. They reconcile during the movie, yet she's nowhere to be seen in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' as the two seem to have broken up off-screen. In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', the two meet again after nearly two decades, reconcile once again and get married at the end of the movie. Come ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'' and the two have been divorced off-screen before the beginning of that film -- only to meet again and reconcile once again at the end of the movie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Van and Earn from ''Series/{{Atlanta}}'' are a more downplayed example of this, although they do have a child together. They live together off and on as well, although, for the most part, they aren't together.
* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': Leonard and Penny have this kind of relationship, full of false starts, setbacks, and at least two notable breakups. As of Season 5, they're significantly more stable, but Penny's CommitmentIssues have threatened to bring them back to square one a number of times. However, they move past it, and eventually marry -- in some ways, by the last couple of seasons, they become the ''most'' stable and mature couple!
* ''Series/{{Bones}}'':
** Angela and Jack. They started off as friends, moved to [[UnresolvedSexualTension UST]], went on one date, decided it was too perfect and would end terribly, changed their minds, got engaged, found out she was [[AccidentalMarriage already married]], stayed together for a while, broke up, dated other people (in Angela's case mainly) and [[spoiler:almost got engaged again because she thought she was pregnant with another man's child. Turns out she wasn't, but this prompted a LoveEpiphany that lead to a spur-of-the-moment jail cell wedding]]. Finally resolved now and [[spoiler:they seem to be HappilyMarried]]. WillTheyOrWontThey indeed...
** Sweets and Daisy. They dated in Season 5 and he proposed, but they broke up when Daisy went with Brennan to Maluku. They started Season 6 as FriendsWithBenefits, insisting they weren't back together. Eventually he considered proposing again but decided not to. Then they were together in Season 7 and part of the eighth, breaking up when Daisy wanted to move in together and Sweets still didn’t want to think about getting married. They still couldn't stay away from each other and she got pregnant and they were married at the beginning of Season 10 when Sweets was killed.
* ''Series/ConversationsWithFriends'': Frances is best friends with Bobbi, whom she previously dated. She begins seeing Nick, a married man. After they fall out, they get back together. [[spoiler:Then she breaks up with him. She then gets back together with Bobbi. Yet at the end it's indicated she may also reunite with Nick -- {{polyamory}}, perhaps.]]
* ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'': Abraham and his ex-wife Maureen Delacroix. They've been married twice, divorced twice, and in "The Ecstasy of Agony" they get back together again and then part again.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'':
** Ross and Rachel's relationship epitomized the trope for almost all ten seasons of its run and was the show's primary focus. All told, they were only really together for about one season, with everything else mainly being ShipTease before they get back together for good in the GrandFinale. Ross and Rachel's on again, off again relationship was lampshaded by Monica after she got tired of Rachel's constant flip-flop feelings for Ross.
--->'''Monica:''' ''[In a mocking tone]'' I love Ross! I hate Ross! I love Ross! I hate Ross!
** Chandler had an on-and-off relationship with Janice for several years, even after Janice got married.
** For the first season or two, Monica had an on-and-off with "Fun Bobby." The gang realized that Fun Bobby had a drinking problem and helped him quit, but then discovered that without alcohol Bobby wasn't Fun.
* ''Series/GreysAnatomy'': With almost all of the major pairings, all of which easily span over three seasons.
** Meredith and Derek. Ever counted the times they say "Finally this is over. Completely" only to be drawn right back together episodes later?
** Alex and Izzie. They date, but Alex doesn't kiss Izzie at the end. Then they kiss and proceed to have sex, but Alex has, uhm, problems. Then he cheats on her with Olivia. Then along come Denny, Lexie, George, and Ava between them. Just as they're finally growing steady, Izzie is diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. That, however, leads us to the grand wedding scene. [[spoiler:Only to be followed by Izzie being fired from the hospital and leaving Alex.]]
** Cristina and Owen. Two breakups, one divorce, interlaced with multiple "hot and cold" moments. StarCrossedLovers or what?
** Mark and Lexie. The drama this pair creates really rivals their best friend/sister. [[spoiler:The only difference being the outcome...]]
** Callie and Arizona. First over the desire (or lack thereof) to have children, then over leaving the hospital to go to Africa. [[spoiler:Most recently, with Arizona's amputation and cheating.]]
** Jackson and April. Turned into a big WillTheyOrWontThey in Season 10 with the LoveTriangle involving Matthew. [[spoiler:They will.]]
* ''Series/{{Hacks}}'': Ava has gotten back in a relationship with Ruby as Season 3 starts, after they split up earlier. They then split up again as Ruby doesn't like Ava going back to working for Deborah and neglecting them in her view.
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'':
** Ted and his high school/college girlfriend Karen. They'd have a cycle where he'd catch her cheating, break up, then eventually get back together, much to his friends' irritation.
** Ted and Natalie had apparently gotten together and broken up three times.
** To a lesser extent, [[spoiler:Barney and Robin]]. They hooked up in Season 3, dated throughout Season 5, broke up, almost hooked up in Season 6, hooked up in Season 7, then got engaged in Season 8 before finally [[spoiler:getting divorced a few years after marriage]]. Almost every period where they weren't dating involved an UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo.
* ''Series/NewGirl'':
** Schmidt and Cece. At first [[spoiler:they were casually hooking up, then they stopped when feelings got involved, then they were dating, then they broke up, then Schmidt declared his love for her, then Cece decided they weren't working, then they were friends with benefits, then she got engaged to someone else, then she broke off the wedding because she liked Schmidt, at which point they get together again... only for her to dump him when she learns he never broke up with his ex and had been dating them both]]. It's been a complicated story.
** Off-screen, Nick and Caroline. Before the series began, she had dumped him three times. They [[spoiler:get back together and break up at the end of the first season]].
* On ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', Kelly and Ryan have this. To be fair, the relationship was largely one-sided, with Ryan pretty much dating Kelly when he was bored or not dating anyone else. There is an UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo in one episode when Pam sets Kelly up with a handsome Indian doctor and she has to choose between the two. Ryan then campaigns to get Kelly back, even riding in on a white horse outside the office. In the finale, they end up running off together.
* In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', Rumplestiltskin and Belle set the pattern from the first episode where Belle makes an appearance. Not coincidentally, this trope usually runs parallel to Rumplestiltskin's HeelFaceRevolvingDoor, since Belle believes in ICanChangeMyBeloved and Rumple does want to change for her sake: they get together and are briefly happy, then Rumple chooses his power over her (again), they break up, then he is remorseful and Belle is so moved she takes him back. [[spoiler:After several cycles of that, Rumple's final HeelFaceTurn is ultimately cemented and he and Belle have a happy marriage and then get TogetherInDeath.]]
* ''Series/{{Oz}}'': [[BewareTheNiceOnes Tobias Beecher]] and [[ManipulativeBastard Chris Keller]]. First, they're new cellmates with loads of UST, then they confess their love and [[TheBigDamnKiss kiss]], but, once Keller returns from the hole, he claims not to be interested in Beecher. It turns out he was working with Beecher's abuser and ArchEnemy, the Nazi rapist Schillinger, and the two of them break Beecher's arms and legs. This would end any chance of romance, right? Well... Keller realizes that he really [[BecomingTheMask loves Beecher]] and wants him back. After a season of tension and several dead bodies, they get back together. Their happiness is short-lived, though, when Beecher mistakenly believes [[ItMakesSenseInContext Keller had Beecher's children kidnapped]]. Once Beecher learns the truth, he wants to reunite with Keller. Keller, however, hurt that Beecher actually believes that Keller is capable of something like that, dumps him. Beecher [[HeroicBSOD spirals]] after this rejection, begins [[ReallyGetsAround hooking up with many, many prisoners]] to numb his pain. Keller, still in love with Beecher, kills his hook-ups. When it finally looks like they can be together, Keller confesses to a crime Beecher committed to save him, then was [[PutOnABus transferred to a prison in Massachusetts]]. However, [[TheBusCameBack he returned]] when he was found not guilty. Before the MeadowRun reunion can occur, Keller is put on death row, and thus cannot see Beecher. Beecher eventually takes a job in the mailroom, so he can visit Keller when he delivers the mail. When Beecher is up for parole, he begins seeing his attorney, while maintaining his relationship with Keller. The attorney and Keller even meet, when Beecher asks her to represent Keller to get him off death row. Ultimately, Beecher and the attorney break up, partly because of Keller. When Beecher is paroled, he begins dating a school teacher, all the while seeing Keller, and working to get his death sentence overturned. Keller, unable to live without [[LivingEmotionalCrutch Beecher]], sets Beecher up to violate his parole so they can be together. Beecher rejects Keller, despite still loving him, and Keller commits suicide, [[ThanatosGambit making it look like Beecher killed him]], so they'd be reunited in death, if not life.
* Chris and Ann from ''Series/ParksAndRecreation''. They first broke up when Chris moved back to Indianapolis and tried to break up with her as gently as he could (which she didn't realize until a week later). For the next couple of seasons, they each try dating different people but continue to stay on good terms with each other. Then, when Ann decides she wants a baby, she chooses Chris as her sperm donor, during which they realize they still have feelings for one another, make the baby the old-fashioned way, and become a committed and happy couple.
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', Elliot and JD have been on-again-off-again so often that even by the third season other characters treat it as a mundane occurrence.
-->'''Carla:''' What's wrong with [JD]?\\
'''Turk:''' He slept with Elliot last night.\\
'''Carla:''' ''[bored voice]'' [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall Oh, that time of year again.]]
* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'':
** Whether or not Elaine was dating Puddy or not would depend entirely on what works for the episode. Their unstable relationship was lampshaded often.
** This was {{averted|Trope}} with Elaine and Jerry, who dated and broke up before the series started and remain AmicableExes... mostly. "The Deal" dealt with an attempt at a FriendsWithBenefits relationship which, oddly, ended in them getting back together ([[NegativeContinuity only for the events of the episode never to be mentioned again]]).
* ''Series/TheUpshaws'': PlayedForDrama with Bennie and Regina. They've been together for 30 years, and during that time their relationship has been rocky, but pretty consistent. They've "broken up" and Regina has taken Bennie back, time and time again, after ''numerous'' rounds of his bullshit. This means Bennie can depend -- accurately -- on her eventual forgiveness, and he has little reason to change. When she throws him out near the end of Season 1, even Regina's sister Lucretia -- who would ''love'' to see Bennie gone for good -- says Regina will probably forgive him eventually.
-->'''Lucretia:''' She's gonna take you back. Someday. You know, you're like herpes: you never really go away.
* ''Series/YouMeHer'': Izzy gets together with Jack and Emma. Then later Emma breaks up with them. After this, they get back together again. Then however Izzy breaks up with them, but wants them back later. Jack and Emma break up with her to stop it a final time. You'll guess by now that they take this back and then reuinite with her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/BrothersOsborne's "Stay a Little Longer":
-->One more drink leads to another\\
You slide up close to me\\
Tear the t-shirts off each other\\
Your hands all over me\
I tell myself I'm not in love\\
But one more time is not enough\\
One last kiss and then you're a goner\\
And I'm here wishing you could stay a little longer
* Music/{{Eminem}}'s relationship with his MuseAbuse target Kim was this in real life, a DestructiveRomance in which the two would fight, break up supposedly for good, and get back together again, for over a decade. The whole story is charted in Eminem's songs.
** Eminem got an EmbarrassingTattoo of her grave on his navel after an argument, thinking they would never, ''ever'' get back together -- his third tattoo under his new Slim Shady persona. Several later Eminem songs reference that this had not been a good idea.
** Eminem had planned on marrying her despite their fights ("It's OK") and married her at around the time his breakout album ''Music/TheSlimShadyLP'' came out (which he initially didn't reveal to the press, but acknowledged in "The Real Slim Shady" after Music/ChristinaAguilera had leaked it on an MTV link). Kim filed to divorce him in 2000, after a suicide attempt, due to his serial cheating, bad behaviour, and [[MurderBallad mockery]] of her through his music and his pistol-whipping of a bouncer he saw kissing his wife. She tried to cut him off from seeing his beloved daughter as he participated in unfulfilling rebound hookups with groupies and [[Music/MariahCarey famous women]] (multiple songs from ''Music/TheEminemShow'' are about this).
** Kim then moved into Eminem's house so they could parent their daughter, and they began to rekindle their relationship physically ("Lady"), but broke up again as a result of Eminem using his daughter as a vocalist in a DissTrack to Ja Rule, attempting to get her away from him. However, her cocaine addiction led to her running from the law, leading Eminem to take sole custody of their daughters ("Puke") until her legal situation was dealt with.
** Eventually they ended up remarrying in 2006, but Eminem filed divorce papers a few months later. Kim claimed he was a drug addict; he claimed she was lying (she was not) and that ''she'' was an addict (she was) ("50 Ways").
** After Eminem got clean, he stopped indulging in airing out his personal life that affects his family, with Eminem occasionally writing songs in which he appears to take a sympathetic view of her ("Stronger Than I Was") or apologises for his mistreatment of her ("Bad Husband"). However, Eminem stayed involved in her life. In "Killshot", he did say that if Music/MachineGunKelly wanted to be him so bad, he'd have to "fuck Kim in my flannel."
* "We're Makin' Up" by Hot Apple Pie has the line "We're makin' up, our 'on again, off again' is on again / We're makin' up, she really wants to make it work".
* Music/KaneBrown's "One Mississippi":
-->You and I had this off and on so long\\
You've been here, then you've been gone\\
So many times\\
And every night, yeah I'm always bumping into you\\
Well, you do the same things we used to\\
It's your place or it's mine...
* Music/KatyPerry's "Hot n Cold."
-->We fight, we break up / We kiss, we make up
** Also her "Never Really Over."
-->Two years, and just like that, my head still takes me back\\
Thought it was done, but I guess it's never really over\\
Oh, we were such a mess, but wasn't it the best?\\
Thought it was done, but I guess it's never really over
* "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Music/KellyClarkson is about a couple getting back together after yet another breakup.
* "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was inspired by Music/TaylorSwift's relationship when she and her boyfriend broke up and reunited several times.
-->I say, "I hate you," we break up, you call me, "I love you"
* Trent Willmon's "On Again Tonight" attempts to invoke this: "I need your 'on again, off again' on again tonight".
* Music/TroutFishingInAmerica's "Lightning" appears to be about one:
-->Am I crazy or just crazy about her?\\
Make a wish and dive for cover; if you survive, then make another\\
Crazy or just crazy about her, well, I don't know\\
Oh, can't trust that lightning, yeah, but it sure does feel fine\\
No, you can't trust that lightning, but still you take your chances time after time\\
Do we learn from our mistakes? I surely hope not\\
Takes all the fun out of making them again\\
'Cause if you listen to the warnings you can die from the boredom\\
Safety is the hazard, well, it never was my friend...
* Music/ChrisYoung ''loves'' this trope:
** "I'm Comin' Over," in which it's a mutual desire despite being broken up, and he's right out the door in her direction the minute she texts him.
** "Tomorrow," in which he recognizes there's a reason they broke up in the first place and this cycle is toxic, and he'll stop it -- but not tonight.
** "Right Now" in which he admits he's just looking for a reason to call her and is willing to be the one to reach out because he is positive she feels the same.
** Subverted in "When You're Drinking" and "Don't Call Me," which are, oddly, nearly identical songs about how he desperately wants to stop being her drunk-dial booty call, and begs her to stop calling him. In the first, they have a relationship outside of when she's drunk, and he even magnanimously tells her she can call him anytime ''except'' then. In the latter, he tells her to just find someone else altogether and to basically lose his number.
* Easton Corbin's "Clockwork:"
-->You call, I say hello\\
You knock, I'm lettin' you in\\
You say, you've missed\\
My lips, we kiss\\
Here we go again\\
Your dress, my shirt\\
We love, I live and never learn\\
I crash, I burn\\
You leave, I hurt\\
Like clockwork''
* Music/FloridaGeorgiaLine's "Sippin' On Fire" which is both this trope and a FireAndIceLoveTriangle; the singer suggests that they're in this RelationshipRevolvingDoor because she keeps trying to be with the guy she thinks is "safe" and she's afraid of the intensity of their relationship.
* Music/ColeSwindell's "Lonely Tonight," which suggests a booty call that they blame on the alcohol in the morning.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'': Popeye and Olive Oyl. Though in this case, the breaking up and getting back together is solely on Olive's side, breaking up with Popeye for often arbitrary reasons, then "taking him back" equally randomly. She does this so rapidly, often they're back "on" before Popeye can figure out what he did wrong.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* ''Theatre/LaBoheme'': Marcello and Musetta broke up some time before the start of the opera, but get back together in Act II, then break up again in Act III, and in Act IV it's [[MaybeEverAfter hinted that they might reconcile again.]] Rodolfo and Mimí also break up, then reunite, but only once.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'': [[spoiler:Due to Vace's deep-seated anger issues, his relationship with Sol becomes on-again, off-again in the epilogue until the two break up for good, even if Vace is undergoing therapy.]]
* ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'': In ''Sam and Max Save the World: Abe Lincoln Must Die!'', Sam and Max trick Sybil Pandemik into thinking a giant animatronic Abraham Lincoln wants to go out with her, as part of an attempt to bust Abe's presidential campaign. In "Bright Side of the Moon", Sam and Max help Abe's giant disembodied head score a date with Sybil, and the two start dating as of ''Sam and Max Beyond Time And Space''. Then they break up in "Moai Better Blues" after Sybil catches Abe getting distracted by a lady Moai when they're supposed to be on a picnic date. After trying to find a new boyfriend in "Night of the Raving Dead", Sybil decides to get back together with Abe, and by the time of "What's New Beelzebub?" the two are planning to get married.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* WebAnimation/{{hololive}}: The answer to the question "Are [=IRyS=] and Baelz Hakos together?" exaggerates this trope for laughs, as whether they're together or not is so seemingly random day to day that it's been called a Schrodinger's relationship. One day they'll be SickeninglySweethearts who are eager to go [[UnusualEuphemism play Monopoly]], the next day they'll be having a ToiletSeatDivorce over Bae's bento efforts, then they'll call in [[TeamMom Mio Ookami]] to act as marriage counselor and patch things up, then they're signing divorce papers after a game of Yacht, ''then'' later they'll have a collaborative double stream where they each dub over the other and freak Calliope Mori out about how alike they sound.
* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': Homestar Runner and Marzipan are the OfficialCouple, but Marzipan claims that they have an open relationship, which Homestar doesn't agree with. They break up very often but are usually seen back together by the next episode. Marzipan's character introduction video even reflects this, with Marzipan saying "Homestar Runner and I are one hot item when I say we are," and the Flash version has her randomly follow it up with either "and today, we are" or "and today, we are not."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/EerieCuties'' exemplifies the trope in its two main "couples":
** Layla and Kade are known for repeatedly breaking up, due to [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/(preferably_me) Kade's habit]] of [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/s-o-o-o-o_soffffft! cheating on her.]] So it's a wonder that she ever [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/my_layla takes him back.]] Even once she swears she's off him for good, she still takes him back.
** The signs of Ace and Brooke's soon-to-be [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/worth_a_shot on]][[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/you_help_him! /off relationship]] were seen as early as the ''"War Dance"'' arc. Since then, [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/move-it-around_powers they've dated]] and [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/you_want_to_see_other_people broken up]] several times for various reasons. In fact, they've even been compared to [[Series/{{Friends}} Ross and Rachel!]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderZuko Zuko]] and Mai in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. They get together at the beginning of Season 3, but Mai calls it off in a fit of anger about a third of the way through. They patch it up before the episode ends, but Zuko breaks up with her again after another third, when he leaves the Fire Nation to join Aang and his friends in defeating his father. They get back together in the series finale, only for Mai to leave him ''again'' in the comic book continuation, ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderThePromise The Promise]]'', when Suki tells her he's been asking his imprisoned father for advice and not telling anyone. Five more comics and they haven't gotten back together, although [[ShipperOnDeck Aang was hopeful they had]] the first time he saw Mai and Zuko in the same room together again. By the time of the SequelSeries, ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Zuko is confirmed to have a daughter, the current Fire Lord Izumi, but the identity of Izumi's mother is never revealed... which didn't stop most fans from speculating it's indeed Mai, especially given the strong physical resemblance between the two and comments from Creator/GeneLuenYang (who handled writing duties for the aforementioned comics) at Emerald City Comicon 2017 stating that, though he had two characters (commonly believed to be Zuko and Mai) break up, it was only temporary and they'd be back together in a few years.
* [[Characters/BojackHorsemanBojackHorseman BoJack]] and Princess Carolyn from ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' are treated this way before the show moved on to focus on the more serious connection between [=BoJack=] and Diane.
* [[Characters/FuturamaPhilipJFry Philip J. Fry]] and Leela from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' at first their relationship is a one-sided crush on Fry's part before Leela confesses her feelings for Fry in the fifth season finale. They had an on-again-off-again relationship during the sixth season but settled into being a more stable couple in the seventh season, which was the final season of the show until 2023. The show's revival on Hulu specifically averted this trope by portraying Fry and Leela as a committed couple, with the only episode that portrayed a breakup and reconnection being non-canon.
* [[AlphaBitch Bonnie Rockwaller]] and [[DumbJock Brick]] [[LovableJock Flagg]] from ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' had this kind of relationship for most of the second and third seasons before eventually breaking up for good in the fourth season (after Brick left for college). This trope is lampshaded by Kim in ''[[WesternAnimation/KimPossibleMovieSoTheDrama So the Drama]]'', who (at one point) exclaims "How many times can two people break up and get back together?!" Not missing a beat, Monique quips that Bonnie "loves the drama" and that Bonnie and Brick "deserve each other."
* A common complaint of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'''s first two seasons. First [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraMako Mako]] is dating [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraAsamiSato Asami Sato]], and then, after much LoveTriangle drama, he [[OffscreenBreakup presumably]] breaks up with her and gets together with [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraAvatarKorra Korra]]. They break up partway through Season 2, then he kisses Asami, then puts off telling Korra about their breakup when she gets LaserGuidedAmnesia, with Asami annoyed in the background. Thankfully the season ends with them all deciding to forego romance, and they remain single until [[ComicBook/TheLegendOfKorraTurfWars the comic continuation]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Although they've been married throughout the series with their one legal divorce being a deliberate prelude to a vow renewal ceremony, [[Characters/TheSimpsonsHomerSimpson Homer Simpson]] and [[Characters/TheSimpsonsMargeSimpson Marge Simpson]] have had more than their fair share of brief separations, broke up at least once when they were dating (albeit in an episode, "That [=90s=] Show", to which FanonDiscontinuity is frequently applied), and in one future episode are shown to have had a breakup that stuck long enough for Homer to live in his own place and Marge to try dating again before they're inevitably back with each other by the end.
** Seymour Skinner and Edna Krabappel's relationship was like this between Season 15, when she left him at the altar due to his reluctance to commit, and Season 22, when she found a SecondLove in Ned Flanders. They [[SexWithTheEx slept together a few times with no strings attached]] and, in the episode "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words", were shown to be boyfriend and girlfriend again until Edna got Homer to [[ProxyBreakup dump him for her]].
* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': Rafael and Angie Diaz, Marco's parents who have been [[HighSchoolSweethearts together since high school]], have admitted to being like this before committing to a more serious relationship and eventually getting married. In fact, Angie claims in [[Recap/StarVsTheForcesOfEvilS4E29SadTeenHotline "Sad Teen Hotline"]] that she and Rafael broke up "literally a hundred times," with one such breakup occurring shortly after Valentine's Day.
* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': [[Characters/TotalDramaCourtney Courtney's]] past relationships with both Duncan and Scott:
** [[Characters/TotalDramaDuncan Duncan]] has an on-again-off-again relationship with Courtney throughout ''Island'' and ''Action''. This lasts until ''World Tour'', where Duncan becomes more interested in Gwen and ends up forming a LoveTriangle, causing animosity with Courtney.
** When Courtney competes in ''All-Stars'', upon switching to the Villainous Vultures, she starts bonding with Scott, and they eventually hook up after an accidental kiss in "Zeek and Ye Shall Find". However, this relationship is short-lived when they break up after only two hours due to Cameron (manipulated by Mal) kissing Courtney. Scott forgives Courtney in the next episode and they become a couple again, only to break up an episode later due to Mal exposing Courtney's elimination chart.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Doc Holliday and Big-Nosed Kate famously had such a relationship, characterised by living together for a while, having a fight, one or the other storming out of town, and then the taking back up together next time they were in town. Fictional portrayals usually retain this.
* Website/{{Wikipedia}} has a list of people who [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_remarried_the_same_spouse remarried the same spouse]].
[[/folder]]
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