But it turns out Zoey just Cannot Spit It Out until she finds out about Alice's feelings. Then they get together.
What starts off as a mere Ship Tease or a case of The Beard ends up as true love...eventually.
Parodied: Alice and Zoey are inanimate objects, and they're not even logically connected inanimate objects (i.e. it's not a case of "And the dish ran away with the spoon", but more like "And the dish ran away with the radio.")
Deconstructed: Alice and Zoey may not even know each other, or even like each other. Just being in the same room, or the same series/movie is not enough for a healthy relationship.
Reconstructed: But, somehow, it works. Alice and Zoey learn that they have a lot in common, and that they really do like each other (and find one another attractive.) Before long, they too are exclusive.
Zig Zagged: Sometimes Alice and Zoey are head-over-heels for each other, sometimes they are nothing more than Heterosexual Life Partners, sometimes they are treated as casual acquaintances (as they are in Canon), sometimes they don't appear together at all, sometimes they can't stand one another.
Lampshaded: "Alice, are you reading those Yuri Genre fanfics again?! I told you, it's not gonna happen!"
Invoked: Someone wonders about this pairing on a forum, and soon enough, everyone puts on their Shipping Goggles, looking for any excuse to put Alice and Zoey together.
Discussed: "Alica, are you sure that Zoey is the girl for you? After all, you are a 16-year old human girl, and she is an undead young platypus. I understand that "true love conquers all", as the saying goes, but maybe you still want to consider going out with Bob?"
