Sense and Sensibility has shy, sweet Edward Ferrars and world-weary ex-soldier Colonel Brandon whose favorite hobby is suffering quietly.
In Emma there's Mr. Knightley, the very organized authority figure who always speaks his mind (in a way that could potentially be misconstrued as rude) and Frank Churchill, who loves parties and dancing at balls.
Northanger Abbey has two brothers. The elder, Captain Tilney, is a soldier who likes 'sowing his wild oats,' whereas his younger brother Henry is a clergyman who likes reading novels.
In Caleb Williams, Falkland is the Sensitive Guy to Tyrrel's Manly Man. Manly Tyrrel is furious at being unseated by "this Frenchified rascal."
Played with in Darkfall by Dean Koontz. Two supporting characters are introduced early on, the meek-looking, bowtie-wearing Nevetsky and the tough, mean-looking Blaine. Jack Dawson assumes Nevetsky is the Sensitive Guy and Blaine the Manly Man; in reality, the big and tough Blaine is the kind and gentle one while the less intimidating-looking Nevetsky is the loudmouthed, antagonistic brutish one.
In "De skandalösa" by Simona Ahrnstedt, Gabriel Gripklo (seemingly roguish) and his friend Ossian Bergman (nerdy and noble) have this kind of dynamic.
Speaking of Greg, he's a cowardly, physically weak, awkward preteen while his older brother, Rodrick, is a tough, physically aggressive rocker.
Best friends Ishmael and Razz from Don't Call Me Ishmael!. Ishmael is quiet, sensitive, at one point faints due to nervousness, and avoids conflict to the extent that he lets bullies walk all over him. He prefers writing to physical activity. Razz is very loud, athletic, loves attention and while he doesn't intentionally hurt people, he sometimes makes very insensitive comments. The contrast between the two is shown in a scene where Ishmael refuses to watch a video of one of their busty friends undressing (that was recorded without her knowledge), while Razz tries to persuade Ishmael to watch it.
In Dragon Bones, Beckram is an irresponsible ladies' man, while his twin brother Erdrick is rather shy, likes to read, and is described as "coward" by their cousin Ward, the protagonist. Then there is Ward, who is loud, brutish and stupid, and his brother Tosten who is sensitive, easily startled, and a talented harper and bard. Only that Ward's stupidity is an act, he's actually a Gentle Giant, who is able to talk quietly if he wants to.
Druss and his nearly lifelong companion Sieben in the Drenai saga. Druss is a powerful warrior, deadly with a battle-ax; Sieben is a wand-slim poet obsessive about his appearance — in one scene he inwardly fumes when the coverings of the chair he's forced to sit in clashes with his shirt.
In Enoch Arden, Philip and Enoch are this respectively, though neither is a caricature. Enoch is described as a bold and dashing sailor, confident, and physically strong (but not reckless, and a caring family man). Philip cries more easily as a boy, and in his courtship of Annie he is very gentle and sensitive to her feelings (but he also works hard in his mill, and he bottles up his feelings for years after Annie marries Enoch).
Skylar and Rafael in Gives Light. Skylar is mellow and thoughtful while Rafael is quick to settle arguments with his fists. In a subversion, though, Rafael likes art, romance, and fairy tales, while Skylar likes baseball and slasher flicks.
Gotrek & Felix. As a swashbuckling adventurer poet who travels the world, Cool Sword in hand, and woos all kinds of exotic foreign women as he goes, Felix would be a manly protagonist indeed... if only he wasn't in the Warhammer world. So instead he plays second-fiddle to a psychotic dwarf Slayer who has personally slain giants, vampires, dragons the length of football fields, and the physical manifestations of rage and violence from the most psychotic BerserkerWar God in fiction. Poor guy.
The Hardy Boys books use this for Frank and Joe. Frank is the more intellectual, cool-headed brother who likes art, literature, and strategy. Joe is the athletic hot-headed sports-fan who likes to charge in headfirst. While this only showed up in faint traces in earlier books, in more recent series, after a small bit of Flanderization, it's become much more prominent, with the boys actually arguing about which is the better tactic when it comes to solving a case.
In Horatio Hornblower, Hornblower and his Number Two, Bush, are this kind of pair. Hornblower is a broody, self-loathing mess when he's not being a brilliant naval captain and can't stop thinking about the prospect of death and mutilation in battle even if he never shirks from it. Bush is a stolid and stoicLightning Bruiser who's unfazed by hardship but also lacking in Hornblower's genius.
In The Hunger Games, Katniss begins to see potential loves interests in two guys, Peeta, the baker's son who decorates the cakes and Gale, her hunting partner. Gale is angry with the Capitol for making them participate in the games while Peeta is reflective of how he can maintain his identity in the games despite the Capitol using them.
Lord of the Flies' Ralph is the sensitive guy to Jack Merridew's manly man. Red-haired Jack is aggressive, even downright brutal, and loves confrontation, compared to fair-haired Ralph who dislikes violence and is much more of a pacifist. They even practice different activities, as Ralph usually stays in the same place, watching over the younger boys and trying to assure them their safety, while Jack runs around the entire island and is obsessed with hunting and killing animals.
To an extent, Crowley and Aziraphale from Good Omens fit this trope, although this might also be because they are a Demon and an Angel, respectively. It should also be noted that the reason they each like the other so much is because Crowley sees Aziraphale as being just enough of a bastard to like, and Aziraphale sees Crowley as just enough of a good person not to hate, much to both of their chagrin.
The Lord of the Rings: Boromir and Faramir, sons of the Steward of Gondor, fit this trope to a "T": Boromir is a mighty warrior and military leader, interested in warfare and little else, Faramir loves poetry and lore (although he's also a soldier). In this case, the difference is mostly one of attitude - Boromir loves fighting and being a soldier for its own sake (though he's guided by a strong sense of honor, duty, and patriotism) while Faramir views soldiering as a service he must render for the good of his people even though he's a scholar by inclination. Unlike most examples, both brothers truly love each other unconditionally and appreciate their differences. The only source of friction comes from their asshole of a father Denethor who openly favors Boromir and treats Faramir like crap.
In The Moomins, Sniff is so cowardly and delicate, that Moomin and Snufkin have no problem looking manly in comparison.
Alec Lightwood and Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments. Alec is shy, reserved, and is easily hurt emotionally. Jace is aggressive, forward and often downright antagonistic even in the face of Shadowhunters of much higher rank than him.
Njáll and Gunnar in Njáls Saga. Gunnar is the stereotyped Viking Boisterous Bruiser. Njáll is a wise sage, and a clever lawyer and interclan diplomat.
C.L. Moore's Northwest Smith and Yarol the Venusian provide an interesting variation on the trope. While Smith is a rugged, muscular space cowboy and Yarol is a delicate-looking young man who resembles a choirboy, the former occasionally displays flashes of sensitivity whereas the latter doesn't possess a shred of kindness or decency.
In The October Child, Kenneth Mariner is confident, outgoing, and athletic. His brother Douglas, who's two years younger, is shy and somewhat nervous and prefers reading and listening to music to any physical activity.
A Song of Ice and Fire: Samwell Tarly is a meek and sensitive young man who loves books, music, and kittens. His best friend is Jon Snow, a bold young man of action who yearns to be a ranger.
In The Unorthodox ChroniclesGrimsby is the Sensitive Man. Though he gets better as the series progresses, he's generally more prone to panic in the face of danger, he is more emotional than his partner Mayflower, and he's less combatant. On the positive side, he's also far more compassionate that Mayflower and most other Auditors, and he's concerned with helping others and saving lives, as opposed to the usual Auditor stance of ensuring people follow the law. Mayflower, in contrast, is the hard-boiled, gruff, tough guy who, for most of his career, shot first and asked questions never. While Grimsby's character development comes from learning to handle his fear, Mayflower's comes from realizing that his old violent methods may not have been the right call, and he's learning from Grimsby's drive to help others as opposed to just neutralizing threats.
