History Main / CoupledCouples

** In ''Literature/CaptainVorpatrilsAlliance'' Ivan and Tej are the alpha couple, and Byerly and Rish are the betas. Ivan and Byerly are old acquintances (and with a somewhat belligerent friendship), and Tej and Rish are sisters.

* ''Literature/FreedomAndNecessity'' has forming couples of the old friends Richard and Kitty, and James and Susan.

* ''Series/TheGoodLife'' has the fun-loving adventurous Tom and Barbara Good, and their conventionally materialistic neighbors Jerry and Margo Leadbetter. Both couples are married, and the series follows how the relationships, as well as the sometimes-rocky friendships between the neighbours, develop as Tom and Barbara convert their house and garden into a self-sufficient farm. Although sexual tension is present between Barbara and Jerry, and to a lesser extent between Tom and Margo, both couples remain devoted.

** According to the prequel movie ''TheFlintstonesinVivaRockVegas'', Fred originally asked Betty out, and she set her friend Wilma up with Barney for a double date. [[ForegoneConclusion We knew how that would end up.]]

* At the beginning of ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', [[TheOjou Rue]] and [[PrinceCharming Mytho]] are in a relationship, [[TheCynic Fakir]] and Mytho are basically like brothers ([[HoYay interpret that as you will]]), and [[{{Dojikko}} Duck]] has a major crush on Mytho. Add a couple of {{SecretIdentit|y}}ies to the mix and you've got one big happy LoveDodecahedron.

* Certain fanfiction works based on ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' create an alternative scenario in which Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are ''not'' all blood siblings, opening up the potential for non-incestuous romantic pairings. The chemistry between the actors in the films, and particularly the NotLoveInterest relationship between Edmund and Lucy in the third film, may have been shipping fuel for this treatment.

* The main characters of ''Film/FollowTheFleet'' are sisters Connie and Sherry, and navy buddies Bake and Bilge. They pair off as Bake/Sherry and Bilge/Connie (with a side order of LoveTriangle in the latter case thanks to supporting character Iris).

** ''Series/TheHoneymooners'' had Ralph & Alica and Ed & Trixie

* Certain fanfiction works based on ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' create an alternative scenario in which Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are ''not'' all blood siblings, opening up the potential for non-incestuous romantic pairings. The NotLoveInterest relationship between Edmund and Lucy in the third film may have been shipping fuel for this treatment.

* The {{yuri}} manga ''Manga/HaruNatsuAkiFuyu'' centers on two pairs of SchoolgirlLesbians, who are introduced after each other but become equally important in the course of the series. There is also a third, BetaCouple consisting of their teachers.

[[AC:FanFiction]]

* The first season of ''Series/AsTimeGoesBy'' involves this: Jean and Lionel were lovers separated 38 years ago by a misunderstanding; Jean's daughter Judy is in love with Lionel, while Jean herself has an admirer in Lionel's young publisher Alistair. In the last episode of the season, the four of them go on a picnic, during which the two youngsters' attempts to be alone with their crush are thwarted. [[spoiler:Lionel and Jean ultimately marry, as do Alistair and Judy.]]

** Another Shakespeare example is ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'', which features two contrasting couples: Hero and Claudio, the traditional romantic couple, and Beatrice and Benedick, whose relationship is full of BelligerentSexualTension. Claudio and Benedick are best friends, while Hero and Beatrice are cousins who are like sisters to each other. Each couple makes frequent jokes and comments about the relationship between the other couple.

* The four principal characters of ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' are the titular Flintstones Fred and Wilma, and their BetaCouple best friend next door neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble.
** According to the prequel movie ''TheFlintstonesinVivaRockVegas'', Fred originally asked Betty out, and she set her friend Wilma up with Barney for a double-date. [[ForegoneConclusion We knew how that would end up.]]

* In ''Theatre/WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'', bitter and frustrated married couple George and Martha invite a naive younger couple, Nick and Honey, for dinner in order to involve them in their dysfunctional relationship mind games; it is implied that Martha has a fling with Nick before the third act. In the end, Nick and Honey realize what's going on and leave George and Martha, who ambiguously reconcile.

* Certain fanfiction works based on ''TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' create an alternative scenario in which Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are ''not'' all blood siblings, opening up the potential for non-incestuous romantic pairings. The NotLoveInterest relationship between Edmund and Lucy in the third film may have been shipping fuel for this treatment.

* ''WhenHarryMetSally'': Harry's best friend married Sally's best friend.

* The novel ''Elective Affinities'' by [[DichterAndDenker Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] has the aristocratic couple of Eduard and Charlotte, who like their landscape garden. Eduard invites his impoverished friend, the Captain, to help with the landscaping, and Charlotte her orphaned niece Ottilie to live with them. Soon attractions arise between Eduard and Ottilie and between Charlotte and the Captain. The novel does not have a happy end, but a novella-within-the-novel, which deals with a similar situation, does.

** In ''Memory'' there are two forming couples: Gregor and Laisa, and Duv and Delia. Duv and Laisa were dating (though not romantically involved yet), when Gregor (Duv's superior) looped in and had a whirlwind romance with Laisa. Duv didn't take it well, but his quiet and unassuming style was noticed and appreciated by Gregor's old friend Delia. Though neither of the couples are the main characters of the novel. You can probably add Illyan and Alys as well, who also start a romance.
** In ''Captain Vorpatril's Alliance'' Ivan and Tej are the alpha couple, and Byerly and Rish are the betas. Ivan and Byerly are old acquintances (and with a somewhat belligerent friendship), and Tej and Rish are sisters.
** ''A Civil Campaign'' has far too many couples either just formed or forming up or just having trouble, all knowing each other: Miles and Ekaterin, Gregor and Laisa, Duv and Delia, Borgos and Martya, Dono and Olivia, Mark and Kareen... Note that Delia, Martya, Olivia, and Kareen are sisters.

** ''ILoveLucy'' had Lucy & Ricky and Fred & Ethel.
** ''TheHoneymooners'' had Ralph & Alica and Ed & Trixie
** ''MarriedWithChildren'' started with Al & Peg and Steve & Marcie. After a brief hiatus when Steve was PutOnABus, Marcie married Jefferson and the dynamic was restored.

** In ''TheTwoGentlemenOfVerona'', the two men begin as friends who could be seen as AmbiguouslyGay, depending on the production. One, however, pulls a FaceHeelTurn as he abandons his own love interest and courts his friend's instead, betraying all three of the other characters in the process.
** The four lovers from ''AMidsummerNightsDream''. In this case, the men begin as rivals. The ultimate romantic resolution is implied early on, but only enacted near the end. Something of a {{Deconstruction}}, in that the happy ending required one of the men to be permanently affected with a love charm.
** Another Shakespeare example is ''MuchAdoAboutNothing'', which features two contrasting couples: Hero and Claudio, the traditional romantic couple, and Beatrice and Benedick, whose relationship is full of BelligerentSexualTension. Claudio and Benedick are best friends, while Hero and Beatrice are cousins who are like sisters to each other. Each couple makes frequent jokes and comments about the relationship between the other couple.
** ''AsYouLikeIt'' has brothers Orlando and Oliver falling for cousins Rosalind and Celia. Orlando and Rosalind are the Alpha Couple whose complicated courtship involves separation and disguise, while Oliver starts off evil and pulls a HeelFaceTurn.
* Jack, Algernon, Gwendolyn and Cecily from ''TheImportanceOfBeingEarnest''. Although there are two pairings with mutual love, this play is a satire of, among other things, romantic comedies involving this trope, as break-ups and make-ups happen frequently and for absurd reasons. There is also a long-term friendship and considerable HoYay between the men.

** The four principal characters in ''CosiFanTutte''. The two men test the fidelity of their wives by disguising themselves and courting each other's wives.
** Susanna and Figaro are happily engaged in ''TheMarriageOfFigaro'', but Susanna is also being pursued by the Count, to the distress of his wife. Here it is the two women who swap clothes, in order to carry out a BedTrick.
* The second act of the musical ''Romance/Romance'', called "Summer Share", involves two young married couples - Sam, Barb, Monica and Lenny - who are spending a season together in a rented cottage; an affair develops slowly between Sam and Monica, escalating from an innocuous flirtation. This act was based on Jules Renard's 1898 play, ''Le pain de ménage''.
* The opera ''LaBoheme'' has Mimi, Rodolfo, Marcello and Musetta. The two couples' romantic arcs take different directions. Despite Rodolfo [[JerkassFacade repulsing the terminally ill Mimi under false pretenses]] [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim so that she can seek a wealthier lover to care for her]], she dies peacefully surrounded by the other three.

* ''WomenInLove'' involves sisters Ursula and Gudrun, and their love interests Rupert and Gerald. In this case, both couples are foils for each other, and their romantic arcs take drastically different directions. In addition, an intense physical and emotional attraction between the two men is explored.
* Two married couples are vacationing on the eponymous island in Creator/AgathaChristie's short story ''Triangle at Rhodes'', but an adulterous affair within the foursome is followed by a case of poisoning that HerculePoirot must try to solve. It looks like an attempt to MurderTheHypotenuse, [[spoiler:which it is, but the murderer and the intended victim are not who they first appear to be.]] This is either a darker variant or a deconstruction of the trope.

* ''Film/TheFisherKing'' has Jack Lucas and Anne, who help Parry and Lydia to get together. The former two act as matchmakers for the others.

* ''Film/TheFisherKing'' has Jack Lucas and Anne, who help Perry and Lydia to get together. The former two act as matchmakers for the others.

* ''{{Anime/Toradora}}'' begins on the basis that Ryuji and Taiga both like the other's best friend, and thus want to go out with them. Averted in that it doesn't happen in the end.

* At the beginning of ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', [[TheOjou Rue]] and [[PrinceCharming Mytho]] are in a relationship, [[TheCynic Fakir]] and Mytho are basically like brothers ([[HoYay interpret that as you will]]), and [[{{Dojikko}} Duck]] has a major crush on Mytho. Add a couple of {{Alter Ego}}s to the mix and you've got one big happy LoveDodecahedron.

Each of the four lovers will be previously acquainted with at least one of the other three. The four may be staunch friends who spend a lot of time together, or there may be rivalry involved. Make clear that there should be some pre-existing relationship between at least some of the persons involved (at least on the acquaintance level) - every character should know at least one of the other three.

In the case of a gender-balanced foursome with two heterosexual pairings, the same-gender characters may be HeterosexualLifePartners, sometimes with subtle or not-so-subtle hints of HoYay. There may also be sibling relationships within the group.

* While it may have only been hinted at in the original series, generations of Fanon have slowly Canonized this relationship among the ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' Gang as of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated''

* While it may have only been hinted at in the original series, generations of Fanon have slowly Canonized this relationship among the ''ScoobyDoo'' Gang as of ''ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated''
* The four principal characters of ''TheFlintstones'' are the titular Flintstones Fred and Wilma, and their BetaCouple best friend next door neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble.

** In 'Memory'' there are two forming couples: Gregor and Laisa, and Duv and Delia. Duv and Laisa were dating (though not romantically involved yet), when Gregor (Duv's superior) looped in and had a whirlwind romance with Laisa. Duv didn't take it well, but his quiet and unassuming style was noticed and appreciated by Gregor's old friend Delia. Though neither of the couples are the main characters of the novel. You can probably add Illyan and Alys as well, who also start a romance.

* The four principle characters of ''TheFlintstones'' are the titular Flintstones Fred and Wilma, and their BetaCouple best friend next door neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble.

** In 'Memory'' there are two forming couples: Gregor and Laisa, and Duv and Delia. Duv and Laisa were dating (though not romantically involved yet), when Gregor (Duv's superior) looped in and had a whirlwind romance with Laisa. Duv didn't take it well, but his quiet and unassuming style was noticed and appreciated by Gregor's old Delia. Though netiher of the couples are the main characters of the novel. You can probably add Illyan and Alys as well.

** ''A Civil Campaign'' has far too many couples either jut formed or forming up or just having trouble, all knowing each other: Miles and Ekaterin, Gregor and Laisa, Duv and Delia, Dono and Olivia, Borgos and Martya, Mark and Kareen...