History NotWhatItLooksLike / FanWorks

* ''Fanfic/AlyaAndTheHaremReality'', Alya knowing Stompp's name despite being their first meeting and having [[RippleEffectProofMemories faint memories of another timeline]] causes the Bull Kwamii to suspect that she used the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculous to try and change reality. Trixx has to quickly jump in and say Alya can't remember anything ''in full'' to make it clear that Alya had gotten into the way of someone's wish rather than deliberately using the Miraculouses.

* In the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' story "One Night With The King", which adapts the Literature/BookOfEsther into a play, Brainy as Haman falls on top of Esther (played by Smurfette) while pleading for her mercy after being exposed for his plot to destroy the Jews, and ends up struggling with her, refusing to get off her unless she does. The king (played by Empath) returns into the room and thinks Haman is going to violate the queen in his presence. Haman tries to use this as his line of defense, but the king isn't buying it, and orders for Haman to be put to death by his own gallows.

* In the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' story "One Night With The King", which adapts the Literature/BookOfEsther into a play, Brainy as Haman falls on top of Esther (played by Smurfette) while pleading for her mercy, and ends up struggling with her, refusing to get off her unless she does. The king (played by Empath) returns into the room and thinks Haman is going to violate the queen in his presence. Haman tries to use this as his line of defense, but the king isn't buying it, and orders for Haman to be put to death by his own gallows.

* Parodied in ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/292581/38/of-flame-and-shadow/chapter-37--stranded Of Flame and Shadow]]'' with the Sirens' habit of feeling up the other students.

* ''FanFic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'':
** The sequel ''Picking Up the Pieces'' has a case of "Not what it ''sounds'' like" - Hot Rod arrives at the Luna Guards' headquarters and asks to see their captain, saying that the other night he was sleeping with his wife Sound Mind but missed having Sweet in bed. The Luna Guards' lieutenant assumes he's having an affair with her as a result. When the truth comes out that all three (Hot Rod, Sweet Surprise and Sound Mind) are actually married, Lieutenant Even Hoof and the rest of the guards are utterly stunned.

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/41311035 Alya and the Harem Reality]]'', Alya knowing Stompp's name despite being their first meeting and having [[RippleEffectProofMemories faint memories of another timeline]] causes the Bull Kwamii to suspect that she used the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculous to try and change reality. Trixx has to quickly jump in and say Alya can't remember anything ''in full'' to make it clear that Alya had gotten into the way of someone's wish rather than deliberately using the Miraculouses.

* ''Fanfic/SmartAdversariesAU'': In ''Fanfic/EvillustratorEntangles'', transforming into Ladybug frees Marinette from how Evillustrator bound her up. However, when she transforms back upon getting home, it all comes back, forcing her to call upon her parents for help.

* In ''FanFic/{{Insontis}}'', the Security team finds a video of [=McCoy=] threatening Spock; it turns out to be the two of them playing superhero with kid!Kirk.

* In ''FanFic/{{Overlady}}'', Louise walks in on her sister Cattleya in a compromising position with one of her maids.

[[AC:Franchise/AceAttorney]]
* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/37425649/chapters/93504238#workskin Bullet with Butterfly Wings]]'', Barok von Zeik is shot in his home with Herlock Sholmes as the lead suspect. Sholmes tells Naruhodo and Susasto that before the incident Herlock and Barok shared telegrams that sounded like Barok was threatening him, but was really the prosecutor's dark sense of humor. He warns them that the police and the prosecution could mistake it for an actual threat and a motive for the detective. [[spoiler:While this does happen during the court, Barok's mother Amelia is able to dispel this, sharing that not only was Barok the same with his other friends but also his late brother Klint]].

* In Chapter 14 of ''Fanfic/{{Stardust|Arad}}'', Lana walks in on Matt cuddling [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] (he's comforting her, somewhat involuntarily -- she hugged him first, he's under orders not to touch her without her permission -- over her [[BigCreepyCrawlies Chryssalid-related]] issues). [[ShipperOnDeck Naturally]], she can't resist teasing him about it.

* In ''Shadow Snark'', Shadow has Uma (who is female at the time) knocked out inside a sack (ItMakesSenseInContext).

[[AC: ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'']]
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/34115866 Babysitting]]'': While babysitting Jotaro's daughter Jolyne, Josuke and Okuyasu see her digging in the backyard before burying something inside the hole. When they ask her what was she doing, she replies that if you can't fix something, you have to bury it. Later that evening, the two discover that the starfish that Jotaro was studying is missing, causing them to suspect that Jolyne had taken it and buried it. [[spoiler:It's then revealed that Jolyne only buried a vase that she broke, with Jotaro explaining thats pretty common for the girl]].

* ''Webcomic/ItsNotYourFault'': What lead to the whole mess, Rusty, jealous that Lincoln was getting close to Stella saw Lincoln and Sam together, snapped a photo of the pair while they were talking and doctored it to make it look like they were kissing. In truth, Lincoln was comforting Sam while they were waiting for Luna and, while they did consider kissing each other, they caught themselves and refused to do so. But apparently Rusty did a convincing job cause when he sent it out through his phone, near ''everyone'' brought that it was real, Luna especially despite Sam and Lincoln trying to explain otherwise.

'''Sunset Shimmer''': "Well, it ''looks'' like Rarity was having some neck pains and you were being a good friend and helping her out with it." (I.e., giving her a neck massage.)\\
'''Flash Sentry''': (truthfully) "Um... in ''that'' case... it's ''exactly'' what it looks like."
* Parodied in [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/292581/38/of-flame-and-shadow/chapter-37--stranded Of Flame and Shadow]] with the Sirens' habit of feeling up the other students.

* In ''Fanfic/AllMixedUp'', Olive reaches behind Otto and digs in the back pocket of his pants for his Ground-inator gadget to solve a case. Otto doesn't know he has the gadget in his possession, and so he assumes that Olive is simply touching his butt. It doesn't help that Larry and Phyllis are staring at him throughout the ordeal, at which he grows embarrassed and self-conscious. Once the case is solved, he asks Olive to not do that again, and while she does remark that what she did was weird, she justifies it by saying he didn't know what the gadget looked like or whether he had it or she did.

* {{Subverted}} in the ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''/Wiki/TVTropes crossover ''FanFic/KyonBigDamnHero''. Kyon is found in a compromising position just to be photographed and teased a little. He still says the line though.

[[AC:''Manga/OnePunchMan'']]

'''Flash Sentry''': "Sunset! This... this isn't what it looks like!"\\

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/37425649/chapters/93504238#workskin Bullet with Butterfly Wings]]'', Barok von Zeik is shoot in his home with Herlock Sholmes as the lead suspect. Holmes tells Naruhodo and Susasto that before the incident Herlock and Barok shared telegrams that sounded like Barok was threatening him, but was really the prosecutor's dark sense of humor. He warns them that the police and the prosecution could mistake it for an actual threat and a motive for the detective. [[spoiler:While this does happen during the court, Barok's mother Amelia is able to dispel this, sharing that not only was Barok the same with his other friends but also his late brother Klint]].

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/27375406 The Internship]]'' by Neeko96, Gabriel gives Adrien and Marinette a rather stern talk once the girl is seen coming out of his son's room while he was following her with his pants unzipped. It's not like they can explain they just stumbled into each other when returning to the mansion after a mutual Identity Reveal, especially considering both weren't supposed to leave due to some public media issues.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Opalescent}}'', Olive and Otto, the latter of whom thinks that she is the Countdown Crook, run up to the Medical Bay and find Opal standing next to a huge metal vat of pink goo and about to inject herself with a syringe filled with white liquid. When she sees them, she pulls her coat sleeve down and sticks the syringe needlepoint-first into the blonde bun that sits on her head, lying about what she's doing by saying that she's checking to see that the white liquid was the same color as her arm. Downplayed, however, as the agents don't inquire about it any further than that.

* In Chapter 14 of ''Fanfic/AradsStardust'', Lana walks in on Matt cuddling [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] (he's comforting her, somewhat involuntarily -- she hugged him first, he's under orders not to touch her without her permission -- over her [[BigCreepyCrawlies Chryssalid-related]] issues). [[ShipperOnDeck Naturally]], she can't resist teasing him about it.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvill'']]

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* In ''FanFic/{{Overlady}}'', Louise walks in on her sister Cattleya in a compromising position with one of her maids.
-->'''Cattleya: '''It’s not what it looks like!”\\
''Louise severely doubted that. She was almost certain it was exactly what it looked like. Her sister had her head between the wide-open legs of another girl, who had her skirt rolled up to her waist. The girl – a maid by the looks of it – was slack-jawed and vacant-eyed. And there were fluids smearing her sister’s jaw.''\\
''No, whatever Cattleya might say, it was exactly what it looked like.''\\
[[spoiler:''Her sister had certainly sunk her fangs into the thigh of the other woman and had been drinking her blood.'']]

* In ''Fanfic/FireAndShadow'', it's a case of "Not What It Smells Like". When Firefang comes back reeking of [=RiverClan=] cats, Yellowfang gets the idea that he slept with a [=RiverClan=] cat. Firefang ''was'' hanging around [=RiverClan=] cats because he rescued Mistyfoot's kits, and he ''did'' have a less-than-platonic cuddle with Mistyfoot, but he didn't mate with her.

* The SelfInsert in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13064230/15/And-Now-Yet-Again-Still-Even-More-Fragments Legal Crimes]]'' lives in a warehouse filled with toys, videogames, and cartoons, along with having installed a commercial walk in freezer and refrigerator. Batman and Flash assume he's a cannibal who eats children. In reality, the warehouse is cheap, the toys and such are for him, and the massive fridge and freezer are so he doesn't have to grocery shop often since he's rather antisocial.

* In ''Fanfic/LostBoy'', Hiccup tries to assure Stoick that he and Astrid did not have sex, Astrid simply needing company after [[spoiler:she found out her father was going to sell her off to Snotlout]]. Stoick believes him, but warns him that if anyone saw Astrid sneaking to and from the house, everyone would make that assumption, tarring and feathering their reputations further.

* ''Fanfic/CatTales'': Non-romantic version in ''Blueprints'', when Matt Hagen/Clayface shows his true "mudman" form to Sly (the bartender at the Iceberg Lounge). Sly starts staring at him wide-eyed, and Clayface gets annoyed because while Sly can handle people like Joker with no problem, he's "gawking at Clayface like Frankenstein's monster". Then it turns out Sly is gawking not because of Clayface's looks, but because Hagen is a former movie star, and Sly is a ''huge'' fan of Matt and his movies. Clayface is pleasantly surprised by this.

* ''FanFic/SuperSentaiVsSuperSentai'': Invoked. After being dropped into the sea, Youhei rescues the unconscious Miki and has to [[UndressingTheUnconscious take off all her wet clothes]] to prevent CatchYourDeathOfCold. He actually dwells on the idea of her waking up to him undressing her and misinterpreting things, but it doesn't end up happening.




* In one tale in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10264509/441/Tales-of-Fairies Tales of Fairies]]'', the trope is averted when Cana casually states to Lucy that her making out with Loke while she's without her top and he has his shirt unbuttoned ''is'' what it looks like.


* PlayedForDrama in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/972596/1/Moria-s-Revenge-Rrated-Repost Moria's Revenge]]''. [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Gollum]] manages to track the Fellowship to Lothlorien and attacks Frodo, only to be attacked himself by Icicle, a warg Pippin befriended during his captivity in Moria. She succeeds in chasing him away, then turns to see if Frodo is alright - at which point, Haldir (who already thinks the worst of Icicle due to her being a warg) barges in and sees her nuzzling a blood-covered Frodo. Naturally, he assumes that she attacked Frodo, and kills her in a misguided attempt to protect the others. When he learns what really happened, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he's so guilt-stricken]] that he asks Galadriel to offer his immortality to the gods in exchange for Icicle being brought BackFromTheDead (luckily for him, they revive the warg ''and'' allow him to remain immortal).

* In Chapter 14 of ''Fanfic/AradsStardust'', Lana walks in on Matt cuddling [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] (he's comforting her, somewhat involuntarily -- she hugged him first, he's under orders not to touch her without her permission -- over her [[BigCreepyCrawlies Chryssalid-related]] issues). [[ShipperOnDeck Naturally]], she can't resist teasing him about it.

* In the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9721717/1/Massages Massages]]'', Jaune gives Yang a massage, but her screams of pleasure cause their friends to think they're having sex. After explaining the situation, the other girls make Jaune give them massages. Soon, ''their'' screams of pleasure convince everyone in Beacon that Jaune is sleeping with them all. Jaune is not happy about this, because all the boys get jealous and try to beat him up.


* Inverted and mixed with SarcasticConfession in ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji''. Misato walks in on Shinji and Asuka on top of each other with a broken chair nearby.
-->'''Shinji''': "This is exactly what it looks like. Asuka and I were making out so hot and heavy, we broke a chair."\\
'''Misato''': "Damnit. If you're going to fight, at least don't break the furniture."



* In ''Fanfic/AVoiceAmongTheStrangers'', Ebony says this when Twilight and Spike walk in on her tickling Jessica on the couch.

* In the ''[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' Send Your {{Original Character}}s fanfic ''Fanfic/PokemonTakeTwo'', Nurse Joy walks in on ''[[{{Keet}} Ry]] on top of [[YamatoNadeshiko Alex]] on a bed''. Ry was bringing a board game for them to play but tripped.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' fanfic ''FanFic/{{Insontis}}'', the Security team finds a video of [=McCoy=] threatening Spock; it turns out to be the two of them playing superhero with kid!Kirk.

* In ''[[FanFic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse Tales Of Ponyville]]'', Trixie needs to use a memory-transfer spell to show Raindrops something. Unfortunately, for Luna alone knows what reason, the spell requires that you kiss the pony you want to give memories to. With tongue. Naturally, Cherilee (who, incidentally, is under the mistaken impression that Trixie is not only a virgin (which she is), but totally ignorant with regards to sex) walks in at just the wrong moment.

* In the ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' fanfic ''FanFic/TravelsOfTheTrifecta'', Paul jumps to the conclusion that Reggie was having sex with Maylene because Reggie is tired the day after Maylene stayed at their house (while Paul was staying with Conway), and starts a fight with Reggie over it. In reality, Reggie was tired because he was having nightmares that were keeping him awake, but Paul doesn't believe this at first.

* ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/343559/measurements Measurements]]'', part of Jay-The-Brony's ''Fanfic/FriendsWithEverybody'' continuity, has this little exchange:
-->'''Flash Sentry''': "Sunset! This... this isn't what it looks like!"
-->'''Sunset Shimmer''': "Well, it ''looks'' like Rarity was having some neck pains and you were being a good friend and helping her out with it." (I.e., giving her a neck massage.)
-->'''Flash Sentry''' (truthfully): "Um... in ''that'' case... it's ''exactly'' what it looks like."
* At one point in ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/8553/5/retired-to-equestria/libraries-are-supposed-to-be-quiet Retired to Equestria]]'', Damien walks in on Gilda, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle in a pile covered in batter and with their faces near each other's crotches. He pretends to believe their [[SlapSlapKiss anger at each other gave way to lust]].

* Parodied in [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/292581/38/of-flame-and-shadow/chapter-37--stranded Of Flame and Shadow]] with the Sirens' habit of feeling up the other students.
-->'''Aria''': "If we want to, we sirens can see into another's memories through physical contact. That's how we knew about what Sunset Shimmer did here at the school before we talked to her in that hallway. What? Did you really think that we would run our hands and fingers over the other students just help seduce them?"\\
'''Sonata''': "Wait, we weren't?"

* In ''Fanfic/TangledUpInYou'', Marinette and Adrien end up on her bedroom floor in a compromising position after she knocks him backwards off his chair while trying to steal his phone (again). Sabine walks in on it but is more amused than anything else, calmly telling them when dinner will be ready.

* In the ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7733322/1/Mistaken Mistaken]]'', Kouji discovers his twin brother Kouichi has what looks like blood caked on his wrist [[BigBrotherInstinct and promptly starts freaking out with worry]]. Later he discovers, to his mixed relief and embarrassment, that it was just paint from Kouichi painting sets for the drama club; Kouichi does admit that the paint that caused Kouji's original FreakOut was for an extremely bloody murder scene and that it was formulated to look the exact color of real blood so Kouji's jump of logic wasn't completely unjustified.

** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7729886/1/A-Little-Teary-Eyed A Little Teary Eyed]]'', by the same author, has Kouichi answering the door in tears, to Kouji's clear worry, but has him then start teasing his brother after he reveals he was chopping onions.
* In [[https://jeconais.fanficauthors.net/This_Means_War/index/ This Means War]] by Jeconais, there is an attempt to break Harry and Ginny up by convincing Cho Harry loves her and arrange for her to kiss him right as Ginny arrives. Ginny does see it, launches a punch, then we get a lengthy flashback to her older brothers teaching her to punch properly... cut to the present, and [[spoiler:Ginny hits '''Cho''' right in the jaw - she knows Harry well enough that the situation looks exactly as it is to her]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fic ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/10391451/ Phase Eight]]'', Nino catches Ladybug and Chat Noir making out on the fire escape outside Adrien and Marinette's apartment, right when they're about to change back.
-->'''Adrien''': This isn’t what it looks like.\\
'''Nino''': It looks like you and Marinette are Chat Noir and Ladybug.\\
'''Adrien''': Okay, this is exactly what it looks like. Sorry M’lady. I guess the cat’s out of the bag.\\
'''Marinette''': You used that line three years ago, you got to come up with better material.

* ''FanFic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'':
** The sequel ''Picking Up the Pieces'' has a case of "Not what it ''sounds'' like" - Hot Rod arrives at the Luna Guards' headquarters and asks to see their captain, saying that the other night he was sleeping with his wife Sound Mind but missed having Sweet in bed. The Luna Guards' lieutenant assumes he's having an affair with her as a result. When the truth comes out that all three (Hot Rod, Sweet Surprise and Sound Mind) are actually married, Lieutenant Even Hoof and the rest of the guards are utterly stunned.
** A non-romantic version in chapter 15 - when Memorizing mentions that he knows how far his fellow Captain Violet Lulamoon is into writing her next book, Blazen Sun gives him a disapproving look, and Memorizing hastily explains that no, he's not going through their personal affairs; he knows about this piece of information because one of his Guards had fetched and delivered the folder holding the draft in question to Captain Lulamoon on her way out of the office the other day, at her request, and had been told what it was; the Guard had then, per standard protocol, included the information in his end-of-day report.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4355994/1/Pokemon-The-Final-Saga Pokemon: The Final Saga]],'' Ash and Dawn accidentally get themselves locked in a janitor's closet. When Nando opens the door and sees them in a compromising position (because they were trying to find a way out), he assumes he caught them trying to have some "alone time", apologizes for bothering them, and [[HilarityEnsues closes the door.]] The chapter ends with Ash and Dawn shouting for him to come back and get them out.

* ''Fanfic/TheBridge'': Rodan abruptly walks up to Rainbow Dash and presses their foreheads together so that she can join the telepathic conversation he is having with Mothra Lea. When it is over, they look up to find Rodan's kinda love interest Phoenix Flamez jealous and the other bystanders, including Rainbow's parents, thinking they were getting intimate. They frantically try to explain it's not what they think.

* ''Fanfic/MrAndMrsGold'': During her interrogation of August, Rose took an axe to his leg to test it as wooden. Eventually someone called Emma who - since she does not believe the curse exists yet - sees Rose holding a bloody axe with a wounded August in her cabin. Subverted, as Rose puts up no fight and even tells her husband not to pay her bail, relying on August’s cooperation.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11991180/9/A-sunny-day-in-DC A Sunny Day in DC]]'', Xander stops an attempted rape only to learn it was a couple roleplaying when the rapist uses a safeword and tells his "victim" that he didn't agree to a threesome.

* ''Fanfic/WhiteSheepRWBY'': A RunningGag is someone walking in an apparent sexual situation and told "it's not what it looks like" only for them to come to the correct conclusion. For example, after Emerald is hit by a bucket of paint meant for Jaune he lets her use his shower and borrow some of his clothing since hers are ruined. Cue Weiss walking in to see an unknown girl wearing her partner's clothes. Emerald insists it's not what it looks like but since she's carrying her ruined clothes, Weiss had already figured out what actually happened. [[ClingyJealousGirl Pyrrha sheathes her weapon before anyone notices]].

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12978919/18/One-Punch-Man-Hero-s-Harem Hero's Harem]]'', Silverfang sees Captain Mizuki running in fright from a pair of monsters and moves to dispatch them. In reality, the two monsters are friends of hers and the whole thing was mostly harmless teasing. Luckily, both injured monsters recover from their injuries.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12855936/1/Harry-Potter-and-Libromancy Harry Potter and Libromancy]]'', Hermione sees Harry and Sarah enter an erotic graphic novel. When she goes to investigate, her mother spots her in the adult section holding a book of dirty pictures and jumps to the rather obvious conclusion.

* A non-romantic variant is PlayedForDrama in ''Fanfic/MissingMiraculousLadybug''. After Marinette mysteriously disappears, many of her classmates initially assume that she ran away from home. Alya, in particular, thinks that she's pulling a stunt [[AttentionWhore for attention]], though she comes to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone deeply regret thinking that way]] after learning that [[BitchInSheepsClothing Lila]] ''is'', in fact, [[ManipulativeBitch just as bad]] [[CassandraTruth as Marinette was trying to tell them]]. Others fear that her disappearance was far from voluntary. In reality, her disappearance is due to an akuma [[LaserGuidedAmnesia erasing Ladybug's memories]] of her alter ego, leading to her staying transformed and continuing to patrol Paris rather than heading home to a life she doesn't remember.

* Inverted on two occasions in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13538715/1/Along-Came-a-Spider Along Came a Spider]]'':
** First, Ren walks in on Jaune tied to a chair by [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters Trifa]] after hearing some screaming. Ren assumes she's a prostitute and Jaune quickly agrees that he hired a dominatrix rather than mentioning Trifa was there to kidnap Weiss.
** Second, after Trifa turns to Jaune due to having left the White Fang rather violently, Nora walks in on her seemingly wearing nothing but one of Jaune's shirts. When Nora says she's not Jaune, Trifa awkwardly offers that she's "with Jaune", which Nora accepts and heads off to give Jaune a high five.

* In one tale in [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10264509/441/Tales-of-Fairies Tales of Fairies]], the trope is averted when Cana casually states to Lucy that her making out with Loke while she's without her top and he has his shirt unbuttoned ''is'' what it looks like.

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9821669/chapters/22053209 Awakening]]'', [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Starscream and Optimus]] are talking, and Starscream mentions that Seekers have claws. Intrigued, Optimus asks to see them, and Starscream obliges - only to be attacked by Rodimus, who misinterpreted the gesture as an attack on Optimus.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7589450/1/Catastrophes Catastrophes]]'', Hermione slips on a bit of cake after a FoodFight and falls on the floor. When Harry goes to help her up he slips himself and lands on top of her. Then Ron walks in, believes that they were having sex and accuses Hermione of cheating on him.

* Harry has just hidden an "elf on the shelf" in ''Fanfic/TheRigelBlackChronicles'', when Professor Lockhart comes across her, and is about to escort her back into ''the girls' bathroom, at 4:30 in the morning'' to check what she was up to. And then Professor Snape finds them.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13497211/50/Crazy-Trouble-With-Love-Part-9 Female Queens and Marco]]'', a monster asks Marco to open a jar of strawberry jam. Just as Marco succeeds, he involuntarily time travels once again, leaving behind his hoodie with strawberry jam on it, which the monster scoops up to eat. Then comes [[BloodKnight Queen]] [[FantasticRacism Solaria]], who sees a monster with what appears to be blood on his hands and the discarded clothing of the man she fell in love with. The monster doesn't live for much longer.

* In ''Fanfic/JauneArcLordOfHunger'', Pyrrha ends up pinning Nora to her bed in order to stop her from asking Jaune an incredibly insensitive question about whether he's depressed. Being TheGadfly that she is, Nora teases Pyrrha about her crush on Jaune, causing the latter to start blushing. Of course, it's at this moment that Jaune enters his dorm and sees Pyrrha pinning Nora to her bed while having a CrushBlush, leading him to [[MistakenForGay assume that they were being intimate]].
-->'''Jaune:''' You know, I don't mind if you guys want to, do stuff. But at least like, put a sock on the door or something.\\
'''Pyrrha:''' This isn't what it looks like!

* In [[https://www.deviantart.com/koch43/art/Lesson-5-9-The-Angle-501399311 this]] ''[[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Long Posts of Trepan]]'' comic, Trepan questions Overlord as to why he ordered a particularly expensive brand of lube, and Overlord allows him to touch it. After noticing that it's less watery than the old lube, Trepan remarks that it doesn't feel as sticky as it looks, and that it both feels smooth and easy to move his hands up and down through it and has a wonderful texture...and then Starscream shows up to remind Overlord about the meeting he's supposed to attend. From his angle, it looks like Trepan and Overlord are getting up to something lewd.
* In ''Fanfic/TheWeaverOption'' the traitor Cardinal Hoth's flagship is decorated in a way that makes his allegiance to Tzeentch blatantly obvious. When his ship is boarded by the Inquisition and Astartes, this is the only defense he can offer.
-->'''Hoth:''' Gentleman, it isn't what it looks like.

* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': When Italy says he sleeps with Germany and Japan, he ''really'' did mean he just slept in their beds with them and nothing else. [[{{Polyamory}} Until later...]]
* ''Fanfic/TheOneILoveIs'': In chapter 9 Shinji and Asuka argue as riding an elevator. Asuka loses her temper for a second and slaps him. Shinji falls on his back and Asuka gets horrified and kneels down. Shinji stands and reaches a hand down to help her up when the elevator stops and Maya walks in on them. She blushes and Shinji does not want to know what she thought was happening.
* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'': [[OfficialCouple Shinji and Asuka]] don't want people suspecting that they are timetravelers and HappilyMarried. They try and pretend that [[SecretRelationship they are not together]] but they are lousy actors, and every time they are caught making out or believe they have been caught or let slip that they are together they swear that "this is not what it looks like" and "it is not what you are thinking".
** In chapter 5:
--->"Uh... [[spoiler:Mi... Misato]]!" he stuttered, trying to get the surprisingly calm redhead off him. "It... it's not what it looks like!"
** And in the sequel ''Webcomic/AkiChansLife'' it got subverted. Yes Touji, yes Hikari, that little girl who just answered the door of your friend's apartment is [[spoiler:Shinji and Asuka's kid]]. It's a long story.
* ''FanFic/ShinjiAndWarhammer40k'': In chapter 24 Shinji and his father are alone in a room and Shinji punches himself to get his father in trouble. When Misato stormed into the place and saw Shinji bleeding Gendo tried to explain what this was not what it looked like... and then he shut up because he realized that NOBODY would believe him.
* In ''This Time As A Namikaze'' The Sandaime and Hyuuga Hiashi knock on Naruto's door. A sleepy Naruto sans jacket answers. Cue Hinata (also sleepy) walking in saying "[[ComeBackToBedHoney Naruto-kun. Come back to bed.]] [[InnocentInnuendo You over-exerted yourself last night.]]" wearing nothing but his jacket. The explanation is that Naruto was masquerading as a missing-nin the previous night and got roughed up escaping from ANBU prison in a big storm only to get back to his apartment to see a soaking wet Hinata inside. He offers her his jacket to keep her warm and out of wet clothes then passes out in his bed where they end up cuddling. [[OverprotectiveDad Hiashi has a fit.]]
* In "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13189099/1/The-Legend-Of-Zelda-Ocarina-Of-Time The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]", Link has to leave the forest and meets Saria, just as he did in the game. When he sees her, he tries to tell her this, but he quickly tells her the truth.
* In the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' fic [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2976453/1/ Sex on the Beach]], this is inverted and played straight both -- inverted first, when Kairi mistakes [[SlashFic Sora and Riku]] engaging in the eponymous activity for a Nobody attack. The "played straight" comes later when the three of them are congratulating each other on a struggle to escape being discovered by their parents... and Kairi's father walks in the door just in time to observe what appears to be a threesome.
* Subverted in the ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''/Wiki/TVTropes crossover ''FanFic/KyonBigDamnHero''. Kyon is found in a compromising position just to be photographed and teased a little. He still says the line though.
* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6969408/1/In_the_End In the End]]'' has two if these; one with [[spoiler: Lelouch]]'s dead body and also when [[spoiler:Nunnally finds out who Zero is and Suzaku tries to reassure]] her.
* ''FanFic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'': In a chapter, Misato caught Asuka leaving Shinji's room at the morning. Asuka has to explain that is not what it looks like, she had been not acting untoward towards Shinji and had a good reason for she sleeping in his room. The reason being [[spoiler:he had nightmares and she was trying to comfort him]].
-->"It had taken some fast talking in the living room and not a little angry indignation to convince Misato that nothing untoward had happened between her and Shinji last night."\\
"And that she did have a good reason to be sleeping in Shinji's bedroom."\\
"In his bed."\\
"With him in said bed, at the same time."\\
"Not that in her opinion it was any of Misato's business what she and Shinji chose to do -or not do- together"
* The title of ''FanFic/StarsAbove's'' fifth chapter is this. [[Manga/LuckyStar Kagami]] says it when Tsukasa misinterprets seeing her lying in [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Homura's]] lap.
* In Shadow Snark, Shadow has Uma (who is female at the time) knocked out inside a sack ItMakesSenseInContext.
* Double Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' fan fiction series ''Esteem Roller''. Jane and Sandi walk in on a half-naked Daria giving a nude Stacy a massage, and both assert that the massage was purely medicinal (Stacy having pulled a muscle) and the nudity was pragmatic (the massage oil involved was rather pungent and difficult to get out of clothing). [[spoiler:And immediately after their denials, they learned that they were both closeted lesbians who were attracted to each other, meaning the prior setup had been intentional on both parts.]]
* Inverted in ''FanFic/SophisticationAndBetrayal'', where an encounter between the protagonist and Rarity was exactly what it looked like. Pinkie Pie however mistakes this for "a big hug", and accepts a BlatantLies excuse of Rarity [[TheImmodestOrgasm being excited]] over her recent business success.
* In ''FanFic/{{Overlady}}'', Louise walks in on her sister Cattleya in a compromising position with one of her maids.
-->'''Cattleya: '''It’s not what it looks like!”\\
''Louise severely doubted that. She was almost certain it was exactly what it looked like. Her sister had her head between the wide-open legs of another girl, who had her skirt rolled up to her waist. The girl – a maid by the looks of it – was slack-jawed and vacant-eyed. And there were fluids smearing her sister’s jaw.''\\
''No, whatever Cattleya might say, it was exactly what it looked like.''\\
[[spoiler:''Her sister had certainly sunk her fangs into the thigh of the other woman and had been drinking her blood.'']]
* ''Fanfic/RiskItAll'': After breaking the arm of the man who mugged him, Ren quickly realizes that it looks like ''he's'' the one doing the mugging and feebly tries to tell onlookers that the guy mugged him first. He quickly gives up, takes his money back, and runs for dear life.
-->'''Ren:''' [[LampshadeHanging God, it totally looks like I'm mugging this guy.]]
* In Chapter 14 of Fanfic/AradsStardust, Lana walks in on Matt cuddling [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] (he's comforting her, somewhat involuntarily -- she hugged him first, he's under orders not to touch her without her permission -- over her [[BigCreepyCrawlies Chryssalid-related]] issues). [[ShipperOnDeck Naturally]], she can't resist teasing him about it.
* In the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9721717/1/Massages Massages]]'', Jaune gives Yang a massage, but her screams of pleasure cause their friends to think they're having sex. After explaining the situation, the other girls make Jaune give them massages. Soon, ''their'' screams of pleasure convince everyone in Beacon that Jaune is sleeping with them all. Jaune is not happy about this, because all the boys get jealous and try to beat him up.

* Inverted and mixed with SarcasticConfession in ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji''. Misato walks in on Shinji and Asuka on top of each other with a broken chair nearby.
-->'''Shinji''': "This is exactly what it looks like. Asuka and I were making out so hot and heavy, we broke a chair."\\
'''Misato''': "Damnit. If you're going to fight, at least don't break the furniture."

* In ''Fanfic/AVoiceAmongTheStrangers'', Ebony says this when Twilight and Spike walk in on her tickling Jessica on the couch.
* In the ''[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' Send Your {{Original Character}}s fanfic ''Fanfic/PokemonTakeTwo'', Nurse Joy walks in on ''[[{{Keet}} Ry]] on top of [[YamatoNadeshiko Alex]] on a bed''. Ry was bringing a board game for them to play but tripped.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' fanfic ''FanFic/{{Insontis}}'', the Security team finds a video of [=McCoy=] threatening Spock; it turns out to be the two of them playing superhero with kid!Kirk.
* In ''[[FanFic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse Tales Of Ponyville]]'', Trixie needs to use a memory-transfer spell to show Raindrops something. Unfortunately, for Luna alone knows what reason, the spell requires that you kiss the pony you want to give memories to. With tongue. Naturally, Cherilee (who, incidentally, is under the mistaken impression that Trixie is not only a virgin (which she is), but totally ignorant with regards to sex) walks in at just the wrong moment.
* In the ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' fanfic ''FanFic/TravelsOfTheTrifecta'', Paul jumps to the conclusion that Reggie was having sex with Maylene because Reggie is tired the day after Maylene stayed at their house (while Paul was staying with Conway), and starts a fight with Reggie over it. In reality, Reggie was tired because he was having nightmares that were keeping him awake, but Paul doesn't believe this at first.

* In Creator/TheNamelessDoll's video ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiE9Iqa61NA Anywhere But Here]]'', Anastasia sees Jim with Esmeralda and thinks they're flirting. Jim was just talking with his friend Esmeralda about how he's unsure what to do about his love for Anastasia.
* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/85018/just-an-everyday-princess Just An Everyday Princess]]'' (a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fic): Non-romantic example in chapter seven, when Applejack sees a recently coronated Twilight riding on top of Big Macintosh with her guards on either side. She immediately assumes that Twilight's become just as bad as the Canterlot unicorns who treat earth ponies like property. Twilight later explains to her that Mac was being a gentlecolt and helping her out after she twisted her ankle. As for her guards' behavior (they had ropes on Mac to keep him from "running off with her" like Pinkie had earlier, and insisted on checking out the inside of the house before letting anyone in), they were just being paranoid, something which Twilight herself is not amused by.

* In the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' fanfic ''FanFic/TravelsOfTheTrifecta'', Paul jumps to the conclusion that Reggie was having sex with Maylene because Reggie is tired the day after Maylene stayed at their house (while Paul was staying with Conway), and starts a fight with Reggie over it. In reality, Reggie was tired because he was having nightmares that were keeping him awake, but Paul doesn't believe this at first.