History ShipTease / Literature

* ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'', starting around Book 3, really enjoys tugging on Kendra's romantic strings. Her attraction to [[HeroesWantRedheads Gavin]] is [[LoveAtFirstSight immediate and obvious,]] [[spoiler: but he's [[DevilInPlainSight kind of evil]].]] In Book 4, she meets Raxtus, whom she immediately turns into her own personal in-universe {{woobie}}, and they spend the night curled up and sleeping next to one another...but [[InterspeciesRomance species is kind of a barrier there]], since [[spoiler: Raxtus is a dragon, and a ''[[HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster fairy dragon]] at that]]. Book 5 seems to set up the OfficialCouple as Kendra and [[spoiler: Bracken]], but they themselves admit that relationship won't go anywhere any time soon, due to [[MayflyDecemberRomance yet more interspecies shenanigans.]]

* In ''Literature/TheZombieKnight'', Hector seems to act more shy than usual around Lynn, and Queen Helen [[ShipperOnDeck comments to Lynn about her and Hector making a cute couple]], although she states that she was joking and shouldn't let it influence her either way.
* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', Taylor initially interprets Brian's kindness towards her as attraction - which Brian is quick to refute when she brings it up. [[spoiler:They try dating several chapters later, though, and actually manage to make it work pretty well until... well, the below occurs]].
** After her HazyFeelTurn, Taylor starts getting a lot of teasing with [[DeadpanSnarker Dennis]] as well. Despite Wildbow, the author of the series, not supporting it, this ship picked up a lot of steam among the fandom, and eventually got so popular that Wildbow had to [[ShipSinking sink]] it InUniverse with Dennis making a statement that he's annoyed that [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall all the people on the forums]] [[TakeThat won't stop shipping him with Taylor]].

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has spawned literally hundreds of novels over the decades, and occasionally the writers have allowed themselves to be a bit freer with regards to depicting Doctor/companion relationships than what was generally allowed on television. Examples include ''The Dying Days'' which ends with the unambiguous suggestion (later confirmed in an audio drama spin-off) that the Eighth Doctor beds companion Bernice Summerfield, a Fifth Doctor story from the short story collection ''Short Trips and Sidesteps'' where the (supposedly, if you believe the TV show) asexual Doctor becomes [[DistractedByTheSexy distracted]] when his sexy companion, Peri, wears a revealing outfit. Most recently, the short story "All The Empty Towers" featuring the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald (featured in the book ''The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who'') contains several ship-tease moments including a plot-irrelevant sequence in which the Doctor and Clara share a dance.

* ''Literature/TheUnexploredSummonBloodSign'' has numerous examples of this between Kyousuke and the White Queen, despite the latter being an EldritchAbomination who's utterly {{Yandere}} for the former. A major example of this comes at the end of the first volume, where the White Queen leans in almost close enough to kiss Kyousuke, and confidently declares that she's sure he'll eventually save her. He doesn't deny this, simply remaining silent and walking away.

* ''LightNovel/TheUnexploredSummonBloodSign'' has numerous examples of this between Kyousuke and the White Queen, despite the latter being an EldritchAbomination who's utterly {{Yandere}} for the former. A major example of this comes at the end of the first volume, where the White Queen leans in almost close enough to kiss Kyousuke, and confidently declares that she's sure he'll eventually save her. He doesn't deny this, simply remaining silent and walking away.

* Overlapping with ShipSinking, ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' had Harry×Hermione shippers pretty pointedly teased by the scene in which Ron destroys the Horcrux: it belittles him, saying a lot of the same things that rabid Harmony shippers did (useless next to Harry, not worthy of a girl like Hermione, etc.) and then shows him an image of Harry and Hermione passionately kissing. At this point, Ron smashes the thing to bits with the sword of Godric Gryffindor.
** Though by that book, it was obvious what the ships were. The constant Harry×Hermione imagery and scenes in said books was less a tease and more of a way to appease shippers who would have perfered a Harry×Hermione to Hermione×Ron.
** And more than that, we realize that it was never even a tease, it was never meant to "appease" any fan. It was simply there to show Ron's anxiety and low self-esteem come out and for him to finally overcome it and destroy the Horcrux. It was meant to represent Ron destroying the "bad side" of his brain and to overcome his fears and become a better person. But the Harmony fans only saw it in a very black and white way because many of them are terrible and hate Ron for some weird reason.
** Many Potterfans figured Luna Lovegood was introduced for the purpose of being Harry's intended, especially given the lengths JKR went to to establish their connection as "outsiders". And especially since -- in the same book (''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]''), it's stated that the reason Ginny could actually talk to him without blushing was that she'd gotten over her crush on him. The ship was subsequently sunk and eaten by Harry's "[[StrangledByTheRedString Chest Monster]]" in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Half-Blood Prince]]''.
*** Harry/Ginny had foreshadowing in the same book (Ginny takes the snitch ''right under Cho's nose''). But Harry and Luna share many intimate moments.
** Averted with Luna and Neville, where most fans seemed to be under the impression they would end up together, despite having no signs of attraction to each other.
** The HomoeroticSubtext between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald in ''Deathly Hallows'' is revealed to be intentional per WordOfGod. Dumbledore was madly in love with Grindelwald, but their relationship never went beyond close friendship before falling apart with the death of Dumbledore's sister Ariana -- that being said, Grindelwald knew of Dumbledore's romantic feelings for him and manipulated them for his own gain, suggesting that had their friendship endured, [[RelationshipUpgrade Grindelwald would have allowed it to deepen into something more if it kept Dumbledore by his side]].

** Although the Sansa/Sandor ship has been confirmed as non-existence by GRRM himself. Especially since it's a gross pedo relationship that will never happen, and Sansa being a main character will be too busy with her plot line taking place in the North and rebuilding Winterfell during and after the great wars to come.

* No {{official couple}}s are overtly established in the ''Literature/{{ColSec Trilogy}}''. That said, when Cord first meets [[TheSmartGuy Samella]], he notices the way [[WhenSheSmiles her smile lights up her face]]. Later in the series, they not only [[BattleCouple rush to each other's defense fairly often]], but [[HoldingHands hold hands]], [[DanceOfRomance dance]], and [[BearHug hug]]; while it's never outright stated, the narrative hints strongly at times—especially by the final book—that he's in love with her (and, more subtly, that she reciprocates). And while [[GenkiGirl Jeko]] and [[{{Tsundere}} Heleth]] are usually VolleyingInsults or threatening retribution, they also [[BelligerentSexualTension occasionally show]] [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther genuine concern for one another]]. While Heleth's end of it is ambiguous, Jeko's end of it comes off decidedly like a crush...at least, if we allow that Jeko is the sort of guy who expresses affection by putting a frog down the other party's shirt, which would be [[TheGadfly entirely in character for him]].

* No {{official couple}}s are overtly established in the ''Literature/{{ColSec Trilogy}}''. That said, when Cord first meets [[TheSmartGuy Samella]], he notices the way [[WhenSheSmiles her smile lights up her face]]. Later in the series, they not only [[BattleCouple rush to each other's defense fairly often]], but [[HoldingHands hold hands]], [[DanceOfRomance dance]], and [[BearHug hug]]; while it's never outright stated, the narrative hints strongly at times—especially by the final book—that he's in love with her (and, more subtly, that she reciprocates). And while [[GenkiGirl Jeko]] and [[{{Tsundere}} Heleth]] are usually VolleyingInsults or threatening retribution, they also [[BelligerentSexualTension occasionally show]] [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther genuine concern for one another]]. While Heleth's end of it is ambiguous, Jeko's end of it comes off decidedly like a crush...at least, if we allow that Jeko is the sort of guy who expresses affection by putting a frog down the other party's shirt, which would be [[TheGadfly entirely in character for him].

* No {{official couple}}s are overtly established in the ''Literature/{{ColSec Trilogy}}''. That said, when Cord first meets [[TheSmartGuy Samella]], he notices the way [[WhenSheSmiles her smile lights up her face]]. Later in the series, they not only [[BattleCouple rush to each other's defense fairly often]], but [[HoldingHands hold hands]], [[DanceOfRomance dance]], and [[BearHug hug]]; while it's never outright stated, the narrative hints strongly at times—especially by the final book—that he's in love with her (and, more subtly, that she reciprocates). And while [[GenkiGirl Jeko]] and [[{{Tsundere}} Heleth]] are usually VolleyingInsults or threatening retribution, they also [[BelligerentSexualTension occasionally show]] [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther genuine concern for one another]]. While Heleth's end of it is ambiguous, Jeko's end of it comes off decidedly like a crush.

** The HoYay between Frodo and Sam is well documented and would take up the entire page if more specific examples were added, suffice to say Sam has stated his love for Frodo many times and kissed him multiple times. A lot fans are [[FanPreferredCouple troubled]] over Sam's seemly out of nowhere love for Rosy when the previous thousands of pages were about his devotion to "Master Frodo", the movies dialed it UpToEleven.

%% ** Simon with both Isabelle and Maia.
* Jacob and Fox in [[Literature/{{Reckless}} The Mirrorworld Series]].

** Gimli the dwarf has ship teasing with Galadriel the elf queen of all people, since she gave him locks of her hair when he requested. What's more ''Literature/TheHistoryOfMiddleEarth'' reveals Feanor one of the fairest and mightiest of elves once requested the same thing from Galadriel but she denied him three times, yet when Gimli asks ''once'' she happily gives him ''three'' locks of her hair and gives him AffectionateNickname "Lock Bearer". This has heartwarming significance not only because Galadriel showed a love to dwarf despite the deep seated feud of their races but it shows Galadriel could see the greed and pride in Feanor's heart when he demanded a lock of hair and therefore was more willingly to fulfill the more humble Gimli request. [[spoiler:It's also suggested Gimli went to the [[PhysicalHeaven Grey Havens]] in hopes of seeing Galadriel again.]]