Basic Trope: Two characters start out as friends before hooking up together as a relationship before realizing they are better off as friends.
- Straight: Alice and Bob are friends who decide to enter a relationship, but find they work better just as friends.
- Exaggerated: Alice and Bob are best friends who find the thought of dating one another too Squicky because they see themselves more like family.
- Downplayed: Alice and Bob are friends who once went on a date and didn't find a spark.
- Justified: Alice and Bob are simply too different to work as anything more or they like someone else better.
- Inverted: Just Friends
- Somehow, Alice and Bob decide they're better off as enemies.
- Subverted: Alice and Bob find that despite seemingly being better as friends, they miss being in a relationship and perhaps try again.
- Double Subverted: Only to discover that they really are meant to be friends and their desire may stem from other issues.
- Parodied: The instant Alice and Bob commit to a romantic relationship, the world begins falling apart at the seems. When they call it off, everything is fixed.
- Zig Zagged: Alice and Bob start off as friends. They get into a relationship. Bob breaks it off because he doesn't like the increased commitment, while Alice still wants to stay in a relationship. The two of them become enemies, but then are even more attracted to each other and get together again.
- Averted: Despite Alice and Bob disagreeing more in their relationship or coping with new problems, they enjoy being closer because it just seems to be the next step in their more than friendship.
- Enforced: The author doesn't want to write a relationship.
- Lampshaded: "I think Alice and Bob got along better when they weren't a couple."
- Invoked: "Guys and girls can be as good as friends if not sometimes better than entering a relationship."
- Exploited: Alice and Bob are friends, and they'll pretend to be a couple so they can take advantage of special discounts and vacation packages, but not do anything romantic.
- Defied:
- Bob confronts Alice on the reasons why she said this and both resolve to go through the issues as a couple and both end up happier than they would as friends.
- Bob's feelings for Alice are too strong for him to be happy as just a friend, and leaves Alice all-together.
- Discussed: "Alice and Bob have been arguing more and being more stressed since them being a couple beyond being friends."
- Conversed: "Just because they're that close doesn't mean they'll be good for one another in a romantic sense."
- Deconstructed:
- Despite Alice and Bob deciding this, Bob discovers he still likes Alice romantically and only decided this to make Alice happy. This may end up hurting Bob in the long run and may even lead to the friendship failing when Alice discovers this.
- The problems in their relationship attempt were actually the result of individual personal problems or negative aspects that Bob and or Alice have rather than the problems resulting from the actual relationship. These problems show up in later relationships with other people and if they do solve them, they may be left with doubts and second-thoughts due to realizing that had the problems not been present, or resolved sooner, they may still be together.
- Alice says this to Bob because of a difference that after some time passes, no longer really matters and when Alice sees Bob in a different light, he may be with someone else, resulting in a regretful Alice.
- One or both decide this because they are one's or each other's emotional crutch and a relationship could unstabilize that. However, their respective significant others may feel left out, jealous or unable to take how close they are. If it's just one being the clutch to the other, the former may end up suffering and may decide to break off the friendship.
- Alice and Bob decide this after a very bad test date, but it was so awkward that they can never really get over it, and their friendship is never quite the same afterward.
Now I can get back to lunch with Token White. What's that, you say? We should get together? No, I think we're Better as Friends.
