🏷️ Pining
88 entries tagged with this trope
Knowing Where to Look
TsukiNaito · 2018
Remus struggles with his lycanthropy and self-worth. Sirius sees him clearly and loves him anyway. The angst is beautiful and heartbreaking.
Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth
OwlF45 · 2018
Kirishima and Bakugou's friendship from childhood through their hero careers. The slow burn and emotional payoff is incredible. Focuses on their deep bond.
4 Minute Window
Speranza · 2015
Bucky leaves Steve a series of clues and caches as he deprograms himself. Steve follows. A love story told in dead drops and encrypted messages.
The Soldier and the Hurricane
romanoff · 2015
From 1930s Brooklyn to the 21st century. The complete Stucky story — how they loved each other through decades and brainwashing and death.
Such Selfish Prayers
andromeda3116 · 2016
Years after the war. Katara and Zuko orbit each other with decades of unspoken feelings. The yearning is palpable. Beautifully written.
A Study in Winning
fayjay · 2011
Modern AU where Merlin is a university student and Arthur is a professional tennis player. The most beloved Merthur AU. Funny, sweet, and satisfying.
Running on Air
eleventy7 · 2015
Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry finds his journal. Each entry leads deeper into Draco's disappearance and Harry's own obsession. Beautifully atmospheric.
Casting Moonshadows
Moonsign · 2007
The OG Wolfstar Hogwarts fic. Years 1-7 from Remus's POV. The slow realization of feelings while navigating lycanthropy and the Marauders' adventures. A classic that still holds up.
Momentum
mici_me · 2021
Sixth and seventh year through Sirius's eyes. The desperate need to be near Remus while pretending it's just friendship. The pining is so real it hurts.
Interstellar Transmissions
Pythia · 2018
Post-TLJ. The Force bond keeps connecting them against their will. Each connection is longer, more intimate, more impossible to walk away from. Quiet and devastating.
4 Minute Window
Speranza · 2015
Post-Winter Soldier. Bucky contacts Steve for exactly 4 minutes at a time before disappearing again. Each call is a lifeline. Speranza packs an entire novel's worth of emotion into 24k words.
Soft as It Began
dropdeaddream · 2014
1930s Brooklyn. Steve and Bucky before the war. Before the serum. Before everything. Just two boys figuring out that what they have isn't just friendship.
I'm With You Till the End of the Line
ToriCeratops · 2018
Endgame fix-it where Steve doesn't go back in time. He stays. They heal. The ending Marvel should have given us. Pure catharsis.
The Wraith's Return
KetterdamKid · 2021
Inej returns to Ketterdam after two years hunting slavers. Kaz pretends he didn't count every day she was gone. The Barrel doesn't do reunions — but this one hits different.
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
isthisselfcare · 2021
Draco is reformed, working at the Ministry, and absolutely gone for Hermione Granger. She has no idea. The pining is EXCRUCIATING in the best way. Fan favorite for a reason.
Running on Air
eleventy7 · 2015
Draco Malfoy has vanished. Harry finds his journal and follows the trail. Each entry pulls them closer together. The prose is genuinely literary. A Drarry classic.
Stately Homes of Wiltshire
waspabi · 2016
Malfoy Manor has a serious curse problem and Harry is the Auror sent to fix it. Draco is insufferable. Harry can't stop staring at his mouth. Peak banter Drarry.
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Maya (Mistful) · 2022
Draco discovers he has Veela heritage. Harry is his mate. Draco is furious about it. The comedy is razor-sharp and Harry's obliviousness is legendary.
Your Claws in Me
samwellhaus · 2022
Post-TWS. Bucky remembers everything but pretends he doesn't. Steve knows he's lying. The dance around the truth is agonizing. Touch-starved trope done perfectly.
Once Around the Sun
eleventy7 · 2020
Post-war. Katara visits the Fire Nation as an ambassador. Zuko is Fire Lord. The tension between duty and desire is palpable. Elegant prose and devastating restraint.
Such Selfish Prayers
andromeda3116 · 2008
A short, devastating post-canon piece about what could have been. Zuko and Katara chose duty over each other. The regret is quiet and overwhelming.
Captain
theflyingpeach · 2017
Inej is hunting slavers on the seas. Kaz sends her coded messages through trade routes. The distance makes every reunion devastating. Captain Inej content we deserved.
Slow Show
mia_ugly · 2019
Human AU. Aziraphale is a bookshop owner. Crowley is a rock star doing a rural residency next door. The pining is exquisite. This fic is a warm bath on a cold night.
every time we touch (i get this feeling)
coyotehusk · 2020
Modern college AU. Wei Wuxian keeps accidentally touching Lan Wangji, who has a strict personal space rule. Except he doesn't seem to mind when it's Wei Wuxian. Fluff perfection.
i will make you hurt
etymologyplayground · 2019
Lan Wangji is sent back in time to fix everything. He knows exactly what went wrong. He also knows Wei Wuxian can never find out. The dramatic irony is exquisite.
99 Percent Mine
Sally Thorne · 2019
Darcy Barrett has been in love with her twin brother's best friend since childhood. Tom Valeska is everything she wants and the one thing she can't have. Until now.
Timeline
senlinyu · 2020
Hermione accidentally fractures time. Every loop brings her closer to Draco and further from the life she knew. Senlinyu's signature blend of clever plotting and emotional devastation.
Running on Air
eleventy7 · 2015
Draco Malfoy has vanished. Harry finds his journal and follows the trail. Every entry brings him closer to understanding the boy he never really knew. Ethereal and heartbreaking.
Dwelling on Dreams
aideomai · 2022
Harry and Draco keep meeting in dreams they can't control. What happens in dreams starts bleeding into real life. Aideomai's prose is like poetry.
This, You and Me
fejre · 2014
Bucky's recovery from the Winter Soldier programming. Steve refuses to give up. The slow return of personhood and love is achingly rendered.
Once Around the Sun
eleventy7 · 2019
A year in the Fire Nation. Katara as ambassador. Zuko as Fire Lord. The distance between duty and desire narrows with each season. Eleventy7's prose is luminous.
Performance in a Leading Role
Mad_Lori · 2011
John is a film star. Sherlock is a theater actor. They're cast in a movie together. The acting is method. The feelings are not. THE Johnlock AU masterpiece.
The Untamed: Through Time
etymologyplayground · 2020
Wei Wuxian gets sent back in time with all his memories. This time, he's going to save everyone — especially Lan Wangji. A fix-it that heals canon's wounds.
Love and Other Words
Christina Lauren · 2018
Macy and Elliot were everything to each other growing up. Then something tore them apart. Years later, they collide again, and all those buried feelings come flooding back.
People We Meet on Vacation
Emily Henry · 2021
Alex and Poppy are best friends who take a yearly vacation together. Two years ago, something went wrong. Now Poppy has one last trip to fix it. The pining will WRECK you.
4 Minute Window
Speranza · 2015
Bucky sends Steve a signal every day — a 4-minute window where Steve can find him. The longing and restraint are exquisite. Speranza writes Stucky like poetry.
Your Name on Every Wall
Speranza · 2018
Post-Endgame fix-it where Bucky saves Steve from his terrible canon ending. Speranza refuses to let them be apart and honestly neither can we.
The Architect of Song
SecretlyAGryffindor · 2020
College AU where Percy and Annabeth meet again after years apart. She's studying architecture. He's trying to figure his life out. The pining is exquisite.
Wise Girl
Emiliana_Keladry · 2012
The entire PJO series from Annabeth's POV. Watching her fall for Percy when she doesn't want to, fighting it, and finally giving in is absolutely perfect.
ACOMAF: Rhysand's POV
somethingfulloflight · 2021
ACOMAF from Rhysand's perspective. Watching him fall for Feyre while pretending he hasn't, protecting her in secret, dying inside Under the Mountain. Emotionally devastating.
Love Lettering
Kate Clayborn · 2020
Meg is a hand-letterer who hid a secret message in a wedding program. Reid, the groom's friend, is the only one who noticed. A quiet, literary romance about details and connection.
Running on Air
eleventy7 · 2015
Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry finds his journal. Each entry draws Harry deeper into understanding who Draco became — and what he feels. Beautifully atmospheric.
Casting Moonshadows
Moonsign · 2007
THE classic Wolfstar fic. Follows Remus and Sirius through all seven years at Hogwarts. The pining is legendary. The ending, knowing what comes after, is devastating.
The Soldier and the Hurricane
paperclipbitch · 2014
Steve and Bucky from Brooklyn to the war. The pining, the unsaid things, the knowledge of what's coming. Short but absolutely devastating. Every word earned.
Soft Spot
sideffects · 2017
Bucky is a barista. Steve is an art student who keeps coming in. Modern AU coffee shop Stucky with all the warm, fuzzy pining you could want.
Not Easily Conquered
dropdeaddream & WhatAreFears · 2015
Told through letters, documents, and interviews spanning decades. The love story of Steve and Bucky as uncovered by historians. The epistolary format makes it feel achingly real.
Such Selfish Prayers
andromeda3116 · 2015
Years after the war, Zuko and Katara keep finding reasons to be near each other. The unspoken feelings, the political weight of their positions — the pining is exquisite.
Somebody to You
writergirl8 · 2014
College AU where Percy and Annabeth are best friends pretending they're not in love with each other. Everyone can see it except them. The mutual pining is chef's kiss.
Wild
Seraphina_Snape · 2017
Geralt and Jaskier on the road. The pining from both sides is immense — Jaskier in his obvious way, Geralt in his stoic denial. Beautifully written Path fic.
The Way to Mr. Malfoy
writcraft · 2016
Harry keeps finding reasons to visit Draco's shop.
A Convenient Impracticality
waspabi · 2013
Eighth year at Hogwarts. Draco is inconveniently convenient.
Stately Homes of Wiltshire
waspabi · 2013
Harry keeps bumping into Draco in Wiltshire. Coincidence? Not a chance.
The Boys in Blue
writcraft · 2015
Auror partners. Too many close calls. Emotions finally break loose.
Playing the Game
Scribbulus Ink · 2015
Sirius pretends he's fine. Remus pretends he doesn't notice.
Captain America and the Disneyland of Doom
copperbadge · 2015
Steve drags Bucky on an American road trip. For recovery reasons.
Sea of Ink
seaweedbrain · 2018
Percy and Annabeth navigate New Rome University together.
Nessian's Song
queenarcheron · 2020
Nesta and Cassian, the hate-to-love sparring you came for.
The Slow Unraveling
sharpshooter · 2019
A quiet love story about trauma and patience.
The Basement
hawkins86 · 2020
Will has loved Mike his whole life. Mike is figuring things out.
The Bookshop After Hours
ineffablehusbands · 2020
Six thousand years of pining. And then a very long kiss.
Viscount Bridgerton's Match
regencyfan · 2022
Anthony and Kate dance around each other through a whole London season.
Whistledown's Secret
featheringon · 2023
Penelope and Colin and the truth she's been hiding.
Rights and Wrongs
LoveBitca8 · 2017
Hermione is thrown back to 1970s and meets a young Lucius Malfoy. Time-travel Dramione with Marauders-era intrigue.
Tremble & Depart
doriana_gray · 2020
A marriage of convenience where Draco is desperately, silently in love. The yearning is exquisite.
4 Minute Window
Speranza · 2015
Bucky leaves Steve gifts in 4-minute windows between surveillance check-ins. The most romantic spy game ever.
Not Easily Conquered
dropdeaddream & WhatAreFears · 2015
Letters from the 1940s. Steve and Bucky through decades. The multimedia format (letters, news clippings) is genius.
Your Name on Every Wall
Speranza · 2014
Bucky tries to remember. Steve tries to let go. Neither succeeds. Short but devastating.
A Ghost of Ketterdam
ShadowSinger_28 · 2021
Someone is targeting the Dregs. Kaz hunts. Inej returns to help. A mystery wrapped in unresolved feelings.
The Way Down
Misha_Collins_Fan · 2018
Cas falls. Becomes human. Dean doesn't handle it well. Then handles it too well. Classic Destiel angst.
A Prayer for the Living
SilverDust · 2021
Post-canon Hualian. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian through another 800 years. The devotion continues to hit.
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
isthisselfcare · 2021
Draco is desperately in love with Hermione and everyone knows except her. The pining is Olympic-level. Comedy gold.
At Your Service
Faith Wood · 2009
Draco is a matchmaker. Harry hires him. Draco falls for his own client. The comedy of errors is delightful.
Casting Moonshadows
Moonsign · 2007
Seven years of the Marauders at Hogwarts. Remus struggles with his lycanthropy while falling for Sirius. One of the OG Wolfstar fics.
Wolf's Tooth
FleetofShippyShips · 2017
The wolf wants Sirius. Remus fights it. The internal war between Moony and Remus makes this one of the most visceral Wolfstar fics.
Soft Spot
Nonymos · 2017
Bucky is a vet. Steve brings in his dog. Classic coffee shop energy with dog-park meetcutes and painfully obvious pining.
Fluorescent Adolescent
BantaBanter · 2020
8th year. Draco and Hermione share a Head Dormitory and are forced into proximity. Draco's inner monologue is the most chaotic, feral pining you'll ever read.
A Wonderful Caricature of Intimacy
Countess_of_Abe · 2013
Hermione and Draco agree to fake-date so Hermione can make Ron jealous. It works too well. Draco feels too much. Everyone can see it except her.
Turn
Saras_Girl · 2012
AU where Harry chose differently at every turn. He's a Healer now. Draco is his patient. Saras_Girl's magnum opus — domestic bliss hiding devastation.
Unexpected Developments
Lauren3210 · 2009
8th year. Harry and Draco become friends before either realizes they're falling. The slow build of trust and warmth is exquisite.
No Competition
Endgame · 2009
Draco thinks Harry only hangs around him to annoy him. Harry thinks Draco hates him. Everyone else can see these two idiots are desperately in love.
Draco Malfoy's Very Secret Diary
Violet_Azure · 2002
Draco's diary is a masterpiece of self-delusion and repressed feelings. This is one of the original Drarry classics and still one of the funniest things in the fandom.
Lumos
traintracks · 2008
8th year. Harry can't stop watching Draco cast light. Draco can't stop noticing Harry watching. The prose is luminous and the desire is palpable.
Something in the Way
flintandfeather · 2008
Sirius has always felt pulled toward Remus — toward the wolf, toward the man. A quiet, devastating Wolfstar that captures the texture of teenage longing perfectly.
The Art of Drowning
nimrodel_writes · 2010
The First Wizarding War as experienced by Remus and Sirius. How do you love someone while the world burns? How do you trust when paranoia is survival?
Solstice
marvelzombie · 2009
Sixth year. Sirius watches Remus with the moon. Remus watches Sirius watch him. Two boys learning the difference between want and love in the language of seasons.
Brooklyn
Odsbodkins · 2012
Steve and Bucky before the war. The boys they were before the men they became. An origin story that makes everything that comes after hurt more.
Seventy Years
nimmieamee · 2014
Seventy years is a long time to wait. Steve on what it means to find Bucky again when the man you knew is buried under everything Hydra made him.
Salt and Fury
theprincessed · 2017
Inej returns to Ketterdam. Kaz has been waiting, in the way Kaz waits for things — by pretending he wasn't. The reunion is everything.