Fake/Pretend Relationship — Tag Meaning
The canonical tag for one of fandom's most beloved engines: characters pretend to date — for a mission, a wedding, a visa, a nosy family — and the performance becomes real. Every staged kiss and practiced anecdote doubles as genuine intimacy the characters refuse to acknowledge.
What to Expect From "Fake/Pretend Relationship" Fics
Escalating fake intimacy, at least one 'we have to sell it' kiss, and the agonized realization that nothing about it feels fake anymore.
How to find Fake/Pretend Relationship fics on AO3
On AO3, click any tag to see every work that uses it, then refine with the "Filters" sidebar — combine it with your fandom or ship, set a rating, or exclude tags you don't want. See our AO3 filtering guide for the full walkthrough.
Browse "Fake/Pretend Relationship" works on AO3Popular Fics Tagged "Fake/Pretend Relationship"
Real examples from AO3's most-kudosed works:
Gravity's Got Nothing on You
by zosofi
Electricity In the Contact
by ladyblahblah
Don't Worry Baby
by kalpurna
The Game Plan
by FestiveFerret
this city bleeds its aching heart
by renne_archive
No Matter How Far Away You Roam
by lady_ragnell
Related Tags
Fake Dating
The most common species of pretend relationship: a dating ruse undertaken for reasons that seemed sound at the time — making an ex jealous, surviving a reunion, winning a bet. The fake-dating contract always includes rules, and the rules always get broken.
Tag guide →
Fake Marriage
Raises the pretend-relationship stakes to legal documents: a sham marriage for citizenship, inheritance, cover identities, or convenience. The domestic intimacy marriage requires — shared homes, shared beds, performed affection for witnesses — gives the trope its slow-burn power.
Tag guide →
Undercover as a Couple
The procedural fandom's gift to romance: partners must pose as a couple for a mission, and professionalism wages a losing war against chemistry. The trope thrives in cop, spy, and agent fandoms, where the cover story licenses touches and endearments the characters would never otherwise risk.
Tag guide →
Feelings Realization
The canonical tag for the oh-no moment: the instant a character understands that what they feel is love. Fandom treasures the realization scene — triggered by jealousy, a near-loss, or something as small as watching someone laugh — and entire fics are built around delivering it perfectly.
Tag guide →
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