Love Triangles — Tag Meaning
The canonical tag for three-way romantic competition: one character torn between two, or two rivals pursuing the same heart. Fanfic both plays triangles straight and subverts them — a striking share of tagged love triangles resolve by the three becoming a throuple instead.
What to Expect From "Love Triangles" Fics
Divided affections, rivalry, and a choice — or a refusal to choose. Check for polyamory tags to see which resolution you're getting.
How to find Love Triangles 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 "Love Triangles" works on AO3Popular Fics Tagged "Love Triangles"
Real examples from AO3's most-kudosed works:
Better Now
by orphan_account
Alone Together
by AgentGrey
THIEF
by nosferotic
Hate To See Your Heart Break
by orphan_account
East of the Sun
by maokitty
Cup Spilling Lies
by VerboseLepus
Related Tags
Jealousy
The green-eyed catalyst: a rival's attention, an ex's return, or a stranger's flirting forces a character to confront feelings they'd been ignoring. In fanfic jealousy is most often the device that breaks denial — nothing clarifies wanting someone like watching someone else want them.
Tag guide →
Polyamory
Tags relationships among more than two people, written as ethical and consensual rather than as infidelity or a phase. Fanfic is one of the richest archives of polyamorous storytelling anywhere, using the tag for everything from established triads to careful negotiations of opening a relationship.
Tag guide →
OT3
Short for 'One True Threesome' — fandom's riff on OTP for fans whose ideal ship has three people in it. The tag marks fics where a specific trio is the romantic unit, often resolving canon love triangles by the simple expedient of everyone dating everyone.
Tag guide →
Unrequited Love
Love that is not returned — and a fic willing to sit in that ache. Some unrequited fics end in the feelings finally being answered, but the tag warns they may not; plenty of authors use it for the pure, unresolved hurt of loving someone who will never look back.
Tag guide →
Read Love Triangles fanfiction on the go
Fanfict Reader is the best way to browse, search, and read AO3 fanfiction on your iPhone. Download for free and start reading your favorite stories today.