Enemies to lovers

[sholio]

I ended up nominating a few things for Enemies to Lovers (hush, I'm using it as a bribe for finishing my other assignments xD) and this made me spend some time thinking about which of my ships actually qualify - I had some trouble coming up with a third fandom, and trying to figure out where exactly I'd draw the line. (Like, I wouldn't call Sam/Bucky E2L - more like people who mildly antagonize each other to friends/lovers. But some might!)

So I got to wondering how other people define it. I selected check boxes since some people might have more than one answer. I mean, *I'm* not even sure where I fall in all of this!

Poll #33342

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 59

View Respondents

How would you define Enemies to Lovers? (or Enemies to Friends, if you're not a shipper)

View Answers

Must try to kill each other (or at least want to), or be on opposite sides of a conflict with life-or-death stakes
21 (35.6%)

Rivalries like sports rivalries are fine, but there needs to be a strong personal element and/or unhealthy fixation on each other (not just regular sports team conflict)
26 (44.1%)

Any kind of rivalry or antagonism will do
12 (20.3%)

For me it's about the Vibe™ - from distrust/antagonism to trust, whatever form that takes
26 (44.1%)

I do not accept it as proper E2L if there's any softening at all - they must remain antagonists
0 (0.0%)

I know it when I see it but don't get too fussed about definitions
9 (15.3%)

My thoughts are too complex for your ticky boxes (answer in comments)
2 (3.4%)

Not my trope so I don't care, but I want to click something.
3 (5.1%)

Comments

[osprey_archer]

Ha, yes, this is super relevant to my writing too! Especially the story about the princess and her best-friend-turned-Communist-revolutionary who helped overthrow the principality's government at the end of World War I... They *were* friends under other circumstances but now circumstances (that they have helped create) have given them both strong reasons to want the other dead.