Unresolved Sexual Tension
| Synonyms: | !unrequited | |
| See also: | RST, Eye Sex, Pining | |
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Definition
UST is an abbreviation used to refer to unrequited sexual tension between two characters or unresolved sexual tension between the same, depending on the context.
The former involves a character undergoing angst (and possibly a lot of pining) at the reality of another character not sharing their feelings, and the latter, a character or characters expressing such tension in an alternative way, such as anger, denial, or even 'kisses that don't go anywhere'. Such tension can be in the realm of a het-oriented fanwork or a slash-oriented fanwork.
In canons with a visual component, such as movies, tv series, or comics of various types, UST may be indicated (or made up out of) heated gazes or longing looks.
Etymology
Usage
In The X-Files fandom, UST most commonly stood for unresolved sexual tension and often led to RST, or resolved sexual tension. For many Mulder/Scully shippers, UST was a favorite device both in fic and on screen. UST was such a big part of the fandom that the Gossamer archive suggests using UST as a possible keyword for fic headers.
