Internal or external obstacles that keep the pair apart.

Storylines involving a leg injury often lead to forced proximity , requiring one character to care for the other, which accelerates the romantic bond. 📚 Key Elements of Romantic Arcs

Often features physical cues like "accidental" leg brushes under a table during tense "enemies-to-lovers" dinners.

Often found in Friends-to-Lovers or Slow-Burn romances where characters are forced into close quarters (e.g., sharing a blanket or a small backseat).