Which Deltarune Fanfics Depict Susie And Noelle'S Slow-Burn Romance With Angst?

I recently stumbled upon this gem called 'Hollow Pines' on AO3, and it absolutely wrecked me in the best way. It’s a Suselle slow-burn with layers of angst, set in a post-'Deltarune' Chapter 2 AU where Noelle struggles with her guilt over the Snowgrave route. The author nails the tension—Susie’s gruff exterior slowly cracking as she notices Noelle’s self-destructive habits. There’s this haunting scene where Noelle avoids the hospital wing, and Susie literally drags her there, yelling but hands shaking. The pacing is brutal; every small moment of closeness feels earned, like when Noelle finally breaks down and Susie just... sits beside her, not knowing how to fix it but refusing to leave.

The fic also weaves in Kris’s guilt as a silent third wheel, which adds another layer of melancholy. If you love emotional gut-punches with a side of 'will they won’t they,' this one’s a must-read. Another detail I adored: Susie’s POV chapters show her secretly memorizing Noelle’s coffee order, but she panics whenever someone points it out. The angst isn’t just dramatic—it’s quiet, messy, and so human.

'Salt and Sugar' is a bakery rivals-to-lovers AU that surprisingly packs angst. Noelle inherits her family’s failing pastry shop, while Susie works at a punk donut place next door. Their arguments about frosting techniques mask deeper insecurities—Noelle’s fear of disappointing her mom, Susie’s fear of being replaced. The turning point is Susie tasting Noelle’s burnt croissants and lying, 'Yeah, totally edible,' just to make her smile. The slow burn is spiced with financial stress and late-night baking sessions where they accidentally hold hands over flour bags.

I devoured 'Crossed Wires' in one sitting. It’s a texting fic where Noelle and Susie accidentally swap phones during a school trip. The angst creeps in when Noelle reads Susie’s texts with Kris—raw, unfiltered vents about feeling like a monster. Susie, meanwhile, sees Noelle’s drafts confessing her crush, all unsent. The miscommunication trope is painful but realistic, and the resolution involves Susie showing up at Noelle’s house at 3 AM, soaked from rain, just to say, 'You don’t gotta hide shit from me.'

There’s a WIP titled 'Thaw' that’s living rent-free in my head. It’s a frosty college AU where Noelle and Susie are assigned as lab partners. The angst here is subtle but relentless—Noelle’s religious family disapproves of Susie, and Susie assumes Noelle is just another rich kid pitying her. The slow burn is agonizing; they bribe each other with snacks to tolerate the partnership, but then Susie starts noticing how Noelle’s hands tremble during presentations. The author uses weather metaphors brilliantly—every argument feels like a blizzard, every quiet moment like melting ice. Bonus: Berdly’s cameos as a clueless wingman add levity without undercutting the tension.

For a darker take, 'blackout' explores Susie and Noelle surviving a power outage in the dark World. The angst stems from Susie’s fear of vulnerability—she’d rather fight monsters than admit she’s scared. Noelle, meanwhile, uses humor to deflect, until they’re forced to share warmth in a crumbling closet. The author’s prose is visceral; you feel every shiver and unspoken confession. The climax involves Susie snarling, 'If you die here, I’ll kill you,' which is peak tsundere romance. Also, the rare moments of tenderness—like Susie braiding Noelle’s hair by firelight—hit harder because of the bleak setting.