I love a good angsty/dark fic where nobody really wins when it comes to this sort of thing, rather than an actual fluffy romance/drama thing, as someone always ends up with the short end of the stick in order to ensure a happy ending for the other characters. If nobody has a happy ending, I think it really works - but that's never really a super popular option in fic (which I think is a shame. It's hard to find good darkfic that isn't just written for shock value or just used as an excuse to write awful non-con. Urgh. But that's a rant for another time...)

I think whether happy, sad, or bittersweet, the ending has to be earned. You're right that too often fics with angsty bleak endings get there by choosing the most convenient way to get there (people not talking, letting misunderstandings bread, unfounded stubbornness) rather than working towards a most character consistent ending. Honestly, I think a fic where everyone is trying their best and it still doesn't work is far more wrenching than a "and no one can ever know" style ending. But then, I'm much more a fan of a bittersweet ending than outright angst. I think, at least in fic, it's easier to find stories that have earned their happy endings, or even bittersweet ones for that matter, than ones than straight up dark and angsty ones.


Urgh

Well said!!

Though it's a convenient shorthand why it's impossible for most people to fully accept the comics as "canon".