How can these two fall in love?

When I told my friend about my story, among many things, he asked if there's any love line (FYI, he's a smart and reliable guy). The only love line that might possibly develop is between the MC and his female friend. They are both high schoolers, btw.

The MC is a very stoic boy who tries his hardest to meet everyone's expectation and seeks his equally, if not more, stoic father's approval. While he usually enjoys reading, especially psychology related materials, he also practices Krav Maga and enjoys good sparring/fight. His problem is that he suffers from Lack of Empathy and emotion in general; he knows what is wrong and right and how people around him feel, but only in superficial level. Oh, and he's borderline asexual.

The girl...she's in same grade as him, for the start. She's from a clan of assassins and has ability to learn any kind of skill related to cause mortal harm to living beings very quickly and ability to detect other people's negative emotions, which part of her body always absorbs. She wants to have a normal life and she likes MC, mostly because he has been kind to her during elementary school years.

Any thought?

Have the two spar against eachother. Nothing says chemistry like getting together with someone of the opposite sex who can match you.

edited 10th Jul '11 9:47:41 AM by EnglishMajor

OP: Do you want the overdone Hollywood way, or the realistic way?

^ The way which can affect the emotions more, regardless of being "Hollywood" or "Realistic". I propose, dRoy, one of the better ways which to get closer to someone, is to be there with them when hardly anyone else is around. The food court, or the student council room?

A good time for a one-on-one chat - and in that chat, MC might get silly awkward, which his friend would laugh and point out, and.. (let your imagination fill in the blank)

edited 10th Jul '11 12:10:58 PM by QQQQQ

having been ninja'd in my suggestions by both Major and QQQQQ, I'd suggest having them spar first, and then what QQQQQ said, to give it a natural flow and a sort of realistic development, which is important in showing the gradual transition.

Those two are so very different. Together, they fight crime.

@ Lelardny: Realistic might be preferred, although I want overall sweet and cute.

Got to say that it wouldn't be a normal relationship...

edited 10th Jul '11 3:19:56 PM by dRoy

You could do the standard, "she grew on me" plot. Have your main character at some point start doing things where the only reasonable motivation is because he likes the girl (going out of his way to save her or something).

Or have your MC's dad disapprove of the son having a poor love life which leads the MC to ask the girl to be his pretend GF. overtime they develop legitimate feelings.

There's a zillion ways to do this haha. Pick one and run with it

About that, no one actually knows what she's capable of. Everyone in the class just see her as an awkward girl who sometimes faint and miss school for some reason (neuro-overload). Also, in normal circumstance, she would curbstomp him.

Hmm, she probably doesn't need any saving. She does need some help with academics though and he's good at studying. Maybe he could help her study?

edited 10th Jul '11 10:00:02 PM by dRoy

It really depends on the circumstances. They're high school age, okay, but what else is happening? I always like (and write) actionish stories, so my preferred romantic development is something like Fire-Forged Friends leading to Battle Couple, with occasional Bodyguard Crush and Rescue Romance opportunities. The girl's ability suggests that that sort of thing (by which I mean action and fighting, not the specific above tropes) is going to happen occasionally, at least.

Make sure both characters have a need which the other fills. Otherwise it will just feel weird and forced no matter what.

Do they absolutely need to fall in love? Do you feel their falling in love would improve your story? Or are you only thinking about it because this person brought it up?

Honest question. If you want them to fall in love and think it betters the story, so be it, but if you're only thinking about it because of something this one person said... Well, maybe you should think if you really need to.

I'll go ahead and echo what others have said about not forcing the issue of the two characters falling for each other unless it serves your story. That said, I'd say ask yourself some serious questions about your two characters. You say she has some mild(?) feelings for him because he was kind to her back in elementary school. Why WAS he kind to her, if, as you say, he lacks empathy for others? Was she being persecuted, and did he help her, because he thougt her persecution was wrong? Ask yourself what qualities your characters have that would inspire love in another. Whatever qualities HE has, would SHE be receptive to them, or vice versa? Since he's not in touch with his feelings at all, you could have his love for her grow without his conscious knowledge, have him just randomly think about her or seek out her company, and not know why he's doing it. As trite as it sounds, so long as you respect your characters' personalities, almost any way you choose to do it will be believeable 'cuz folks are used to love (or at least infatuation) not behaving logically.

Although it should be pointed out that love and infatuation are not the same thing, and if you want these characters to develop a lasting relationship, then you will need to find some solid reason for them to do so.

Well, when she was in elementary, she would sometimes go around killing stray cats and all and her family actually complimented her on that. One time, MC saw her trying and stopped her. Despite he lacks empathy, he does have a very firm sense of justice so he told her to not to do it. She was interested by him because no one ever told her that taking life is wrong, but not in a good way initially, more as an annoyance.

Well, the bell. Will be back later.