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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/35903
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I've been toying around with the idea of writing a novel. The story revolves around two characters, one male and one female, and the perspective will shift between them.

One of the central ideas of the story is that the two characters couldn't be any more different. They have different sets of talents, different world views, different ways of handling crises. Yet despite all that sets them apart, they're the best of friends. Nobody, including the two of them, can quite put into words _why_ their friendship works as well as it does, but they're nonetheless inseparable.

Here's the catch: This is _not_ a love story. Both consider the other a close friend, but nothing more. It's not something they've ever considered, and their relationship won't ever become anything more than what it is. Unfortunately, every introduction for the two of them that I've come up with invariably feels like a cliched setup for a cheesy romance.

I could directly call out the fact that they don't view each other in a romantic light, but that feels sloppy, and doesn't resonate very well. I'd rather show that they're just friends, rather than resort to directly summarizing how they feel about each other. I also don't want to introduce a different love interest for either one of them. In their eyes, they have each other, and that's about it.

What's the best way for me to introduce their relationship, and not overtly hint at a future romance?

Original score: 38