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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46076
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46076
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

If the female enemy is immature, make the male be emotionally more of an adult, even though they are about the same age. He is merciful; despite her apparent anger or hatred. Invent a situation in which he captures her or disables her power, but instead of harming her, lets her go. Then another incident, she attacks him. He could hurt her, but he doesn't. Lets her go _again_.

The point of this is you want your female to **owe** him; he never claims he is doing her a favor but she knows he did. **He begins to interest her.** She starts spying on him.

Let her see him actually harming other enemies; so she knows he isn't afraid to do that -- he just wouldn't do it with **her**. You want her to see that he isn't a normal enemy.

While she spies on him, she sees him get trapped by a different enemy; and he isn't going to get away. She steps in and saves him. Or maybe just releases him and he saves himself. But he knows it was her.

But this little quid-pro-quo starts a kind if rivalry/friendship, she doesn't want to battle him. She has a lot in common with him, and it isn't long before they team up: Together their common powers make them stronger as a team: Even _without_ any magic two people can get more accomplished with teamwork than the sum of what they can do alone. They can have each other's backs.

Then the camaraderie of this "working together friendship" becomes inevitably personal, they like each other, and look forward to being together. Give her a personality trait he likes (perhaps her humor), give him a personality trait she likes (maybe he is smart and insightful and just _understands_ her better than anybody else has, he gets her feeling of isolation and loneliness.

And maybe he feels the same, so just **companionship** with somebody like themselves is an important value for both of them.

You want them to become co-dependent, both happier and more successful together than they are separately. Then it is a small step to physical attraction, and turning their friendship into romantic love. Easier if they are both thinking the same thing.

Original score: 1