Obsessive Book Lover's Month of Books - Day Fourteen

What type of character do you most like as a romantic interest in a story?

 

As far as the standard Archetypes go, I'm pretty broadminded, but with the same caveat as with the main characters: they have to be smart.

Preferably clever.

Even if this does not manifest itself as an ability to banter. Because I'm less drawn in by couples bantering than I am by the interest proving themselves as someone worth being around long-term, and having a range of skills or characteristics that complement the hero.

This is usually where stories with guys as the main characters fall down. Some do a better job of painting the attraction than any stories with a girl main character do. But it often misses in the department where I believe these people belong together, for their goals and needs.

(This is why [ semi-non-sequitur] Minerva's okay for Artemis Fowl in theory, but Holly Short is the racially inappropriate (like, species-race) 'ship we all wanna be on. [/semi-non-sequitur ])


So, um.

All those words and not an answer.
fabricalchemist  said this question was hard, but she was all set for tomorrow, the "romantic interest you hate" question, and now I see she was right. Because I was about to throw a curve-ball answer...using what I'm not attracted to.


- I get drawn into the story when the love interest is part of the problem for the main character.
- When they are able to fall in step with the main character keeping up mentally, even if they have a different area of expertise, so stuff has to be explained.
- I like it when they are better at something than the main character, actually.
- And when the two fight about things that really matter, but are trying to listen to each other.

YAY that'll have to do for an answer for now.

Thoughts?