Consider: Aroace Ro and Aro Bo in a Qpr
*considers*
nah
*considers again*
well, maybe
*considers some more*
my eyes have seen the glory
*considers even more*
Tax evasion marriage.
Tax evasion and parental approval. And power. They discuss it, the night of their official betrothal. Neither of them want to be married in a romantic way.
"Look," Ro said, staring at Bo, where he stood, across the room from her. "There's nothing wrong with you, per se, it's just that I don't like you."
"I don't like you like that either," Bo said, simply, picking underneath his nails with a battle axe. "But I've got an idea. We're friends, right?"
Ro squinted at him. "Yeah? Fighting battles side by side and mother-henning children will do that to you?"
Bo snorted. "Well, here's my idea. We get married, but not as lovers. We get married as friends."
"That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard of--"
"But you'd never have to worry about marriage again. We'd just be married in name, and friends before anything and everything else. If you ever feel something for me, we can discuss it, and if you don't it's fine."
Ro glared at him.
"And your dad would really be proud of you."
Ro nearly hit him. Because that kind of stung. Her father would be proud of her if she married Bo.
And she didn't mind Bo. She just didn't see him in a way that most spouses saw their spouse. He was her friend, and a good friend at that. Possibly her best friend, she thought, inspecting him, watching him fiddle with the edge of the blade. They'd been forced to hang out with each other, forced to look each other in the eyes, forced to talk--
And they had a lot in common. They weren't incompatible. They weren't a mess. They were a team, and a good one.
They'd grown very close, they turned to each other with their struggles. Wars had waged, and it had only drawn them closer to each other. Ro would have fought an entire army to protect him.
She would have killed any enemy she had to.
But she didn't want to be married to him. Did she?
He looked up at her, once.
"Ro," He said, "I could go out there and say my vows and mean them."
Ro blinked, startled at the change in topic. "But you said you don't--"
"The vows say nothing about romance. They talk of honor. Of love, of respect. They want us to be a united team, a whole, a solid brick of defense against whatever warfare comes our way. And I think we could do that."
Ro scratched sharply at her chin. "Is that right?"
Bo nodded. "We're friends, Ro. I'd always fight for you. We're really good friends. I'd always honor you. We're practically best friends, I'll always respect you."
Ro looked away, the words hitting home in her chest. He meant it, she knew it, but she didn't want to rush into anything. "You'd be okay with that?" she asked, finally. "You'd be okay with a marriage to someone who just wants to be your friend?"
Bo grinned at her. "Of course I would, Ro. After all, it's just a permanent friendship, isn't it?"
Ro looked at him. "It's a complete gift of yourself to another--"
"But that has nothing to do with romance. That's a choice to give your entirety to someone else." Bo grinned at her. "I'd give up everything for you, Ro. I hope you know that."
Ro blushed, and Bo grinned at her. "Will you be my best friend?" He asked, slowly, "Forever?"
Ro blushed brighter. The look in his eyes was happy, clear, and open. It wasn't romantic. It was more than romantic. Between them was the sand of whatever good relationships are built on, that romance is just the water splashing above. They were already down to the bare bones, she thought to herself.
"Doesn't sound like an awful idea," She answered, finally. "Let's get married."
