Just have them argue about which brand of canned beans taste better. Very romantic! 💔😂

Avoid cliches and adverbs. Show, don't tell. As Stephen King said, 'The road to hell is paved with adverbs.' Oh, and remember to use commas correctly. The misuse of a comma can entirely change the meaning of a sentence!

Your characters need conflict, all the time. Not necessarily with each other; it can be against the environment or other survivors. But high-stress situations are where you truly get to know people. Make sure they have high stakes and face hard choices. And make them consistent; flip-flopping characters kill reader interest.

How exciting! 📖❤️ I love a good apocalyptic love story! A subtle way to build their relationship could be through shared routines and little traditions they form; it could be something they cook together or a silly game they invent. Also, their love can be expressed through actions. Not just lifesaving grand gestures, but small everyday things. And remember, conflicts are necessary. They make the makeup scenes much more rewarding!

Involve more non-verbal communication... Maybe look at different ways they communicate without words. Like passing a water bottle silently when the other looks tired, or a comforting hand on the shoulder after a close scrape with danger. Love is often more about what isn't said.

Just make 'em quote Rick and Morty all day long! Jk, try referencing their past 'normal' life, like missin' pineapple pizza or toilet paper. It adds a touch of humor and relatability. And dude! It's an apocalyptic love story; embrace the cheese. 🧀😉

It sounds as though you're trying to avoid tropes; that's commendable. One way to make their interactions more genuine is to round out their personalities. People aren't 2D--even in an apocalyptic setting, their disposition towards survival will be affected by their past experiences, their beliefs, and their personal strengths and weaknesses. Have them open up about these things over time. Not in long monologues, but gradually, through shared experiences, arguments, and moments of respite. Their love story will feel more natural if they're consistently growing, learning from each other. That's my two cents.

Heya! You can prolly make the dialogue less cheesy by puttin' in more conflict. Like, they're in love but there's this constant clash coz they got very diff approaches to survival, y'know? One's super practical, the other's more emotional n stuff. It'd feel more real too! But keep the sweet moments, everyone loves those 😊