Thinking about it, I think what does it for me is a kind of unit within a unit dynamic. What made me think of it is your mention of the Arthurian Legend. What worked for me in Merlin (TV Series) was the Arthur-Merlin relationship being a kind of functioning unit within the structure of Camelot 'team' and Arthur's knights etc. Arthur and Merlin aren't always (or even often) on the same page, but at the heart of it they're on the same 'team' (which tends to be Team Saving Arthur's Life XD ).
You see a similar dynamic in SGA where Rodney and Sheppard are the 'earthlings' on the team. And one character is ostensibly 'in control' the way Sheppard/Arthur is, but the second person is kind of a second-in-command there.
And I mean obviously that's part of what works for me with Steve-Tony (who are modeled after Arthurian legend in some sense, with Steve=Arthur, Tony=Merlin, Avengers = Knights of the round table, at least in the comics). That kind of "there's something there that makes this relationship weird/different from others" combined with the 'we take care of the other members of the team' aspects that really gets me.
Similarly something like SG-1 Jack/Daniel...that 'person in command' and his second in command... I know it's meant to be Sam Carter, but the way SG1 reads it's really Daniel.
That's what's partly there in the Peggy/Daniel and Peggy&Jack relationship too (that General & second in command aspect).
I think I can trace this back all the way to my childhood reading of 'Queen Margot' by Alexander Dumas. If not familiar with the story it's basically a romanticized version of history, where Catholic princess Margot marries protestant prince Henry, and while they shouldn't work (they each have other lovers) they do take care of each other. I absolutely loved the book as a teen, and I think it left an indelible mark on the kind of relationships I enjoy (i.e. married-but-conflicted and with other outside interests, as you mention in your own comment. the other outside interests is key!)
no subject
You see a similar dynamic in SGA where Rodney and Sheppard are the 'earthlings' on the team. And one character is ostensibly 'in control' the way Sheppard/Arthur is, but the second person is kind of a second-in-command there.
And I mean obviously that's part of what works for me with Steve-Tony (who are modeled after Arthurian legend in some sense, with Steve=Arthur, Tony=Merlin, Avengers = Knights of the round table, at least in the comics). That kind of "there's something there that makes this relationship weird/different from others" combined with the 'we take care of the other members of the team' aspects that really gets me.
Similarly something like SG-1 Jack/Daniel...that 'person in command' and his second in command... I know it's meant to be Sam Carter, but the way SG1 reads it's really Daniel.
That's what's partly there in the Peggy/Daniel and Peggy&Jack relationship too (that General & second in command aspect).
I think I can trace this back all the way to my childhood reading of 'Queen Margot' by Alexander Dumas. If not familiar with the story it's basically a romanticized version of history, where Catholic princess Margot marries protestant prince Henry, and while they shouldn't work (they each have other lovers) they do take care of each other. I absolutely loved the book as a teen, and I think it left an indelible mark on the kind of relationships I enjoy (i.e. married-but-conflicted and with other outside interests, as you mention in your own comment. the other outside interests is key!)