"All right losers, how are we going to get Loid and Yor to stop being so dense?" Camilla said.
Frankie and Ludmila blinked at her while Dominic chuckled.
"I love you, too, babe," Dominic said.
Camilla blushed. "Losers doesn't include you, obviously."
"Still kinda harsh," Ludmila whispered.
"It's okay, Ludmila. She means friends," Dominic said.
"Anyways, thoughts?" Camilla said.
Frankie pulled a folded paper out of his notebook, unfolded it, and spread it on the table. It was roughly the size of the table when unfolded. "I've devised a foolproof twenty-step plan," he said and began explaining while pointing at the various stick figures on the paper. The plan was elaborate to say the least involving a jailbreak of the zoo's orangutan, stealing Henderson's prized mustache wax, and many, many costume changes.
Ludmila watched him explain it with such fondness you wouldn't suspect that she knew how terrible of a plan it was. "It's inventive, mi querido. But have we considered the age-old locking them in a small space until they talk through it?"
Camilla held her forehead. "These are pathetic ideas for the shadow king and queen of Eden. We are not locking anyone up or stealing anything or breaking zoo animals out."
Frankie pouted and crossed his arms, "Yeah, what's your brilliant idea then?"
"I don't know! That's why I asked you."
"Um, guys," Dominic said as he put a folder on the table. "We could just use these." He opened the folder to show pictures of the pair in question with their love for the other on display.
"These are perfect! I could kiss you," Ludmila said taking some of the photos in hand and the cogs in her devious brain turning behind her eyes.
"Hey!" Camilla and Frankie said at the same time.
"Relax, it's just an expression."
"It's one you're not going to use again with anyone but me, mi reina," Frankie said as he crossed to Ludmila's side, put one palm on the table behind her, and leaned over her.
She smiled widely. "So possessive, mi querido. What happens if I don't obey? Are you going to kiss me?"
Dominic cleared his throat. "If you're going to make out, could you not do it in my personal space? Not that I don't support your relationship, Frankie. I'd offer you a fist bump, but..."
Frankie backed away all the way to the other end of the room and turned away from them all. Ludmila froze and stared intently at the photo in her hands. She took a breath before setting the photo down and walking over to Frankie who she grabbed by his tie and lead out the door. "Excuse us."
"Those two need to kiss already," Dominic said.
"What do you think they're doing now?" Camilla said with a snort.
"Frankly, I don't care what they're doing when I have you right here." He pulled her down to sit on his lap.
"No, we have work to do, and they could come back." She tried to stand.
"Wait, could you please just stay until they come back? I want to hold you. I promise I won't do anything else."
She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around him while biting back a smile. "Fine."
"So," Ludmila said after they had found a quiet alcove.
"So," Frankie said.
"Are you going to kiss me? Or would you like me to submit a formal application?"
"You want that?" He asked with eyebrows up to his hairline.
She stepped closer with her chin up. "I thought I made that clear."
"It-it could be clearer."
"Okay," she took the last step to be directly in front of him and grabbed his tie to bring him down to her level. "I, Ludmila Elodia Castillo de la Gracia, want you, Francisco Javier Franklin, to kiss me. Clear enough?"
That was too much for Frankie who grabbed Ludmila's face with both his hands and fulfilled her request.
"I've got it," Ludmila said as she and Frankie returned to the study room a few minutes later.
"I'm glad to see making out got your creativity flowing," Camilla said snidely.
Ludmila and Frankie both blushed, knowing that making out was a bit of an overstatement of what happened but still feeling embarrassed at their first kiss being commented on.
"Anyways, I realized it's not enough to show them the photos alone. Their blinders are too strong. However, if we showed them something that the other wrote expressing those feelings and the photos…" Ludmila said.
"Mi reina, you're brilliant! Yes, Loid keeps a journal. It was something he read in a psychology book. I'm sure it's a mine of pining about Yor. I can easily borrow a few pages for his own good. Dominic, can you keep him busy when I do?" Frankie said.
"Sure, bro. Let's go over to his place, and I'll fake a fight with Camilla. He loves to give advice," Dominic said.
"Which leaves us to get Yor to write her feelings out," Camilla said to Ludmila.
"She's too muscle-headed to keep a diary or write poetry," Ludmila said.
"I'm sure we can convince her to write a love letter especially if we tell her it will help her get her feelings under control."
"It'll be a fight to get it out of her hands, one we'd both lose. Unless we pull some sleight of hand. How good are you at faking Yor's handwriting?"
Camilla smiled evilly. "Quite good. But I hope you're not suggesting we give Forger the fake one. I already tried that, and he saw right through it."
Everyone looked at Camilla in surprise.
"What? Even when I was pulling pranks with the mean girls, I could see that Forger and Yor should be together."