Sorano remained steadfast. "Say what you want then," she said.
Cobra cleared his throat. "The problem is, you want a neat little solution to your problem, something that you can magically say or do that would help them along or give them that big break or whatnot. But the reality is, ultimately, there isn't a whole lot you can do about this."
Sorano stayed silent, but her mind soured over at the words. Cobra knew this was coming, so before she could snap a retort, he continued. "I know it sounds like a cop-out, but really think about these two for a moment.
"These are two people who wouldn't even admit to the idea of liking each other in a hypothetical space where there are no consequences. They sound like the most stubborn assholes on the face of Earthland. Tell me, are these two people who you think if you try and force them into a situation that they can perceive as even slightly romantic, that they would just lower their guard and make the right choices?"
"…I guess not," Sorano replied.
"Exactly," Cobra responded, making a vague hand wave. "What happens instead is that the plan inevitably backfires, because one or more of them misinterprets, or misreads, or panics and flees. Then, they'll proceed to dig themselves even deeper holes than before, and the process will repeat ad nauseam.
"Your best bet is to just leave 'em alone. They need to work out their own issues before you try and force your perceptions onto them. Otherwise, things will just be worse than before."