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The phone rang throughout Frank’s home. They groaned softly at the annoyance as he strolled downstairs to their kitchen.
“Why do I even have this thing..?” Frank grumbled to himself.
The brightly colored phone kept endlessly ringing. He hesitated for a minute before picking up the call.
‘“Hello, this is Frank Frankly speaking.” Their usual approach of picking up (annoying) calls.
As if god had denied his prayers of a quiet evening, a familiar voice boomed through the line. A very sputtery, southern voice echoed in his ears.
“M..Mister Frankly! It’s Eddie. I- Uh.” A muffled shriek came from the other line. “There’s somethin’ I need your help with in my post office!”
Frank blinked as he heard what he assumed were the pleads of mercy in the background from the received call. They hung up the phone and quickly gathered themselves.
They made their way across town in a hurry. Frank was worried for the Postman’s safety.
Once they arrived they strolled into the post office. He had done a quick scan of the area before deeming it safe.
“Mister Dear…is this another bug emergency?” Frank glanced up at the man who was perched up on the desk like a scared cat.
“Yes! Oh Mister Frankly how do you always know?” Eddie exclaimed.
He was approached by the lepidopterist. Who, quite frankly, felt a little silly being in the same situation as last time.
“Y’know Mister Dear,” He admitted as he extended a hand out to the mailman to help him come down.
“I’m starting to suspect that you place these critters here to give me a reason to visit you. Would my suspicions be correct?” They cooed teasingly.
“Yes- No! No quite frankly they wouldn’t! This is a real conundrum for me Mister Frankly.” He confessed as he climbed down from the desk.
“Uh-Huh..” Frank led Eddie to his chair. “It’s just a harmless little thing Mister Dear..”
They strolled back to pin point the location of a tiny Orchid Mantis that was on the floor. The pretty pink creature climbed onto the palm that was offered as transport by the grey puppet.
“It’s a beautiful Hymenopus coronatus! Nothing to be afraid of..” He studied the creature in their palm. They cooed at it as they did.
Eddie was becoming more at ease and he admired the way Frank handled the bug. He might be scared of bugs but never of Frank.
He sighed softly and smiled at the neighborhood’s bug collector. “I love you..” He whispered softly as if it were a crime he was admitting to.
Frank’s attention shifted away from the Orchid impostor and back to the mailman. “What was that?” He raised his eyebrow.
“Wh-huh..? OH! Ah, nothing, nothing..” Eddie became a blushing, stammering mess. Did the grey puppet feel the same way? Did he mess up big time? Was HE- watching? Were they all watching?
Eddie froze for a moment, heart racing in the cavity he called a body.
“Mister Dear?” Frank set the bug down on a piece of paper. He approached the redhead and waved their hand over his face. “Eddie..?”
Eddie was forced to face the cylindrical man. He cleared his throat and swallowed what felt like the weight of the whole world. “Yes Fran- Mister Frankly..?” He quickly corrected himself as to not disrespect Frank.
“Do you really mean that?” Frank grabbed another chair and sat down right in front of Eddie.
“Mean what?” He stared hopelessly. They both felt butterflies in their felt stomachs and not the good kind Frank usually studies.
There was a hint of mutual fondness between the two, even if neither wanted to admit.
The tension finally broke when Frank reached out and set their hand on Eddie’s hand. “Just..” He swallowed.
“Just..little critters. Nothing to be afraid of.” They searched in Eddie’s face for any sign of tenderness.
Eddie leaned forward, not out of willingness but because some force attracted him to the lepidopterist.
He felt a hand pull him forward by the rainbow colored tie into a soft, warm kiss.
Frank was also leaning forward, holding onto that piece of fabric as if it were the last thing that would save them.
They kissed with such fervor between them you would’ve thought it was mid summer in that very same room.
Eddie pulled away from the man. “Frank..” He had placed his left hand on Frank’s hip and the other sustaining him up. “That was…”
He fumbled around on trying to put words into a sentence before Frank placed a finger on his lips. “You ramble a lot for a man surrounded by paper.”
Eddie was caught by complete surprise and he went silent.
“I love you too Eddie Dear.”