Love Addict's RPG Ch. 34

Another day of work kicked off with a crappy round of truck duty. Oliver and Mia worked with six other employees going in and out of a big refrigerated truck carrying untold pounds of dairy items, eggs, and other spoilable goods. It was all one big gigantic flurry. Some boxes needed to be opened and processed, others could be loaded on a cart straight away and taken to Payless Food's in-store refrigerator section, and a few items here and there had to be put on shelves immediately.

No one was new here. As chaotic as it was, everyone knew what they were doing, their role, and how fast they needed to do it. Calling Tessa's operation a well-oiled machine wasn't far from the truth. She trained her employees well, and it would only take them two or three hours to go through the motions and be done with it.

The sad news for Oliver was that Mia's sour mood continued as they worked. It was nice that she warned him about it, but it still sucked that she wasn't very receptive to chatting when they were loading up boxes together or taking out carts. He was used to working in silence- they hadn't been actively speaking to each other for that long, so this should've been easy.

It wasn't.

There was nothing he wanted more than to talk with Mia, ask how things went with her family, and plan out whatever they were going to get up to after work. Oliver tried his best, failing each and every time. All attempts to bridge the gap ended with Mia saying a word or two and clamming back up.

The only saving grace about the entire situation was that Mia acted downright adorable while pouting, and he relished the chance to witness yet another new side of his chill coworker. Just like in his dating sims, Oliver liked nothing more than peeling off layers of a cute girl's personality and finding out what made her tick. If only it didn't have to happen on a day they had so much to talk about, but alas.

Truck duty continued smoothly in relative silence, though the more time passed, the harder it became for Oliver to wait out Mia's bad mood. He was getting pretty desperate for something to happen, anything at all to snap her out of it and get talking again. He should've known better than to feel so strongly about it, as things had a way of working out in his favor as of late. Especially when he really wanted them to.

It happened in an instant.

Things were starting to wind down. Only about a third of the truck was left. For a split second, Oliver and Mia were the only ones onboard. The others were unpacking a few crates on the warehouse floor or pulling carts away. They were in the middle of piling up a cart's worth of milk gallons themselves when the metal ramp leading up to the truck suddenly moved as if possessed of its own will and clattered loudly to the cement floor.

A loud creaking sound burst out from the back of the truck itself- the sound of mechanisms failing and steel bending. Mia let out a moderately surprised yelp, coinciding with an iron curtain's dramatic fall. The refrigerated truck's back door slammed shut, whatever it was that kept it in place clearly having broken. Complete and total darkness swallowed the cold, enclosed cargo room, cutting them off in total isolation from the outside world...

And it just so happened to be Oliver's fault, of course.

--- Lucky!

This should help break the ice. Just make sure to keep nice and warm! ---

Oliver's forehead met his palm in the darkness. He thought that Lucky Bastard would make it so that he occasionally found cash on the side of the street, won the lottery, or engineered it so that a mysterious and heretofore unknown relative left him a mega-mansion in their will. You know, things that had an actual positive impact on his life and didn't endanger him, like trapping him and his coworker in the back of a refrigerated truck.

"Are you fucking shitting me?" He groaned.

"This... seems bad..." Mia said.

"Isn't there a handle we could try lifting?"

"Sounded like the suspension thingy broke, doubt it would do anything."

"The suspension thingy?" Oliver asked.

"Not an engineer," though he couldn't see it, he was confident Mia shrugged just now. "Do you know what it's called?"

"...No," he admitted. "You're right, though. Might as well give it a try."

They did, and Mia was correct. The door wouldn't budge even with both of them pulling upwards on the handle. One of their coworkers banged on the door from outside and spoke to them, offering to help try and pull on their side as well while someone went to go and get Tessa. The offer didn't lead anywhere, the steel refusing to yield so much as an inch.

As soon as she heard, Tessa rushed to the situation and ordered the associate to get out of the way. "Oliver? Mia? What the hell happened in there?!" She yelled, her voice muffled through the thick iron sheet separating them. She must've been all but pressed up against the thing for them to hear her as well as they did.

"We're not sure," Oliver lied, knowing he couldn't exactly tell her that his magical dating sim powers somehow broke every part of a refrigerated truck necessary to keep Mia and himself trapped for God knows how long. "We were loading another cart in the back of the truck when everything suddenly went to hell. There was a bunch of nasty sounds, and now the door won't open."

"Shit," Tessa punched the door from the other side, her temper startling the both of them. "Shit, shit, shit! Hang on just a moment, kids. I'm going to go and give the driver a piece of my mind."

Oliver took a deep breath and closed his eyes. If someone loses their job because of me, I... no... the less I think about that, the better. It's not like this could be the driver's fault, anyway. But... maybe some maintenance guy back at the company is going to catch flak for- damn it, no, not my problem!

A 'fuck you, I've got mine' mentality generally wasn't the best way to go about things. On the other hand, Lucky Bastard and Your Best Bro both did things independently of his wishes, and there was no ruling out that other skills Oliver might purchase in the future wouldn't do the same. If he was going to keep whatever remained of his sanity, it was probably best to start not sweating the small things, because, well... fuck you, he's got his.

"Getting cold in here," Mia commented, her soft voice a comfort in the darkness. "And it's not just my shoulder."

"Very funny. Feeling a little less grumpy now?"

"Not much use in acting pissy while we're stuck here," another invisible shrug, no doubt. "Don't wanna make things awkward."

That was a relief. The things Tessa said when she came back, however, were not. Another bang on the door sparked another shocked reaction out of them, not helped by how much harder Tessa had hit it. The resulting crash was so loud that Oliver worried for her hand.

"Bad news, you two. It doesn't sound like we can do anything to get you out until emergency services arrive. I already called, but there was some huge pile up over on Du Bois Boulevard, and they think it'll take a little over a half hour to get here."

Oliver shut his eyes. Not my fault. Nope. That definitely didn't happen so that Mia would be trapped with me for as long as possible, no way, no how. Fuck you, I've got-

"The responder said something about a bunch of drunken skinheads from out of state had a 'wheelie accident' on their way to a white pride rally? This fucking city, I swear... but hey, at least it couldn't have happened to a worse bunch of people."

Huh, Oliver thought. Nevermind. I can live with that. He hoped that whoever ended up in trouble over the truck was a Nazi, too.

"Anyway, I wish the bad news stopped there, but I hope you know it'll be cold as shit in there while you're waiting. The driver turned the air off, but it doesn't work like turning off the AC in your car. These trucks are built so that cold air stays trapped inside, keeping the goods fresh in case of emergencies..."

"How cold even is it in here, boss lady?" Mia raised her voice. Tessa didn't answer, as Mia wasn't very loud even when she was yelling. He heard a disgruntled noise, and then she nudged him in the arm.

"How cold are we talking?" Oliver repeated much louder.

"Thirty-five degrees," Tessa yelled back. "I know that might not sound like a lot, but you're going to want to..." there was a brief pause. At that moment, he felt acutely aware of Mia peering at him through the darkness. "Just... do what you have to do, but behave yourselves! Is that understood?"

"...Got it."

"Good... I... look, I'm sorry this happened. We'll ensure you get out of there safe and sound, so just hang tight for now, okay? I need to go yell at whoever's responsible for this..." Tessa's voice transformed into a full-on growl by the end of it, only to realize she'd forgotten something. "Oh, and one more thing. Don't even bother worrying about getting back to work after this. You're getting the rest of the day off, fully paid. Now, then... don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Tessa left after that, leaving only silence behind.

"She really think we're gonna fuck in here, or what?" Mia asked.

She said it so suddenly that the bluntness hit him hard. Oliver laughed awkwardly, saying, "I don't know what she thinks, but I do know she's a lot better than I give her credit for sometimes."

"Eh. Not making us work after we get in an accident is a low bar, but I suppose the boss lady's heart's in the right place."

"Should I turn on my phone's flashlight or-"

"Why? You scared of the dark?"

"Just offering."

"I'm good. More fun like this."

"If you say so..."

The cold was starting to creep in. It'd only been a few minutes since the accident, and they didn't have much to protect them from the elements. Their arms were exposed by their short-sleeved polos, and aprons wouldn't do them much good. While they were lucky it wasn't a freezer truck, to Oliver and Mia's sensitive Californian skin, thirty-five degrees might as well have been subzero.

"Anyways," Mia took a few steps towards him, her tiny footsteps echoing off the metal floor beneath her. Her hand found Oliver's, and she intertwined her fingers with his. "Let's not waste any time and skip to the part where we huddle together for warmth. Think my teeth are about to start chattering for the first time in my life. Any objections?"

His excited heart raced, the warmth of her hand burning him as he tightened his grip. "None. Sounds great to me, as long as you're not still mad." He said, leading her to a spot against the wall where he sat himself down.

"Already told you I wasn't mad," Mia followed his lead. He felt her weight pushing down on his lap, which was nearly too much for him to take. "Now stop being shy and wrap your arms around me. I'm cold, damn it."

"I think I can help with that," he teased. Mia's snappiness amused him, and Oliver did as she desired. His arms encircled her waist, and he soon pulled her closer. She didn't say he could, but he took the liberty of slipping under her apron for a little extra warmth on his end. Mia didn't mind. Also, she was soft. Smelled really nice, too. Fuck.

"Sorry again about Stacy," Oliver said to distract himself from earthly desires. "I-"

Mia also snuck her hands under her apron, draping them on top of Oliver's to ensure some skin-to-skin contact. "Don't be. Told you I'm not mad."

"Not even a tiny bit?"

"It doesn't matter," she sighed.

"So you're saying you are a little mad?"

"Drop it," Mia warned. "I want to enjoy this for a moment."

Oliver shut his mouth as requested, not wanting to upset her further if she actually was upset. The silence didn't last for long.

"Tighter," Mia locked fingers with him again. "Hold me tighter, Ollie."

He gulped and then did as she asked. It might've been cold, but together, they were warm. The two were as pressed against each other as possible. Mia sighed, contented at this, then reclined her head to rest on his shoulder.

"This is nice," she whispered.

"I... I think so, too..."

"Nervous?"

"Very," he admitted.

"I am, too. Just don't see the point of pussyfooting around. Done enough of that as it is."

If she was telling the truth and just as nervous as he was, Oliver felt he couldn't lose to Mia. He leaned in closer and rested his head against hers until they were face to face. She said nothing, but Mia nuzzled his face like a cat a few moments later in approval.

"We should do this more often," she suggested. "Long as we do it somewhere nice and warm next time."

"Anywhere special in mind?"

"A few," Mia teased, packing more suggestive energy into those two words than should've been possible. "Feel like specifying would be a bad idea, though. Don't want to make things harder for you down there."

"I'm a guy," Oliver shrugged. "A cute girl is sitting on my lap. I'm trying to be a gentleman, but if something happens, then hey. This was the seat you picked."

"That it was," she mused. "I'm sorry I got pissy."

"I thought you said to drop it?"

"I said to drop it so that I could enjoy this for a bit. Not that I wouldn't talk about it at all."

"Okay. If there's anything you want to say, then feel free to start off."

Mia went quiet as she collected her thoughts, ultimately telling him, "Bitch got under my skin, not much more to it than that. You're a guy, and you can't help getting boners if a girl sits on your lap. Meanwhile, I'm a girl, and I get stupid feelings sometimes. Don't need to be coddled over 'em. Just need to be left alone till they simmer down. That, or until we have to cuddle up and fight off a case of hypothermia. Whichever comes first."

"Can I ask a question that might tempt you into stabbing me?"

"Always."

"When you say 'stupid feelings', you're not saying you're jealous that I hung out with Stacy, are you?"

Mia went silent for an extended, uncomfortable amount of time- long enough for Oliver to begin thinking he had royally fucked up. That notion went out the window after she laughed a very odd laugh. It was the laugh of someone in the know looking down on someone who wasn't. "Pretty far from what you'd call the jealous type, actually."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find out. Eventually. Rather keep my secrets until you've earned them, thanks."

Oliver felt slightly annoyed at that, even if he didn't have a right to be. Frustrated, he hugged her even tighter, and she let out a groan of approval that made everything better in his eyes.

In a teasing tone, she asked, "You wanted me to be jealous, didn't you?"

"...Maybe a little, yeah."

"Heh. Adorable."

"Shut up," he laughed. "You're adorable."

"Tell me again, why don't you?"

"You're adorable."

"Again."

"You're cute as shit, Mia. Fucking adorable."

"Mn, that's the stuff," Mia purred. "Took everything you had to fess up about how cute I am last Thursday. Now look at you. Even got a whole new haircut, and everything. I think it's real sweet you wanted to look nice for me, by the way. No one's ever... I don't know. Been that considerate of me before, I guess? Makes me feel..."

"Wanted?" Oliver hazarded a guess.

"Yeah," she sighed a satisfied sigh. "Wanted. That's it."

"Figured. That's how you make me feel about myself, too, so... I wanted to try and put a better foot forward, y'know?"

"Already told you I liked you the way you were."

"You also told me I'm not allowed to grow my hair out again."

"Learning the eldritch truth always carries a high price," Mia sighed. "Can't go back to the way things were. Not after finding out how hot you look with a fuckboy haircut."

"Damn it, Mia..." this game of emotional chicken they were playing finally had a victor, and it wasn't him. Oliver blushed bright red, hugging her tighter as if to hide his embarrassment. A dumb decision, as all it did was make it more apparent.

If only he could've seen the way Mia smiled.

"Wonder how much time we got left..." she thought aloud. "Gonna miss this when it's over."

"Hasn't been anywhere close to a half hour yet," Oliver said after checking his phone. "Just ten minutes so far."

"Mn. Good. Be more than happy if I didn't have to get up for the rest of the day. Pretty comfy seat you got here, Ollie."

Feeling a little daring, he countered, "Hey, it's yours whenever you want it."

Oliver expected her to laugh and say something flirty back at him, so it came as a minor surprise when he was first met with silence. Then her hands tightened around his, squeezing him with all she had.

"Wanted to wait till we had a better chance, but only I can't hold myself back anymore. Not when we're like this."

"Mia?" He called her name. There were a thousand things that could have meant, many of which were incredibly dangerous and no good for his heart.

Mia sat up for a second, the danger increasing as she reversed her seating so that while still on his lap, they were face-to-face, and he could feel her hot breath against him. Mia hugged him. Tight. Even tighter.

The hug coincided with several notifications in the darkness, their hallucinatory brightness almost blinding Oliver.

--- Milestone Unlocked! Hugged Mia +15LP

Mia gained 5 Affection!

Mia's First Heart Event Re-Unlocked!

Heart Event Now Underway!

---

Oliver was overwhelmed by everything happening so quickly all of a sudden. This was it- a heart event. If this was anything like a dating sim- which by this point it was, then he knew from first-hand experience they were about to have a pivotal moment in their relationship. Some big revelation was coming up, something that changed things between them and made them closer.

Given the way she was sitting on him, he figured there was only one way it could go. With a heart beating faster by the second, Oliver wrapped his arms around her waist, closed his eyes, and puckered his lips.

She didn't get any closer. Instead, her legs wrapped around him and she placed her hands on his shoulders, saying, "I like you, Oliver. A lot. Like, a stupid fucking amount, and I always have-"

Her passion shocked him enough to cover up the embarrassment he felt from thinking he was about to get a kiss. Oliver was beginning to feel overwhelmed, though. He didn't know what to say. "Mia? Hey, calm down. You don't have to rush-"

"I do, damn it," Mia raised her voice at him, sounding so different from the sleepy and quiet girl he was used to. "I need to rush because I'm tired of this will they won't they shit we've got going on. I want labels, Ollie. Want this to be real, but that can't happen yet. Not until you remember me."

"Mia! It's okay, seriously, chill..." Oliver didn't know what the hell was going on or why she was so upset. He only knew that it was his duty to try and calm her down. He started running his hand across her back in a soothing motion, telling her, "Relax, and we'll talk this out. Take a deep breath. There you go, just like that. You good now?"

"...No, but I'll manage..."

"Will you?"

"Depends on your reaction, really. Case you hadn't noticed, I'm pretty damn worried about how you're gonna take this..."

"Honestly, I was a little suspicious that you left out something the other day... but I can't figure out what could be such a big deal that you're scared I'll drop you like a rock the second I find out. I mean, it's not like..." he paused briefly, a stupid idea coming to his mind. "Wait, you didn't used to be a dude, did you? Because I wouldn't normally say I'm into that, like, at all... but... I really, really like you, so... um-"

"No, estúpido," Mia managed to laugh despite the tension. "Nothing like that... fucking hell, if you were any more dense, you'd be a neutron star."

Oliver tried and failed not to sound incredibly relieved as a massive sigh escaped his lungs. "I'm not even going to pretend I'm smart enough to understand that joke, but the good news is we've already crossed off the worst-case scenario from my list, so whatever shocking revelation you have in store shouldn't be that bad."

"Was it really your worst-case scenario?" Mia found the strength in her to tease, if only a little bit. "Sounded like you were pretty damn close to saying you'd still be into me if I had a dick. Didn't even hesitate."

"Yeah, I was going to go there," Oliver admitted, thankful for the darkness to cover up the most intense blush of his life. "Which is why you should just get the hell on with it already because I'm obviously way more accepting than you're worried I am."

"Fuck," Mia sighed. "Really set myself up for that one, didn't I?"

She did, and Oliver was happy to see the shoe on the other foot for once, but now wasn't the time to tease her about it. "Not important right now. Stay focused and lay it on me, Mia. No matter what you say, it won't change how I feel about you."

Mia shut her eyes and grasped his shirt in her hands. She took a few deep breaths, centering herself and looking for the best way to go about this. "Fine. I'll trust you... but... if I tell you the truth only for you to pull the rug out from under me, I'm gonna-"

"Mia."

"Right," she grumbled, forcing herself to stay on track. "Did a good thing for Stacy yesterday, standing up for her like that. Got pissed off earlier because she was teasing me about the irony."

Oliver made a funny expression as the first two jigsaw pieces out of a thousand finally snapped together inside his mind. "How would that be ironic for you? I-" the third piece joined the whole. Then the fourth, and the fifth, too. "Wait a second..."

"Everything finally click?"

"I... I think so, but... it can't be..."

"Can and is..."

"That was you?"

"Sure as shit wish it wasn't..."

"I don't even know what to say."

"Take your time," Mia sighed. "Cat's already out of the bag, so..."

Forget about things changing between them. The only thing on Oliver's mind was how he would ever show his face to Mia again now that he'd learned how much of an idiot he was. He didn't just feel stupid, but monumentally so. There were so many signs leading up to this, so many subtle clues dropped by Mia and even Stacy that Oliver's embarrassment was through the roof now that he knew the truth.

Worse, he definitely understood why she was so worried about this...