Love Addict's RPG Ch. 26

One nice thing about stepping outside your comfort zone is the little, everyday discoveries you invite into your life. 12oz House might've had everything going against it, from its questionable location, dingy atmosphere, and strange staff, but the quality of its food was one thing this restaurant didn't compromise on. Oliver's and Mia's dinners were wonderful, far exceeding their expectations. The conversation died as they ate, but they both had something to say after the waiter had dropped off the check once they'd finished eating.

"Almost feels like we're ripping them off using that special," Mia dabbed at her lips with a napkin. "Kinda feel bad about it, honestly."

"Same. At least now we know this place is probably worth a second visit. Gonna toss them a nice review if I don't end up with food poisoning." Oliver said, grabbing the check and taking a look. It would've been $60 if not for the special. Without drawing attention to it, he took his card and slotted it inside the envelope, then set it at the end of the table.

"I can help cover this," Mia reached for the check.

Oliver bravely caught her hand before she could make it. "I insist."

"So do I," she narrowed her eyes at him, stubbornness flaring up. Or maybe it was the Moscow Mule coloring her cheeks. "Seriously, it's not a big deal."

"If it's not a big deal, let me handle it," Oliver smiled, refusing to back down. "How about you cover the tip instead?"

"Fine..." Mia frowned, retracted her hand, and dug into her pocket, slapping a five-dollar bill on the table. "But next time, I'm paying."

"Not if I can help it," he teased, enjoying the stubborn way she pouted. He didn't get to enjoy it for long, as the waiter swung by right after their agreement and rang them up.

--- Spent $30 ---

It was 7:10 PM as they re-entered Oliver's car. His exhaustion wasn't improving, and he now looked noticeably tired. Mia poked Oliver in the legs once to get a feel for how bad the situation was, and he practically jumped out of his seat.

"Heh," she smirked. "Was gonna see if you wanted to hang out for a bit longer, but now I'm thinking it'd be better if you dropped me off at my place and then went home to rest."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best..." Oliver sighed, forced to accept his circumstances. "Shame, though."

"Not too big of a shame," Mia cocked her head at him and offered a subtle smile. "We'll be doing this again soon, I'm sure."

He didn't have anything to say that, only smiling and blushing in response. Mia gave him her address and directions to get there, so off they went. Things were quiet between them. That was fine- Oliver wasn't the only one who was tired. Neither felt the need to fill the silence, and they were both content to enjoy the growing calmness between them.

Beneath the surface, Oliver was still stressing out about whatever Mia stopped herself from saying. It was like a mental thorn in his side, refusing all attempts to dislodge it. The best he could do was remind himself that Mia was still interested in him despite any dark secret she might be hiding. It was enough to get him to focus on the road for now.

Suddenly, Mia's phone rang. The ringtone that played was a chiptune song from an old-school RPG that Oliver couldn't remember off the top of his head but filled him with nostalgia. Checking the display, Mia groaned at what she saw.

"Fuck. Sorry, need to take this. Roommate."

"Sure."

"Hey," Mia grumbled as soon as she hit the answer button on her screen. It sounded like all the life left her voice. "Better not be about to ask me to get something for you, perezosa. Told you I was gonna be out tonight, even asked ahead of time if you needed anything."

Oliver suddenly felt uncomfortable, wondering if everything was okay. He couldn't help glancing to his right and seeing the dejected look on Mia's face.

"Oh, of course you forgot to check your mini fridge, you fucking gremlin..." Mia let out a long and painful sigh. "No, I'm actually on my way home right now. He's... ugh, fine, I'll ask..."

"Need to make a stop somewhere?" Oliver asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

"Gas station, if you wouldn't mind..." Mia covered the microphone, adding, "Lazy bitch is out of energy drinks and might actually fall asleep for once in her life if she doesn't get a heart-exploding-sized dose of caffeine sometime soon."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?"

She smiled gratefully at him and told her roommate the good news. "He said it's cool. We'll swing by somewhere and get you your fix. You're welcome, Zoe..." Mia pinched the bridge of her nose and then hung up. The car got really quiet after she did.

"So..."

"She's not as bad as she sounds," Mia blushed and looked out the window.

"No, of course not,"

"Zoe's just lazy as shit and hardly ever leaves her room, that's all."

"Sounds rough. Not sure how I'd handle a roommate like that, myself."

"It balances out. She works from home and pays more than half of our bills. In exchange, I run errands for her every now and then and take care of most of the basic household crap."

"And that's cool with you?" They were at a red light, so Oliver briefly took the chance to gauge Mia's reaction. She seemed back to her usual self.

"Yeah," Mia nodded nonchalantly. "I know what you're thinking, but this is normal for us. We've been friends since... forever. Zoe's like a pissy cat who won't stop growling at me that I can't bear to throw out the door."

"Not sure what you're talking about. Sounds like a perfectly normal and healthy friendship to me..." Oliver laughed, then lightened up. "Jokes aside, it's not my place to judge when I've never met the chick. If you say things are cool, then I believe you. I don't think you're the kind of person who would stick around in a toxic friendship and get taken advantage of, anyway."

She smiled upon hearing that. "You got that right."

They made a quick stop at the nearest gas station along the way. Mia made for the beverages as soon as they got there. She picked up two six-packs of Gamer Gulpies, one in their 'Double XP Dewdrop' flavor and another in 'Berry Battle Pass'. Oliver found out that the extent to which Zoe trusted Mia with their affairs was even wider than he thought. Mia paid for the drinks with Zoe's card, which she always kept on her person. She also helped herself to a couple bags of snacks and even offered to let Oliver pick something out, but he wasn't comfortable spending someone else's money when he didn't even know them.

As soon as that was done, they continued the ride home. They made it to Mia's apartment building much sooner than he would've liked. It was a nice, four-story building. Much nicer than his, at least at a glance. He parked on the curb and looked at Mia, unsure what to say next. She was staring at him expectantly, too, which made matters worse.

"Would it be cliche if I said I had a really nice time with you tonight?"

"Very," Mia acknowledged. "You still can, though. Long as you mean it."

"I had a really nice time with you tonight, Mia."

"Same," her subtle smile widened, and her cheeks started to match the dye in her hair. "Usually the girl's job to point that out, though."

"Thought I'd mix it up a little," Oliver said, feeling personally attacked.

Mia found this amusing, telling him, "You know, if you weren't about to pass out, I would've invited you to come in and chill with me. Was thinking about getting high and watching Giga Chad Isekai: Alpha Male in Another World tonight. That sound like something I should save until you're feeling better?"

"Oh, man. Isn't that one supposed to be god-awful?" Oliver started laughing.

"In all the best ways. The dude doesn't even make it five minutes after getting isekai'd before opting into becoming a slave owner, and it's all downhill from there. Heard someone say that calling it a dumpster fire is an insult to dumpster fires."

"Tempting. Would Zoe mind if you had a guest over some time?"

"She lives with headphones glued to her ears. Hardly ever see her leave her room, either."

"Not even to go to the bathroom?" Oliver narrowed his eyes and cringed slightly. "Please tell me this isn't a piss bottle situation."

"More of an Exorcist situation. Think she climbs on the ceiling really fast when I'm not looking."

"Well, at least it's not piss bottles," he laughed. "Maybe I'll come over sometime soon, then."

"Promise?" Mia stared at Oliver using that expectant expression he was so weak to. The way she slightly puffed her lips, the glimmer in her contradictory bright yet dull blue eyes. Not much he could do against it other than give in.

"You bet."

Mia smiled even wider, unbuckling her seatbelt. Then she leaned across the seat and rested her head on Oliver's shoulder without warning. It was kind of awkward doing it in the car compared to how they did it earlier in the evening, but Oliver was all for it. He leaned his head against hers, and together, they enjoyed the feeling of where things stood. Seemingly more than friends yet less than lovers- it was hard not to be satisfied with how far he'd come.

-- Mia gained 5 Affection!

Milestone Achieved! Hung Out with Mia +10 LP--

Mia reminded him to text her later, then disappeared into her apartment building carrying the bags of snacks, energy drinks, and art supplies. He tried to offer to help with all that, but she shot him down this time and insisted on doing it herself. After she was gone, Oliver cursed himself for getting carried away that morning. He probably could've taken things further with Mia tonight if he hadn't gone all out on his strength training.

You had to avoid that in most of his favorite games, come to think of it. Oliver had made the classic mistake of overextending himself while already having plans with a heroine on the same day. Try to bite off more than you can chew, and then you can't make the most of your schedule. It was stupid of him but also something he couldn't really help. Chalk it up to excitement over Mia and exploring more of his powers.

Oliver was exhausted and ready to fast travel home. He was unsure how to bring up the menu for that without exiting the car and opening the door again, then made an educated guess that proved correct. "Open map," he said, picturing the fast travel map in his mind as if that might help.

It popped into existence, Oliver getting a small rush out of being right. Before his finger could contact the button that would take him home, the passenger side car door was opened from the outside. Startled, Oliver let out a small yelp as someone sat beside him. Someone shooting him a pair of finger guns.

"Hey, hey, HEY, best FRIENDO!" Bradley winked. "How did the [Not-a-Date] with [Tutorial Girl Mia Rosas] GO? I hunger INCESSANTLY for the [DEETS]!"

"Jesus Christ, don't just jump into my car like that!" Oliver grabbed his pulsating chest and took a couple of well-needed deep breaths. "I thought you were a goddamn carjacker!!"

"Would a [Carjacker] bring YOU a [Cup of Joe]?" Bradley extended his right hand, which was hiding a tall coffee. Oliver eyed it suspiciously before giving in and taking it, enjoying the sweet beverage. It wouldn't calm him down after the shock, but at least it might give him some energy.

"Appreciated, but please don't do that again. Knock next time."

"Will DO! Now, are you GONNA catch a fella UP, or what?"

Oliver decided to drive manually while covering the 'deets' Bradley hungered for. Gave him time to enjoy his coffee and take in the pleasant evening at a leisurely pace with a friend by his side. The first thing he covered was why Bradley felt the need to show up with the sign and how he even managed that in the first place. Oliver guessed that Bradley could show up where he was 'needed', which turned out to be more or less accurate, though Bradley couldn't explain how or why.

As to how he even got a sign, Bradley claimed he had access to a wide array of tools meant to help him support Oliver. Since Bradley was the product of a tier 3 skill, it wasn't surprising to hear he could just summon mundane objects, and it was good to have a more comprehensive understanding of his capabilities. The coffee Oliver was enjoying was a 'Bradley Original', much like the pizza from last night. Again, it tasted like coffee, smelled like coffee, and gave him caffeine like coffee. The difference between real and fake was entirely semantics at this point and not worth the expense of his brain cells.

"Surprised you had the restraint to not show up at the restaurant," Oliver laughed. "Was half afraid we would walk in and find out you were the waiter or some other goofy shit like that."

"This MAY surprise you, but I'm NOT entirely [Tone Deaf]. MY presence would've dramatically [Altered Things] and created a situation that BORDERED on [Slapstick]. The difference between a GREAT [Wingman] and the BEST [Wingman] is knowing when to support your [Homie] and when to LET him [Fly Solo]!"

"I don't know," Oliver shot him a half smile. "The thing with the sign was a bit silly, and I was already gonna tell her she looked nice."

"Just a little PUSH on my part," Bradley interlocked his fingers while looking out the window with a smile. "You would've managed just fine, I'm SURE, but that doesn't MEAN I didn't want to [Help Out] however I could!"

"...Thanks, Bradley. You did help, and I'm thankful for that."

As he drove home, Oliver continued catching Bradley up on the night's progress. He now had her sitting at ninety percent to her first heart event and got two milestones out of her, leaving him with a new total of 35LP. More importantly than the gamified progression, Oliver just straight-up felt closer to Mia after tonight. Bradley shared his opinion that this was the greatest victory of all, and there was much cause for celebration.

Oliver pulled into his building's parking lot just conveniently right as he ran out of things to cover, taking the best spot he could find. Before leaving the car, Bradley spoke in a dire tone.

"You've done WELL, Oliver! ONE minor criticism, however. YOU should've been more [Confident and Assertive] when it was TIME to [Say Farewell]!"

"I already promised I'd come over and hang out soon. You really don't think that was enough?"

"It was GOOD, but you COULD'VE asked if [Tomorrow] worked for [Mia Rosas]!"

"The thought crossed my mind... but if I'm being honest, I wasn't thinking straight by that point. I was just happy to be there- happy that it all went so well, you know? Besides, I'm gonna stop beating around the bush and ask her out for real as soon as I get past the first heart event. Might only take me another day or two of interaction at this rate to get there, so I don't feel especially rushed."

Bradley cupped his chin and thought about it momentarily before nodding in agreement. "That is TRUE! Apologies, my FRIEND. I suppose I'm TOO preoccupied with ensuring things go [Efficiently]."

"You probably get that from me," Oliver shrugged. "I'm already thinking about how to make the most of this weekend. Maybe I'll see if I can hang out with Mia tomorrow, but if that doesn't go through, I'll probably just hang around here and try some stat training. Might be close to leveling up strength after all that walking today, and now I've got plenty of stuff for some spark training."

Bradley showcased his support and inquired about the rest of tonight. Predictably, Oliver wished to settle down by himself and told Bradley to enjoy his time hunting rats or whatever. He promised to text Bradley if he needed help, though he expected tomorrow to go smoothly and doubted he would need anything.

The two said their goodbyes for the night, Oliver heading into his apartment and Bradley hitting the streets where he would remain out of sight and out of mind.

The first thing Oliver did was unload his new purchases from his inventory. He sincerely doubted he would find much use in lugging around a pair of dumbbells or art supplies. Better just keep them here, where they would be most useful. Next up was a long shower, which his aching muscles desperately thanked him for. A simple shower hadn't felt this good in a long, long time- if ever.

After drying off, he plopped straight onto his bed. Oliver briefly considered opening his laptop and continuing his playthrough of Purest Love: Azure College Days before sleep. He didn't entertain the thought for long. Though he cherished the memories of his favorite games and was confident he'd feel like booting them up again eventually, they were a part of him, after all, he didn't think he would be in the mood for dating sims anytime soon.

Oliver had enough romantic tension in his life as things stood, and he didn't feel the same need for escapism as he used to. He was satisfied and excited for what was to come. Even though it was a little early to sleep, Oliver gave in to what his body asked for. He closed his eyes, expecting to be carried off in no time.

Mia was right there waiting for him on the back of his eyelids.

He couldn't stop thinking of her sweet yet subtle. Her laugh. That cute outfit she wore, presumably for him- Oliver tossed over- how soft her hand was. The weight of her head on his shoulder. The feeling of her hair on his cheek as he leaned against her- he tossed over again- the way she teased him. The way he teased her. The way they got really awkward and quiet together sometimes and how much that silence was worth to him- Oliver laid flat on his back and cranked one out in her honor- how much she worried about him and made him feel wanted...

Yeah, no.

Sleep wasn't happening. Oliver's heart was racing while his mind played thousands of clips of Mia on an endless loop. He'd also just masturbated while thinking about her for the first time and was feeling a little guilty about it, if only because he'd never done it before. The point was that Oliver was deeply overstimulated.

He tried texting Mia, but she didn't respond, and he didn't have the guts to call. It wasn't a big deal. She was probably getting high and watching anime like she told him she would. He hoped she wasn't watching Giga Chad Isekai: Alpha Male in Another World. Then he felt stupid for hoping that.

"God, how did it get this bad...?" Oliver wondered aloud, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling. He already thought his crush on Mia was developing at a breakneck pace, but this was ridiculous. Now, his every other thought was about her, and he was concerned that this wasn't normal. That it bordered on obsessive.

He took a deep breath, reminding himself that even if he was acting obsessive, at least it was over something a lot healthier than the things he used to get like this about. It worked for a while. Then his stupid, stupid fucking brain turned against him. It highlighted the one less-than-perfect part of his night, forcing him to remember it more than anything else.

Mia was hiding something from him. Maybe it wasn't that drastic, but there was still something she wanted to tell him that wasn't easy for her. It was hard not to imagine the worst-case scenario when he got like this. Even worse was that Oliver could think of a thousand worst-case scenarios, making his restless mind even more so.

Tossing and turning wouldn't do him any good, and neither was thinking about whatever Mia wanted to get off her chest.

Oliver got out of bed, his body still aching even after an hour of laying idle. He needed to do something to make himself even more tired. It wasn't the wisest decision, but he figured doing intermittent training with his new dumbbells might do the trick. He justified himself that it would be fine, that his body wouldn't get over-exhausted as long as he wasn't using his legs, so he put on some background noise in the form of a Dungeons and Dice Rolls live play podcast and got to work.

The intention was to do five bicep curls, switch, take a few minutes off, and then repeat the process. Didn't go so well when he was so self-absorbed and neurotic as he was. Oliver shaved off the 'taking a few minutes off part' and entered a trance-like state, barely listening to his podcast as he pumped iron for the first time. And the second time. And the third.

And the 157th.

He only snapped out of it when his arms literally gave out on him, dropping the dumbbell onto the floor. They almost hit his feet, and he only had a few seconds to yank them away. He thought that the downstairs neighbor would beat on their ceiling, but that was the least of Oliver's concerns.

His biceps were fucking on fire.

How he got to this point without realizing what he was doing made him scared and angry at himself. He was finally trying to become a better all-around person, but he was still a slave to the weaknesses of his mind. It didn't feel great, not even after he got the confirmation he was searching for.

--- Gained 1 Strength! ---

"Fucking damn it," he mumbled, ashamed. Oliver forgot to keep a water bottle nearby and was now thirsty as all hell. He stood up to fix this problem, or at least tried to. His legs wobbled, and he toppled to the ground.

"AGH!" Oliver screamed in pain, catching his fall with his arms that were still very much on fire. Landing face first would've been preferable, stupid reflexes. He barely managed to turn around on his back and stare at the ceiling above him.

"Should've just kept jacking off..." he sighed in pitiful resignation.

Oliver tried lifting an arm, but it was like having two long lumps of deadweight attached to his shoulders. Not much use. He was pissed at himself and his compulsive tendencies, but hey. At least he was tired. He shut his eyes, falling asleep on the floor at the drop of a hat.