Love Addict's RPG Vol. 2 Ch. 70 (Patreon)

Whew, there we go. Another good day today. I'm focusing a little better than I was a few days ago but getting stuff done at night is still not going well. Still, I'm thankful for any improvement no matter how small.

I think this chapter came out well despite the trouble I had getting through it, though I do have something on my mind. I feel like I fucked up slightly with all the heroines being centered around two locations, essentially. 'Work' and 'Mia's house'.

A big thing in sandbox dating sims RPGs is that there are heroines all over the map with their own schedules and shit, but only those two locations are relevant. It's not a huge problem since I had stuff like meeting Stacy out in the wild last volume, but the problem feels bigger to me than it actually is since Zoe is the big focus right now and her being a shut in has confined the current plot to one location.

I like the big netflix and chill vibes we've had for like 10 chapters now but getting them out of the house would be nice soon. Thankfully I plan on that being somewhat solved after Zoe's first heart event.

I also have ideas for a few other heroines that would require more location variety but I don't really think bloating things any time soon is a good idea even if they were like roaming characters that would only pop up from time to time, giving him a limited window to interract with them. Just spitballing some of my thoughts, enjoy the chapter.

---

Work went by well once Oliver returned to Mia's side. A little too well. Fancy Footwork and Physical Conditioning kept him light on his toes and raring to go, leaving his slow, laid-back partner to waddle along after him, trying to keep up with his ruthless efficiency while nursing her morning headache.

It got to a point where he recognized he needed to dial it back. Oliver only wanted to ensure Tessa saw there'd be no need to split them up, not run Mia ragged. He slowed down, and his workday became quite enjoyable afterward. As enjoyable as eight hours of sweeping floors, stocking shelves, and directing customers with his girlfriend could be, anyway.

Eight hours passed in the blink of an eye. Tessa checked in with them a couple times during their shift but only said 'good job' and 'keep it up', which Oliver took as a good sign. For now, though, his work performance was the last thing on his mind.

It was four in the afternoon, and thus, now officially the weekend. They hung up their aprons. Mia clocked out first, followed by Oliver, who savored his newest notification.

[Gained $170]

"There we go," he exhaled with pride. "You ready to head home?"

"Mn. So my apartment is 'home' now, is it?" Mia observed. "Planning on taking up Zoe's offer?"

"You know what I meant..."

"Sí, sí. I know." Mia smiled, then took his hand. "Only teasing, mi amor. Would love to go home with you."

His spirits soaring to somehow even higher heights, they exited the building together and made for Oliver's car.

Before getting in, Mia asked, "Is it lame that I've fantasized about this?"

"About what, exactly? I can't make fun of you by saying 'yes' if you're not specific."

She nudged him in the ribs. "About going home together after work, estupido."

"Oh, no. Not really. I love all the crazy sex shit we've gotten up to so far, but... I don't know," he squeezed her hand a little tighter. "The little things mean just as much to me, too. Stuff like holding hands, talking to you, being around you... hell, even just looking at you makes me feel like I'm on a sugar rush."

“Fair enough…” she squeezed back.

[Mia has gained +1 Affection! +1 Smooth Talker]

Five more to go, Oliver celebrated. I can totally get that much before tonight's up.

His good vibes were soured when Mia spoke up with mild concern, asking, "...You’re not worried all this is gonna get old, though?"

"I have an obsessive personality," Oliver hung his head. "I don't think I'm capable of not feeling like this. ‘Crazy about Mia’ is like my new default state of being."

"Mn... you know that would've been the biggest red flag if it was coming from anyone else, right?"

"But since it is coming from me?"

"Still a red flag," Mia shrugged. “Just an oddly romantic one. Happy to hear it, though. Don’t really see myself ever getting tired of the small stuff, and I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

As they reached the car, Mia surprised him by taking her hand away and leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. She was smiling from ear to ear.

“Drive us home, fuckboy?”

“In the blink of an eye,”

As always, Oliver wasn’t exaggerating. Fast travel got them there as soon as he clicked the option, Mia remaining none the wiser that no time had passed. She returned to Oliver's side after getting out of the car, gluing their hands together again as they entered the building.

This was his life, now, velcro girlfriend and all.

Of course, this weekend wasn’t solely about Oliver and his clingy little Latina. It was about Oliver, Mia, and their stupidly sexy third wheel.

He wondered if Zoe would even be awake or if she’d slipped into another three-day coma, but he got his answer right after walking in. Zoe was present and accounted for, currently kicking back on the couch.

The temp-banned streamer hadn’t skipped a beat since yesterday. She’d changed clothes but still rocked pajama pants and another skimpy tank top. On top of that, she was up to the same shit as before. Her Vapor Dock was clutched tightly in her hands, her phone at her side, still rapidly switching between them.

The only significant difference was that Zoe appeared more strung out on caffeine, her sharp eyes sharper and her twitching even twitchier. Oliver thought seeing his new crush would make his heart go all stupid, but his initial reaction to today’s Zoe was simply; Yikes.

“Afternoon, perezosa,” Mia greeted her favorite pet.

“Huh?” Zoe jolted upright with a start, one of her tits nearly falling out of her shirt as per usual. “Oh, hey. Back already?”

“If by ‘already’ you mean ‘eight hours after I left’, sí,” Mia gave Zoe a deadpan look. Zoe blinked and tilted her head, prompting Mia to sigh and move on. “Brought home company again by the by, so you might wanna cover up. Or don’t. Think he’d like it better that way.”

“Mia-”

“Shit. Didn’t see you there! Welcome back, Olive.” Zoe smirked, making no attempt to fix her tank top’s strip.

“H-Hey, Zoe,” now his heart was going all stupid. “You doing okay today?”

“Uh. Yeah? Why do you-” Zoe’s phone buzzed. She pounced on it like a feral beast. They watched her type something at the speed of light, then let out a sigh of satisfaction after setting it back down.

“Sorry, fan… anyway, you were saying?”

Oliver and Mia exchanged troubled looks. They weren’t yet at the level of being an obnoxious couple that they could read each other's minds, though Mia understood that Oliver would try and chat Zoe up, while Oliver understood that Mia needed a fucking drink.

He headed toward the couch, and she toward her bedroom to change before hitting the fridge.

Oliver sat opposite Zoe and said, “Nothing, just couldn’t help noticing you’re looking a little rough today. Sleep okay?”

“Like a fuckin’ rock. Not sure what you’re on about. I’m doing great. Just fuckin’ great.” She kept eying her phone until something caught her eye- Oliver himself. “What’s going on with you, though? Did you do something to your hair, or what? Feels like you’ve got a different vibe going on today.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Oliver flashed her a powered-up smile to see if it worked. Zoe didn’t react, though she still stared at him funny. “Been trying to look nicer lately. Mostly for Mia, but also just in general.”

“Hm. Not bad, Olive. Not bad.” Zoe mumbled, sounding almost confused. 

[Zoe has gained +1 Affection!]

Oliver’s heart raced at the tiny bump. It was stupid, but he couldn’t help feeling starstruck now that he’d become a fan. Sitting here with the streamer was surreal, especially after everything they got up to. 

The pressure was nothing he couldn’t handle, though, and knowing Zoe felt compelled to comment on his increased style gave Oliver the confidence to push on.

“Thanks, it’s pretty motivating to hear that from someone who’s not as biased as my girlfriend,” he laughed. “How’s day two of the temp ban going?”

Zoe’s eyelid twitched as she dropped her gaming device, letting out a groan. “Honestly? I’m not doing so hot today. Feels like I’m going through withdrawal here. Like there’s an itch inside my brain telling me ‘more, more, more’, and I can’t do jack shit to scratch it!”

“Fucking yikes, that sounds worse than I thought… what do you miss so badly about streaming that’s making the wait so unbearable?”

“Fuck if I know,” she scoffed. “Sitting in front of a camera while playing games in my undies is my happy place, I guess.”

“Is that really all there is to it? Cause I could always pull out my phone and record you messing around on your Dock. Hell, you could even change into your work clothes if that’d help.”

[Zoe has gained +1 Affection! +1 Smooth Talker] 

“Give me another day or two, and I might just take you up on that… wonder how your girlfriend would feel if I gave you a private stream, though?”

“Thrilled, presumably…”

“True enough, heh…” Zoe shot him a playful smirk, then slammed a nearby can of gulpies. Her body shivered as she sighed and crumpled the can. “I’ll be fine, though. Thanks. I just miss the spotlight, that’s all.”

Mia came out of her room wearing heart-patterned pajama pants, a baggy top with a three-eyed cat graphic, and fuzzy slippers. She’d entered her weekend form and was as unrepentant about it as she was about grabbing an alcoholic raspberry lemonade from the fridge at four in the afternoon.

Cracking open the bottle, she shuffled over to the couch and plopped down on Oliver’s lap.

“What’d I miss? Any good flirting, or no?”

“Just a joke about Zoe giving me a private stream,” Oliver said, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Nothing too crazy.”

“Mn,” she savored her first sip. “Bet you’d like that, mi amor. Especially after last night.”

“Huh? What’s so special about last night?” Zoe raised a brow.

“He didn’t tell you yet?”

“No?”

Mia nudged him gently, prompting Oliver to sigh and get on with it. “I watched a couple of your streams after I went home last night.”

An immediate ping.

[Zoe has gained +3 Affection!]

“No shit?” Zoe sat up and leaned closer. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as if all her stress melted away. “Why didn’t you say so sooner, Olive? You cheeky little shit! What did you think, huh? Come on, come on! I gotta know!”

“I liked it way more than I thought I would,” he confessed. “That said, I don’t think I should watch much more of your content…”

“Huh? Why the fuck not?” Zoe soured, suddenly making a pouty face.

“Mi amor enjoyed himself so much he blanked out,”

“Uh…?”

Oliver groaned at Mia putting him on the spot, then came clean. “I zoned out. Four hours zipped straight past me before I even knew it…

“Oh, shit,” Zoe rubbed her elbow. “I don’t know whether I should say sorry or feel flattered. Of course, as a certified selfish bitch, I’m leaning more toward feeling flattered. Still, though. Sorry?”

“You don’t need to feel sorry. It’s not your fault that I literally couldn’t take my eyes off of you. For the record, it was your KaneMon Techno Version stream, and I was constantly blown away by all the little game design tangents you went on. I already knew the game sucked, but you put it to words better than anyone else I’ve ever seen while somehow managing to make things funny every step of the way. I loved all the ways you involved your chat, too. Like-”

“Mi amor,”

“The whole thing where you let them pick your KaneMon’s nicknames was gold. I laughed so hard when you named your Fidration-”

“Mi amor,”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, just thought I’d stop you short of professing your love to another woman while your girlfriend's sitting on your lap,” Mia casually sipped her drink.

“Oh, uh… shit…” Oliver’s cheeks went red, and he wasn’t the only one.

A quick look at Zoe revealed an adorable sight. The streamer had a big, screwy smile from trying to contain her happiness and failing miserably. She’d taken his rambling well, apparently.

[Zoe has gained +5 Affection! +3 Smooth Talker]

Very well.

“Damn, dude. Tell me what you really think, why don’t you? Fuck.” Zoe laughed. “It’s… kinda weird to hear you say all that, actually. I mean, I get tons of praise all the time from my fans and shit, but… I don’t know. I guess I really needed that right about now. Thanks, Olive.”

Receiving Zoe’s heartfelt gratitude had a significant effect on Oliver. His heart raced as he struggled to find his words. “No problem. Maybe I’ll watch more sometime if I ever learn some self-control.”

“Heh. I'd like that." She smirked. "Sorry, Mia. I think your boyfriend is one of my simps now.”

“Sí. All according to keikaku.” Mia nodded sagely.

Zoe looked at her newest simp. “This weeb shit mean anything to you?”

“Keikaku means plan,” he said, prompting a chuckle from his girlfriend. “Speaking of, do we have any for tonight, or are we playing it by ear?”

“Depends. Still waiting to hear back from-” Mia’s phone buzzed. She continued speaking after checking it, saying, “Mn. Speak of the devil. Becca says she’ll be coming over tomorrow, not tonight. Figured. Guess we’re free for whatever, then.”

“I’d ask if you guys wanted to grab dinner later, but one of you is drinking, and you’re both already in your pajamas…”

"Burned through all my social batteries for today," Mia said. "Don't feel like going out and about."

“Same,” Zoe agreed.

"And how'd you burn through your social batteries?" Oliver asked.

"Eh, it's more like I don't have any to begin with. I'm not much for leaving the house."

Oliver figured he already knew the answer but had to ask. “What, like... ever?”

“Pretty much, yeah," Zoe shrugged.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because I'm nothing if not consistent?"

"That you are," Oliver had to agree. He found it mildly disappointing that Zoe wasn't up for venturing beyond her apartment. It boxed them in, limiting what they could get up to. That, and he felt Mia was right in thinking that touching grass would do Zoe some good.

Maybe it was something they could work on once he'd built up more affection, but for now, Oliver would take what he could get.

"So I assume we're gonna sit around and play video games again?" He asked.

"Is that gonna be a problem?"

"I'm not against it. I'd just prefer something that included Mia."

"Mn? Oh, don't worry about that, mi amor. I'm happy just to be here with you both." Mia smiled placidly, but Oliver remained firm.

"I'd have more fun if you didn't get left out, kitten,"

"Ah... well... suppose I can't argue with that..." she melted at his insistence, causing Zoe to roll her eyes.

"You two, I swear..." she sighed. "Gimme some credit, Olive. I already planned ahead for this."

"You did?"

"Duh? I can't exactly make things up to Mia if I don't fuckin' include her, now, can I? Figured we'd break out one of her favorites and see how it goes."

Mia squirmed in his lap. She still struggled when people did nice things for her, but Oliver thought he noticed excitement as she asked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing much... it just hit me how long it's been since we last played Moondrop Mountain together, and-"

Okay, Mia was definitely excited. She just about jumped off his lap to look at Zoe with sparkles in her eyes. "Better not be getting my hopes up, perezosa. Hasn't just been 'a long time', it's been like two years! You seriously telling me you're up for it?"

"I am if he is," Zoe shot Oliver a cheeky smile.

Mia then gave him a look that implied that the future of their relationship relied on him saying yes. He almost laughed at how adorably serious she took this but held back to give her what she wanted.

"You already know what I'm gonna say,"

"I do," Mia softened up. "But I still wanna hear it."

Oliver flashed his girlfriend a powerful smile as he spoke from the heart, saying, "Yes, Mia. I'm in. I'd love to play one of your favorite games with you."

[Mia has gained +3 Affection! +2 Smooth Talker]

[Mia's third Heart Event now available!]

And there it was, exactly what he'd been waiting for. Oliver held back his reaction despite all but trembling in excitement. He hoped the Heart Event would happen later on tonight during his modeling session, but for now, he'd have to have patience.

Mia was over the moon and even more excited than he was. "Gonna be a lot of fun, mi amor. Trust me. If you liked Hellagers, you're gonna love this. Wait- did you bring your Odyssey?"

"I did, yeah," he'd smartly been stashing it in his inventory ever since they started playing together, just in case he needed it. He removed it from the confines of his personal hammerspace and booted it up, navigating to the online store.

Mia let out a relieved sigh. "Dope, I'll go and grab mine, then."

"Mine too, while you're at it?" Zoe asked. "Since you're already up."

Mia agreed and zipped off to gather their consoles. He wondered where all this energy was coming from. She might've given him a run for his money at work today if she'd bothered to make the effort, but he supposed this just meant that much to her.

"Just so we're clear, Moondrop Mountain is that really popular farming game, right?"

"Dude, have you seriously never played it?" Zoe looked at him like she'd found a caveman.

"You know that not everyone lives with their asses glued to a fifteen-hundred-dollar gaming chair, right?"

"Heh! I'll have you know my gaming chair is worth twenty-five hundo, Olive. Get your shit straight."

[Zoe has gained +1 Affection! +1 Smooth Talker]

"Wow, big difference. Consider my shit straightened." Oliver chuckled, his inner simp delighted at the minuscule progress while the rest of him internally balked at the concept of such an expensive chair. "Seriously, though. What did I just sign up for?"

"It's probably the game you're thinking of, yeah. Some dude got tired of those old Harvest Season games never improving and said, 'fuck it, I can do better than this', and he wasn't fuckin' kidding."

"Okay, cool. I've heard of it, then, yeah." He got to its page on his Odyssey's digital storefront and then skimmed the blurb. Start a new life as a farmer, befriend and flirt with the townsfolk, play co-op with your friends... it all sounded about as he'd expected. "Guessing you two have played this a lot?"

"Tons. Especially back in high school." Zoe sighed fondly.

"I'm almost jealous,"

"Heh, you should be. It was a lot of fun. I'd go over to her place a couple times a week, and we must've racked up hundreds of hours over the years..." 

Oliver could feel the nostalgia radiating off of her. Sensing an opportunity to make a sly suggestion, he subtly stated, "It sounds like you miss doing stuff with Mia."

"I..." Zoe furrowed her brows and glanced at her phone. "Never said I didn't, did I? I'd love more free time, but... you've seen my streams, Olive. I'm a busy gal."

"Fair enough," Oliver expected such a deflection and nodded. He'd accomplished his goal, at least. His comment left Zoe vaguely conflicted, making him think that planting seeds of doubt was better than calling her out.

He wanted to dig in deeper, but Mia was on her way back, and he figured he should get the download started. The game only cost twenty bucks, so Oliver hit the 'buy' button without hesitation.

[Spent $20]

[Item Received(?)! Digital Copy of Moondrop Valley - One of indie gaming's biggest success stories. As a digital copy, you don't technically own this but instead a license to play it. The price of convenience.]

Mia approached, carrying a pair of handheld game consoles and the comforter from her bed. Thankfully, it smelled like it’d been freshly washed since they’d last ruined it.

“All squared off?” She asked.

“Yup. It’s downloading as we speak.”

“Excelente,” Mia smiled, then handed Zoe her Odyssey before hovering in front of Oliver. She gestured for him to pull a lever on the couch's side, turning their seat into a recliner.

Once he'd laid back, Mia slotted her booze into the drink holder and laid halfway across Oliver. He had just enough room to hold his game up without it sitting on her head. She then draped the blanket over them, sighing snugly.

“Geez, and you call me lazy. Could you get any more comfy?”

“Short of you joining us for a pileup? Don’t think so, no.”

"Pft," Zoe looked askance. "You wish..."

"Now that was a mental image I could've gone without..." Oliver mumbled, distracted.

Mia smiled back at him from over her shoulder. "You'll live. Almost done with the download?"

"Yeah, any second now. Is there anything I need to know before we start?"

"Suppose a little handholding might do you some good, sí. How 'bout it, Zoe? Wanna give mi amor the rundown on all the little tips and tricks?" 

"Naturally," Zoe puffed out her chest with pride. "I am something of an expert."

"By all means, then. Carry on, Professor Moondrop." Oliver teased, unknowingly inspiring a lecture.

Zoe gave him a quick, easy-to-follow tutorial on the controls, helpful shortcuts, and the day-to-day gameplay loop. The basics didn't take long to cover, so she soon moved on to more advanced advice. Stuff like what materials he'd need to watch for, which townsfolk offered the best friendship rewards, and so on.

It was a lot to take in, but Zoe's way with words got him through her TED talk. Oliver was surprised by how much this seemingly simple game had going for it. Booting it up left him more excited to start planting digital crops than he ever expected to be.

Mia started a new save file on her device, and they joined her once they could. Thus, Oliver was sucked into the wholesome world of Moondrop Mountain, where the simple act of farming became a meditative experience.

One hour in, Oliver totally understood the game's popularity.

Two hours in, he began to feel like it might become one of his favorite games.

Three hours in, it felt like he was taking meth.

Moondrop Mountain was addictive, especially for someone like Oliver. Every action contributed to a progress bar or got you closer to a new reward, making every in-game day feel like an accomplishment. He would've been fully absorbed if he'd been playing solo.

Luckily, Mia and Zoe's presence kept him grounded. He loved cuddling with his girlfriend and hanging out with his girlfriend-approved crush, and the fun, relaxing vibe between them was even better than yesterday's- barring Zoe's constant temptation to look at her phone.

It helped that Mia was somewhat buzzed for an hour after her lemonade, acting clingier and cutesier than average. At one point, she nuzzled against Oliver's chest while purring like a cat. Zoe wouldn't let that one go, but drunk Mia took it in stride by hissing until the sloth shut up. Oliver was legitimately sad after Mia sobered up, but the game continued regardless.

They took a break at 7:30.

Mia got up to use the restroom before they discussed dinner plans. She winked at him as she walked off, Oliver taking this as a signal that she'd intentionally be a while and that he should chat with Zoe. He winked back, prompting her to smirk.

The first thing Zoe did when they were alone was reach for her phone.

"And to think you were doing so good until now,"

"Oh, fuck off," Zoe rolled her eyes, then playfully jabbed his thigh with her foot. "I ignored my phone for over three hours. What more do you want from me?"

"I wouldn't say you ignored it," he teased. "Every time it buzzed, you stared like a dog eying a freshly cooked steak."

"Yeah, me and every other girl my age. Everyone's got social media brainrot these days, Olive. Get with the times!"

"I'm good, thanks. I kicked that habit a few years ago. I did see your Xitter profile before checking out your stream, though. Hope that's not weird."

"Nah. Not unless you fapped to me?" Zoe smirked.

The smirk got bigger when Oliver answered with silence and a blush.

"You fucking fapped to me-"

"I did not,"

"Mia's gonna cream herself when she hears this!"

"I fapped to Mia before bed, and- shockingly- I had some intrusive thoughts about the stupidly hot e-girl I made out with earlier that day," Oliver huffed. "Sue me."

"I'd need fuck-off billionaire bucks if I was gonna sue every dude that's ever jerked off to me, heh. Chill. I hope it was a good one, perv."

He sighed and collapsed against the reclined seat. "I'll leave that to your imagination. What about you, though? You ever make up your mind on that kiss?"

"Uh, no. Not really... I mean, I know I liked parts of it, but it didn't make me suddenly understand why people obsess over sex so much when they could be doing other shit."

"What parts did you like...?"

Biting her lip, Zoe fidgeted and looked away.

"I guess the physical contact was kinda nice..." she confessed. "It just feels like I was missing out on something. Like some kinda 'aha' moment slipped through my fingers, which frustrates me."

"Shit, I'm sorry. If I knew it was gonna upset you so much-"

"Frustrated. Not upset. I'm interested in knowing what I'm missing out on, but I'm not crying about it..." Zoe sighed, kicking off a few moments of silence. She eventually turned to him with a curious expression, asking, "What does it feel like when you kiss Mia?"

He didn't need to think about the question for long.

"Like I’m on fire, and the only way to put it out is by drowning myself in her. Her lips burn away every stupid thought in my head until all I can think about is how much I... um..."

"What, you not using the l-word yet?" Zoe cocked her head.

"It's only been five days..."

"She literally calls you 'mi amor', dumbass,"

"It's just a nickname," he deflected, burning brighter. "We'll get there."

"Heh. Whatever you say, dude. Still. That kinda kiss sounds pretty fuckin' intense. As for me? I didn't feel anything like that..."

"And that frustrates you?"

"Wouldn't you be frustrated if everyone else in the world was in on a joke you didn't understand?"

"I guess so. Not to state the obvious, though, but… you know it's so intense for us because we have feelings for each other, right?"

"Well, yeah, I... obviously I get that, but... ugh, I don't fuckin’ know, Olive..."

"Zoe?"

"Sorry. Just starting to think I'm never gonna understand this shit. Not if I really have to love someone for it to click…”

"...Geez, this got heavy," Oliver laughed awkwardly.

Zoe did the same. "Right? Fuck. Sorry, bro. I didn’t mean to go off like that, but it’s been ages since I’ve talked about my feelings, and I guess everything spilled out of me...”

"Maybe we should do this again sometime? You and Mia would be better off if at least one of you learned how to open up."

"Probably. I've always sucked at that even worse than Mia, though, and I doubt I've got it in me to improve... but... it did happen naturally now with you just now..."

"Some people find it easier to confide in someone they hardly know," Oliver shrugged. "Not that I understand why. A total stranger is the last person I'd ever want to discuss my problems with."

"Heh. Don't sell yourself short, Olive. You're a step above a 'total stranger' by now."

"I am?" Oliver couldn't restrain his smile.

"Of course, silly. You're one of my precious fans." She smirked back. "And my fuckin' therapist, apparently."

Oliver laughed. First Tessa, now Zoe. If this trend continued, he'd have to look into charging for his services. Knowing Zoe considered him more than a stranger felt great, though, and he was eager to cement their friendship.

"It's a rough job, but someone's gotta do it. You know where to find me if you ever want to vent."

[Zoe has gained +3 Affection! +2 Smooth Talker]

He was happy over the notification, but it didn't align with Zoe's expression. She stared at him pretty intently, and he didn't know why.

"Hm..." narrowing her eyes, Zoe rested a finger on her bottom lip. "Appreciate the offer, but it's kinda inconvenient if I gotta go through Mia every time I need to talk with you and you're not here, don't you think? Gimme your phone."

His heart sped up upon realizing where this was going. Oliver's new crush wanted his phone number, and at that moment, nothing could've made the simple, shallow lad happier.

She took it when offered, added herself, and sent herself a message so she could do the same on her end.

[Milestone Achieved! Got Zoe's Number +5LP]

"There ya go," Zoe flashed him a sharp grin and lazily tossed back his phone. "Try not to lose your shit, simp."

That was a tall order. His excitement almost made him fuck up the catch, and he would've fumbled if not for Hyper Reflexes alerting him and Boxing Lv. 2's jab. The skills saved him, allowing Oliver to pluck the oncoming phone from the sky effortlessly.

"Nice catch," Mia said from the hallway. She was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed. "You just score some digits, mi amor?"

"You know it," Oliver smiled, projecting confidence.

"Mn. Love to hear it."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "It's not a big deal, you perv. Olive's chill. Figured I should have his number in case you're busy with shit and I'm running low on gulpies."

"Yeah, no. I'm deleting your number if you ever ask me to grab you more canned heart attacks."

"Your loss," she shrugged. "Guess that just means you'll miss out on all the extra spicy pics I send the rest of my biggest fans..."

Oliver got real quiet as his face flushed. It was stupid, and he wasn't proud of it, but her comment made him jealous. "Uh..."

"I'm joking, Olive," Zoe's evil grin widened. "Mostly."

"...Mostly?"

"I don't send jack shit to random creeps on the net, no matter how much they tip me. As for you, though? Well... I guess you'll just have to throw the dice and see what happens when you nab me a six-pack, won't you, Olive?"

His reaction was immediate.

Oliver didn't just have a frog in his throat- he had an entire swamp's worth, and his face burned so hot he was close to sweating. Zoe cackled at him while Mia smiled smugly. She might've been his sub, but that didn't mean she couldn't find him adorable when he got like this.

"No matter what you try and tempt me with, I'm still not getting you any gulpies..."

"Yeah, right. Follow your own advice and be fuckin' honest with yourself. You'll cave."

"Damn it, I fucking will..." ashamed, Oliver slumped over and sighed.

Mia felt buzzed again despite her sobriety. Every time she stepped aside for fifteen minutes, Oliver and Zoe wound up closer and closer. It did wonders for her soul, leaving a wide, satisfied grin across her face. And to think tomorrow would be even better once Becca joined the fun.

Though naive, all the rampant positivity swirling about the three of them inspired Mia to make a humble, spur-of-the-moment wish.

I hope this lasts forever.

"Yo, Mia? You doing okay over there, or are you suddenly rethinking things now that you know how thirsty your boyfriend is for my nudes? Oh, yeah. He also said he fapped to me last night, by the way."

"I did fucking not. I said that I was mainly thinking about Mia and that I then had some intrusive-"

Mia laughed loud enough to cut her boyfriend off before he could finish digging himself a deeper hole.

"Sí," she said, reclaiming her seat and snuggling up to Oliver. "Doing great. Know what'd make things even better, though?"

"What?"

"For you two idiotas to dial down the sexual tension long enough for us to figure out dinner."

***

Stat Changes

Oliver Chase | Strength 9 | Style 5 | Spark 1 | Smarts 3
Cash: $1070 | LP: 115

Mia Rosas | Status: Girlfriend | 100/100 | ❤❤♡♡♡

Zoe Myers | Status: Friend | 48/100 | ♡♡♡♡♡