Conquering the Great King

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 46

Iwaizumi had texted Oikawa a few times. Simple things. "Are you okay?" "Are you safe?" "Can I do anything?"

He hadn't responded to any of them.

Iwaizumi ground out another cigarette and flipped through his phone. There was also a possibility that he had been chain smoking for well over an hour.

Iwaizumi hit the call button and listened as Oikawa's phone rang on the other end. It went to voicemail. Iwaizumi cursed and dropped the phone down by his legs. He decided to send one last text.

>> You don't have to talk to me. You can be angry with me. I accept that. You have the right. But please let me know you're okay, and not in some ditch or wrapped around a telephone pole somewhere.

He sent it, fingers nervously fluttering against his legs as he waited. Then his phone rang, and the noise was so sudden Iwaizumi almost leapt from his skin.

"Oikawa," he answered, voice rushed.

"I'm not mad at you, Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi felt his entire body soften. Oikawa's voice was hoarse, but gentle. And it was quiet. Iwaizumi could tell he was trying to smile wherever he was, even if it wasn't working. "You can be," Iwaizumi said. "I'm mad at me."

"You shouldn't be," Oikawa responded, "you didn't do anything wrong, after all."

Iwaizumi's hand was shaking around the phone.

"And I wasn't paying attention to my phone, I'm sorry I didn't see the other messages... I didn't hear anything until you called me."

"It's okay," Iwaizumi said in a voice that definitely was trying to fail him. He was just... really happy to hear Oikawa's voice. "I was just worried."

"I'm at Kuroo and Kenma's," Oikawa explained. "Kenma has been taking care of me."

Iwaizumi sighed, heavy and relieved. "That's good." Since I can't. Iwaizumi's face twitched in reaction to his own thoughts.

There was a silence.

"I won't make you talk to me," Iwaizumi said in a low voice, "but let me know if you need anything."

"Yeah," Oikawa answered.

The conversation felt so foreign. It didn't even feel like it was between them. "I'll talk to you later."

"Of course, Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi ended the call. He took one steadying breath before sending a text to Kenma. It said nothing but, "Thank you."

Kenma responded promptly, a benefit of always having his phone in his hands. "It's no problem," was his simple reply.

Iwaizumi allowed his head to roll back on his neck, eyes cast toward the ceiling.

Iwaizumi wasn't sure if he believed in fate. He wasn't sure if he believed in a higher power, or destiny, or any of those things. But now he was certain that if any of those things did exist, they were absolutely cruel and horrible things. Because of all the time he had spent at this job, of all the time he had spent in his life when this decision would have been made without hesitation, why was it only offered to him once he had found someone he loved?