The Greatest (Cheater!Oikawa Tooru x Reader)

[24] The Great Queen || Flickering Flame (NSFW)

Summer [Monday 2 July] - Third Year of High School

This chapter is dedicated to Tegwolfo for her help in bouncing ideas with me for this chapter.

═══════♛═══════

TOORU OIKAWA WAS, and always will be, fire incarnate.

In every facet and feature, he embodied the glowing embers that burned throughout the ages, both revered and feared in equal part.

He was insatiable, his endless hunger for more eclipsing reason and rationality, to his detriment and everyone else's. It's how I found him that fateful night so long ago, at his lowest, a wretched and pitiful soul. Brought to his knees. So drained and exhausted from a rapturous inner screaming that could never be drowned out.

A hallow shell, the mere ashes of a person.

Yet he was volatile and unpredictable, despite first appearances. Fire gave life, but it could also take it away just as easily. Fire is near impossible to control, and once it grows too strong, too powerful, it burns even the hand that strokes its flames, the hand that lit it.

My Tooru was cursed with a weak heart, ravaged by two sins that were forever at war. Pride and envy twisted his thoughts, jealousy presiding over the carnage. And when it took over, like the flames he consumed, devoured and destroyed without mercy.

But fire can't withstand the rains.

And when it rains, I make it pour.

'So, my Great King, what wrong have you committed?' My chest heaved with each word, my doubts and demons spilling forth without thought.

He didn't respond, expression unreadable.

Patience wearing thin, I pulled myself back to my full height and asked the most damning question of all. 'This burning hatred, this searing irrationality of yours - you are so sure I've hurt you, but is that because you've hurt me? Is this just envy talking, or is there another sin amongst us?'

A heartbeat passed. Then two.

Tooru growled in frustration, running a hand through his already tousled hair as his eyes flickered away from me. 'I haven't hurt you, Y/N. Why would I hurt someone I love?' he answered, exhaling heavily.

I was lost for words. Fire incarnate indeed. Even his pants were on fire.

His reply rolled off his tongue so easily, it almost had me backtracking. But I couldn't. Not now.

I had pushed where it was tender, and got a reaction. That's not a sign to stop, that's a sign to push harder.

I made a noise of disbelief, cocking my head to the side and pinning him to the spot with cold eyes. 'Exactly. Tell me, why would you hurt someone you love?'

'I haven't.'

'Then why - '

'What are you doing? Don't turn this on me.'

I bawked at his reply, biting down on my tongue before I said something I knew I'd regret.

'You questioned my loyalty, without proving yours first,' I carefully stated instead. 'To prosecute others, one should first come to table with clean hands. Accusations must be made with a clean conscience.'