Hi! I updated quite late. I was supposed to update last sunday but things happened, so I am only able to update now. Anyway sorry for the wait. Here ya go!

xoxo,

Halloween G.

The Contract

Izuku gently peeled her eyes open and quite noticed how dark the place was that she doubted herself if she'd opened her eyes already or what— if not for the dim white lace canopy curtains that hovered above her and the dimmest hue of emerald, almost bordering black, that coloured the satin dress she wore— she'd have thought that she was just awake in another one of those pitch black dreams she got every now and then.

She pulled her arms close and pushed herself up, bringing her feet down to the cold hard floor with the loud clanging of steel as it hit the floor accompanied with the heaviness that dragged her right foot along with it. She was chained.

She turned her head around, to study the foreign environment she was thrown in, and noticed the enticing, intoxicating sweet smell enveloping the room. It must be incense to calm her nerves or— God knows what— to send her into a coma-like sleep.

After duking it out with Yagi, brought back by Shouto from being brainwashed and losing the battle against the heroes, Izuku was put to sleep by the principal as they sealed her powers— quite possibly what the chain was for— and threw her in this room probably meant to keep dangerous beings like her locked in.

"Where—" she croaked before coughing a few times and gently massaging her throat to rid it of the stinging needles that pricked it when she suddenly used her voice and tried again. "Where in the nine hells am I? Damn, I sound horrible." She continued to squawk as she cleared her throat to adjust her voice.

"—and what're these... chai—" she was cut mid-sentence when the creaking sound of the heavy steel door being pushed open, with more effort than it should need for a door, clearly suggesting how heavy it was, resounded so clearly in wherever box she was holed in. She turned to regard her supposing warder and growled dangerously, warning whoever came in that she was not in a friendly mood. She noticed the familiar red and white tinge of locks she have come to love.

Upon setting the slightest glimpse of the man's heterochromatic locks and eyes, her tensed shoulders dropped and she could feel her worries, anxieties, fear and tension crawl out of her body. She opened up her arms, to receive the particular man who stayed by her side for many years, and smiled brightly as she welcomed him.

"Shouto! What are you doing here?" She asked with every bit of happiness and sweetness she could take from her weakened body.

"I brought you food, Izuku-san. I.. I cooked it." Shouto spoke softly, as if being considerate of the witch's current weak self. He didn't want to strain her, the moment she woke up, so he originally didn't plan to stay and see her but, he could never keep himself away from her for too long. Even as she was unconscious for the past few days, he never left her side and already practically made a camp on her bedside, just waiting for her to wake up. "I.. I made it just how you like it."

"Really? My, your timing's just right, I'm so hungry I might just eat a whole horse alive." She joked and laughed happily. She was normal. She was acting normal. So the higher ups' worry of her going out of control again cannot be right. The shackles wasn't necessary at all. "Mmm. I, very much, missed your cooking Shouto."

"Izuku-san, how are you?" He asked, his voice hinting the intense worry he did not bother masking, and reached out to push a stray lock to the back of her ears. This gesture caught Izuku off-guard as she stared at Shouto's handsome profile, up-close, looking haggard with unease and waiting for her to answer him.

"I''m..." Izuku trailed off, as her voice came out in a weird, high, squeaky way and proceeded to clear her throat a few times before resuming to answer "I'm fine." in a meek and silent voice. Very weird and unlike her, I say.

"I'm glad." Shouto whispered and breathed a sigh of relief before laying his head down on Izuku's lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. He did not care how the other would react, he only wanted to feel her in his arms. He was so bothered with his worries that he did not have the leisure to think how the other would take what he did. "I'm so glad."

"I.. I really thought I'd die." Shouto added and Izuku looked away in shame. After all, she did lead the league's invasion and did in a number of heroes. Although it is no excuse, it did not cross her mind that even the student heroes would be deployed to their location. She was so consumed with grief that she doesn't remember if she almost killed him by accident.

"You were so beautiful—so bewitching—as you danced around the battlefield that it almost made me want to just go ahead and become a villain under you instead." Shouto continued and ended with a teasing smile. Izuku blushed but pouted at his remarks. Surely, it was all just a joke. Foolish her, blushing at this young man's words.

"Don't tea—" "But really, Izuku-san was so powerful that I got scared watching you duke it out with All Might. I really thought my heart'd stop beating." Shouto's grip on her waist tightened as it conveyed to the lady his intense fears. He fears if he let go of her, then she'll be gone from him forever— and to him, that was much scarier than death itself. "And then, you had to go and block that villain's quirk for me. For what did I train so hard to control both my quirks at once then? Please.. stop putting yourself in harm's way for us. Let us protect you from now on."

Izuku brought her hands up and gently combed Shouto's red and white locks, quite like how Shouto remembers it, and he leaned into her touch. Oh how he'd miss that; her soft touch, the kind that calms whatever storm was brewing inside you, her gentle touch, one you'd think she was touching something precious—too precious that it wasn't meant to be laid hands upon—and her sweet caress, something you could easily mistake as something that hid a greater emotion—something like love.

"Oh, Shouto." She whispered and just her uttering his name again brought incredible and pleasurable shivers down Shouto's spine. He'd been asleep for days and her for another more few days that he didn't notice how he missed the way she called him so sweetly, kindly and softly. He missed the rolling and tight squeezing of his innards whenever Izuku even so much as whisper his name. Oh how he loved that.

"I cannot do that. If I do, then the next time something as horrible as that happens again, I am not so sure I will be able to handle it, Shouto. And when that happens, Shouto, only you can destroy me."

Shouto froze. He knew what Izuku was talking about and personally, he wasn't too big on the notion of sacrifice as well but, he did not regret his decision of receiving the sharp end even a little bit. It was one of those few split-second decisions he was proud of. If he was thrust into that same situation again, he would gladly do it all over. Although he might not be as lucky next time.

"But you need not worry, Shouto." She suddenly added before she gave a slight smile and tugged at Shouto's shirt so it revealed a mark etched on his chest. A mark he got from one of his reckless split-second decisions.

"This is the proof of our promise. This will protect you even if I perish. The contract that you made with me will keep you safe— even from the Witch Queen." Izuku whispered softly, melancholic, and almost regretful. She doesn't want to hurt Shouto at all but she couldn't trust herself anymore.

Izuku watched Shouto gingerly trace the mark that formed an almost blooming moonflower as he wore the saddest and most conflicted expression she saw. This saddened her. A whim. A sudden fear of being left alone that clouded this poor boy momentarily has tied his fate to hers. It wasn't that it was her fault, nor was it Shouto's but, no matter how Izuku looked at it, she snatched a very precious thing from Shouto— one she cannot return to him unless she dies and only the bearer of the mark will be able to do away with her.

She didn't want to tell Shouto the truth of their contract but given that she once had gone berserk, and would most likely do again, she decided to spill everything in hopes of preparing Shouto for the adversities they were yet to face. When she's fully consumed by her demons and end up fighting him to the death.

"Shouto, I want you to listen to me carefully and take what I am about to say slowly, okay?" Izuku instructed and waited for Shouto to nod his head in affirmation before continuing what she has to say.

"This has made you the most powerful, Shouto. The contract connects you to me. Slowly, it transfers small parts of my power to you. It cannot be undone and it cannot be broken till either one of us dies. Do you understand me, Shouto? You cannot leave my side while I continue to breathe. The contract compels you to stay with me and protect me. So to regain your lost future, you have to kill me. You are only one who can destroy the Witch Queen, Shouto. These are the truth of the contract."

Izuku briefed him as she cupped his face gently to keep his eyes locked unto her emerald orbs that revealed the deep fondness the witch had for the boy. She wanted to see with her own eyes that Shouto understood the heaviness of their contract and that which she stole from him.

Shouto slowly bobbed his head after briefly breaking eye contact with her, trying to process her words, and stared back into the abyss he saw in the witch's eyes. She was serious. She meant every damn word that left her lips. He was stealing Izuku's powers with each passing time. Now Izuku's weakening because of his selfishness and whimsical decisions. He was leaving Izuku, the strongest witch with the strongest enemies, defenseless.

Oh my God. This might be... the greatest decision I have done in my life.

He should be remorseful. He should be apologetic. He should be dismal. He should've been thinking of ways how to return Izuku's powers to her, no matter how impossible they seemed, and yet, he was betrayed by the grin that was tempting to spread on his face. He buried his visage on his lady's torso as he dove to embrace her again and feel her warmth encasing him.

If Izuku's getting weaker every year, then she'll be unguarded, and with her without any arsenal to defend herself with, she won't be able to fight back. So if she can't fend for herself, that's where I come in, right? I need to protect her. I must protect her and then, she'll need me more and she'll depend on me more. And then, sooner or later, she won't be able to live without me. She'll be mine.

Ah. You wouldn't begin to imagine just how happy Shouto was to have made that contract with her. How a mere child's selfishness gave him the only thing he'd ever wish for—Izuku's everything. That it was him and not Katsuki, who spoke the words. Now Izuku was his'. Izuku wouldn't be able to live without him now.

Ah. It's a good time to be alive. To see the downfall of the greatest witch into my arms. The witch queen is no more.