Deviant
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.
Warnings: Violence, Drama, Peril, Death
Pairings: Midoriya x Amajiki, Midoriya x Shinsou, Midoriya x Bakugou, Midoriya x Todoroki, Midoriya x Uraraka
Plot: Life after the apocalypse has drastically changed for those who survived. Contracting with demons is probably one of the least interesting developments in the new world. For Midoriya and Amajiki, it's become a standard way of life, the only existence they've ever known. They must rely on one another to avoid possession, and live whatever semblance of life remains now that the planet has been ripped apart.
Ch 01: Appetency
The first thing that Midoriya recognized as he returned to consciousness was his demanding, gnawing hunger. Frowning as he rolled onto his side, he exhaled heavily and pushed himself up, unzipping his thermal sleeping bag groggily. Despite his semi-conscious state he was already tugging his boots closer to affix them to his legs, blinking slowly and stretching his arms high above his head, forcing himself further awake.
Amajiki wasn't there. Likely out hunting somewhere nearby, if he'd left Midoriya to sleep. He grabbed his rifle and slung it over his shoulder before ducking to exit the oversized tent, glancing around the sparse wilderness surrounding the campsite before heading off in the direction of the closest footpath leading back towards their hometown.
It had been nearly two decades since they'd been out on their own. Twenty years of living off of scraps, hunting what wildlife remained, always searching for clean water, always on the lookout for anything that could be scavenged before returning to basecamp. Midoriya had been almost six when the bombs went off, he barely remembered what it was like before the apocalypse. Saturday mornings sitting on the worn carpet of a living room, flashing colors and lights dancing across a convex screen. Orange juice. Cereal.
He didn't remember the sound of his mother's voice, didn't recall the details of her face. It had been lost in the years that had passed between then and now. Reality had shifted since then, skewed in an almost unrecognizable way.
Everything was rotten or stale now. Most dried and canned goods aboveground had been drowned with a hefty dose of radiation as nuclear destruction had overwhelmed the earth. What they'd managed to salvage from the abandoned bunkers around town had been consumed long ago. Now, they relied on other means of survival. Now, they lived off of the wilds. What remained of them anyway.
Despite the lack of humans in the direct vicinity, there was no shortage of entities living within the abandoned homes and shops of the town they'd once lived in. Midoriya ignored them for the most part. They held no interest in approaching him, and he had no interest in making contact with them.
It was rare now that any of them would seek out a contract, he already had enough to manage on his plate. He was older now, hardened, scarred and battered. Not the delicious, innocent soul he had once been, offered up on a silver platter in his youth to the monsters lurking within the dark in exchange for survival. Now and then however, he could just catch sight of one out of the corner of his eye, a blurred shadow in his peripheral vision. A husk of something that had once been human, long ago.
Not a threat, merely something watching him from the darkness. Curious perhaps, or bored. If it had been a threat, Jirou would have alerted him immediately. Until her voice rose above a low hum in his subconscious he simply continued walking with his rifle in hand down the empty streets, keeping his eyes peeled for Amajiki. He hadn't crossed his companion in the woods on the way into town, which likely meant he was here somewhere, scavenging around old bunkers and dilapidated buildings.
They'd combed through the area together twice the day before and had come up empty handed. Midoriya wasn't certain if there was anything left to find. It was likely they would need to venture beyond to the neighboring cities, as they had for the past several weeks now. Midoriya was reluctant to do so. Cities meant attracting unwanted attention. Attracting unwanted attention meant fighting to the death.
As the only two survivors of their hometown, what food and resources had remained after were shared equally between them. They were partners in this, they understood one another. Amajiki was the closest thing Midoriya had to what he would call a best friend.
They trusted one another to keep their respective demons at bay, should one of the greater turn to deviancy without their consent. Amajiki had agreed to kill Midoirya should that ever happen, and Midoriya had agreed in kind, should Amajiki ever lose himself completely to the powerhouses he held inside.
Midoriya had been overly cautious about those he'd forged contracts with. He was careful with their agreements, taking precaution with the careful wording of each contract, evaluating each of their limits and capabilities before agreeing upon a mutual pact. The only exception to that being his first contract, with Bakugou. They'd been together almost twenty years and still that demon was a wildcard. Some days Midoriya wondered if Bakugou would be the one to kill him, or if it was Bakugou who was protecting him from all the other demons housed within their shared host.
Uraraka had been his second contract, and she was much more personable, easier to wield, her abilities malleable and in sync with Midoriya's every move. Bakugou was jealous at first, but had gradually grown to accept her. This third contract however, Bakugou still couldn't stand.
Midoriya suspected Todoroki was a dual, like Bakugou. Perhaps that's why he'd been drawn to Midoriya in the first place. Something about his aura had the elusive demons hungry for more of his energy, and after some debate Midoriya had agreed to strike a contract with him. His fire capabilities were nearly uncontrollable at times, but Todoroki was passive and quiet, allowing Midoriya to manipulate him at will. Seeing the way they meshed together made Bakugou a bit more agreeable regarding assisting Midoriya, yearning to mirror an intimate connection like the one they shared.
They balanced one another out completely; Bakugou's explosive combustions along with his overall power capabilities, Uraraka's manipulation of air and levitation, and Todoroki's eternal, unstoppable fire.
Midoriya could sense something else there, something hidden away that Todoroki had never let him see. Perhaps it was a deviancy of sorts, but Todoroki had never given any indication that he wished to break their contract or hungered to possess Midoriya, and so of all the demons he had contracted with, Midoriya trusted Bakugou, Uraraka, and Todoroki the most.
They were his original pact, his powerhouses.
The others that came after were merely additions to the demonic capabilities Midoriya already controlled. Jirou was one of them.
As a lesser, she couldn't manifest her form as a mid or greater could. Instead, she had come to him as a whisper, a voice in the back of his mind. Their contract had been a simple one, and though her ranking was lowest amongst the four demonic power tiers he used her daily, almost constantly. She was his proximity alarm for danger, and his scout when trekking through unexplored places. Another dual, for sound and sight. Contracting with her while he was still young was undoubtedly one of the only reasons he'd survived his adolescence and entered into adulthood without loss of limb or life.
She meshed well with the others, Uraraka seemed especially fond of her. On quiet nights, when Midoriya was alone, he could hear them speaking and singing together somewhere out in the dark. It reminded him of his closeness with Amajiki. They were companions, perhaps even friends. The demons he contracted with worked well with one another, their inner hierarchy ever present in their constant interactions with one another, as well as with their host.
He jerked his head up as he felt movement ahead, lifting his rifle and dropping into a defensive stance, Jirou already calling out what Midoriya had yet to see.
Shades. Two of them. It appears they've taken host within a donkey and horse.
Midoriya narrowed his eyes slightly, waiting for the sound of hoofprints to come around the bend. Sure enough, there were two creatures side-by-side, half-rotten and lumbering along, Midoriya lifting the cloth bunched around his neck to cover his nose and mouth, pushing up from his stance and taking a wide berth around them. They continued along the road side by side, the horse and donkey walking almost in sync, soft sounds of snorts and loose horseshoes against asphalt echoing long after they were gone.
Midoriya sighed, holding his rifle in hand for only a moment longer before swinging it over his shoulder again, looking ahead towards the collapsed hotel and office buildings at the center of their hometown. He could sense something there, though he wasn't quite certain what it could be. It didn't feel like a demon he recognized, but it only made sense that it must be Amajiki.
"Jirou?" He called under his breath, and he felt a soft tug as she expanded her draw on his aura and broadened her search, her voice greeting his ears a moment later.
Uncontracted. Greater class. Appears to be exploring.
Midoriya nodded, making note to avoid the area until the demon had lost interest and passed by, pivoting in a slow circle to glance back behind him while exhaling slowly through his nose.
"Amajiki?" He asked softly, his voice little more than soft murmurs, muffled in the heavy fog.
Jirou's low hum droned on for a moment longer before she found her voice again.
Elementary school, south-side. Hawks is engaged.
Midoriya's eyes widened and he took off at a run, crossing the main street and racing towards the outskirts on the far side of town. He could feel Bakugou surfacing as he neared the playground, but he pushed him down and called for Kirishima instead.
"Shield." He whispered, and he felt the demon within him solidify in his bones, grounding his movements and filling him with calm as he drew his rifle once more.
You'll need more than that, dumbass. Bakugou growled in his ear, and he could practically feel the demon's hand on his shoulder, the tips of his claws digging in. You don't need Jirou to feel the energy in the air from here. Let me out already.
"Quiet." Midoriya exhaled, taking his time rounding the corner of the school and fixing his sights on the other human nearby. Jirou had been right, Hawks was engaged in the middle of an altercation with another greater. It was hungry, starving from the feeling of it. Its manifestation was little more than thick fog and darting claws, but Midoriya could see that Hawks was struggling with it, sweat slicking Amajiki's dark hair across his forehead and nape where he stood a short distance away.
Not wanting to risk breaking his concentration in the middle of a fight, he exhaled and allowed Bakugou to surface, the demon clicking his tongue loudly against his fangs as he started forward, racing across the barkwood to Hawks' side.
He slammed into the other demon and knocked him backwards with a series of sparking combustions, Hawks spreading out his crimson wings and kicking off from the ground, letting out a hearty greeting before dive-bombing at the demon below.
Between the two of them, they ripped into the partial manifestation and sent the demon howling in defeat, scattered on the wind. Amajiki let out a relieved sigh and turned toward Midoriya as the other approached, giving him a little wave of his fingers and a grateful smile.
"Thanks for that." Amajiki offered, reaching up to card his fingers through his sweaty hair, shoving his bangs away from his forehead and letting out a soft sigh. "I had Usagi out at first, but wielding her so suddenly took too much out of me. Switching to Hawks mid-fight also proved to be more of a strain than I had originally estimated." He sighed and tilted his face up a bit, searching for muted sunlight above the heavy fog. "It's still morning and I'm already worn out."
Midoriya let out a soft amused snort, glancing around and shaking his head while asking, "Did you find anything to eat? The only animals I've come across proved to be a pair of shades, and their hosts were rotting already. Definitely not salvageable meat."
Amajiki shook his head, glancing towards Hawks and Bakugou as they chatted together nearby, his expression fond as he gestured towards his demon. "We thought we saw something before, but it ended up being our hungry friend instead. Guess we're all out searching for sustenance today. I thought I was hungry before, but now I'm starving."
Midoriya nodded, thinking about the demon Jirou had sensed downtown before. "Where were you when it popped up? Did you come from the hotel?"
Amajiki blinked at that, frowning a little and tilting his head. "No, I didn't go that far. Been on the outskirts mostly, went past the supermarkets and our old neighborhood before coming here. I only set out about an hour ago. You didn't sleep in that long."
Midoriya nodded his understanding, offering Amajiki a friendly smile and noting for the first time his companion's ruffled appearance, a gash on his shoulder and distinct lack of weapon. "Where's your rifle? Did you drop it somewhere?"
Amajiki nodded and glanced around, taking a few steps towards the side of the school and kicking at the brown leaves accumulated here and there, Midoriya stepping closer to help with the search. He sighed and knelt down beside the closest pile, reaching out and brushing some of the leaves aside, frowning a little as his fingertips brushed against smooth bone.
They weren't wet, and appeared to be partially bleached from the sun before being buried beneath fallen leaves, Midoriya's fingers twitching lightly as Jirou worked on procuring more information. He felt Bakugou settle into his skin, falling dormant once again, and as he returned to his place Midoriya reached out for another resting within him, coaxing her to the surface.
"Toga, can you evaluate these?"
He didn't truly hold a complete darkness embodiment within his elementals, but as a dual power and darkness, Toga was the closest Midoriya had contracted with. He waited patiently for her to rouse, the lesser demon curling against the back of his mind as if scratching her nails affectionately against his scalp.
What do you need?
"Are these animal remnants? Or human?" He asked, his palms tingling as she branched out and examined the bones just beyond his fingertips, her voice quivering with mirth as she giggled softly against his ear.
Are you certain you want to know?
"Yes." Midoriya replied softly, letting out a short sigh, glancing towards Amajiki as the human finally relocated his rifle and examined it for any damages, redirecting his gaze towards the discovery he'd made moments ago as Toga spoke.
They're human. Female. Young, teenager at most. She paused for a moment before adding to her initial assessment, She was devoured several weeks ago, likely by a greater passing through. The signature on the remnants does not feel like anything still occupying this area or the surrounding city blocks.
"Weeks ago…" Midoriya murmured, his mind reeling with questions. Where would she have come from? How had they not noticed her body decomposing before? What had eaten her? Had she been a contractor? Had she fallen victim to one of her own demons during a flare of unexpected deviancy?
He closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath, feeling Kirishima's strength lingering in his taut muscles, Bakugou's restless presence twitching just underneath, and Toga's gentle caress of nails against the back of his skull. He wondered, out of all of the demons he held, which amongst them would be the most likely to turn deviant and devour him whole.
Amajiki was watching him quietly, sweat still dripping from his temple down his cheek, the flushed human asking hesitantly, "Midoriya? Shouldn't we be going now? It's safer to hunt while there's still daylight."
"Yeah." Midoriya agreed with a little nod, covering up the bones once more with a light shuffle of leaves, rising to his feet and offering Amajiki a little smile. "Let's go."
They wandered for a while around the sparse woods surrounding the school before luckily finding a squirrel. Midoriya took it down with one shot, and Amajiki collected it, skinning it quickly and setting up a small fire. There wasn't any reason for them to trek all the way back across town to eat such a small meal. Neither of them had the excess energy to waste.
After sharing their small meal and snuffing the fire, they continued closer to downtown while cautiously avoiding the area where Jirou had sensed something amiss before. Aizawa walked ahead of them, Amajiki's sight enhanced far beyond Midoriya's with the greater demon's assistance, the stoic manifestation pausing now and then to survey the streets before continuing on quietly. When Amajiki allowed Aizawa to walk amongst them, the demon never really had much to say. He had been with Amajiki from early on, forging a contract just after Amajiki had established his powerhouses. Since then, Amajiki's demons had contracted with him sporadically, some coming in pairs while others approached after years of silently stalking the human host.
His demons were vastly different from Midoriya's, though they both held similar attributes within their respective plethoras, their contracted demons offering their demonic capabilities in exchange for feeding from their host's aura and lifespan. Both Midoriya and Amajiki knew well not to agree to barter with anything more than that. Agreeing to allow a demon to have your soul was the surest way to possession, and once you'd lost yourself completely to a deviant demon there was no coming back.
Midoriya didn't fear much in this world, but being powerless against a possessive deviant was one of them. He had nightmares still about being eaten alive by a hungry demon, he had experienced such near nightly since he'd first contracted with Bakugou, just after his mother had died. While he trusted his powerhouses, he also feared them. He would never let the demons closer than they needed to be. They already shared his body and mind.
The most he could hope to do was keep them from manipulating him into allowing them to devour his heart. In that aspect, demons could be quite persuasive.
Amajiki reached out and tapped his shoulder, waiting until he had Midoriya's attention before pointing ahead to Aizawa. The demon had stopped in the center of the street, his manifestation flowing around him like shadowed water, his dark eyes gleaming crimson as he hunched his shoulders and hissed.
Jirou was in Midoriya's ear the next moment, calling out a warning quickly.
Greater demon sensed before is drawing near. It would be wise to call Hagakure. Initial readings indicate potential deviant capabilities.
"Got it. Thanks Jirou."
He met Amajiki's eyes, the other human frowning a little and nodding, calling under his breath, "Kuroiro."
"Hagakure." Midoriya called, and as the two demons enveloped them in shadow Aizawa's manifestation disappeared, returning to reside within Amajiki. They pressed close together against the side of a dilapidated building, waiting quietly for the unknown entity to pass. Midoriya could hear his heartbeat drumming steadily against the back of his skull, Bakugou growling irritably against his ear while goosebumps prickled across Midoriya's chilled skin.
Amajiki was completely hidden, his aura indetectable. Kuroiro was a greater, and Amajiki had been lucky to contract the demon last year, shortly after Midoriya had found a stealth enhancement of his own. The demon classification was so rare, Midoriya had struck a contract with the first demon offering a stealth enhancement he'd come across, despite her being a lesser. For all either of them knew, Hagakure would be the only stealth enhancement they ever came across in their entire lives.
They hadn't been expecting Kuroiro to appear, and were even more surprised to discover the demon had been following after the human pair for years before finally deciding to make his approach and propose a pact of his own. He offered himself to the sole remaining host who could house him within his specified parameters. Enhancements such as these often did not like to share. Once Midoriya had accepted Hagakure, Kuroiro had decided to offer himself to Amajiki instead.
While Hagakure was powerful enough to ward Midoriya's presence from mid and greater demons well enough, with deviants it wasn't quite as effective. More opacity than complete invisibility. If a demon knew the direction to look, Midoriya would undoubtedly be caught.
Amajiki shielded Midoriya the best he could, pressing his companion back behind him while flattening them both against the crumbling brick. Midoriya breathed quietly, listening, waiting. Jirou's tension was taut within him, the lesser demon hissing quietly, Hagakure trembling in his veins and letting out soft whispered breaths.
He couldn't speak to reassure them, instead keeping impossibly quiet and still. A few tense moments passed before Amajiki shifted to take a step forward, peering down the street for any sign of the demon that had been wandering between the buildings just out of sight. He called Aizawa again, red luminosity swirling in his eyes as he cautiously stepped out into the street.
The demon was on him in an instant, Hawks and Usagi manifesting together to shield their contractor from the attack. Midoriya stood frozen, his fingertips digging into the grit between the bricks before he shoved himself forward, calling for Bakugou and Kirishima. Amajiki was already worn out from his fight earlier, and with Usagi at the helm he risked the greater manifestation turning to deviancy. Midoriya wasn't about to watch his friend become possessed, or a meal for the demon that had suddenly attacked him.
As soon as Kirishima had finished erecting a shield he pushed the earth demon into the background and brought Kaminari into the forefront. Lightning danced between his fingertips and streaked across the pavement towards the demon going head-to-head with Usagi, Hawks, and Bakugou, Kaminari's mid partial-manifestation giving Midoriya the capability to wield the demon's lightning himself. He lifted a hand, flaring open his fingers wide and feeling the energy thundering through him while calling out with a steadfast boom, "Strike!"
Lightning actually seemed to do some damage on the opposing demon, the shadow-figure screeching and flaring angrily before slashing through the air violently once again. Amajiki noticed immediately, quickly calling back Hawks and Usagi in favor of manifesting Shimura. He rarely called on her, as she was a deviant herself, and her power alone allowed her to possess and manipulate Amajiki to her will whenever she liked, though she never lingered too long before giving her contractor back his control.
Midoriya could sense the shift in the air, breathless for a few moments as the dual deviant drew her energy close and released it in a flash of light. It knocked the opposing demon backwards, skipping it across the street like a flat rock against the surface of still water. The pushback lasted for only a fraction of a moment before the demon lunged for her again, striking past her shoulder and slashing across Amajiki's face and neck, sending him twisting across the sidewalk, limp as a ragdoll. As he came to a punctuated stop against the unforgiving concrete his connection with Shimura was severed, leaving Midoriya and his demons alone in the fight, the entity opposing them letting out a bone-chilling roar and starting forward once again.
Midoriya's heart leapt into his throat, and he quickly placed himself between the demon and Amajiki, lifting his hands defensively, lightning still sparking along his fingertips, Kirishima's shield already in place to defend against the next series of blows. Bakugou raced forward to meet the enemy, but was succinctly overwhelmed, bound in dark shadow and quickly snuffed out, Midoriya wincing sharply at the sensation of his manifestation being suppressed as Bakugou writhed angrily against the back of his spine, trying to break free of his confines.
"Calm down." Midoriya whispered fervently, taking a step backwards, trying to concentrate on wielding the demons still manifested and surrounding him. Kaminari at his fingertips, Kirishima around him as a shield, Jirou taking in everything around them all at once, while Hagakure still clung to some semblance of stealth. He dismissed her enhancement first, allowing her to fall dormant again, and then he pushed Jirou to the background to lull along with Kirishima. He needed them both, but not now. He needed a powerhouse in the forefront. Uraraka was only a mid, and Bakugou was being suppressed, which meant there was only one other option remaining to use as an attack force.
Todoroki hummed through his veins with wildfire, manifesting fluidly before him, his entire frame consumed in roaring fire. He was quiet as always, but Midoriya could feel the anger rising off of him. While Todoroki launched an attack, Midoriya turned and fled the short distance it took to reach Amajiki's side. The human was wheezing, bleeding from his nose and mouth, deep claw marks embedded into his flayed skin.
"Midori-" Amajiki coughed, splattering blood everywhere, trying to swallow past his wounds but unable to do so with his throat ripped open. His breaths were shallow, coming in desperate, rattling inhales as he choked on his own blood, tears streaking down his flushed cheeks as he found Midoriya's hand and clung to it tightly. "I don't want-" He arched his brow, letting out a pained whine and kicking against the ground as he tried to sit up more. "Not like this! I don't want to, not like this-"
"Easy. Easy. I've got you. Just look at me." Midoriya held Amajiki's eyes, reaching for his throat, covering the wound the best he could with his palm, trying desperately to think of something he could do, some way he could help him. Neither of them had ever contracted with a demon capable of healing. It was something Midoriya had asked Jirou about before, a long time ago. She hadn't been certain if there was such a demon currently in existence, and they'd never encountered anything like such during the decades that had passed since the world fell to ruin. Some demons were self-healing, but healing their contracted host? That was something else entirely.
Midoriya arched his brow, closing his eyes briefly and tightening his hold on Amajiki's hand, his breath hitching as he fought not to cry. It was selfish, the thoughts blurring together in his head. Finally, Amajiki would be free of this. No more suffering, no more pain. He was scared, and Midoriya would be there for him as long as it took, but what he couldn't process, what he couldn't wrap his head around, was after Amajiki died he'd suddenly be all alone.
Alone in the sense of no longer having a human companion. No one to talk to, no one to share his warmth with on cold nights. No one there to greet him in the morning, no one there to share his meals. He would be alone in the world with only the demons who shared his thoughts until one day, inevitably, he was consumed by this world too.
He hunched over his companion slightly, offering him a warm, affectionate smile, laughing gently and whispering just under his breath, "Do you remember what it was like? When we first met one another?" Amajiki blinked slowly, tears rolling down his cheeks, Midoriya sniffing and laughing again, "We were such dumb kids back then, and look at us now. We're still just a couple of stupid fucking kids."
Amajiki's fingers twitched against Midoriya's palm, and he let out a soft whine and coughed again wetly, his lips starting to turn blue as he struggled to catch his breath. Midoriya shushed him gently, reaching up and carding his fingers through his hair, thinking long and hard for a moment before dipping down and kissing his sweaty, dirty forehead. He was never going to have a chance to say this again.
"I love you." Midoriya whispered, and Amajiki choked violently and kicked at the ground once more, wheezing and clawing at Midoriya's hand pressed over his gouged throat. "I love you Tamaki. I love you."
Amajiki nodded and his breath hitched, and he forced out as loudly as he could muster while tilting up his face to meet Midoriya's eyes, "Love you 'zuku-"
Midoriya felt the demon creep up behind him before Jirou could speak. He wrapped his claws delicately around Midoriya's throat, looming over his shoulder, looking down at Amajiki. His breath was hot against Midoriya's nape, his claws digging subtly into Midoriya's racing pulse.
Do you want to save him? It asked, and Midoriya tensed immediately at how tangible it felt. Powerful. A more powerful manifestation than anything he'd ever felt before.
Not the one he had opposed moments ago, no. This was something else. The entity that had injured Amajiki was still engaged with Todoroki in the street behind them. This demon, this deviant, had appeared out of nowhere. He felt a smile press against his shoulder, the demon's lips curled back to allow a smooth press of fangs against flesh.
If I spare him, will you offer yourself to me? It asked again, and though alarm bells were ringing in the back of his mind not to speak, not to engage with it, he couldn't help but turn slightly to glance back at the demon behind him.
"You can do that?" He asked, and the demon chuckled softly while petting over his windpipe. Not threatening, more affectionate than anything, as if teaching an uneducated child.
It hummed and drew him gently away from Amajiki, twisting its arm around Midoriya's to lace their fingers together tightly, smearing Amajiki's hot blood between them. It didn't speak again, but Midoriya knew this game well. He glanced down at Amajiki, watching the color draining slowly from his face, his lips turning a darker shade of blue, the light fading from behind his eyes.
"In exchange?" He asked, and the demon chuckled softly once more, gliding his lips over Midoriya's nape and shoulder before planting a soft kiss there.
"A part of your soul."
Midoriya's heart jumped and he struggled to free his hand from the demon's grip, but it was already sinking inside of him. He'd never dealt with a demon this powerful before, and though it was being gentle about doing so, he could definitely feel the tell-tale signs of his body being overtaken, and subsequently infested. He let out a shaky exhale at the numbing wave that flooded over his mind, drawing him down into the darkness to keep him calm.
That voice spoke again, so clear it felt as if there were another human beside him, speaking to him as surely as Amajiki always had. It was terrifying, hearing a demon speak aloud like that. It crept inside of him like a spider, spindly claws hooking into his flesh and settling in to nest.
"Give in to me. Allow me to possess you. It's the only way I can save your friend."
Perhaps if Bakugou hadn't been suppressed, or if Todoroki hadn't been engaged with the other demon, Midoriya wouldn't have been overwhelmed so easily. He struggled the best he could, fear sending jolts of tacky ice through his veins, his throat constricting as he felt a hand wander up the length of his spine, grip the back of his hair, tilt his head back to expose his throat.
"I won't feed off of you without your express consent. I will devote myself to you and your lessers, I will protect you and your companion with all the powers I possess."
The demon kissed Midoriya's throat, the human tensing again as those fangs pressed into his supple flesh, a hint of what was to come.
Midoriya arched his brow, trying desperately to move his own body, to push the demon away. He didn't want this, he wouldn't bargain with his soul. He knew better, he knew better-
"Do you distrust me enough to watch him die?" It asked, and Midoriya blinked and shivered while swallowing thickly, tears gathering in his lashes once more.
"Promise me you can save him." Midoriya murmured, and that same smile pressed against his shoulder once more.
"I promise such capabilities are well within my repertoire."
Midoriya grit his teeth, but before he could growl out the need for a more specific answer, the demon offered an equivalent exchange.
"For a part of your soul, I will give you my name. My true name, so you may call me or dismiss me as you like." He breathed against Midoriya's ear, his words little more than sugared whispers, hot, honeyed syrup curling against the edges of his mind. "You are my contractor, and I am bound to you completely. I offer myself willingly, I am under your control."
Midoriya exhaled shakily at that, frowning a little as he considered, knowing time was only running out. He'd never heard of a deviant offering up their true name so quickly, especially not for simply establishing a contract, but it made him feel safer knowing that he would be able to stop the demon from possessing him without his consent with that simple spoken command.
He grit his teeth, making up his mind, replying curtly with a soft hitch of breath, "Swear to me you'll do nothing to purposefully endanger my life or Amajiki's, and the covenant is made."
"Agreed." The demon whispered, and just before his fangs pierced Midoriya's throat he purred gently against his ear, "My name is Shinsou Hitoshi."
Thanks for reading! More to come!
