Chapter Text
“This is a bad idea,” Katsuki says. Once again . Because he’s the smart one here and this is such a terrible, fucking idea.
And, again, because Katsuki is the only smart one, Ochako just waves away his concerns.
He huffs at her. In his current form, that of a small blond furry cat, it’s easy for him to jump onto her shoulders, making her oof as she wobbles slightly. She turns to glare at him, flicking him slightly on the nose.
“Katsuki! You could have messed up my work.” She gestures to the ground, where symbols are being drawn in chalk.
He smacks her cheek with his paw.
“That’s the point, you idiot. Ochako, seriously. Think about this, for just ten seconds. What good is going to come out of us summoning a demon?”
Because that was what they were doing. Attempting to summon a demon.
Something that doesn’t sit right with him. As Ochako’s familiar, he’s the one supposed to be steering his witch away from these types of things. Humans can be dumb a lot of times, hence why familiars are the smarter ones.
Ochako sighs, before gently picking him up as she sits back on her butt, petting through his fur.
“I know it’s dangerous...but I have to. You heard my parents yesterday. My dad is going to lose his company. My mom is crying herself to sleep, unsure how they’re going to survive. I can’t just do nothing .”
Katsuki stares at her, his heart heavy.
“You’re breaking a lot of rules here.” His voice is somber.
Ochako doesn’t snap at him, because she knows exactly what Katsuki is really saying to her. That she is breaking one of the cardinal rules, that she could be executed for this by the Council, that she’s thinking of working with a demon , which means she might lose her life anyways.
This choice will have permanent consequences.
Ochako looks down at her hands, at the piece of chalk, making her hands all dusty.
“I have to.” is all she repeats.
And yeah , he knows she does. He sighs, jumping down, body shifting to his more human form, only furry ears poking out of his hair and his fluffy long tail that peeks out of his pants, and speaks of his more cat-like nature.
“Then scoot the fuck over. If you’re going to do this, you’re going to do this right.”
Ochako looks up at him, eyes shining. “Thank you,” she whispers and Katsuki snorts.
“Don’t fucking thank me. I’m your familiar, if you’re going to do stupid shit, you’re going to do it with me.”
Because then maybe this whole thing won’t go fucking sideways.
Under his careful eye, the two draw out the runes, connecting them with stark lines and curves that all end up in a circle. By the time they’re done, the candles Ochako had lit are halfway burned and they can feel the full moon sending energy up and down their spines, lighting their veins with fire and power.
Katsuki looks up, meeting Ochako’s eyes. He gives her a nod. They take a deep breath.
Then they start chanting. The words slip from their tongues, pulled from their hearts, their very core starting to burn. Their throats turn dry, the very air seeming to press down on them.
One last plea for them to stop this foolishness before it gets out of hand.
They barrel on.
Katsuki keeps his eyes on Ochako, even when she looks down, focusing on the way the runes light up. Like this, he can see the bond that connects them, glowing brighter than the sun as she pulls energy from the moon and Katsuki, forcing it all into the runes.
Katsuki’s arms start to shake, his eyes begging him to close and lay down for a nap. She’s draining him of magic, pulling from his very reserves as she channels it all into the circle.
Katsuki straightens his arms, grabbing onto his willpower with both hands and holding on. He will not allow Ochako to face whatever she pulls up from Hell alone.
The chanting seems to go on for hours, days, weeks as they keep going. Ochako refuses to give up, even when the circle starts fighting back, trying to pull her in . She digs her hands into the ground and Katsuki grabs their bond, steadying them.
They hold eyes, keeping each other going.
Finally, finally , the room settles, something snapping in both of them. The candles flicker once. The energy levels out and Katsuki takes his first breath in minutes.
Then a figure stands up from the circle. It’s a mass of shadows at first, obscuring any feature. All Katsuki can tell is that this creature, this demon , is huge. Towering above them, his hulking form makes the room feel small, makes them feel small. Katsuki skitters to the other side of the circle, taking a step-in front of Ochako as the figure starts to come to light. As a familiar, he can take more hits without anything fatal happening. Katsuki can act like a shield for Ochako if the demon does attack, taking the first hit, while she sends it back.
A chuckle fills the room, warm and delighted.
Then the shadows disappear, leaving a human figure in their wake.
The demon looks male, big and muscular and very much naked. Though Katsuki is too distracted by the flaming red hair to really notice. The mane on the demon is spiky, like its only function is to get redder with other people’s blood. Curly horns nestle between his hair, sprouting out near his forehead. A tail whips from behind him, black scales sucking in the light, their color a deep midnight pool.
Claws just as black lift up to tap against a chiseled jaw as the demon tilts his head.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here? A small familiar and a smaller witch. How cute,” he purrs. “What are your names, pretties?”
Both of them keep their mouths shut, neither falling for the demon’s trick. Names were a powerful thing, soul binding business. This demon would not get it from them.
Ochako steps up from behind Katsuki, jutting her chin up, doing her best to stand taller, though she barely comes up to his waistline.
“You may call me Uravity.”
Katsuki keeps his smile to himself and gently sends praise down their bond to her. Uravity is her witch name, the one used to create and sign contracts with. Katsuki had dealt with a lot of stupid witches in his lifetime before he settled with Ochako, which meant he’s had the talk with them about how you shouldn’t use a pun on your real name or in anyway relate it to your real name for this exact reason.
Despite what a lot of younger witches believe, demons are incredibly smart and have dealt with enough humans to know they need to be quick witted about these things. Which means all it takes is one faltering for them to have complete control over an inexperienced or stupid witch.
It’s one of the main reasons why contacting them is so forbidden.
The demon’s lips twitch up, his golden eyes flashing for a second. Katsuki narrows his eyes at him, readying himself more.
The demon straightens up, folding his arms across his chest.
“Then you may call me Riot.” He side-eyes Katsuki, flashing his very, very sharp teeth. “And what may I call you, sweet thing?”
Katsuki bares his own fangs, even if they were smaller than Riot’s. “You don’t have to call me anything.”
Riot hums, those eyes flashing again, before turning to Ochako. “What is the reason you have called me here, Uravity?”
Ochako reaches down and grabs the piece of paper she brought with her. She holds it up. “It’s all here. I want you to work with me for 365 days. You will work with me for three days of the week, and for as long as you walk the earth with me, my parents will receive Hell’s Blessing.”
“You want a Hell’s Blessing?” He raises an eyebrow.
Ochako nods, one stiff up and down of her head. “They will receive luck and an abundance of customers and money.”
“That is a lot to ask, little witch. Why should I agree to these terms?”
“For as long as you walk the earth and for as long as you fulfill the agreement of this contract- all of the contract- you will be allowed to use my power to make your own deals.”
Now both of Riot’s eyebrows raise into his headline. “You will allow me to make more deals while I am up here? No trying to stop me from corrupting the rest of your populace?”
“It’s described in the contract,” Ochako says, tapping on the paper again. “You may make your deals, just not with anyone directly connected with me or can be traced back to me or my family.”
Riot bends again, taking the paper. It looks comically small in his too large hands.
“What? Do you have no love for your fellow human beings?”
Ochako takes a deep breath. “I have weighed the odds. The happiness and financial well-being of my parents are a much deeper concern of mine. If you can guarantee both of those, then no. I do not care what you do.”
Riot seems to take a moment to chew on this. A slow smirk spreads across his face. “That is a lot of freedom you are giving me. A lot of chances to cause destruction. Do you not worry for your soul?”
“I do,” Ochako does not hesitate to reply. “But I will deal with that when the time comes for my soul to be judged. Right now, all I care about is my parents.”
Riot licks his lips, very slowly as his fingers tap against the contract. “Very well, Uravity. You have a deal.” The contract in his hands goes up in flames. The smoke spells out his name.
Both Ochako and Katsuki hiss. Across their wrists, a small black dot, no bigger than the size of a freckle, sizzles against their skin.
“My mark,” Riot says. His voice is deep, seeming to echo in their skulls, pounding against their brains. “You may have it for a year. Any time you are in the presence of your parents, they will face extraordinary luck.” He grins again, making sure to show that even his back teeth are very sharp. “In exchange, I get free use of your life force for a year. Your magic becomes mine and I shall do what I please with it.”
Ochako squares her shoulders. Her fingers squeeze together, nails digging in and Katsuki feels the slight pain as she breaks her own skin. “Understood.”
“You are very interesting,” Riot says. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he poofs from the room. All that is left to even signal that he had been there is the slight smell of sulfur and mountain air, and the red smoke that swirls up from the spot he had been standing in.
As soon as he’s gone, they both heave, all the pressure in the air suddenly turning lighter, like a boulder had been lifted off their shoulder.
Instantly, Katsuki turns so Ochako can sag into him. He pets through her hair. “Are you ok?” He asks, voice soft, low enough so only she will hear.
She sniffs and her body shakes, but there are no tears when she lifts her head to look at him. “I-I’m good. I’m just glad to have that done with.”
Katsuki stays silent and doesn’t mention that their trails are only beginning.
~
Katsuki bends over the kitchen sink, digging his nails into the countertop, trying desperately to not let his nails out so he can scratch at it.
Anything to alleviate the pain.
In the other room, Mama and Papa Uraraka are laughing, Ochako’s own tinkling laughter chiming in with them. It had been several weeks since that night and already, they look so much better. Ochako, because she’s a smart girl, has only visited her parents a couple times, taking Riot at his word.
But those couple visits were all it took. Her mom had landed a five-year contract and her dad was able to hire back several of the employees they had been forced to let go. It was small, but it would be a good enough start.
Even now, Katsuki knows the deal is working.
He can feel it.
As a familiar, Katsuki has to have a bond with his witch. It’s the only way he can have a corporal form on this plane. Ochako’s magic feeds him and in return, Katsuki’s own magic makes her stronger.
But...in all of his years (and there have been many), Katsuki hasn’t felt as strong of a bond as he has with Ochako.
Her magic is strong , heady. There’s an entire well inside her, something powerful brimming underneath her that Katsuki can see, can feel, knows it’s coming.
She’s going to be one of the most powerful witches there have ever been.
It’s the only reason Katsuki had agreed to bond with her. He wanted to be the best, and wanted his name to be remembered. He wants the rest of those fucking extras, the other familiars, to see him and quiver in awe.
He wanted to be like All Might, the best familiar there has ever been.
Three years later though, Katsuki found that...fuck him, ok, he caught feelings. It’s stupid, he knows it is, because no matter how much he likes Ochako, she will eventually die and Katsuki will have to find himself a new witch.
(He tries not to think too much about it.)
But, even knowing that, he has feelings, and he hates them, but he does admit that the feelings have driven him to put more power into the bond, to make sure that Ochako grows stronger and stronger every year.
That also means, though, that he ties himself more and more to her. Their bond is deep, probably more than is advisable.
Which would be fine, usually, except for one tiny thing...he feels everything that happens to Ochako. Anytime she bashes her knees against a desk or if she stubs her toe or burns herself, he knows about it, feels it like the thing is happening to himself.
After Ochako accidentally almost cut her hand off and saw that Katsuki had the same wound, he was forced to explain that little fact to her. She had been upset with him and mortified, but now is a lot more careful with herself.
Something he has not told her though (and plans on never doing so) is that Katsuki can actually protect her from pain. He takes the pain on, makes it so he is the only one who feels it. He doesn’t do it often, only for the life-threatening things (she would kill him to know that the reason he had been out of the plane for an entire week is that he felt a lump developing within her body and took the cancer on for himself).
These past few weeks though, Katsuki has been constantly doing it.
There are many, many reasons why working with demons is illegal. And while unlimited power can be tempting, one of those reasons is to protect witches from killing themselves. Because demons are demons and deals are deals. Any sort of deal will create a bond between demon and witch.
And demons absolutely love to take advantage of that.
Katsuki doubles over again, letting out a small gasp. He can feel a ping from Ochako, a bit of curiosity. He does his best to send fine back at her without letting her know about the pain the demon is trying to inflict on her.
Ochako had given Riot free reign to create whatever deal he wanted, using her magic to seal the deals.
Demons, like familiars, can only survive on the human plane through magic, often the magic of the witches they make deals with. Which means with every deal they make or anytime they use their powers, it pulls from the witch.
And if the demon wants, they can make it painful.
This Riot really wants to hurt Ochako in some way.
But Katsuki isn’t going to allow that. So, he takes on all the pain.
He can feel Ochako, still worried but quickly distracted by something his dad asks. It works in his favor when another ripple of pain goes through him. He bites his hand, distracting himself by drawing blood.
“That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”
The voice is practically purring in his ear, a voice that slides down his spine like honey. Katsuki lashes out, elbowing Riot in the stomach.
It does nothing more than make Riot chuckle as he takes a step back. The demon looks even more ridiculous, his big frame with his spiky red hair and large horns and muscles that could crush puny skulls, all of that trying to fit into Ochako’s parents’ kitchen with its dainty baby blue cabinets and frilly curtains.
Katsuki sends a warning out through their bond, trying to alert Ochako to the danger near her parents.
Only...he runs into a block. It shocks him enough to flinch.
Riot tilts his head. “Are you having a problem there?”
There’s a smirk playing on his lips. Katsuki bares his fangs. “What did you do?”
Riot reaches out, ignoring the way Katsuki tries to scratch at him. He runs fingers through Katsuki’s hair, making Katsuki puff up. “I’m testing something.” He meets Katsuki’s eyes again.
Then pain floods the familiar. His knees buckle, for just a moment, before he grits his teeth and straightens back up. He glares at Riot, spite fueling him as he gathers his own power and pushing back.
Riot’s eyes widened. It’s for a fraction of a second, but it’s enough to make Katsuki feel triumphant. “Fuck off,” he snaps at Riot.
Riot stills, unnaturally so, as he stares down Katsuki. The air feels heavy, weighing on Katsuki’s shoulders, trying to shove him to the ground. The shadows lengthen, reaching out towards him, wrapping around his ankles and pulling at him.
Katsuki does not break eye contact with Riot.
Then Riot blinks. He takes a step back, smirking once again. His eyes are too smug, as if Katsuki had done something he wanted. “Interesting.”
Katsuki doesn’t like the sound of that.
“What is going on here?”
They snap their heads, looking over at the kitchen entrance. Ochako stands, feet shoulder length apart with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes meet Katsuki, quickly looking him over. He feels a pang ( Are you ok? ) before she looks back over at Riot.
“Are you going back on your agreement?”
Riot smiles at her, hands lifted up. “Of course not,” he purrs. “I would never go back on my word.”
They both frown at him. It’s Ochako that speaks up again. “You weren’t to come anywhere near my parents. Not to reveal yourself to them nor to make deals with them.”
“But that’s the thing, sweetheart. I’m not, I just wanted to talk to the pretty kitty here.” Riot tries to put an arm around Katsuki’s shoulder. Katsuki dodges out of the way. Riot just laughs, as if Katsuki had done something funny.
“You need to leave,” Ochako hisses. “My parents can’t see you.”
“Why not?” Riot asks, tilting his head. “Are you hiding something from them?”
Ochako flushes. She opens her mouth to snap something-
And Katsuki slides in. “She’s worried for their safety. You are a demon after all. Unless you consider yourself harmless, but we know that shit ain’t true.”
When Riot looks back at him, Katsuki does his best to not flinch. His eyes are like molten lava, a storm on the horizon, it was dangerous. Then Riot blinks twice and they’re back to normal.
It takes everything in Katsuki to stay standing.
“Of course,” the demon says. “I understand your hesitation. But I am no threat to your parents. I have no interest in them.”
Both Katsuki and Ochako send a warning to each other. The way the demon sounds, he might not hurt her parents...but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a threat.
Riot bows. “Anyway, I have already gotten what I came for. I will take my leave now.” He winks at them. “Be good, you two.”
Then he’s gone, in a slight poof of red smoke.
They wait a bit before letting out a sigh of relief. Ochako walks towards him, drawing him into a hug, even if he has to bend at the waist for her to do so. “Did he hurt you?”
Katsuki shakes his head and hopes that he answered her truthfully.
After all, Riot said he got what he wanted...and Katsuki is afraid to find out what that was.
~
“Katsuki,” Ochako gasps.
She’s clinging tight to him, her legs thrown around his waist as he slides deep within her. Her warm brown eyes are blown wide. Her fingers dig into his hair, pulling him.
Guiding him.
“Ochako,” he whispers, revertant. He thrusts into her, slowly. Hard. Slapping their hips together. She's so wet and it makes Katsuki’s brain melt. She was always so soft and pliant beneath his exploring fingers. He craves her. He longs for more of this, he lusts for everything about her, and he wants nothing more but to make her his.
Then her fingers scratch behind one of his ears and his eyes roll into the back of his head. He cums, his whole-body shivering, panting heavily, barely stopping himself from falling onto her and crushing her beneath him.
“You’re ok, you’re ok. We’re okay.” Ochako whispers, giggling a little as Katsuki shivers as she continues to scratch behind his ears. Helping to bring him down from the clouds.
Katsuki sighs, finally flopping to the side. The two bask in the afterglow.
Ochako eventually curls up into his side, sighing, tracing patterns into his chest. He waits, knowing that there is something heavy on her mind.
“Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” She finally asks.
He hums, letting her continue. Her voice is barely above a whisper, despite the fact that the two of them are the only ones in the house. “I mean...every time I hear from the news or gossip that something bad had happened, or, fuck, that someone had died I start to think...what if I did that? What if my letting the demon Riot run free is why it happened to them?”
Katsuki is silent for a second, before he turns, burying his nose in her hair. “We talked about this,” he whispers. “Before you went through that book, before the ritual. We knew it was going to happen.”
“I know,” she sighs. “I guess..I didn’t expect to face that reality, you know?”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Katsuki thinks for a moment. He isn’t good with soft words or lying about the situation. So, instead, he asks “Do you want to cut it off? We can do a return ritual for him.”
Ochako is silent for a long moment. Finally, she shakes her head. “No...it’s working. I saw my mom cry, happy tears for once, because she was able to buy groceries without having a panic attack about money for the first time in months. Dad is actually talking about getting more contracts. They’re...happy. And, as selfish as it makes me, I’m happy to take on all the terrible things the demon might do if they continue to be happy and prosper.”
“Then I will be right there with you,” Katsuki says, squeezing her closer. He kisses her forehead. “And together, we will weather the storm.”
~
Ochako minders around her kitchen, humming as she makes tea.
A shiver goes up her spine and she stops. Slowly, she turns to stare down the demon in her kitchen.
Her kitchen looks so small with him in it. It’s not even that he’s huge, or that his muscles are the size of her very head or that his horns scrape against the ceiling.
It’s his presence too. It’s overwhelming. A bit suffocating.
Still, she’s rigid in her stance and stares him down. “What do you want? Why are you here?”
Riot chuckles and the sound slides like honey down her spine. It makes her stomach warm and she immediately pushes that aside.
Demons are handsome. So fucking what? She knows better to fall into any trap like that.
“So hostile, little witch,” he says, smiling to show off his sharp, sharp teeth. “Can I not just say hi?”
“No. If that’s all you want, then leave.”
“Hmmm, no. Not just yet,” he says. He takes a step forward and it takes everything in her to not take a step back, to press herself against the counter. She does eye the knife next to her though.
Suddenly, Riot is right in front of her, caging her in with his arms to either side, nails digging into the counter. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, sweetheart,” he purrs.
Ochako’s skin crawls. She gathers power into her hands, her hands glowing pink. She shoves at him, sending him flying back. He slams against the wall, leaving a harsh dent.
Riot does nothing but smile at her, it sends a shiver down her spine. She watches in horror as red scales pop up and down his arms, like some kind of freaky goosebumps. He licks his lips, his forked tongue slipping out of his mouth.
“Delicious,” he says. “Just like I thought. You’re a powerful one, aren’t you?”
Ochako clenches her fists, moving into a fighting stance. “I want you to leave, Riot.”
Riot just continues to smile. “I did actually come for business.”
“I don’t think you did.”
“Oh well,” Riot shrugs. “If you don’t want to hear about my deal to further make your parents’ lives better, I guess I can go.”
He turns his back, taking one step.
Fuck.
Ochako bites her bottom lip. “Wait?”
Riot looks over his shoulder, not bothering to hide his smug grin. “Yes?”
She takes a deep breath in, slowly letting it out. She wishes Katsuki was here. “What’s this deal you’re proposing?”
“Oh I’m so glad you asked.” He whirls around, slowly stalking towards her. She watches his muscles ripple and has to blink, refocusing. He stops, only a few feet away from her. “So, here’s what I will give you. For five years, your parents will receive the best luck of their life. They will make millions, will make contracts that will last them years, they will make so much money they don’t have to worry about retirement. They won’t have to worry at all , for the rest of their lives.”
“Not only that,” Riot continues, leaning forward. “I will improve their health. They will live long happy lives. They will make friends with anyone they come in contact with and will be the life of the party. Your parents will live the best life they could hope for.”
Ochako narrows her eyes at him. “What do you want in return?”
His grin widens. She knows she is messing up. She did not say no. “For you, dear, I don’t want anything.”
“Bullshit,” she immediately says.
“Oh come on, I would never lie to you .”
Ochako raises glowing hands. “I will banish you.”
Riot sighs, rocking on his heels, tsking. “So distrustful, when I have been nothing but nice to you.”
“You have two seconds,” she warns.
He raises his hands. “Fine, fine.” He tilts his head and gives her a wide smile. “Every week, I want you and that familiar of yours to spend one day in Hell with me.”
“No,” she says.
“So quick with an answer,” Riot says, as if he’s actually surprised, he even matches it by touching his chest in a mocking way.
“I’m not stupid,” she says, keeping her hands out. At the ready. Technically, demons can’t attack witches if they don’t give an opening, but they are also tricky fucking bastards. “The demon realm gives you more power. You want to drain me dry.”
“So suspicious, so suspicious,” Riot taunts. His eyes gleam. He’s too happy about this. “Little witch, no offense, but I don’t need to be in Hell to drain you dry.”
Ochako scoffs. His smile widens.
He snaps his fingers and she falls to the ground, gasping.
There’s an ache in her chest, something wide opening, a black hole that’s getting colder and colder. Her arm shakes, her body is wracked with tremors. She’s gasping for air, her vision getting fuzzy.
“Get away from her, bastard.” There’s a roar, something that shakes her to her very core.
She looks up to see Katsuki standing before her, as a giant blonde lion. He’s crouched, ready to strike, his fangs bared.
Riot has taken a step back, holding his hands up. But Ochako knows now that he isn’t defenseless.
The hole that had appeared in her chest closes, like her skin is knitting back together. She glances down at her hands, willing magic to appear.
It takes a few seconds but it does eventually come.
She turns fearful eyes to Riot. Riot, who is smirking back down at her. “I’m so glad you came, kitty,” Riot purrs. Katsuki snarls again, pacing in front of where Ochako kneels. “Now, now, now. I’m just extending an invitation. One I’m sure sweet Uravity will take. Right?” He turns his eyes to her, pinning her where she stands.
Ochako hangs her head, nodding at the threat.
“Perfect,” Riot says, clapping his hands together. “I’ll see you soon then.”
And then he’s gone.
Katsuki is quick to turn back into his human form, his ears twitching, tail flicking back and forth in aggravation as he goes to help her stand. “What the fuck happened, Ochako?”
“Katsuki,” she whimpered as it almost turned into a sob. “We’re so fucked.”