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Assistant: Title: Fire Lily
        Author: EtherealBeing EtherealBeing 
        Chapter: 2/21 
        Summary: There he was: sitting splay-legged on the altar, one muddy combat boot propped up on the edge, with a self-satisfied grin on his face and a relaxed aura, in spite of the war raging outside. Izuku wasn’t sure what he’d expected to see his first day evacuating humans from the Rapture zone, but it sure as hell wasn’t a Demon with the same goal. A story about falling, in more ways than one.   Podfic
        Contents: Chapter 2: Immutable Orchard
    

    

        
          
          
            Katsuki rolled his eyes, then smirked. “Better be careful, Deku. You keep this sh@t up and daddy’s gonna clip your wings.” “I’m not breaking any rules by being here.” “You’re not following any instructions, either.” He fired back, holding his gaze. “Don’t kid yourself. We both know that’s just as bad.”
          
        

      
        
          
          (See the end of the chapter for  notes.)
          
      
  

  
  
    
    
   “It sounds like he’s trying to tempt you.” All Might told him, easy and nonchalant.

   It was a Saturday morning. They were sitting on a bench on the side of a gravel track in the outermost circle, and Izuku had been blotting sweat from his forehead at the time. His hand froze as the words left his mentor’s lips, blood draining from his face as his eyes went wide. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word in, All Might continued.

   “No, no!” He hastily exclaimed, waving his hands. “It’s not a bad thing— well, unless it worked, but…”

   Izuku’s throat made some noise, strangled and involuntary.

   “—But that’s not the point I’m trying to make!” He went on. “You have nothing to be concerned about, Midoriya. In fact, this could be a great opportunity!”

   Izuku halted, turning to look at him with a bewildered expression.

   “…H-How do you mean?”

   “Well…” He made some vague, meaningless gesture. “You’re in a very unique situation. Not a lot of first-tier Angels come in contact with Demons, you know, let alone the same one multiple times.” He explained. “If you can show yourself to be capable of resisting temptation, that’s sure to make you stand out when the council reviews you for ascension.” 

   Izuku blinked a few times rapidly.

   “You really think so?” He asked, narrowing his eyes. 

   “I know so.” He held eye contact with him for a while, then looked away.

   “Isn’t it sort of dangerous, though?” He followed. “I mean, what if he attacks me?”

   All Might hummed, brows pinching together for a moment.

   “I can understand your concern.” He said, then sighed, leaning back on the bench. “It’s a shame they don’t allow us to give combat instruction to Angels below the second tier.”

   Izuku was silent for a moment. He stared at his feet, shuffling them idly against the gravel.

   “It’s… not just that. I just…” He bit his lip, fingers tangling with the fabric of his pants as he debated whether or not he should even voice his concerns. “I feel like…” He sighed, “Like there’s just… so much I don’t know about Demons.” He finally said, then released an awkward laugh. “Even he seemed surprised.”

   All Might hummed again. “The curriculum as far as that is concerned does leave a lot to be desired.”

   He felt some of the tension ease from his shoulders.

   “Why won’t they teach us this stuff?” Izuku pressed. “I mean, it just seems so… I don’t know.” He exhaled harshly, raking his fingers through his sweat-damp hair. “I’m sure there are good reasons for it, of course. It’s just, from my perspective, it kind of feels… unnecessarily risky.”

   “It’s… complicated.” All Might replied. “The official reason is that they want to avoid sensitive information falling into the wrong hands. But honestly, even as someone who’s actually worked closely with the higher-ups, some of the restrictions do still seem sort of arbitrary.” He said, then shrugged. “I’ll be the first to admit that it can be quite frustrating. But that’s society.”

   Izuku nodded, and for a while, remained silent. A couple of women strolled by, chatting animatedly. He waited until their voices receded into the distance.

   “Are you…” He started, then cleared his throat, speaking quietly. “Do you know about a thing called ‘insidious cryptospection’?”

   For several seconds, All Might didn’t respond. Izuku was sure that if he were to glance at him, he’d find him staring back at him with his mouth agape, but he kept his gaze trained on the gravel beneath his feet.

   “I… do.” All Might eventually answered, leaning in a bit further. “It’s a fairly typical, innate Demonic ability.”

   Izuku nodded silently.

   “Can it, uhm…” He swallowed. “Can it be used on Angels?”

   “It can’t.” He replied. 

   Emboldened by the ease and immediacy of his answer, Izuku turned to look at him.

   “What if—“

   “Midoriya.” He interjected. Staring intently at him, All Might then raised his hand up. Izuku’s eyes followed the slow movement of his finger as he proceeded to point at his eyes, then his ears, before finally tapping his wrist twice. 

   Izuku could count the number of times he’d seen the gesture on one hand, but he knew what it meant.

    Others watching. Others listening. Now is not the time. 

   Izuku’s mouth snapped shut, and he turned away, again, staring down at his shoes in silence. He swallowed, a cool, prickling sensation making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. 

   Eventually, All Might cleared his throat. 

   “Listen, there’s…” He hesitated. “There’s not a lot I can tell you, but what I can say is this: I don’t think you need to worry too much about him attacking you without warning.” 

   Izuku looked up again, meeting All Might’s eyes. He had a million questions racing through his head, but he didn’t dare voice them, instead letting the quizzical look on his face speak for itself.

   “But — and I’m telling you this as your instructor, for your own safety. Because this demon has clearly taken an interest in you, which makes the probability of you seeing him again sufficiently high.” He prefaced. Something told Izuku the disclaimer wasn’t really meant for him. “If… If he ever shifts. You know, fully.” He continued, stumbling slightly. “By which I mean, if you ever see wings.” He paused. “Then you need to run away as fast as you can.”

   Izuku stared at him for a while longer, turning the words over in his head. He eventually sighed, offering a soft smile.

   “Thanks, All Might.” He said. “I’ll be sure to remember that.” He laughed a bit, trying to diffuse the tension. “Who knows, though? Maybe he’ll get bored, and I’ll never see him again.”

   All Might smiled, but didn’t say anything. 

   Izuku shivered, stuffing his hands into his pockets and wrapping his wings around his body as he walked against the wind. He’d only been walking for around ten minutes, but his legs already felt heavy, and his toes were beginning to feel numb. Spotting the entrance to the library over the top of his wings, Izuku pushed forced his legs to move quicker. He ducked inside, and breathed a sigh of relief. 

   The entrance from the first circle led directly into the study space. Weaving between tables and desks, Izuku made a beeline for the fireplace and took a seat on the hearth, closing his eyes as the crackling fire breathed heat into his body. It had been around noon when he’d left the park, and he looked around the room idly, noting how sparsely populated it was. Then, he saw something that made his eyes light up. 

   Not wanting to shout in the library, Izuku quickly began walking toward where a familiar head of red and white hair was. He put his hand on his shoulder, only to jump and release a small ‘eep’ when half the books laid out on the table before him abruptly snapped shut.

   “Ah! I’m so sorry!” He whisper-shouted, meeting mismatched eyes sheepishly. “I just wanted to say hi.” He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I hope I didn’t make you lose your place…” 

   Todoroki’s lips quirked up slightly, and he shook his head. “It’s no big deal. I was finished with most of those, anyway.”

   Izuku smiled meekly. “That’s good, I suppose…” He said, sighing. “How’ve you been, though?” He asked, leaning against the desk. “It feels like forever since I last saw you. How’re you liking tier two?” 

   “It’s alright.” Todoroki replied. “It has been a while, though, hasn’t it?” He looked away, and muttered, "Wish they didn’t make us live in the third circle.”

   Izuku laughed lightly, nodding in understanding. His eyes darted over to the books in front of Todoroki. “Uhm,” he began hesitantly. “What’re you reading about? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

   “Mostly battle strategy,” he shrugged. 

   “Ah! Are they putting you in soon?” 

   “That’s what they say.” He answered. “Within the next week, if I pass the exam.” 

   “That’s so exciting!” Izuku gushed, a wide grin stretching across his face. “I hope I can join you soon!” 

   “Yeah,” Todoroki replied, his volume a bit lower. “It’d be nice to get to see all of you, again.”

   “Well, I’ll be sure to work hard and ascend as soon as possible.”

   Todoroki offered a tight, awkward smile, and averted his eyes. 

   There were never too many people inside the churches — a couple dozen, perhaps, at the most. Izuku often wondered where the others had gone, if anywhere. Though he liked to think that they were acting efficiently, the simple truth was that rate at which they were currently evacuating people just couldn’t account for the sheer the level of desertion Izuku consistently found as he worked. Surely there were more believers around than what his missions would have one think. 

   These were the thoughts that bounced around inside Izuku’s head late into the afternoon, as he wandered down stone-paved roads on the outskirts of a desolate city, gazing at the wreckage of a once-lively area. He’d already finished clearing out his last assigned location for the day, though it was nothing to brag about. After all, there were only five people inside.

   Izuku sighed, raking a hand through his hair as he turned a corner. He kicked up rocks and dust and allowed his eyes to roam, only to freeze up when something caught his eye. Movement.

   Up ahead, there stood a large, dilapidated building. He stayed still for a moment, staring at the half-boarded up windows before slowly beginning to approach it. Upon closer inspection, Izuku realized it was a small, girls’ boarding school. 

   He paused, glancing up at the sky. Based on the position of the sun, he figured it was probably around six o’clock. He had already evacuated all the churches he’d been assigned to. Surely there’d be no harm in investigating.

   Right? 

   Projecting confidence, he strode up toward the front door, grabbing the heavy handle and entering. He took a deep breath as he opened his mouth and prepared to announce his presence, but, in the end—

   “Someone’s breaking the rules.”

   —all that came out was an embarrassing shriek. 

   Izuku bristled, quickly whirling around, meeting glowing red eyes.

   “You!”

   “Me.” The Demon said, lips curling up in amusement. 

   Izuku took a staggering step back and looked him up and down. His horns and tail were nowhere in sight. Had it not been for his eyes, he might have passed for human. All Might’s warning suddenly came back to him, echoing inside his mind.
 If you see wings,   run    away. 
   “What’re you doing here?!”

   “I could ask you the same question. Aren’t you supposed to be at a church somewhere?” Katsuki snorted, grinning as he leaned back against the door. 

   “I was just—“ he sputtered, somehow embarrassed. “I was just passing through—”

   “Yeah?” Katsuki quirked an eyebrow, and something about his tone grated on Izuku’s nerves.

   “Yeah.” He clenched his jaw. “I saw movement in here. I came to see if anyone needed help.”

   “Aww,” he cooed, an amused smirk plastered across his face. “How altruistic of you.”

   “Well, obviously.” Izuku narrowed his eyes. “What do you think an Angel’s job is if not to help people?”

   Katsuki stilled, and for a few seconds, just stared at him. He maintained the same grin, though it was noticeably strained, as though he were barely holding back the urge to laugh. Eventually, Katsuki slowly lowered his chin, his brow raised.

   “Do you…” His eyes narrowed, “Really want me to answer that?”

   “Oh, by all—“ Izuku started, only to stop abruptly, biting his tongue as he thought better of it. He clenched his jaw, and after a moment, simply shook his head, forcing his curiosity out of his mind. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”
 “Because I don’t have to.” He replied easily. “And honestly, it shouldn’t even be necessary, either. I’d hope that past experience would be enough for you to figure that sh@t out for yourself.” He gazed at Izuku, eyes half-lidded, his tone shifting to condescension. “C’mon, Deku, think about it. Try not to hurt yourself, but do your best, yeah? See if you can crack the code.”
   Izuku felt the vein on the side of his head throb. 

   He took a deep breath.

   “Whatever.” He muttered, rough and short. “Just stay out of my way and let me do my job, okay, Demon?”

   “Your job?” He snorted. “Yeah, whatever you’re doing here, it sure as hell ain’t your g@dd@mn job.” He rolled his eyes, then smirked. “Better be careful, Deku. You keep this sh@t up and daddy’s gonna clip your wings.”

   “I’m not breaking any rules by being here.”

   “You’re not following any instructions, either.” He fired back, holding his gaze. “Don’t kid yourself. We both know that’s just as bad.”

   Izuku narrowed his eyes.

   “So, what? Are you gonna tell on me, then?” He challenged, and for a moment, Katsuki seemed taken aback. After a few seconds of staring, he stood upright again. 

   “Nah.” He said, sighing. “Not a f@ck@n’ narc. ‘Sides,” he paused for a moment to look him up and down, glowing eyes roaming over his body in a way Izuku wasn’t quite sure how to interpret. “Things’re more interesting this way.”

   For several seconds, Izuku just glared up at him, green eyes meeting red as he attempted to gather his thoughts.

   “What do you even do here, anyway?” He blurted. “If you can’t actually transport more than a few people, what’s the point of you being here?”

   “What do you think’s keeping this place from burning to the ground?”

   Izuku froze, brow furrowing.

   “What? Did you think it was a coincidence that the inferno hasn’t reached this part of town yet?” He snorted.
Now that he thought about it, it was rather strange. Other Angels had occasionally spoken of close calls during evacuations, when they had traveled a little too close to the combat zone. They always returned with singed clothing, and the sort of rattled demeanor one could only expect of a person who had just narrowly escaped the complete destruction of their soul. They said that Hellfire surged into the streets with all the vengeance of a flash flood, burning everything in its path indiscriminately. Izuku had always thought himself lucky to have made it this far without encountering it, but up until that moment, that's all he had assumed it was: luck.
  "So you…”

   “Redirect the flow of Hellfire until someone else can get here.” He supplied. “Y’know, you oughtta be thankin’ me, nerd. I’m makin’ your job way easier.” 
 He opened his  mouth to speak, but closed it upon thinking better of it. Though he hated to acknowledge it, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the demon. Izuku found himself thinking back to his conversation with All Might, again. 
   You should work with him, he’d said. 
 Izuku bit his tongue, mind racing.  There were a million things he wanted to ask Katsuki, but if there were ever a time for them, it certainly wasn’t this one.
   Izuku sighed.

   “Look, just… where are the girls?” He asked. “Can you tell me that?”

   “Oh, they’re all in the mess hall.” He said, gesturing toward a large set of double doors at the far end of the hall. “Would probably be in the dorms right now, but of course you clumsy @ssh@l@s blew that sh@t up.”

   He faltered for a moment, unsure how to respond. Eventually he just looked away and mumbled, “It’s a war,” before turning to walk swiftly down the hall. Katsuki followed.

   “Against kids?”

   “Things happen.”

   The Demon snorted, but didn’t otherwise respond, trailing a few steps behind him as they approached the doors. Izuku pushed them open and entered upon a large group of girls, most sitting around the tables with books, and a few on the floor in sleeping bags. They immediately looked up. 

   “This is Deku—”

   “—Dekiriel.” Izuku interjected, much louder than he intended. He flushed in embarrassment, quickly fixing his posture before offering a nervous smile. He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.” He said.

   Izuku did his best to ignore Katsuki as he went through his usual spiel, before proceeding to approach each girl individually.

   Distantly, he knew it was quite possible that some of the girls might not be true believers. Children were wildcards when it came to faith. On the one hand, with them being so young, many of them weren’t at the point where they’d begun to have doubts, yet. On the other hand, considering most of them came from religious families, there was always the possibility that they were merely going along with their parents’ wishes, and never truly believed to begin with. 

   It was a rough situation, but not incredibly uncommon, so they received training on how to handle it gracefully. Still, no amount of instruction could truly prepare one to confront it in real life.

   The girl was perhaps eleven years old, with long, red hair and freckles. Izuku could already tell by the look on her face that something was wrong. Her voice quivered as she looked into his eyes, tears already welling up. “I-I’m a child of God,” she told him.

   And it hit him like a heavy boulder dropping deep in the pit of his stomach.

   Because she wasn’t.

   Izuku stared at her a moment longer, then offered a smile he hoped would be comforting, though his voice still shook when he spoke. “S-Sit tight. Everything’s going to be okay.” He told her, and moved on to the next person.

   Izuku did his best to appear calm. Schooling his features, he carried out his duties with the rest of the girls. Every once in a while, he’d glance over at the red-headed girl, only to find her in the exact same position again and again: knees pulled up against her chest, head ducked down between them. 

   Frozen and desolate.

   After a few minutes, he reached another girl with red hair, though this one couldn’t have been more than seven years old.

   “I’m a child of God,” she said, with a slight lisp.

   And she was.

   So, Izuku reached his hands out toward her, only to halt at the sound of a sudden, desperate cry from across the room. 

   “Wait!” The other girl shouted, scrambling to stand and run toward them. She practically tackled the younger girl, wrapping her arms around her protectively. “P-Please.” She whimpered. “She’s my little sister. Please don’t take her away!”

   Izuku gaped, tense and pale and at a loss as to what to do; his training never covered this. He hesitantly tried to reach out toward them, but the girls recoiled, heels squeaking against the floor as they frantically scooted back into the wall. The younger of the two began to cry into her sister’s shirt, while the older had tears in her eyes, only barely holding it together.

   “Please don’t separate us. Please! She’s—She’s all I have!”

   Izuku stared at them, lowering his hand and taking a step back.

   “I—“ He swallowed “I-I’m not—“

   “I can take them.” Katsuki suddenly interjected. Izuku’s head whipped around, and he jumped slightly at the sight of him a mere two feet away.

   “You… You’ll what?”

   “I can take them both with me.” He shrugged. “If it’s just them, it’s no big deal.”

   Izuku stared at him in shock for a while, something hot bubbling up inside him until it burst. 

   And suddenly, he was furious. 

   Keeping his barrier up, Izuku grabbed his wrist in a harsh grip and stormed out of the room, offering only a clipped “be right back” for the girls as he dragged him out with him. Once out, Katsuki snatched his hand away, right as Izuku was slamming the door shut behind him.

   “Jesus Christ, Deku! The hell’s your—“

   Izuku spun around sharply.

   “I’m not letting you take those girls to Hell.” He snarled.

   Katsuki stopped rubbing his wrist, looking up at Izuku with narrowed eyes.

   “And why the f@ck not?”

   “That should be obvious.”

   Katsuki stared at him for a moment, blinking slowly before it finally seemed to dawn on him. “Oh for f@ckssake— how f@ck@ng brainwashed are you?!” He shouted, throwing his hands up dramatically.

   “No way.”

   “What the f@ck do you think Hell is, Deku?” He asked incredulously. “Do you think we just throw people on the fire and use their flesh for fuel?”

   “Not happening.” He hissed.

   “You’re not even listening to me!”

   “I don’t care, you’re not taking them! I won’t let you!”

   “And how exactly do you intend to stop me?” Katsuki shot back, taking quick strides toward him, until they were mere inches apart, and he could glare down at him menacingly. “Huh? What the f@ck are you gonna do? I could snap your f@ck@ng wings in two right now, if I felt like it. You have zero say over what I can and can’t do, Deku.”

   Izuku winced, leaning away slightly. He clenched his fists at his sides and gritted his teeth.

   “So do it, then.” He challenged. “I don’t care. You’re still not taking them.”

   Katsuki stared down at him in disbelief. Then, he released a loud groan of frustration, and raked his hands through his hair. As Izuku watched him, he noted that he appeared to be shifting a bit, seemingly involuntarily, because when he pulled his hands out of his hair, the tips of his fingers had morphed into sharp, black claws, and his horns were beginning to peak through his blond hair.

   “Swear to f@ck@n’ God, it’s like you @ssh@l@s thrive on cognitive dissonance. What’s it gonna take, huh?” He demanded. “What the f@ck’s it gonna take to get it through your sh@tty head that I’m not secretly planning to f@ck@ng torture those girls, Deku?”

   “You know, if you insist on not referring to me by my Holy name, the least you could do is call me by my actual name!” Izuku hissed.

   “Oh?” Katsuki’s eyebrows nearly reached his hairline as he barked a short, sardonic laugh. “Okay, no problem. What’s your name, then, huh? Gonna tell me?”

   “Izuku Midoriya.” He snapped.

   Katsuki stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, mouth gaping in what looked to be nothing short of pure, genuine shock. Then, he sighed, dropping his head down into his hands.

   “You just— Oh my god.” He groaned, then laughed with some mixture of derision and disbelief. “Y’know, I expected them to be withholding some information in order to keep you f@ck@rs in line, but this? This is just f@ck@n’ negligence. This is gonna get someone killed.”

   Izuku stared at him, his glare faltering. “Wh—“

   “You’re not supposed to tell me your f@ck@ng name, genius!” Katsuki interjected, head snapping up again. “Why d’you think they make you choose Holy names, in the first place? For f@ck@ng fun?!”

   Izuku’s mouth fell open, the color draining out of his face. 

   Oh.

   He really screwed up, didn’t he?

   “Christ!” Katsuki exasperated. “You’re real lucky I’m not out tryin’ to f@ck@n’ kill you, ‘cuz if I was, you’d be dead the second that sh@t came outta your mouth.” 

   Izuku swallowed, steeling himself before offering what little leverage he had at this point. “I wouldn’t go down without a fight.” 
 “There wouldn’t be a fight.” Katsuki deadpanned, marching right up to him,  Izuku matching his steps until he was backed up against the wall. He activated his shield as the demon reached out, poking him in the chest, the tip of his claw pressing against him threateningly.  “That pathetic little shield of yours? Your f@ck@n’ spiritual condom? That doesn’t mean sh@t. ” He spat. “I’d slice through your sternum and squeeze the life outta your heart before you even knew what the fuck was happening.”
   Izuku took a shuddering breath, the full reality of his mistake settling in like a cold weight deep inside him. He clenched his jaw and forced himself to meet the demon’s gaze.

   “So, why haven’t you, then?” 

   Katsuki smiled — a mocking, borderline cruel smile. His claws receded as he took a step back, sliding his hands into his pockets. He shrugged. “Guess I just don’t feel like it,” he replied cryptically. Izuku looked him up and down warily, and squeezed his fists at his sides. He remained silent for a moment, reaching up to rub his temples as he took a few deep breaths.

   “What happens to the girls,” He began, slow and steady, “If I let you take them.”

   He looked up, activating his Persentiscence as he met the demon’s gaze. Katsuki leaned back against the wall across from him and sighed.

   “Can’t say for sure,” he replied. “But they’ll be fine. If Hell was as terrible as you @ssh@l@s wished it was, we wouldn’t live there. I mean, weather's kinda sh@t, but they’ll have everything they need to live a happy existence.”

   Izuku released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

   Katsuki was telling the truth. 

   After a moment, he nodded. The movement made him feel nauseous.

   “Okay.” He said. “Okay, alright…”

   Katsuki stared at him a few seconds longer, his eyes calculating. 

   “You serious?”

   “Yes.” Izuku answered, chewing his lip. He averted his gaze for a moment, before returning. The corridor was dim, the Demon’s body slightly backlit as the sunset filtered through the window behind him. Izuku looked up into those glowing, red eyes of his and kept his tone even. “Please don’t make me regret it,” he said.

   Katsuki offered only a tilt of his head and a slow-spreading grin, and started toward the door, again.

   Izuku stood on the rooftop, his nails digging into his palms as he watched Katsuki take the girls away. The younger of the two sat propped up on his bicep, the older holding his hand and walking alongside him as he made his way down the cobblestone path. He took a left turn where the main road ended and started uphill, moving at a leisurely pace, on a dirt road that stretched out to the horizon. 

   If anyone asked him about it, he’d say he did it in the practice of extreme caution. That the girls’ safety was his motivation for quietly moving from the roof and trailing after them beneath the violet light of sunset.

   At first, he’d been content to just observe from a distance, but when Katsuki took a turn into what appeared to be a forest, Izuku found himself moving before he consciously realized it, hastily flapping his wings as he took flight, gliding over the road to where he thought he’d seen them turn, and landing as silently as possible. 

   There, at the side of the road, there was a path paved with gravel and surrounded by trees, and if he held his breath, he could still hear the sound of leaves crunching in the distance. Izuku cautiously started down the path, instinctively hunching over as he walked.

   After around ten minutes or so, the trees began to thin out. Up ahead Izuku could see a tall, black fence, with an iron gate left wide open, and the road more or less faded away into the depths of what, upon getting closer, Izuku realized was an apple orchard. He blinked in confusion as he passed through the gate, looking back and forth and pausing to listen for any footsteps, but there was no discernible movement, and the orchard was completely silent.

   Sighing, Izuku wandered between the trees, noting with no small amount of confusion that they appeared to be flourishing, in spite of the mayhem outside. The leaves were green, and from the branches hung blood-red apples. It was as though this orchard, for whatever reason, had been suspended in its own little universe — one where the war simply didn’t exist. 

   As the sky began to darken, the shade of the trees pushed the space surrounding him into a deeper night. Izuku wasn’t sure when he’d given up searching for Katsuki, just that at some point he’d turned his attention toward one of the trees and stopped thinking. He inched closer and reached up, fingers brushing against one shiny, red apple, gently, as though it were some illusion he could expect to vanish at any second. But the fruit was as real as Izuku was. It sat there in the palm of his hand, as big as one of his fists, and as heavy as he would’ve expected.

   After a while, Izuku sighed and stepped away. His idle curiosities still buzzed inside his mind, but the sky above had gone dark, and he knew he needed to be getting back. Izuku walked back the same way he’d entered, and, with one last glance over his shoulder, took flight.

   That night, Izuku laid awake in bed for what might’ve been a few hours, or a few minutes. He stared up at the ceiling as his mind darted from place to place, never quite settling into any particular thought. He wondered what would happen to the girls, if he’d made the right choice. He wondered what Katsuki’s motives were, if they truly did align with his own. He wondered if All Might was right. 

   For whatever reason, the orchard became a permanent fixture in his mind. He wondered what it meant, what Katsuki was doing there. Whether he was just passing through, or if…

   A splash of cold air washed over him. 

   …if there was actually a path to Hell within the orchard itself.

   He wondered why the trees looked so well-cared for. If the apples tasted as good as they looked, and it was then that he realized, somewhat strangely, that he couldn’t actually remember what apples tasted like. 

   He racked his brain, rolling flavorless saliva over his tongue as he tried to remember, but couldn’t. Though he knew it should come as no surprise, it was… frustrating, nonetheless. 

   Because Izuku loved being an Angel. 

   They were a rare breed; fewer than one out of every five-million believers were offered the chance to become one. It was a massive honor just to be selected, and despite the things he’d left behind, he couldn’t imagine wanting to spend eternity any other way. 

   But for the first time in his afterlife, Izuku found himself longing for the memories he’d forfeited. It was stupid, and it made no difference in terms of how he lived, now, but the desire remained, saturating his late night thoughts until there was nothing left.

   He wished he could remember what apples tasted like, or if he had liked the flavor, or if he would still like it, now. The thought circulated inside his head, polluting his thoughts to a degree as perverse as it was pointless. He knew, in his heart, that he wouldn’t change his life for anything in the world. But he just couldn’t help it. 

   He wished he could remember the person he was, back when he was still human.

  
  

    
      
        
        
          yooooo. so, this chapter's been mostly written for a while, but I didn't get to finish it til today bc I was working on a zine piece, and then after that I just fell into academia hell, so here we are.Anyway, thank you guys so much for all your amazing support, I'm so thrilled at just the idea that anyone might be as excited about reading this fic as i am about writing it ksdjfkjdf, so again, thank you!! I love and appreciate all of u very much. I'm really excited for the next chapter! I'm planning to reveal a fair amount of really interesting (well, to me) stuff about the demons, so that'll be fun. Until then, consider leaving a comment if u enjoyed this. I will inject them straight into my f@ck@n soul'
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