Chapter Text
If there was one word Yubi would honestly use to describe himself, it was opportunistic.
He knew that may or may not be taken in a good way, and frankly, he knew his personality well enough to not get on the high horse about it.
He saw a chance, he took it; be it to get a way out of doing school assignments or check out some pretty girls.
He also knew from the get go which kids it would be in his best interests to stick to - in his case, Bakugou Katsuki.
He had known Katsuki, or "Kacchan" as they had all called him when they were little, since the age of four.
He'd been a bold and bright kid from the beginning, making being his friend an instant cool pass.
Their bunch had a great time in the few months after they all got together, always toeing the line of rule-breaking as a given in any group Katsuki led.
There was him, Katsuki of course, Tsubasa, who was slightly dense but generally well meaning, and lastly Deku, a kid who seemed to have only two modes - quiet and overly excited.
The four spent most of their days after school and during the summer roaming the neighbourhood and the nearby woods, collecting hero cards and bugs.
Things changed that one time when Katsuki fell into the creek.
Suddenly Katsuki's teasing of Deku got a lot more hostile and physical, often leaving the younger boy alone and in tears.
Yubi had seen it all, even felt a bit sorry for Deku, but in the end, his instinct to follow the strongest won out and he stuck with Katsuki.
The years that followed, he watched as Katsuki turned from a daring, stubborn and slightly mean little boy into a complete and unapologetic asshole.
While his respect for Katsuki's talent did not dwindle, it did start mixing in with the opinion that it was somewhat wasted on a person with such a foul and egocentric personality as him.
His character itself was a bit of a paradox - while he wore the look and attitude of delinquency effortlessly, he still remained, for people who knew him on more than a superficial level, a meticulous, sharp and driven person.
He was always pushing the line, but he never crossed it.
The only thing that came close to pushing him over it, and on some ocassions did, was Deku.
Yubi never did understand why Katsuki had taken such a personal offence to Deku, but it seemed he couldn't look at the other boy for more than ten seconds before boiling over with rage.
Deku had changed too.
The once admittedly weak protests from him at insults had faded away completely, replaced by fear or resignation. Already a shy kid, he had withdrawn into himself completely, leaving him with absolutely no friends.
While things kept shifting and changing around him, if Yubi had been able to say one thing with certainty, it was that Kacchan and Deku would never be friends again.
.....
That was until he was proven wrong at the age of ten.
He didn't know why or how Midoriya had worked up the nerve to approach them, or more specifically, approach Katsuki.
"K-Kacchan?"
Katsuki whipped around to glare upon hearing the nickname that only Midoriya still used.
"What do you want, loser?" he snapped and Midoriya literally flinched at the harsh tone.
"I, um.."
"I don't have all day, Deku!" Small explosions rippled in Katsuki's palm, causing Midoriya to jump.
"Can we talk about the project?" Midoriya blurted out, looking like he was this close to having a freaking heart attack.
"Haah? Didn't I already tell you what to do for it?" drawled Katsuki, eyebrows scrunching in displeasure.
"Uh, but I, um, thought-" Midoriya fumbled with his bag and pulled out a notebook and oh no, he really wasn't that stupid was he?
"I-I had an idea and-"
Smack!
Yubi grimaced as the book was knocked to the ground. Katsuki loomed over Midoriya, who now looked close to tears.
"Get this straight, Deku. You will do what I tell you to, because I'm smarter and better than you, no matter what you think. Got it?"
Midoriya's big eyes widened impossibly, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
Katsuki gave him one last glare before hitching his bag up his shoulder and crossing the road to school. Yubi jogged to catch up to him.
Midoriya finally found his voice, calling out from behind. "Kacchan, wait, that's not what I meant!"
"Shut up and die already!" yelled Katsuki over his shoulder.
Yubi winced at Katsuki's harshness, turning around to see how Midoriya took it.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.
Midoriya ran onto the road, eyes watery and trained on Katsuki's back.
One minute he was there, and the next...he was not.
There was a car screeching to a halt right where he had been standing.
Deku was gone.
His insides clenched in horror when he heard a loud thud, and turned his head to see Midoriya lying on the road twenty feet away.
A dark red pool began forming behind his dark green curls.
Yubi screamed.
...
What happened rest was a sickening blur. People screamed with him, adults materialising to rush to the fallen boy's aid.
He barely remembered how they were all herded away from the scene by their teachers.
Though one thing he remembered clearly was that the first person to reach Midoriya's side had to be dragged away kicking and screaming.