Everyone had agreed to it, even Izuku. So, it was a little silly of him to be nervous, let alone scared of them seeing something he really doesn't want them to see. Not that he doesn't trust his friends, but this secret is something he doesn't want anyone knowing about. Even his mum didn't know it to it's full extent, only that he has the item and has basic knowledge on it.
So, as they all neared his room – good God why was he first? – he was stood to the back of the pack, hands wringing together in his anxious state. It took a tap on his shoulder from Kirishima to make him take a step forward.
"S-Sorry if it's a bit much."
He said instead with a smile on his face. His hand trembled as it clasped his doorknob, throat becoming dry as the seconds passed and the door edged it's way open. The room wasn't even completely revealed before there were exclamations of awe. Taking it a little wrongly, he quickly opened the door the rest of the way and stepped into his room, purposefully positioning himself so no one would think to check his closet.
"Wow! There's so much merch here!"
Uraraka stated rather loudly, the other girls confirming with hums and bright eyes. Kirishima and Kaminari seemed to agree with them, looking at his rare memorabilia and talking as if they were stunned it actually existed. Tokoyami gave him a pat on the shoulder, beak pulled into an expression he jotted down to being a smile. Even Todoroki seemed to enjoy all of his figures and posters, eyes seeming to sparkle despite his blank face.
A small smile tugged at his own lips as the others started piling out of his room. He was glad they didn't find him weird for his love of the number one hero. If anything though, he was mostly worried that Todoroki would assume this was more evidence the blonde hero was Izuku's father, and he really didn't want to have to explain himself again.
With a quick glance back into his room, Izuku let his smile soften further before shutting his door and continuing the impromptu tour.
The rest of the rooms didn't take too long to look at. Kirishima's was pretty much a gym, while Todoroki's took more of a traditional Japanese aesthetic. The room they spent the longest in was Sato's, but that was only because he was baking a cake and the girls demanded they wait until it was finished. After that, Mineta and a few other boys said it was only fair that the girls show their rooms off too, so they ended up going through those too. Honestly, he didn't think they were too special. Well, except maybe Yaoyorozu's and Jiro's. Yaoyorozu had attempted to bring her bed from home, but it was practically the size of the room. It did, however, look super comfortable. Momentarily, Izuku thought that he'd probably do the same with a mattress like that.
When they had gone to Jiro's room, they saw something he considers awesome. Every single corner housed an instrument of some sort, and amplifiers for the electrical ones. When asked, she had said she had basic skills with most, if not more talented. His eyes had absolutely shined at the scene, heart puffing up in happiness. Tokoyami had asked him why he was shining, but all he could manage to do was shake his head and leave before anyone else noticed.
Now, they were all back in their rooms, the words Asui cried out sticking in Izuku's brain like a dying man's mantra. She had been so earnest, so worried and hurt, that he honestly wished he could promise her they'd all be okay. But, with the way their first year was going, he just… couldn't.
It made him feel terrible, a burning sensation churning in his gut like vile he couldn't quite get out of his throat. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep like this, so instead, he finished decorating his room. Powder blue posters found their way onto his wall, a signed picture of a ginger man holding a guitar finding it's way onto his desk beside the framed double-page signature from All Might.
He smiled once his work was completed, a huff breaking past his lips as he felt some weight lift off of his shoulders. With one thing left to unpack, he went pack to his closet.
His scarred fingers wrapped around a neck of wood, metal wires brushing against his fingertips and reverberating a soft little tune before he even set it on his lap. The light hit the wood, glossy brown shining in the artificial light. The object had a hole in the centre, the metal strings hanging above the gap with ease. Around the hole, powder blue splashed out towards the edges, fading as if someone had dropped crushed up chalk onto it and glossed over it to keep the appearance.
Gazing at his acoustic guitar filled Izuku with some emotion he couldn't quite pin down. He knew it was a good feeling, had been since the day he saw it in his mother's bedroom cupboard. Yet, it was such a great and soft feeling, that Izuku genuinely had no title for it.
Gently, Izuku sat on his bed, softly plopping the guitar down onto his lap. Carefully, he began to tune the guitar, getting lost in the familiarity of the motion. After he finished, he plucked at a few strings. The melodic sound bounced off his walls, encasing him in warm vibrations.
He listened a moment. Let the ringing in his ears calm before taking a deep breath and starting up a song. He sent a glimpse to the photo on his desk, smile widening, before looking back at the instrument. A moment later, he restarted the song and began to sing. His gentle voice accompanying the tune beautifully.
" Ain't got a soapbox I can stand upon,
But God gave me a stage, a guitar and a song,
My daddy told me, 'Son, don't you get involved in politics, religion or other people's quotes.
I'll paint the picture, let me set the scene,
I know when I have children they will know what it means,
And I pass on these things my family's given to me,
Just love and understanding, positivity. "
A soft click resonated around the room, causing Izuku's head to snap up. His eyes widened as he saw a group of sheepish girls all staring at him with blushes. It took a moment for it to click in his mind, but when it did, he flushed just a bright crimson.
The first to move was Ashido. With a grace and gentleness he didn't tend to label her with, she sat down beside him with a grin and placed a hand on his forearm. Now that he looked at her, she seemed to have an air of relief around her. When his eyes gazed over the others, it seemed to be the same situation.
"Uh, guys? What's going on?"
Yaoyorozu sighed, catching his attention. Worried green orbs flickered over to her, and her blush seemed to intensify. For a moment, she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Then, she sighed again before kneeling down on the floor before him, as though she was a one man – er, girl – audience.
"I'm sorry Midoriya-San. Ashido noticed that you were practically guarding a section of your room earlier during the showcasing and when she told us, we got worried something dangerous might be in there. So, we came to the decision to come pester you about it. I'm sorry."
She bowed, forehead touching the floor. In response, he waved his free hand wildly, eyes blowing even wider at the sight. Uraraka bowed next, getting onto her knees beside Yaoyorozu. Eventually, they were all on the floor, Ashido included, apologising to a frozen Izuku on the bed.
To try and alleviate some of the rising tension, Jiro sat up and examined his guitar, finger twirling one of her jacks while she looked at it. It was a good quality guitar, despite it's apparent age. And the custom design on the face was really cool. It reminded her of someone, but she couldn't figure out who. Then she turned around to see if he had an album with a similar design, and came face to face with a poster. The baby blue design now obvious to her.
"You listen to Ed Sheeran."
The abrupt comment snapped Izuku out of his statue like state. He blinked once, then moved his eyes over to Jiro. The rocker girl looked a little sheepish, as if she hadn't meant to say that aloud. Finally calming down, Izuku let a brilliant smile light up his face. A few of the girls blushed again, this boy just kept surprising them, and it was always in a positive way. He was the best boy in the class, they all mentally decided in sync.
"Yeah. Sheeran-San got me through some dark times, and when I found out we had this guitar in the house, I decided to learn to play it. I mean, if his music can save me, then who's to say how many people he's helped! To me, Sheeran-San is a full-fledged hero himself!"
A blush spread across his cheeks as some of the girls awed at his exclamation. Jiro nodded, apparently agreeing with him. Uraraka was amongst the gushing for a few seconds before something hit her. She tilted her head in thought, eyes locked onto the glistening wood. She wondered how he hadn't known of the instruments existence at first. It was starting to eat at her, so she decided to ask him straight up. She won't get any answers from just sitting and wondering after all.
"Um, Deku-Kun?"
He turned to her, curious expression on his face.
"What is it Uraraka-San?"
"You said 'when you found out'. Why?"
At this, Izuku chuckled and rubbed his nap. He adjusted the guitar on his lap before settling down again, a soft smile on his lips as a sad glint entered his eyes.
"Well, I didn't know the guitar was in our house. It was in Kaa-San's cupboard, hidden away because it hurt her too much to look at. Since, it was Tou-San's, before he vanished."
Silence engulfed the room, gnawing at their hearts slowly. Before they could be devoured though, Izuku smiled again, this time brighter than before. Pride flowing from him like an aura.
"But since I learnt to play it, she seems happier! I even learnt her favourite song so she could be happy again!"
A toothy grin broke out over his face, warming the hearts of everyone present. It was mentally agreed, this boy was too good for anyone. His existence was otherworldly, and his mum was probably the same. Instantly, Ashido shot to her feet, fist clenched in determination.
"Midoriya, can I meet your mum! I'm gonna make sure she has the best day of her life!"
Uraraka felt the fighting spirit enter her, and joined Ashido on her feet. Yaoyorozu doing the same as Asui nodded and Jiro smiled kindly.
"Us too! Let's all make Midoriya-San happy together!"
They all cheered, Izuku too shocked to say anything. When he recovered, he cheered in agreement before thanking them. A short while passed by with everyone planning, the girls having sat down again. It was nearing 11pm when chatter died down a little. Idly, Izuku had been strumming the guitar in a calming tune, the boy humming along every time he stopped speaking.
Asui sat staring at the boy gently rocking side to side, eyes back on his guitar as he plucked the strings. Uraraka and Ashido were still planning, Yaoyorozu throwing in her suggestions every so often, so Asui assumed that only herself and Jiro had noticed the soft backdrop of noise.
The frog girl tilted her head in thought. Izuku had been really good when they were listening in, and she hadn't really wanted to interrupt, despite it only being courteous. Well, there was only one way to remedy this.
"Midoriya-Chan."
The boy looked up, fingers halting in their movements as the other girls turned to her too.
"Yes As- Tsuyu-Chan?"
"Can you play that song again?"
Instantly, the girls all turned to him, eyes locked on like they were targeting their prey. Izuku felt a little put on the spot, a weak chuckle passing his lips as he rubbed his nape again. He was nervous but, none of them had called him bad earlier, right? So, how much could it hurt?
"Yeah, ok."
He said with a smile, hand going down the strings to make sure he hadn't accidentally, or subconsciously, retuned the guitar. Nodding in reaffirmation, the greenette took a deep breath before starting again.
" Ain't got a soapbox I can stand upon,
But God gave me a stage, a guitar and a song,
My daddy told me, 'Son, don't you get involved in politics, religion or other people's quotes.
I'll paint the picture, let me set the scene,
I know when I have children they will know what it means,
And I pass on these things my family's given to me,
Just love and understanding, positivity. "
The girls all started bobbing along, Ashido even clapping her hands to the tune.
" We could change this whole world with a piano,
Add a base, some guitar, grab a beat and away we go.
I'm just a boy with a one-man show,
No university, no degree, but Lord knows,
Everybody's talking 'bout exponential growth,
And the stock market crashing in their portfolio's,
While I'll be sitting here with a song that I wrote.
Sing, love could change the world in a moment,
But what do I know?
Love can change the world in a moment,
But what do I know?
Love, can change the world in a moment. "
Most of the girls were tapping along now, even Izuku was tapping his foot to the beat. He had a serene smile on his face, body moving to the song as his arms played the guitar. Fingers deftly brushing the strings in the perfect way.
" The revolution's coming, it's a minute away,
I saw people marching in the streets today,
You know we are made up of love and hate,
But both of them are balanced on a razor blade.
I'll paint the picture, let me set the scene,
I know, I'm all for people following their dreams,
Just remember life is more than fittin' in your jeans,
It's love and understanding, positivity. "
In the small break of music, Izuku looked up and nodded at the girls, all of them understanding instantly. When the next line of music started, they all joined in. Softly harmonising to the song. Except Ashido. She sang like she was trying to project her voice from the shower.
" We could change this whole world with a piano,
Add a bass, some guitar, grab a beat and away we go.
I'm just a boy with a one-man show,
No university, no degree, but Lord knows,
Everybody's talking 'bout exponential growth,
And the stock market crashing in their portfolio's,
While I'll be sitting here with a song I wrote.
Sing, love could change the world in a moment,
But what do I know?
Love could change the world in a moment,
But what do I know?
Love could change the world in a moment. "
The girls all quieted down, allowing Izuku to finish the song. Most of them had stars in their eyes, but every single one of them had bright smiles on their faces and a warmth engulfing their chests. Izuku had been right, music itself could save people. They had all been stressed from recent events, some even considering leaving UA out of fear of losing their friends. But, they all decided to stick with it and achieve their dreams, and this song somehow helped them feel like it was the right decision. If only to hear Izuku singing.
" I'll paint the picture, let me set the scene.
You know, the future's in the hands of you and me,
So let's all get together, we can all be free.
Spread the love and understanding, positivity.
We could change this whole world with a piano,
Add a bass, some guitar, grab a beat and away we go.
I'm just a boy with a one-man show,
No university, no degree, but Lord knows,
Everybody's talking 'bout exponential growth,
And the stock market crashing in their portfolio's,
While I'll be sitting here with a song I wrote.
Sing, love could change the world in a moment,
But what do I know?
Love could change the world in a moment,
But what do I know?
Love could change the world in a moment… "
Once the song ended, the girls all began cheering and clapping, Izuku letting out a laugh as well. The good mood kept going, even as Uraraka requested more songs. Most of his library turned out to be either Ed Sheeran or acoustic numbers, but none of them particularly cared. They were having fun, and that's what mattered. That and Izuku was apparently great at everything he did, including quirk control now.
Once the clock struck 12, the girls relented to the rules Iida had loudly placed and made their way out of Izuku's room. Each of them giving the boy their praise and agreeing to have a 'jam session', as Ashido called it, in Jiro's room some day in the future. Izuku happily saying he will be there. They also confirmed a day that would be good for going to see his mum, the knowledge that his mum was going to be getting a wonderful surprise filling the greenette with glee.
He sighed, about to close the door, when he noticed Jiro stood next to his door in the corridor. She looked like she was thinking, and he was a little worried.
"Jiro-San?"
The girl jumped, maybe assuming he had already closed the door. Her eyes turned to him, catching the intrigue and anxiety in his gaze. She huffed in amusement before pushing off the wall, smile on her face and cheeks tinting a light pink.
"You said that he was a hero right? Well… maybe, you could be a hero like him too."
Izuku blinked, caught off guard and not entirely sure what she meant.
"What?"
"I had considered it myself, being a musician that can help raise people's spirits."
She admitted, blush darkening as she hopped from foot to foot. Her ear-jacks curling in her embarrassment, tips tapping together every so often as if she were prodding two fingers together.
"I have the lyrics, but I'm too shy to sing in front of people. Besides, their more suited to a male voice."
She trailed off, eyes glancing back up at his from where they previously were on staring at the floor. Izuku blinked, surprised. Then he smiled, an idea blooming in his mind.
"I can give it a shot."
Jiro looked up properly, face beginning to shine. However, Izuku wasn't done.
"However, we do this as a team."
He grinned, startling Jiro with his idea. The girl blinked once, then she nodded with a small smile. Challenge began to gleam in her eyes as she raised her fist, Izuku lightly knocking their knuckles together in a promise.
"Agreed."
"Aww, that was so cute!"
A voice cheered, both teens jumping in shock. Izuku even let out a mild squeal in his surprise. Then the only sound was giggling. The two were confused for all but a moment before Jiro figured it out. She groaned in exasperation and embarrassment, eyes homing in on wherever the voice came from. Izuku wasn't sure where he was meant to look, but Jiro apparently did, so he followed her line of sight. There was nothing there. Or, at least, nothing they could see.
"Hagakure! How long have you been there?!"
"Oh, me? I've been here since the start."
He couldn't see her face, but he still knew she was smiling. There was just that, tilt, to her voice.
"The… start?"
"Yeah, since we entered Midoriya's room. You stayed back though, and I wondered why, so I stuck around."
Izuku's brows furrowed. A frown falling on his lips as he thought back. There was no floating clothing at all in his room. And since they couldn't see her now, did that mean?
His face flushed bright red as realisation hit him, the invisible girl laughing all the while.
"Wait, but I didn't see you once…?"
"Well, that's because I never got dressed after my shower! Can't be covert when you're floating clothes."
The girl laughed again as Jiro blushed too. Izuku had already buried his face in hands when he heard the distant steps of the two girls. Jiro's incredulous shouts and Hagakure's quickly fading laughter signalling their fast pace. Just before he went to bury his burning face into his pillow, he heard the faint voice of Hagakure promising to visit his mum too, and suddenly, the embarrassment wasn't too bad.