Prince (Ess)

4. Izuku (POV) - Challenger

I headed to my own room after making out with Shoto. I blushed to myself as I remembered the feeling of his soft lips on mine and how he tasted. Izuku! Focus! The two of you aren't married yet and shouldn't cross any boundaries that would make us uncomfortable.

I entered my room to prepare myself for dinner. I saw the stack of dresses that were still in my room and scoffed. There was no way I was ever wearing any of those again. I dug through the back of my closet to find my princely outfits that my mother had gotten me. I put it on and noticed it was a little looser than I remembered. Well, I had lost weight so I could fit into a corset. Which I will never do again.

I looked at myself in the mirror to see how I looked and was surprised by the sight I saw before me. It was me, but the me I had always wanted to be. I looked like a boy for once. I didn't have to wear a dress or hide my freckles with makeup. I ran my fingers through my hair and smiled. It felt so good to have short hair. Thank you, Shoto. You have helped me in so many ways. I now feel comfortable with myself again. I love him.

I noticed it was late and headed down to dinner. I found my mother already there. My father was nowhere in sight. That could be a good or bad thing. I wasn't sure. I walked over to my mother and gave her a hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

"Izuku? Is that you?" She asked, looking directly at me. "You... you look so handsome, baby!"

"Thanks mom. I feel a lot better now than I have in years! I feel... free." I smiled brighter and hugged her tightly. She hugged me back. "I knew that one day, you'd be recognized as you. The wonderful prince I've always known you to be."

"What... WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, IZUKU!?" My father's voice scared me. I jumped and turned to find him coming down the stairs. I straightened up and squared my shoulders. "Father, I am Prince Izuku Midoriya, a boy. My fiance already knows and loves me anyway and everyone here already knows about your stupid plans to make me act like a girl. I'm done putting up with your stupid rules and hating who I see in the mirror every day! You will no longer have any control over me!" I actually did it! I stood up to my father! Oh no... what's with that face? What is he planning? What's he going to do?! I started freaking out as I saw a glint in my father's glare. He was smirking and looking like a true anime villain.

"Ah, I see you've finally reached your limit. Does this mean you're ready to face off against me and prove your worth as future king?! DO YOU THINK YOU'RE ACTUALLY WORTH SOMETHING NOW?!" He was going hysterical. I haven't seen him this angry since last time I seriously tried to rebel. I knew this would happen. He... He wants to fight me? This is bad! What do I do!?

"Yes! I will fight you and prove to you who I am! I'll prove to you that I'm strong!" I yelled back at my father. He seemed taken aback by my boldness. "You will? Insolent brat! You'll never win! If I win, then you'll get surgery to actually become a girl. You want no more faking, fine. We will have doctors come and actually make you a girl!" He laughed.

"Fine. But if I win, then you have to withdraw the laws against gay marriage. I still want to marry Shoto Todoroki and you will repeal the law!" I made my demands, not entirely sure where this confidence was coming from.

My mom watched us argue with fear in her eyes. "Please boys! Calm down! No one has to fight anyone!" She was trying to deescalate the bad situation.

"Zip it, Inko! This doesn't concern you. This is between your son and me!" He yelled at her, making me even angrier. He raised his hand as if to strike her and my body moved before I could think. I grabbed his wrist as it was coming down to hurt my mother. "No one is allowed to talk to my mother that way!" I stared him straight in the face as I said that. Now I was more than angry, I was pissed off.

He grew angrier at me and spit fire right at my face. I didn't have any time to dodge and if I did, the flames would've hit my mother and I was not going to let him hurt her anymore. The fire scorched me and I fell to the ground in pain. "Learn your place, you useless, quirkless burden!" And with that final remark, he turned and left.

Uraraka and mom came up to me, really worried. "Deku, are you okay?" Uraraka called, shaking my shoulders. My mother knelt next to me, also really worried.

"I-I'm fine." I coughed, pushing myself up. Uraraka and mom helped me stand up the rest of the way and I went to sit at my seat around the table. I waved Ochako over. "Hey, Uraraka? Could you please go get Shoto? I miss him." I requested. I really wanted to see my fiance. I needed some sort of comfort and I had grown to rely on him.

She nodded and scampered off to go get him as mom got some of her healers balm from her special cabinet to heal the forming burn on my face so it wouldn't be permanent. I had seen the wonders of this gel, but I also knew how it was made and how expensive it was. "Mom, I'm alright. You don't need to waste any of that on me." I told her, trying to deter her from using her special balm.

"Nope! I'm healing you whether you like it or not, young man!" She insisted and started applying the balm to my face. I allowed her to and stopped fighting. She only ever calls me a 'young man' when she's really serious, so it's no use fighting her at that point.

"Izuku, please don't fight your father. I can talk to him and see what we can do about repealing that law. You don't have to fight him just for that." She tried to deter me, but I was set on my goal.

"I have to fight him for so much more than just repealing that law. I'm going to fight him for all his lies, all his abusive tendencies that I've put up with for years, and all those stupid dresses I've been forced to wear! Mom, I can win this!" I started getting hyped as I pumped myself up.

She sighed as she finished applying the balm and it activated, healing the burn on my face from ever existing. I smiled. "Thanks mom."

"Of course, sweetie. Now please, don't do anything stupid or reckless!" She begged, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back and smiled at her.

"What's going on?" a familiar voice asked from the stairwell. I smiled as my fiance, Shoto Todoroki descended the stairs, looking bewildered.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw me. I blushed and smiled at him. "What do you think?" I stood up and spun around so he could see my whole outfit and appearance. He ran right up to me and embraced me. "I think you look amazing."

I smiled and hugged him back. "I love you, Shoto."

"I love you too, Izuku."

We all sat down to a dinner that had been delayed by everything that had happened tonight. Shoto and I joked around and laughed a lot together and my mom was very happy that we were so happy together.

After dinner, I took Shoto up to my room to explain what had happened to me before dinner and my plan.

"Hey, Shoto. Something happened before dinner that really pissed my dad off, so that's why he wasn't there, but there's something else too." I didn't even know how to begin to explain to Shoto what I did.

"Alright? What is it? What's going on, Izuku?" He pulled me into a hug and petted my short fluffy hair.

"I... I challenged my father to a duel!"