The Aizawa Effect - (Aizawa X OC)

Back to the Basics

"No más! It's too much, Jayce," Mr. Gonzales grumbled with his arms folded across his chest.

Jay's face contorted into a silly smirk as he scoffed. "It's not a big deal. Besides, she loves them, don't you, Rae?"

I glanced around the room at the vases filled with different flowers. Some were beginning to bloom, while others were still tightly closed. From orchids and roses to lilies, Jay brought a new bouquet with him almost every time he visited.

Mr. Gonzales rolled his eyes, "She's been awake for only a week! How is she going to bring all this home?"

"I'll figure that out, Dad," Jay said, smiling at me.

I laughed at their bickering and stretched my arms toward him for this morning's flower offering.

"What's the arrangement today?" I asked sweetly.

"Daffodils. The guy at the counter said that they represent hope and resilience." Jay handed me the vase and kissed the top of my head.

I smiled wider, and my face became slightly warm. The daffodils were white and just starting to blossom. The vase, made of matte teal-colored glass, was so beautiful that it could be displayed without flowers.

"You really have an eye for this stuff, and they smell so fresh! Thank you, but what am I going to do when all these flowers start to wilt and make a mess?" I gently asked as I sank my face into the fragrant petals.

Jay took the new vase to replace the one on my table. He did that every time he brought new flowers to ensure I could enjoy each one until he brought another.

"When they begin wilting, I'll clean up any mess," he assured me, beaming with pride.

"If you didn't cause messes in the first place, you wouldn't have to spend time cleaning them up," Mr. G scoffed and walked out of the room.

My smile faded as the door closed. For some reason, the tension between those two had been particularly high recently. Sure, Mr. Gonzales was always kind of hard on him, especially when we got older, but he always doted on him at the end of the day.

Still, the recent tension was worse than I remember it.

Seeing that we were alone, I reached my hand out and cleared my throat to get his attention. He quickly moved to my side and sat on the bed before holding my hand between his.

"What's up? Do you need anything before I go on patrol?" he asked eagerly.

"No, no. I just wanted to say thank you for everything. Seriously, you don't have to do all this," I explained softly.

He tilted his head upward, his signature curl falling gracefully on his forehead.

"Don't thank me for something you deserve," he almost whispered, leaning forward a little.

I giggled and looked away at the window while rolling my eyes, causing him to squeeze my hand gently.

"What's wrong? You don't wanna look at me?" Jay asked in a low, playful voice.

As I went to answer, a couple of loud knocks echoed against the door. Mia walked in with a small vase of red roses. She wore a simple yet elegant white blouse, dark navy jeans, and white pumps. Her pearl earrings and necklace shook as she stepped toward us. Her mid-length curls were neatly tucked back in a high ponytail, giving off an aura of quiet luxury.

My eyes lit up as she slowly scanned the room.

"I guess I didn't get the memo, Miss Popularity. You're already drowning in flowers!" She walked toward us and chuckled.