The Aizawa Effect - (Aizawa X OC)

Pulled at the Seams

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm super sorry this chapter is a day late. I graduated yesterday from my dual Masters' program, and participated in both graduations!!! The day was exciting but exhausting, and I didn't feel comfortable posting this unless I felt the quality was good enough. Anyway, PLEASE enjoy!! <3

Justice left without another word, and within a few minutes, a team of staff came and packaged the food in to-go containers. They disappeared just as quickly, leaving me and Aizawa alone. He kept holding my hand and staring down at the table before standing up and helping me out of my seat. We made it back to campus in a little over 20 minutes and went straight to his dorm. I walked in and sat on his couch, and he threw his keys in the holder and closed the door hard.

"I knew it," Aizawa muttered as he paced the room, "I knew he had something planned. He wouldn't just come here to check on you for no reason. This was too perfectly calculated."

I sat quietly, unable to answer.

"Does he think we're that stupid? He pulls that lunch thing at the airport, then disappears for a month to make this deal happen? Without you? And these investors. It makes no sense how they think they can pop in and disrupt people's lives just to fit an imaginary timeline. It's entitled and absolutely disgusting," he continued angrily.

I crossed my legs and looked at the coffee table silently.

"And another thing about Justice. He could have told you earlier today when Nezu brought him to the classroom. He insisted on taking you out because he knew I would have a problem with it. He wanted me to be there so you could seem to choose him in front of me. All of this is happening because he felt hurt by you saying yes to work here. Such a fragile ego," Aizawa said pointedly.

My mind was still processing everything, and I couldn't even begin to blame Justice for something we have been chasing for years. He was a proud person for sure, but why would he try to hurt me for his own benefit?

I looked up to see Aizawa staring back at me.

He tilted his head to the side and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I'm processing what just happened. I just can't believe Justice would do this to hurt me. We've been pushing for this for a long time," I tried to reason with him.

He shook his head. "They discussed and signed the contract without you being there! Is that even legal?"

"I'm sure I'll have to sign my portion when I meet with them. Justice is a lot of things, business savvy is apparently not one of them, but he would never hurt me. He knows how much this means to me," my answer quietly left my lips.

Aizawa walked around and sat beside me, taking my hand in his and turning me to him.

"Rae. You are the strategist here. You're the best of us in that field. How can you not see that Justice is using your dreams to manipulate you and keep you at his side? You can't honestly believe that he advocated for you to stay."

"These are the dreams that we've had since we were children. You know that. He's doing what's best for the dream we're trying to build. And you know how agency building can be; you understand this more than anyone else."

Aizawa let go of my hands suddenly. "Why do you defend him so much? He's blameless in your book!"

"That's not true!" I shot back.

"You blamed yourself the entire ride back here! You said that you shouldn't have gone along with the joke when we had lunch at the airport because you didn't want him to be upset! You have this weird soft spot for him, and it's clouding your judgment. Justice is trying to get you back to the U.S. and when you go back, he'll never let you leave again," Aizawa asserted as he stood up and walked in front of the television.