Work Text:
Johnny closes his laptop as the clock hits 3PM. After the stunt Miguel did in the cafeteria, his video went viral and bullied kids have been flocking his door ever since. As Johnny walks out of his office, the usual chatter of students greet him, but two boys by the door catch his eye. He stares at them curiously, observing their actions.
They stand beside each other. Too close to be just friends, but close enough to possibly be family. But their hands… they're intertwined and the taller boy is cupping the short boy’s face and assisting his head to tilt up. Blood streams down the shorter boy’s nose as he lets blondie help him. They kinda remind Johnny of himself and LaRusso with both boys sporting a similar hair color to himself and his rival. A frown graces Johnny's face though when the taller, blonde boy wipes away the blood and kisses the brunette's cheek.
Are they… together?
“Sensei, are we starting late?” Miguel asks, staring up at Johnny from his stretching on the floor.
Johnny blinks, shaking his head. “Yeah, no. I just got distracted. Go back to stretching.” His eyes roam the room, there are way fewer kids again. But some remain and that's better than two. At least these guys aren't pussies.
“Quiet!”
Everyone in the room freezes, moving into neat lines of four. Even both boys by the door stop their movement. Johnny walks to the front, making sure to maintain eye contact with each of his remaining kids. “Ever since you joined Cobra Kai, I have been hard on you. Some of you I’ve hit, others I’ve bad-mouthed,” he pauses, walking from side to side so his students feel seen. “I'm not going to apologize. For you to develop inner strength, you need to have tribulation by fire. You can’t be strong on the outside if you aren't strong on the inside.”
Just as he said this, the bell chimes and a boy with a blue mohawk saunters into the room. “Welcome to Cobra Kai.”
“Eli, what happened?”
The boy grins, stopping right beside the two boys. “I flipped the script.”
Johnny raises a brow, a proud smile gracing his lips. “Wait, you're the kid with the lip? Nice cut, bro.” He takes a few steps and points at Eli. “You see that? It doesn't matter if you're a loser or a nerd or a freak. All that matters is you become badass.” Johnny walks back to the front, taking a deep breath. “Hawk. Fall In.”
Johnny waits for Hawk to join the kids. He faces Miguel and says, “Mr. Diaz. Warm them up. Lovebirds by the door, follow me to my office.” He takes quick strides back to his secluded room and opens one of the drawers for a first aid kit. As the kids come in, he tosses the brunette a tissue roll. It hits his chest, making the blonde swiftly crouch and catch the roll.
“At least warn us.” Blondie turns to look back at Johnny and glares at him.
“Chill, dude. I'm just testing you guys… What are your names?” Looking at them better, Johnny notices the bruises and small cuts on both their faces and hands. The brunette has it worse with a black eye forming and his clothes tattered and dishevelled.
“Julius.”
“Dante.”
Johnny’s nose scrunches momentarily at how nerdy and old-fashioned their names are. “How romantic. You guys sound like those characters from Ody... O... that fucking epic they told us to read in literature class.”
“It's called Odyssey by Homer, old man. Juls, I think coming here is a mistake.” Dante whines, taking the tissue, tearing some pieces, and rolling them in his fingers to create a plug for his nose.
“Dan, does it look like we have a fucking choice right now? They're getting vicious. I won't always be there to protect you. Just please… do it for me if not for yourself.” Juls pleads, gripping the tissue roll.
“Alright. Break it up, lovebirds. I don't have all day. Just tell me what happened.” Johnny crosses his arms in front of his chest, already feeling an inclination about what they are about to say. During his time, being gay was frowned upon. It still is today, but people are more open and supportive. Just depends on which side you end up on.
“A couple of bullies jumped Dante after gym class and posted a video about him being a cocksucking freak.” Julius deadpans, earning him an elbow to the side by Dante.
Johnny frowns, noticing Dante curl his hand into a fist and glares at the floor. Both kids dressed like Miguel. Plain shirts, jeans (tattered for Julius), and trending dos.
They look like typical teenage boys and yet, they're… gay?
“They did that to Aisha last week. What a bunch of pussies.” Johnny rubs his face, already deciding to take them under his wing. He looks back at the two, observing them. Julius takes Dante's hand in his and caresses his knuckles, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. Dante blushes, his fist unfurling and tensed shoulders relaxing. Johnny inadvertently smiles, remembering how Ali's touch used to have that effect on him. Julius grins, the blush intensifies on Dante's cheeks and Johnny can't take it anymore.
“For fuck's sake,” Johnny curses under his breathe, an unfamilar pang blooms from his chest. “Get your asses on the mat, lovebirds. Miss Robinson, show them the basics. Mr. Diaz, my office.”
A simultaneous ‘yes, sensei!’ is heard just as Miguel walks into his office. “I saw the look you gave those tao when they came in. What’s up with that?”
Miguel sighs in relief, he thought he was going to get another scolding. He messed up one of the drills for warm up earlier. He glances at the couple as they train with Aisha. “Julius is friends with the bullies, he often picks on Dante actually. I didn’t think they were a thing, sensei.”
Eyebrows knit together on Johnny’s face. Another memory flashing before his eyes.
Johnny is walking away after giving the form to LaRusso for the tournament. Satisfaction exudes from him after taunting LaRusso.
“Hey, let me ask you a question.”
Johnny clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth and turns to look at LaRusso. The same determined doe-eyed look that Johnny despises reflects back at him. Not entirely despise if he's being honest… more lights a fire from under him and he can't stop himself but move.
“What pleasure do you get from all this?”
“Oh, what?”
“Your big shot attitude. I mean we both know you can kick my face in so why do you even bother?”
Johnny takes slow strides towards LaRusso, reveling in the fear building up behind those chocolate eyes. Johnny wants those precious eyes on him even if he didn't admit it to himself at the time. He grabs LaRusso's arms, relishing the feel of his scrawny arms under his big palms. “Maybe cause I like to, did ya ever think of that?”
“Sensei?” Miguel calls, noticing the dazed look in Johnny's eyes.
Johnny clears his throat, reaching for his water bottle on the table. He opens the cap and takes a sip then closes it back up. “Get back on the mat. We need to work on your blocks.”
“Yes, sensei!” Miguel joins the rest on the mat as Johnny follows him.
“Fall in!” Johnny commands, standing in front of his students. “We have some new students today. Let's show them how we do things.” Johnny walks toward the right end of the line and lifts his fists. Hawk is at the front of this one.
“Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?” Johnny throws a jab at Hawk and he does a high block, his wrist flicking at the top. Johnny smirks, proud of his student's reflexes.
“No, sensei!”
Johnny walks towards the front of Aisha. “Pain does not exist in his dojo, does it?” He aims a straight punch at Aisha's chest and she does a middle block.
“No, sensei!”
Johnny takes another step to the side, standing in front of Miguel. “Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it?” He directs a straight punch at Miguel and he does a low block, averting Johnny's attack.
“No, sensei!”
Johnny nods in approval as he turns to look at the mirror and stares at his students through it. “Right now, you're all weak and I know that. Because I was you. Just like a cobra, I had to shed my loser skin to find my true power. And you guys will too. Class, are you ready to learn the way of the fist?”
“Yes, sensei!”
Johnny smiles, getting into a fighting position. “Ayah!” He shouts as he throws a jab punch in front of him. His students follow. They continue to do drills for the next hour and so before he calls for a short sparring session.
“Gah!” Aisha slams his hand on Hawk's chest as they fall on the mat.
“Point, Aisha! Aisha wins!” Miguel announces and the class cheers. Johnny smiles, crossing his arms across his chest. He roams the room for the last pair to spar and spots Julius and Dante having a staring contest from across the room.
“Lovebirds. On the mat.”
Julius stands, grinning as he takes his stance. Dante tenses, turning to Johnny with pleading eyes. Johnny shakes his head no. “Get your ass on the mat, twink, or you'll be doing sixty push-ups on your knuckles.”
Dante glares at Johnny but decides that sparing is better than doing the push-ups. He faces Julius, a resolute gaze on his face.
Johnny replaces Miguel as the officiate. “Lay all your emotions on the mat. No hard feelings. We're testing how fast you've picked up on the lesson. Face me.” Both kids turn towards him and bow. “Face each other.” They do as they're told and bow. “Begin!”
Julius takes quick strides towards Dante, prompting the boy to retreat outside the mat.
“Get back on the mat, Twink. Don't be a pussy and fight him. Imagine him as one of your bullies. They won't take breaks and they'll keep coming and coming until you put your foot down.” Johnny watches in fascination as Dante's vibe changes from anxious to vicious real quick. The kid takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He exhales and his eyes open to stare daggers at Julius. The latter is smirking at the brunette as he allows himself to get tackled to the mat and Dante snakes his leg on Julius’ neck and punches his chest.
“Point, Dante. One, zero.” Johnny announces. Julius pushes Dante off him and stands, raising his fists. Dante mirrors the movement and both circle each other in unison before Dante attempts to run towards Julius, but he lands a front kick. Dante coughs, landing on his ass.
“Shit! Sorry! Are you okay?” Julius kneels beside Dante and checks on him. Dante blinks, grinning at Julius.
“We're still enemies, Juls. Don't let your guard down.” Dante whispers, feeling a boost of confidence as he kisses Julius’ cheek near his lips and crawls away.
Johnny smirks, “Two, one. Last point and Caesar wins.” He takes a step back as Julius and Dante take a step side step towards him. Julius seems to be baiting Dante this time. They look like players from Tug of War, pushing and pulling until Julius sweeps Dante's leg, and kicks his head.
“Three, one! Caesar wins!” Johnny exclaims as Julius helps Dante up.
“Shit, I hit you too hard.” Julius gently cups Dante's face and sees his bleeding lip.
“Supplies are in the bathroom, Caesar.” Johnny points out as he checks on Dante. The boy looks defeated, but the fire in his eyes stays.
Good, he's realized what he needs to do to get stronger.
“I heard your boyfriend is friends with the bullies. Why are you still with him?” Johnny lifts Dante's hand, his knuckles look worse.
“He's not usually violent. Today was the first time I've seen him break under their pressure,” Dante admits, a sadness lacing his voice.
A familiar twist in his chest prompts Johnny to take a step back and allow Julius to patch up his boyfriend. The situation at hand awfully feels like a distant memory he had once, or was it a dream? “Class dismissed. I'll see you all tomorrow at the same time. Don't be late.” Johnny watches as Dante and Julius smile lovingly at each other and an ache permeates his chest. Was it jealousy? Maybe a messed up way of acceptance. Either way, these kids need his protection and he's going to give it. “Lovebirds, come to my office when you're done.” Johnny walks away from the scene before his eyes give away what he truly feels. He sits on his chair and buries his face in his hands.
This can’t be happening. Did I actually have feelings for LaRusso back then? He was a little shit taking Ali away from me. Was that the only reason I hated him?
An image of LaRusso pops in his head.
Strong kick
Sarcastic runt
Equally hot tempered head
Eat-shitting grin
Precious chocolate doe eyes
Cute adorable frame when he wore that oversized jersey for his shower costume.
Fuck.
“Sensei?” Dante calls, bringing Johnny back from his spiral. He clears his throat, looking up at his students.
“Put your phones on the table,” Johnny states, leaning back on his chair. Dante frowns at Johnny while Julius obliges. It takes a while for Dante to follow, but they both put their devices on the table. Johnny takes them and types his number in them before returning them.
“If you need to get out of a jam, call me. Now scoot, I have some errands to attend to.”
Julius grins, immediately saving their sensei's number. Dante takes his phone and stares at the screen for a while before reluctantly saving it under the name of Drunk Sensei.
"Hey Ceasar, remember what happened back in Rome. Be careful who your friends are." Johnny calls after the kids. He's incredibly sure he'll be called one of these days.
~~~~~🐍~~~~~
Class goes by as usual for the next few weeks. Every day, the lovebirds are there. And every day, they seem to have new cuts and bruises on their person. It lessens every day thank God. But today, it's different. Johnny runs the class as usual with Aisha at the helm to lead the drills. Hawk and Miguel were missing and so were the lovebirds. Something was not right and only the ringtone of Bon Jovi's It's My Life suddenly echoing in the room snaps Johnny out of his doomsday thoughts. He saunters toward his office and opens the first drawer where he keeps his phone.
An unregistered number is calling. “Hello?”
“Who is this? Sorry, doesn't matter. I'm calling to tell you that you need to come down to Golf N’ Stuff and get your nephews.”
The voice's timbre is familiar, nostalgic, annoying. Johnny frowns, unable to pinpoint where he heard the voice before and knowing full well he doesn't have any. “My nephews?”
“Julius and Dante.”
Fuck.
“Shit, okay. I'm coming.” Johnny ends the call and wears his shirt and pants over his gi. “Class dismissed. You can stay to train or whatever, just make sure to lock up.” He sprints out of the dojo and into his Avanti, racing towards the park and ignoring some lights. Thankfully, no police were around to catch him. Johnny parks beside an Audi he often sees in LaRusso's stupid commercial. He gets out of his car and looks around before kicking the wheel for good measure. Fucking twerp and his successful business. Johnny takes purposeful strides, looking for the familiar Ivy League cut of Dante only to spot him and Julius separated from several kids sneering at them. As he gets nearer, the silhouette of a man with a blue bomber jacket gets clearer and oh shit it's-
“LaRusso? What the hell are you doing to my kids?”
Daniel turns around and chuckles bitterly. “Of course, they're your kids. You're rotting their brains with that Cobra Kai bullshit and you even taught them to lie.”
“Yeah? And six to two is a fair fight.” Johnny scoffs, pushing past LaRusso and checking on the lovebirds. “You okay lovebirds?” Again, both boys look beaten. Possibly sporting bruises under their shirts. Dante has a matching black eye to Julius and the latter has redder knuckles than when they first joined Cobra Kai.
“We're good, sensei. Sorry, you had to come down for us. Old man here wouldn't let us go until he spoke to our guardian,” Julius spat, glaring at LaRusso.
“Watch your tone, you're speaking to an elder.” Daniel scolds the kids, hardening his gaze on Lawrence. “I can't believe you're still teaching that bullshit to these kids. Look at what they did to them.” He points at the six kids who look as bad as the duo and watches Lawrence grin.
“They probably deserved it. Did you roundhouse that guy's nose, Caesar? It looks broken.” Johnny proudly asks. Julius smiles back at him and nods. “Can’t believe Twink here held his own, proud of you.”
Dante grins back, but winces since his lip is broken again. Johnny walks toward them and offers his hands. He helps them up simultaneously and ruffles their hair. “I'll meet you guys back at the dojo. Some of the kids might still be there. I need to talk to goody two shoes over here.” Both kids nod and walk away.
Johnny plants his palm on LaRusso’s chest as his rival tries to go after his students. “Where do you think you're going?”
Daniel glares at Lawrence. “They bullied these kids. Look at the state of them! Your students need a better teacher.”
Johnny scoffs, rolling his eyes and pushing LaRusso back. “What, are you poaching my kids now too? I saw your Miyagi-Do commercial. Don't you have something better to do with your life?”
“And you are? You're creating more bullies.”
“What did these punks tell you huh? That Julius and Dante have been making videos of them being cocksucking freaks? Get over yourself, LaRusso. Those lovebirds came to my dojo to protect themself from assholes like them. Check their phones, maybe you'll find something believable.”
Johnny sneers at the boys behind LaRusso before walking away.
Daniel's moral compass spirals as he looks at the kids behind him. He sees a glimpse of guilt there that is later masked with glares. “Give me your phone.” He commands, watching the six boys glance at each other. “I'm not going to repeat myself. Either one of you will show me the video or I'm going to tell your parents during the country club meet.”
Michael, the tallest and most beaten of the bunch, quickly takes his phone out and unlocks it. Daniel takes it, clicking the Gallery and seeing photos of Julius and Dante flirting, kissing, having fun at the hoop game. The last video was of Dante shirtless and trying to cover himself with the words cocksocking freak glowing like neon lights. Daniel bites his lip and grips the phone, throwing it at the ground and breaking it.
“Mr. LaRusso!” Michael wails, staring at his broken phone.
“I can't let this slide, Michael. Go home the rest of you. I need to speak to Michael alone.” The five nod before patting Michael's back and leaving. “What prompted this action?”
Michael gulps, avoiding Daniel's pointed gaze. “I… I don't know. They're a bunch of freaks. Papa said those types of people are weak and don't deserve a place in society.”
Daniel sighs, a disappointed pang engulfs his heart. Of course, there are still people like this today. “And if I said I was those types of people, would you also give me a beating, Michael?”
The child lifts his gaze, a look of confusion and horror mix. Daniel scoffs, rubbing his face. “People like you are why people like me stay in the closet. Easier to defend rather than flat-out come out and get jerks like you to beat us up. Go home, take a good look at yourself and what you want to become… Come by my house if you decide you don't want to be the bully that gets beat up by the people you oppress.”
Michael bites the inside of his cheek and eyes the phone. “Don’t even think about it. Go home.” Daniel commands again, making the boy nod and walk away. If Michael takes this phone back, he can still retrieve the photos and videos and post them.
Daniel makes sure Michael isn't in view anymore before picking up the phone and walking towards the parking lot. He has to go after Lawrence… Of all the times they could reunite, it was over a spat for a same-sex couple. In all actuality, Daniel is bisexual. He's known this since it's Johnny Lawrence himself that made him realize this, but the bullying… he could never admit his feelings. But today's day and age is more accepting and it's even more baffling that Lawrence took a couple of queer kids under his wing. As he approaches his Audi, Daniel spots Lawrence leaning on his Avanti and drinking a Coors Banquet. The blonde glances his way and the familiar knit of brows greets Daniel. He finds it endearing and cute at some point, but his counterpart can't ever know that.
“Huh, of course, you own this beauty. Did you find out what your boys did?”
Daniel raises the broken phone, handing it to Lawrence. “Here, take it.”
Johnny stares at the phone sceptically. “It's fucking broken, LaRusso. What am I supposed to do with that?”
Daniel grins, shaking his head. “I forgot, you live under a rock. Despite its current state, you can still retrieve the stuff in it. Just… make sure to tell the lovebirds to go easy on the information they find in this.”
Johnny narrows his eyes on the phone, before taking it and slipping it into his pocket. “This isn't how I imagined seeing you again,” he remarks, taking a swig. Behind his lids, Johnny has been checking out LaRusso discreetly. His hair is still neatly kept. Bambi eyes still shining like the first time he saw him on the beach. His lips are moist, does LaRusso use lip balm or something?
How much more fairy can I get?
Daniel doesn't notice and instead leans on his car too, soaking in the delicious sight of Johnny Lawrence in all his bad boy glory. “Neither did I… Hey, did you want to maybe… get dinner tonight? For old time's sake?”
Johnny blinks, unsure of how to answer. But this would be a good time to explore whatever was bubbling inside him. “I'm not a charity case, LaRusso,” leaves his mouth before he can stop himself. Johnny knows how bad he looks.
Daniel laughs, of course, this man is going to say that. It doesn't deter him though. “I know you aren't. I'm genuinely asking you to dinner so we could talk… I want to know about how you ended up re-opening that god-forsaken dojo and having a gay couple as students. I remember you being testy with those sorts.” Memories of Lawrence pushing an open gay against the wall and Terry Silver and Kreese's smirking faces flash momentarily, making Daniel shiver.
“Bad mouth my dojo again and I may just finish the fight right here,” Johnny playfully remarks, noticing the dazed look on LaRusso. “I'm not… I’m not against them, you know? They're a bunch of bullied kids, they have a right to defend themselves.”
Daniel raises a brow, a smile gracing his lips. There may be hope for Lawrence after all. “Now that we can agree on. Meet me at the Oriental Express at 8 pm. Don't be late or you're paying.” Before Lawrence replies, Daniel quickly gets into his car and drives out of the parking lot. He can hear his heart beating in his ears.
Would it be so far-fetched if I consider this a date?
~~~~~🐍~~~~~
Johnny takes a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. He lives a block away from the old restaurant. He walks in, eyes searching for the neatly kept man and spots him by a booth beside the window. It gives him a bit of deja vu seeing LaRusso like this. The man was talking to himself while looking out the window, a familiar scene from their high school days. If Johnny has to admit anything, he did find this little detail cute.
Can you get anymore gay, Lawrence?
Johnny berates himself and rubs his face, mustering up the courage to eat with his rival. This wasn't a date, definitely not. Johnny is into babes… well LaRusso can be counted as a babe maybe, who can resist those bambi eyes? He approaches the table, hearing a faint ‘I mean he looks as hot as when we were in our teens. His eyes still have a fire in them.’
Johnny's heart skips a beat and decides to tease LaRusso to distract himself from it. “Talking to dead people, LaRusso?”
Daniel stops talking to himself and glares at Lawrence as the blonde slips into the chair across him. “Haha, very funny. I don't have a sixth sense, Lawrence.”
Johnny merely shrugs, reaching for the menu. An awkward silence surrounds them, making Johnny hide behind the menu. He looks for a cheap thing to order and internally groans at how expensive this place has become. “Fucking inflation,” Johnny mumbles to himself as he decides to order Chow Mein.
“Tell me about it. Our car sales almost tanked last year because of it. Thankfully I have people like Anoush who keep our sales afloat.” Daniel chimes in, breaking the awkwardness.
“Man, how do you do it? Gigs are hard to come by, thankfully I part time as a sensei in Cobra Kai now. I got fired last week for saying a woman was bitchin' at me. I didn't call her a bitch,” Johnny replies, shocking him and LaRusso. Johnny feels comfortable around him for some reason, especially after the talk in the parking lot.
Daniel frowns at the mention of the dojo, but before he can ask about it, their waiter arrives.
“Hi, I'm Kevin. I'll be your server this evening. What can I get you guys?” The young man smiles at them, his eyes lingering at LaRusso. For some unknown reason, that makes Johnny angry.
“I'll have a Lo Mein with orange chicken for sharing and a pitcher of lemon water. You, Lawrence?”
Fuck me, don't look at me like that with your bright eyes, LaRusso.
Johnny clears his throat, lifting the menu to avoid LaRusso's gaze. “I'll have Chow Mein with dumplings on the side and a coke.”
Both men notice Kevin not writing their order. “You should write that,” both men simultaneously say.
Kevin rolls his eyes, ignoring Johnny and turning to look at Larusso. “It's all in my head. Just call me if you want anything else. I'll come by in a bit to give you your fortune cookies.” He grazes LaRusso's hand and winks at him before walking away.
“He has the hots for you,” Johnny bitterly points out and sniffs.
“No, he doesn't. Probably does it to the other customers for more tips.”
“Yeah right,” Johnny mumbles, staring across the street to see his dojo. He smiles proudly, revelling in his newfound purpose.
“You still have to share why you chose to bring back that toxic bs,” LaRusso interrupts Johnny's internal thoughts.
“Can you stop calling it bullshit? The kids attending my class are good kids. They've been bullied and need to toughen up like I did. Cobra Kai gave me friends and a purpose. It's not bs as you like to call it,” Johnny defends, staring straight into LaRusso's eyes.
The genuine emotions reflecting back at Daniel almost overwhelm him, but he keeps Lawrence's gaze. The same passion and fire from long ago is still here and still makes Daniel's heart soar. Despite going different paths, he's glad Lawrence stays the same; his heart on his sleeve, fights for what he believes. Though he does manipulate the facts sometimes.
“Alright, I concede, Lawrence. It's not bs, but it sure as hell leads to violence. What happened at the mall today could've been averted if your kids didn't start the fight.”
Johnny scoffs, shaking his head. “You don't get it, do you? Those bullies will keep coming after them for being gay. Step on them, hurt them until they put their foot down and fight back.”
“Like how you bullied me back in high school and I kicked your ass?”
“It was an illegal kick!” Johnny defends, raising his hands in the air.
Daniel laughs, smiling brightly at Lawrence. A slight pink taints Lawrence's cheeks, making Daniel raise a brow.
Interesting… he couldn't be, can he?
Daniel is still too scared to know the answer.
“Hi! Here are your fortune cookies and your coke and your pitcher of lemon water. It's bottomless on the house.” Kevin winks, leaving both men with their beverages and cookies.
“Ha, what I tell ya? Kevin is into you.” Johnny teases, feeling another wave of jealousy. Soft laughter echoes in his ears as LaRusso's happy lines show beside his eyes.
Wow, he's cute.
“Hey, I get free stuff. I count that as a win. At least my charm works on someone.” Daniel playfully retorts, opening his fortune cookie.
Good luck will follow you home.
“Sweet, I got a good one. You?” Daniel lifts his gaze, seeing Lawrence smiling softly at him. He's stunned, unable to look away. It's the first time he's seen that look on him… ever.
Johnny clears his throat, breaking his fortune cookie in half. He pops one-half of the cookie in his mouth and unrolls the paper.
You'll meet your good luck charm today. Better keep them close.
Johnny raises a brow and meets LaRusso's curious eyes.
“So, what did yours say?”
“Nah, I can't tell you that. Fortunes are meant to be kept secret. So… a car dealership, huh?”
Daniel narrows his eyes on Johnny but nods. “I see what you're doing here, but I'll bite… Yeah, it stemmed from not having a car and my mom had a rundown one. We had to push it for it to start.” Daniel remembers fondly, staring out the window. He spots Cobra Kai again and his smile turns into a frown. He really hates that dojo for psychopaths like Kreese and Silver. They made his life a living hell after they found out he liked men. The wooden sparring dummy that made his hands bleed.
“Hey, you okay? You seem like you're going to kick someone's ass,” Johnny jokes, instinctively wrapping his hand around LaRusso's fist to ground him.
Daniel sniffs, coming back to reality. “I probably would… Cobra Kai just reminds me of bad memories.” He loves the warmth emanating from Lawrence's hand so he doesn't move it.
Johnny huffs, a prickle of guilt starting in his chest, withdrawing his hand. “Look man, I'm sorry. Cobra Kai is all I have. It made me stronger. It got me, friends. I know I was shit to you, but you can't take it out on the kids.”
Daniel hums, turning to stare back at Lawrence. “It's fine… it's not about you. I just… Fuck.” He rubs his face and takes a deep breath. “I don't want to be too vulnerable with you. We just reconnected. I'm sorry.” Daniel attempts to leave for the bathroom, but Lawrence grabs his wrist. Daniel looks back at him and sees his fiery eyes, pleading for him to stay.
“Look. I know we have our differences. A lot has happened in the past three decades…” Johnny gulps down his pride, really curious to hear what has LaRusso so riled up over Cobra Kai if it wasn't him. “But you can talk to me. I probably would understand it more than anyone.”
Daniel blinks, taking his seat again and licking his lips nervously. He's about to out himself to his rival… used-to-be rival? Lawrence is making this hard for him with his mixed signals. “Promise not to laugh?”
Johnny sighs, letting go of LaRusso. He crosses his arms across his chest and leans back on the chair. “I'll try my best.”
Daniel chuckles just as the food comes. The oily, salty scent of their food makes Lawrence's stomach rumble, earning Daniel a stink eye for staring at Lawrence teasingly.
“Shut up. I'm hungry alright. A guy has to eat.” Johnny defends, staring at the food in front of them. Their meal goes by in silence, a kind of truce falling over them with the occasional annoying resurfacing of Kevin to their table. Johnny has had enough and just wants to enjoy his meal with LaRusso. “Look kid, beat it. We're on a date even if it doesn't look like it. Go bother someone's table for fucks sake.”
The kid walks away defeated, but Lawrence's words carry weight for Daniel- even if it's said to get the kid off their case. Seeing this as a date is harmful. They're on murky water. He doesn't even know what Johnny identifies as, though he does know he likes babes. And that's just it.
“Finish your food, LaRusso. I want to get out of here as soon as we can. I have a feeling that kid isn't going to give up.” Johnny states, noticing how LaRusso's eyes widen at the mention of date. It… technically was? A friendly date. But they're not friends? Oh god, Johnny just made this meeting, this… whatever this was awkward.
Daniel does as he's told though. They both quickly eat in silence. Lawrence finishes his food first and helps LaRusso with the orange chicken and bottomless water. They ask for the check, Daniel insists on paying so Lawrence lets him. free food is free food. “Desserts on me. Don't think you can get away that easily.” Johnny winks, as he opens the door wide for LaRusso to walk out and leads him to the convenience store near his dojo. “I know you have refined taste buds but the ice cream here is amazing.”
Daniel merely nods, following Lawrence. They still have so much to talk about and he isn't sure he wants to leave just yet. Daniel leans on his Audi, waiting for Lawrence to come back with a pack of Coors and holding two cones of ice cream. “You'll damage your liver drinking all that beer,” Daniel comments, taking the ice cream.
“Shut up, mother. I can handle myself. Eat the ice cream.”Johnny retorts, moaning at the sweet taste of his vanilla cone.
Daniel almost chokes on his ice cream hearing the sound. He's had it bad for Johnny since they were teens, but this is a new territory.
“So… you were saying earlier about Cobra Kai?” Johnny starts, knowing full well why he bought the ice cream. He surprisingly enjoys LaRusso’s company, especially without someone hovering over them, trying to snatch him away.
With a deep breath, Daniel licks his chocolate ice cream and closes his eyes. “Of course, you know Kreese and his menacing ways of training… there's someone worse, Terry Silver. They found out…” Daniel trails off, scared to out himself as a homosexual.
Johnny frowns at the vibe shift of LaRusso. “Found out about what?”
“Give me a minute. You can't pressure someone to say this,” Daniel snaps, making Lawrence go silent and wait for Daniel to reply.
“You know, whatever it is, it probably isn't as bad as my porn stash back at my place. I got like rare Playboy magazines, around twenty of ‘em with hot babes in all sorts of positions and costumes.” Johnny rambles, attempting to lighten the mood.
Daniel laughs at this, turning to look at Lawrence and finishing licking the ice cream. Johnny's eyes follow the movement, a fire ignites in his lower region.
Fuck, I wonder what his lips taste like. That's it, I'm a fairy. Holy shit, if Sid could see me now. He wasn't wrong.
“That's disturbing, but at the same time, intriguing… Alright, might as well just say it. Silverfoundoutilikemenandtorturedmeforit.”
“What? I only caught the tortured bit.” Johnny feigns, hearing full well that LaRusso is into men. He just needed confirmation before trying something with him.
“John,” Daniel whines, using Johnny's name for the first time. Both men's eyes widened at the use of Johnny's name. “Shit, I'm so sorry. I uhm… Yeah, I'll go. Fuck. I ruined whatever this is. You probably hate me,” Daniel says with a panicked voice before walking away. But Johnny grabs his wrist, making Daniel drop the ice cream. Johnny boldly pulls Daniel toward his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist.
“Well… not entirely. Ever since those lovebirds came into my dojo, I've been thinking a lot, had some realizations and shit.”
“If this is a sick joke, I swear Lawre-” Johnny drops his ice cream too, laying his index finger on Daniel's lips.
“Shut up a minute, LaRusso, and hear me out.” Daniel nods, swallowing the lump in his throat. “The way I treated you back in our teens… It may have been misplaced, uh, feelings. Seeing you again reignited those things and… well Kreese and Sid poisoned my head with lies about being a faggot-”
Daniel winces at the slur, making Johnny grimace. “Sorry. Being gay and everything just came out as aggression. I was dealing with a lot of shit back then. Then seeing those lovebirds and how they handled their situation… it kinda made me think about what ifs. What if I bullied you cause I wanted your eyes on me? What if I wanted you as a friend, possibly more? You charmed everyone with those bambi eyes of yours, LaRusso. Still do if I'm being honest.”
Daniel smirks at that, making Johnny smirk with him. “And just… what if the world was more accepting then like it is now? Would we have ended up in this exact spot?”
“Didn't peg you as a romantic, Lawrence.” Daniel teased, diffusing the tension.
“Fuck off, LaRusso. I'm pouring my heart out here just like you did… Are you still into men?”
Daniel smiles at Johnny, taking that as an invitation to wrap his arms around Johnny's neck. “If I am, what will you do about it?”
“Get a fucking room, cocksuckers!” Someone in the background screams, making both Johnny and Daniel glare at the bum.
“Get a life, asshole. We're in a free country!” Johnny screams back, making Daniel snort.
“Hot head,” Daniel teases just as a can of beer gets thrown at his car. Annoyance builds up in his chest and he pulls away from Johnny, picking up the can and gripping it.
“What the fuck, man?! You askin for a fight?! You coulda scratched my car!”
“Who's the hothead now?” Johnny teases, gently taking the can and throwing it at the man, hitting him right in the face.
Both men watch as three more big guys stand behind the asshole. “Get them!”
“Oh shit! Get in the car!” Daniel exclaims, pressing the unlock button and sliding over the hood to get to the driver's side. Johnny slips into the care, followed by Daniel. Daniel pulls out of his park spot, nearly running over one of the big guys and speeds out of there.
“Woohoo! Didn't think you had it in you to drive that fast, LaRusso!” Johnny looks back, checking if the guys followed and finds they didn't. He turns to look in front and spots the familiar lines of the road leading to the beach. “Something on your mind?”
Daniel rolls his eyes, ignoring Johnny. It's not like he planned on coming here. He just needed to get away and the beach apparently was the one thing he remembers. He parks by the side, sighing deeply. Daniel turns off the ignition, leaning on the steering wheel. That's so much excitement for one day.
“Hey?”
Daniel lifts his head and tenses as warm, chapped lips meet his. He blinks, staring at Johnny's closed eyes. He smiles into the kiss and cups Johnny’s cheek. Daniel deepens the kiss, nibbling on Johnny's lower lip. His lips parted, allowing Daniel to slip his tongue in and explore uncharted territory. Johnny tastes like sweet coke and Daniel sucks on Lawrence's tongue, eliciting a moan. Johnny reaches for the lever on his right and pulls on it, falling on his back abruptly. Daniel grins, climbing over to Johnny's side and straddling him.
“Fuck, you're so hot. You're a total babe, LaRusso.” Johnny grips Daniel's hips and waits for the man to lean down so they can continue their make-out session.
“Are you sure you want this? It's pretty hard to deprogram homophobia.” Daniel states, laying his palms on either side of Johnny's head.
“True, but I have you now. You know when to tell me off.” Johnny winks, slipping his fingers into Daniel's poll.
Daniel shivers at the cold sensation and leans down, leaning his forehead on Johnny's. “I have a what-if for you.”
Johnny quirks a brow, brushing his nose against Daniel's. “Yeah? What's that?”
“What if you apologized right after Kreese's stunt? Would we have gotten together sooner?”
Johnny hums, thinking about it. He still wouldn't have trusted anyone and possibly pulled away further, but “If you approached me first, maybe we wouldn't have wasted three decades.” Johnny admits, pecking Daniel's lips. Fond doe-like eyes stare down at Johnny, making him fall for LaRusso more. “Star… what do you call the term people use for Romeo and Juliet?”
“Star-crossed lovers?”
Johnny scrunches his nose at that. “Yeah, fuck that. It sounds sissy.”
“Johnny,” Daniel chides, planting himself between Johnny's thighs.
“Alright, sorry, sorry. Still, I think star-crossed badasses sound so much better for us.”
“You do know Romeo and Juliet die, right?”
“Fuck off, LaRusso. We all die at some point.”
Daniel laughs, laying his head under Johnny's neck. “Morbid, but I'll take it… So where do we go from here?”
Johnny hums, wrapping a secure arm around Daniel's waist and cuddling him. “We're still technically on our first date. We can go with the flow, and see where that takes us.”
“Sounds like a plan… Get your kids in check though, the aggression might eat them up.”
Johnny groans but nuzzles Daniel's head. “Fine… But they need to get it out of their system. They're being bullied, LaRusso. You can't just expect them to not put their foot down.”
Daniel sighs, loving the warmth Johnny's hug is giving him. “Alright. You have a point… Promise me not to turn into Kreese.”
“Never. Fuck that guy. I hate him so much.”
Daniel smiles, feeling himself get sleepy. Johnny runs his fingers through Daniel's hair, feeling quite peaceful compared to the other days. Who knew accepting one's sexual preference would get them here?