Work Text:
“Are you sure we should be doing this?” asked Bert.
“Listen, we…I screwed up,” Miguel sighed. “And with this Kreese guy just…we can’t let Cobra Kai die again. We’ve all messed up but this…we’re not losers! We’re…we’re confidant—”
“And badass,” smirked Hawk.
Aisha nodded in agreement.
“Exactly! We’re not just letting bully’s walk all over us. But I think…I think we can all agree we took some things too far,” Miguel sighed, “and Sensei’s trying but we can’t let Kreese ruin this for us.”
They nodded in agreement but Aisha added, “Aren’t we breaking his trust though or something? He backed out. He said he didn’t want to talk to him. What if we just make it worse?”
“Well why don’t we just tell this guy the truth? If there was a falling out, then the guy just won’t respond or simply say he won’t come,” said Bert. When everyone looked at him in confusion, he quickly added, “I mean, exactly what were we going to say to try and convince to come anyways? Did you guys have a lie in place or…”
“Not…really,” admitted Miguel.
“But the truth?” asked Hawk. “Even if there isn’t bad blood between them, what’s to say he won’t believe us then? What we’re asking is pretty ridiculous.”
Miguel let out a tired sigh. “True but we should try. Shouldn’t we?”
They looked to each other, each remembering what the past few weeks had been like. Talking to their parents, there other friends, their Sensei, and then Kreese. They didn’t understand what was fully going on, Sensei just not willing to talk about it and Kreese being too cold to approach. However, it was clear that Cobra Kai would change and not for the better if Kreese stayed.
Sensei had talked to them as a group and for some individually about their actions after the tournament, about their choices. It had been hard to hear and obvious that Sensei hadn’t really known the right words to say. However, after dealing with Kreese for less than two weeks, Miguel and everyone else could see what Sensei was trying to do compared with what Kreese actually was doing.
They couldn’t keep going like this and seeing as directly speaking to Johnny wasn’t likely to change anything…well…
“Alright, let’s do this,” sighed Miguel.
“Let’s hope we got the right guy too,” snorted Hawk.
“If we have to, we’ll message every Robert Brown we can find!” Aisha yelled.
Bert rolled his eyes, pulling the laptop closer. “Going by what little this profile says, I’d say we found him. Alright…what should it say?”
They went back and forth a few times, before finally ending up with:
Hi Mr. Brown, we’re students of Cobra Kai. We think you’re the one who used to be friends with our Sensei Johnny Lawrence and we were wondering if you could help us. The dojo needs help and we’re worried if we don’t do something, we could lose Cobra Kai. We think a friend could help. Please reply.
They’d ended up keeping Kreese’s name out of it just in case that drove the guy away and then all they could do was wait. It surprisingly didn’t take that long, only a day passing before they got a response.
You’re in luck. I recently relocated back to the Valley. What’s the address?
Miguel was a bit shocked by the quick reply. However, the fact that the guy wasn’t trying to start up a conversation could be a good sign. Of course, not knowing the relationship, the desperation in wanting to meet up with their Sensei could be good or bad. Either way, Miguel didn’t feel like he had a choice to back out. He just sent the information along with a possible meeting time when Kreese shouldn’t have been there. Again, the man responded surprisingly quickly, like he was waiting on the message with fingers posed.
He said he’d be there so Miguel also headed to the dojo right away. Thankfully it was summer now and he didn’t have to worry about school. He texted the others but only Aisha managed to meet up with him as they stood outside the building.
Aisha took a deep breath. “Do you think this is just going to be a repeat of Sensei and Mr. LaRusso?”
Miguel winced. Despite everything, he still hadn’t spoken to Sam. He was still working on how to properly apologize but for now, focusing on fixing this situation was somehow easier. All he said was, “I hope not. I mean, he did say this Brown guy was once a friend. That’s already better than the relationship he had with Sam’s dad.”
Nodding in agreement, Aisha and Miguel finally walked into the studio. Johnny almost immediately came out from the back. He looked tired, really it had been his only look in the past few weeks. Despite the glass of whiskey in his hand he wasn’t drunk at least. Just tired. Still, his lips ticked upwards, clearly having expected someone else but pleased that he’d been wrong.
“No class today, remember?”
“Well…”
“We just wanted to do some extra training,” Aisha quickly said.
Miguel resisted the urge to roll his eyes but he couldn’t blame her. What were they supposed to tell Johnny anyways? “We didn’t have anywhere else to practice. Is it cool if we stay here?”
“Yeah, I don’t care. I’ve just got adult shit to do in the back. Try not to bleed on the mats.”
They both laughed a little at the memory of unflinching their fellow students. Johnny smiled too, but again, the joy just wasn’t there.
When Johnny was gone again, Miguel and Aisha dragged out one of the dummies. They went back and forth with both sparring and then just practicing the more unfamiliar kicks and punches they’d recently learned on the plastic torso. As they did, they whispered back and forth so that Sensei didn’t hear.
“What if the guy doesn’t come?”
“I don’t know but we’ll just have to do something else.”
“Did you see Sensei? He didn’t even laugh when we mentioned the bleeders incident.”
“That does usually get a chuckle.”
“This is seriously worse than we thought.”
“Do you think it’s us?”
“We did disappoint him at the tournament.”
“But what could we do to fix things?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what he wants.”
They went back and forth like that, not knowing at all what they were doing. Aisha had just gotten a great kick past Miguel’s defenses and as he hit the ground, the ringer on the door sounded and they both looked up to see the middle aged man walking in.
“Hmm, more color in here than the other one. I like the change.”
Aisha grabbed Miguel and quickly pulled him to his feet. Stepping forward, Miguel asked, “Are you—”
The glass that hit the ground had him spinning around. He couldn’t figure out what emotion was on Johnny’s face and as he and Mr. Brown stepped forward, all Miguel could remember was that night when Mr. LaRusso had come to the dojo. Damn it, he’d definitely miscalculated. He should have listened to Sensei when he’d backed out, said never mind and to forget it all.
Damn it. Miguel had just made it wor—
“Why are you so bad at staying in contact?”
And suddenly the two were hugging each other, their fists pulling tight at the other’s shirt just to get closer. When they parted, they kept their hands on each other’s shoulders, Mr. Brown’s smile lighting up.
“What are you even doing here?”
“I was contacted by some Cobra Kai students. Is this seriously yours?”
“Wait w-Diaz?!”
“Listen, I know you told me to forget about it. I was just trying to help. Please Sensei, we need to do something!”
The smile quickly dropped from Mr. Brown’s face and he put a comforting hand on Johnny. “What’s going on? What’s been going on for the past…god twenty years!”
He waited, expecting some sort of answer as they watched Johnny tiredly rub his face. “I’ll tell you ok. Just…come on we can sit in the office.” He turned back to Miguel. “I’m assuming this is why you two are here?”
“Yes?” Aisha carefully said.
“Well, if you’re planning on eaves dropping just come in too,” sighed Johnny. It was surprising, seeing Sensei just accept it but Miguel hoped that it also meant this old friend could do them some good.
For Johnny, he wasn’t sure if this reappearance had really helped his day or not. God it was good to see Bobby but at the same time…in some twisted way it felt like history was just repeating itself.
He properly introduced Bobby to the kids and then jumped straight to his plans to restart Cobra Kai. The years in between their last meeting and now had been filled with drinking and failed job after failed job so there wasn’t much reason to mention that.
Johnny had initially backed out of contacting Bobby. He didn’t want to drag him back into this, into his problems and his fucked up world. But now that he was here, talking just became naturally easier. He couldn’t really get any bite into his words though, any sarcastic remarks or laughter. After mentioning that Miguel and Aisha were his first students, the two jokingly arguing over who was the better student, but Johnny didn’t sarcastically tell them they weren’t that good or even roll his eyes. He was just so tired from all this damn fighting, for trying to hold onto something good for once in his life.
“You’re both good students,” Johnny sighed. Unlike what he’d been. They were good friends, good kids. And in trying to fix everything, he’d hurt them and his future was falling apart again.
“Are you dying Sensei?!”
He looked up sharply at Miguel’s worried voice. “What- No, I’m not fucking dying! Why would you think that?”
“Ever since Kreese got here, you just haven’t been yourself,” Aisha replied.
“Kreese!” Bobby grabbed hold of Johnny’s arm. “That asshole’s still alive?”
Johnny gave a tired nod just as Miguel added, “He’s uh…he’s been teaching us some of the classes.”
“Johnny, what the hell man! Why are you—”
“It’s not as simple as you think!”
“It’s not? We’re not eighteen anymore!” Bobby stood up throwing his hands into the air. “Just kick that piece of shit out! What is he, like seventy something now? Older? Pick his elderly ass up and punt him out the god damn door!”
Johnny ignored Bobby’s shouts. After all, he’d already thought of all that. Instead, he picked up a wrinkled up ball of paper and threw it at Bobby’s chest. “That’s why it’s not fucking easy! That’s why!”
Aisha and Miguel both leaned over as Bobby picked up the ball and smoothed it out. Their eyes scanned it while Johnny mentally went over what he already knew the paper said. He’d looked at it plenty of times, had balled it up more than once in anger.
“Wait so…this land was bought up by a guy named Terry Silver?” asked Miguel. “Who the hell is he?”
“An old friend of Kreese’s. He…if I move one god damn foot out of line, I can lose everything.” Johnny slumped back into his chair and took a swig straight from his bottle. “He’s already shown me a million and one technicalities that he could use to legally throw me out. Not only that but take all the damn shit in here too! The only thing I could walk away with is the name and I…”
He stopped again. It hurt admitting this to Bobby but it hurt even more admitting this in front of the kids. He just felt like he was letting them down too. Just another group of people in the long line that Johnny had hurt.
“But…but why would he do that. It’s just a karate dojo,” Aisha said after a moment of silence had passed through them all.
“Because it’s not about karate,” Bobby bitterly spit out. “It’s about power and control. It always was for him.”
Miguel looked between them. “So was he like, your guy’s teacher or…”
The kids noted the look that Johnny and Bobby shared. The motion seemed to be answer enough.
“Fuck,” muttered Aisha.
Bobby gave a half snort, clearly not expecting that kind of language but the mood in the room hadn’t really changed.
“Is there anything we can do?” asked Miguel.
“Just…don’t tell the others,” sighed Johnny. “Go…go enjoy your day. Do something, ok? You’re just wasting your time sitting here.”
Miguel and Aisha clearly were uncertain if they should leave or not but Bobby somehow managed to give them a semi-comforting smile. “Thank you for contacting me. It was very nice to meet you both but this is our problem for now. No need for you two to worry about it.”
They looked between each other and then to Johnny again, who nodded, giving them the go ahead to leave. The two did, clearly not because they wanted to but because there was clearly nothing they could do at the moment.
It finally left Johnny alone with Bobby for the first time in about twenty years. Johnny really looked him over. There were definitely some added lines but he’d changed less compared to when they’d met up again all those years ago.
“So…” Bobby careful broke the silence. “Why is it that your students were contacting me and not you?”
“I didn’t want to drag you into this shit,” Johnny answered honesty. “You’ve got your life. It’s not your damn fight.”
“Like hell it isn’t. You’re still my friend Johnny.”
“Even after twenty odd years?”
“I wasn’t the one who didn’t try—shit. I didn’t mean that to come out—”
“It’s fucking true isn’t it?” Johnny muttered. He shook his head, both growing silent and with clearly no idea what to say to the other. Despite that, Johnny wanted him here, he wanted a friend that understood all the shit that was going on, but he didn’t want to just hurt Bobby again so he added, “It’s not like you can do anything so just hop back in your car and drive off to San Jose or wherever you’re living now.”
“Here, actually.”
Johnny blinked, clearly not expecting that answer. “When did you move?”
“Well last time we spoke I was in San Jose. Thanks to my job, I moved around a lot but…well they gave me the opportunity to come here and I did. So if you think you’re wasting my time, you’re not. Besides, today’s Saturday, I don’t work today.”
Johnny didn’t know what to say to that. A dark part of him just wanted to push Bobby away all the same. Another side wanted to ask for help. What kind of help, Johnny didn’t know, but he desperately needed it now. Ultimately though, the two sides met in the middle and Johnny said, “You want to get a drink?”
“After learning that piece of shit is still alive…fuck yes,” groaned Bobby.
That was how Johnny found himself driving to a nearby bar and sitting down with Bobby after nearly two decades. At first, they didn’t talk about Cobra Kai. Mainly it was Johnny asking Bobby about his work and his personal life. While Johnny had been sinking deeper into the abyss, Bobby had been on the way up through his company. He’d even managed to score a long term girlfriend though apparently she’d left him almost three years ago.
Johnny spoke little about himself and really the only good thing he could say was that he’d completely cut ties with Sid. “I even paid the bastard back so there’d be no reason for him to come knocking again.”
The smile that grew across Bobby’s face was a bit surprising. To think after all this time he could feel anything except contempt and indifference towards Johnny was honestly a bit amazing. Of course, it only made Johnny feel guiltier about never trying to contact him again. He didn’t say that though and talk finally turned back again to Cobra Kai, Johnny adding a bit more detail here and there that he hadn’t before.
“Wait, so Daniel LaRusso seriously tried to fuck with you when you were just starting out? He got your rent doubled near the beginning?”
“No concrete proof but he wasn’t around there for fucking fun,” grumbled Johnny. “He definitely knew.”
“Do you think…”
“What? Wait…that he somehow…no. Hell no!”
“I’m a bit surprised you’re defending him so fervently,” Bobby snorted. “Considering what you told me, the rivalry is alive and well.”
“Listen, whatever went-is-whatever’s between us, the last thing LaRusso would want would be Kreese being back. If there’s one thing we can both agree on, it’s fucking that.”
“Fair point,” groaned Bobby.
They went on like that for a while, just trying to come up with a concrete plan as to how they could kick Kreese out and give Johnny back control of Cobra Kai. However, as the empty glasses kept building around them, their talk became less focused as they jumped from topic to topic with less and less reason. When they finally walked out of the bar at far too late a time, Johnny leaned against Bobby and mumbled, “Li-listen…my apartment is in distance. Just leave your car and stay.”
“I’m not sure. I think…I think I have something to do tomorrow—”
“I’ve got beer in the fridge.”
“Let’s go.”
It was laughable how little time it took for Bobby to agree and it wasn’t long until the two were stumbling into Johnny’s flat. They collapsed on the couch, more empty beer bottles slowly piling up. The things that Johnny had feared, had been keeping in, they easily slipped out now.
“I missed friends. I missed you-you so much.”
“Then why the fuck wouldn’t you write? I wanted,” Bobby stopped to burp, “wanted you to. You didn’t. I waited and you didn’t.”
“Didn’t want to hurt you.” And there it was, the truth of the past thirty-four years was out and in front of them. If Johnny was any more sober…well he wouldn’t have ever said that out loud. But now he had and Bobby was poking him in the stomach with confusion.
“How. Does. That. Make. Any. Since,” Bobby said, poking Johnny in time with the words.
“Failed school. Failed work. Failed mom. Failed Ali. Failed Kreese. Failed Sid. Failed you and Timmy—”
“You mean Tommy and Jimmy?”
“Yeah, that guy. Didn’t…I didn’t want to hurt you more.”
“Are you…are you talking about…about the kick to the face. When we were sparring and I wasn’t paying attention. Because that was totally my fault—”
“I’m talking about how I ruin everything,” Johnny interrupted as he let his head fall back. “Let you down. Got you hurt and I…I had to cut off ties.”
“You-woah! You…” Bobby stumbled over his words a bit more as he leaned forward close enough that he was now pressing Johnny into the arm of the couch. “You wouldn’t talk because you thought you losing meant me getting hurt. You…you thought you were…you were…god what’s the word? Guilty of me getting hurt?”
The cracking in Bobby’s voice had Johnny groaning. “Forgot you were an emotional drunk.”
“Em-emotional? After my best friend of years just said he wouldn’t talk to me for a stupid reason like guilt and you think I won’t-won’t be emotional?”
“I said you would be,” snorted Johnny. “You’d realize I’m right if you were thinking straight.”
“My brain’s straight. It’s straightly perfect. You-you’re a dumbass.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“No, you are.”
Johnny shook his head. Despite how his mind was swimming, there was a part of him that held onto the belief it was all his fault. The fact that Bobby wasn’t accepting this made Johnny want to get up but Bobby unexpectedly threw himself across Johnny’s lap. He looked up at him with crossed arms and a pout on his lips.
Johnny groaned again. “Let me up.”
“No. I am…am way to drunk and old for this shit. You helped.”
“I didn’t—”
“Helped-helped-helped-helped-helped! And you were my friend. My best friend and you can’t be sad anymore. No, no more sad because it’s not your fault. If it was, I’d have forgiven you long ago but it’s not your fault so I don’t have to worry about that.”
“You…forgive me?”
“Not a thing to forgive. But yeah,” sniffed Bobby. He looked like he was ready to tear up but on the last second, he was stumbling to his feet instead and mumbled, “I’m taking your bed. I’m the best after all.”
“You are the best but why does that mean you get the bed?”
“I meant guest.”
“Also true but no. My bed. Mine and I sleep in it.”
“Nope, my bed.”
And next they were stumbling and falling onto Johnny’s bed. Johnny tried to push Bobby off once, but upon failing that just accepted his fate.
Johnny rolled over, smashing his face into the pillow. “Sid would be mad if he found us.”
“We’re in your apartment. And we’re like fifty-two.”
“Oh yeah.”
Bobby snorted once and then quickly fell into laughter, even when Johnny hit him.
“You such are an asshole,” mumbled Bobby.
“Really?”
“Yes really. You blamed yourself. So god damn selfish. Not your fault, never saw. I so-sam sorry. Am sorry,” mumbled Bobby as he rolled over and just hugged Johnny.
“No need—”
Bobby cut him off though, mumbling, “Sorry,” into his back and the two just slowly drifted off, Bobby never letting go.
In the morning, Bobby woke up alone though. His instinct was to pull the pillow over his head, cutting out the noises and lights around him. He heard the chuckle though as Johnny must have entered the room again. He sniffed, frowning at the smell. “Did you seriously just make breakfast?”
“Well…yeah.”
Bobby peaked out from under the pillow to see Johnny just standing there with the plates in hand. “I haven’t drank that much in one night since I was in my early thirties,” groaned Bobby. “I don’t understand how you’re just bouncing back.”
“I’m used to it.”
Bobby’s frown deepened. His head still hurt but he forced himself up anyways. “Johnny I’m…I’m sorry.”
“So you actually remember—”
“Yes, I fucking remember. And I stand by what I said too…I think. Christ my head hurts.”
Johnny snorted at that.
“No just…I think I get it. I do. But it doesn’t make me any less angry at myself.”
Johnny blinked in confusion as he sat down and passed the plate over. “Why would you be angry at yourself?”
“Because I shouldn’t have accepted your silence. I should have tried more,” sighed Bobby. “Hell, if I’d known you were thinking like that…you know it’s not your fault right?”
Johnny’s silence was answer enough and it broke Bobby’s heart.
“It’s not. Damn it, it’s not! Kreese was a manipulative asshole. So was Sid. You were a kid, we all were. This wasn’t…Johnny, you did fuck up. I did too. Everyone does but you can’t…you can’t just blame yourself for everything that happens. From what you told me yesterday, you’re trying. You want Cobra Kai to be what it was for us at the start, something that gave us confidence and a focus in life. You…you were dealt a shit hand and I don’t fucking blame you for what happened. I never did.”
Johnny closed his eyes, silence passing between them.
Bobby put his plate to the side, his voice getting the slightest bit desperate as he murmured, “Please tell me you believe me. It wasn’t you’re—”
“No, it’s not that.” Johnny covered his face with his hands. “I’m just…I’m just now realizing how much of a fucking moron I am.”
“Yeah, well you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t an idiot most of the time.”
That earned Bobby a hard punch but he smiled all the same. “And just so you know,” Bobby added with a grin, “I’m not fucking leaving this time. Not again.”
“You did say you moved back—”
“No, I mean I’ve thought about it and I think I can help. I want to help rebuild Cobra Kai.”
“Wait, when did you think about this? Between our eighth and ninth bottle of beer at the bar or while you were sobbing on my lap like a bitch?”
“I was not sobbing!”
“There were tears.”
“Not the same as sobbing!”
Johnny laughed, finally a smile breaking out across his face. It was the first true smile Bobby had seen from him in decades.
“So,” Johnny chuckled, “what were you thinking about while you were crying all over me?”
Bobby rolled his eyes but gave Johnny that one. “Well, being in the business of designing and building structures means I’ve had my fair share of interactions with realtors and the like. There could be a chance that Kreese and Silver obtained the deeds through not so legal means and I could find some ground for us to get their ownership revoked.”
“You really think so?”
“Kreese has always fought dirty,” Bobby replied, the words bringing up memories for both of them. “I doubt he’s stopped anytime soon. But don’t worry. We’ll succeed.”
“How can you be so certain?”
Bobby slung his arm over Johnny’s shoulders. “Because you’ve got me.”
Johnny snorted but he was smiling all the same. There was hope. Finally he felt like he had some god damn hope.