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Chapter Text

They all left Cobra Kai. There wasn’t a question of it after what Kreese had done to Johnny in the parking lot and, for Bobby, he had known the writing was on the wall from when he saw Daniel LaRusso crumple in front of him during their match and he’d felt nothing but aching guilt.

He went back to church for the first time in years the next Sunday and listened carefully to the surprisingly apt sermon on forgiveness. When he walked back to his car afterwards he felt calm but also restless somehow. He knew God would forgive him, but he wanted to make it right with the living person he’d harmed too.

He wanted to bring the guys with him. They’d been resistant at first, Dutch especially, but that same afternoon they had begrudgingly gone over to South Seas apartments in Reseda, hats in hand. Only for LaRusso’s mother to tell them that he wasn’t there.

“You might try Mr Miyagi’s house,” she said, as they turned to leave. “I’ll get you the address.”

When she went back into the apartment Bobby turned to look at Johnny.

“We’ve come this far,” he said and Johnny nodded.

“I guess,” he said.

When Mrs LaRusso returned she pressed a slip of paper into Bobby’s hand and gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs LaRusso,” he said impulsively. “We all are. To you as well as Daniel. We’re never going back to Cobra Kai.”

Her face softened.

“I’m glad,” she said. “I can’t forgive you for him, but I appreciate you coming over and saying that. And I’m glad you’re away from that John Kreese.”

She shivered dramatically and Bobby felt Johnny shift beside him. Jimmy reached out from Johnny’s other side to put a hand on his shoulder.

“We are too, ma’am,” Johnny said, eyes downcast.

It wasn’t completely the truth. Kreese, and his good opinion of them, had been their alpha and omega for years. Johnny longest of all, but all of them had craved nothing more than his approval. Seeing him finally for the small, cruel man that he was and realising that he had been carving them into that image had been… well, it had been devastating.

They walked back to their bikes and Bobby studied the piece of paper.

“We’re not really going to the old man’s house are we?” Tommy asked. “What if he kicks our asses again?”

“He saved Johnny,” Jimmy said. “He’s an honourable guy. He’s not going to kick our asses for trying to apologise.”

They all turned to look at Johnny again who had a tight expression on his face.

“Let’s go,” he said.

*

When they arrived there was no answer to their knock at the door, but they could hear voices in the backyard and Dutch went straight for the side gate. They scrambled to follow him and all burst out in an awkward heap, tripping over each other, to find Daniel and the old man sitting on the deck talking.

Daniel dragged himself awkwardly to his feet (well, foot) wincing as he did so and stared at them.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded and the old man put a hand on his arm.

Bobby opened his mouth, but then Johnny stepped forward.

“Your mom said you’d be here,” he said and then rushed to continue as Daniel opened his mouth again. “We wanted to apologise. For everything. And to tell you that we’re finished with Cobra Kai. And we want to… make amends.”

Daniel looked over the group, who were varying degrees of shamefaced, before his eyes settled back on Johnny.

“How are you going to do that?” he asked, arms crossed.

“Jesus, Danielle,” Johnny started and Bobby put a hand on his arm.

“It’s up to you,” Bobby said. “If you just want us to leave you alone we can do that. If you want us to carry your books for the rest of the year we can do that. We want to make it right if we can.”

The old man stood up and drew Daniel aside for a moment to whisper in his ear. As he did, the boy’s expression went from stony to smiling over a matter of seconds.

“Mr Miyagi could use some help painting the house,” he said finally, turning back to them.

*

After the house was painted, there was a pond to be dug. By then they had a feeling that the pond wasn't the end of it. Daniel surveyed them gleefully as they dug until their shirts stuck to their skin with sweat and they needed to take them off. Mr Miyagi sent him off to get them drinks when it looked like he was enjoying their suffering a little too much.

They didn’t complain. They were used to hard work and doing it without getting yelled at was a novelty. Mr Miyagi thanked them every evening for their work and even Daniel softened to them a little by the end of the first week, going from peanut gallery to conversationalist as he watched them working.

One evening, when they were all going home, having said goodbye to Mr Miyagi and trudged outside to their bikes, Johnny broke away from the pack to go back to the front door where Daniel had let them out.

“I’ll drop you home,” he said.

“What? How?” Daniel crossed his arms again and looked at him dubiously.

Bobby could only see the back of Johnny’s head but he would have put money on it that he rolled his eyes.

“You can ride pillion with me,” he said. “You can hang on right? I didn’t do anything to your arms.”

“I dunno, Johnny,” Daniel shifted a little.

“Come on you’re not driving stick with that leg,” Johnny said. “And it’s out of your mom’s way to pick you up. Let me help.”

After a long silence Daniel finally nodded his head. He called back into the house that he was going home and limped back down the front steps with Johnny who gave him an arm to grip before getting impatient and sweeping him up in a bridal carry.

Bobby smiled at them and Johnny flipped him off.

Chapter Text

Jimmy walked up to where Mr Miyagi and Daniel were playing checkers on the deck and cleared his throat awkwardly. They turned to face him, Daniel with a crease between his brows and Mr Miyagi looking calmly expectant.

“I can’t come over tomorrow,” Jimmy said, scuffing his shoe against the grass. “It’s my moms’ anniversary and I said I’d stay home.”

Mr Miyagi nodded once and gave him a short, “Hai,” before turning back to the board.

Jimmy hung around for a second and then turned to leave. Daniel turned to look at his mentor and then swung back around to Jimmy and then back to Mr Miyagi to mutter a quick apology before scrambling after Jimmy’s departing back.

“Hey, wait up,” he said, falling into step with him.

Jimmy turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. Daniel put a hand on his arm briefly before taking it away again.

“I lost my dad,” Daniel said. “I’m really sorry, man, it’s hard.”

Jimmy blinked at him before his brain caught up with him. “Oh! No, Daniel, my- I meant their wedding anniversary.”

“Oh!” Daniel echoed. “Oh phew, that’s- that’s good.”

He smiled broadly and then frowned. “Wait, why did you just say your mom’s anniversary then instead of your mom and dad’s?”

The blood drained from Jimmy’s face as he remembered all of a sudden that he really didn’t… know Daniel that well.

“My, uh,” he stammered. “My- I got- my mom’s partner-”

“Oh, right, she remarried?” Daniel said, throwing up a hand between them, the visual equivalent of ‘that makes sense.’

But that wasn’t what he meant. He could just let Daniel assume that though and what would the harm be? His eyes flicked towards the ground.

“My moms are gay,” he said finally. “I- I have two moms.”

Daniel’s eyes widened and he took a double take.

“Oh, right!” he said. “I- I see, got ya. I got my apostrophe placement wrong.”

Jimmy’s forehead wrinkled and Daniel waved him off. He talked a lot with his hands, this kid, Jimmy noted.

“Can I ask a stupid question?” Daniel asked after a brief pause.

“Hit me,” Jimmy said. “I’ve heard ‘em all.”

“How are you… here?” Daniel said and Jimmy laughed shortly.

“My mom- Beverly I mean. She and my dad got married right out of college and had me straight away. Then when I was like one they realised they made better friends. And that they were both gay, actually. But I’ve just got the one dad, he’s not seeing anyone.”

“You call your mother Beverly?” Daniel said, sounding scandalised for the first time in the exchange. “I think if I called my mom Lucille I would evaporate on sight from the look she’d give me. Like I literally can’t even imagine.”

“Well it gets confusing calling two people ‘mom,’” Jimmy huffed another quick laugh. “You have to be like, ‘No, mom, I meant Christine’ so it’s just easier calling them by their first names.”

“LA, man,” Daniel said, moving his hand from a pinched position by his forehead to an open palm by his head with a careless gesture. Mind blown.

It was kind of sweet.

Jimmy chuckled again and went back to where Johnny was trimming the hedges.

“Hey, good news, your boyfriend isn’t a homophobe,” he said, picking up his own shears.

“Shut up,” Johnny hissed, swinging around like a viper and scanning the top of the yard. When he was satisfied that Daniel hadn’t heard he turned back to Jimmy. “He’s not my boyfriend. You guys are all so dumb. I’ve just been dropping him home while he can’t drive. We’re trying to make it up to him for being assholes, remember? Not my fault you all clock off early.”

“Sure, Johnny,” Jimmy said in his most patronising tone.

They trimmed the hedge in silence for a few minutes.

“So he’s cool about Bev and Christine?” Johnny said with a studied nonchalance.

“Yeah he’s cool,” Jimmy said.

“That’s good,” Johnny said under his breath.

“Hey, so, do you want me to drop Daniel home tonight?” Jimmy asked sweetly. “Since you’ve been carrying the heavy burden of his commute on your own, honourable shoulders all alone.”

“I fucking hate you, man,” Johnny said, turning beet red and snipping aggressively. “Think you’re real clever, don’t you?”

“Thank you, I do,” Jimmy grinned.

Chapter Text

The winter break ended, but they still went to the old man’s house after school most days and on the weekends. Sometimes the old man wasn’t there himself, probably having had a surfeit of teenage company, leaving LaRusso nominally in charge of them. The idea that Daniel could tell them what to do was becoming less ridiculous daily as Johnny freaking Lawrence got wrapped further and further around the kid’s little finger.

But whatever, LaRusso wasn’t all that bad. He was funny, if only because he talked so much he was bound to land some jokes between all the chatter, and he didn’t give them too hard a time over the whole mess that the first semester had been even if the brace on his knee was an ever present reminder.

Ever present, that was, until it wasn’t anymore. They were near the end of January and the first thing Tommy saw when he walked through the gate to the old man’s back yard was LaRusso practicing a kata, moving a little stiffly but more freely than he had for weeks.

“Alright, Daniel!” Tommy ran up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, swinging him in a wide circle while he let out a peal of laughter. “Two working legs: check!”

From the other side of the yard Johnny frowned at him.

“Put me down, you gorilla,” LaRusso said, but he was laughing. “Yeah the doctor said I could take it off. Gotta ‘engage in gentle physical activity’ though to get my mobility back.”

“Sparring with Tommy-kun gentle enough?” the old man asked.

They both took a double take. Tommy’s mouth hung open while Daniel’s eyes shone.

“Really?” LaRusso asked, all but bouncing on the tips of his toes.

“You do not use full strength,” Mr Miyagi said, turning to Tommy. “Friendly match, hai?”

“Sure,” Tommy said, still stunned.

He assumed a familiar fighting position and then fell out of it to give a quick, clumsy bow. Daniel laughed and bowed back. The other boys started to gather around curiously: Bobby and Johnny behind him and Dutch and Jimmy behind Daniel. He thought that he’d lost karate. They all had.

“Give ‘em hell, LaRusso,” Dutch said and smacked the other boy’s ass sharply.

Daniel jumped a little and Tommy could physically feel Johnny’s cool evaporating into the temperate Californian winter air. He turned around to smirk at him and Johnny frowned at him again.

“Don’t turn your back, idiot,” he said.

“Yeah ‘cos Daniel’s gonna to attack me with my back turned,” he rolled his eyes and turned back to face LaRusso.

They danced around each other slowly, Tommy taking care not to press his advantage while, at the same time, avoiding being too tentative. He struck first (hey, four years of training weren’t going to go away overnight) and landed a light punch in the middle of LaRusso’s chest.

“Point.” Johnny’s voice came from behind him.

The old man frowned and shook his head.

“We do not do that here,” he said simply. “No points.”

“How do you know who’s won?” Dutch asked, head tilted to the side.

“Not competition,” Mr Miyagi said. “Just for practice. For fun.”

While Tommy digested this, LaRusso snuck a leg between his and tripped him to the ground, knocking the air out of him.

“Hey, man, you okay?” Daniel asked him, giving him a hand to help him up.

“I think you’re healing pretty well,” Tommy smiled and reached forward to ruffle his hair.

They fought for another few minutes until calling it quits (Daniel-2, Tommy-3, but who was counting?).

“Thank you,” Tommy turned to the old man and gave another hesitant bow. “I didn’t even realise that I missed it so much.”

“You’re welcome, Tommy-kun,” Mr Miyagi smiled.

“Hey, why are we all -kun and Daniel is -san?” he asked suddenly, uncomfortable with the sincerity of it all. “Is he your favourite or something?”

The old man gave him a withering look with one eyebrow raised.

“Is this serious question?” he asked.

Daniel laughed and wrapped his arms around the old man and kissed him on the cheek before being pushed off lightly by a smiling Mr Miyagi.

“Of course I’m his favourite: look at me!” he said, opening his arms wide. “I’m a cherub.”

“You’re something alright,” Tommy heard Johnny mutter from feet away.

Daniel stuck his tongue out at Johnny and Tommy smiled. It was a good day.

Chapter Text

Dutch slung a lazy arm around Daniel's shoulders after looking around to make sure Johnny was watching. Sure enough, he was white knuckling his lunch tray at the head of the cafeteria with a face like thunder.

In Dutch's defence, getting a rise out of Johnny was very, very funny. And, hey, maybe if he got jealous enough he'd nut up and kiss the boy.

Daniel smiled up at him and Dutch pinched his cheek.

Johnny's tray slammed down on the table.

"Jeez, someone's in a bad mood," Dutch said.

Johnny gave him the stink eye, but said nothing. Fucking pussy.

"Hey, Johnny, can I have one of your ketchups? I forgot to get any," Daniel asked and Johnny's face softened as he dropped three packets onto Daniel's tray.

He had it so bad. Dutch smirked again and took his arm back after giving Daniel's hair a quick ruffle.

*

"You and Ali doing anything for Valentine's?" Dutch asked when they arrived at Mr Miyagi's later and started stretching.

"Oh, uh," Daniel replied. "No, we're just friends."

Dutch had, in fact, known this for weeks now via the hot girl grapevine, but he didn't think Johnny knew and he wanted to see the guy turn pink.

A blush started climbing Johnny's collar. Score.

"Wait so Ali's single?" Tommy asked, standing up straight from his aborted hamstring stretch.

"Are you serious?" Daniel asked. "He's right there."

"I dunno," Tommy said with a laugh. "I think he's evolved as a person since last semester."

He leaned over to shove Johnny companionably in the shoulder and Johnny shrugged him off.

"I heard he likes someone else now," Dutch said.

Johnny's ears were now bright red. Dutch smiled wider.

"Really?" Daniel asked. "Who is it? Anyone I know?"

This he addressed to Johnny.

"It's no one," Johnny said. "It's just a- it's nobody."

"Well okay don't tell me," Daniel said, looking hurt.

Dutch sighed. Okay, slight miscalculation. It wasn't fun when they were actually sad.

"Since none of us have dates why don't we go to the beach for Valentine's?" he said, hoping to change the mood.

Daniel perked up at being included.

"Sounds great!" he said. "We can get your mind off your maiden of mystery."

He was looking at Johnny again who smiled weakly back.

"Who says I don't have a date?" Bobby asked, because if anyone would throw themselves under the bus for Johnny it was Bobby Brown.

"Do you?" Jimmy asked sarcastically.

"Shut up," Bobby replied. Johnny laughed harder than anyone now the heat was off him.

*

The 14th was a Thursday, so they held off until Friday night before going to the beach. Jimmy had his panties in a bunch about being too hung over for school and messing up his perfect attendance.

They collectively brought enough booze to poison a mammoth and Daniel kvetched at them that they would never finish it all.

"Oh ye of little faith." Dutch wrapped an arm around him in a way that was becoming second nature and tugged him off balance so he tipped into his side and had to catch himself with a hand against Dutch's waist.

Daniel stayed tucked under his arm as they started drinking. His shrimpy little body didn't hold any heat and it was the middle of winter.

"I thought you, and I quote, 'had seasons' back in Jersey?" Dutch smiled down at him as he chafed a hand up and down Daniel's side.

"Shut up and cuddle me," Daniel said.

Miraculously he missed everyone turning to Johnny, buried in Dutch's armpit as he was.

Johnny swallowed and poked the bonfire viciously.

"Hey you know what I just realised?" Daniel's head shot up.

Yes, finally.

"All of you guys' names end in -y except you, Dutch. But you and me both start with D." He smiled proudly and Dutch felt so fond of the idiot.

"I always figured you for a missing link, Danny," Johnny said just a little too on this side of mean to be funny.

"God, why are you being so weird?" Daniel slumped back down against Dutch.

"Yeah, Johnny, what's your problem?" Dutch asked, pointedly giving Daniel a squeeze.

Johnny snapped the stick in his hand and threw both halves in the fire before folding his arms on top of his knees and resting his chin on them sullenly.

"I'm not weird," he said. "You guys are weird."

Sick burn.

"Don't listen to him, Daniel," Dutch said. "I think he's jealous he doesn't have a D."

Certainly didn't have any Bs to speak of.

"Come on, don't be mad, Johnny." Daniel peeled off from Dutch and walked around to pluck at Johnny's collar and hair. "Whoever she is she's not worth being sad all Valentine's day."

"It's February 15th," Johnny said, still in a sulk, but he tipped his head further into Daniel's hand and let him scratch his scalp like a dog.

*

Daniel fell asleep after four beers and they tucked him up on the blanket under their jackets.

"Dude, you have to chill," Bobby said to him now that they could talk more freely.

"I don't think I'm the one who isn't being chill," Dutch replied mildly. "What have I done?"

"You know exactly what you're doing," Johnny hissed at him.

"Johnny, come on, he doesn't even like boys. Calm down." Bobby put a hand on Johnny's shoulder.

"Hey, don't box me in, man!" Dutch replied. "Maybe I'm expanding my horizons."

He absolutely was not, but for the puce colour Johnny turned Dutch would have proposed marriage to LaRusso.

"I will murder you," Johnny said. "They will never find the body."

"I take it this means you haven't evolved as much as I've been giving you credit for, ace degenerate," Tommy sighed.

"Hey, maybe don't call him a degenerate when we're talking about him having a crush on a boy," Jimmy grimaced.

"He wha'?" Daniel's eyes flickered open.

Chapter Text

They probably could have salvaged it if any of them had been remotely cool or quick-witted about it. Turns out learning to resolve all your problems with your fists at the expense of any more indirect methods had some downsides.

They all stood stock still while Daniel sat up, jackets falling away from him, and looked around from one thousand yard stare to another. Jimmy, in particular, looked terrible. Like he would do a Christopher Reeve and send the Earth spinning in reverse to take it back if he only could. In the moment, Johnny wasn't all that sympathetic.

"It's getting late," he said. His hands flexed and unflexed by his sides. "Maybe we should go home."

He didn't even stay to collect the cooler he'd brought or grab his jacket from where it lay pooled in Daniel's lap, but turned around and made a clean break for his car.

He heard the rustle of Daniel scrambling to his feet and half running after him after a few seconds and he winced. He'd driven him here. He was his fucking ride home.

He wondered if he should tell Daniel to get a ride with one of the other guys or if that would just look more suspicious. He didn't know how much he'd heard, but him knowing that Johnny had a crush on a boy, while less than ideal, was worlds better than him figuring out he was the boy in question.

Daniel fell into step next to him, drawing in a breath sharply as his bad leg slipped a little beneath him on the loose sand of the dune. On instinct, Johnny's arm shot out to steady him.

"Thanks," Daniel said quietly.

Johnny took his hand back.

When they reached the car, Daniel was getting fidgety and Johnny's stomach lurched in anxiety.

"If you wanted to stay longer I'm sure one of the guys…" Johnny's voice trailed off as Daniel's eyes met his in an unwavering stare.

"I'm good," Daniel replied.

They got into the car silently. The top was up and the air felt closer than it had when they drove out here.

"I'm sorry," Daniel said finally. Johnny turned towards him and raised his eyebrows. Daniel turned to face him too. "I'm sorry I assumed it was a girl."

"Oh," said Johnny. "Yeah, that's… don't worry about it. It's what anyone would have thought."

It's what he'd want anyone to think if he hadn't told them. All of eight people knew that he liked boys sometimes: Bobby, Jimmy, Tommy, Dutch, Bev, Christine and his mom. And now Daniel. He exhaled suddenly and rested his head on the steering wheel.

Daniel put his hand between his shoulder blades for a brief second and then took it away.

"I'm sorry I found out before you wanted me to know," he said more quietly.

"Yeah," Johnny whispered. His voice cracked a little on the single syllable.

"But, Johnny, you know I'm not-" Daniel paused. "You know I'm not like that, right?"

Johnny's shoulders drew up towards his ears and he watched as a tear dropped from the tip of his chin to his denim clad leg. Fuck. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but he couldn't get any words out and he knew if he tried then he'd just sob.

"Oh, Johnny."

Daniel's hand was back on him, wiping a tear off his cheek and Johnny wanted to lean into it and shove it off at the same time. He did neither.

"It's okay," Daniel said, not sounding like he was convincing even himself.

Johnny lifted his head a little and slammed it back into the steering wheel.

"Hey, hey, no!" Daniel put the hand that had been on his cheek between his forehead and the steering wheel as he lifted it again and grabbed the back of his head with his other hand. "You can't mess around with your brain, man."

"What's that fucking freeloader done for me lately?" Johnny finally managed to croak out.

Daniel slid closer to him and put his arms around him.

"I know it sucks," he said.

"My brain?" Johnny replied and Daniel flicked his ear.

"Not your brain."

Johnny could feel his breath in the crook of his neck. He squirmed a little and Daniel loosened his hold on him.

"Thanks," he said. He reached out and gave Daniel's hand a squeeze. Daniel squeezed back.

"I hope whoever this guy is knows how lucky he is," Daniel said.

"Come on," Johnny scoffed. "You of all people…"

"I of all people know that you're a good friend and that you are better than how you acted when we met."

"I still did it." Johnny shifted uncomfortably. "And it was Bobby's idea to try and make it up to you. I just…"

"You showed up," Daniel said. "For weeks, for months, Johnny, you've been there proving that you care."

"It's not just-" Johnny cut himself off. "I mean, I woulda come even if I didn't have feelings for you."

Daniel's jaw dropped. He pointed at himself.

"Uh, yeah." Johnny ducked his head. "Sorry, I thought you had figured it out. I'm not gonna… I know you're not like-"

"Johnny, I meant 'I'm not homophobic!'" Daniel said, a little too loud in the confined space. "But, Jesus, me too. I- me too."

Johnny said nothing for the space of three heartbeats and then leaned forward and took the other boy's face between his hands. He looked into his wide brown eyes for another long second before closing the gap between them.

They didn't need words for a long time after that.

Chapter Text

It was spring break and, like the very cool guys they were, they were studying for the SATs in Mr Miyagi's backyard. Or, well, Daniel, Jimmy and Bobby were studying while Dutch and Tommy laughed at Johnny.

"What's the big deal?" Johnny said, the tips of his ears going attractively pink. "So I heard it wrong, so what?"

"You thought that the 1965 song Barbara Ann was about a bisexual who 'went to a dance lookin' for a man' before he took a chance on Barbara Ann," Tommy said, tears rolling out of the sides of his eyes.

"Ba, ba, ba, ba, Barbara Ann!" Dutch howled.

"What were bisexuals not invented in '65?" Johnny asked mulishly.

"Good thing they figured it out by '67," Daniel turned his head to smile at Johnny.

He smiled back at him and Daniel felt his heart skip a beat.

"Hey, Johnny, remind me what the fourth line of Purple Haze is real quick?" Dutch said, leaning over to tug at Johnny's belt loop.

Daniel rolled his eyes and grabbed onto a belt loop on Johnny's other hip and pulled him over to him.

"'Scuse me while I kiss this guy," Daniel looked over Johnny's shoulder at Dutch before pressing his lips to his boyfriend's.

"Hope Jimi Hendrix not come up this year," Mr Miyagi remarked from where he was reading the newspaper on the deck.