Chapter Text
The first time Johnny buys something for Daniel LaRusso they’re stood in line at a cafe. A few months have passed since the tournament, and since the incident in the parking lot, they haven’t really seen each other around much. It hasn’t been an active avoidance on Johnny’s part… he’s just been busy.
Now, here they are. Daniel is at the counter, cursing beneath his breath as he digs through his pockets. “Could’ve sworn I...”
The cashier is waiting for him, patient at first, but time passes and it’s obvious Daniel doesn’t have any money on him. He waits for a bit, playing out the part of someone who needs people to know that he absolutely has money, he just forgot it, and finally he turns to the cashier with his most winning grin, and it’s a painful thing to watch. From the look on the lady’s face, it’s clear LaRusso can’t charm his way out of this one.
Johnny takes out his wallet and places enough money on the counter to pay for Daniel’s food and drink. Daniel looks at the money that suddenly appeared, a gleam of recognition in his eyes just at the sight of Johnny’s hand. The fact that he’s paid enough attention to him to know him just by the muscle of his arm has Johnny feel some type of way, and then those dark eyes trail upwards, as if Daniel needs to take in every part of him to confirm that Johnny Lawrence is, in fact, standing next to him. It’s the slowest double take in history, and it’s not uncomfortable as much as it’s entertaining. By the time their eyes meet, Johnny can feel his lips pull into a smirk.
“Johnny?” Daniel says, licking his lips, looking sort of dumbstruck.
“LaRusso”, he replies, taking a step back, the cashier looking between the two of them, seemingly unsure if she should accept the money.
“Are you cutting in line?” Daniel says, finally, looking like he doesn’t think that’s the case at all.
“No, I’m paying for your shit”, Johnny replies, exasperated, and part of him feels like this is when he should regret his decision – but he doesn’t. “Now scram. I need coffee.”
For the longest time Daniel stares at him, and then he nods, once, turning to pick up his things, while Johnny orders coffee, black, sugar – yes, lots of it, please.
At first, he doesn’t notice how Daniel lingers. Only when the bastard snorts a laugh at his order does Johnny glance at him, raising an eyebrow.
“Don’t mind me”, Daniel sing-songs. “I just didn’t expect tough guy Johnny Lawrence to have a sweet tooth. Sugar isn’t good for maintaining that terrifying vandal physique you’ve got going on.”
“I don’t have a sweet tooth. Coffee just tastes like shit”, Johnny mutters. He does take note of Daniel’s comments about his physique, but on the other hand, does the guy ever not run his mouth? Sometimes it’s like he thinks he’d die if he shut up for too long.
“Then why do you drink it?” Daniel asks, tilting his head. “If it’s so shitty you could just… not put yourself through that.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know”, Johnny says, taking his cup of coffee and winking at the cashier. All he wants to do now is fuck off out into the dusky evening and curl up in his car. He didn’t expect having to hold actual conversation when he walked into this place.
Only when he’s about to leave does he realize why Daniel’s been stuck at his side by the counter. He’s still on crutches, trying to figure out how to carry his food and stay upright at the same time. Johnny sighs, grabbing Daniel’s things and walking over to a close by table, setting everything down. “There.”
“Yeah, okay, why are you nice to me?” Daniel asks as he catches up to him, those eyes that are normally so wide and curious are now narrow, fixed on Johnny like he’s a puzzle – a very interesting one at that. “Are you gonna try and drown me in my milkshake or something?”
“Give me a break, I’m not being nice”, Johnny says, rolling his eyes, lingering by the table despite the fact that he could just… leave. “It was just painful to watch you up there. Had to step in for the greater good.”
“Sure, you did”, Daniel snorts, shaking his head, glancing down at the food. It’s clear that he’s trying to sit down, but there’s no easy way for him to slide onto the chair without his crutches getting in the way. Johnny doesn’t offer him help exactly, but he notices Daniel struggle and shifts on his feet, so that his arm is within reach. Daniel only hesitates for a moment, and then grabs hold of his bicep to lower himself on to the chair. The touch only lasts for a moment, but it feels like a lifetime.
Averting his eyes, clearing his throat, finding his bearings, Daniel finally speaks. “I did have money you know; I just left my wallet at home.”
“Whatever you say.”
“I’ll pay you back”, Daniel insists, his gaze wandering from the food, to Johnny, and then back again.
“Don’t worry about it”, Johnny offers something like a salute before he heads out the door, and only when he sits down behind the wheel of his car, drinking the horrible coffee, does everything catch up with him. A salute? What the fuck was that about?
These long work shifts truly has him act delirious at times.
He puts on the radio, letting it fill the silence, relaxing into the seat. This is always the worst part of the day – when he’s done at work, and he’s run out of excuses not to head home. He can drag it out by driving around, going to an arcade, work out, but eventually, there’s nowhere else for him to go.
The coffee is bitter, yet sweet enough to make his lips sticky, and the radio is playing some truly horrible hits, and all he can think about is how he just spent part of his weekly salary of Daniel LaRusso out of all people. Not a date, not his mom, not his friends – LaRusso. Holy hell.
Not only that, with every sip of coffee, as he lifts the cup and feels the flex of his arm, it’s like the heat of Daniel’s touch is still there, beneath his skin. It shouldn’t be special, but truth be told, Johnny hasn’t allowed himself to get close to anyone since the tournament. Things changed back then. Not because of the actual fights, no, but because of what happened after the main event.
It’s been weeks, if not months. His mom tries to pull him in for a hug, and he shies away, immediately feeling ashamed for doing so. He’s distanced himself from his friends – not on purpose as much as work simply taking up his time. And well, quitting going to the dojo hasn’t exactly helped him stay in touch. They’re all busy with figuring out life after high-school, with dating and doing dumb shit. He didn’t even notice how isolated he’s been until LaRusso touches him, and suddenly it feels like it means something.
Johnny has missed this, more than he previously realized. For years, even when he hasn’t dated anyone, he’s had his friends around. Always had people that he can talk to, goof around with, people he can tease, casually hug or wrestle. A lot of small moments and gestures that, even when his life has been utter shit, somehow made him feel, well, sort of safe. Sort of loved, even. Now there’s nothing, and out of all people, LaRusso shows up and forces this thought into his head; this need to find someone, anyone, that could maybe… hug him for a while, or stroke his hair. Honestly, eye contact would probably do it for him at this point. Just. Someone making him feel seen, treating him sort of nice, it would be… it’d be good.
God. He’s pathetic. He needs to get laid or something. Johnny lets out a sigh, trying not to think about how brokenly wistful it sounds, and then lifts the cup of coffee again, ignoring the heat beneath his skin.
The coffee is bitter on his tongue, lukewarm now, and the only thing preventing him from spitting it out is his love for his car.
He hits the back of his head against the seat, groaning. This summer will be the fucking worst.
The second time Johnny buys something for Daniel LaRusso they’re in a book shop. He’s on his way home from work, and only intended to make a real quick stop, when he notices no one other than the karate kid in the aisle, a pile of books beneath one arm, eyeing a display of comic books nearby. Daniel isn’t using crutches anymore, but he clearly avoids putting too much weight on the injured leg. Johnny wonders how long the recovery will take. He wonders how the fuck he’s supposed to live with himself if this is something that Daniel will have to deal with for the rest of his life.
Johnny considers just paying for his own book and leaving. He considers it for a real long time. Long enough for Daniel to notice that he’s being watched – to tear his gaze from the comics and catch Johnny staring. When their eyes lock, Daniel doesn’t smile – and Johnny wonders why on earth he’s expecting LaRusso to smile at the sight of him. The thought is alien to him, but he also can’t ignore it, because it’s intrusive enough that he can’t really focus on anything else. For some reason, he feels a sort of hope that one day, soon, Daniel will look at him, and at that first moment of recognition, smile.
Slowly, Johnny walks down the aisle. He’s got his book in a tight grip, fingers covering the spine, making it hard to see the title and author. Daniel watches him approach with something between apprehension and intrigue. Those full lips part, and Johnny can already imagine a dozen insufferable comments, so he strikes first. Old habits die hard.
“You’ve been staring at the comics for like ten minutes, LaRusso”, he says, punctuating the statement with a quirked eyebrow.
“You’ve been watching me stare at comics for ten minutes?” Daniel immediately counters, looking mighty proud of his comeback, and well… he should be, because Johnny flounders, looking around the shop as if an employee will randomly show up and save him.
“I’ve been here for a while”, he says, finally. “Had a hard time finding the book I was looking for.”
Daniel looks like he considers making a joke about Johnny being illiterate or something, but he doesn’t, and somehow the absence of the rude comment is even more annoying than if he actually said it. Instead, his eyes fall to the book Johnny’s holding, and there’s immediately a gleam of recognition. “Is that a Patti Smith collection?” Daniel asks, sounding as if he’s trying not to laugh in Johnny’s face.
“Maybe it is”, Johnny says, narrowing his eyes. “You recognize poetry by the cover, LaRusso? I always knew you were a nerd, but…”
“Hey, you’re the one buying it”, Daniel says, smirking. It draws Johnny’s eyes to the sharp curve of his cupid’s bow – to how he quickly licks his lips, smiling wider, a very clever and snide comment probably at the tip of his tongue already.
Johnny takes a deep breath, because he can feel his pulse pick up, a slight ringing in his ears. Part of him wants to punch LaRusso, to break the skin of his knuckles against that grin, and part of him wonders why such an innocent comment would have him immediately think of violence.
Maybe Daniel picks up on his inner turmoil, or he’s simply unable to stand prolonged silences. He tilts his head, looking between Johnny and the book. “What made you want to buy it?”
“Why do you want to know?”
Daniel shrugs, his smile kinder now. “I dunno, I like some of her songs.”
Johnny rolls his eyes, feeling like he’s being baited. “Oh yeah? Name one.”
“Because the night”, Daniel replies immediately, looking smug for passing the test.
Johnny shakes his head, hoping it somewhat conceals his smile. “That’s Springsteen, dumbass.”
“Ah yes, of course, it’s very easy to confuse those two”, Daniel’s voice is practically dripping with sarcasm. “When I first heard Born in the USA I thought it was by Patti Smith, and I wondered why she got patriotic all of a sudden.”
God, LaRusso is insufferable. Extra so, because Johnny can’t help but to snicker. He sighs, glancing at the comic book rack, anything not to be pulled deeper into this back and forth that feels almost like sparring. “You’re very uppity for a guy staring at children’s magazines.”
“Shut up”, Daniel mutters. “I just noticed they had a bunch of Transformers stuff.”
“What”, and Johnny properly turns to looks through the new releases. Finger trailing the titles until he finds Optimus Prime’s familiar face amongst all the superheroes. “I didn’t know they made these”, he murmurs, mostly to himself.
“Well, I was tempted to check them out, but mom wanted me to buy some books to prepare for college and they’re expensive as all hell”, Daniel says, attempting to gesture with the pile of books he’s already holding. It doesn’t come across as too dramatic though, as they’re clearly too heavy to wave around, and he also winces from the effort, probably putting too much weight on his bad knee.
Watching Daniel grit his teeth for that split second, pain flashing through his features, feels like a physical thing. Like Johnny can feel that same flash of hurt, bursting through his own chest and through his limbs. Before thinking too much about it, he picks up a few of the Transformers comics and heads for the counter where the shop owner is stood, eyeing them curiously.
“Let’s get out of here”, he says, belatedly. Daniel doesn’t follow him immediately, and Johnny guesses the guy is too busy staring at him, but he doesn’t turn around. It feels like a much too risky thing to do.
He pays for the poetry collection and the comics, the lady behind the counter putting everything into a bag for him. Then he finds himself standing there, not really having an excuse to linger, when Daniel finally sidles up to him, paying for his depressingly expensive pile of school books.
“I’ll carry those”, Johnny says, Daniel’s pained grimace from before flashing through his mind. He doesn’t wait for a reply, and instead grabs all of their purchases, nodding towards the exit.
Only when they’re side by side on the pavement does he realize that he has no idea where Daniel is headed, and thus has no idea for how long he’s going to have to carry the books. He also realizes that he’s finished all of his errands for the day, and that he doesn’t have any excuse not to head home.
“Uh”, he says, not looking at Daniel while he speaks, because that would make what he’s about to ask even weirder. “Do you want to grab something to eat?”
“What?” Daniel asks flatly, and when Johnny chances a glance at him, he’s immediately caught in those warm, mahogany eyes. He clears his throat.
“Food, LaRusso, ever heard of it? It fuels the human body and keeps us alive.”
“What a novel concept”, Daniel says, eyebrows raised high, as if he has a hard time following the conversation. “I guess I could go for a milkshake?”
He still stares at Johnny with a slightly bewildered look, but there’s a gleam in his eyes now, and Johnny thinks that he’ll definitely get him something with a lot of sprinkles and a cherry on top.
“Cool”, he says, nodding, being very casual and finding great pride in his self-restraint.
“You’re paying though”, Daniel says, his tone light-hearted as if he’s joking, but Johnny’s already nodding, accepting this without a question.
That’s how they end up in a nearby diner, Johnny wolfing down a burger and Daniel poking at a giant strawberry milkshake. At first, they don’t talk much, but the silence isn’t exactly uncomfortable. Johnny definitely prefers this to sitting in his car, staring at nothing until his mind gets too loud – until he reaches the point where he’d rather seek out shitty company than be alone.
“So, for how long have you been reading poetry?” Daniel says, finally, because of course he’d get hung up on that subject.
“I don’t”, Johnny mutters. His fingers are messy from the burger, and he sucks the tip of his thumb into his mouth to lick off the mustard, only catching himself when he realizes that Daniel’s dark gaze is fixed on his lips. He settles for wiping his hands on a napkin instead. “It’s just like reading her songs, okay? One step away from just listening to music. It doesn’t even count as poems.”
Daniels nods, like he’s not really listening, and he licks his lips before speaking. “Whatever you say.”
Johnny could mention how he’s read part of the book with Ali. It was years ago, but still. It’s a good memory, looking at the pages over her shoulder, listening to her read softly. He could talk about how there are a few albums in his mom’s record collection that she’ll play in the morning when they’re having breakfast, just the two of them. Patti Smith and Fleetwood Mac and Pat Benatar. Sometimes he doesn’t get why she likes something, but it doesn’t matter, because she shares it with him. Smiling easily, humming along to the lyrics, and those moments make Johnny desperately want to understand everything. Even now, that the space between them is wider than ever, he just longs for any way to feel that connection with her.
“Earth to Johnny”, Daniel says, suddenly, and it’s cheesy enough to startle him back into reality. He has no idea for how long he’s been spaced out, but Daniel’s glass is only half full at this point. “What’s up?”
“Just thinking about what a nerd you are”, Johnny tries, weakly, realizing too late that he’s given Daniel a perfect opening for endless teasing.
“Damn, if I make you zone out like that, I must’ve made a pretty powerful impression on you”, Daniel says with a grin. “I always imagined you’d have this really angry look on your face when thinking about me, you know? Seething, red-faced…”
“You’ve imagined what I look like when I think about you?” and Johnny can barely keep from laughing, his voice breaking towards the end of the sentence. “Knew you were obsessed with me, LaRusso.”
“Says the guy who practically stalked me since I moved to this damn place”, Daniel mutters, but he’s blushing now.
Johnny clears his throat, looking out the window. The sun is setting, and the neon sign of the diner is painting the pavement in a sheen of pink and blue. “Do you want a ride home?”
“I guess”, Daniel replies, and Johnny hears him slurp up what’s left of his milkshake. “Isn’t it like, mad inconvenient for you, though?”
Johnny shrugs, glancing at him now, hoping he comes across as effortless. Casual. “Don’t worry about it. Those books look too heavy for your skinny ass to haul home on your own, anyway.”
“Wow”, Daniel shakes his head, sighing, and he would look disappointed if it wasn’t for the smile on his lips. “And here I thought you were capable of being sort of nice.”
“Shut up, I’m delightful”, Johnny states, as confidently as he can muster, and he gets nothing but a snicker in reply.
Soon enough, they’re leaving the diner. Johnny leads him to the car, and before throwing his bag in the backseat, he grabs the comics, handing them to Daniel. “Enjoy your nerdy robot shit.”
“For a while there I thought you got them for yourself to play some weird mind games on me”, Daniel replies, talking quickly as he eyes the covers.
Johnny doesn’t immediately let go of the comics, lingering long enough for their fingers to brush before he pulls back. The he quickly gets behind the wheel, Daniel sliding into the passenger side. The car is cramped, and while trying to fold himself into the seat Daniel sucks in a breath, a hand coming to rest over his bad knee. Johnny has to look away, because he wants to do something to make it better, and he has no idea what he could possibly offer to fix something like that. Instead, he focuses on driving, engine roaring and they set off into the night.
“So, what are your plans for the evening?” Daniel asks, and the silence hasn’t exactly been uncomfortable, but Johnny realizes that he’s missed his voice, and fuck if that isn’t… a lot to suddenly be hit with.
He clears his throat, keeping his eyes on the road. “Got a movie I might watch.”
“Let me guess, it’s a cheesy martial arts flick?”
He doesn’t have to look at Daniel – he can hear the teasing smile. “You shouldn’t stereotype people, LaRusso. It’s actually The Thing.”
“Johnny Lawrence, a horror movie fan? Never would’ve guessed”, Daniel muses, and Johnny glances at him then. The smile isn’t teasing anymore – it’s a soft, subtle thing, not meant to be seen.
“Wouldn’t say I love horror specifically. Movies are movies.”
Daniel snorts at that. “No dude, some movies are chill and others scare you shitless. There’s a difference.”
Johnny is silent for a moment, thinking that over. “Always thought you were too stubborn to be easily scared.”
“I’m not easily scared”, Daniel says immediately, a confrontational note to his voice, but it seems exaggerated. Almost joking.
“Prove it.”
And when Johnny doesn’t say anything else, Daniel twists in his seat, frustrated, not knowing what to do with the energy of a challenge that he doesn’t know how to tackle. “How?”
It’s not like Johnny has a plan. He doesn’t know how to follow up on this except shouting “BOO” at Daniel to see if he’ll flinch. “There’s a new Nightmare on Elm Street out. We could watch that?”
In the corner of his eye, he can see Daniel nod, slowly, thinking very seriously about this suggestion. “When?”
“Next Friday?”
Daniel is silent for a long time. He’s staring out the window, biting at his bottom lip, seemingly lost in thought. Johnny clears his throat. “What, too pussy to watch a Freddy Krueger movie? Does the knife glove scare you, LaRusso?”
Daniel snorts at that, looking at Johnny with narrow eyes, utterly unimpressed with the insult. “As if. You’re on.”
“Bet you’re gonna jump out of your seat”, Johnny murmurs, leaning over towards Daniel slightly as he makes a right turn. “Bet you’re gonna cling to me like a girl.”
He doesn’t get an immediate reply. Instead, Daniel punches his shoulder, and he definitely put some of his karate training into it. Johnny won’t be surprised if he wakes up with a bruise tomorrow.
“If you wanted me to cling to you, you could just be a man and tell me”, Daniel says, all challenge, shit-eating grin on his face. Maybe he thinks it’s a safe thing to joke about. Maybe he has no idea that the words will get beneath Johnny’s skin, more bruising than any punch.
“Shut up, LaRusso, and let me park”, he mutters, wrapping an arm around the back of Daniel’s seat as he leans back to look out the rear window. He can feel Daniel look at him, then, and feel the ghost of his breath against his throat, his cheek. Johnny doesn’t trust himself to meet his gaze, so once they’re parked, he sits back in the driver’s seat, trying to relax. His hands are still on the wheel, and he expects Daniel to quickly get out of the car. Of course, Daniel remains seated next to him.
“You know, I’ve always thought your car looks like it could be a Transformer”, LaRusso says, and even from the corner of his eye Johnny can see him grinning. “It would definitely be a Decepticon, though.”
“You’re a Decepticon”, Johnny answers immediately. “With that big mouth, you’d be someone like, fucking… Megatron.”
Daniel is honest-to-god laughing now, and for a second Johnny takes in the sight of him. The dimples in his cheeks, his dark eyelashes featherlike over olive skin, and then the spell is broken when Daniel reaches over to touch Johnny’s knee.
It’s not… weird. It’s meant as a knee-slap, a touch to say “you think you’re funny, asshole”, or something like that. But Johnny stares at his leg, at that tan hand on his blue jeans, and he feels like he’s been branded. Even though it only lasts for a second, he knows that this will linger well into the night – stay in his mind and beneath his skin until he manages to fall asleep.
Then Daniel’s opened the door, and he’s out on the street, leaning heavily on the side of the car to peek inside. “See you Friday, yeah?”
Johnny nods. “You’ll be scared shitless, LaRusso.”
“Whatever you say, Optimus Prime”, Daniel sing-songs, clutching his pile of books and comics to his chest as he hobbles towards his house. Johnny wonders if Daniel’s injury seems worse to him because of the guilt, or if a stranger would also notice the way he struggles to stay upright. He wonders why on earth Daniel would call him Optimus Prime, out of all the characters he could choose from.
He wonders if he’ll ever hear The Touch without thinking about a scrawny Jersey boy.
The third time Johnny buys something for Daniel LaRusso they’re at the cinema. He’s worked hard in the past week. Not because his boss has been on his case; he’s just found it easy to exhaust himself, sweating through the day, pushing his physical limits to make sure his mind doesn’t spiral. The more time he spends on his own the more his thoughts get out of control, and he’s found the best solution is simply not to think at all.
Working has come at a cost though. He hasn’t rested properly in days, and when he tries taking a nap on Friday, he ends up oversleeping terribly. He barely has the time to shower, and even less so styling his hair or planning an outfit. Perhaps those are all good things. Perhaps things would just get weird if Daniel thought he’d gone through the effort to look nice for him.
So, Johnny meets LaRusso outside of the movie theatre, and everything gets weird anyway. Daniel is staring at his chin, and it takes him a moment to realize that he’s forgotten to shave. Then Daniel is reaching for him, the palm of his hand stroking along the stubble, brown eyes widening at the texture.
“Damn, you’ve got some serious beard growth”, he says, finally lowering his hand.
Johnny clears his throat. “Easy to impress you, baby face.”
Daniel rolls his eyes at that, and then he walks ahead, trusting Johnny to follow him. As they walk, Johnny can see Daniel stretching his fingers wide before closing his hand into a fist. He tells himself Daniel’s doing it to get rid of the feeling of Johnny’s stubble against his skin. He knows that’s probably not the case.
Johnny buys them two tickets, a bucket of popcorn and a couple of cokes. Daniel finds them seats in the middle row, saying something about sound quality and watching the movie from a good angle. Johnny just nods along. He never pays attention to stuff like that, but if it’s important to Daniel he won’t protest about being dragged around until they’ve found the perfect spot.
The movie starts well enough with some haunting shit going on, but within a short while the main character is dancing through his room, lip-syncing “touch me baby, all night long”. They’ve talked a bit about metaphor in school, and Johnny thinks that maybe if he was smarter, he’d get the symbolism of this scene, like, how it’s connected to being stalked by a psycho murderer or whatever. There’s probably a lot of thought put into this that goes right over his head.
He only realizes how distracted he’s been when he feels Daniel’s breath against the side of his face – a huffed laugh. “You sure you brought me to a horror movie, Lawrence?” and somehow the use of his last name seems intimate, simply because it’s rare. A full-body shiver runs through him, and well, maybe Daniel’s breath, sweet from soda, hot against his skin, also has something to do with it.
Johnny doesn’t look away from the screen, stubbornly staring at the dude in sunglasses gyrating, because the only other option is turning to Daniel and he’s still so close.
“Shut up. I bet he’s gonna die any second”, Johnny mutters, and he hears Daniel snort a laugh at that. Then he hears him shifting in his seat, and only when he’s sure Daniel’s turned back to the screen does he chance a glance at him. His profile is illuminated by the movie; dark eyebrows arched, and his lips curved in a smile, but he’s biting at his bottom lip as if trying to hide it. Johnny allows himself to look at him for a few seconds more, and then the song stops playing, the scene is over, and he turns back to the screen.
The movie isn’t actually that scary. Johnny is sort of disappointed, because the point of this was to watch Daniel jump out of his seat. Hear him yelp in surprise – maybe grab on to Johnny’s arm to steady himself during an intense scene.
Instead, everything is sort of goofy and incoherent. At one point a cockatoo explodes, and it catches Johnny off guard. He bursts out laughing, and the rest of the cinema is dead silent around him. He covers his mouth with a hand, trying to keep the laughter in, which honestly only makes it worse. Eventually he turns to Daniel, and finds him staring, those dark eyes warm in the dim light of the cinema. He has no idea what Daniel sees when looking at him, but after a moment he snorts, shaking his head as he chuckles, and it’s… nice.
An hour later they walk out of the movie theatre, and Johnny’s groaning. “That was shit.”
“Says the psychopath who was delighted at the exploding bird scene”, Daniel says, grinning.
“Look me in the eyes and tell me it wasn’t funny”, Johnny replies, turning to face him, and just like expected, Daniel immediately jumps on the challenge. If you told the guy he couldn’t karate-fight a truck, he’d probably walk into oncoming traffic to prove you wrong. Now Daniel’s standing on his toes, eye-level, lips parted, as if he’s been about to say something, but those words have died on the tip of his tongue.
“Uh”, Daniel manages, averting his gaze for a second before looking back at him.
Johnny’s so used at being caught by those dark eyes that he can do nothing but marvel at the feeling of having the same effect on Daniel. It’s intoxicating, and he can’t chase this – can’t figure out where this goes while they’re stood in the middle of town.
He smiles instead, tilting his head to the side. “See? Guess we’re both psychopaths, LaRusso.”
Daniel raises an eyebrow at that, keeping the eye contact a few seconds longer, before he shakes his head. When he steps back, it doesn’t feel like the space between them grows.
The night is dark, the sky is clear, and Johnny doesn’t feel cold at all. “Wanna go to the beach?” he asks, before he can think better of it.
“Ain’t got nowhere better to be”, Daniel replies noncommittally, but he’s already heading for Johnny’s car, not looking back.
The drive is fairly short, and Johnny doesn’t trust himself with conversation, so instead he puts on the radio. Tramps like us, baby we were born to run, and he’s close to singing the lyrics, but instead he taps his fingers against the steering wheel, nodding along.
“I love this Patti Smith song”, Daniel says, and Johnny needs a moment to actually catch the reference. Then he’s laughing, a startled loud thing, and Daniel’s grinning at him, looking all proud.
“Dumbass”, Johnny mutters, parking by the side of the road. Before heading out into the sand he takes off his shoes and socks, tossing them into the car. He knows better than coming home late, dragging dirt into the house. Daniel follows his example, and then they walk onto the beach barefoot, side by side.
Johnny wonders if Daniel’s thinking about their first meeting, because it’s currently playing on repeat in his head. He wonders if he should apologize, or just not bring it up at all. He wonders if the beach could ever be anything else for them.
The sky is so dark, and the sand is cool and pale beneath his feet. The sea is nearly still, only gentle waves rolling in, and a light breeze swirl around them.
Daniel’s got his arms crossed over his chest, and for a moment Johnny thinks he’s mad about something. Then he realizes that he’s simply cold. No wonder, with how he’s only wearing a thin, worn out shirt over that skinny frame. Johnny doesn’t even hesitate to shrug off his leather jacket and drape it over Daniel’s shoulders.
Johnny is rarely the one to initiate touch between them. Partly because he’s a coward, but also because, well… when he’s initiated things in the past it hasn’t exactly been a good thing. Now his hands linger on Daniel’s shoulders, until those brown eyes find him in the dark, and the only thought in his mind is how good LaRusso looks in red.
“So”, Daniel says, nuzzling into the jacket, wrapping it around himself properly, savouring Johnny’s body heat. “Did you like anything about the movie?”
Johnny shrugs. “I liked when the gym teacher died.”
He doesn’t think about the implications of what he’s said until Daniel remains silent, watching him for a while, those dark eyes so very curious.
“Yeah, that must’ve been pretty cathartic to watch.”
Johnny averts his gaze, looking out over the calm sea. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.”
“Have you kept up with karate?” Daniel asks, voice milder now.
“Don’t think I could ever give it up”, Johnny murmurs. This isn’t exactly something he spends a lot of time thinking about. In fact, he works very hard at keeping it out of his mind. “But I guess it’s different, figuring stuff out on my own instead of having the cobras, you know?”
“I don’t”, Daniel says, but there’s no venom in his voice. “It’s always just been me. Can’t imagine training without my sensei, though.”
“Yeah. You should be happy he doesn’t have murderous tendencies.”
Daniel doesn’t reply immediately. Instead, he steps in close, bumping his shoulder with Johnny’s. It’s gentle, the kind of wordless communication Johnny has been missing – craving. His heart seizes, and he wants to do something, anything, but he can’t think of a single sane thing to do in the moment. So, he just keeps walking, Daniel at his side.
“We could train sometime”, he says, knowing that it might be a terrifying suggestion coming from him, but hoping that Daniel won’t take it that way.
“That sounds like a recipe for disaster”, Daniel muses, but at least it sounds like he finds it entertaining rather than, well, a threat or something.
“I bet it would be fun, though”, Johnny says, and this might actually be the first time that he purposefully grins at LaRusso. At first there’s nothing but surprise in those big, dark eyes, and then Daniel matches his grin, somewhere between cocky and intrigued.
“Oh yeah? You’re that desperate for me to kick you in the face again, huh?”
Johnny snorts, shaking his head. “Keep pretending I’m the masochist out of the two of us, LaRusso. We both know the truth.”
Daniel bumps against his shoulder again, harder this time. Johnny considers tackling him. Imagines properly wrestling him to the ground, and… would they laugh? Would it be light-hearted? Are they even capable of play-fighting without their past tainting it?
He doesn’t chase the touch, doesn’t chase the images in his head, and instead he keeps the conversation going. He keeps his eyes mostly on the ground, stealing glances at Daniel every now and then when he thinks he’ll get away with it. Mostly he doesn’t – it’s like Daniel has an uncanny ability to know when Johnny’s looking at him. He always has.
They talk about karate for a while longer, until Johnny asks about the books Daniel was buying that day a week ago. Suddenly he gets a full rant about college, how Daniel isn’t sure what to do with life, how he isn’t sure college is the right choice for him, but he’s planning for it anyway, because what else is there. Johnny wishes he had an answer, he really does, but he can't offer anything more than sharing his own uncertainty; the need for things to change, but having no idea how to achieve that.
He’s unsure for how long they walk aimlessly along the beach. All he knows is that it hasn’t been this easy to talk to anyone in a long time – to have the conversation flow intensely, easily, like karate.
All he knows is that it’s hard not to look at Daniel, the red jacket always at the corner of his eye, drawing him in, framing those dark features and soulful gaze.
By the time Johnny drives them home, he’s shivering, the cold ocean winds having soaked through his shirt. He still lets Daniel keep the jacket though, and watches him leave the car still wearing it. When he reaches the front door, he turns, the light spilling out around him, and he raises a hand to wave at Johnny. Only then does he turn the ignition again, waving back before he takes off into the night.
Since they first met, Johnny’s spent a lot of time thinking about Daniel LaRusso.
In the beginning, it was easy to blame it all on Ali. Here comes this Jersey kid, all fiery temperament and easy smiles, eyes wide and inviting, flaming locks of dark brown hair – how could Johnny ignore someone like that? Someone who moves in on Ali and doesn’t give a shit about the consequences.
Daniel rises to challenges like it’s the only thing in life that matters, and sometimes when Johnny stares at him he looks uncertain of how to handle the attention, but he never backs down.
For the longest time, Johnny can tell himself it’s about Ali. It’s about respect, manhood, shit like that. Except he knows damn well it’s not. Either his fixation has sort of warped over time, or maybe… maybe it’s always been like this. Maybe the simple answer to why he always, always seeks Daniel out – why he could find the guy in any crowd within seconds – is LaRusso himself. Plain and simple.
Johnny spends that summer buying things for Daniel, and he’d rather not think too much about it. It feels like a smooth way to make up for, well, everything... but part of him knows that there’s a lot more too it than that.
Since they went to the cinema, they don’t run into each-other randomly anymore. Daniel comes by his work and waits for Johnny’s shift to end. Johnny parks outside of Daniel’s house and lays the car horn until Daniel, exasperated, comes running out the door, that red jacket over his shoulders.
Most days when they hang out, it seems that Daniel brings the jacket with the intention to give it back, and Johnny always goes out of his way to ensure he’s still got it by the end of the night. He likes Daniel in red. He wonders what other people think when they see LaRusso clad in Johnny’s leather. He feels that as long as Daniel has his jacket, they won’t go their separate ways.
“I think I might be going to Japan”, Daniel says one day. They’re at the diner, sharing some French fries. Daniel’s drinking soda, Johnny’s chugging coffee in preparation for his evening shift. Daniel’s voice is light, unbothered, as if he’s commenting on the weather, but there’s a crease between his eyebrows. Something like worry – like he’s trying to figure something out and nearly giving himself a headache in the process.
“Okay”, Johnny draws the word out, trying to give himself time to think. “Is it a vacation or…?”
Daniel sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t know. I have the chance to go there with Mister Miyagi, and I don’t think I’d forgive myself if I didn’t.”
Johnny just hums in reply, showing that he’s listening while trying to take in the information. He’s no ace at geography, but Japan feels about as far as you can get from the US.
“You gotta do what you gotta do, LaRusso”, he says, proud of how sagely his delivery sounds. His voice doesn’t break, not even a little, but he’s surprised to find that it feels like his heart is shattering. He knew he was getting in too deep with Daniel, but he didn’t think it was this bad, this serious.
“Yeah”, Daniel says, staring at him from across the table, and for once, he doesn’t avert his gaze the way he normally does. Usually there’s something shy about him. He’ll look at Johnny, and then, like he’s scared, or embarrassed – or like he’s stared too long at the sun – he’ll look away for a second or two. Not this time. Now they just sit in silence, watching each-other, and Johnny feels like he’s about to strike the guy. Feels like he’s about to be kicked in the head again. Feels like they’re already on the other side of a fight, exhausted, empty.
Daniel sighs then, reaching across the table with an overstated gesture, patting Johnny’s hand while putting on an exaggeratingly concerned face. “Worried you won’t survive without me, Lawrence?”
It’s easy and playful the way things normally are between them, but once Daniel’s played out his fake concern, his hand remains on Johnny’s. It’s gentle, but it’s there, and Johnny needs a moment to process it. Because this is how Daniel always touches him. Easily, kindly. Always a brief, fleeting thing, and Johnny rarely returns it, because part of him still doubts that he’s capable of touching without hurting. Feels like he, for years, has only managed to destroy; friends, partners, himself. He doesn’t know how to reach out. Doesn’t know if he deserves to.
“I’ll be fine, LaRusso”, he sneers, trying to step up with something exaggerated, something playful, of his own. “You’re the one who’s gonna get shanked by ninjas or some shit.”
Usually, Daniel just chuckles at his jokes, but on rare occasions, he actually laughs. Head thrown back; dark eyes gleaming. It’s surreal to see him be so carelessly happy, despite everything he’s been through. It has Johnny wonder how he could ever get violent with the guy. It has him make a promise to himself that he’ll never throw a punch Daniel LaRusso’s way again.
The next couple of weeks are almost normal. It’s a blur of shitty diner food, car rides at dusk, and walks on the beach. They never go swimming and they don’t talk about why. It’s like they instinctually know that it could lead to something complicated; something different to what they share now. Johnny isn’t sure he’d want to risk different. If he could stay forever the way they are right now, that would be… good. Better than he’d ever hoped.
He’s never had a better excuse not to head home after work. Daniel quickly becomes a shelter outside of his home – a sort of safety he didn’t know he could ever have.
Throughout all of it though, he’s preparing for what’s to come. It’s like he’s already seen the end of this, and even though he wishes things were different, he knows that the end of summer will bring a close to this thing they share.
So, he’s bought Daniel a Walkman, and he’s making a mixtape. It starts as a joke. A song from the Transformers soundtrack, and “all night long” from Freddy’s Revenge – just a bunch of dumb shit that’ll crack Daniel up when he listens to it. However, the longer Johnny works on the mixtape, the more serious he gets about it. He thinks back on these past months, and he picks songs that are references to things they’ve talked about, or music they’ve listened to together while driving around the Valley. Some tracks are new though. Things they’ve never shared, but that Johnny needs Daniel to hear.
He thinks that maybe, this is something they can talk about when Daniel returns to the US. They’ll reunite, and everything will go back to how it is right now, and Johnny will find out if he likes Speedwagon. He’ll find out if Daniel is the kind of listener who pays attention to the lyrics, and if he does, well, hopefully the reunion won’t get too awkward.
They never get the chance to practice karate together. The summer stretches forever until the day it abruptly ends. It’s Daniel’s final day in the states, and they’re just driving around. Johnny can’t think of a fitting “goodbye” so instead there’s just… nothing but this.
“What are you gonna do while I’m gone?” Daniel asks while he fiddles with the radio, dissatisfied with every single station he finds.
Johnny shrugs, eyes on the road. “I think I’m gonna stick it out with this job for a while, see where that takes me.”
Daniel snorts at that, “Sorry dude, but that doesn’t sound like something to hinge your future on. You sure it can pay for like… adult stuff?”
Johnny turns to him, only for a moment, smirking. “It’s been enough to pay for your dinners and comics, hasn’t it?”
He doesn’t get an immediate reply. When he chances another glance at Daniel, he’s just sort of frozen, and those brown eyes have never been wider.
“What?” Daniel manages, finally. “But… your parents are rich? You drive this car; I’ve seen where you live…”
“My stepdad is rich”, Johnny says, trying to keep his tone light. “I want to be my own person. Don’t wanna owe him shit.”
“Okay”, and Daniel’s voice is strained. He’s staring ahead, his shoulders tense, as if it takes a lot of concentration not to turn to Johnny. “I kinda thought you spent so much on me cause your parents gave you a trust fund or something.”
“Nope. No nepotism here”, Johnny smiles, and he genuinely doesn’t know what he looks like right now. Knows that he’s bad at keeping his feelings hidden when he’s overwhelmed, and around Daniel, he’s always at some stage of emotional turmoil. “My blood, sweat and tears went into your milkshakes, LaRusso. You better appreciate it.”
“Gross”, Daniel’s response is immediate, and he’s laughing, but he’s soft around the eyes. Looks at Johnny with this tender, lingering gaze that feels warm. Inviting.
“You’re gross”, Johnny mutters, and they’re close to the LaRusso residence now. As he makes the turn down the street he leans in close, elbowing Daniel in the process. He gets an affronted yelp in response, and then Daniel’s hand is in his hair, messing it up beyond saving. He doesn’t even want to check the rear-view mirror to find out what he looks like. It’s enough to see Daniel look at him triumphant – to see him break into giggles at the sight of Johnny, trying to apologize but not seeming apologetic at all.
Eventually Daniel stops laughing. Eventually it’s just the two of them, and the static of the radio, and the night is dark and this is it. This is the last time they’ll have this. Daniel is breathless from laughing, Johnny is holding his breath, and they’re just staring at each other. Staring until Daniel is fumbling for the door handle, and as he exits the car, that dark gaze never leaves Johnny; drifts from his eyes to his lips, and then Daniel’s outside, wishing him a good night.
Johnny doesn’t remember the drive home. He tries not to think, because thinking will have him make bad decisions. If he allows himself to feel, he’ll go drinking. He’ll go picking fights in places he shouldn’t. He doesn’t have a good track record with these things.
Falling asleep is easy. He’s never needed to escape life like this before. Work starts early in the morning, but right now he couldn’t care less. He’ll sleep for as long as he possibly can, because it’ll be easier than having to be awake while it’s happening. It’ll be weird if he shows up to like… wave good bye at the gate, or some shit.
Of course, he doesn’t get to sleep in.
Of course, his mom wakes him up, saying there’s a call for him.
“You need to pick up the jacket”, Daniel says, somewhere between breathless and panicked. “We leave in like an hour.”
“Keep it”, and Johnny’s voice is still rough from sleep, and he’s barely awake enough to get what’s going on, but he clings to the phone like it’s Daniel pressed to him, voice nothing but a purr in his ear.
“I can’t, Johnny”, and Daniel’s pleading now, and man, if him saying Lawrence was intimate, there really isn’t a word for what this is. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. You need to get here man, right now.”
And Johnny’s pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and he’s in his car, and he’s on his way. He doesn’t really pay attention while driving, it’s all autopilot at this point. He gets to Daniel’s place, and there is luggage on the pavement, and then there’s Daniel – pacing, red leather over his shoulders, and the second he sees Johnny pull up he’s dead in his tracks, watching him.
Johnny’s out the car, and Daniel’s already shrugging out of the jacket, and it feels wrong. Nothing in his life has ever felt so final. But he manages to steel himself, to walk up to LaRusso and take the jacket from him.
“Thanks”, he says, and then, because it seems like Daniel’s ready to turn from him already, he clears his throat. “I brought you something. For the journey.”
Then he hands Daniel the Walkman, the mixtape ready to be played. Daniel takes it, their fingers brushing, at he stares at it like he’s been handed a live grenade.
“Just… listen to it whenever. It’s not a big deal”, Johnny says, finally, because if he allows Daniel to react to this it’ll get weird. He’ll thank Johnny sincerely, or refuse the gift, or some shit, so he’s gotta shut it down. Gotta make sure he just accepts the gift and goes on his merry way to learn karate in Japan or whatever.
Daniel nods, biting his bottom lip, his eyes are bottomless and he doesn’t look away. Johnny isn’t sure who reaches out first; perhaps they meet each other halfway, and wouldn’t it be nice to experience a world where no one has to strike first?
Daniel clings to him, if only for a moment, and Johnny has imagined what this would be like. Maybe it should be lame to dream of something as simple as a hug, but he’s wondered if it’d feel this warm. Safe. Grounding. It’s all of that, and more. He pulls Daniel flush against his chest, feeling all of him – the skinny kid that could easily kick him to the pavement – and nuzzling into his neck, breathing in sandalwood and salt and cheap shampoo. A scent that’s followed him all through summer, but that’s been elusive until this moment.
“I gotta go”, Daniel murmurs, eventually, disentangling himself.
Johnny steps away, holding his jacket instead of Daniel, letting out a shaky breath. “Kick ass over there, yeah?”
And Daniel looks like he’s about to lecture him about how he’s not going to Japan to beat people up, but he doesn’t. Instead, he just smiles, and he holds the Walkman to his chest, and then they’ve gone their separate ways. World’s apart. The summer has come to an end, and all Johnny’s got is his job – a vague idea of something better waiting for him.
He’s unsure for how long Daniel is gone, but he does know that he returns. It’s like being unable to sleep during the full moon, or feeling an oncoming storm in your bones; it seems completely superstitious, and yet, one day he just knows that Daniel is back in the Valley. Soon enough, his grinning face is on billboards and in commercials. It’s haunting and bizarre.
That summer felt like limbo. This liminal space as he was moving from the person he used to be to something else, and then he sort of... got stuck.
Life happens. When does it not? Johnny goes through the motions. He finds work. He loses friends. He finds love, both in good and bad places. Nothing lasts, but he keeps on moving. There are things that are missing from his life, a devastating sense of loss he can’t place. He tries to soothe it any way he can. He drinks. A lot. Sometimes he calls his friends.
He doesn’t go to therapy because he’s not a loser. If he ended up going, it’d be like admitting something about himself.
He has nightmares sometimes, and he shies away from touch. Even when Robby was a kid and clung to him, soft arms around his neck, Johnny couldn’t stand it. With every year that passes, it feels like there are more and more things he can’t stand.
Even when he doesn’t engage with it, life keeps happening; at him; around him; and years and years pass him by, until one fateful night, when his car gets fucked up by some teens - when he comes face to face with the man that shaped his past and who'll come to shape his future.