Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

7- Aftermath

TW: talk of abusive behavior and alcohol abuse

"Got everything packed? What's you two's game plan?" Mr LaRusso asks, turning to face Robby and I.

I don't think either of us know what to say- at least, I don't. I didn't really think this far... I mean, I did, but it was basic, regular, just 'either drop Robby off at his place or swing by to get clothes and take him home with me'. Of course, I didn't count on the fact that Mr LaRusso would show up, my knee would get injured like this, or that I would be exposed...

"We were just gonna go back to my place," Robby finally says. We were? I mean, I'm down. I'd rather be just about anywhere else than my own house. Well- when my dad is home. I don't mind my room, but when he's around, I can't help but feel like he's gonna break through the door and my dresser barricade and hurt me. I freeze up around him... I nod, going along with it.

"I really need to talk to Parker," Mr LaRusso says, "how about you two come for dinner, I can talk to Parker, Robby, you can hang out at the house, is that okay?"

He's gonna absolutely grill me...

"Uhh... yeah, I mean that works for me," I say, praying my karate partner agrees.

"Sounds like a plan," he says, smiling at everyone. Ay, gracias a Dios.

——

Robby POV

We stopped at the Miyagi-Do dojo, and now we're headed for the LaRusso's house. The car is silent. I don't know what to talk about. I already brought up Cobra Kai's dirty fighting and how Cobra Kai will probably take over karate in The Valley, which is why he took us to the dojo.

"So... you and Parker..." Mr LaRusso says, breaking the awkward silence. I rode with him as not to seem suspicious and so he would have company. You know, I think I liked the silence better. My face gets kinda hot.

"Why did you say it like that?" I ask, even though I know why.

"No reason, no reason," he says. He gave me shit for being a liar but now this? There's obviously a reason, and we both know it.

"You know, if you two wanna.. you know, get together, it's okay. Just try not to tear us all apart, okay? We've got a good team going on here," he finishes. My face goes even hotter. Can we go back to the awkward silence?

"Don't worry about it Mr LaRusso, there's nothing going on between us," I reassure. And there's not. He gives me a skeptical but slightly mischievous look that I should probably learn to fear.

"I don't know Robby, you did tell each other to think of the other in the fight for motivation,"

"That was just an inside joke we started when she was having a panic attack before the tournament started. I was doing what you told us to. You said to find good to balance out the bad things, and having each other is a good thing. I don't think you know how similar we are. Her mom died, my dad left, my mom isn't around much, her dad isn't around much.. the only difference is that she handled the situation very differently than I did," I say, getting quieter at the end. I dropped out of school and did illegal shit and there she was, staying in school, getting a job, pushing through everything to show up to all the activities that I thought were too much at first, but I get it now. She doesn't feel safe at home, so she goes away. Our pasts are so similar... but we handled it so differently...

"She was having a panic attack before the tournament? She knows how good she is, what was that about?"

"I don't think she knows how good she is, and I don't think panic attacks care if you're good or not,"