My Cobra Guy

Episode Thirty-Seven

Saturday was a new day, full of new chances and opportunities. Daniel hadn't slept well, replaying the events of the previous night; his own head wanting to torment him. But, hey, one mistake didn't mean he'd lost. He was sure of three things that morning, when he woke at five, long before Johnny would be up, he guessed.

He was sure now that Johnny had feelings for him, and it was this that buoyed his mood. The second thing was that Johnny had no passionate feelings whatsoever for Matt Foley. The last thing was that Daniel very much wanted to pursue Johnny. Maybe he should wait, as he'd only recently separated, but he was in his fifties and so was Johnny. Waiting was a terrible idea; this wasn't a hookup or someone he'd just met. This was Johnny Lawrence, a man who shared so much with Daniel that no one else would ever understand, a man whose pretty face had haunted him since the 1980's. He had his faults, but he was a good man.

Daniel quickly dressed in bootcut jeans and a green and white chambray shirt. Showering could wait. This new approach he was going to take with Johnny could not. Sneaking into the kitchen, he smiled to himself as he set out eggs, five varieties of cheese, tender cuts of steak, pepper, and everything else he'd need for breakfast. He felt almost giddy with excitement.

When Daniel had dated every other time in his life, he did nice things for the other person, like preparing food, or taking them somewhere they'd like. It was almost like he and Johnny had skipped over all that, right to moving in without recognizing the others' feelings.

This is the next big moment in my life, isn't it? I feel like I did before the All Valley. He and Johnny were about to have the true face off they'd both wanted since the eighties. The prize this time wasn't a trophy; the stakes were much higher than that.

He flipped the marbled sirloin in the pan amid the sizzling juices and cuts of vegetables. He liked coming home to Johnny, looked forward to that hour or so they shared until Daniel's exhaustion demanded he sleep.

The prize this time is Johnny's heart. Daniel's brain reminded him of the soft, elegant curve of Johnny's ass. And, the rest of him, too...

Daniel ended up making a simple omelet; he thought Johnny might balk at something too fancy with a name he couldn't pronounce. But it had meat. Lest it didn't have enough, Daniel added strips of bacon to another pan. Breakfast would be ready soon. Why not let the smells of fresh food wake Johnny?

Soon enough, he heard stirring in the sitting room. Johnny came staggering in in his sweatpants and T-shirt. Bedhead looked good on him. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and glared at Daniel.

"What is this? You trying to butter me up?"

Did Johnny realize what he was doing? Conjuring images of oil over his body with those words?

"I always cook on the weekend. I have more time to do it in the mornings. Get some coffee." Daniel flashed Johnny a smile, feeling like a wolf around his completely unsuspecting prey. In other words, he felt like a pervert. And how did Johnny Lawrence become unsuspecting or innocent-seeming at all? He certainly wasn't with women. He knew he was still attractive and he often used that to his advantage. But Johnny had no idea how desirable Daniel found him. How could he show him? How to stalk the predator?

After placing the plates full of food and silverware on the table, Daniel sat down across from Johnny. The blonde said nothing at first, merely sipping his coffee and taking a bite. Once he chewed, though, he glanced up at Daniel.

"It's good," he said. He spoke as if he were resigned to his fate. As if he was stuck here whether he liked it or not so he might as well attempt to be civil.

"Thanks. You know, I want you to be here, Johnny. I like having you around."

Johnny quirked a disbelieving brow at him. "You like having me around?" he repeated, emphasizing each word.

"Well, yeah! When we aren't arguing over some silly misunderstanding, we get along well, don't you think? The problem is, we've had too many misunderstandings and we're both pretty hardheaded." Daniel gave a chuckle, hoping he hadn't overstepped, angered him in some way, but Johnny merely shrugged.

"I have been told that I can be hardheaded. And I guess we do have a lot of common interests. So, yeah. I, uh, I guess I like being here. It's not so bad."

It was a start. Baby steps. This may take time but we can get there. Daniel grinned as he ate.

"You cook at all, Johnny?" Daniel asked. He'd noticed Johnny had a stack of frozen dinners in the freezer.

Johnny shook his head. "Never learned, never cared to. Lived alone for too long. No sense taking all the trouble just for me."

"I enjoy cooking. It's like carpentry or art. You're making something with your hands, but something edible. It's relaxing to me."

Johnny merely shrugged, obviously not interested in the culinary arts. Daniel didn't mind. He would love to cook for Johnny any time. "So, I need to run back to Amanda's today and grab something I forgot."

"Okay," Johnny said around a mouthful of food. He certainly wasn't talkative this morning. Perhaps he hadn't slept well. Or he needed more coffee in his system. At least they were on speaking terms. Considering last night's events, that was more than he should have expected. Baby steps.

* * * * *

Kreese stared over his steepled fingers at Tory and Kyler, the two who took yesterday's shift casing Miyagi-Do. The Monday after the vandalism at Cobra Kai, Silver had suggested it, sending the students to watch what times people came and left. The assigned student would go in the morning before school, and another would come after school and watch until training ended. Simple, easy, so long as they were quiet and followed Kreese's and Silver's instructions. Things like this were so much easier than they'd been in Kreese's youth. The students were able to easily report back with pictures and videos.

Terry Silver, in a black blazer, sat in the other office chair, cigar smoke curling from his mouth. "So, we know that Miyagi-Do is taking in anyone interested. I was hoping for a challenge from them. More concerned with money than winning."

"I think Miyagi-Do will break itself sooner rather than later," Tory said, blowing a lock of hair from her face as she sat across the desk beside Kyler. "Everyone knows Daniel and--"

"I'll let you know when I want to hear what you think," Kreese said. "Finish the report."

Tory sighed and handed Kreese a paper with the Friday evening times Daniel and the students arrived at Miyagi-Do. Classes started at 16:00, but some arrived as early as 15:37.

"Daniel didn't return to LaRusso after the training?" Kreese tapped a finger on the paper. He requested they write down their findings. He liked things on paper, where he could see and compare, notice changes over the days.

"No. He stayed," Tory said. "And Johnny Lawrence was there before we arrived."

For the time being, Johnny was staying there. He hadn't expected Daniel to allow that. But it was only a matter of time until the two butted heads again. With their history, and how much Kreese had twisted Johnny ages ago, they'd never be able to get along.

If Kreese played carefully, he might be able to get Johnny, Kreese's weapon, back where he belonged. It was a shame Silver and Johnny had never met back in the day.

"Anything else?" Silver prompted. The large ruby on his gold ring scraped the table as he pushed his ashtray aside.

"Yeah." Tory took a deep breath, hesitating. Her brow furrowed, and Kyler looked relieved he wasn't in her position. "Daniel hired this motivational speaker who helped Johnny. He came to the dojo in some old van, told Johnny he has a crush on him, got punched, and left?"

"That doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense," Silver said, lighting another cigar.

Tory sighed and played the recording of her time there. Her video included close ups of license plates. She'd whisper the time when anyone came or left.

Seemed like Johnny was becoming soft as he aged, as he spent more time with Daniel. Kreese would have to remind Johnny that Miyagi-Do and motivational speakers couldn't change who he was, who Kreese had made him. Johnny might be deceiving himself, but it was all right. Kreese would just have to reacquaint him with reality very soon. This lesson could not wait until the tournament.