My Cobra Guy

Episode Fifty-Nine

Johnny hadn't been gone long but Daniel was left wondering. What kind of errand did he have to run? Bills were paid, they were stocked up on supplies, so what did he need to do? He had a sinking feeling in his gut, something he couldn't shake. Then it struck him: his car had a GPS. He only needed to call Anoush to see where Johnny was. It wouldn't be right to do that. What would that say about my trust in him? But Daniel couldn't get his mind off it, the bad feeling intensifying as the minutes ticked by. It couldn't hurt to check if he was concerned, right?

He called Anoush. He would rather face Johnny's wrath than be stuck here worrying, not knowing.

* * * * *

Johnny dropped the keys to Daniel's car on the hook by the door. For some reason, he felt exhausted. Maybe it was stress from the week, or maybe it was relief from finally unburdening all that worry. Now he could finally rest easy knowing that there wouldn't be a phone call in the middle of the night about one of his students being attacked. Danny would be able to go back to work and move freely about again without fear.

Danny. He wanted to hold him, to kiss his face. He could finally tell him that everything would be all right and feel no guilt about the truth of his words.

But when he stepped into the bedroom, a smile lighting his face, Daniel was sitting up. His expression was one Johnny hadn't seen in a while. He looked furious.

"Where were you?"

"I told you, I was just out. You gonna pull that jealous girlfriend shit on me, now?" Why was he getting so defensive? He should just tell him. Then again, why was Daniel so angry?

"Just out, uh-huh," Daniel replied. "Out to Cobra Kai."

"Fuck," Johnny swore, and remembered the LaRusso vehicles were outfitted with GPS - how he and Daniel had once tracked down Robby's van.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to see Kreese? Why lie?"

"I didn't want you to worry. Look, I took care of it, okay? I made a deal. No fighting until the tournament."

Daniel's eyes widened. "And then what?"

"If we win, he closes shop. But, if we lose, I go back to Cobra Kai."

"Johnny, what the fuck?" Daniel looked as if he'd been slapped. The pain in his eyes was unbearable to see.

"I didn't have a choice, okay? I couldn't let them keep ambushing the students. I couldn't let you get hurt again because of me!" He was yelling now, the guilt rising up in his chest. Everything that had happened: Miguel, Robby, Daniel; it was all because he had opened Cobra Kai.

Daniel grew quiet, his big brown eyes staring at his hands. "And what about us?"

"I, that wasn't part of it. I just made the same deal Miyagi did. You and I never factored in," Johnny said.

"Does leaving Miyagi-Do mean leaving me?"

Johnny rushed over and stood beside Daniel, wanting to take his hands but somehow afraid to touch him. "You think I would leave you? You really think I could just walk away from you? After everything, you still don't trust me?" He wanted to be angry but in truth he was only hurt. What will it take for you to trust me, Danny? Will I never be good enough for you?

"I want to trust you, but didn't we just talk about communication? How we would always be honest with each other? Then you go and do this without discussing it with me. Behind my back."

Fuck. Johnny turned away. "I had to finish what I started." He walked to the door, refusing to look at him. "I'll be on the couch if you need me."

* * * * *

Regina's cheerleading flexibility and reflexes were a big help in exacting some of the moves Robby had taught her - kicking at calves and damaging knees. Dirty fighting. They couldn't be used in a tournament without penalty, but that wasn't her concern. There would be fights outside of the tournament. The Cobra Kai students didn't care who they fought.

"You don't have a problem with any of this?" Robby asked as they took a water break beneath the waving palms in the courtyard.

"No. If Silver is teaching all this to you, he isn't intending for you just to fight at tournaments," Regina said. "And if someone comes for me? I want them down first."

Robby stepped toward her. "No one came for you. You and your two friends came for us."

"Wrong again. Your adoptive daddy came for Johnny." She sat atop the stone wall, glad Robby had discarded his indifferent attitude; it was getting boring.

"Why do you have such loyalty to him? I don't get it. He taught you some karate."

"Because he's the kind of person I'd want as a dad. I hoped my life would be like a dumb soap opera, and I'd find out my mom and Johnny slept together at some point, but were blackout drunk. But, no. He makes mistakes. He's fun. He's protective, but not annoying. And, it irks me that you came back, and he dropped everything for you. You piss me off."

"So, your whole rant about forgiving people who mess up?" Robby arched a brow.

"That was about forgiveness between parent and kid. It has nothing to do with you and me." Regina smirked as her name was called. Sam. "Oh, by the way, looks like Sam and Miguel are here."

"What is he doing here?" Sam asked, striding over to the stone wall and crossing her arms.

"I left Cobra Kai," Robby said, doing his "kicked puppy" thing. Did he practice that face to earn sympathy?

"When did this happen? And why here?" Sam's big eyes were filled with questions, shock, and hurt.

"The night at the hospital," Miguel said. "We thought, with what happened with your dad, that it'd be better to wait."

"For what? I want to know if he's back, and if he's staying with Regina." Sam cast Regina a harsh glare as she said her name.

"I didn't know he was here either," Miguel muttered.

Regina sighed. "I have no intention to date him." She then gave them an abridged version of what she'd said to Robby; she was supervising him in a place that had some kind of working law enforcement.

"So...you're holding him prisoner here?" Miguel raised both brows.

"If you want to put it that way - guilty," Regina replied with zero remorse. "It's not like I'm going to beat him and have him dumped at Kreese's doorstep or anything."

"Too soon, Reg. Do Hawk and Demetri know?" Sam demanded.

Regina had several missed calls and texts she'd left on read from the two since Robby arrived just before lunch. "Not yet. I'll tell them." Now she finally felt a stab of guilt. They were probably worried about her. They were among her first real friends, who she hadn't let into her life for superficial reasons, like looks or money. She doubted she'd be their first choice as a friend either; they were so different. "I'll call them in a few." A few could be minutes or hours. Maybe even days, but that'd be pushing it.

"Regina, are you sure you're safe? You keep doing this reckless crap," Sam said, closing the distance between them.

"I'll be fine," Regina said with a reassuring smile. "Robby's been so cooperative."