My Cobra Guy

Episode Seventy-Four

* * * MATURE * * *

Sid sat in his new SUV, his stomach full of oysters and prawns. When this vehicle needed to be replaced, Sid would probably be dead. That was one of the joys of being old - being able to say whatever you wanted and no one would punch you in the face. He was sure Johnny's new boyfriend had wanted to. But, he wouldn't dare, nor unless he wanted to lose his business.

The couple had been helpless to do anything, and he was sure Johnny had wanted the money after all the hours Sid had wasted.

"I'm telling you, there's a clicking sound," Rhonda said again. "From somewhere in the dashboard."

"Might just be the heater or something," Sid said.

"I don't have the heater on," Rhonda said with a sigh. "If those boys sold you a lemon because you couldn't shut your mouth..."

"Johnny doesn't have the guts to do that," Sid said. "Turn on the heat. And the heated seats. I'm cold."

Rhonda sighed and did as he asked. "You could reach over and do it yourself."

"But I'm paying you," Sid laughed. He reached out and turned the heat up all the way. Rhonda wasn't a fan of the heat; he'd make it real miserable in here and make sure everything worked.

As they turned a corner, he heard the clicking, too, loud from behind the dashboard. Did Johnny sell me a lemon?

"See! It's something with the heat," Sid said. "Let's circle around and take this POS back to LaRusso."

Rhonda turned around in the parking lot of a drug store, while the clicking grew louder and louder. "I think I just saw the dashboard move."

"It's vibrating because the car's moving," Sid snapped. "Hurry it up!" He let the heater roar. He wanted to point out to those two boys just how broken his vehicle was and demand a replacement.

Rhonda accelerated, moving into the left lane to pass slower vehicles. She screamed, slamming on the breaks. Someone hit the rear of the car, propelling them into the stopped cars on the other side of the road. Traffic came to a screeching halt as Rhonda opened her door, fleeing.

"Rhonda!" Sid shouted. Where was she going?

The dashboard clicked louder and Sid tried to open his door, but it was stuck against the side of a pickup truck. The dashboard shook violently, and thin, black shapes with many legs slithered from the vents. A plop at his feet and a knot of them landed on the floor. Something big skittered up his pant leg. His heart pounded and his bladder released. Centipedes.

The vents dislodged as bigger ones pushed out, spilling onto the floor and crawling toward Sid. The last thing Sid heard was his own screams.

* * * * *

Johnny lie curled in bed with Daniel's arms wrapped around him. He'd never have to see Sid again. Sid wouldn't be able to humiliate him anymore. He hadn't wanted Daniel to see any of that, and he certainly didn't want Daniel's pity. Daniel's mother and other family members adored him. What must he think of Johnny's family?

"You know, my mom was a good woman," Johnny said. Nearly two decades later and that loss still stung.

Daniel stroked the hair at his temples, just listening in the dark.

"What she saw in Sid? I don't know. He had us both fooled I guess. Thought he at least loved her, so I put up with him. But, Mom was always supportive."

Daniel pressed his brow to the back of Johnny's hair. "I'm sad I never got to meet her."

"We had fun when Sid wasn't around," Johnny continued. "She was timid though, not like the girls in Miyagi-Do. I understand, too, if she didn't want to have some uncertain life, with both of us wondering where to stay or get food. I can't even fault her. I kept that man in my life, too."

"Sid was abusive." Daniel said. "I've heard it's hard to walk away from abusers."

"Can't explain it," Johnny said. "Even if I've been there. Hell, I accepted Kreese into Cobra Kai. I don't know why I did it."

Daniel squeezed him close and kissed the top of his head. "I shouldn't have left you. I thought you'd be fine. You were the biggest badass around. Or so I thought."

Johnny turned around to face Daniel and took his wrists. "Hey. There's no guarantee you would've been able to do anything. What would you have done?"

"I don't know. Brought you to stay with me. Not let you be alone?" Daniel said. "Anything is better than leaving someone I really admired to suffer."

"We're adults now, and you're not leaving me now." Johnny kissed Daniel's knuckles. "You don't know how bad I wanted to run from Sid today, or your cousin and Anoush. But I couldn't. I don't want to repeat past mistakes."

"Today, I wanted to hurt Sid so bad. I wanted to put him in the hospital for everything he did to you," Daniel said. "But half that anger was at myself."

"I thought about Sid ending up in the hospital so many times. But he always ends up fine," Johnny said. He pressed his nose to Daniel's. "But what's this about me not being the biggest badass around?"

"Okay," Daniel laughed, pulling back. "I misspoke."

"Misspoke?" Johnny raised his brows. He rolled Daniel onto his back and straddled him. All this frustration, all the pain of the last few days, and Johnny wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the touch of the man who loved him.

Daniel was hard beneath him, the moonlight illuminating his hungry grin. "I think I'm feeling up to it finally, if you are."

"Hell yeah!" Even though he was nervous, this was just what Johnny wanted to hear. Anticipation outweighed nerves. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and cast it aside.

Daniel leaned up onto his elbows and rolled over, taking Johnny with him, and turning him onto his back with Daniel between his legs. Not that Johnny had resisted. He wanted Daniel, all of him, even if it'd hurt at first.

Johnny lifted his hips to pull off his sweatpants and boxers. Why was he even bothering to sleep in clothes? It wasn't like he got cold between the blankets and Daniel.

He reached up to unbutton Daniel's nightshirt. Johnny shouldn't be the only one exposed. Johnny didn't mind being naked, but he wanted to touch Daniel, too. He loved Daniel's solid chest, how warm it felt and that bit of padding on his pecs that made him just a little soft.

"Johnny, are you sure?" Daniel panted, leaning into Johnny's palms.

"I've just been waiting on you." Johnny gave him a lightheaded smile.

Daniel leaned over to retrieve a bottle of lubrication from the nightstand. Real lube.

"This is probably going to hurt," Daniel said.

"I'll deal with it," Johnny said. "Now stop wasting time."

He had no doubt this would be wickedly uncomfortable. But then, it would probably feel even better than Daniel's fingers. It didn't matter, because Johnny was ready for that next step. He wanted to be closer to Daniel, to feel his cock inside him.

Daniel gave him a lusty grin before his fingers dipped inside. Johnny moaned, his cock jerking in anticipation of relief. Finally, finally Daniel would truly make love to him. He felt like he'd waited ages for this.

The phone rang - Johnny's, not Daniel's. They both stared at the glowing rectangle on Johnny's nightstand.

"It's not one of your contacts," Daniel said.

For all Johnny knew, it could be Robby calling from the police station, or maybe Regina had done something really stupid.

Just a few seconds later, Daniel's phone rang. Something was definitely wrong.