axel's gf

You should’ve known it wasn’t over.

From the moment Axel let you go, from the way his dark, knowing smile followed you even as you ran to your brother’s side, you should have known.

But it wasn’t until the messages started—

Then the notes.

Then the warnings.

That you understood.

Axel wasn’t done with you.

He was just getting started.

At first, it was subtle.

A text. "You shouldn’t ignore me, Y/N. It’s not nice."

A note in your locker. "I did this for us. You’ll see."

Then, things started disappearing—your water bottle, your extra jacket, even your bracelet. And then, one night, when you went to grab your bag after practice, you found it neatly placed on the bench… but your phone was missing.

When you finally got it back, you realized why.

Because Axel had gone through it.

Your messages, your photos—everything.

And then, the final straw—

A picture, sent from an unknown number.

A photo of you, taken from behind.

From earlier that day.

It wasn’t a threat. There were no words attached.

Just proof.

Proof that he was watching.

You found him outside the dojo, leaning against his car like he had all the time in the world. He looked up as you stormed toward him, a lazy smirk already in place.

"Missed me?"

You slapped him. Hard.

His head barely turned from the force, but his smirk dropped.

"You’re insane," you seethed. "Stay away from me, Axel."

He let out a low chuckle, rubbing his jaw. "Come on, princess. That’s not how you should talk to your boyfriend."

"You are not my boyfriend."

Axel sighed dramatically, pushing off his car. "Not yet."

Your stomach twisted. "This isn’t a joke, Axel! You’re stalking me, stealing my stuff, threatening my friends—"

"Threatening?" He scoffed. "I haven’t touched them. Yet."

You took a shaky step back. His eyes darkened at the movement.

"You’re scared of me now?" His voice dropped to a whisper, something almost hurt in his tone. "You never used to be."

"Because I didn’t know what you were," you shot back. "But I do now."

He stared at you for a long moment. Then, slowly, he smiled. But this one was different.

It wasn’t cocky.

It wasn’t amused.

It was certain.

"You’re mine, Y/N," he murmured. "Even if you don’t see it yet."

You turned on your heel, shoving down the panic clawing at your chest. You needed to leave. You needed out.

But as you walked away, you heard his voice one last time—

Soft.

Confident.

Inevitable.

"You can run, princess. But I’ll always catch you."

You barely made it three steps before he grabbed you.

A yelp tore from your throat as Axel yanked you back, his grip iron-clad around your wrist. Your body slammed into his chest, and before you could shove him away, his free hand curled around your throat—gently, almost reverently.

"You don’t get it, do you?" Axel murmured, tilting his head as if you were some fragile thing he needed to fix.

Your heart slammed against your ribs. "Let go of me."

His fingers flexed, not quite squeezing—just enough to remind you that he could.

Could what? Hurt you? No. Axel wasn’t interested in breaking you.

He wanted to own you.

"I’ve been so patient," he whispered, dragging his knuckles along your jaw, his touch sickeningly tender. "So good. I gave you space, let you pretend you had a choice." His thumb traced your lips, and his eyes went dark with something dangerous. "But you keep running, princess. And that’s just…" He exhaled sharply. "So. Fucking. Rude."

You struggled, shoving against him with all your strength. "I don’t belong to you, Axel!"

He laughed.

Not the kind that was amused.

The kind that was off.

The kind that sent ice down your spine.

"You still don’t get it," he breathed, pressing his forehead against yours. His voice softened to a near-whisper, his lips ghosting over your ear.

"You always belonged to me."

Then, before you could even think—

The world flipped.

Your back slammed into the car, knocking the breath from your lungs. Axel's hands were everywhere—gripping your wrists, pinning you down, pressing his body flush against yours as he caged you in.

"Do you know what you did to me?" His voice shook—not with fear, but obsession. "You made me need you, Y/N. You smiled at me. You touched me. You looked at me like I was human." His lips curled into something feral. "But then you rejected me."

His fingers dug into your skin.

"And now," he murmured, "I have to remind you what happens… when people take things from me."

A cold shiver ripped through you. "Axel, please—"

"Shh, don’t beg yet," he crooned. "Not when I haven’t even started."

Your breath hitched. "Started what?"

Axel leaned in, his lips brushing your ear.

"Taking you back."

And then—

You are alone in the room. Axel hasn't returned from his last training yet, and although your mind is occupied with thoughts about the event, something continues to trouble you. It's the same feeling you've had for weeks, ever since you started noticing the small changes in Axel. The way he looks at you, how he touches you, how he claims you as his own. It's not that it bothers you, but... it makes you wonder how far he's willing to go.

You are standing by the window, looking at the hotel streets, when the door swings open. The figure of Axel enters, his gaze fixed on you, and for a second, the rest of the world fades away.

With his karate uniform on and his defiant attitude. you can't help but notice the intensity of his presence. You know him well, and you know that kind of look is not casual. Something is happening.

"What are you doing here? " his voice is low but clear. It's not a kind question. It's an accusation, you turn around, surprised, but not enough to miss the dangerous glint in his eyes. A glint that intensifies when he sees you're alone. As if he felt jealous, possessive, even without knowing what for.

"I was just waiting for you to come back," you respond calmly, although your heart beats faster as you see them approaching.

"Waiting for me?" he repeats, letting out a dry laugh, you looked at him without understanding. "I saw you in the lobby".

You turn around, feeling the discomfort wash over your body. You haven't done anything wrong, but for some reason, the way Axel looks at you now makes you feel like you're trapped in something much bigger than yourself.

" I was just talking" you respond quickly, trying to downplay the situation. You know that Axel doesn't usually show jealousy so obviously.

but something in his attitude makes you think that this time will be different.

Axel steps forward, his dark eyes fixed on yours. There is something dangerous in his gaze, a kind of control that seems to have awakened within him. The air in the room becomes thick, and you feel a knot in your stomach.

"With a Cobra Kai guy?" The way he says those words sends shivers down your spine, there's a hint of disdain, of something you don't like, as if he couldn't stand the idea of seeing you talk to someone from that dojo. "And what were they talking about?"

The tone of his voice is lower, almost as if he were controlling something within himself. Axel takes another step towards you, and you feel the tension in your body as you notice the distance between you both shrinking.

"Axel, it's not what you think" , you try to justify yourself, but he interrupts you with a brusque gesture.

"Don't lie to me" his eyes don't leave yours, and you can see how his jaw tightens. The silence that follows is dense, uncomfortable. "You were smiling with him, talking as if everything was fine. Do you like that? Do you like it when another guy pays attention to you?"

The question is direct, brutal. You remain silent, unable to respond. His attitude is possessive, and for some reason, you feel like you can't escape his gaze. Axel is not a jealous guy by nature, but today is different. Today, his desire to control everything seems to overflow.

" Is that what you want?" he continues, and now his words have a harshness they never had before.

you had heard in him. "What other guys look at you? Because st is ast, so I'm doing the things wrong".

Before you can react, Axel quickly approaches and firmly grabs your wrist, pulling you towards him. His face is so close to yours that you can see the fire in his eyes. The contact of his hand on your skin makes you shiver, and although you know you are in an uncomfortable situation, something in HIS strength in that intensity makes you feel. captivated.

"You are mine. Only mine" his voice is so low and hoarse that it sends shivers down your spine. You don't know if it's a threat or a promise, but fear and excitement mix in your stomach. "I don't want to see another guy near you, do you understand? No one else has the right to look at you like that".

Your mind is blank, your words caught in your throat. The idea of me confronting you like that

way, that demands you to be only theirs, it invades you. You don't know if it's a feeling of threat or of

desire, but something within you responds to its call

"Axel..." you whisper, but he doesn't let you continue.

With a swift movement, he pulls you towards him, crushing your lips against his in a wild kiss. It's not a tender kiss, it's not a kiss of affection. It's fierce, demanding.

As if he were claiming something he considers his own, you are left breathless, but something inside you doesn't want him to stop. The force with which he kisses you makes you feel completely trapped, but, at the same time, it excites you. Something in that possessiveness envelops you, makes you feel that, in some way, he is showing how much he desires you.

No matter what happens, he wants you to know: you are his.

When they finally part, their eyes lock onto yours, filled with a determination that takes your breath away.

" I don't want to see you near anyone else. Only I have the right to touch you, to kiss you. No one else".

Your words get caught in your throat as you look into their eyes. You feel his control over you, you feel how he has you in his hands, and although a part of you knows you should resist, another part simply doesn't want to.

"Do you need me to remind you who you are?" he asks, his tone relentless

Your breathing becomes faster, each heartbeat echoing in your ears. For a moment, you wonder if you should speak, resist, defend yourself from the way he is looking at you, but something in his gaze paralyzes you. That mix of power and certainty envelops you, and although you feel the need to react, it costs you much more than you expected. And without thinking any further, you respond: "Y-yes..."

His hands lifted your dress enough to expose your legs and your panties. His lips found your neck, tracing your ear as he rubbed your clitoris through the fabric of your panties. "You are mine".

Another moan escaped your lips. You wanted nothing more than his hands on you, to touch you for real. Axel smiles at the sound of your moans. "Do you like that?"

"Yes..."

"Fine" He continues kissing your neck before pulling away, "You thought you could talk to another man" his hands tore your underwear from your body, making you gasp.

He smiled at your expression of surprise, his dark and intense eyes as he touched your folds again, making a moan escape your lips. He ran his fingers over you before stopping at your clitoris, rubbing it slowly. He watched your face, listened to your moans, teased you, and withdrew his hand.

You let out a frustrated noise "Axel..."

Axel looks at you with a smug expression "Yes, baby?"

"Please..."

He raises an eyebrow at your plea. He was enjoying provoking you too much, he didn't want to give in so easily. His hand brushed against you very lightly again. "What, please?" you moaned again. "Use your words," he whispered as he continued rubbing you, but without letting you reach that sweet release, his movements were slow and steady.

"Please..." you say with a moan.

"Please, what? You're going to have to tell me what you want" keep rubbing your clitoris slowly, loving how desperate you were.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your voice: "...let me finish"

He smiled at your request, his fingers rubbing a little faster "Do you want to come?" you nod, your eyes showing how desperate you are "Beg for it" his lips near your ear as he whispers.

"Please, Axel... please" you begin to feel your orgasm building.

Axel smiles at your plea, his fingers rubbing even faster, making you moan a little louder. "Please, what? You have to be specific"

"Please, let me finish... please" your voice sounded so desperate that I had never heard you like that before.

He leaned in even closer, his hand paused, and he whispered in your ear again: "Say you're mine."

A sound of frustration escaped you again when he stopped. "I am yours. Please..."

He smiles at your words, his hand begins to move again. "That's right. You are mine. No one else can touch you".

His hand finally starts moving faster, giving you what you wanted. He rubbed your clitoris faster, applying a bit more pressure, and within seconds, he watched you unravel. Your legs trembled with the force of your orgasm.

"We haven't finished yet" I drag you with him to the bed, laying you down while you anxiously waited for him to undress.

His hand placed itself between their bodies, holding his penis as he positioned himself at your entrance. He wasn't gentle when he pushed inside you, making you moan.

Axel's hips began to move at a fast and strong pace, pouring all his frustration onto you.

"You are mine. Do you understand that?" you nod.

"I'm yours" you say, moaning.

He leans in and whispers in your ear "That's right, you're mine. All mine. No one else can touch you. No one else can make you feel this way".

The situation and the way he was gripping you tightly was too much, and soon your walls began to tighten around his cock. Your moans began to grow louder and more frequent until you finally had an orgasm.

His movements began to become more erratic and uneven, and feeling you cum around him that way was his breaking point. He let out a moan when he finally came inside you.

They stood there, in silence for a few seconds, trying to catch their breath. "Are you okay?" You nodded.

"Wasn't I too harsh?"

"No, of course not. I was very well" .

"Well, I wouldn't want to hurt you"

"You didn't" you looked at him before speaking again "You know I love you, right? I don't want you to feel like I was doing something wrong, it's just... he asked me something and I didn't want to be rude"

Axel smiled at your words "I love you too"

"But..."

"But?" Axel looked at you alarmed.

"Maybe I should make you jealous again if you're going to catch me like this."

"Don't even think about it, if you want sex like that you just have to ask" he gave you a kiss on the forehead.

being in barcelona was a dream. you were grateful that you were able to tag along with the miyagi do's. sensei larusso and sensei lawerence always liked you, especially johnny. being miguel's best friend is a privilege you were happy to have. sure, it came with a lot of drama but it also came with a protector, a group of friends, and some karate skills.

plus, being miyagi do's water girl wasn't a bad deal for being flown out to barcelona.

you were enjoying being on the inside of all the events while not needing to fight. the first couple of rounds you seen were intense. being around all these powerful people made you a little nervous but you had hope nothing terrible would happen like the rumble at west valley. these weren't angry teenagers fueled off drama and angst, they're athletes. aspiring professionals.

after miyagi do managed to stay in the game by the skin of their teeth, everyone was getting ready to go out. sam was talking your and devons ear off about spain and all the things her and miguel were going to do in their freetime when there was a knock at the door. you got up from your spot at the vanity and opened it to see miguel.

he was distressed, foot anxiously tapping with a hand through his hair. "is sam in here?"

"yeah, sam." you waved her over to the door. "you good, miggy?" miguel opened his mouth to speak and his eyes immediately welled up with tears. "what's wrong?"

"my mom..." his voice shook as he took sam in his arms for a hug. "something's wrong with the baby, i need to go back home." he spoke, voice muffled by sams hair.

"of course." you nodded. "is there anything we can do?"

he only shook his head and hugged sam harder.

"miguel." johnny said from the end of the hallway and beckoned him.

miguel let sam go and gave you a quick but tight hug before taking off. you and sam share an uneasy look before going back inside the room.

"miguel's going back home? sensei too?" devon asked and the two of you nodded.

"i need a drink." you said, grabbing your purse.

***

at the bar, everyone just seemed to take the gloominess with them. knowing miguel was struggling made it impossible to have fun.

"what are we going to do now that miguel's gone?" devon asked hawk and demitri.

"we could always have y/n take his spot?" hawk said, giving you a look over like he was sizing you up.

you scoffed. "yeah right, i wasn't even good enough to fight for a spot in the sekai tekai. getting my ass kicked on the world stage isn't on my bucket list."

"i'm serious." hawk said. "if they can't get kenny, you're next up. so don't black out this time." hawk pointed at your drink, remembering the time you got blackout drunk and threw up all over the inside of his car at one of moons parties.

"i'd prefer drunk y/n over kenny any day." demitri started. "at least she didn't shit her pants."

"oooookay." you stood up, taking your empty glass with you. "i'm getting another drink." you saw the way they were looking at you. "my last one. i don't think you guys will need me but if you do, i'll be ready. i promise."

you walked over to the bar, where sam and robby were sitting. "hey."

"hey." sam said and robby only nodded.

"what's with him?" you noticed robby's bad mood as soon as you walked up.

"maybe you can help." sam stood up, taking her cup with her. "i'm gonna go sit with the others for a sec, see if miguel still has service."

"okay." you nodded, taking sams spot at the bar. "what's wrong?"

"everything." robby sighed. "i need a drink."

you wanted to tell him not to, that it wouldn't solve anything but you knew that he already knew.

"get one, whatever you want. i got us for the first round." you took some cash from your pocket. "hey, can i get a mai tai and..."

"a rum and coke. double. please." robby asked and the bartender nodded, getting to work on your drinks.

"it's one of those nights, huh?" he only nodded, peering at the other edge of the bar for a moment before scoffing and turning back to you.

"yeah." you looked down to where he had just looked, to see tory and kwon sitting besided each other. kwon had an arm around her shoulders and was whispering something in her ear.

"i'm sorry robby. she's gonna come around, i know she is."

"i don't know. she's doing better without me." robby took a sip of his drink and looked down to where tory was sitting. kwon had separated from her but was still close. "and i'm here." he looked at his drink. "thanks by the way."

"it's not good to drink alone. especially when you're down." you nodded, taking a sip of your drink. "also, i missed out on the robby who smoked weed and skated everywhere. i hear he was kinda fun."

"i still skate everywhere." he said with a small laugh. "just not a skate rat anymore."

"yeah, you're the captain now." you gently nudged his shoulder. "i don't know how that feels exactly, the pressure, but i do know that you're gonna make everyone back home proud. especially tory."

"i hope so." he took another drink and eventually, his was gone.

"i know so. she's been watching every one of your fights."

robby cringed a little bit. "knowing i've lost every one of my fights definitely makes me feel lame."

"you're still in it. there's still tomorrow." you took another sip of your drink.

robby nodded. "i'm gonna go to the bathroom."

you nodded in return, looking over your shoulder to see hawk on his phone, sam and devon talking, and demitri dancing with a girl. when you turned back to where robby was sitting, kwon was in his seat.

"hi."

"hello." you were playing with your straw.

"what are you drinking?"

"a mai tai." your responses were dry but kwon wasn't backing off.

"do you want to dance?" he offered his hands but you shook your head, backing away a little.

"no, thanks."

"what? you're only miyagi do's little girlfriend? not for the rest of us?" kwon leaned in closer. "i can treat you better than keene."

"leave me alone, kwon."

"hey." robby's voice came from behind you.

kwon only scoffed and backed up. "someone's waiting for me anyways." he stood up. "i promise i'll keep her warm tonight, keene." he said before leaving the bar.

"are you okay?"

"i need some air." you stood up and went outside, leaving your friends at the bar. you felt bad for leaving robby alone but you couldn't be there anymore.

you felt the effects of the alcohol as you walked down to the beach. your head was spinning. you stopped and took a seat near the shore, sighing as you looked out to the water.

and then you saw him.

axel kovacevic.

he had been destroying his opponents on the mat. nobody's been able to land a point on him. he was one of the strongest competitors. he was stoic too, especially now as he was practicing his kata about 10 feet away from you. in the moonlight, by the ocean, with the alcohol making your perspective soft, he wasn't robotic. he was focused. until he caught you staring at him.

you made eye contact and immediately looked down at your lap. you waited about 5 seconds to check if he was still looking and he was full on staring. it was awkward. he wasn't looking at you as a threat, but with curiosity.

the two of you observed each other for a silent minute before you decided to say something. "hi." you waved and he didn't say anything in return. "you're axel right?" he nodded. "i'm y/n. i liked the kata you were doing."

"i'm not supposed to speak with opponent." he turned away from you and you stood up.

"i'm not your opponent. i'm not even fighting in the tournament. more like, emergency backup." you smiled, watching the corner of his lips tug upwards.

"why aren't you fighting?" he asked curiously, taking a step closer to you.

"i'm not really a fighter like my friends are." you shrugged. "you're great though."

"i'm alright." he leaned over to pick up his shirt and revealed bruises on his back. the sight made you wince.

"what happened?"

"bo staff competition."

"nobody has been able to land a point on you yet." you looked at him and he had a sort of an embarrassed look. "i know about... your sensei. one of my friends saw. it's not right. you should be out with your team, not practicing alone."

"there's always time for practice. my sensei wants me to be the best. it's because of him i never lose."

"doesn't make it right." you responded. "your entire dojo is pretty great though, i have to admit."

"you're pretty." axel stopped himself. your face was on fire and so was his. "your dojo's pretty good too."

"thanks. do you wanna walk with me? back to the hotel?" you asked, rocking on your heels. axel looked around and nodded and you both took off into the night.

"how long have you been fighting for?" you asked.

"ever since i was a kid. what about you?"

"only a couple years. after one of my friends got really hurt, i decided i had to get serious about learning. he had been teaching me some stuff but when it happened i just had to join a dojo. it was actually... cobra kai."

axel looked at you in disbelief. "you were in cobra kai?"

"yeah. after miguel got hurt, i was really angry and i took it out on everyone."

"miguel..."

"he was the original cobra kai." you remembered when miguel excitedly showed you his first gi. "it's a long story though. those sensei's, silver. they put me and all my friends through hell. so i know what its like to have a sensei do anything to make you the best, even hurt you."

axel couldn't say anything, he could only look at you with wonder. "is that why you don't fight anymore?"

"kind of. i don't know. i'm just not as angry as i used to be. i feel like my anger was the only reason i was ever good and i don't wanna live like that." you shrugged.

"i understand." he nodded. "i love karate but i don't want to be a robot all the time." you shook your head and opened your mouth to speak but he interrupted. "i hear what everyone says. they call me a monster, a machine. sometimes i just want to be axel." you nodded, this time you didn't have anything to say. "that's why i like to travel. i get to disappear in each city whenever i'm not fighting."

"how many cities have you been to?"

"a lot." he chuckled and listed all the cities and countries he's been to. you listened in awe. "what about you?"

"i've never really left california." you responded. "but after being here, i'd love to see everything. the sagrada familia makes me feel small but not in a scary way. it's like a monument to the great things humans can do."

"how cute!" a familiar voice interrupted. "little rival team playtime, huh?" kwon and another cobra kai came from around the corner. "thought you were only for miyagi do to play with."

"and i thought i told you to leave me alone." you tried to push past them but they blocked the path. you could smell the alcohol on kwons breath as he spoke. "just let us go."

"what's the magic word?" kwon asked, leaning in closer to you.

"move." you responded bluntly, not wanting anything else to do with this.

"wrong." kwon scoffed and shook his head. he glanced over your shoulder and you were sure someone was behind you.

"we just want to go back to the hotel." you weren't planning on giving kwon what he wanted.

"okay. you can go, only if you say please." kwon was in your face again, smug smile plastered on his face.

before you knew it, the other cobra kai kicked axel. it barely affected him as he shot into action to defend the both of you.

"come on, hit me. show me why they brought you here." kwon tapped his cheek and you were about to raise your arm when you were grabbed from behind. you elbowed whoever grabbed you multiple times before being able to slither out and kick him across the face. at the same time, axel shoved the other cobra kai into kwon. "okay come on. i'll take you both."

the sound of sirens took everyone but kwon out of the fight. he was still pressing axel and had to be taken away by his teammates.

"come on, let's go."

the two of you bolted back to the beach. after catching your breath, you started laughing a little.

"what?" axel asked.

"that guy kicked you and you barely moved. you have a strong base."

axel looked away from you, a smile spreading across his face. "thanks. that was a nice roundhouse."

"thanks, axel." you smiled at him and then looked out at the ocean. when you looked back at him, he was staring. no, he was admiring you. "what?"

axel said nothing, he only reached to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear. his hand brushed against your face and you leaned into the touch.

and then he kissed you.

and you kissed him back. it was perfect. he was cradling your face with one hand, pulling you closer by your waist with the other. his mouth moved against yours softly and romantically. it was sweet. he didn't want anything other than to kiss you and you were happy to oblige and let yourself be putty in his hands.

but then your head started spinning again. you pulled away abruptly, taking a deep breath as you came up for air. the alcohol, the running, and the kissing were all making you dizzy. "axel i-."

"i'm sorry, i should go. already after curfew." axel took off running down the beach.

"What are you guys doing?" You ask setting your gym bag down on the grass. When Robby lands a point on Miguel, they step back from each other.

"Come see for yourself," Robby says with a slight smirk, sliding the goggles up to rest on his forehead.

You make your way up the steps, letting the blonde boy dress you in the weird gadgets.

"They're virtual reality goggles," Demetri explains as Robby strapped you in around your legs and hands. "We're able to upload each other's fighting moves and routines allowing you to fight anyone we program in here."

Robby slips the goggles over your eyes, everything still where it's supposed to be with Miguel standing in front of you.

"Miguel is wearing the headphones that tell him what moves to throw out so he can mimic your ideal opponent."

Small green lettering was typed up on the sides, 'bbrROS' credited on the right side of what you were seeing.

"It's just Miguel—" you begin to say but suddenly your heart stopped at the sight in front of you.

Axel stood across from you, his usual serious expression softened by the amused tilt of his lips as he waved at you. Your boyfriend, your secret boyfriend, stood across from you in his white gi.

"Uh, Y/n… you okay?" You could hear Miguel’s voice, distant outside of the simulation.

You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks as your mind scrambled.

"Yeah! Totally fine!" You blurted out, shaking the tension out of your body before forcing yourself into a fighting stance. "Let's go."

"Alright," Axel smirks holding his hands up ready for you to strike first.

You tried not feel ridiculous as you and Axel began to circle each other, knowing the boys were watching along with your other two friends.

You're normally quick and calculated, but in this moment? Miguel disguised as your current lover was throwing you for a loop.

"Why do you keep smiling?" Sam asked in real life, her voice pulling you back for a second. "You never smile when we fight."

Oh god, stay cool, Y/n.

"It's just, um, really realistic, very impressive," you laugh nervously, trying to cover being flustered.

You take a step, almost hesitating before throwing a strike, but in the VR, Axel dodged smoothly, his smirk growing.

Your stomach flipped. They know. They totally know.

“What’s wrong?” Miguel’s voice asked, but all she could see was Axel’s teasing expression.

This is so unfair.

You sucked in a breath and went for a kick which VR Axel (Miguel) caught it effortlessly. "You sure you’re focused?"

Hawk narrowed his eyes at the stutter stepping girl. "Why are you standing so close?"

You barely registered that in the VR, Axel had stepped forward, looking down at you with that infuriatingly soft gaze he always gave when no one else was watching.

Miguel crossed his arms. “Dude, you’re totally blushing.”

Robby leaned in. “And mumbling.”

Tory gasped. “Did you just giggle?”

As the team drilled you with questions, Axel made his way into the backyard of the dojo seeing you dressed in a technical get up, sparring around with Miguel.

"What's that?" Axel comes up to Hawk and Demetri seeing his face on the laptop. "Is that...me?"

Demetri nodded, his eyes still glued to the screen. "Yup. We programmed Miguel to look like whoever we want. And right now she see's you!"

Axel’s brows furrowed as he leaned in, watching your flustered movements. He’d seen you fight countless times, but never like this; hesitant, distracted, downright nervous.

His gaze flickered to the screen, where a near-perfect digital version of himself smirked at you. The way you kept staring, shifting on your feet, biting your lip. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out.

"She looks like she’s in a daze," Sam giggles watching your distracted state. "I think Y/n might have a crush on our boy here."

"You think so?" Axel asks suppressing a shit eating grin.

"Oh you know something," Tory raises an eyebrow. He shrugs, dropping his backpack before walking over to the deck.

He gestures quietly to Miguel for the headset, switching before Y/n can notice.

While Miguel and Axel switched places, you were still desperately trying to shake off the distraction. Going for another kick, VR Axel blocked it smoothly.

Then, without warning, he stepped closer. Your breath caught in your throat, his face lingering close to yours.

"Miguel, move—"

"Having fun, sweetheart?" Axel's voice rang through your ear.

You froze.

That was Axel’s voice.

Your pulse pounded in your ears. He switched with Miguel. That meant—Oh god.

He was actually standing in front of you now. Inside the simulation, Axel took another slow step forward.

You instinctively took a step back, but your virtual surroundings remained the same, his intense gaze locking onto you like he had all the time in the world.

"Wh-when did you—?" you stammered.

"About thirty seconds ago," Axel mused, raising a brow. You so desperately want to reach out for his touch, but then remember the amount of eyes around you.

Your boyfriend begins to reach out for you, when you take another step back from him with a frown.

"What about?..." You vaguely gesture to your teammates afraid they might catch on to what you've been hiding.

"They already know," Axel murmurs closing the distance between you again.

"Oh," you swallowed, your heart still pounding in your chest. "I just didn't want things to change."

"They won't," your boyfriend reassures you, his hand reaching for yours, softly intertwining your fingers causing your friends to perk up. "In fact, all of them are smiling."

Axel uses his pointer finger to slowly tilt your head back, his face only centimeters away from yours.

"You don't have to hide anymore," he whispered before capturing yours lips with his, right there, in the middle of the simulation.

Your entire body jolted as warmth flooded through you. Your hands flew up to his chest on instinct, eyes fluttering shut.

An eruption of collective gasps filled the air, causing you to pull back from Axel, a blushing mess. He gently lifts the goggles off your eyes, your gaze finally meeting his.

"Now it all makes sense," Miguel says nudging Robby's side.

"You two, are too cute!" Sam grins staring up at you both with giddiness while Tory smirked knowingly, arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh my god, this is why you were acting so weird?" Hawk cackled. "Dude, you were blushing so hard, I thought you were about to pass out."

You smiled softly, wrapping an arm around Axel's waist.

Demetri shook his head in amusement. "Honestly, the signs were all there. The longing stares, the weird tension, this—" he gestured between you and Axel. "We should’ve figured it out sooner."

"How long have you two been together?" Robby asks as you and Axel made your way down the deck.

"Maybe two months," you shrug fully removing the headset as Axel moved around you to help strip you out of the gear.

"Two months?!" Miguel repeated, eyes wide. "And none of us noticed?"

Axel smirked, unstrapping the last of the gear with ease. "Guess we're just that good."

"Or we're just that oblivious," Demetri muttered.

Tory nudged Sam with a knowing look. "I knew it. I knew something was up."

Sam grinned. "I thought she was getting suspiciously soft on him."

"I was not!" You respond with a frown crossing your arms over your chest.

"Right, you blushing and giggling up there was you not being soft," Hawk teases you.

Axel wraps his long arms around your shoulders from behind you, tugging you into his chest as you grumbled under your breath.

"Whatever, don't listen to them," Robby waves his hand to dismiss Hawk. "Congrats, guys."

"Seriously, we're happy for you two," Miguel wishes.

You let out a deep breath, your boyfriend pressing a firm kiss to the top of your head.

"See, everything's fine," Axel reassures you as your friends move on and start strapping up Tory with the simulation. You lean back in his hold, your hands coming to grab at his forearms.

"At least now we can kiss whenever we like," you smile. Axel's chest hits your back as he lets out a laugh.

you brushed it off at first. axel had always been protective. he said it was because he knew what people were really like— how they used and discarded others when it suited them. you didn't want to believe that.

but then came the glares. the cold, sharp eyes watching every interaction you had. the way his jaw clenched whenever someone so much as smiled at you. the way his mood soured whenever you laughed at someone else's joke.

then the words.

"we're leaving soon, don't get to close"

"they're pretending to be nice, they're trying to get to me"

"i'm the only one who understands you"

at first, you tried to ignore it. axel had always been intense— possessive, even —but he had his reasons. he didn't trust easily, and he never let his guard down. but now, that wasn't just directed at his opponents in the tournament. it was now aimed at anyone who got too close to you.

it started off small. a hand on your wrist when you lingered too long in a conversation. a sharp look when miguel or hawk cracked a joke that made you laugh. the way he always seemed to position himself between you and someone else. like an unspoken barrier.

at first, the others found it ammusing.

"man, your boyfriend's intense," hawk had said nudging miguel after axel all but dragged you away from a conversation. "you sure he let's you breathe?" miguel had given you a sympathetic glance, but he didn't push. sam, on the other hand, did.

"you know that you can talk to whoever you want, right?" she asked one afternoon when axel had stepped away for a minute, due to his sensei wanting to have a conversation with him.

"i know," you had said, but the words felt hollow. because deep down, you knew it wasn't about permission. it was about him. about the way axel saw the world— how he believed people couldn't be trusted. and more than anything, it was about his fear of losing you.

but it couldn't go on like this.

that night, after most of the competitors had gone back to their rooms, you found him outside, leaning against the railing of the balcony of your shared rooms. the bright active city lights reflected in his eyes, but his expression was unreadable.

"you're mad," he said before you could even open your mouth. "i'm frustrated," you corrected, stepping closer. "axel... you have to stop this. i want to be here with you, but i can't do that if you keep pushing everyone else away." his grip tightened on the railing. "i'm not pushing them away. i'm protecting you."

"from what?" you asked, starting to get irritated. "from people being nice to me? from me finally being able to have the chance to make friends?"

he turned to face you then, his gaze sharp but conflicted. "people lie. they act friendly, they pretend to care— but in the end, they always let you down." his voice was steady, but there was something beneath it. something raw. "not everyone," you said softly, reaching for his hand. "not me."

for a moment, he didn't move. then, slowly, his fingers curled around yours, his grip firm, but not forceful. "i don't want to lose you," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "you won't," you promised. "but you have to trust me the way I trust you."

axel exhaled sharply, looking away. you could tell it wasn't easy for him, to let go of control. but after a moment, he nodded. "...alright," he muttered. "but if they give me a reason to not trust them—"

"i know," you interrupted, a small smile tugging at your lips. "you'll be watching." a smirk ghosted across his face, and for the first time in a while. his presence didn't feel suffocating. it felt grounding.

— extra scene funny and cute!! (y/n and axel are sitting with miyagi do in this scenario and they have a good relationship with them in this scene.)

the shift in axel hadn't gone noticed. while he still had his moments—hovering nearby whenever someone got a little too friendly—he wasn’t shutting you off from the rest of the world anymore.

during a lunch with all the teams in the tournament, miguel nudged hawk and nodded toward the two of you. “dude, i think your little intervention worked.” hawk smirked, taking a bite of his food. “told you. y/n just had to remind him that she’s her own person, and won’t go anywhere.” hawk replied quietly.

demetri, who had been wary of axel ever since the tense standoff, finally realized enough to sit at the same table again. “so, we’re actually allowed to talk to you now?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.

axel shot him a look, but there’s no hostility behind it. “don’t push it.” tory leaned back in her chair, smirking. “hey, progress is progress.”

even sam, who has been quietly observing, gave a small nod of approval. “it’s nice to see you with us instead of watching from a distance.”

you squeezed axel’s hand under the table, and for once, he didn’t flinch away from the attention. instead, he met your gaze, a silent understanding passing between you.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧