ᴵᵀ'ˢ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏karate ᵀᴵᴹᴱ ‎ᵎ

as all of his loved ones scattered back into the arena, he laid there in silence for a moment, letting the forced smile slip from his face. his leg continues to burn, a constant reminder of the match that had just unfolded, but it was nothing compared to the sting of losing again. fortunately, he never had to mask his pain in front of the boy standing next to him. robby’s eyes linger on the boy, something delicate in the way he looks at him now. ❝ yeah? ❞ robby says, his voice soft, almost like a question to himself more than to eli. the two had come a long way from their bitter rivalry. the anger they had towards each other ages ago seems to have faded, replaced with a quiet care for one another. though it's getting harder for him to ignore as time goes on. a slight grin pulls at his lips, ❝ you're stuck taking care of me now. you know that, right? i'm pretty high-maintenance. ❞

❝ look, nichols, i owe you an apology, ❞ the man said, his voice firm but filled with regret. the one who had always struggled to take accountability was finally trying to. he knew it had taken him far too long to get here, and he wouldn't blame her if she wanted nothing to do with his weak attempt at making things right. ❝ i was a shitty sensei, a shitty mentor... ❞ his eyes, once glued to the floor, now meet hers. ❝ i should've been there for you more. especially after your mom passed. ❞ because he understood. he understood the weight of loss, of feeling abandoned when you needed someone the most. ❝ i know i failed you. more than once. but i promise you, from this day forward, you can always count on me. ❞

❝ you're going to do great out there. ❞ daniel said, stepping forward to offer the boy his encouragement before the tournament ensues. this was a bittersweet moment. if this were the old him, back when he and johnny were at odds, he would've looked at miguel in that cobra kai gi with disdain. but now, seeing the young man stand before him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. he thinks back to the first moment he saw miguel. the night he stormed into johnny's dojo, automatically assuming the worst out of him for bringing cobra kai back. you shouldn’t believe a word this guy says, or you’ll end up exactly like him, he'd said. but for once in his life, daniel was glad the boy hadn't listened to him. ❝ no matter what happens, you should be proud of yourself, miguel. ❞ he places a comforting hand on miguel’s shoulder, giving it a gentle pat. ❝ we definitely are. ❞

❝ there was a time when you didn't have a mohawk? ❞ her voice is tinged with surprise, eyebrows raised at the thought. knowing there was a past where the hawk didn't sport his signature look seemed impossible to her. ❝ wow, ❞ she continued, shaking her head in disbelief. ❝ i just assumed that you came out of the womb looking like that. ❞ she laughs, clearly just teasing the older boy. truthfully, though, she was intrigued and wanted to know more about him before he became the person he is now. ❝ so, what was the old you like? was he just as cool and badass? ❞