#binary bros

Demetri takes the jabs when he first arrives, both verbally and physically. The other cobras have seen him at Miyagi-Do and they want to fuck with him. Want to test his limits to see just how far they can push Demetri. 

(Hawk almost wants to step in when he sees it. Demetri was always more of a crybaby than Hawk was when it came to the karate shit. Always crying to the fucking adults about everything. 

Hawk never cried to the adults about anything after joining Cobra Kai. He toughened himself up, made himself stronger. That was what you were supposed to do.)

Demetri takes it with grace, because he’s Demetri and even though he’s a whining bitch, he’s also somehow managed to fit himself in with the other cobras.

 It’s…weird. 

He ribs them back whenever they make comments about him, silver tongue as sharp as ever. It’s like he’s not even doing it for fun sometimes, like he’s cutting down the other cobras just to cut them down. 

Demetri never does it to Hawk though. Really, it seems like any of the shit Demetri gives the other cobras, he refuses to give to Hawk. 

It kind of pisses Hawk off. What do the other guys have that he doesn't? 

What, does Demetri think he's too soft? He's not. He's not fucking Eli who has to hide behind his sweaters and Demetri to get by. He's Hawk, who's kicked the shit out of people who used to spit in his face. 

He's not soft. And he doesn't need to be treated like he can't take it. 

Hawk tries to rib Demetri a little more after that. Tries to tease him like the rest of the guys do, elbows him just a little too hard to be an accident, demands Demetri be his sparring partner. 

Somehow Hawk feels like Demetri is holding back from him when they spar too. It's like he refuses to give his all and actually meet the challenge. 

Hawk isn't an idiot. He sees the way Demetri puts his all into every other fight he has. He sees the almost feral look Demetri has on his face whenever he spars the other cobras. 

(Demetri making Kyler bleed is a sight he'll never forget. 

Kyler had walked away clutching his nose and swearing after a flying tornado kick to the face. 

Hawk had been impressed as he was pissed. Why wasn’t that him? Why couldn’t that be him? Why did Demetri pull his punches like Hawk was going to fucking break?)

It all comes to a head when Kreese decides he’s going to take them out to the woods for some practice. It’s some kind of capture the flag thing. 

Frankly, Hawk thinks it’s stupid and super un-badass but whatever. Kreese wants them to do it and Hawk’s not going to argue. He probably wants them to do it for a reason, right? Probably something about knowing your enemy and all that bullshit. 

It takes Hawk a while to find who he’s looking for. 

Demetri isn’t even fighting anyone when Hawk finds him, just sitting on some log. 

Seriously? The asshole joins Cobra Kai and figures the best use of his time is to just sit on a fucking log? What the fuck is he doing, contemplating getting his ass kicked? 

Hawk approaches slowly and quietly, one hand flexed out in front of him. He’s going to get Demetri’s flag, he fucking promises that. 

“Did you follow me here?” 

Hawk jumps. 

Shit, has Demetri been watching him? Fucking impossible, the guy’s not even looking at him. 

“No,” Hawk says truthfully. 

He didn’t. He’d just walked far from the group since he hadn’t seen Demetri with any of them. He’d kind of been wondering where he’d gone. Apparently doing fucking nothing. 

Demetri turns around to face Hawk slowly, lazy smile on his face. He looks almost too relaxed right now. Just what kind of game is he playing?

“Y’know, I’d be just like Blofeld if I had a cat right now,” Demetri tells him out of nowhere. 

Hawk blinks a little. 

“I thought you hated those movies,” Hawk replies, because Demetri had. He kept talking about how unrealistic they were or how Sean Connery would always be a better James Bond than Daniel Craig. 

(“He’s classic! You can’t beat the classics,” Demetri had said like he wasn’t a regular consumer of every new season and adaptation of Doctor Who.)

Demetri shrugs, looking off to the side. 

“Not really the point, is it?” Demetri deadpans, causing a sort of prey-like feeling to well up inside Hawk. Which is fucking stupid considering the fact Hawk literally named himself after a bird of a prey, so he has no reason to fear Demetri of all people. 

Hawk doesn’t respond, because he doesn’t owe Demetri’s disrespect an actual response. 

Demetri suddenly stands up, stalking towards him. 

The way he walks is unmistakable. 

It’s the exact type of walk wolves get whenever they’re hunting prey. 

A shiver goes up Hawk’s spine. 

Demetri gets right in his space, using his mere inches of extra height to his advantage. Fuck, he’s way too close. He needs to back the fuck up. 

Hawk puts his hand up, pressing at the grey material of Demetri’s shirt. Demetri grabs his wrist. 

What the fuck? 

“Let go, man,” Hawk growls, glaring. He’s not going to let Demetri fucking intimidate him. 

Demetri only looks amused though, tightening his grip on Hawk’s wrist.

 It only hurts a little. 

Hawk doesn't even think as he throws his free hand forward to punch Demetri in the side, effectively dislodging Hawk from his grip. 

Demetri’s got this look on his face that Hawk has seen only in documentaries. 

It's the kind snakes get when they spot prey in the wild, only instinct and animalistic hunger driving their every move. 

Hawk can't help the way he starts breathing faster. 

Demetri moves toward him and Hawk moves back, fists raised. 

He feels messy, uncoordinated, unprepared. Nothing like the championship fighter he knows he can be. Knows he should be. 

Hawk parries Demetri’s punches as they come, Demetri too fast for him to actually fight back. Someone who was so sloppy just a few months ago should not be this fucking coordinated. 

That’s what Cobra Kai does to people though. It happened to Hawk too. 

He used to be just as sloppy, just as much of a skinny, useless kid. Just as small, unaware of all the power he had inside of him. Everything he could have been doing with his fists to protect himself. 

He shouldn’t be so surprised it happened to Demetri too. 

Hawk only stops walking when he almost slips, whipping his head over his shoulder. 

Behind him, a rocky cliff sits with miles and miles of trees below it. If Hawk were to slip off of it, he probably wouldn’t die. He’d probably just break his arm or get a concussion. Probably both, actually. 

Hawk turns around to face Demetri, who’s only getting closer and closer the more Hawk thinks about his options. Fuck, is Demetri really going to…? No, fuck, wait.

Hawk knows it’s cowardly, but he figures the smartest option right now is to probably run away. Run as fast and as far as he can before he gets pushed over a cliff.

His collar chokes him a bit as Demetri grabs his shirt and drags him to the edge and no, no, no. Shit. Shit, shit, he’s been caught. 

If Hawk fights, he falls. 

Something about the grin on Demetri’s face tells Hawk that he knows that already. 

He holds onto Demetri’s arm tightly. 

Hawk isn’t sure what to do. He’s not even fighting for a stupid fucking flag anymore, he’s fighting to not get seriously fucking injured. So fucking stupid. 

How does he play this in a way that doesn’t land him with a broken arm? Just what the fuck has gotten into Demetri? 

Shit, he has to be smart about this. He has to-

Wait. 

Demetri did always love the old him. The weak him. The one who would rather cry to his mom than actually fucking handle the problem. 

That’s how he’ll get him to let go. 

He’ll be Eli. Loser, stupid Eli. Pathetic, precious Eli. 

“Demetri,” he says softly, stupidly small and weak. “Demetri-”

“You’re not innocent, Eli,” Demetri cuts him off. 

The hair on Hawk’s arms raises. 

Demetri smirks at him, brown hair falling over his forehead. He could really use a haircut or something once they get back into civilization and away from this fucking cliff. 

“I’m not going to fall for you little Eli act,” Demetri tells him. “You can try it on someone else though. I’m sure Kyler would be more than happy to have his little Eli back.”

Hawk’s eyes widen. 

What the fuck is Demetri playing? The fuck is he-

Hawk scrambles to hang onto Demetri’s arm tighter as he lowers Hawk further back, staring up at Demetri.

The trees rustle faintly below. 

Fuck. 

There is a black hole where Hawk’s lungs used to be, no air making its way in or out. The pads of his fingers are sweaty and part of him is worried he may accidentally let go of Demetri in this state. 

He’s being so fucking weak and yet that recognition doesn’t stop the zipping of fear up his spine. 

“I miss Eli,” Demetri sighs out, shaking his head condescendingly. “He was just so nice and kind. So loyal. God, he was perfect until Cobra Kai fucking infected him.” 

Hawk rejects any notion that he was perfect before Cobra Kai. He was ugly and weird and soft, and those are the worst fucking things to be in a school full of teenaged sharks out for blood. 

“Fuck off,” Hawk spits. “Cobra Kai made me stronger, better-”

Hawk yelps as Demetri lets go of more of Hawk’s shirt, leaving him hanging further and further over the cliff. Hawk digs his nails into Demetri’s arm. 

He refuses to go like some fucking worm. 

“Save me the talk,” Demetri tells him, rolling his eyes. “You’re nothing more than a dog that follows orders, a puppet being led around by its strings. You were less pathetic playing DnD in my basement.” 

Hawk definitely fucking wasn’t, but fucking whatever. 

(He always played a cleric, because he wanted to help. Not like it fucking mattered in the long run.)

Demetri’s eyes go soft at the edges, his free hand coming up to cup Hawk’s cheek. Hawk wants to bite him. Hawk wants to tear his fingers off and spit them back at him. 

He settles for glaring at him. 

“Eli,” Demetri says softly, tone too condescending to even remotely trick Hawk. “Sweet Eli. I miss when you were more than just a dog. But I guess if you can let go of our friendship so easily…”

Demetri tips him further over the edge. 

Hawk digs his nails in harder, trying to still the tremors going through his body. He can’t fucking speak, not able to catch enough breath to fucking do so. 

“...I guess I should too.”

This is it. 

Demetri’s going to let him go. Demetri’s going to let him fall and hurt himself. Demetri’s going to make him feel the exact same pain he did when Hawk broke his arm. 

Hawk clenches his eyes, preparing himself for the fall and the imminent impact of the forest floor. 

But it never comes. 

Hawk peeks an eye open, solid ground beneath his feet once more as Demetri hauls him up. He’s smiling like an idiot, waving around the little flag Hawk had tucked into his belt loop. 

“Kidding,” Demetri sing-songs, turning around. “You’re out.” 

Hawk can only stare blankly after Demetri’s retreating form. It hadn’t even occurred to Hawk to try and take Demetri’s flag, too busy clinging for his fucking life. 

Hawk laughs a little, if only out of pure shock. His hands are still shaking. 

He jogs after Demetri, ready to go meet up with the rest of his teammates to tell them he’s out. They’ll probably be pissed at him but whatever. Who gives a shit. 

(It occurs to Hawk later that Demetri could have let him go with no real consequence. His main goal was Hawk’s flag, not protecting Hawk. 

Fuck, the fucker still went easy on him.