#torymetri

ik hawk and tory aren't that close but the way her and dem virtually NEVER interacted is so funny to me.

Tory is abrasive, no-nonsense, and has major anger issues.

Demetri is snarky, blunt, and an absolute pessimist.

they all love each other i promise (yes even tory and demetri)

+ bonus

Meanwhile there's Eli, the only person who isn't neutral or positive about Demetri and the only person Dem avoids. Eli, watching everyone gush around Demetri and crowd Demetri and get the smiles that Eli liked to think were reserved to him only, until he realizes he's not Eli any more, hes the Hawk.

OH YES, THIS ACTUALLY

like this should've been canon bc demetri's annoying asf but he has no other actual reason to be beefing with anyone but eli.

my non canon compliant head canon is exactly what you said, demetri's just a little guy and, while he's not super close with the cobras, they are totally chill with him hanging around with miguel or bert. he's just kinda there.

for the ones that are close with him, he's just a little guy that needs to be protected. and it's not like an infantilizing thing either. dem's just so used to taking care of eli that it translates to a quiet thoughtfulness and caring for everyone. and him being that good of a friend just makes them more inclined to be protective over him.

and eli would 100% lose his shit over this. he's always had demetri in his corner, always known how kind he is but couldn't stand how he couldn't accept this new side of himself. and yet, while hawk emerged and tried so hard to keep up the performance of "the hawk," trying so hard to be the cool guy and not mess anything up, demetri just shines under all the new attention that has absolutely nothing to do with a new look or a sudden personality shift. he's just 100% classic demetri without eli in the way.

now this pisses eli off SO BAD. bc one, demetri's not trying at all to get in everyone's good graces. he's not trying to be the best at karate, he's not trying to only align with miyagi do or cobra kai, he's not trying to act like a cool confident guy, he's still neurotic, physically-averse demetri, still has to have an opinion about everything, but no one minds him. in fact, they like him! it's not just a miyagi do "united in trauma" thing either, everyone actually likes demetri. they think he's funny, he's kind, he's great to be around, there's literally no reason not to like him.

which, in turn, makes eli hate him even more. why is it so easy for demetri to get people to like him when they'd both spent their whole childhoods being social pariahs? how did demetri turn things around so easily without changing literally anything? so yeah, he's super jealous and hurt, the only thing that changed is demetri's proximity to eli. and although the other cobras might not care to target demetri at all, eli needs to make it his priority to show demetri he couldn't care less, he doesn't care how many people love him, he still hates demetri and that won't change (but like everyone knows his obsession has everything to do with the fact that he still cares/is in love with him, he just tries to shove it deep down)

and dem kind of takes note of this, he knows hawk's complicated when it comes to his opinion of him so he just...avoids him. which pisses eli off EVEN MORE bc how dare he not even notice his attempts at ignoring him? eli's trying to show him how UNAFFECTED he is by demetri's weird charm and demetri doesn't even care.

very much "pulling your pigtails to get your attention" dynamic going on between them.

i'd love to consider how tory fits in this world. maybe she's also neutral on demetri, but consider her too liking demetri. like if she was neutral on dem or even hated him for being associated with miyagi do/sam, that'd be fine by eli. he can use tory as a shield to show "see, i'm not weird for hating him, she doesn't like him either!"

but if tory DID like dem's company?? that'd be the final nail in the coffin for eli. like "he's chill, he helped me with brandon a couple of times, they understand each others' nerd language." meanwhile eli's like "when THE FUCK was he around brandon? i've never even met brandon"

so yeah, that'd make eli all the more mad. quite literally everyone is wrapped around dem's finger and eli's the only one aggressively fighting it bc idk jealousy? embarrassment? anger? sadness? literally any amalgamation of negative emotions that's causing him to lash out at any reminder of weak eli which happens to include everyone's favorite nerd.

and when he breaks demetri's arm? well a lot of the cobras are already indifferent toward demetri but they all feel kinda sick to their stomach bc even they know seeing someone like dem in pain like that isn't something they'd ever truly want. but, like eli, they try to justify. all's fair in war, right? there's bound to be collateral damage.

but yeah, some of them are on edge, and the most bothered ones are quick to run to eagle fang as soon as johnny and miguel make their comebacks.