HAYDEN DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE ADMIRED OR HATED DR. MORGAN'S PATIENCE.

It was her second therapy session and Hayden didn't know where today's session would go. She hated that she couldn't control it. Because Dr. Morgan had a way of gently coaxing information out of her without even trying.

No matter how hard Hayden tried to keep herself shut and her walls high, Dr. Morgan effortlessly brought them down. It impressed Hayden but not as much as it annoyed her.

She sat stiffly in the chair, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Dr. Morgan sat across from her, legs crossed, a notepad resting on her lap. She was patient. Too patient. She didn't push, didn't pry, just waited.

She hated this. Hated sitting here, feeling like some open wound being examined under a microscope.

"So, how was your week?" the therapist asked, voice even.

Hayden shifted in her seat. "Fine."

Dr. Morgan nodded. "Anything stand out?"

"No."

Another nod. A slight hum, like she was considering something. "Your mom mentioned you went to the waterpark."

Hayden's jaw clenched slightly. "Yeah."

"Did you have fun?"

A pause.

She wanted to say yes. To pretend she had been just another normal teenager, splashing around with her friends, eating overpriced snacks, and complaining about the lines.

But all she could remember was the fights. The tension. The way her mind kept circling back to the tournament. To losing.

Her throat felt tight. "Not really."

Dr. Morgan didn't look surprised. "Why not?"

Hayden exhaled slowly through her nose. "Didn't feel like I belonged there."

"With your friends?"

"With anyone."

A quiet moment passed.

Dr. Morgan leaned forward slightly. "Hayden, we talked last session about your time at Cobra Kai. You mentioned how it made you feel powerful. That the training gave you control."

Hayden clenched her jaw. The old instinct kicked in-the one that told her to keep her guard up, that vulnerability was weakness.

But something about the way Dr. Morgan phrased it stuck in her ribs.

Because it was true.

Dr. Morgan's voice remained steady. "But what happens when you lose control?"

Hayden's chest tightened. Her nails dug into the fabric of her hoodie.

"I don't know," she muttered. "I do things, say things, to hurt people. Don't care if it's overboard, just say it, aim to hurt them."

Dr. Morgan stared at her for a moment, making Hayden want to sink in her chair. "Cobra Kai made you want to hurt people?"

"I was sick of feeling like a punching bag," Hayden muttered. "Sick of feeling small."

Dr. Morgan nodded. "And Cobra Kai changed that."

"Yeah." Her fingers dug into her sleeves. "When I walked in there, nobody saw me as weak. Nobody looked at me like I was some lost cause."

Dr. Morgan studied her carefully. "Who made you feel like a lost cause?"

Hayden exhaled sharply. "Everyone."

Her pulse kicked up as the anger rose-slow and simmering at first, then boiling over.

"Mr. LaRusso, with his stupid looks of disappointment and lectures about peace and balance."

Her grip tightened on her arms.

"Sam, who made my life ten times harder than it already was."

She scoffed.

"Miguel, acting like he was there for me and then catching him with Sam, twice."

Her throat felt tight.

"Logan, with her addiction and making me have to grow up so young and take care of her instead of the other way around."

She swallowed hard.

"My mom, thinking sending me away to North Carolina was the best option for me instead of helping me."

The words came faster now.

"And my dad-"

She stopped.

Dr. Morgan waited.

Hayden inhaled sharply through her nose, shaking her head. "Forget it."

Dr. Morgan was quiet for a moment. "You sound angry."

"No shit."

Dr. Morgan's voice was gentle, but firm. "You're angry at all of them. At everyone who made you feel like you weren't enough."

Hayden blinked, her eyes burning.

"You felt like you finally had control. Like you finally mattered."

She curled her fingers into fists. "Yeah."

Dr. Morgan nodded. "And then you lost."

The words sent a sharp sting through her chest.

"And now you feel like you're back to being nothing."

Hayden's throat tightened.

She wanted to deny it. Wanted to tell Dr. Morgan she didn't give a damn about the All Valley, that it didn't matter.

But that was a lie.

She'd poured everything into that tournament. Everything.

And she still wasn't good enough.

Dr. Morgan studied her. "Is that what you believe? That one loss makes you nothing?"

Hayden stayed silent.

Because it was what she believed.

"Your mother told me you haven't been sleeping well."

Hayden shrugged. "Sounds like you've been talking to my mom a lot."

"She's worried about you."

Silence.

Dr. Morgan studied her for a moment. "Have you had any nightmares?"

Something flashed in Hayden's eyes. Just for a second.

The pitch-black room. The voices. Silver's taunts. Daniel's disappointment. Sam's smugness. Robby's anger.

The way they all told her she was nothing.

Hayden's nails dug deeper into her arms.

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"That's okay," Dr. Morgan said gently. "We don't have to. But I think it's important to acknowledge how much the tournament meant to you. And how much it hurt to lose."

Hayden's jaw tensed. "It was one mistake." Her voice was sharper than she intended. "One second. One slip."

Dr. Monroe didn't flinch. "And you blame yourself."

Hayden looked away.

Silence stretched between them. The clock ticked softly on the wall.

Eventually, Dr. Morgan spoke again. "I want you to think about something before our next session."

Hayden kept her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Is your value really tied to that loss?"

Hayden swallowed. Her throat was dry.

She wanted to say no.

But she wasn't sure she believed it.

-

Logan had a way of knowing when something was off.

Maybe it was the years of being around Hayden, or maybe it was just a sister thing, but she always noticed.

And right now, Hayden was quieter than usual.

She sat at the kitchen counter, absentmindedly tracing shapes on the surface while Logan stirred something on the stove. The smell of pasta filled the apartment, but Hayden barely seemed to notice.

"You gonna tell me what's up, or do I have to guess?" Logan finally asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Hayden shrugged. "Nothing's up."

Logan rolled her eyes. "That's what you said last time, and then a week later, I found out you were sneaking off to Cobra Kai and getting your ass kicked on a daily basis."

Hayden exhaled sharply, but there was no real bite to it. "I'm not doing anything reckless. You can relax."

Logan turned the stove off and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "That's not what I asked."

Hayden stayed quiet for a moment, then finally spoke. "Therapy."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Okay... therapy what?"

Hayden stared at her hands. "It's making me think about stuff I don't wanna think about."

Logan softened, stepping closer. "Like what?"

Hayden hesitated. Then- "Dad."

That made Logan pause. They didn't talk about him. Ever.

Logan leaned against the counter next to her, sighing. "Yeah?"

Hayden nodded. "I don't know why. I never cared before. I never even thought about him, and now all of a sudden, I can't stop wondering why he left. If he even thought about us."

Logan chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking. "You were little when he left. I was old enough to see it happen. I used to ask those same questions, too."

Hayden looked at her, curious. "What'd he do?"

Logan exhaled. "Something bad. Something that made him and mom have a screaming match right in front of me. You were crying. A lot. I took you to the room and sung to you, hoping you'd stop. They got louder, so did you. He left that night, never saw him again."

Hayden absorbed that, letting the words settle. "Did you ever wanna find him?"

Logan was quiet for a moment. Then-"Yeah. Once. But then I realized... if he wanted to know us, he would have."

Hayden nodded slowly, her stomach twisting.

Logan placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're better off without him, okay? Don't let this eat you up."

Hayden exhaled, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Okay."

Logan gave her shoulder a squeeze before stepping back to grab two bowls from the cabinet. She started scooping the pasta, the quiet between them feeling a little less heavy now.

"So, therapy, huh?" Logan said, handing Hayden a bowl. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Hayden laughed slightly, taking it. "Yeah, well. Turns out getting my ass handed to me on a regular basis wasn't the healthiest way to cope with my issues."

Logan snorted. "Shocking."

Hayden twirled her fork in the pasta. "It's not... terrible. My therapist-she's alright. She doesn't push too much, just enough to make me think. I kinda hate that, but I guess that's her job."

Logan nodded approvingly. "That's good. And have you told her about them?"

Hayden didn't have to ask who them was. She exhaled through her nose, staring at her pasta like it had the answers. "A little. Robby. Miguel. The tournament. The aftermath."

Logan leaned against the counter, chewing on a bite. "You figure anything out yet?"

Hayden shook her head. "Not really. Just that... it's all tied together. The way I fought, the way I handled losing, the way I let Silver get in my head. It all connects somehow."

Logan tilted her head. "And how do you feel about them now?"

Hayden poked at her pasta. "Miguel's... still Miguel. He sees too much. Worries too much. And Robby..." she hesitated, feeling the weight of his name. "He's trying-I think. But sometimes I wonder if there's just too much damage."

Logan studied her. "And what do you want?"

Hayden scoffed lightly. "I don't know. Peace?"

Logan snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Hayden rolled her eyes. She sighed, leaning back against the counter, her fork resting in her half-eaten pasta. "I'm tired, Logan." The words slipped out before she could stop them, surprising even herself.

Logan's teasing expression softened. "I know."

Hayden exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "Everything's so... loud. Even when it's quiet. I'm still thinking about the tournament. About Cobra Kai. About him." She didn't say who, but Logan didn't need her to.

"Which one?" Logan asked, only half-joking.

Hayden huffed a laugh but didn't answer right away. "Both of them, I guess." She shrugged, pushing her pasta around with her fork. "Miguel is... I don't know. He sees me. Always has. It's annoying. And Robby..." She clenched her jaw. "I hurt him. And he hurt me. And we just keep going in circles. But he was there when no one else was."

Logan watched her carefully. "And yet, you still want them both in your life."

Hayden looked up, meeting her sister's eyes. "What does that say about me?"

Logan set her bowl down, brushing stray hair from her face. "It says you care. And that you're human."

Hayden frowned. "Yeah? 'Cause it feels like it just makes me an idiot."

Logan scoffed. "Newsflash, Hayden-caring about people isn't a weakness. It's why you left Cobra Kai, isn't it?"

Hayden hesitated, staring at the tile floor beneath them. "I don't know anymore. I thought I left because it was wrong, but maybe I just didn't want to be another pawn. Maybe I wanted to win on my own terms. And I still lost."

Logan placed a gentle hand on her arm. "You didn't lose."

Hayden gave her a dry look. "Pretty sure the scoreboard said otherwise."

Logan shook her head. "Not talking about that. You walked away from something that was breaking you. That's not losing, Hayden. That's surviving."

Hayden swallowed, the words hitting something deep inside her. She didn't respond, just nodded once and picked at her food.

The silence stretched for a moment before Logan bumped her hip lightly. "So, what are you gonna do?"

Hayden glanced at her. "About what?"

Logan gave her a knowing look. "Them."

Hayden rolled her eyes but smirked. "Eat my pasta and pretend I don't have problems?"

Logan snorted. "Solid plan."

And just like that, the tension in the room lifted, even if just a little. Hayden wasn't okay-not yet. But for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel completely alone in figuring it out.

-

Hayden was getting used to the silence.

The kind that stretched on forever, the kind that made people uncomfortable.

But Dr. Morgan never rushed to fill it. She just sat there, waiting, letting Hayden stew in her own thoughts until she either cracked or decided to keep her walls up.

Hayden hadn't decided which one she wanted to do yet.

She tapped her fingers against the armrest, staring at the floor.

Dr. Morgan was the first to speak. "I wanna talk about Miguel and Robby."

Hayden's eyes flickered up, barely masking her irritation. "Why?"

Dr. Morgan tilted her head slightly. "I think they're a bigger part of this than you want to admit."

Hayden exhaled sharply through her nose, leaning back against the chair. "And what makes you think that?"

Dr. Morgan's voice was even, calm. "Because every time their names come up, you get defensive."

Hayden scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm not defensive."

Dr. Morgan gave her a knowing look. "And yet, you're crossing your arms right now."

Hayden frowned, glancing down at her posture before immediately uncrossing her arms and slouching further in the chair.

Dr. Morgan didn't say anything, just let the silence sit between them before finally asking, "How do you feel about them?"

Hayden clicked her tongue, debating how much she wanted to say. "...They both mean a lot to me."

"Different ways?"

Hayden hesitated. "It's... complicated."

"In what way?"

Hayden swallowed. "With Miguel, it's simple. He's good, he cares about people, he never makes me feel like I have to be someone else. He makes things easy."

Dr. Monroe nodded. "And Robby?"

Hayden chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Robby gets me. The anger, the bitterness, feeling like we have to prove ourselves every second of the day. He understands that in a way no one else does."

Dr. Monroe studied her. "It sounds like Miguel gives you peace, and Robby gives you understanding."

Hayden stilled.

She hadn't thought about it like that before.

Dr. Monroe continued, "Do you feel like you have to choose?"

Hayden scoffed. "They sure as hell want me to."

"But what do you want?"

Hayden clenched her jaw. "I want to not feel like a pawn in whatever game they're playing."

Dr. Monroe nodded. "And do you think it's really about you? Or is it about their own rivalry?"

Hayden hesitated, because she knew the answer. It wasn't just about her. It was about them. Their unfinished business, their war, their need to win.
Hayden blinked.

The words settled into her chest in a way she didn't like.

Hayden swallowed hard. She hated how easily Dr. Morgan got to the core of things.

"You've said before that people leave," Dr. Morgan went on, "but Miguel came back. And Robby-he followed you to Mexico."

She let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head. "You should've seen the way they looked at each other. Like I was some prize to be won, like if they fought hard enough, I'd just belong to one of them."

Dr. Monroe tilted her head. "And how did that make you feel?"

Hayden scoffed. "Annoyed."

Dr. Monroe waited.

"...And guilty."

Hayden's fingers tightened around the fabric of her jeans. "Because the truth is, I've never belonged to anyone. People leave. They always leave. I'm used to being alone, fighting for myself and only myself.

Dr. Monroe's expression softened. "But Miguel came back."

"Yeah." Hayden exhaled slowly. "And I went after him. Because... I don't know. Because when he left, it felt like-" She stopped herself, shaking her head.

"Like what?"

Hayden's voice was barely above a whisper. "Like a part of me left with him."

Hayden's fingers curled into the fabric of her jeans.

Dr. Morgan's voice was softer now. "Hayden, do you believe you deserve to be wanted?"

The question made something in Hayden's chest tighten.

Because she didn't know the answer.

She had spent so much time proving herself, making herself stronger, making herself needed-but wanted? Just for who she was?

She didn't know if that had ever been true.

And she wasn't sure if it ever would be.

-

Hayden sat at her desk, fingers hovering over the trackpad of her laptop. The YouTube homepage glowed in the dimly lit room, the recommended videos taunting her.

"51st Annual All Valley Finals: Tory Nichols vs. Hayden Sanders | FULL FIGHT."

The thumbnail was frozen on the moment before she lost. Before everything slipped through her fingers.

Her stomach twisted.

She didn't know why she did it to herself-why she kept coming back to it like picking at an old wound just to see if it still hurt.

Her cursor hovered over the play button.

Click.

Before the video could even load, a loud, blaring horn from outside made her jolt in her seat.

She frowned, shoving her chair back.

She stormed to the door, walking down a flight of steps only to groan in frustration.

Johnny Lawrence stood proudly in the middle of the parking lot, air horn in hand, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

From the apartments, two doors slammed open simultaneously.

Miguel stepped out first, eyes wild.

Robby followed a second later, already scowling.

A random neighbor cracked his own door open. "What the hell is going on out here-"

"Mind your business, dirtbag." Johnny didn't even look at him, waving him off. "Beat it."

The neighbor grumbled but disappeared back inside.

Miguel and Robby, meanwhile, stood side by side, both glaring daggers at Johnny.

Johnny clapped his hands together. "Alright, you two. Stay put."

Robby sighed. "Are you serious right now?"

"This again-" Miguel started simultaneously.

"QUIET!" Johnny suddenly shouted.

Both boys flinched, actually falling silent.

"You two wanna hang on to your grudge? Fine. But at least be men about it. Put your fists where your mouths are."

Hayden's brows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"You want us to do what?" Robby questioned.

"Fight it out. No points, no mats. You just keep fighting 'til you get it all out of your systems," Johnny explained like it was the most logical thing in the world.

Miguel blinked. "What, here, now?"

Robby flickered his gaze to Miguel.

"It's a time, this is a place. Unless that was all just talk?" Johnny goaded.

Miguel clenched his jaw. "Not for me."

Robby immediately squared his shoulders. "Or me."

Hayden pinched the bridge of her nose. "Stupidasses."

"All right. Let's get on with it."

They faced off, fists up.

Miguel struck first, throwing a quick punch. Robby blocked, swinging back. They traded blows, a back-and-forth rhythm of jabs and dodges, nothing too aggressive-yet.

Johnny stood on the sidelines, arms crossed. "Come on. Is that all you got? I thought you two were sworn enemies."

That was all it took.

Robby lunged, a punch colliding against Miguel's ribs. Miguel grunted, stepping back before delivering a roundhouse kick to Robby's jaw.

Robby stumbled, touched his nose-blood.

His eyes darkened.

They kicked it up another level.

Next to her, Johnny muttered under his breath, almost to himself, but loud enough for her to hear:

"This would all be easier if you just picked one."

Hayden's breath hitched, and she tore her gaze from the fight to look at him.

"What?" she asked, voice quiet but sharp.

Johnny shrugged, eyes still on the fight. "Look at them."

She glanced over. "Fighting like idiots?"

"Idiots who want the same girl. Look, all I'm saying is, we both want the same thing. For them to get along. I think you choosing and sticking with one would speed up the process then this."

Hayden's stomach twisted. The way he said it. Like it was her fault.

Spinning kicks. Air flips. Advanced strikes. It was no longer just fighting-it was a war.

Robby swept Miguel's legs out.

Miguel kicked Robby back into a potted plant.

Robby slammed Miguel into a wall.

Miguel recovered, grabbing Robby and throwing him back.

Johnny just watched, nodding approvingly. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Hayden's heart pounded. "This isn't funny anymore, Johnny. Call it off."

Johnny waved her off. "They're fine."

They weren't.

Robby had Miguel backed against a wall, panting hard, before kicking him straight through a door-which led to the second-floor balcony.

Hayden's blood turned to ice.

"Oh, fuck no," she muttered, already moving. "Johnny, get up there!"

Johnny finally looked uneasy. "Okay, yeah, that's enough-"

The boys didn't hear him.

They were too close to the edge now.

Robby struck first, a sharp jab to Miguel's side. Miguel responded with a knee to Robby's chest.

They were pushed against the railing now.

Hayden swallowed hard, fear creeping into her bones. It was happening again.

Miguel had the upper hand. Punch after punch, Robby had nowhere to go.

And then-

Miguel raised his fist.

Robby was vulnerable.

One more hit, and he'd go over.

Hayden's breath caught in her throat.

Miguel had the chance to do exactly what Robby did to him.

But then-he saw her.

Saw the way she was looking at him. Afraid.

And he hesitated.

His fist lowered.

His breathing slowed.

He stepped back.

Robby blinked, still bracing for a hit that never came.

"Why'd you hold back?" he asked, confused.

Miguel exhaled. "Because I didn't get into karate to hurt people," he admitted. "I did it to be badass and find balance."

Robby nodded slowly. "Yeah... I get that."

Miguel studied him. "Last time we fought like this... why didn't you hold back?"

Robby hesitated. His gaze flickered, just briefly, to Hayden.

She didn't know what he was about to say.

Miguel did.

"I just wanted to finish the fight," Robby said carefully. Then, quieter, "Not like that."

He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. "I had tunnel vision. I was so angry. I barely knew where we were. You-" His voice faltered, then steadied. "You hurt someone I l-"

He stopped himself. Took a breath.

"...Someone I really care about."

Miguel held his gaze. He knew exactly how that sentence was meant to end.

"I'd take it back in a second if I could," Robby admitted. "I was the cause of the worst moment in your life... and if it's any consolation, it was the worst moment in mine too."

The tension in the air finally lifted.

Miguel nodded. "Yeah. I'll take it."

Hayden let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

Johnny clapped his hands. "So, what? It's over?"

Miguel and Robby exchanged a glance.

"...Yeah," Robby muttered.

Miguel nodded. "Yeah."

Hayden ran a hand over her face, exhaustion settling deep in her bones.

They'd been so caught up in their bullshit, in their rivalry, in their need to one-up each other, that they hadn't realized how much damage they were doing.

Not just to themselves.

To her.

She was tired of being in the middle. Tired of feeling like a prize to be won. Tired of feeling like she had to choose a side.

Dr. Morgan's voice echoed in her head.

"Do you believe you deserve something just for you?"

Hayden didn't know.

She just knew she couldn't do this anymore.

But before she could even think about how to say that, Johnny muttered, "Thank God. If you two still hated each other when the baby got here-"

Silence.

All three of them turned to look at him.

Miguel's brow furrowed. "The what?"

Robby blinked. "Baby?"

Johnny's face paled as he realized what he just did. "...Shit."

Hayden's eyes widened. "Wait. Carmen-?"

"Yeah, we're, uh, having a baby," Johnny admitted sheepishly. "We were supposed to tell you together, so, uh-make sure you act surprised."

There was a beat of silence.

Then Miguel threw his hands up, a smile breaking through his shock. "Holy shit!"

Johnny pointed at him. "Yeah, like that."

Robby huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. "Dad, that's... that's awesome."

Hayden nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Congratulations, Johnny."

And before she knew it, she was being pulled into a group hug, squeezed between all three of them.

She groaned in protest, but-

She didn't let go.

authors note
this gave me writers block for like a couple of hours guys anyways thoughts?