The following morning is met with downcast, gray puffy skies. Larusso seems uncertain in his every move, reluctant as the boys gather their things for the day.

They knew it was going to rain. In fact, rehearsals had been cancelled for it, and the kids would be doing some indoor activities.

"Move your ass, Larusso, come on. It's gonna start raining and I don't wanna get drenched because you're worried about the cat." Johnny complained.

"I thought you cared about him," Larusso countered with an icy glare, wrapping Cookies up in one of his spare T-shirts. "Said he had a name and stuff, right?"

Johnny sighed. It seemed Larusso was mad at him for last night, for making him wait. But, to be fair, he didn't have to lie and say he'd been hooking up with Jess. Then again, the little creep probably thought about it. The idea made him huff as he gathered his bag, Tommy and Bobby following suit.

"Alright, we're leaving." Johnny said dismissively. "See you there."

Bobby looked over at Larusso, a sort of hesitation in his eyes and how he stood. He'd been weird since last night; Johnny wondered if it was about Jess. Bobby had been pretty close to her this summer, but then again, he was one of those nice guys who didn't actually expect anything from a chick. Johnny didn't know how he did it.

Then again, he had little to no expectations when it came to Larusso.

"Do you want me to wait here with you?" Bobby asked.

Larusso shook his head. "You guys go on, I'll be right behind you."

He looked like he wanted to be alone, so Johnny just shrugged and lead them out, leaving Larusso and Cookies.

As they walked along the path, picking up the girls on the way, Johnny tried not to think about Larusso, which proved harder by the minute. Johnny didn't think Larusso had actually gained feelings for him, but it seemed that after every hookup, they were either close or hated each other. Larusso was a particular guy to begin with, though, and there was no use in riddling him out, of piecing together the puzzle.

He was not thinking of that night on the beach. Of Daniel's bright red hoodie popping out in the dark like a beacon, of his stupid sorrowful eyes. (What did he have to be sorry for?)

"Johnny?" Ali's voice asked, her hand on his arm.

Johnny jolted slightly, looking down at Ali expectantly, but he remained silent. Above him, the clouds rolled, getting darker as they rumbled with thunder.

"You alright?"

Johnny nodded, lips pressed together thinly. "I don't like the look of this weather, that's all." he replied, just as a few drops of rain began to trickle down in fat droplets.

"I'm sure Daniel's right behind us, he won't be long." Ali said, holding open the Big Cabin door for Johnny, which he gladly went into, even as he scrunched his nose up at her statement as if she'd said something gross.

"I'm not worried about Da--Larusso." Johnny said, slightly defensive, and Ali looked at him with her eyes unreadable.

"That's sad," She commented, but her heart didn't seem into the statement. Instead, she skipped up to Jess, an arm wrapped around her, and they went to find a place to sit down.

Whatever. Johnny really wasn't worried about Larusso. It was just some rain, it wasn't as if it was a natural disaster.

---

In about five minutes, it was flooding outside.

Rain poured down in heaving buckets like a waterfall, the thunder so loud that even some of the older campers looked worried. Luckily, Jess had them distracted with a movie while some of the others played board games. Still, Johnny had to admit he was a little worried now. He could hardly see in the mess, and he had no idea how far Daniel was behind them--

Just then, the cabin door swung open, and Daniel staggered in. He looked as if he'd just been dumped into the ocean, his shoes squeaking (his socks probably soaked), the sweatshirt he was in soaked. Miraculously, however, the shirt he was clutching to his chest containing Cookies the kitten was almost completely dry.

"Daniel," Johnny stood abruptly, but his voice was soft. Even so, Daniel's eyes immediately flickered over to his, and they seemed to stare at each other for the longest moment. Well, Daniel wasn't glaring at him anymore. It seemed he was more angry at the sky itself today.

"Daniel!" Jess hopped up from the couch, going over to him. "Are you okay? God, you scared me! We were all really worried..." she looked down at his soaked clothes. "There's no way you're sitting on the couch in that. You should throw that sweatshirt in the dryer, at least..."

"It's my only one--" Daniel started to protest quietly, kicking off his shoes and getting his socks off before handing Cookies over to Jessica in his bundled up shirt, the kitten mewling in protest even in the dry cabin. "Besides, I don't know where the laundry room is."

"I can show you," Johnny offered, leading Daniel down one of the halls before anyone could protest.

Johnny let Daniel into the tiny cube of a room containing a washer and dryer. The room was warm and always smelled of lavender laundry detergent, and now that they were alone, there seemed to be a thick sense of expectation, even urgency.

Daniel looked at Johnny curiously, his eyes as big and Bambi-like as ever, his lashes holding a drop or two of water. Before Johnny could go completely breathless, however, Daniel merely took off his sweatshirt and tossed it into the dryer.

"We don't have a dryer at Mr. Miyagi's, how does this thing work?" Daniel asked, and it dimly occurred to Johnny that Bobby was the one taking their laundry up here every week. He wasn't focused on that, however, because he was admiring how Daniel looked perched over the dryer, ass slightly (if not unintentionally) in the air.

"Oh, you just--" Johnny came over behind Daniel, hands briefly touching his hips before coming forward and adjusting one of the knobs. "Then you just..." Johnny murmured close to Daniel's ear, smirking slightly as he felt Daniel release a shaky breath. "Press that button to start the cycle..." Daniel complied, and Johnny nibbled on Daniel's earlobe, glad to see that his anger had ebbed away enough to make him still fun to play with. "Good boy..."

Johnny could practically feel Daniel's skin heat under his touch. "Jesus, Johnny, you're a pig--"

"Aw, you really think so?" Johnny cooed. "I'm touched. You haven't even heard the part about how I wish I could fuck you over the dryer while it's running--"

"J-Johnny," Daniel breathed, his tone warning, even as his hips moved back against him. "You better quit it, man..."

The realization hit Johnny with how little time they really had. They were pushing it as it was. Johnny wished time wasn't always such a problem here, like if they were back at Daniel's place with no one home for hours...but that wouldn't happen.

"Yeah," Johnny replied, reluctantly pulling away. "Yeah, alright, fine. Better throw your shirt in there, too, it's just as soaked."

Daniel gave Johnny a slightly annoyed, slightly disbelieving noise as he shed his shirt, tossing it in there as well and starting it up again. "Want my shorts as well?"

"Well, yeah, but your sweatshirt mostly covered that," Johnny said. "Here, just..." he took off his own sweatshirt, his old Cobra Kai one. He'd gotten an extra large one when he was twelve, hoping he'd grow into it as he grew in his karate training, and for the most part that was true. With his jacket, he'd ripped off the Cobra Kai patch, but that wasn't necessary here. The logo had almost completely faded, and anything left had been peeled off to where only a barely-distinct body of a cobra remained. (Johnny was close to throwing it out, but he'd had it so long. Besides, even if he did, much like the design had faded over the years...Cobra Kai would always be a part of him.)

"Thanks," Daniel muttered, and if Johnny wasn't mistaken, his cheeks flushed as he slung the sweatshirt on.

Johnny stood still, seeing Daniel's hair was already on the way to being dry and fluffy again, his eyes back to the same darkness. "I wish we could--" Johnny started, but he wasn't sure how he wanted to end it. Fuck? Make out? Share more clothes and become all domestic together? Jesus.

"Yeah?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah," Johnny nodded.

A tense silence spanned between them.

"Well, it's always nice having these intellectual talks with you, Johnny--"

"Wait," Johnny grabbed Daniel's arm, and Daniel looked back at him expectantly. With him being swallowed by Johnny's sweatshirt, even covering those little shorts he had on, it was hard to think coherently. Words were like a puzzle where all the pieces were misshapen. "Um. Are you mad at me?"

Daniel's expression soured, and Johnny wished he hadn't spoken at all. "No. I just wish you didn't make me wait up yesterday. I get it that everyone thinks I'm...queer, sometimes, and they aren't wrong. But you're the most seemingly-straight--"

"I am straight," Johnny shot back, arms crossed. "You're just different."

Daniel didn't bother to hide his thoroughly unconvinced expression. "Anyways. No one's suspecting you just for hanging out with me. We're...friends, aright?"

Johnny's heart thudded dully in his chest; he could almost taste the iron in his throat. He thought back to that night on the beach, of how it felt to hug his knees and cry and scream without the presence of anyone. To question why this boy had such an effect on him--

"Yeah, okay," Johnny nodded. Friends. "I'll do the waiting next time."

Daniel rolled his eyes at that, but soon left the laundry room, Johnny on his heels.

"Aw, you gave your girlfriend your sweatshirt!" Tommy teased as soon as they came back into the main room and sat on the couch.

Johnny's heart leapt in panic, but part of him knew it was nothing to be concerned about. Tommy was too stupid to actually figure out--

"Jealous he didn't give it to you?" Daniel shot back good-naturedly, and Tommy sneered, flipping him the bird with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Daniel sat next to Jessica, naturally cuddling close to her as she leaned against Bobby. The TV was on a commercial break--"when we brought you the new taste of Coke, we knew millions would prefer it, and they do"--and Johnny felt Ali leaning against him. He wrapped an arm around her, feeling a warm sense of truth against her. He and Ali were doing this new thing where they were friends, and while he wasn't getting any action out of it, it was actually pretty great. This way, he didn't have to decipher her language. This way, if she was pissed, she'd just tell him.

Johnny had a slight feeling that she was like that in their relationship, too, but probably not. Girlfriends were crazy. Girls who were friends were several notches down from crazy.

(Johnny wondered, for a dizzying moment, if this was how it was supposed to be. Daniel with Jessica, Johnny with Ali. Was he doing something to mess up some kind of predestined timeline, then? He was always told by the old bats at the country club that he and Ali made a perfect pair. But he always remembered how Ali hesitated at their adoration; if he was messing with some kind of destiny, so was Ali, and so was Daniel. Leave it to Larusso to screw things up.)

Besides, it didn't look like Daniel was trying to get with Jessica, anyway. From the looks of things right now, it was as if he was trying to be one of the girls.

Johnny could hear the soft, bird-like breaths of laughter from Daniel and Jess. When he looked over, he could see Jess applying several hairclips in his hair, many of them strawberries or butterflies. Johnny couldn't help the soft breath of laughter that escaped him as well. Daniel turned and glared at him at first, but once he saw the soft expression on Johnny's face, he seemed unable to help but smile as well.

The moment lasted about two seconds.

"What is--" one of the adult advisors, Mrs. Shondra, stormed over. She looked furious at the sight, but as Daniel looked up innocently, his hair all pinned in pretty clips, Johnny couldn't see where the anger could come from. "Mr. Daniel, this is very unprofessional. Get those girl's clips out of your hair right now."

Daniel looked like a startled deer, and as he briefly glanced over at Johnny, Johnny could almost feel his panic bubbling up inside him. He looked back up at the advisor. "Yes, Mrs. Shondra."

Mrs. Shondra huffed and started away, but Bobby reached over and took out one of the clips, putting it in his own hair. "I don't see why we gotta put them up. I think this butterfly suits me."

From the corner of his eye, Johnny could see Jess covering her mouth, trying and failing not to giggle. "It really brings out your eyes." She said, so polite and straight-faced Johnny would have thought she had been raised in country clubs like himself.

Daniel started to grin, but for a moment so short Johnny almost missed it, he sniffled. Johnny went down to the floor on his knees, Daniel sitting on the couch and giving him a curious look. Johnny delicately ran his hand through Daniel's hair, plucking out one of the strawberry clips. It was a peculiar thing, because Johnny had ran a hand through Daniel's hair many times; gripping it, tugging it in sex to hear pretty sounds escape his lips. As fun as that was, though, this was undeniably something else. He wondered what it would be like to have Daniel rest his head on his lap and run his fingers through his hair, no time wasted and no responsibilities.

Johnny pushed the clip into his own hair. "What do you think of the look, Danielle?" he asked, his voice surprisingly hushed, aware of the eyes of everyone in the room on him, but he can only look at Daniel. His eyes were wet, but now he looks on the verge of laughter.

(What a curious person, Larusso. Johnny doesn't think there's anyone in the world like him. It's terrifying and relieving at once.)

"It's pretty," Daniel manages, but not soon after he winces as Tommy and Ali each yank a clip from his hair, leaving him with only one strawberry one.

"I wanted to join in on the fun, too." Tommy said, struggling with his clip before finally sticking it in vertically. "But I'm just doing it for the girls, I'm not a poof like these guys."

"You guys look really pretty," Ali beams at them, her eyes meeting Johnny's, and he feels like he's really won her over somehow. 

Johnny has a feeling that even if it wasn't Daniel, he would still help out in this same way. Because Bobby did start it, after all. It was just a couple of friends messing around, and seeing Daniel with the strawberry clip in his hair--not to mention Johnny's sweatshirt--made everything that much better.