The second that the door to the girl's cabin creaked open, Johnny had about a fourth of a second in which he saw Daniel before he saw him come in. Daniel was looking over at Ali, wiping his nose--he had a hunched over, exhausted look to him. As soon as he swiveled over and his eyes met Johnny's, though, he straightened abruptly. Wiped his eyes, chucked the tissue into the tiny garbage can next to Ali's bed.

"Oh," Daniel whispered. And yeah. Oh.

When Johnny was twelve and really into close-up magic, he remembered he worked for hours and hours perfecting his tricks. Slight of hand, stuffed rabbit out of the hat, is this your card? That kind of shit. After a dedicated two weeks, he finally put on a show for his mom and stepdad. He pulled out all the stops, even putting on the tiny cape that came with the magic kit. Seeing his mom's smile made him beam, and when he finished his show, he did little jazz hands in his white gloves. His blond hair was stuck every which way with sweat from running around and talking too fast.

Finally, his stepfather sighed, a hateful scowl etched onto his ugly features like he was born for it. And what for? Johnny didn't score a touchdown, but he put on one hell of a magic show.

"Your son's a fairy, Laura," is all he said.

A fairy? No, that wasn't it...a fairy was what all the other boys called the smallest, weakest boy in the group. Johnny wasn't the strongest, but he wasn't weak either.

"Come on, Sid," his mother started. "It was a nice--"

"Your son is a goddamn queer!" He banged his fist on the table, his voice raised. He ignored his wife, glowering at Johnny. "Now, get out of here and stop wasting my time..."

Fairy. Queer. Faggot. Gay. That wasn't him. He jolted, his heart racing, feeling like it was being squeezed in Sid's fat fist. That wasn't him. He was taller than most of the boys in his class, and he could beat a lot of them at arm wrestling, too. And most of the girls liked his magic tricks.

Johnny swallowed, turned heel, and bolted, ignoring his mother calling behind him.

When Johnny met Daniel's eyes, he felt that feeling again, that heart-stabbing anxiety that made him want to run. That made him feel like his life was over.

"Daniel," Johnny breathed. "Can I talk to you? Outside...?"

Daniel and Jessica met eyes, both exchanging that annoying eyebrow raise. Johnny tried not to huff or roll his eyes; but when Larusso and Andrews had their telepathic conversations, it was hard not to. He could only hope Jess could tell him what she said just moments before, about how he'd gotten better; he could only hope she was right.

After a long, daunting beat, Daniel looked over at Johnny and nodded. He then avoided Johnny's eye, fascinated with the floor and the door and anything but him as he moved past Johnny and out of the cabin. Johnny had no choice put to follow--feeling as though he were stepping willingly into the lion's den.

But this wasn't like explaining to a babe why you fooled around and then didn't call her. If she left, she left, no sweat. If Daniel left...

Daniel already felt gone as Johnny looked at him, eyes a hard wood with underlying dark circles--maybe last night wasn't the best sleeping arrangement. Johnny swallowed, mirroring Larusso as he crossed his arms.

"What is it?" Daniel asked with a sigh. No witty comments, no playfully calling Johnny an idiot. His face was like stone. He didn't even seem angry, just...eerily blank, as if his soul had been sucked out. And though Johnny was the one who felt like he'd been ran through the Shitty Feelings blender, he was in no way the victim here. But even so.

Daniel's gone. Daniel's gone, he's gone, you're on your own. All this summer down the drain, just like you wanted, huh? Now you never have to see the boy that's been driving you crazy again. 

Johnny swallowed. Choked up.

You could leave now, if that's the problem. Go for a drive. Meet a girl. Meet a hundred girls. Hook up with a string of guys that have Daniel's fluffy hair or his accent or those pretty doll lips.

His eyes watered, his face flushing. He wasn't looking at Daniel, he wasn't, but yet. Daniel's stony façade was crackling, his eyes shining with concern despite his stubbornness. This couldn't be happening; this had to be about the most mortifying thing. He tried to grasp at some words, any words. He thought he had it all figured out, but now that he had Daniel here in front of him...

He couldn't tell him "I can't lose you," he couldn't.

"I can't march in a pride riot," is what he said instead.

Fuck.

Daniel looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "I never asked you to go to pride...?"

"I know, it's just," Johnny shook his head, eyes flickering up to meet Daniel's before fixating on his hands. "I'm not ready, Daniel. I'm not ready to be, you know, out and proud like you. I like babes most of the time, and--"

"Who said I was out and proud?" Daniel asked with a scoff. He was even starting to smile slightly, as though Johnny was high as a kite spouting dumb shit.

Johnny shrugged. "You said you took pride in who you were, right?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm not ashamed of who I am. But I'm not about to tell the world about it, you kidding? I'd rather keep the karate to a minimum." Daniel replied, giving that cocky quirk of his brow that made Johnny want to playfully shove him or kiss his forehead.

"But you told Bobby!"

"I didn't really tell him, he mostly guessed and I didn't tell him he was wrong. Trust me, I wouldn't be telling anyone unless I was a hundred percent sure that they were good people." Daniel said, hands on his hips. His CTP Theatre Group shirt was wrinkled and worn, and his little denim shorts were ridiculous, per usual. They were probably actually perfectly normal, but to Johnny seeing them on Daniel, they were ridiculous.

"Okay, well," Johnny shook his head. "I don't wanna be selfish when I say that I don't wanna tell anyone. I don't want this ticking clock over my head, counting down until I have to fess up. I mean, what if we're not on the same track? What if you're ahead of me and I'm..." thunder boomed overhead, the clouds stirring uneasily. "Behind...? I want to be with you--I think...I can feel it more intensely than anything before, and it scares me. But you deserve better. I'm a fuckup, Daniel. Always have been, always will be..."

Just then, a large dollop of warm summer rain fell and landed on Johnny's nose. Another drop landed on Daniel's cheek, and they both looked up at the sky for a moment. Endless, bright and grey and promising a shower.

"Huh," Daniel commented. Didn't say anything else, which was absolutely no help to Johnny's case.

"It's an omen," Johnny said, before his brows furrowed in confusion. He didn't know where that came from, it just sort of came out.

"I didn't know you believed in that sort of stuff," Daniel said, wiping his forehead where another considerable drop landed.

"I don't. It just sounds like some shit you'd say," Johnny replied. 'See?' Johnny thought. 'I'm even thinking of shit you'd say. I'm a goner for you, man.'

"Sometimes rain can be a good sign," Daniel said, reaching out for Johnny's hands. Johnny didn't pull away, instead running his thumbs over the back of Daniel's hands, as if seeing if they were real. He hoped Daniel couldn't feel him trembling. 

"Anyways, I'm not putting a timer on you because I'm not putting one on myself. My own ma doesn't even know, Mr. Miyagi either. I just...never felt so much for someone else, either. And if you don't wanna tack a label on it, that's fine, but we are definitely more than just two people fucking at this point. I don't think you're a fuckup. You're not perfect, and neither am I, but...I just wish you could see you the way I do. You can be a really beautiful person, John. And I'm not just talking about the beach bod and the golden locks..."

Johnny laughed softly at that, leaning down to rest his forehead against Daniel's, and Daniel gave a small breath of laughter himself, wrapping his arms around Johnny's neck.

"But, Daniel, I don't...I don't belong. With all the...the queers, the gay people...it's like, I'm not g...gay enough. And with my friends, I'm not straight enough, and...either way, I've ruined my chances. I've struck out too many times. I'm never gonna belong with a group I used to bully and hate and make miserable..."

"Johnny," Daniel started, his breath soft and close to Johnny. He missed the scent of bubblegum, the taste of candy on his lips. "Who do you think is the person you hurt the most in your entire life?"

Johnny thought back on it. Every person he inconvenienced, or made miserable, or hurled an insult at. It wasn't a pretty list, but also? It wasn't that long, either. "You," he said. "And...myself...I can be really horrible to myself sometimes...but I think I deserve it..."

"Don't say that, Johnny. Look, you've hurt me. You hurt me so much in the past--"

"Daniel--"

"Shh, listen to me," Daniel said, grasping Johnny's biceps (if he wasn't mistaken, Daniel gave them a little squeeze, but that was a question for a later date). "You hurt me. And I forgave you. I forgive you for everything, because I know you don't identify with that Cobra Kai instinct. You've been taught lies, but that doesn't make you wrong. You are more than your past. And even if you won't be accepted by everyone, I'll stand by you. Jess will, and I'm sure Bobby will, too. Ali. We care about you because we know you'll stand up for us when it matters. We--We love you. I love you, John..." his eyes were starting to well up.

Johnny cupped Daniel's cheeks almost on instinct, and he felt something natural and warm well up inside him. It was the urge to protect him, to make him feel better. He wanted to be his boyfriend, a protective, caring one that let Daniel cry in his arms and pressed kisses to his forehead. His eyes welled up in turn. ("The Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day!" Who would have thought?) "Daniel, I..." He didn't know where to start. He'd been kicked in the face, collapsing to the ground with all the air knocked out of him over half a year ago. And now, all the air had been sucked from him again. As the rain began to trickle, thick and swift down to the earth, Johnny could smell the wet grass.

"I'm so sorry for everything," Daniel continued, and Johnny could no longer tell which were rain drops and which were tears slipping down his cheeks. "For telling Jess...for what happened in January...I must have left you so confused and upset, and I'm so sorry...I never wanna leave you alone again, facing this without someone to talk to..."

"Hey, it's okay," Johnny managed, wiping away warm tears with the pad of his thumb. "I wouldn't have talked to you even if you offered it, but...I'll try to, in the future. We're okay, alright? We will be, I promise..." He rested his forehead against Daniel's, and the two took a moment together, silent as the rain continued to pour.

"Hey, Daniel?" Johnny asked. "Are you gonna apologize for the whole Halloween hose trick?" he laughed softly. "Because that shit wasn't funny, it sucked."

"Not a chance," Daniel laughed in response, hugging Johnny close. Johnny could feel his heartbeat, racing against his own, his chest warm despite how wet his shirt was getting. Their heartbeats were similar, they were similar. Different, but same. And it was so odd how it occurred to Johnny, just another beating of his heart in rhythm, just another step in the road.

"I love you too," Johnny replied, wondering how he could manage the words, because they seemed to foreign, so far in the distance. Even so, he meant it with all of his being. And his voice was weak, but not as if he lost or had been defeated. No, he won, he won, he won. "A whole hell of a lot, Larusso..."

"You didn't have to say it," Daniel whispered, and he was a piece of shit liar, because he was looking at Johnny as if he'd brought him the world on a string.

"I know," Johnny kissed Daniel's cheek. "I wanted to."

Daniel's mouth did something funny then, like he was pouting and trying not to smile. Johnny wanted nothing more than to kiss him, to feel his giddiness against his lips like a sugar high. "Well, I already know you're gonna be a crappy boyfriend, if that's what you wanna call this."

Johnny felt his heart skip a beat, and he frowned. "I did something to disappoint you already? Come on, what--"

"Don't whine about it, you big baby, it can be fixed. You just missed, that's all." Daniel said matter-of-factly, as if everything he said was so simple and smart that Johnny should get it as soon as it's said.

But he doesn't. "I missed--?" Johnny started, but before he could finish his thought, Daniel pulled him close by his shirt and pressed a kiss to his lips. The thought clicked in Johnny's mind--oh. And then he was smiling against Daniel's lips, pulling away to let out a soft laugh.

"What?" Daniel asked, squinting slightly in a way Johnny just couldn't help but find cute. And, right, he's allowed to say that now.

"You're just really cute, that's all," Johnny murmured. "And you're a real lover-boy, a super annoying one, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know." Daniel grinned. "I'm gonna be a super annoying boyfriend, too. Stealing all your sweatshirts, making you gifts for our little anniversaries, pestering you to take me out on dates--"

"Willyougotothedancewithme?" Johnny asked, but it was in such a rush that the words all blended together, making an intelligible mess.

"Huh?" (Jesus, even Daniel's confused face was cute. Johnny felt his face flush; they were already boyfriends, why even ask? Why get so flustered? It wasn't as if it was voluntary. He knew that this, whatever this held in the future, would be different in every way to being with a girl.)

"Do you wanna, you know...go to the dance, with me?" Johnny shrugged. "We're supposed to be setting it up, but we just woke up so early, and I thought...I don't know, you'd like corny romantic shit like that...?"

Daniel beamed at him then like he'd just clomped in on a noble white steed--and as far as Johnny Lawrence's Romantic Hijinx went, he might as well have. "Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, I'll go with you, definitely...hopefully you won't change your mind when you see what I brought as 'formal attire'." He did some air quotes, his distaste clear.

"Why would I?" Johnny asked.

"Unimportant," Daniel replied, face flushed, and Johnny could feel how warm his face was when he pulled him in for another kiss. In that moment, he couldn't care if Daniel showed up in a banana costume, or if the girls in their cabin were probably watching through the open window, or even the high possibility that they'd get sick due to standing out in the rain for so long. No, he could only hone in on Daniel...Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. How cute he was, how he was somehow enticed with Johnny, how he made Johnny belong despite everything. They were on a clean slate now, even if the slate had some cracks. And Johnny knew then that he would do anything he could to keep things exactly like this for as long as possible.