The sky was still dark, the grass of Camp Triple Pine dewy as the morning waited in anticipation over those who would view the dawn. Daniel was asleep, hair ruffled against his pillow and his face even more ageless when he wasn't awake and chattering away. Johnny, strangely, was awake. This was the one morning when he was a morning person. Especially now.

He hated to wake Daniel, but Johnny knew if he didn't, he'd miss it. They'd have time to sleep later; Johnny knew Daniel would grow to appreciate this more than sleep, anyway.

"Larusso, come on," Johnny murmured, lightly shaking Daniel's shoulder. He was unresponsive. Johnny kissed his cheek, shaking him more, only for him to groan and try to roll over. When Johnny finally pulled his hair, Daniel jolted and scowled, blinking sleepily up at Johnny.

(His likeness to Cookies the kitten was so strong then, it almost made Johnny laugh, but he figured this probably wasn't the best time.)

"What the hell, man?" Daniel asked blearily, glancing out of the cabin window into the darkness. "It's still dark outside, asshole! If you woke me up to hook up, I'll kill you."

Just then, luckily for Johnny's safety, Bobby opened the door. Of course, he looked ready to go since yesterday, already dressed with a hand on his watch. Jessica and Ali were with him, each in sweats with worn-out expressions already.

"Come on, Daniel," Bobby said, his tone kinder than what Johnny was probably about to respond with. "You're gonna miss the sunrise."

"The sunrise?" Daniel asked around a yawn. He wrapped his arms around Johnny's shoulders, resting his head against him as if he were a ragdoll barely able to hold himself up. In his sleepy state, he didn't even seem self-conscious about being so affectionate in front of Bobby. "What...What is he talking about, Johnny?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention our last camp tradition? On the last day, we drive out to the top of the hill a couple minutes away, and we watch the sunrise. Super romantic stuff, I thought you'd like it..." Johnny replied. Daniel should have taken his words to heart--Johnny trying to do something romantic for his boyfriend--but he was admittedly a little smug about it.

"Asshole," Daniel groaned. "I'm napping forever when I get back to Mr. Miyagi's..."

"Oh, and we go out for donuts afterwards," Johnny added. As if a delicious, delectable donut was just an afterthought. Honestly, though, it was usually the whole reason any of them went.

"Oh," Daniel sat up, suddenly wide awake. "Well, if you're really pulling my leg, here," he shrugged, looking a little dizzy from the sudden movement. He grabbed his clothes, but Johnny stopped him with a hand on his knee.

"What you got on is fine," Johnny insisted, avoiding Daniel's eye, nerves dancing in his stomach. God, had he always felt this...corny? He'd thought it was the adrenaline, and now it'd fizzled like hot sugar into...this, only at the thought of Larusso in his tiny shorts.

"This?" Daniel asked, gesturing down to his cutoff top and leisure shorts, both of which were different shades of blue.

"Yeah," Johnny shrugged, grinning almost sheepishly. "You know, last day of summer camp, last day to see you in those cute little shorts--"

"Not the last day for you to be an absolute pig?" Daniel teased, stretching and grabbing some spare cash as he slipped his shoes on. "Besides, you know I can still wear these when we hang out, right? These clothes are not temporary to camp."

"Oh, they're not?" Johnny asked sarcastically, not-so-casually sliding the door closed with his foot despite Bobby protesting them to hurry up. "Well, thank god for that. Hard to get to the goods in jeans..." Johnny murmured, wrapping his arms around Daniel's waist and squeezing a greedy handful of his ass as if it were his property. Not that Daniel seemed to mind, of course.

"Pig," Daniel insisted, breathing the word against Johnny's lips.

"Sweetheart," Johnny countered, pressing a kiss to Daniel's lips he couldn't help but grin against.

---

So, it'd taken them a little longer to get to the car than expected. Even so, they managed good time to reach the top of the hill. It was a perfect clearing, high enough over the trees to see the sun start over the east in a shimmer of yellows, oranges, and pinks. With Johnny in the driver's seat and Daniel in shotgun, they had the best view. Even with Bobby, Ali, and Jessica essentially date-crashing (not that it was a date. Wait, was this a date, or a friend thing? A double date?), the sky lightening by the minute was calming. Serene.

"I can't believe I miss this all the time," Daniel commented, hugging his knees as if waiting for the sun to come up with a little more anticipation than those who were there in sweatpants. And yeah, Johnny didn't realize that California dawns were actually a little chilly without the main component: the sun. Did he feel bad about it? Yes. Would he change the past and have Daniel wear something that covered up more of his legs?...

(He was a bad boyfriend.)

Johnny did grab a spare blanket in the back, one he'd kept for impromptu drive-in visits, that was currently being shared amongst the three date-crashers currently lounging in his backseat. Despite their protests, he handed it off to Daniel, relieved to see his thankful smile.

"You know, Mr. Miyagi told me about watching the sunrise when he did his morning kata." Daniel continued, bundling up in the soft black blanket. "He said I should try it, because the meditation would be easier when all the world was empty of sound and daily problems. I was reluctant to listen, but...I really should try it more often..."

"Hm," Johnny nodded. "Well, you never miss out on sunsets, at least, right?"

Daniel gave him a blank look, but nodded. He seemed to be doing that thing that Bobby or his mom did sometimes, not elaborating until he did. Waiting for him to speak, giving him silence, even if he didn't necessarily want it.

Johnny sighed, looking out at the sky in all its brilliant colors. "I never did kata or meditation...at my old dojo..."

Daniel nodded patiently, giving him that look that he wished Daniel wouldn't give him: pity. But he knew more than anyone that it was hard to control the exact way you looked at someone, especially when it came to how he looked at Larusso.

"Is it worth it?" Johnny continued. "All that pre-game stuff?"

"Pre-game stuff..." Daniel mused thoughtfully. "Well, I don't see it as pre-game. It keeps me grounded in karate, and it's a good warm-up, but sometimes...it's like it's not even about karate at all. It's just about settling scores mentally before you get into all the...physicality of it all..."

Johnny made a soft answering noise to that. Although karate was an outlet--or so he'd thought--he was never calm around it. At best, he was pumped up; at worst, he came and left pissed off. He wondered what it'd be like, to be calm and centered and all that hippie crap that lead to Larusso winning. Not just winning, but being happy with his teachings and sensei.

"I can show you, if you want," Daniel offered. And Johnny was a little relieved at that, because like hell was he going to ask himself.

"Let's get a donut," Johnny answered, not entirely dismissive, but not entirely answering, either. Daniel must have taken that positively--or just really wanted a donut--because he nodded with a sweet smile.

The donut shop was so close to the camp, Johnny remembers passing it on the way to get the pizzas. Right, he and Daniel's first time, which happened right where Bobby, Ali, and Jessica were now giggling and gossiping. Not that Johnny hadn't thoroughly cleaned it as if it were going to be investigated by detectives afterwards--the first time Johnny Lawrence ever thoroughly cleaned anything he owned--but he wasn't about to fess up anything now.

"How much do these donuts usually go for?" Daniel asked once they were parked, pulling out some cash, but Johnny stopped him by pulling out his own wallet.

"Don't worry about that, I got you covered--" Johnny started.

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that, Johnny--"

"No, it's fine, just my payback for getting you out of bed so early," Johnny insisted, snatching Daniel's crumpled bill from his hand playfully only to give it back to him with a smile.

"Hey, who's paying for my donut?" Bobby asked from the backseat, clearly tired of their antics.

Johnny turned back to him, staring carefully, blinking in annoyance. "Kiss me on the mouth right now and I got you covered."

Bobby locked eyes with Johnny, staring intently at him for a moment as if honestly considering it. Then he scoffed, looking away with a flushed face as he started out of the car. "Whatever, man, it's not even worth it..."

Jessica got out after him and playfully nudged his shoulder. "I would've just done it," she said, lacing their fingers together.

Ali skipped out after them and linked her arm with Jessica's. "Yeah, come on, what's wrong with a kiss? You could've done it three times so we were all covered."

"There's not enough money in the world to make me kiss Johnny Lawrence," Bobby insisted, holding open the donut shop door for them.

Johnny sneered, flipping Bobby the bird before slipping inside, Daniel close beside him, but keeping a noticeable boundary. He glanced over at Johnny, his eyes thoughtful, before leaning in and whispering: "Just for the record, I'll kiss you for free." He then smiled crookedly, going up to the clear case and looking over what donuts they had.

And it was stupid, because Daniel was his boyfriend, of course he'd want to kiss him. Johnny didn't want Bobby or the other girls to kiss him, anyway, he was just joking. But the idea that someone wanted to kiss him after everything, someone like Daniel, made his face flush as he smiled. Honestly, he probably looked like a smitten middle schooler receiving a Valentine's Gram. He'd have to get on the mat with Larusso sometime, have him knock some sense into him. Again.

Johnny already knew what he wanted, but waited a minute as Daniel chose his. Daniel and Jessica had both been counselor first-timers, and first-timers on this last day tradition. Bobby always got maple, for some reason, Ali the chocolate cream, and Johnny always got the biggest one, the cinnamon roll about as big as his head. As a kid, he could always eat it in one sitting, but as he got older, he ate some and stored away the rest for later. It was efficient, in Johnny's humble opinion, but Bobby never seemed to agree.

Jessica had gotten a strawberry with sprinkles, Daniel a chocolate with sprinkles, and they went back out to the car.

"I can't believe I'm the only one leaving at the end of the summer," Bobby commented, sliding into the backseat once Jessica and Ali had gotten in. "I mean, an all boys school, really? I'm gonna go crazy."

"I wouldn't complain," Daniel muttered, giving Johnny a side-eyed glance.

"Oh, really?" Johnny scoffed. "You got some icing on your nose, Casanova," he wiped it off with his finger and licked it. "You wouldn't last a day at an all boys school."

Daniel merely looked annoyed, helping himself to a piece of Johnny's cinnamon roll before turning back to Bobby. "It's only an hour away. You're gonna visit, like, every weekend, right?"

"Of course," Bobby replied as Johnny started up the car, heading back to camp. "I mean, if I'm not busy with schoolwork--"

"Or parties," Ali butted in.

"Or parties," Bobby nodded. "But I'll have to bring you guys, I mean..." he sighed, looking thoughtful. "To be honest, I've had a hard time meeting new people and making friends outside of Cobra Kai...so I'm really glad we were all able to get along here..."

"Aw," Jessica kissed his cheek. "I'm really glad, too. It's pretty miraculous that we got through the summer without Daniel and Johnny trying to kill each other--"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Johnny rolled his eyes, helping himself to a piece of Daniel's donut before starting up the car and heading back to camp.

As Johnny drove, he thought about Bobby's words. It had been hard to talk to people outside of the dojo. After everything Kreese had said about the bond of Cobra Kai--uniting its soldiers by blood spilt on the mat--Johnny had thought everyone not in Cobra Kai was unworthy. For the twenty minutes Bobby had left after his fight with Daniel, and Johnny was still a part of the dojo, Johnny even thought Bobby was unworthy. Unworthy of what, he didn't know. There was nothing honorable in hurting people who didn't deserve it, even mouthy little shits like Daniel.

It was a long-winded, pain-in-the-ass way to discover that this, here and now with Daniel, was better than any glory he'd get on the mat.

He placed his hand on Daniel's knee, patting his leg, letting Daniel know he was there and thinking of him, Johnny supposed. He wondered how he'd be there when they were let out into the world outside the pines, when their relationship would be held up entirely by Johnny.

"Hey, asshole," Bobby pipped up sweetly from the backseat. "Both hands on the wheel, please."

Johnny glanced back at him in the rearview and grinned. "That's not very considerate of my boyfriend, you know. Ladies, did you know you were dating someone who's not only small-minded, but someone who's a backseat driver of all things?"

"I had no idea," Ali playfully knocked her shoulder against Bobby's. "Come on, we've only been unsafe when Johnny's driving, um...ninety-nine out of a hundred times?"

"Okay," Johnny scoffed, pulling his hand away from Daniel's knee to turn in to the camp's parking gravel. Once he parked, they all reluctantly got out and stretched, the tiredness finally getting to them once more. Johnny could see some of the kids trickling out, carrying bags and walking out with mothers and fathers, blabbing on about all of their fun camp stories. Johnny remembered his very first summer here, when his mom came and picked him up; he'd clung to her arm as if she were a piece of playground equipment, chattering here and there about every minute of his stay. How he'd won gaga ball against the counselors, watched fireworks, made s'mores, played with stray cats (his mom was concerned at that point that he might have gotten rabies, but Johnny felt fine).

Johnny looked over at Daniel, finishing off the last of his donut, and wondered if he'd be going on about his adventures to Mr. Miyagi. That sounded like him, only Johnny couldn't imagine what the old man could say in response.

"Oh!" Daniel suddenly got this 'oh shit' expression on his face, like back in school when Johnny would see him racing down the hall to get something he'd forgotten from his locker. "I need to get--something. From the office. I better hurry..." With that, Daniel ran off up the hill to camp, to the direction of the boy's cabin rather than the office.

"Weird..." Johnny's brows furrowed as he watched him grow smaller in the distance. "Well, I better get packed up, too..." he started off to the boy's cabin, Bobby following while Jessica and Ali split off to the girl's cabin.

Just as Johnny finally got there, the door burst open and Daniel came out, clumsily managing to carry his bags. He looked up, meeting Johnny's eyes with a wide smile and flushed face.

"This isn't it," He managed, slightly out of breath. "Gotta...get the...mystery surprise..." he looked thoughtful for a moment and, if Johnny didn't know Daniel any better, hesitant. "Mr. Miyagi might not be too happy about it...oh, who am I kidding, he'll love it." Daniel shrugged, really a move to shoulder his bag. He gave Johnny a quick peck as if he was leaving for work, even though Bobby was right behind them. He was Bobby, with his two girlfriends that were also somehow dating each other, but it was also so new and weird to be close with Daniel in front of him. Bobby never seemed to say anything.

"Meet me over by the arts and crafts pavilion in about ten minutes?" Daniel asked, though he ran off before Johnny could even think to answer.

Johnny was left, as he always was around Daniel, flustered and confused. Even so, there was no way he was going to miss what Daniel was about to show him. Tommy must have already left, which unsettled Johnny a little; he'd have to be sure to call him, maybe arrange some hangout time between them. Johnny managed to gather his things--mostly just shoving shit into his bag--in record time, barely able to zip up his bag while Bobby was still working on his own pile of things.

"I'm gonna head out and see what he wants to show me, but maybe I'll see you later in the week? I'm gonna make you sick of me before you leave for college," Johnny said, looking over at Bobby before his gaze landed on the floor. And it was an odd thing, because he never had a problem looking people--looking friends--in the eye before. But between his brief kiss with Daniel and the thought of Bobby leaving...everything was shifting, and Johnny couldn't imagine marking this the end with any of the old Cobras.

Bobby looked over and smiled good naturedly, going over to Johnny and giving him a hug, a bone-breaking strong one like an older brother. He pulled back after a moment, when Johnny hugged him back, and patted his shoulder. "Johnny," he started, his eyes holding a sentiment knew with jolting anxiety he wasn't ready for. Bobby had a way with words sometimes; he didn't even have to say much. Johnny had a goldfish in the eighth grade, and when Bobby spoke at its toilet-side funeral, Johnny cried more over his speech than the fish.

Bobby smiled crookedly, and then: "I'm sick of you already."

Johnny laughed at that, swatting his hand away, filled with relief. He rolled his eyes and shouldered his bag. "Once I spar with Larusso, I'm gonna spar with you again and kick your ass, man." he commented, heading to the door.

"Alright, but I don't wanna spar with you the way you spar with Larusso," Bobby replied.

Johnny scoffed, shaking his head. "Have fun dating a couple of lesbos, Brown," he flipped him the bird with a smile, leaving the cabin for the last time that summer.

Johnny walked along the path towards the arts and crafts pavilion, looking over the camp. Daniel had probably explored every inch of it at some point, taking in how the sun hits the creek when it sets or how cool the evenings get when they all watched movies in their little plastic chairs. He wondered if Daniel had fallen in love with the space as much as he had over the years; even after everything, he'd always be welcome here, at home.

When he got to the crafts pavilion, Johnny noticed Daniel's stuff there, along with Jessica and her things.

Jessica smiled crookedly at him, nodding over to Daniel, who was by the lake. "Just waiting on my aunt to pick me up, but Daniel asked if I could wait over here for some reason...? I think he has something to show you."

Johnny had the not-so-sneaking suspicion that she knew something he didn't, but he went over to Daniel anyway.

Daniel must have heard him, because he turned around, beaming when he saw Johnny. He was holding something small and fluffy--Johnny wondered for a moment if he got some kind of dumb stuffed animal from the gift shop. That is, until Johnny looked closer and realized it was a very real animal, with the same cute little kitten face he had grown used to all summer.

"Cookies," Johnny smiled at the sight of him, reaching out to pet his fuzzy little head with two fingers. The kitten purred, rubbing his face on Johnny's hand. If Johnny didn't know any better, he'd say the kitten had grown to like him.

"Glad to hear there's no more complaints on his name," Daniel said proudly. "Because I'm not gonna stand for you talking badly about him. He's...he's mine. He's my cat."

Daniel looked on the brink of tears. Johnny choked back a laugh. Of all the things he'd cried about this summer, Johnny never thought this crusty little cat would be one of them. But seeing Daniel like this admittedly made Johnny wonder if the dewy morning air was making his eyes water.

Johnny rolled his eyes. "And are you sure that, uh...that Mr. Miyagi will be okay with it?" he asked. He still had this on-edge feeling when saying his name, as if he were invoking some great power that could come in and kick his ass if he even thought of smarting off to Daniel.

"Yeah," Daniel nodded with a small shrug, his smile crooked in a way that told Johnny he was absolutely not a hundred percent sure Miyagi would be okay with it. "I mean, Cookies is just...super cute, and sweet, and really vocal--"

"Sounds like someone I know," Johnny replied, crossing his arms, his smile smug, but sweet, too.

Daniel raised his eyebrows at that. "Like I was saying, I think Mr. Miyagi's really gonna like him. He's bringing back two people from Okinawa, too, and hopefully they can help run the bonsai shop--and he can be our mascot! He'll be bringing in everyone with his cute little cat face, see?" he lifted up the kitten, pushing him close to Johnny's face, Cookies blinking sleepily at him.

Johnny laughed, petting him but pushing him away. "I think people will think he's a stray and avoid the place."

"You're such a pessimist," Daniel scowled, toting Cookies close to his chest like a baby. "Obviously, I'm getting him a collar. Maybe one with a little bell so Mr. Miyagi can hear him when he's walking around...and an engraved nametag with a little heart or a cookie, that'd be cute..."

"Do you wanna put him in a little dress, too?" Johnny teased.

Daniel opened his mouth to retort, but just then, Jessica came by and asked to hold Cookies. She carried him back over to the tables, Daniel looking after him like a mother with separation anxiety.

"I think Cookies would be good company for Mr. Miyagi for when I'm out with you. You do plan on taking me out for dates, right? I expect a little something if I'm putting out." Daniel said, his voice soft and teasing, giving Johnny a special look he was sure was just for him.

Johnny grinned, nudging Daniel's arm, because he honestly couldn't have picked a stupider move to do. Really, he wanted to kiss him. He always did, but especially now. Everyone was gone, anyways, other than Jess, who was busy with the cat. But he didn't know how to be with Daniel, not in the light of day. Even if things went really well with their friends earlier.

"Of course I'll take you out, Daniel," he replied. "The drive-in, every weekend. You get one concession, and you have to sit in my lap the whole time."

"Sounds like a deal to me," Daniel nodded, looking out over the lake, seeming serene. A moment passed, and Daniel seemed almost sad. "I'm really excited about what's outside the camp...but also...I wish we weren't leaving..."

"We're coming back next year," Johnny said, before he'd even thought about it. He knew you could be a counselor until you were 20, and then you had to be an adult advisor, which probably meant more time in the air-conditioned cabin. Ever since his first year at 12, he planned on coming back every year, as long as they'd have him. Now, he'd return with the old Cobras and Ali and Jess...and Daniel. He couldn't imagine loving this place as much without him. And for some reason, that didn't scare him.

"But yeah," Johnny added. "I wish we weren't leaving, too."

Daniel smiled at that, as if Johnny had just said something really funny, which was...odd. "I think I know a way that we could stay longer..."

"What do you mean?" Johnny asked, thinking immediately that Daniel was about to do something charitable. As much as he loved camp, he'd much rather go home and nap than help the adults clean the cabins.

Suddenly, Daniel's hands grasped his biceps, and with a force Johnny hadn't expected, he pushed him back into the lake. The only thing he could think as he fell was: yeah. I probably deserve this. This makes sense.

But as Johnny heard Daniel's laugh, he couldn't even seem to care about using the camp's top-tier showering facilities one more time. The last thing he saw before he hit the water was Daniel, and this time, he was jumping in willingly after him.