THALIA HAD never heard of the Seikai Taikai before but she knew it wouldn't be the last time she heard it. This was something big. Bigger than Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do... Fang? She didn't really know. What she did know was that this was bigger than all of them combined.

This is where the top dojos go and compete and only one of the dojos were all to attend. It was bigger than the All-Valley... which made Thalia feel very small.

She lost and sometimes that weight in how much she pushed herself... which Johnny took notice of quite quickly.

Thalia rocked back and forth on her heels as she listened into the conversations about the Seikai Taikai. Again, she didn't feel very included in conversations with all of them yet, especially Sam, but she was there and they knew that.

"All right, all right." Daniel called, making his way over towards the students with Johnny and Chozen.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, Cobra Kai is gonna do everything they can to get a spot. And if they win this time, kids all over the world are gonna have to deal with the same crap you guys have gone through."

"But if we win, we can show the world how to stop them." Sam smiled.

"First you must prove you can compete with best." Chozen said.

"But in order to do that, you have to be better than the best. Which is why we're gonna kick your asses into high gear." Johnny smiled.

"Sensei Lawrence, Sensei Toguchi, and I are gonna get you ready for the presentation tomorrow. Okay, so, come on. Let's get warmed up."

"Go!" Johnny shouted. "Move those asses."

Thalia turned, making her over to drop her duffel bag into a nearby deck as she began to stretch along with the others.

It didn't take long for the training to commence. They worked hard and their hard work would seemingly pay off.

The representatives loved both Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Fang and wanted them to go head-to-head with each other to see which team, if they fought hard enough, would go to the Seikai Taikai. They had to pick one male and one female from each team and they would go head to head.

The problem?

Several.

It was clear that Cobra Kai would be putting Tory out there and Miyagi-Fang only had two female members... Samantha LaRusso, who had a valid problem with Tory Nichols and Thalia Nichols, who wasn't really ready to fight with her sister again.

But Daniel wanted Sam to compete while Johnny believed that Thalia needed this to prove to herself that she could do this.

While they debated about who should be their female fighter, Thalia made her way outside. This was the first time she'd been to the LaRusso house since the big fight back in December. It was strange being back at a place where she didn't feel like she belonged.

Regardless, she made her way towards Sam who'd been stretching and practicing in the backyard.

Sam turned, sensing a presence and seeing Thalia standing further back.

Sam straightened, dropping her arms from where she had been stretching. Her expression was unreadable, but there was no warmth in her gaze. She wasn't outright hostile, but she wasn't exactly thrilled to see Thalia approaching either.

Thalia hesitated for a brief second before exhaling through her nose and stepping closer. "Hey."

Sam nodded once. "Hey."

For a moment, there was silence between them. The tension wasn't as thick as it once had been, but it was still there—lingering, unspoken. Thalia knew Sam still didn't fully trust her, and maybe she never would, but that wasn't why she was here.

"What do you want?"

Thalia stuffed her hands into the pocket of her hoodie, rocking slightly on her heels. "To talk."

Sam exhaled through her nose, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. "About what?"

Thalia took a step closer. "The fight."

Sam's posture stiffened slightly, but her expression remained neutral. "What about it?"

"Johnny wants me to take the female spot for Miyagi-Do."

Sam scoffed lightly, shaking her head as she looked away. "Of course he does."

Thalia ignored the bitterness in her voice. "I told him no. I said I think you should."

Sam scoffed lightly, crossing her arms. "You don't have to say that just because you don't want to go up against your sister."

"That's not the case... this time." Thalia said. "I think you need this more than I do. Besides you've been here longer. Doing this way longer than I have. I believe that you can win."

Sam exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "It's not just about winning. It's about proving that I can win. That I belong here, that I can be the person everyone expects me to be."

Thalia watched her carefully. "And you think sitting this one out is going to do that?"

Sam hesitated, her arms tightening around herself.

Thalia softened. "I get it, Sam. I do. I know what it's like to feel like you've let people down. But the only way to move forward is to step up. And that means taking this fight."

Sam was quiet for a long moment. Her fingers curled and uncurled at her sides, her mind working through what Thalia had just said.

Finally, she exhaled. "You really think I can win?"

"I do."

A small, reluctant smile ghosted across Sam's lips before she sighed, nodding. "Alright." She looked at Thalia with a new level of determination. "I'll do it."

Thalia nodded back, satisfaction settling in her chest. Sam turned back to her stretching, but before Thalia walked away, she hesitated.

"For what it's worth," she said, her voice quieter now. "I get why you don't trust me. And I don't expect that to change overnight. But I meant what I said—I'm not your enemy, Sam."

Sam didn't respond right away. But after a beat, she glanced over her shoulder.

"I guess we'll see," she said simply before returning to her training.

Thalia exhaled, turning back toward the house. It wasn't a resolution, but it was a start.

"How'd it go?" Miguel asked.

Thalia sighed, clasping her hands together as she looked back at Sam. "Could've been worse. She still does trust me but... I tried."

He sighed, shaking his head slightly as they started walking back toward the house. "You know, I don't think it's that she doesn't trust you," he said after a moment. "I think it's just... hard for her to let go of the past."

Thalia scoffed, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her hoodie. "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly in a rush to change her mind. She can think what she wants."

Miguel smirked at her tone, but there was a softness in his expression. "You say that, but you still went out there. You still tried."

Thalia glanced at him from the corner of her eye, lips pressing into a thin line. "Yeah, well, you and Johnny weren't exactly giving me much of a choice."

They continued walking, the moonlight casting long shadows over the backyard. Miguel stole a quick glance at her, watching the way she absentmindedly played with the strings of her hoodie, her expression unreadable.

He liked her. More than liked her. And it was getting harder and harder to keep it to himself.

He wasn't sure when it started back up—maybe it had always been there, buried beneath everything else. But ever since Mexico, since the tournament, since that night he showed up at her door soaking wet and lost, it had only grown.

Miguel looked ahead, stuffing his hands into his pockets, trying to keep his thoughts in check. But then Thalia sighed, stretching her arms over her head before glancing at him.

"You okay?" she asked, brows slightly raised.

Miguel blinked, startled out of his thoughts. "Huh? Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

Thalia gave him a look, one that told him she didn't quite believe him, but she let it slide.

Miguel wanted to say something—to drop the teasing, to tell her what had been on his mind for weeks now—but the words never came.

Instead, they reached the house, and Thalia turned to him, tilting her head slightly. "Thanks for coming to check on me, by the way."

Miguel shrugged, offering her a small smile. "Of course. I always will."

Thalia held his gaze for a beat longer than necessary, something flickering in her expression before she stepped inside.

Miguel exhaled, running a hand through his hair as he followed her in, his heart pounding just a little too fast.

One of these days, he'd tell her.

Maybe.

THE DAY finally came and Thalia adorned her red and black gi. Though she wasn't fighting today. She was still there for support. If Myagi-Do won today's match. Great, she'd be going to the Seikai Taikai. If she lost, at least she could congratulate her sister on her win.

The boys fight would happen first. The first to three points would win. For the boys, it would be Eli against Kenny Payne.

Kenny came in swinging, he was the first to strike a point against Eli, but as Eli scored an alleged point, it was taken away for being "out of bounds". Johnny was quick to call bullshit, but alas, the point to Eli wouldn't count.

The next fight began, the two of them easily going back and forth before Kenny grabbed Eli's leg and doing an illegal strike, his point not counting towards Cobra Kai. It would called as a warning.

"Warning?" Daniel scoffed. "He should be disqualified."

"No it's fine." Eli muttered. "He just caught me off-guard."

"Are you sure, Eli?"

"No more Eli. It's time to uncage the Hawk."

Thalia wasn't quite sure what that meant, but if he was able to win his match because of it... she didn't really care.

But he would be able to "uncage the Hawk" as when he made his way back onto the mat with Kenny, the younger of the two pulled a move that literally knocked the wind out of him.

Thalia felt her jaw drop slightly as she heard staggered breathing coming from Eli who now laid on the ground, clutching his chest as he tried to stand to his feet and breathe.

The point when to Kenny.

"Can you continue?" The referee asked.

"Where's the medic?" Johnny called.

"That's a forfeit." The referee called. "Winner, Payne."

As Cobra Kai celebrated their win, Kenny turned, a wide-toothed smile on his face. "Looks like you got a new name. Faux-Hawk."

With help from Johnny and Daniel, they lead Eli off the mat and towards the closet bench so he could catch his breath.

Soon enough, the girls fight would start.

"Samantha LaRusso and Tory Nichols, please take the mat."

But Tory was nowhere in sight. Thalia furrowed her brows, looking over at the Cobra Kai side to see her sister nowhere. Thalia backed away from Miyagi-Do's side and walked out of the dojo.

"What's wrong?"

Tory turned. "He's—" she cut herself off. She wanted to tell Thalia the truth, she really did, but she didn't know how'd she react to everything she'd been keeping from her.

Thalia's frown deepened as she took a step closer. "Tory, what's going on?" she pressed, her voice softer now. She could see the tension in her sister's shoulders, the way her jaw clenched.

Tory exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "I just—I can't do this right now, okay?"

Thalia's brows knitted together. "Can't do what? The fight?"

It's not about the fight, Thalia," Tory snapped, then sighed, shaking her head. "It's bigger than that."

Thalia studied her for a moment, searching her face for any kind of clue. Tory looked... conflicted. Not angry, not fired up like she usually was before a match. Just tired.

"Tory," Thalia said carefully, stepping even closer. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Tory hesitated, her fingers tightening into fists at her sides. She wanted to—God, she wanted to tell her sister the truth. About Kreese. About Silver. About how none of this had been fair from the start. But the words caught in her throat.

Thalia's gaze softened. "Tory..."

"I just need a second," Tory muttered, brushing past her, but Thalia caught her wrist before she could go.

Tory tensed, but Thalia didn't let go.

"Are you scared?" Thalia asked quietly, not accusing, just... asking.

Tory swallowed, her throat bobbing. She knew Thalia wasn't trying to call her out, but the question still hit harder than she expected. "I'm not scared of Sam," she muttered.

Thalia nodded, her grip loosening but not falling away completely. "Then what are you scared of?"

Tory looked at her sister, really looked at her, and for a split second, she considered telling her everything.

Tory ripped her wrist from Thalia's grasp and turned away. "I gotta go."

"Tory—"

She was gone before Thalia could mutter anything else. She watched her sister walk off from something she would never do, not even against her. It was strange and she knew that Tory wasn't being herself. Something was wrong, but she also knew it would be easy to drag whatever it was out of her.

With a heavy sigh, Thalia made her way back inside. Cobra Kai stood somber on their side with cheers and chants coming from Miyagi-Fang.

Before she could ask what happened, she felt arms tighten around her. It was Miguel, she could tell by the heavy cologne he wore.

For a moment, she was stiff, her mind still on Tory, still trying to piece together what the hell just happened. But then Miguel's warmth seeped in, grounding her, and she slowly relaxed into his embrace.

He held on a little longer than necessary, and when he finally pulled back, his hands lingered on her arms, his eyes scanning her face. His smile slowly dropping as he looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low, just for her.

Thalia blinked up at him, her pulse still uneven from the interaction with Tory. "Yeah," she said, though the uncertainty in her tone betrayed her. "I just—Tory's acting weird." Thalia paused before looking up at Miguel with a small smile. "What happened did we win?"

"Kind of." He chuckled. "They're submitting us both to the Seikai Taikai."

Thalia smiled, truly smiled as her mouth fell agape. "Really?"

Miguel nodded, his own grin widening at the excitement in her eyes. "Yeah. Both dojos are in. We did it."

Thalia let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing for the first time all day. "That's—wow." She shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "I can't believe it."

Miguel watched her, something warm settling in his chest at the way her face lit up. "Believe it," he murmured, his voice softer now.

Thalia turned back to Miguel, still smiling. "And here I thought you were hugging me because you missed me."

Miguel chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean... maybe a little," he admitted, his eyes flickering over her face, hesitant but honest.

Thalia's smile faltered just slightly, something in his tone catching her off guard. There was something different in the way he was looking at her.

"We're gonna have a party at my place if you wanna stop by." Miguel said.

Thalia nodded. "Sure. I'll be there."

     IT WAS dark but the party was lively, people everywhere and drinks being pass around from person to person no matter who it was.

Thalia couldn't convince Tory to come. She wasn't even home when Thalia returned. She texted and called and it had been radio silence from Tory since she left Cobra Kai.

But Thalia wanted to go out. She wanted to clear her mind from what happened. She at least deserved that.

She pushed past the people in the small apartment to try to find a familiar face whether it was Miguel, Robby, Eli, or Demetri, she didn't care. She knew that she didn't want to be standing alone in a crowded house that cops could bust at any given moment.

The bass from the speakers vibrated through the floor, and the air was thick with sweat, alcohol, and something faintly resembling weed. Not exactly her scene, but she wasn't about to spend the night sulking in her room, waiting for a text from Tory that might never come.

Her eyes scanned the dimly lit apartment, searching for someone—anyone—who would make this night feel less overwhelming. Then, finally, she spotted Miguel leaning against the kitchen counter, a red solo cup in his hand, talking to Eli and Robby.

Relief flooded her chest as she made her way toward them, slipping between bodies with practiced ease. As she got closer, Miguel glanced up, his eyes immediately locking onto hers. Something in his expression shifted—relaxed, almost like he'd been waiting for her to show up.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice warm, familiar.

Thalia exhaled, offering him a small smile. "Hey," she returned, brushing her hair back from her face. "You guys weren't planning on ditching me, were you?"

Eli scoffed. "We'd never," he said, placing a hand over his heart in mock offense. "But you were taking forever."

"I had to make sure Tory didn't need me," she admitted, her fingers tightening slightly around the strap of her bag.

Miguel's brows furrowed, concern flickering across his face. "She okay?"

Thalia shook her head. "I don't know," she muttered. "She won't talk to me."

Miguel sighed, setting his drink down. "I'm sorry, Thalia."

"It's okay," Thalia exhaled, shaking her head. "She made her choice. And I made mine by showing up here."

Miguel, however, was still watching her closely, his gaze lingering. "Do you want to step outside?" he asked after a beat, his voice quieter, meant only for her.

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. That sounds good."

Miguel grabbed another solo cup, handing it off to Thalia as he past her, the girl following him out through the crowd.

She didn't want to lose him, so she gently grabbed his hand which he took without hesitation. He guided her outside and away from of the looming crowd that lingered outside.

Once alone, Thalia took a sip of her drink, the beer trickling down her throat causing her to scrunch up her nose.

"I'm sorry. I would've—"

"It's fine." She chuckled. "It's beer..."

Miguel smirked, setting his own drink down on the railing. "You'll get used to it."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. The air outside was cool against her skin, a stark contrast to the heat of the party inside. It was quieter out here, more still.

Miguel leaned against the railing, his gaze settling on her, but Thalia felt it—his eyes tracing over her face, lingering a little too long. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye before turning fully, mirroring his stance.

"What?" she asked, raising a brow.

Miguel hesitated for a second, then exhaled a small laugh. "Nothing," he muttered, shaking his head.

Thalia tilted her head slightly. "No, it's something."

Miguel looked at her then, really looked at her, and Thalia felt something shift between them. The weight of everything unspoken, the moments leading up to now—all of it settling in the air between them.

"I just..." he started, then stopped, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

Thalia felt her heart pick up speed. "Miguel..." she warned, but there was no real bite to it.

Miguel leaned in slightly, just enough that she could feel the warmth radiating off him, his eyes flickering down to her lips for half a second before meeting her gaze again.

Thalia wasn't sure who moved first, but suddenly, the space between them felt smaller, the world quieter. Her breath hitched as Miguel's fingers brushed against hers, tentative, as if testing the waters.

"FIGHT!"

— lucy has something to say !!

story will now be published every friday because i said so 😁

i know this is a miguel fic BUT GODDAMN TANNER IS SO FUCKING HOT IM GONNA JUMP

"no more eli" okay ill just k!ll myself then 😁 THEN THEY PLAY THAT FUCK ASS SCREECH THAT DOESNT HELP

this dialogue is so bad wtf

bye :))))