I, for one, think that I'm funny and cute

so to do some cute nonsense before getting into the fic, I will say that...and I don't want to compare cobra kai with sanders sides again (but I will)...the thing with sanders sides was that the canon was so incredibly easy to mold into any AU, but the thing is with cobra kai...only certain characters are moldable, if that makes sense. Like I was writing a multi-chapter post hogwarts AU, and I can absolutely imagine Daniel being a herbology nerd, but then at one point Johnny had to say the word "muggle"...and I just laughed so much, I had to delete the draft. Johnny is basically a non compliant asshole of a character, which makes sense for him lol

anyways, here's a sam/robby ft demetri because i love him

this is the start of s2

~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a sign hanging up, a board with a rope hanging from the jagged rock of the Miyagi-do dojo:

Psychiatric Help 5¢

Underneath it, Demetri was sitting patiently long before the other students were supposed to arrive, setting up his little booth. No one came around for a long while, until Mr. Larusso stumbled across it when he came out to practice his morning kata.

"You're pretty early," He observed. "Is everything--" He read the sign, eyes narrowing with a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Is that a Peanuts reference?"

"That it is, Mr. Larusso." Demetri replied. "I'm here on account of the fact that everyone here needs some therapy. Would you like some psychiatric help?"

Daniel furrowed his brows, studying the little booth. "You're far from a licensed professional, but sure, I'll take it." He sat down and started to discuss what was going on in his life lately, little things Johnny was doing to annoy him, how sales were going at the dealership and the like. Every now and then, when he seemed on the precipice of something, he would refrain, giving Demetri a curious look, as if just then realizing he did indeed not want to burden a child with his emotional issues.

When Daniel was finished talking, Demetri offered him a smile and pulled out a pill bottle. "I'm prescribing you with anti-depressants." he said simply.

By Mr. Larusso's expression, one would think Demetri had said he was pregnant.

Mr. Larusso took the pill bottle with all the caution of a loaded gun, but when he unscrewed the top and poured some out into his hand, he offered Demetri an annoyed look. "These are M&Ms."

Demetri shrugged, a his smile suggesting he thought himself cute and clever. "You said it yourself, I'm not a licensed professional."

Daniel huffed, shrugged, and popped a few of the chocolate candies into his mouth. "Thanks for listening anyways, Demetri. Oh, I forgot payment." he rifled through his pocket and pulled out a nickel, his own smile suggesting he thought himself clever as well as he dropped it into Demetri's coin jar.

Demetri looked sheepish at that. "Mr. Larusso, um...the sign's just a novelty. With the current rates of inflation, my business won't survive with just a nickel..."

Daniel gave Demetri a pointed look, raised eyebrows and all, and Demetri could see where Sam got her assertiveness. "I'm letting you run your business on my property without charging rent," he says simply.

Demetri sighed at that, shaking the coin jar gently and letting the one nickel roll around pitifully in the jar. "Fair enough..."

Daniel's look turned into one of pity, and just before class started, Demetri found himself five dollars richer and possessing one of Mr. Larusso's favorite bottled sweet teas, which he never gave to anyone.

------

Strangely enough, Demetri's next customer was Robby.

None of the other Miyagi-dos seemed to want Demetri's help, but every now and then, Robby would give Demetri and apprehensive look before passing his booth by. When he finally sat down in front of him, Demetri couldn't say he was surprised.

"I'm having a little issue with Sam," Robby said quietly to Demetri one afternoon, sort of folded in on himself in a way Demetri had never seen him before.

Demetri frowned at that; it didn't seem that Robby and Sam were having issues, if anything they were getting along too well. Demetri expected them to end up making out half the time they sparred.

"What's going on?" he asked encouragingly.

"I think," Robby bit his bottom lip, looking like a conflicted but lovestruck schoolboy. Honestly, it was ridiculous. "I think she sees me as, like, her gay friend...you know...?"

Demetri blinked several times, attempting to process the statement. "Um...no. She can't see you as her gay friend, I'm already her gay friend. She knows that you're straight."

Robby blushed, his eyes reflecting worry. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything, sorry. It's just...she does girly things with me sometimes. Skincare masks, rom-coms, that kind of thing...she painted my nails." he held up his hands to show Demetri, all his nails neatly painted black. "I don't mind, because when she painted my nails, she was, like, touching my hands a lot, which was nice..." Robby gave Demetri a worried look, as if worried Demetri would think him a pervert. Demetri would laugh if the situation wasn't so bizarre. "I just also want her to see me as, like, a potential boyfriend. I really like her, man..."

Demetri pursed his lips, looking over the many pill bottles in his possession before his eyes met Robby's. "Can I tell you something, Robby?" At Robby's nod, he continued: "Sam has never once done a face-mask with me, or painted my nails. She's testing you, man."

"Testing me?" Robby asked.

"Yeah," Demetri nodded, as if this was obvious. "She wants to make sure that you're, you know, progressive and stuff. She doesn't want to deal with another guy that's got his head up his ass about being manly all the time. Does that make sense?"

Robby looked confused at that, though he nodded. "I guess so...that still doesn't explain why she leaves the house sometimes without telling anyone where she's going. What if she's meeting up with some mystery guy?"

"I doubt it," Demetri shrugged. "She hasn't told me or Moon about anyone but you."

Robby perked up at that, sitting up a little straighter in interest. "She told you that she likes me?"

"I'm not telling you what she told me," Demetri fired back. "This is psychiatric help, not a gossip session. Now, I'm gonna give you your pills." he pulled out a bottle and passed it to Robby, who was looking at it apprehensively. "These are Little Bitch pills. Take two, and then man up and tell Sam that you like her. Then come back for another session, my business is actively dying."

Robby poured out some rainbow-colored candy into his hand, then popped it into his mouth. "Skittles?" he asked.

"I had some old Halloween candy," Demetri replied defensively. "Now, go! Get your girl! I'll be out here, alone and sad."

"You should give Eli a call," Robby said as he placed a dollar on the table, but it wasn't a statement of any lasting substance as he went into the house, determined.

------

Robby lingered at Sam's bedroom door for a lot longer than he should have, starting to feel a little creepy before finally taking a deep breath and knocking.

"Come in," Sam's voice answered, and Robby opened up the door, leaning against the door with an air of causality, as if he was not internally freaking out.

"Hey, you wanna hang out?" Robby asked. "I don't really have anything to do, so...not that you're like a last resort or anything, I just--"

"You're okay," Sam smiled sweetly at him, gesturing for him to join her where she was sitting on her bed, laptop open. "I want a break from studying, anyway."

Robby joined her, smiling as relief settled within him. He pulled out the pill bottle, offering it to Sam. "Skittle?"

Sam laughs, taking one as she looked at the bottle. "Can I ask why you're carrying around Skittles in a prescription pill bottle?"

Robby blushed, forgetting how odd the candy container was. "It's Demetri's." he admitted. "I went to his help booth."

Sam raised her eyebrows, amusement dancing in her eyes, and Robby remembers one night with her vividly. When she had put that face-mask on him, giggling as Robby cringed at the cold feeling, but he couldn't stop smiling. Sam's laugh was like windchimes, her eyes glittering like the ocean, and Robby thought he'd give up the game just based on how he was staring at her.

"What did you visit his booth for?" Sam asked.

Robby's heart skipped a beat, but something about Sam always made him tell the truth. "I wanted advice on how to tell this really cute girl that I liked her," he said, and he met Sam's eyes at that, sitting close enough to her to see the realization click in her eyes, to see her smile brighten and her dimples show.

"And what did he say?" Sam asked, voice hushed as she held his arm.

Robby felt a buzz of electricity that was just so right at her touch, and he figures he could (and should) go in for the kiss, but he refrains. It'd be rude to leave her question unanswered, and he was always saying stupid things in front of her: "He gave me Little Bitch pills."

Sam laughed suddenly, pulling back. "What?"

"The Skittles. He gave them to me and told me to man up and tell this girl that I like her, and Sam...I really like you..." Robby said, and he reached out, holding Sam's hand, hoping desperately that his palm wasn't quite as sweaty as it felt.

"I really like you, too," Sam grins, her free hand moving to the back of Robby's neck, pulling him in to kiss his lips.

Robby can feel her smiling against him; they were always grinning like idiots around each other. Robby pulled her close, into his lap, his hands remaining firmly on her hips. Sam pulls away first with another quick kiss to his lips, running her thumb along his cheek. "Can I show you something?" She asks. "Outside?"

Robby blinks, confused and processing, probably still staring at Sam's lips, because oh my god I just kissed Sam, and she just kissed me. Robby met her eyes, nodding. "Sure,"

Sam stood, stretching and putting shoes on before leading Robby outside. "I bet you're wondering about why I painted your nails and did face-masks and all." she said.

"I don't mind, I thought it was fun...but I was kind of curious, yeah." Robby replied. "Demetri said you were testing me?"

"He was right," Sam said. "But I was also checking to see if you would like to do the same hobbies, if we were to..." her face reddened, as if she was not just kissing Robby in his lap a few minutes earlier. "You know, date. You know that I also like to read, but I don't know how you can make that work with two people..."

A scenario quickly formed in Robby's mind, one where he had his arms wrapped around Sam as she read, Robby happily nuzzled in the crook of her neck. The idea that the fantasy could happen soon made his brain short-circuit. "I imagine we could make it work," he said simply.

"Well, I figured it wouldn't be fair for you to engage in my hobbies without me learning yours, too. Which is why," Sam scrounged around one of the bushes in the front landscaping, pulling out a skateboard that she seemed to be hiding back there. "I've been leaving the house sometimes, teaching myself how to skateboard. I hope that my moves are impressive, but I haven't been practicing long..." she admitted.

Robby felt himself smile involuntarily; he'd never expected someone to do something like this for him, no obligation or anything. He watched admirably as Sam got on the skateboard and sailed down the driveway, angling her hips just right to turn back around. She even popped a wheelie to show off, which made Robby cover his mouth to hide how flustered and happy he was.

Sam rolled right up to Robby, and standing on the skateboard she had an inch or two of height on him. "How's that for moves, Keene?" she asked, her voice a playful challenge.

"Not bad, Larusso," Robby held her steady by her arms, standing on his tiptoes to press a kiss to her lips, hoping no one was watching. He leaned back just to look at her, trying not to smile like a giddy little kid. "I could show you some pointers sometime..."

"I'd like that," Sam replied, and she wrapped her arms around Robby's neck, kissing him without a care for who might see them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alright! So that was my first foray into a canon ship I believe...you straights really have it all, huh? jk I'm just messing with y'all. I know people tend to think Sam and Robby had no chemistry, but I think they did. the problem with any of the main four in the love square was that they tended to rush the relationships. But I did think that the whole Sam-and-Robby-hiding-the-relationship-while-he-lived-there thing was really romantic...it was a shojo manga daydream lol

anyways, i was struggling with what I wanted to write today, so I'm glad i could settle. between writing my own og novel and a mix of other cobra kai/karate kid things, i get a bit mixed up sometimes, but anyway...do continue to lmk what you guys want, though

ciao,

~mw