Chapter Text
Hawk was still unlearning a lot of the brainwashing he’d picked up from Kreese, but it felt good to have things back to normal- ok, maybe not “normal” but things were going good with Demetri again, and that was as good as.They weren’t fully back to having as much trust as before, sometimes not as in sync as before, but they were getting there, it’d only been a few days since they started talking again.
Demetri, subtle as it was, sometimes flinched if Hawk moved too suddenly. Hawk couldn’t blame him but that didn’t make it sting any less, and certainly didn’t stop the sound of a broken bone resurfacing every time.
Hawk hadn’t had much of chance to appreciate Miyagi-do’s dojo when he’d, well, trashed it, especially seeing as it was night at the time. But looking at it now, sparring a little with Demetri by an impressively well kept pond(were there live coy in there?) he had to admit, it was cool. Sure, it was wasn’t exactly his style, but it was cool. Maybe he’d dye his hair green next to correlate with all the plants. Wait..no that’s lame, what was he thinking? He might’ve allied against Cobra Kai and rekindled his friendship with Demetri, but he wasn’t about to go soft again. There was a level of nerd he was okay with, and he was pushing it already.
Around the time him and Demetri started sparring, they also got back to old banter, the same kind they used to take up playing video games, and board games for that matter. Demetri was brutal when it came to trivial pursuit. So there they were, like old times throwing quips back at forth in between blocking and kicking.
“You quakin’ in your boots yet?” Hawk taunted, going for another punch that his spar partner swiftly avoided.
“Oh please, even Jar Jar binx would make a more formidable opponent.” Demetri replied in his usual studious tone, a smile playing on his lips as he went for a round house to Hawks hip, only for Hawk to do well in blocking it.
Hawk couldn’t hold in a chuckle at that one, lightly shaking his head, still in position planning his next move. “Y’know, even with your new tricks you’re still the same exact nerd as before, huh?” It came out a little harsher than he’d meant, but if Demetri was insulted it didn’t show.
But then why’d he cut so deep with his comeback?
“Woah woah woah, hold it bird boy!” Demetri laughed, faking an offended tone. “If I’m still the same exact nerd as before, that’d make you still just the kid with the weird lip.”
Someone else laughed, probably Bert or Mitch, but Hawk couldn’t think with all that blood suddenly boiling at once. Were Demetri and him really so out of sync now that he thought that was funny? Or did he KNOW just how much that old wound hurt?
Whatever, either way Hawk swore he could hear white noise and time slowed, watching Demetri look to whoever was laughing with a stupid chuckle of his own, he practically had his back to him. He was distracted, making it the perfect time to strike.
Hawk proceeded to quickly kick Demetri’s legs out from under him, angling it perfectly enough to send the boy head first into the coy pond. Well, half of him, Demetri’s legs were still on the dry stone while the rest of him was dunked into the no doubt freezing and gross water. Well kept or not, that thing still had live fish and algae in it.
He probably would’ve laughed if he wasn’t still angry and if that feeling of immediate regret hadn’t began to crawl up in him. Of course a couple of the others like Sam and Chris came to Demetri’s rescue, even if he could’ve gotten out just fine on his own.
Once Demetri was sat up, hair and shirt sopping wet, he was still spluttering and spitting out the water with a sour look on his face like someone had just put salt in his coffee, immediately(and grossly) rubbing his tongue on the back of his hand to remove the taste...before seeming to realise a little late that his hands had also been in the pond.
“What the hell, man?! Not cool!”
The only response Hawk had was the most deadpanned “oops” he could muster.
Demetri looked like he was about to say something else as he shakily got to his feet, but was interrupted as their Sensei’s made there way over.
“The hell happened here?” Sensei asked, minor concern showing, but he mostly just looked miffed looking to Demetri and then looking to Hawk. “I swear, we leave you kids for five minutes...”
“He fell.” Hawk answered, staring right at Demetri as he did so. He could almost feel Sensei’s eye roll.
“That’s not-!” Demetri went to dispute before Mr.Larusso interrupted, causing Demetri to look significantly more annoyed.
“How about,” Larusso started, though didn’t seem entirely sure where he was going. “before we continue this discussion, Demetri goes and gets dry. Let everyone cool off.”
“With all due respect, Sensei Larusso, Demetri didn’t think he’d need to bring a towel.” Demetri replied in the first person, still clearly pissed off. He’d never been someone who ‘stands up’ to authority figures, but Hawk knew he’d never tolerated being spoken about as if he wasn’t there.
“Ah, sorry Demetri.” It was a quick apology, but seemed to put Larusso back in Demetri’s good graces, as his glare once again moved from his Sensei back to Hawk. “There’s actually a couple towels in a storage cupboard inside.” Mr.Larusso continued, gesturing towards the dojo building.
“Oh- well I do respect your foresight.” Demetri nodded approvingly, beginning to make his way to the building, though on his way putting his hands up. “But let it be known! I did not fall!” Both a mix of Eagle Fang and Miyagi-do students snickering, though most Miyagi-do students looked sympathetic.
Once Demetri was out of sight and most students got back to whatever it was they were doing, Hawk let out a breath and allowed his shoulders to relax. It wasn’t quite relief, it was almost letting his angry facade down. It was only a facade because if he was being honest, he’d calmed down almost immediately after the kick. And if he was being really honest, he may have slightly overreacted.
Though the stern cough that came from behind him made him tense right back up, slowly turning to see Johnny Lawrence and Daniel Larusso with their arms crossed. They almost looked like two disappointed parents about to scold their son. Which in a way, they kind’ve were. Except they didn’t scold, they just gave him this look.
It was almost like having a silent conversation, Hawk looking at them both quizzically for a second until Sensei Lawrence gave a long glance to the dojo’s building and then back at Hawk as Mr.Larusso continued giving him a withering look. The teen then looked to the building himself, then back at his “dojo dads” with an incredulous look that probably screamed ‘really? Right now?’ they both just returned expressions of expectancy.
The boy clenched his jaw, before finally breaking whatever this mime performance was with an audible response. “Ugh, fine!” Shoulder checking Mitch as he stomped away from the two adults, who he just knew were probably pleased with themselves.
He’d have to apologise to Mitch later.