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Cobra Kai wins The All-Valley Tournament by a few points. That’s what gets her. If she had tried just a bit harder— trained just a bit longer— Tory would have never gotten that last point, and Miyagi-Do would be celebrating instead of healing. Her and Eli would both be victors, The Valley would be safe, and Miguel…
A shuddering, painful breath escapes her lips.
It became clear to everyone in that gymnasium that Miguel Diaz left the tournament early. For most, they assumed it was due to an injury. Sam knows better— she knows him. Miguel left right before his fight with Eli, ultimately missing his friend's win against Robby and her fight with Tory. Sam had shared a look with Eli as the timer counted down on the big screen, and she could tell they both knew the truth.
Miguel was gone, and not for some injury, but for something deeper. Sam can remember how defeated her boyfriend had looked right before the matches— how he had spoken to her so calmly, yet looked exhausted and drained. She knew she looked similar; The Valley hasn’t exactly been the most peaceful. But she thought nothing of it. She kissed him, then went back out expecting to see him soon.
Now, Sam sits on her bed, still in her white gi. The tears that came almost immediately after getting into her dad’s car are still running down her face and neck, leaving a trail of wetness as they pass. Her mind has been reeling for hours now— not on one specific thing; but more like everything all at once. She thinks of the tournament, Cobra Kai, Eli Moskowitz… Miguel. Her heart breaks just a bit more. There’s a noticeable sense of betrayal in her chest. Out of everyone, shouldn’t Miguel have been there for one of the biggest fights of her karate career? His absence had felt like a stab to the chest.
“He’ll come around.” Her mom had said after they got home, and she noticed the empty look in Sam’s eyes. Her hand had smoothed out Sam’s hair as she spoke to her softly.
Sam didn’t have the energy to speak. She barely had the energy to walk upstairs. The only thing on her mind is, I should have known. It replays in her head like a broken record. She truly should have seen this coming— no matter what, nothing is ever easy with her and Miguel. It’s exhausting, and part of her… part of her is ready to rid herself of it.
Guilt comes crashing over her just as a ding sounds from her phone. Her gaze is unfocused and hazy as she searches for her phone. She finds it tucked into her bag, placed delicately on top of her change of clothes from earlier. With a small tap, her phone lights up, showing the long list of messages that are still coming in. Her groupchat with the others takes up most of her notifications.
Miyagi-Fangs 🥋
Chris, 9:38 pm: Great job today, guys! We might not have won the tournament, but we left with a Champ 🏆!
Bert, 9:38 pm: Hell yeah!! Eli definitely killed it today 🤘🏻
Demetri, 9:40pm: The Dojo definitely showed its strength today! It was a team effort, but Sam and Eli were absolutely brilliant. Can’t win them all, guys.
Eli, 9:41 pm: Thank you, guys! You all killed it today. Couldn’t have done any of this without you! 🤘🏻
Eli, 9:41 pm: Especially our Bonsai Badass! 👑
Sam sighs as she scrolls through the messages. She doesn’t have the heart to text them back right now. Maybe in the morning when her tears have dried up, and she’s heard from Miguel, she’ll feel like herself enough to respond back with something encouraging. Their messages are sweet, especially Eli’s last one— he won, and yet he speaks so highly of her? How…?
Ding
Sam looks down at her messages. Another text from the group chat. Her heart clenches at the sight of Miguel’s name. Hope blossoms in her chest… just to be squashed by his words.
Miguel, 9:47 pm: I’m sorry I missed it; I’m sure you all did amazing. On my way to find my dad right now. Please don’t worry, and I’ll be home soon.
Sam’s breathing picks up as his words come washing over her. They register in her mind quickly. What she knows of Miguel’s dad— which is very, very little— he isn’t exactly the nicest person. Carmen had run from the man, which is enough for Sam to feel panicked at the thought of Miguel searching for him.
Sam, 9:52 pm: WHAT?! Miguel, that’s crazy! Come home, please, we can look for your dad as a team. You don’t have to run from us.
It goes unanswered, so Sam sends a second one.
Sam, 9:58 pm: There are easier ways to find your dad, Miguel. We can figure this out together.
And another one. This time, sounding even more desperate.
Sam, 9:58 pm: Eli?? Tell him!
Nothing. Total silence from the other side of the phone. Her heart drops. Suddenly, she’s no longer sitting on her bed, but crumbling to the floor of her bedroom. She curls into herself, holding her phone close to her chest as her tears come back even worse than before. Her breathing picks up, making her head feel heavy and fuzzy. When was the last time she’s had a panic attack this bad? Sam can’t be sure, so she holds her knees close to her chest and prays someone will answer.
Seconds, minutes, hours— She isn’t sure how long she stays on that floor, just that she doesn’t look up until she hears her phone ding again. Her blue, puffy eyes focus on the phone and the text that is lighting it up. She unlocks it quickly, reading the text. It isn’t from the groupchat, which makes her bottom lip wobble as tears well up in her eyes again.
Eli, 10:17 pm: He isn’t answering my calls. Dem and I think he has turned it off. I’ll update you if I hear anything else. If you need anything, call me. Get some rest, Sam.
She stares at the message until she has it practically memorized. Get some rest, Sam— rest? The idea of sleeping makes her stomach churn. How can she possibly lie down and rest when Miguel is out there alone? Rest, she scoffs. She’ll rest when Miguel is home and safe. For now…
Sam’s eyes flickered toward her duffel bag, her equipment and clothes still packed inside. For now, she’ll train.
Miyagi-Do has changed quite a lot in the last few months, and not just because of the new students. The arrival of Eli Moskowitz had shaken their dojo to its core— he had tested their patience, but he taught them a few things as well. The new sparring deck is proof of that. Sam can’t help but smile every time she looks at it. The design is based on the original Okinawa training deck, but the small details are all Eli. Building that deck had been the first resemblance to teamwork they had as a dojo…
Now, Sam can barely look at it. The wood holds memories— not all good ones, either. Miguel, Eli, her— they’re all etched into the wood like burn marks. That teamwork is gone now, leaving Sam alone and angry.
The punching bag jerks underneath her fist, making her wish someone else was there to hold it for her. An irritated huff leaves her mouth at the thought; she doesn’t need anyone. Is that not what this whole year has been about for her? Sure, her team is strong and capable, but Sam is both of those things on her own… right? Screw boyfriends, screw trophies and tournaments—
Screw karate.
Sam pauses mid-punch, her thoughts finally catching up to her. There’s no denying just how drained she has felt in the last year of her life. It has felt like every good thing around her gets taken away by the very thing she’s fighting for. Sam throws a hard punch, letting her anger take over as her mind drifts. Karate, Cobra Kai, Silver— they’re all her dad’s demons, are they not? Johnny Lawrence, Kreese, and Robby; those are Miguel’s. How long has she been fighting other people’s demons? How long has she not been living for herself?
“Any harder and you’ll break your hand.”
A voice to her right makes her tense. Before she knows it, she’s whipping around and throwing a mindless punch in the direction of the voice. She’s far too on edge to register the owner of the voice, and too vulnerable to talk first. So, she swings… but her punch doesn’t land on her guest like it did the punching bag. Her fist is caught by a strong hand, allowing her the time to look up and see just who has snuck up on her.
Eli Moskowitz smirks down at her, a familiar gleam in his eyes as he studies her anger.
“Eli?” Sam huffs, pulling her hand from his quickly. She doesn’t move into a defensive stance— quite the opposite, actually. Sam lets her guard totally fall as she stares up at her teammate; her shoulders drop, her arms shaking at her sides, and her eyes droop with exhaustion.
Eli notices all of this, and yet he still gives her a friendly smile, “A bit late for practice, isn’t it?” He teases her, his blue eyes focused on her. She can see the smallest amount of worry in his gaze.
Sam blinks up at him tiredly, “I guess,” is all she says before turning to move back to the punching bag. She finds a stance, and then throws yet another punch toward the thing.
Eli sighs next to her before moving to grab the back end of the punching bag. He keeps it in place as she moves to throw another punch. They sit there for almost an hour; Sam lets out all her frustration and sadness, and Eli watches her quietly. It’s oddly peaceful.
But of course, that peace doesn’t last long. It never does for Sam.
“You never answered my text,” Eli speaks up as Sam moves to find her sais from her bag, his voice close behind her. Sam doesn’t have to turn around to know he’s a touch away— she can feel the heat radiating off his body, and the concern that hasn’t left his tense frame since he arrived.
Sam sighs softly as she uses her gi to shine the deadly weapon in her hand. It sparkles under the overhead lights. “You told me to call you if I needed you. I don’t need you right now, Eli.” Her words are low and, as much as she hates to admit it, exhausted.
Eli scoffs behind her, “I also told you to get some rest—” his tone is teasing, but there’s a scold hidden inside. It makes her unreasonably angry.
“I’m not a child!” She snaps, twisting her head to the side, but she doesn’t dare to turn around. She can’t look at him right now.
There’s a shuffle, then— a slow, sad sigh. It makes her chest ache, but she doesn’t turn around— she can’t— she won’t. Eli’s voice is surprisingly steady when he speaks up, “Sam…” he says her name like a pleading, desperate man. It makes her feel things she hasn’t felt in months. Warm, calm… safe. Fuck, how can he manage to be so gentle after everything they have been through?
“We just finished an all-day karate tournament, Sam,” Eli adds, not even stumbling over his words when Sam visibly flinches at the reminder of The All-Valley. “Which you fucking killed, by the way—”
Sam whips around, one of her Sai moving to push into the delicate skin of Eli’s neck. She steps forward, using his shock to her advantage and pushing herself into his space. Her lips curl into a deadly snarl, “Do NOT patronize me!” She hisses up at him, watching in satisfaction as a spark of fear goes through his eyes.
Eli swallows thickly, “I-I…” he closes his mouth, seemingly gathering his courage. When he speaks again, his tone is normal and lacks any fear. “I only mean… you’re tired, Sam. We all are. You should be at home resting, not here training.” He says, his voice holding that same worry and softness as before.
Sam scoffs; a half-crazed, half-hearted sound that makes her skin crawl. She shakes her head, “If you’re so tired, then go home. I don’t need you— I don’t need anyone!” She screams, her voice breaking as tears start to trail down her face. They slide down her pale cheeks, falling into the valley of her neck.
Eli’s eyes don’t hold pity. No, they’re a crystal blue ocean of understanding. He seems to memorize the way she looks now— disheveled, furious… desperate for care. He soaks it all in; every tear and push of her Sai. The champ doesn’t even hesitate to show her the kindness she has been looking for this whole year. Some part of her thinks it’s odd that the one person she despised as much as Tory Nichols only months ago is the person she finds herself unable to look away from.
“Miguel leaving isn’t your fault, Sam.”
And just like that, the connection is broken.
Sam audibly snarls as she pushes the sharp edge of her Sai deeper into Eli’s neck. He jolts back at the pressure but doesn’t seem shocked at her response. She draws closer to him, their noses touching as she whispers coldly to him, “That is none of your business, Moskowitz.” She says, her voice steady but angry.
Eli meets her gaze; his eyes are almost cocky as they stare down at her, but they still gleam with sadness and concern. He bumps her nose with his own, mocking her as his lips twist, “Miyagi-Do’s loss isn’t your fault, either—” He can hardly finish his sentence before Sam is clumsily tackling him to the grassy ground of their dojo. They fall with a humph and Sam quickly scrambles to straddle him, keeping him pinned with not only her body but her weapon as well. The Sai presses dangerously close to his jugular.
Eli smirks up at her, and Sam finds her anger crashing over her like a tsunami. It destroys any semblance of peace she felt before.
“Don’t speak to me about losses! You’re not the one who cost us the tournament!” Sam screams down at him, inching her face closer to his. She can see the swirl of blues in his eyes— they’re slightly darker near the pupil, which Sam finds interesting.
“We’ve all lost our fair share of fights, Sam. Trust me, this loss doesn’t reflect the type of fighter you are.” His voice is calm under her. Like this was a normal conversation, and like she couldn’t kill him with a singular push of her weapon.
Sam narrows her eyes, “Our Dojo is at war, and you think I care about my reputation?!” She spits at him, nearing her wits end with each new sentence. It’s almost comical to think of how they must look right now.
Eli raises a brow, “Well, yes. Is that not why you’re so upset?” He asks her innocently. Maybe if she wasn’t so angry, she’d notice the coy smile on his face.
“I’m upset—!” Sam screams, but cuts herself off as she digs her hips further into his ribs. Just like her, he’s tender from the fights today. He hisses at the movement, no doubt taken back by the pain. “— because I shouldn’t have lost! You and I both know who should have won that stupid fucking match!” She trails off as her mind drifts, taking her back to her fight with Tory. She had been so confident in her moves…
Eli squirms under her, drawing her attention back to him. She looks down to find him staring up at her with big, observant eyes. “Don’t we?” She hisses at him.
He gulps, but a small smile twitches over his face as her hips move on their own. “Of course.” He says, his voice breaking.
Sam hums approvingly, “We should be Champions right now, Eli! Me and you, Miyagi-Do— We deserved that win.”
Eli smiles up at her, “You’re right, we should have won… but we didn’t—” Sam's face falls even more at his words. “There’s nothing we can do about it right now. All we can do is keep fighting.”
Sam scoffs, “What good has fighting done for us the past year? I mean… Aren’t you tired of fighting? Tired of…” She trails off, her mood switching back to that same sad and bitter one she had earlier. To her surprise, Eli recognizes the switch with ease.
“Karate?” He asks her, eyes gleaming with understanding.
Sam’s lips quiver as she stares down at him. An agreement almost leaves her mouth, but then she’s blinking away her feelings. Her Sai still pressed to his neck, Sam looks down at her friend and realizes just what she’s done. A trickle of blood has leaked from Eli’s neck, all the way into the grass below his head. Sam sucks in a terrified gasp and throws the weapon to the side— an audible sigh leaves Eli’s mouth at the loss of pressure. She falls to the ground beside him, her hands shaking as she struggles to find the skin of his neck. He’s warm under her touch, and the muscles tense under her fingertips as Eli shifts off the ground and scoots closer to her. Both sitting, Sam can now trace her thumb over the small puncture wound on Eli’s neck.
“I’m—” Her voice is hoarse as her breathing picks up. Another panic attack rears its head as she frets about Eli’s injury. “I’m sorry— I’m so sorry!”
Eli’s much bigger hands move up to stop her moving ones. Her eyes meet his, and she’s met with kindness and concern. It makes her cheeks heat up.
“Hey… it’s not a big deal.” He says to her, his voice surprisingly soft. When has she ever heard him speak in such a way before?
Sam shakes her head, “No, no— I should have never— never h-hurt you!” She somehow chokes out. Tears fall freely down her face now.
The vibe between them both has totally switched. Anger has totally disappeared from Sam’s body; now, she’s too full of remorse and fear. Eli— who had just been looking at her with mild solicitude and amusement— is now shushing her with such a powerful expression on his face; it reminds her of how he would watch Miguel (a stabbing, cruel jab to her chest) after his fall, and how he wouldn’t relax until he saw a look of comfort go over his friends face. It’s shocking to see that look directed toward her. Like it’s unfathomable that Eli Moskowitz would feel any sort of protective instinct towards her.
“I’m fine, Princess… Everything is fine.” Eli whispers to her as his hands find her face, forcing her to keep her eyes on him. She tries to count the light freckles that litter his face, but fails. “We were talking, remember?” Were they? It all seems to be mixing together now— her fear, her guilt. “Tell me what you meant, Sam. Tell me about karate.” He adds softly, and something about his voice makes her want to hug him. Like his embrace might keep all the big bag feelings away.
Sam shakes her head, but she tries to remember. For him. Just for him. They were… talking about the tournament. She had mentioned their loss, he had also mentioned… Miguel? A new wave of tears welled up in her eyes, and she found the dam holding her feelings back, breaking under the weight of her emotions.
“He’s gone, Eli. Miguel left me, and I—” Sam sobs, struggling to breathe and speak. Eli watches her with the patience of a man twice his age, not a traumatized karate student. “I’m so tired of losing everything I care about! Karate drains everything from me— everything! I don’t even know what I’m fighting for anymore…” she finishes with a hiccup and a tearful, sad smile.
Eli wipes her face, gently clearing the tears from her cheeks. He smiles at her in a way that makes what she just said seem false. Karate hasn’t taken everything from her— it hasn’t taken him. A sudden relief washes through her, and Sam finds herself leaning into Eli’s hold.
“I’m tired of him,” Sam says softly. Like any louder, and someone other than them will hear her deep, dark secret. Her eyes stay on him, watching his reaction— his eyes widen ever so slightly but that is it. His expression stays open and comforting. “It’s like walking on eggshells. I feel like a totally different person than I was a year ago… and I think today proved that.” She says slowly, digesting these words as she says them. She hasn’t even had the courage to think this to herself yet…
“It would be cruel to expect anything other than the same from Miguel. He has changed, too. So have you. I’m no longer the most important thing to him anymore… and I think I’m okay with that. I want him to be happy— I want him home!”
Eli nods and pushes a few stray pieces of hair from her eyes. It’s the most genuine touch she’s felt all week.
“I’m a bad person, Eli. For thinking this— for hurting you. There’s something dark inside me, and I’m terrified of how much it’s grown in the past month. I don’t deserve—”
“Stop.”
Sam looks up through her tears, shocked to find Eli’s face tense and angry. He gives her a familiar glare, but it lacks the hatred it once had. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. If you think you’re anything but pure fucking sunlight, you’re wrong.” He says, his voice strong and demanding. A strike of… something goes down her spine. It’s so quick, and so sudden, that she barely has time to feel it let alone name it.
“Eli…”
“No. I refuse to hear about it. Sam… Miguel leaving has nothing to do with you. You know that, right?” Eli says slowly, his hands moving from her face to tangle with her shaking ones. Her fingers desperately grasp at his steady one— the last thing keeping her afloat.
Sam frowns, “Of course. He left to find his dad—” she starts, but Eli cuts her off.
“No, I mean… he didn’t leave you. He’s coming back, he said so himself. All we can do now is wait.” He tries to be helpful and keep his voice optimistic, but it falls flat to Sam’s ears.
Sam scoffs, “He could show up right now and I’d still say all of that again, and again. He left us, all of us. That’s not easily forgiven.” She says stubbornly, ignoring the glint in Eli’s eyes.
Eli tightens his hold on Sam’s hands, “We don’t know what he’s going through. He wouldn’t leave if he didn’t feel like he had to—”
“Who’s side are you on?” Sam spits at him, the words falling from her mouth before she can think about them. In reality, she knows it’s a cruel thing to ask— that she should never expect Eli to choose between her and Miguel… or to assume he would ever leave behind that loyalty he holds for his friend.
Eli blinks, shocked, but he is quick to answer, “There’s no side, Sam. I care about both of you in my own unique way. I'm just saying, give the guy the benefit of the doubt.” He says, surprisingly wise and clear headed. Where’s the hothead she once knew?
Sam sighs and nods, “I know, I’m sorry.” She huffs a laugh, “I think you were right… I am tired.”
Eli grins, “Told you. Should have listened the first time.” He says, an air of confidence surrounding him suddenly.
Sam rolls her eyes, “Yeah, whatever, Moskowitz. Drive me home already.” She snarks as she stands, holding out a hand for him to take. The boy grins and takes it, allowing her to hoist him up to his feet. They share a smile, and Sam watches as he leans over and grabs her bag off the ground and throws it over his shoulder.
Eli slings his other arm over her shoulders, pulling her to his side as they slowly make their way out of the dojo. It’s quiet; even the animals and the street seem to be asleep now, and Sam finally thinks she might have a bit of peace. Sadly, she’s ruining it for herself before she can enjoy it.
“The next few weeks are going to be hard.” Sam states as they walk across the gravel toward Eli’s car. Hers is parked next to it, but she’s sure her dad would prefer to drop her off tomorrow than for her to wreck on her way home due to exhaustion.
Eli hums, “Yeah, they will be.” He says, his voice thoughtful. His arm tightens around her shoulders, forcing her to his chest. Sam smiles and breathes him in— mint, aftershave, and home. “But we’ll get through it together.”
Sam grins and looks up at him, resting her chin awkwardly on his chest, “You promise?” She asks him, her voice small and vulnerable.
The boy chuckles and nods, “I’m not going anywhere, Sam.” He teases her, but he has no idea how much those words mean to her. For the first time since she met Demetri, she doesn’t have to worry about someone leaving her…
She smiles, “Good. Everyone’s too scared to spar with me. If you left me, I’d have to spar Johnny. Can you imagine?” She jokes, and she’s rewarded by a laugh, joyful laugh that leaves Eli’s lips. His face lights up, and Sam is suddenly reminded of just how beautiful the ocean can look at midnight…
“Can’t have that, can we?” Eli teases back as they get to his car. When he opens the door for her, she grins even more. But when he goes to buckle her in… Sam has to fight off a blush. She blames it on exhaustion.
“Can’t have The Valley’s most badass Princess off training alone anymore, either…” Eli says once he gets into the driver's seat, turning the key and making the engine roar to life.
Sam scoffs as she lays her head back, turning it to watch as he pulls out onto the street. His eyes are focused, just like how they are in a match. It’s the most beautiful thing— Sam shakes those thoughts away and smiles at him, “Are you going to join me for midnight training sessions?” She teases him.
Eli’s smile is serious as he glances over at her quickly before moving back to the road. He shrugs, “You know I always come when you call.” The words are shockingly clear with their meaning…
If you need anything, call me.
He had meant it…
Sam lets a secret smile go over her lips as she lets her eyes drift closed. She finds herself in her own bubble of comfort and safety as she lets the exhaustion of the day ease off her shoulders. Finally— in Eli’s car, with one of her favorite bands playing softly in the background— Sam finds peace.