𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦. | Eli/Hawk x Demetri Cobra Kai

-1-

Demetri listened to the shrill ring of his doorbell with a cringe

"Ill get it" He called pointlessly, it was only 4 in the afternoon and he was the only one home. He plopped his comic book back down on his bedside table gently stalking down the stairs to the front door. There was another rap on the front door, a knock.

He didn't bother to check the peephole as he pulled the door open to see Eli standing on the front step. His best friend was dressed a little different, in skinny jeans, a plain tshirt and some pretenius looking sneakers , as opposed to his usual thrifted grandpa sweaters, cuffed jeans and converse. Demetri did not dwell on the slight change of appearance as his eyes wandered to the white and red plastic baggie swinging in Eli's hand. 

Demetri recognised the store logo, 'Sallys beauty supply' , He recognized the title because once his mom had brought home a bag from the same store.

Shed purchased a box of dye on an insecure whim over the grey roots on her head that were starting to appear. Demetri and her spent well into the night on the grey cover up project, he didn't see the point in the change since he believed his mother was perfect the way she was,and grey hair was something that happens to everyone, that and the monthly upkeep seemed like it would take too much time and energy.

It wasn't till 11 when his mother and him had finished the attempt, which had failed. The color shed gotten wasn't a dark enough color to match the rest of her raven hair, the gene demetri carried on, but the grey roots were a strange auburn. 

To his surprise, Shed laughed at her reflection in the mirror seeing the poor results of their hours of effort. Despite the whim of insecurity shed suffered earlier that day, His mother, the strong woman he knew she was, simply laughed. 

The two stayed up till 2 that morning, binge watching game of thrones and a bucket of popcorn, erupting in laughter every couple minutes over his mother's hair. 

Demetri wondered what Eli could possibly need from a beauty supply store, eli could obviously read his mind and spoke up before he could ask

"Will you help me dye my hair?"

"uhm" demetri paused for a brief moment, knowing the last time hed assisted in dying someone's hair,  it wasn't quite the success. 

"Sure" he finished stepping aside to let Eli into his house. Practice makes perfect.. he hoped. 

-

"Blue?" Demetri questioned when they'd laid out the bags contents on the bathroom counter. He held a box of blue dye in his hand.

"Yeah.. To match this" Eli said turning around tugging his shirt off to expose his bare back to Demetri. 

After taking a moment to admire his best friends back, Demetris eyes bulged out of his head. 

"what the hell is that?!" The taller boy practically shrieked, Staring at his now inked up best friend. Shoulder blade to shoulder blade, a hawk was sprawled across the space with a hideous blue mohawk

"Shhh. My mom cant find out" Eli shushed the boy looking over his shoulder

"Its fine my parents arent home" Demetri paused 

"But seriously, what are you doing? Getting a tattoo and now dying your hair?"

Eli turned around

"Im flipping the script" He shrugged looking at his best friend.

Demetri now understood, he was doing this because of what had happened at the dojo. He recognized his best friend had been hit with the same wave of insecurity his mom had all those months ago. Maybe he would realize how ridiculous this is after they do it, like his mom. Demetri took one last glance at the jar of electric blue manic panic and nodded more confidently this time.

"Okay, i'll help you, Eli."

- 

Going over to Demetris had definitely been the best decision. Demetri lived in a two story house in Encino with his mom and dad, so the bathroom was a more roomy space making it easier to work compared to the cramped bathroom connected to the apartment Eli and his mother lived in. 

Normally the boys could turn on a bluetooth speaker and play any kind of music from the 70s-80s, which they both enjoyed, but apparently Elis music taste had started evolving as they bickered when he would slip. on some rap song demetri had never heard of.

"You look like a blueberry" Demetri said as they looked in the mirror at the dye job the teens had performed.

"Do you have an electric razor?" Eli asked suddenly

"Uh yeah... somewhere around here." Demetri sighed rifling through the lower cabinet. He had one his father had given him his freshman year, for when he needed to start shaving his face. It was clearly still unused when he pulled it out, still in its box. 

He began shaving the sides of his head once plugged in, The top of his head was blue and was longer on top, and the sides and back of his head was shorter dark hair. 

"How's it look?" Eli asked placing down the razor turning to Demetri. The difference was startling

"Like a weak mohawk"

"Well yeah, i just haven't put the gel in it"

"Oh god you were actually going for a mohawk?"

"Yes.. Hawks are my thing now"

"Well...okay" Demetri said finally.