Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

65- It's Always Been You

"I- I'm trying to find something to say but there's just- there's so much- I missed you so much," I stumble over my words, "I was so worried about you. Sam told me that Mr LaRusso said you were out of juvie but I had no idea where to find you and I didn't want to ask Mr LaRusso because he seemed upset about it and I just- I was so scared that you were just somewhere out on the streets all alone and starving and cold and- ¡ave María! Here you are!"

"I was more worried about you! I got out and tried to go to your house but when I got to the address there was just a pile of debris and your whole street was just demolished," Robby says, "I didn't know what to do. I thought you might've been in a shelter but I had no idea where to start. I was so worried."

My heart pangs. I feel awful. I thought I was worried about him, but I can't imagine how he must've felt when he saw that the only place he figured I would be staying was in complete ruins...

"I'm so sorry, I moved and I meant to tell you but it just slipped my mind and then I was so used to the new apartment that I didn't even think to tell you," I say. I'll tell him that my street and house got seized, but I don't want to milk the moment right now. This is just- insane.

"It's okay. I'm just glad I was able to find you," he says, "I'm not surprised that I would find you here, of all places. Knowing you, you were probably on your way to do forms."

I shouldn't be surprised that he knows me as well as I know him, and yet here I am, surprised that he knows me as well as I know him. I laugh a little, looking off to the side.

"You know me too well, Keene," I say, looking back at him.

"You're pretty predictable, Reyes,"

I roll my eyes, but smile. He's not wrong. I do have a lot of patterns and tendencies, which makes sense considering how much I love forms. If you spend enough time with me, you will definitely notice the trends and patterns, no matter how unpredictable any aspect of me might've seemed before.

"I love the hair," I say, trying not to blush as I change the subject. He grins once more, and I start to see that Look in his eye, the Look that I haven't seen in forever. Not in him at least. I do love his short hair. It looks so good on him.

"I thought of you when I cut it," he says. ¿Perdón? He- hold on- he what..?

"What? ¿Por qué? Why?" I laugh, confused.

"You said you thought it would look better short,"

"Wait... our conversation at the beach club?"

"That's the one,"

"You remembered that?!"

"I thought about cutting it all the time after you said it," he says. Really? He thought about something I said all the time? He thought about me when he cut his hair because of a comment I had made months earlier? Huh...

We stand in silence, just taking in the other's presence again for the first time in... a while. This energy is almost what it was like before everything went to shit and we were both staying in the home dojo at the LaRusso's house. We would both do our own thing, but know that the other was right there if we happened to need them. As we stand together, I can't help but remember what happened the last time we were actually together... he kissed me on the cheek and came one particularly strong shake of the body away from kissing me on the lips... sometimes after a bad nightmare or daily mental breakdown, I could almost feel his lips on my cheek... I never brought it up in my letters because I didn't want to stress him out over something that I myself have decided time and time again was a distraction method... but Robby is smart. He's skilled in karate and I hate to think about it, but he said he used to steal from people. That requires distractions, and he knows me all too well. There are a myriad of things he could've simply said that would've left me just as distracted, but no... he kissed me on the cheek...