Cruel Summer - Johnny Lawrence x Reader

Hungry Eyes

I started thinking about a few things. Things from my past, when I'd been wronged. Suddenly a new found drive kicked in. I kept punching and I couldn't stop, I'd never really made my feelings physical. Grunting, and sweating I continued to beat the dummy senselessly hoping it might shed some blood.

Johnny's eyes widened as he watched me.

"Okay okay! You can stop."

With heavy breaths and my fists still in a state of readiness, I started to slow down.

"Look at you y/n, you got some fight in you!" he laughed and patted my shoulder.

"Yeah. That felt... Really good." I smiled

They say working out gives you endorphins, if these are endorphins I'm sure to stay active now.

"Alright. Good work."

He grabs the boombox from earlier, inserting a different tape.

"Here's my training mixtape. This is your Rocky montage. Ready?"

"Yes, Sensei."

We started on kicks and blocks, proper form, and moves for offence. He made me do push ups, sit ups and run around the block. I was of course willing, I'm nothing if not committed, and when I believe in something I hold to that with conviction.

He began teaching me how to pin an opponent.

"Now in a tournament, theres lots if ways to get a point, but a good way to guarantee a point, and even an extra, is to pin them. If you kick your opponent and they fall, strike hard and pin them." He went through some of the moves we'd do beforehand.

He started by throwing punches and then a kick, which I grabbed his leg and used it as leverage to kick him and pin him. I got on top of him and punched his chest.

"Extra point with the punch, right?"

He smiled, he had a look of surprise in his eye
"We'll see what the ref says." He linked his leg with mine and flipped me over.

"Things can change fast. You win one round, you might lose the next."
His blue eyes trailed from my eyes to my lips and back.
It felt like the room got really hot, like the space between us closed and there was nothing around us.

It felt like we stayed there for a moment not fighting, not training, just feeling the heat and tension of the moment.

Then the tape stopped.

He looked away, cleared his throat and stood up, as did I.

"Alright, lets take a break."

"Y-yeah I was thinking that too." I could feel my face getting hot, hopefully he could ignore my blushing.

"Do you want a drink?" He offered, walking into his office

I leaned against the doorframe "Sure, I'll take a water."

He grabbed a Coors Banquet out of the mini fridge, flicking the cap away. He set a water bottle on the desk.

"So, Y/n, what do you do?" He asks

"Right now I'm a bartender." I think back to my conversation with Cherry.

"Break up any bar fights?" He laughs

"Not yet, maybe when I get better at karate I'll show off some moves."

"What bar is it?"

I recalled the night I met Johnny. Though brief, and he was probably too intoxicated to remember or regard it as anything significant, I still hoped he'd remember. And if he did, what sort of feelings come with that?