─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───
the barbusca's front door unlocked, burst open and miguel ran inside. he was greeted by bianca, who had been scrubbing the kitchen.
"who gave miguel a key?" bianca yelled out.
"you did!" gioia reminded her from her room.
"right." bianca nodded as she shook off the water from her yellow, latex gloves, "caio, miguel."
"evening, miss- bianca." miguel greeted his friend's mother, "is gb ready yet?"
"no, she is still getting ready." bianca told him, "she might be a while."
miguel nodded and checked his watch, "i can wait."
her bedroom door slammed shut, "no need." gioia told him. she had changed into a checkered, yellow summer dress that was decorated with big sunflowers.
bianca gasped, "figlia! you look gorgeous!"
gioia gave the two a spin, a bright smile on her face, "thank you."
"yeah." miguel nodded his head in agreement, "you look really great."
"grazie, miguel."
"and where are you going looking so good?" her mother questioned.
"out, with a friend." gioia told her vaguely, "i'll be back in one or two hours."
bianca nodded and pecked her forehead, "be safe." she moved over to miguel and did the same, "you too, miggy."
the boy's face heated up with embarrassment at his nickname while gioia laughed, "thank you, bianca."
"addio, mamma!" gioia waved to her mother as she pulled miguel out the door.
the two made their way to johnny's house, which wasn't more than a few steps away. miguel knocked on the door and they waited for johnny to let them in.
"hey, sensei!" miguel called out, letting him know who was there.
johnny's voice yelled, "come in!"
"you really shouldn't leave your front door unlocked." gioia advised as she lagged behind miguel.
johnny scoffed, "the worse thing that could happen is you and miguel breaking in while i'm sleeping."
"why on earth would we do that?" miguel asked.
"i don't know." johnny shrugged, "you're both unusual."
"thanks, sensei."
miguel rolled his eyes, "you nervous for your meeting?"
"i'm not nervous, i'm pissed off." johnny admitted while adjusting his tie.
"okay, but you have to be nice to these people." miguel reminded him, "so if you get pissed off, what are you going to do?"
"i don't know, i usually just punch the guy." johnny said.
miguel and the blonde shared a look, "that's not gonna work. so how about this: how about when someone makes you angry, y-you make a fist like you're gonna punch them."
"but don't punch them."
"hold it in?"
"yeah."
"i could try." johnny nodded while walking to his kitchen island and picked up a briefcase.
"ooh, a briefcase." miguel grinned.
"fancy, makes you look professional." gioia nodded in approval.
"that's what i was going for."
"what's inside?" miguel queried.
"nothing." johnny flicked it open to reveal its emptiness, "found it in the dumpster."
"it's a nice touch." miguel complimented him.
"thanks."
"what about you two, are you nervous for your dates?" johnny asked his students.
gioia's face scrunched you in confusion, "i do not have a date tonight." she crossed her arms, not understanding where he got the information from.
johnny gave miguel a look, "oh? my mistake."
"yeah, uh, a little." miguel spoke up, "a lot."
"there's nothing to be nervous about, all right?" johnny reassured him, "right, sushi."
"yeah... right." gioia nodded, although she had no idea what she was talking about.
"just relax, be cool." johnny advised, "when the time's right, you make your move."
"move?" miguel questioned.
"what move?" him and gioia asked together.
"i don't have a move." miguel began to panic, "what's my move?"
"hey, calm down." gioia patted his shoulders.
"oh, come on, man." johnny rolled his eyes, "you got to kiss the girl."
"i mean, yeah, i'd like to, but i don't... technically have to, right" miguel asked, nervously.
"no, you do not have to." gioia told him.
"no, that's true." johnny agreed, "you could just learn how to braid her hair. talk about all the other guys who had the balls to kiss her on the first date."
"shit."
"you're a cobra kai." johnny reminded him, "strike first, strike hard. it's not just for karate, it's for everything, all right?"
the two nodded.
"now, where are you taking this chick anyway?" johnny investigated.
"the observatory." miguel smiled, "little picnic on the lawn, chocolate tasting three ways, and if the sky's clear, then we'll look at the stars."
"that is so cute." gioia punched her friend lightly in the arm, "you really thought this through."
but, johnny looked unimpressed, "the only part of that that made any sense at all is 'three way'."
"it'll be fun." miguel defended himself.
"all right, look." johnny sighed, "if you want to impress this chick, you got to take her to where i used to take all my babes back in the day."
"where's that?"
─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───
while miguel was taking sam to 'golf n stuff', gioia had been brought to a tattoo shop.
"what are we doing here?" gioia hollered over the blaring music.
she scanned the tattoo parlour, seeing multiple people around, dying their hair and getting permanent marks on their skin.
eli grinned, "you said you liked heavy metal music!"
"i was making a small joke! i just wanted to take a jab at miguel." gioia exclaimed.
"ah-ha." eli pointed to her accusingly, "i knew it!"
"i would rather we do something quieter, like a picnic in a field or go to the park and go down the slides." gioia suggested.
"see that's more of a gb thing."
gioia sighed as her head pounded, "could we please go?"
"no way." eli shook his head, "you can't tell me you didn't think about getting one after you saw mine."
"getting a tattoo? my mamma would murder me." gioia told him.
"come on, live a little." eli advised.
"is this pressure of the peer?"
eli ignored her and began dragging her to a chair. he pulled her over to a large man with many tattoos on his body.
"rico! what's up, bro." eli greeted him while giving him a fist pump.
the man began mumbling to the smaller boy, almost inaudible. yet, eli seemed to understand every word.
"this her?" rico asked, gesturing to gioia.
"yeah, she's getting a tattoo." eli explained, "aren't you, gb?"
gioia hummed in agreement, "yes, i am."
"great." eli clapped his hands as he helped her onto the black chair, "any ideas?"
"i am not sure." gioia shrugged.
eli leaned over to her, "maybe, you could get one after your teddy bears."
gioia's cheeks heated up at the mention of her stuffed animals and she nodded.
"i would like a simple, little elephant... right here." she slightly lifted up her shirt, making the boy look away on instinct.
"on your ribs? Jesus, gb that's gonna hurt like a bitch." eli told her.
she chuckled, "not on my ribcage, silly. here."
he turned to face her and saw she was pointing to the upper side of her stomach.
"you can do that, rico?" eli questioned the man who had been turning on his ink pen.
"i can."
"great." eli grinned while rico placed the needle to her skin, "how will you cover this up?"
"it's only small." gioia shrugged while shutting her eyes in discomfort, "will not be too hard."
"and what about when you're in a bikini?" eli quizzed, trying to distract her.
she chuckled, "i do not wear bikinis."
─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───
"cheers, rico." eli gave the man a nod while gioia admired the tattoo in the mirror, "appreciate it."
"yeah." the man grumbled as he applied a plaster to the girl's mark.
"thank you." gioia smiled at the man as she pulled her top down.
"why don't we grab something to eat?" eli suggested as the two walked out of the shop.
the two began walking down the pavement to the end of the street, where mrs moskowitz would pick them up.
gioia quickly shook her head, "no... no, thank you."
"uh, okay." eli looked slightly taken aback by her sudden mood change, "my mum's car is over there."
"hold on." gioia stopped him from going any further, "thank you for the fun evening... and the headache."
eli laughed, "no problem."
she quickly pecked his cheek in gratitude and began strolling ahead. eli was frozen in his spot in slight shock, but when the girl turned to look at him, he began striding forward.
"next time, picnic or park." gioia demanded.
"next time?"
"yes."
─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───
as johnny put up an 'all valley, karate championships' poster, gioia had walked out of his office, a painkiller and water bottle in her hand. she watched as the man took a sip of his beer and kicked the air in celebration.
"ooh, who's the man?" miguel yelled as he entered the dojo.
"i'm the man!" johnny exclaimed.
miguel gave him a smirk full of pride.
"oh, shit, are you the man, too?" johnny asked, "tell me you're the man."
miguel threw his bag onto the floor, "i'm the man!"
"yes, miguel!" gioia cheered before popping her tablet.
"yeah!"
"i crushed the date!" miguel announced.
"i crushed the committee meeting!" johnny added.
the two turned to look at gioia who shrugged, "i crushed the hangout?"
"yeah!"
"so proud of you."
"so, cobra kai's in?" miguel turned to johnny.
"hell yeah, cobra kai's back, baby!" johnny declared before swiftly pulling the boy into a hug.
gioia chuckled at the two's excitement.
"all right, i'm gonna grab two sodas." miguel stated, "do you want a banquet?"
"no, no, this calls for a real toast." johnny pointed at him.
he left the room and quickly returned with a bottle of alcohol and three red solo cups.
"oh."
"the good stuff, for real men... and woman." johnny explained while handing them cups.
"i really shouldn't... i just took a painkiller." gioia admitted as she shuffled next to miguel.
"and?"
"i do not know." she shrugged, "biology and stuff. i do not think they should mix."
"live a little, don't be a pussy." johnny told her while pouring the two some of the liquid.
miguel sniffed it and gagged, "ugh."
"drink it, it'll put hair on your balls."
"is that a good thing?" miguel asked.
"yeah, it's a good thing." johnny nodded as he glanced to gioia, "and it should relieve your pain."
"okay." miguel took a deep breath, "to cobra kai."
"never accept defeat." johnny added.
"cheers." gioia spoke before the three out their lips to the red cup.
johnny quickly downed it all, miguel took a large sip and looked disgusted while gioia had a small taste and immediately stopped.
"ah."
"that was disgusting." gioia confessed as she poured her remaining liquid into johnny's.
⎯ ❃ neens speaks!
imagine the dress with sunflowers xx
GIOIA AND ELI AHHH 💗💗
also, gb got a cutesy, simple outline of an elephant on the side of her stomach xo