─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───
"sushi!"
gioia quickly stood up from her couch, pausing gilmore girls from the television. she rushed over and opened the door to see johnny lawrence restlessly standing outside her apartment. in his hand was an air horn, which explained the loud noise she had heard and ignored earlier on.
"what's going—" she glanced behind johnny to see her two friends on the upper level of their apartment complex, battling it out. "what did you do?"
"shut up and come on!" johnny ordered.
gioia groaned, slipping on her black doc martens over her socks and rushing out with her sensei. "guys come on!" she shouted to them. "you're getting too close to the edge!"
her heart was racing as they ignored her, too fuelled with anger to notice where they stood.
"robby, miguel, knock it off!" johnny ordered.
but the two boys had blocked their voices out, miguel was throwing multiple punches at robby and he seemed to just be accepting them. gioia ran to the stairwell door, which was lying flat on the floor and climbed up, johnny on her tail.
robby had his back shoved against the black balcony and miguel let out a combat shout, and gioia was sure that he would strike robby, she was terrified that something bad would happen. robby wore the same feared expression. but miguel dropped his arms, the two heavily breathing.
"why'd you hold back?" robby asked.
"i didn't get into karate to hurt people." miguel admitted, his eyes darting over at his best friend. "i did it to be a badass and find balance."
"yeah, i understand that." robby panted.
"last time we fought like this, uh, how come you didn't hold back?" miguel questioned.
"i wanted to finish the fight." robby confessed. "i mean, not like that. i just i—i had tunnel vision and i got so angry that i just... i mean, i barely knew where we were. i'd take it back in a second if i could."
gioia sadly smiled, she knew this was all miguel had wanted to hear from the boy's mouth. and she was glad robby was finally able to be honest.
"i was the cause of the worst moment in your life." robby frowned. "if it's any consolation, it was the worst moment in my life too."
"yeah, i'll take it." miguel nodded, giving the boy a small grin, which the brunette returned.
"so?" johnny stepped forward. "is it over? are you guys good?"
they nodded.
"thank God, cause if you still hated each other when the babies get here—" he immediately stopped himself from continuing and gioia smacked his arm in irritation.
robby's head tilted to the side in confusion and miguel was glancing between his sensei and best friend. "the babies?" the diaz boy asked. "wait what? like you and my mom?" he then noticed that gioia was trying really hard to hide a wide smile. "and bianca and fred?!"
"yeah we're... having a baby." johnny sighed before realising how it sounded. "not all four of us together... separately. we were supposed to tell you together so make sure you act surprised."
"holy shit!" miguel exclaimed.
"dad, that's awesome!" robby laughed, his face lit up with happiness as he threw his arms up. "that's awesome!"
gioia squealed, glad she didn't have to keep the secret anymore. she rushed over to the two and enveloped them in her arms. "this makes us brothers!"
"no it doesn't." johnny called out to her.
"let her have this moment." miguel told him. "how come she knew before we did?"
"because i'm a very nice girl, miggy." gioia told him. "and my two moms know i can keep a secret."
"she told me she knew not even an hour later." johnny shrugged.
"why are you—you shitting on my happiness, sensei? huh?" gioia questioned, turning around and opening her arms. "come on, you know you want to."
johnny playfully rolled his eyes, before stepping over to them and pulling all three into an embrace.
gioia could never admit it, to anyone or herself but she was genuinely happier without karate. she had more time for herself and for her loved ones.
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the three were now gathered around the diaz's circular dining table. johnny had managed to get a lot of food from olive garden ordered in. "all right, dig in." he instructed.
they all reached for a breadstick. "wait!" gioia quickly called out. "cheers to being friends again."
"to family." robby added.
"family." miguel nodded.
"wow. you weren't kidding about these breadsticks, dad." robby spoke as he chewed the pastry.
"i wouldn't lie to you." johnny told him. "three times... in the same day."
the door opened and carmen entered the apartment in her purple scrubs. "hi, mom." miguel greeted.
"hi." carmen smiled, visibly confused about robby's presence.
"hello, carmen." gioia sent her a smile.
"hi, ms diaz. i hope it's cool i'm having dinner here." robby said.
"it's very cool." carmen comforted him. "you're welcome anytime here, robby." she placed her hand on his shoulder before kissing the top of her son's head. "hola, amor."
"hola."
carmen moved over to the girl at the table, placing her head on the blonde head of hair. "ciao, baby. your mom will be done from work in two hours, okay?"
"okay, thank you." gioia said before biting into the breadstick. she watched as the two adults stepped away for their own private conversation. "any of you got plans tonight?"
"i mean, i don't have a girlfriend anymore so..." miguel started.
"neither." robby shrugged.
"right, right." gioia groaned. "s—sorry. just wanted to ask if either of you would be up to watch some movies."
"sounds good." robby nodded. he watched as she reached over to grab a fork and noticed the shimmering purple stone on her ring finger. he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled it closer to him. "you're engaged?"
miguel laughed, previously warning his friend at the shop that the gift would confuse people. "no, it's a promise ring. chocolate milk anyone?" he held up the plastic jug.
"yes please."
"yeah, thanks." robby nodded.
"how'd you know?" gioia questioned, pulling her hand away to use it to eat her ravioli.
"i was there when he bought it." miguel explained. "thought it was a nice gift." he shrugged.
"it's a lovely gift." gioia smiled. she wanted to change the conversation, not wanting to brag about her lovely significant other when they had just lost theirs. "so movie night?"
"yeah sure."
"okay, we each pick a film and we can watch them all but we should do it in alphabetical order." gioia explained.
"of the films?" robby questioned.
"no, of our names."
"so you can be first?" miguel laughed, "nice try."
"you guys are no fun." gioia pouted. "your new friendship better not mean you start ganging up against me."
"wouldn't dream of it."
"there's no way we're getting through three movies. no, there's no way you're getting through three movies." miguel corrected himself, turning to robby. "she's out like a light when the clock strikes eleven."
"that's so not true!"
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gioia was asleep by ten thirty. they hadn't even gotten halfway though robby's unexpected choice of movie: dirty dancing. the two boys laughed at her, snapped a photo for evidence, before heading back to their own houses.
later the next day, she was called for another meeting, this time it took place at the larusso's house. with johnny, bianca, sam, her mother, and chozen toguchi.
apparently terry silver had brutally attacked daniel in stingray's home. gioia was sad for her ex-sensei, but confused about why she was now a part of their 'help daniel' club.
"and we wanted to ask if you would consider ever going back." johnny finished, his tone of voice gentle.
"to cobra kai?" gioia questioned in surprise.
"yes, gioia-san." chozen nodded. "this plan has great potential."
gioia glanced at her mom behind her, who quickly crouched down to her level. "baby, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."
bianca was reluctant. when gioia secretly joined cobra kai, it had taken a huge toll on her. she was a whole different person, and it broke bianca's heart.
"she's right." amanda larsso spoke up. "you have every right to say no."
gioia looked at sam, she hadn't said anything during the whole conversation and gioia knew she was opposed to the idea. the girl thought for a second. she was hesitant about the thought that she may have to join eagle fang again. but cobra kai? that was so much scarier.
but then again, there was nothing that scared her more than terry silver controlling the city. gioua had been victim if the man's manipulation, and she didn't want anyone else to fall prey to it.
so if gioia could help even in the slightest in taking him down, she would. "i'll do it."
samantha sighed, slumping back in her chair in defeat.
"are you sure?" bianca asked her.
"i'm sure." gioia confirmed.
"but that means full communication." johnny spoke up. "you tell us everything that you do there and everything that they do after each session."
"your safety is the most important factor here." amanda added. "so if you ever feel like you're having second thoughts, or it's getting to much for you, you pull out immediately. okay?"
"okay." gioia sighed.
her mom was actually surprised gioia obliged so quickly. she thought she would take a few days to think about it, or consult her friends and ask them for their opinion. that's what she normally did. even with the smallest things like how to style her hair. but her daughter was blossoming into a strong, independent woman. she made her own choices, she made her own rules.
"even though i'm not completely on board with this plan, i'll admit you're quite badass for considering it." sam spoke up, making gioia smile at her.
"please, she's the most badass person i know." johnny said. bianca gave him a grateful look. "all kudos to you, of course. don't tell freddy i said that."
"i won't." bianca laughed.
"what's first?" gioia questioned.
"since you left them once, silver will be reluctant with allowing you to rejoin, let alone tell you his motives." johnny explained. "so we're gonna have to change up your look and personality."
"i'm flipping the script?" gioia asked.
"you're flipping the script." johnny nodded, a smirk on his face.
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"not this shit again." kyler groaned, his eyes on the open entrance door. this was the second time the girl had made a dramatic entrance at his dojo.
stood there was the blonde girl, bright pink streaks in her freshly crimped hair. on her nose sat a silver ring, which hurt like a bitch when she got it repierced. gioia stepped into the flagship cobra kai dojo, her head held high.
there were a few things that could truly surprise sensei terry silver, and this was one of them. tory nichols sat up straight from her place on the ground, baffled at her ex-friend's arrival. devon lee smiled, glad she was with a friendly face. although her face didn't look entirely friendly.
"sensei kim." silver called out across the room to the fierce-looking woman training the girls. "this is the young lady i told you about. this is miss barbusca."
⎯ ❃ jania speaks!
my bad... my fingers literally slipped and she was suddenly in cobra kai idk how that happened i promise !!
BUT SHES A DOUBLE AGENT SO SHES NOT BETRAYING ANYONE (but silver) OKAY??