The morning sun was still rising in the sky, tinging Reseda with golden hues, when Jack reached the LaRusso house. He walked to the door, his bandaged arm throbbing less now, but the weight of the confrontation at the Cobra Kai dojo still following him like a faint shadow. The memory of Robby's shove and the sound of him hitting the floor swirled in his mind. He knocked on the door, the sound echoing in the cold air of the street, and waited, his green eyes fixed on the floor as he tried to gather his thoughts. After talking to Kreese and facing Robby, he needed to see Sam—tell him what had happened and, more than anything, find a way to put the drama behind him for a day.
Sam opened the door, her blue eyes wide at the sight of him, her right shoulder slightly hunched in pain from last night's attack. "Jack?" she said, her voice soft but thick with surprise as she opened the door wider, her brown hair falling over one side of her face. "What happened? Are you okay?" She felt a warm relief at seeing him there, the echo of her fight with Robby still present but softened by the morning light and his presence.
"I'm fine," Jack replied, stepping in as he rubbed his bandaged arm with his good hand, his voice steady but low, as if he were testing the waters. "But this morning… it was crazy at the dojo. Robby showed up out of nowhere." He paused, his green eyes meeting hers, confusion and frustration showing as he continued. "He was mad, Sam. He pushed me to the ground, yelled at me about you. I told him it was my fault for all of this, for being careless, for not understanding what he wanted sooner… but I'm not leaving you because of him." He shook his head, his messy hair falling around his face, a crooked smile appearing as he remembered. "It was intense, but I told him I'm out of Cobra Kai for good. He stomped off like the ground had offended him."
Sam was quiet for a moment, her blue eyes wide as she listened, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she imagined Robby leaving like that. "He's angry," she said, her voice lighter now as she walked in, leaving the door open behind her. "I saw him at the dojo yesterday, after the attack. But… you know what? I don't want to think about it today." She felt an unexpected relief with Jack there, as if his presence gave her a chance to breathe without the weight of guilt.
Jack raised an eyebrow, his crooked smile growing as he followed her inside. "So, you want a day without drama?" he asked, the playfulness emerging as he took a longer step forward, stopping in the living room with a glint in his eye. "Because I have a better idea. Let's go out, Sam. Beach, now. It's still early, we've got all day to have fun. No dojo, no problems, just us and the ocean." He gestured to the street outside, excitement seeping into his voice as he waved his good hand like he was ready to run to his car.
Sam laughed, the sound escaping her in relief, her blue eyes shining at the idea. "Beach? Are you serious?" she said, already running to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, her smile growing as she turned to him. "Okay, I'll do that. But if you think you're going to beat me swimming with that injured arm, you're sorely mistaken!" She tossed the bottle to him, and he caught it with his good hand, laughing loudly as they both walked out the door, the sound of their laughter echoing as they ran to the Impala parked out front.
On the way to the beach, the wind blew through the open windows, ruffling Sam's hair as she laughed at Jack trying to sing along to an upbeat song on the radio, his off-key voice making her laugh out loud. They reached the beach in no time, the Impala coming to a stop on the soft sand as the sound of crashing waves filled the air. The weather was cool, a salty breeze blowing in off the ocean, perfect for a light day. They ran into the water, Jack kicking off his shoes and throwing them into the sand as Sam waded into the waves, the cold water splashing around her.
"Come on, Jack!" she yelled, laughing as she splashed the water on him, her blue eyes shining in the sun. He ran after her, the water lapping at his legs as he tried to grab her, both of them bursting into laughter as he tripped on a wave and pulled her with him, diving into the foam. "You're terrible at this!" Sam said, spitting water as he laughed, his wet hair sticking to his face. Jack grinned, his green eyes mischievous as he approached, the water now up to his knees. "Terrible, huh? Then take this!" He threw her a bigger wave, laughing loudly as she squealed and ran after him across the sand, the two of them playing like children.
The sun rose higher in the sky, the cool weather keeping the heat bearable as they ran along the beach, splashing each other and laughing until they were breathless. They stopped near the shore, panting, the breeze blowing through Sam's wet hair as she looked up at Jack, his blue eyes shining with a lightness she hadn't felt in days. He looked down at her, his smile softening as he moved closer, the sand sticking to her wet feet. "Thank you for this, Sam," he said, his voice low but full of warmth. Before she could respond, he leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a light kiss, salty from the sea but sweet from the simplicity of the moment. Sam kissed him back, her hands rising to his shoulders, the world around them fading for a moment as the sound of the waves washed over them.
Some time later, the sun was higher, the gray sky beginning to split into patches of blue, when Robby returned to the Cobra Kai dojo. He'd spent the morning wandering aimlessly, the streets of Reseda a blur as his anger slowly cooled, like embers covered in ash. He'd felt like Johnny had abandoned him his entire life, that Sam had traded him for Jack like he was disposable, but something about the confrontation with Jack made him hesitate—maybe the dojo was more than just a place to blow up. He walked inside, the sound of his boots echoing on the wooden floor, the space mostly empty but with a less heavy air than before.
Tory stood there, alone, kicking a punching bag with quick, precise blows, her tied-up hair bouncing with each movement. She stopped at the sound of his footsteps, her hooded eyes lifting to meet his, one eyebrow arched as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "Keene," she said, her voice steady but tinged with curiosity as she let her guard down for a moment. "You're back. Have you cleared your head a bit, or are you just lost in the middle of nowhere?" There was a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, not exactly friendly, but less sharp than usual, as if she were willing to lighten the mood.
Robby shrugged, his green eyes still heavy, but now with a spark of something looser as he stared at her. "I don't even know," he said, his voice husky but with a tone that seemed less trapped, almost relieved to be there. "Maybe I just need to hit something." He could feel the anger still there, but Tory's presence—direct, no-nonsense—brought him a strange sense of comfort, as if she were a mirror of his own intensity, someone who didn't judge him but challenged him to keep going.
Tory laughed softly, a short, dry sound, as she grabbed a towel from the corner and tossed it to him, the gesture casual but with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Then come train, Keene. You obviously need to get that anger out before it swallows you up." She gestured to the training bag, stepping away with a wry smile. "Let's see if you're any good or if you're just pushing people around." Her tone was playful but firm, as if she were testing the waters to get the weight off, and Robby felt an unexpected relief at that—for the first time in days, he wasn't alone in his thoughts.
Robby caught the towel in midair, a small smile appearing as he tossed it aside and approached the bag. "Are you challenging me, Nichols?" he said, his green eyes coming to life as he threw a swift punch at the bag, the impact echoing through the dojo with a satisfying thud. He could feel his anger transforming, not into something that would destroy him, but into something he could use, and Tory, with that direct, unapologetic manner, seemed to understand that without having to say anything.
"You bet," Tory replied, laughing as she crossed her arms and watched, the mood between them lightening, almost like a breath. "Show me what you've got, Keene. Let's see how long you can last before you give up." She stepped forward to grab some training gloves from the corner, tossing a pair to him with a challenging look. "And no crying, huh? If I take you down, you owe me a soda."
Robby laughed softly, the sound raspy but genuine as he grabbed his gloves and pulled them on, his fingers flexing as he braced himself. "You're going to knock me out? You're dreaming big, Nichols," he said, a glint of amusement in his green eyes as he stepped up to the bag, punching again, his pace increasing as Tory approached, adjusting his stance with a gentle shove to his shoulder. "Like that, Keene, not like a rookie," she said, laughing as he rolled his eyes but adjusted his punch.
He felt something shift as he trained with her—the anger was still there, but now it shared space with a lightness he hadn't expected. Tory was like a wind that blew the clouds away, not because she was kind or sweet, but because she was real, direct, someone who didn't treat him like a problem to be solved. He felt a strange relief, almost a hope, as if here, in the dojo, with her by his side exchanging taunts and blows, things could get better, even if only for a moment.