Chapter Text
Johnny was wiping down the counter late on a Saturday night when Daniel LaRusso walked in. It had been five years since the All-Valley so it took him a minute to convince himself he was that Daniel, even though he didn’t look any different—he could have stepped right out of high school through the door of the bar.
They hadn’t ended it well. After the night of the tournament, Johnny had spent the next two weeks at home, waiting for his voice to come back and steeling himself for life without Cobra Kai. The five months after that were much the same; they avoided each other, Johnny skipped prom, and LaRusso skipped graduation.
The landscape of Johnny’s life had changed that night, and he was still trying to find his way. Jimmy had gone off to college, Bobby fucked off to a university for bible thumpers, and Tommy enlisted in the Navy. Only he and Dutch remained, bouncing around the Valley like pebbles in a can, renting rooms in the same rooming house and taking the jobs that came their way. And now, this guy walks in. LaRusso, a blast from his past.
Well, five years was thirty-something dog-years, so no reason to make a big deal out of it. When LaRusso found his way to the rail, Johnny made his way over.
“What can I getcha?” He ignored LaRusso’s wide eyes.
“Uh, ah,” LaRusso sputtered. His hair flopped loosely over his forehead. “Yeah. Martini. Dirty.”
“Sure kid, let me see your ID.”
He scoffed. “Fuck you, Johnny.” Then he smiled at Johnny; that was new.