Disclaimer: I do not own Cobra Kai or any of its characters. Anything you may recognize belongs to Netflix and KK and CK's original owners.

Johnny cleared his throat and adjusted his shirt before getting out of the car and going inside the apartment complex. He honestly wasn't sure why he was so nervous.

He was on his way to his ex's apartment. She had called him out of the blue asking if he would be able to watch their son tonight. He wasn't sure what it was that she had to do, but he knew if she was calling him, then she had to be desperate. Get your shit together! This wouldn't even be the first time he would see Robby. Shannon had allowed him over a few times before and one of them had been to babysit. But he still found himself a little nervous.

Johnny got to Shannon's apartment and knocked.

"You're late," Shannon said as soon as she answered the door, knowing who it was.

"You said—" Johnny looked at his watch—he was right on time. But he stopped himself as he knew it was pointless to argue. It seemed like any time he and Shannon got together, a fight or two was likely to break out. He figured maybe if he kept his mouth shut, maybe they could avoid one. "Sorry."

"I was hoping to leave here a bit early,"

"Where are you going, anyways?" Johnny was curious. He knew it had to be last minute. But the question was, what could be so important that she couldn't blow off, which left her to call her only option.

"None of your business," Shannon responded as she put her earrings in.

"Where is he?" Johnny figured he'd stop trying to make small talk with her and go see what his kid was up to. At least with the five year old, he had more of a chance of having a civil conversation.

"Robby!" Shannon shouted. "Your father's here!"

Not even a second later, Robby raced into the other room, almost slipping and falling on wood floor. He caught himself and then ran over to his father.

"Robby, I told you not to run in here with those socks on!" Shannon sighed. One of these days this kid was going to hurt himself.

Johnny picked Robby up and held him on his arm. "What do you got there, kid?" He noticed that Robby was holding a paper.

"I drew you this," Robby held it up, showing him the drawing. "Do you like it?"

Johnny couldn't hide a smile. "That's awesome," He tucked the drawing into his pocket.

"Robby, did you put your toys away?" Shannon asked as Johnny set him down.

Robby shook his head.

"Well, you better go do it!"

Robby ran off back into his room to finish cleaning up. He wanted to do it as fast as he could. He didn't get to see his dad much, so he wanted to have as much time with him as possible.

"Try not to break anything or set the place on fire before I get back." Shannon told Johnny as soon as Robby left the room.

"I'll try to control myself," Johnny quipped.

"You know, he hasn't shut up about you since the last time I had you babysit,"

"He did?"

"Yes," Shannon smiled. "When I told him you were coming over tonight, I can't remember him being more excited."

Johnny smiled. Good to know my kid likes me. He had only seen Robby one other time before tonight aside from the pictures Shannon would send him. It was her rule. Johnny didn't necessarily like it, but considering everything, he understood. As his stepfather always said, he was a good at nothing piece of garbage. It was probably for the best that he wasn't around long enough to screw Robby up.

"So how long are you going to be gone?" Johnny asked.

"A few hours at most," Shannon answered. "Job interview."

"Good for you," Johnny said. Maybe this one will stick.

"Thanks," Shannon said as she slipped her coat on. "Do me one favor though, before you leave tonight?"

"Yeah?"

"There's a box in my closet of your karate shit from like decades ago. Take it with you before you go?" It was more of a demand than a request. "It's just in the way and it keeps falling and hitting me on the head." Shannon was tired of putting it back up on the shelf constantly. "I don't even know why you still have that shit."

"I'll get rid of it,"

"Robby!" Shannon went to go see Robby before she left. "Be good for your father, okay?" She gave him a kiss on the forehead before leaving them alone.

Johnny sat down on the couch and Robby followed him. Johnny brought him up and placed him next to him. "You want to watch anything?" He flipped through the channel and noticed a commercial for a car dealership.

"Daddy, can you do karate?"

"Huh?" Johnny asked as he quickly turned off the TV, not wanting to see any more of that ridiculous ad.

"You have karate stuff," Robby had been around a few times when his mom would get mad when it would fall out of the closet. "I heard mommy telling you to take it with you."

"You were listening, huh?"

Robby nodded. "Can you do karate?"

"I used to," Johnny answered vaguely. "But that was a long time ago." And he wanted to keep that way. Nothing good came from that stuff.

"How long ago did you do it?"

"I was a bit older than you," Johnny answered. "I think I started when I was thirteen."

"Did you like it?"

"For a while,"

"Can you show me?"

"What?" Johnny looked at Robby.

"Can you show me some karate?"

"Not right now, kid," Johnny didn't feel up to. He wasn't sure he ever would. He didn't really want to talk about it either.

"Please…" Robby begged. "I bet you're better than the guy on the commercials that mommy watches." He really wanted to see it. "Please, daddy,"

"Robby…" Johnny sighed. "Please, daddy's tired. I don't really want to do karate right now."

Robby pouted and crossed his arms.

"You hungry?" Johnny had to change the subject, flip this night around somehow. He could tell Robby wasn't happy with that answer, he had to try and make it better, without having to break out that stuff.

Robby nodded. He hadn't had dinner yet.

"How about I make you something and we play something else, okay?"

"Okay," Robby nodded. "I have a game, I'll go get it." He had a plan.

Robby went into his mother's bedroom and opened her closet. He could see the box. He knew which one it was because his mom would say swear words every time it fell. Robby pushed a chair over to the closet and stepped on it. If I bring him the box, maybe then he'll wanna show me. Robby stood on his toes, trying to reach the box. He had it under the tips of his fingers, but his foot slipped and he went flying. Robby fell, hitting his head on the corner of the chair, and the box falling on top of him.

Johnny had been trying to find something to cook Robby when he suddenly heard him starting to scream. "Robby?" He ran into his mother's bedroom and then over to him when he saw him on the floor. "Robby, what happened?"

"I…tried…to get…the b-box…" Robby wailed.

"Oh shit," Johnny started to panic noticing that Robby's head had a cut and it was bleeding. He looked around, trying to find something close that he could use to stop the bleeding. And then he noticed, hanging out the box was his old Cobra Kai headband. That will have to do. He grabbed the headband and tied it around Robby's head.

"Hey," Johnny took Robby into his arms, rocking him gently. "Don't cry," He took Robby into the kitchen where he put a bag of peas against his head.

"It hurts…" Robby whimpered.

Johnny waited a few minutes and then checked out the cut. Shit… When he saw that it was still bleeding, Johnny knew it was going to take more than some bandages to stop it. He grabbed the keys to his car and then took Robby to his car. "Everything's going to be okay," He told him as he put him in the front passenger seat.

Johnny drove as fast as he could to the hospital and then carried a still crying Robby inside. "He fell and hurt his head…" Johnny tried to explain to the receptionist. "He's still bleeding,"

"Are you his father?"

Johnny nodded. "I am,"

Johnny and Robby were brought back to a bed. He set Robby down and stood next to him, keeping a hand on his shoulder. "Everything's going to fine," He told him, but this seemed to only make Robby more upset as his crying got louder. "Great, you're seeing right through me, aren't you?"

"First time?" The doctor asked when she came into the room.

Johnny nodded. "That obvious?"

"Why don't you try sitting on the bed with him?"

"You think that'll help?" Johnny asked. He wasn't sure. What the hell? Johnny picked Robby up and then sat on the bed, placing him on his lap. "Hey kid, I'm here, it's going to be okay."

"Daddy," Robby whimpered. "I'm scared,"

"I know," Johnny could understand that. "They just want to help. Make your head feel better."

Robby nodded and then snuggled in closer to his father as the doctor came over. She removed the headband and took a look at the cut. "He's going to need about three stitches," The doctor explained after taking a look.

Johnny had a feeling that Robby wasn't going to take that well. "Listen, I called his mom," he said to the doctor. "Has she called back yet?"

The doctor shook her head.

"Great," Johnny sighed. Looks like I'm on my own for this one. He turned back to Robby. "Hey kid, you doing, okay?"

Robby shook his head. "My head hurts and I wanna go home!"

"I know, kid,"

"They're gonna make it all better—"

"No!" Robby exclaimed. "It's gonna hurt!"

"Okay, I'm going to be honest with you," Johnny wondered if this approach would work. "It will, but only for a second. But you know what? You're going to feel a lot better when it's done." Robby didn't seem too pleased with that answer. "Your head hurts now, right?"

"Yes," Robby nodded. "It hurts a lot,"

"Well, the shot they want to give you, it is going to take that pain away." Johnny said.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Johnny nodded. "And after that, you won't feel anything."

"The shot is gonna hurt,"

Johnny nodded. He couldn't lie, not now. "Not as much as your head already hurts," He told Robby. "And only for a second."

Robby thought for a moment, considering it. "Will you stay while they do it?"

"I'm not going anywhere,"

"Are we ready?" The doctor came over.

"Daddy…"

"Robby," Johnny forced Robby to look at him for another moment. "I want you to close your eyes and," Johnny had Robby grab one of his hands. "I want you to try and break my hand. Squeeze as hard as you can."

Robby nodded, shutting his eyes and then squeezing as hard as he could.

The doctor came over and did the shot, Robby only winced a little bit. The doctor waited a few minutes before coming over and finishing the stitches. "Okay, Robby, you are all good to go," She then took the headband and put it around his neck like a scarf.

Robby opened his eyes. "All done?"

Johnny nodded. "You did great, kid!"

Robby snuggled into his father's arms and Johnny wrapped the kid up, holding him close. "I'm sorry you had a crappy night,"

"It's okay," Robby looked up at Johnny, putting his head against his chest. "I'm glad you were here."

Johnny smiled. "It was good to see you."

"I love you, daddy,"

Before Johnny could say it back, he heard screaming and recognized it as Shannon's voice instantly. He sighed, patting Robby's back. Now it was time for him to get a headache.

"Where is he!?" Shannon came through the room. "What the hell happened?"

"He's fine," Johnny stood up, leaving Robby on the bed. "He just had a little accident."

Shannon pushed Johnny out into the hallway. "I leave you alone with my kid for ten minutes and he gets hurt. Jesus Johnny, I would have left him alone if I knew that you would be that useless…" She shook her head. "Why am I surprised?"

"I was watching him," Johnny tried to defend himself. "He just ran off and climbed up…"

"I called you to watch him and you couldn't even do that!" Shannon wasn't listening. "Well, that's the last time I make that mistake."

"What are you saying?"

"This is the last time you'll see him."

"Shannon, he's my kid—"

"You weren't even there the day he was born," Shannon had been in labor for 17 hours and he never came. "Your name isn't on his birth certificate. He's my kid. Not yours!"

"Shannon—"

"No," Shannon stepped back. "I made a mistake, ever letting you near him. But I won't make that mistake again. I'm just going to tell him you don't want to see him again."

"Don't do this!"

"Just stay away," Shannon put her hand out to make sure Johnny didn't come any closer. "Do Robby a favor and just keep away. All you do is bring problems."

As Shannon went back into the room where Robby was, Johnny's head filled with all the doubts he felt his entire life. All the fears he felt about coming to see Robby today—about screwing up. And then he heard the voice of his stepfather telling him how worthless he was.

"Where's daddy?" Johnny could hear Robby crying and it hit him worse than a kick to the stomach. "Daddy?! I want daddy!"

He wanted nothing more than to run back in there and tell Shannon he wasn't going anywhere; but he decided against it. Johnny's eyes filled with tears as he walked backwards away from the room while hearing Robby cry out for him. She's right. Robby deserves better. It's better if I just keep away. Then maybe I won't mess up his life.

A/N: I just had to write some cuteness between Johnny and little Robby and then make it all sad…I'm the worst. This little thing came out of doing an RP where Johnny was telling a story about little Robby. I just wanted to write this out—at least the cute parts with Robby being little and loving Johnny.

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