Sky got home from the hospital a couple of days before Christmas.

The concussion was supposedly healing okay, but she still felt unsteady on her feet and tired all the time. And not just the regular kind of after-a-long-day-tired. She was fucking exhausted. She felt like a vampire had sucked her bloodless, leaving behind only a hollow, strengthless shell.

But hey, things could be worse - the doctors had said she was lucky to be alive at all. That hit in the head could have easily killed her.

Lucky indeed.

As Sky lay on her bed in her Hello Kitty pajamas, scrolling through Insta, she didn't feel that lucky. Here she was, her head still bandaged and aching, her face and body bruised and battered and overall feeling like crap - while all her friends seemed to be having the time of their lives. Sam, Demetri, and Miguel had all posted photos from their training session at the Miyagi-Do dojo, and seeing those made Sky silently wish that Tory would have hit her a bit harder.

Everything was ruined.

She had wanted to join Eagle Fang. She had been super excited about joining forces with the Miyagi-Do, about the possibility to train with not only Johnny and Miguel but Sam and Demetri and Mr.LaRusso too—

But now?

There was a black hole at the place of her heart.

Miguel had posted a photo where he had thrown an arm over Hawk's shoulders, pulling him into a brotherly embrace. Both boys had wide, carefree smiles on their faces, and that felt like a dagger through Sky's breastbone.

Nothing was going to be like she had thought.

Her eyes searched Hawk's face in that photo. Every familiar feature was another stab to her chest. His mohawk was sharp and even taller than she remembered, the red spikes immaculately arranged. His blue eyes, his smiling lips— She could almost hear his laughter, the dry, sudden, unapologetic sound of it.

So Hawk was an Eagle Fang now too.

She would have to see him every day. She would have to watch him train, to hear him talk and laugh, she would have to endure his presence—

How the fuck am I supposed to do that?

How was it going to be possible, when even seeing his photo on Insta made her want to rip open her chest and cut out her heart so that this pain would fucking end already?

With a jolt came a sudden flash, a piece of memory maybe, of herself lying on the floor of the LaRusso home dojo, and Hawk there, his face hovering over her, his eyes wide with fear, and her own voice telling him to get the fuck away from her, the fuck away from her—

"Sky, there's someone to see you," Dad's voice interrupted her troubled thoughts and Sky looked up from the phone. Dad was standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, and next to him was Cody.

A sudden guilt flashed through Sky's heart as she quickly closed Instagram and sat up. She hadn't seen Cody since that night in the hospital a couple of days ago - and sure, she had been sick and tired and hurting, and she hadn't wanted anyone to visit but—

I should have at least called him. Instead I'm stalking my ex on my phone like a pathetic loser.

"Hey—" Cody said, running a nervous hand through his dark hair. "I'm sorry I didn't call— I just… Can I come in? And it's okay if you don't want to, if you're tired—"

"It's fine," she said, forcing a smile on her lips. "I'm glad you're here."

Dad made a face, but let Cody pass him in the doorway.

"This door stays open," Dad noted dryly. "And you're not closing the drapes of your bed either. I mean it."

"Dad—" Sky muttered, feeling how her cheeks heated at the memory of the time Dad had walked into her and Cody doing it. She couldn't believe it had been less than a week ago. So much had happened since— and not just the fight and her ending up with the concussion. Things had changed between her and Cody too.

They weren't friends with benefits anymore. They were dating - even if they hadn't yet gone to that promised bookstore slash milkshakes date. Funnily this new relationship status also meant they had stopped fucking. They haven't even kissed if you didn't count that short, sweet kiss Cody had given her at the front door, when he had confessed his love for her, that now felt like it had happened a million years ago.

Cody glanced over his shoulder as Dad left the room, but then he walked closer to her bed and took a seat on it.

"I brought you something," He offered her a large paper cup. "I promised to take you on a date, at that milkshake place and… Since that didn't happen, I thought I'd bring you one."

His voice was hesitant, there was something nervous about him. When Sky reached to take the milkshake, their fingers brushed.

It was at that moment that she noticed the bruises on his face, the cut on his lower lip.

"Oh my god, what happened?" she gasped. "Did you get into a fight?"

Cody swallowed and looked away. A nervous breath left his lips as she pushed the unruly strands of his dark hair off his forehead.

"I had a little talk with Kyler."

Sky's heart sank. "Cody, come on—"

"I know. I told you I wouldn't, and I'm sorry—" his voice was strained, raw. "I'm sorry I lied about that. But Sky, I had to. After what he did to you—"

"You shouldn't have done that! I asked you not to! He's gonna come after you now— and I— I can't fucking take that. What if he attacks you like the last time—? Like when Hawk and the Cobras beat you up? He could fucking kill you!" Suddenly Sky was angry, her worry turned into a sharp, heated outburst. "Oh my God, Cody, that was such a stupid thing to do!"

Cody's lower lip trembled, he took a sharp inhale, then let it out slowly as if to regain control of his emotions.

"I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me."

"Yeah, well— you shouldn't have worried about me either, then. You should have just let it be."

To get a moment, Sky turned to her milkshake and took a long, silent sip, then another. It was a Christmas flavor, she tasted gingerbread and candy cane crumble, and it was lovely, rich, and sweet - but it did nothing to ease the heaviness of her heart.

"Sky, I have to tell you something," Cody said after a short silence. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning his elbows on his knees and his posture was stiff.

A weird, cold feeling settled on Sky's gut. She placed the milkshake on the nightstand.

"What is it?"

Cody twisted his hands, the muscles in his jaw worked as if it was a tremendous effort to find the right words. When he finally spoke, his voice was thin, stretched, the words almost hasty.

"When I… when I went to confront Kyler, I— I took it way too far. Sky, I almost killed him."

Sky drew her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Cody's glance swept at her bare legs, her painted toenails, then turned back to his hands. Sky noticed they were bruised, there were cuts on his knuckles.

"What— what do you mean?"

"I mean what I said, Sky." He still wouldn't look at her. "I almost fucking killed Kyler Park because he had hurt you. And— that scares the shit out of me. I don't wanna be a killer, Sky. I don't want to become that person— But when I thought about him hurting you, I just– I just—"

Something broke in her chest, her heart ached for him. She reached a hand and laid it on his arm, feeling the tremor of his tense muscles through the soft sweater.

"Cody—"

"You would have hated me," he groaned. "Had you seen me like that— You would have fucking hated me."

"I could never hate you. Never," Sky replied, gripping his forearm harder with her cold fingers. "Cody, look at me."

He looked up and met her gaze. His eyes were dark, the black of his pupils had swallowed the hazel irises, his face was pale, his cheeks were red like someone had spilled red wine on them.

"You— you didn't kill him, right?" She asked. "He's going to be okay?"

Cody swallowed and lowered his gaze again. A shadow of some emotion darkened his delicate features. "Yeah, he's gonna be fine." A short silence followed his words. "Sky— there's something else—"

"What?"

He shook his head and let out a sound that was no word. "I swear to God, it's like I'm digging my own grave, but— I can't just not tell you, can I? Hawk was there too."

"Hawk?" Sky drew her hand back. "So— what are you saying? That the switching of sides was just— what? A lie? He's still friends with Kyler?"

"No, no— Shit, Sky— he was there for the same reason I was. He wanted to kick Kyler's ass for what he did to you."

Sky's heart skipped a beat, she felt like her ribs were crushed under a sudden weight. Hawk had gone after Kyler—? Just like that time when Rickenberger had slut shamed her in the school and Hawk had beaten him up in the bathroom—

That memory brought nothing but pain. It felt like her chest was collapsing, she pressed a hand over her aching heart as if she could thus keep it beating.

"Why— why are you telling me this?"

"Because— I think you have the right to know," Cody's voice was broken, silent. "Because I love you, and I want you to love me too. But I won't have it through lies. You– you're gonna be training in the same dojo. And it's clear that he still has feelings for you. If– if you'd rather be with him—"

"Stop it— Just– just stop it!" Sky breathed, drawing her knees against her chest, hiding her face in them.

A moment of strained silence followed. Sky's ears were ringing, she felt like she could barely breathe.

"I'm sorry," Cody sighed. "Shit, I feel like all I do lately is apologize to you."

Sky didn't say anything. She felt like absolute shit. She knew she was the one who should apologize to Cody, not the other way around. He had nothing to apologize for - not a single fucking thing! His kindness and his honesty were killing her. She was suffocating, the tears were like burning acid behind her eyes. Why couldn't she just love him? Why did it have to be this hard? Why couldn't she just love him the way he loved her, with absolute certainty, with no doubts? Why couldn't her heart stop hurting, why couldn't she stop missing Hawk, wanting him, why did everything still remind her of him, even when she wanted nothing to do with him anymore?

She would have given anything to be able to say to Cody that she loved him too. But the words wouldn't come, and the air between them grew thick with silence.

When Cody finally spoke, his voice was silent and raw.

"Your milkshake is gonna melt."

Sky drew in a shaky breath, released the clenching grip around her legs, and reached to take the milkshake from the nightstand, trying to force away the image of Hawk. So what if he had shown up at Kyler's - it changed nothing. Whatever feelings Cody thought Hawk still had for her, were not love. His feelings were sick and twisted, they weren't real, and she was an idiot for checking out his pictures on Instagram, a stupid fool for longing for him after everything he had done.

She took a sip of the milkshake and the sweetness washed away the bitter taste of her unshed tears. It didn't matter that the drink was melting, it was still delicious, and the sugar rose quickly to her head almost like a drug.

"I thought you were supposed to take me to that milkshake place," she said and glanced up at Cody's face. "Not just bring me this stuff in a paper cup."

"So— we're not talking about Kyler or Hawk anymore?"

"I never want to talk about those assholes again," Sky fought to keep her voice light. "I want to talk about us. So, when are you taking me on that date? I could have another one of these. This tastes like liquified Christmas. I might be obsessed."

Cody drew in a breath, his shoulders rose and fell rapidly. "I'd love to go out with you, Sky, but the thing is— I'm going away for Christmas. We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, for five days. My parents have this thing, they love skiing—"

"And they are actually taking you this time too?" Sky arched a brow. "That's nice of them - but a bit surprising."

"Well they weren't going to," Cody replied with a hint of bitterness. "--but David and Leigh put up a Hell of a fight. Apparently, they really want me with them. They said that Disneyland was boring without me. But Sky, I— I will stay with you, of course, if you need me—"

"No, come on, you should go with your family," Sky replied, offering him a small smile. "David and Leigh would hate me if I was the one who stopped you from going."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We'll go on that date once you get back. By then these bruises are hopefully gone too."

He glanced at the bruises on her neck, the ones that still showed exactly where Kyler had grabbed her, and his jawline turned hard again.

"Do they still hurt?"

Sky shook her head, brushed her hair behind her ear. "No, not unless I touch them. Cody— Can I— can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

The words escaped her lips before she could reconsider them. "Why haven't you kissed me?"

Cody's lips parted. The red spots on his cheekbones grew.

"Because— because I wasn't sure if you wanted me to."

Something painful twisted Sky's heart. She knew what Cody meant - that he wasn't sure if she really wanted him now, that Hawk was back in the picture. Now that Hawk had switched sides, now that he wanted to visit her in the hospital, was training in the same dojo, now that Hawk too was beating the crap out of a guy who had hurt her—

Sky tossed away the now empty milkshake cup and glanced at the door that was still open. The sound of cheerful Christmas carols echoed from downstairs - Dad must have turned the music on, for Sky heard him humming to it as he moved around the kitchen. He was cooking dinner, she suspected, for she could hear the clattering of plates. The scent of roast beef and potatoes filled the air, together with the bright notes of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Of all the songs in the world, it had to be this one.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me—

Turning her eyes back to Cody, she took his hand.

"Well, I do," she said. "I want you to kiss me."

Cody swallowed hard, Sky could see the movement of his sharp Adam's Apple under the pale skin of his throat. He closed the distance between them, and his peppermint breath fanned her lips. For a short moment, his dark eyes searched her face.

"Well, good, because I'm absolutely dying to kiss you."

He didn't wait for an answer, and he didn't let the silence grow too long. His lips were hot and soft, Oh God, how hungry but gentle they were. When he buried his fingers into her hair, Sky's heart swelled in her chest, it filled her ribcage taking her breath away.

She pushed away all the lingering thoughts of Hawk, the sickening mess of feelings that thinking about him had brought up. Cody was here and he loved her. He was safe, he was kind, he would always take care of her—

And he was hot as Hell. Sky's body reacted to his closeness, her pulse quickened as she breathed in his scent. He laid a hand on her waist, pulling her closer, and she leaned into him like a flower turning towards sunlight.

He kept the kiss soft and careful, lips only, but Sky wanted more, she needed more. She needed to feel him, she needed the comfort, the feeling of being safe. She brought her hands to his hair, her fingers threading through the silky strands as she nudged her tongue against his lips. A soft gasp escaped his mouth as he opened his lips for her, her tongue found his, and the slick heat, the taste of salt and peppermint caused a jolt of need to course through her body.

She could feel how much he wanted that kiss, even if she was the one in control of it. Soft moans began to escape his mouth into hers, sounds of wanting, of need, they mixed with the music, On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me— His hand moved from her waist to her neck, and Sky leaned into the kiss. His tongue entered her mouth in deep, hungry strokes.

He tasted like peppermint, the scent of his aftershave was the same as always, already familiar to her, warm, a bit spicy, masculine. She would always associate that scent with the feeling of Cody's soft, cotton sheets, of waking up in his bed. She wished they were there now, under the covers, and he would hold her close as he kissed her, as he pushed her down on the bed and she wrapped her legs around his waist—

She laid her hand on his abs, feeling the lean, hard muscle under the layers of his clothes. She loved his perfect abs, she missed his beautiful body, she wanted to feel it on top of her, pressing against her nakedness, if not in his bed, then here. She slid her fingers up and down his torso, then found the hem of his shirt and tugged it up, impatient to feel his hot skin under her touch. His breathing was fast, a soft moan left his lips into her mouth, the kiss grew deeper.

— Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens—

Cody let out a sharp hiss, as the cut on his lip opened. The taste of the kiss turned from peppermint into blood, and he pulled back, breaking their contact.

Sky let out a whine, gripped his waist under his shirt to keep him close.

"Wait—" She was still hungry for him, she didn't even care about the blood. It wasn't the first time they kissed so that the kisses tasted like salt and copper - it brought back memories of Halloween, of Cody's lean body pressing her against the wall in that dark room, of his hips between her legs.

A soft moan left his lips as he rested his brow against hers and brought his hands to cup her face. His breathing came in sharp, shaky exhales, as did hers. The music was still echoing from downstairs, telling of the gifts of true love, of seven swans-a-swimming, six-geese-a-laying, five golden rings—

"We have to stop–" he was slightly out of breath, his voice came out thin. "Your Dad—"

Dad was still downstairs, humming the lyrics of the Christmas carol a bit off-tune, but Sky knew Cody had a point. It wasn't like they could really do it, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Yeah, I know."

"Believe me, I really don't want to stop. But—" Reluctantly he leaned back, broke the contact of their bodies. "But your dad would kill me."

Sky ran a hand through her messy hair. Her cheeks were flushed, she felt like there was liquid fire in her veins.

"Well, I would hate for you to die. Right before Christmas and all."

He laughed - and for a short moment, he looked happy, carefree. His eyes were wide and dark, and they weren't sad anymore, not like when he had arrived. Sky wanted nothing more than to pull him back into the kiss - it wasn't just him who was happy now, it was her too. Kissing him was perfect, everything they could do to each other with their lips, their hands, their bodies, was perfect. It was like magic, and she wanted more of that sorcery that would heal her heart until nothing of her sorrows or regrets remained.

And maybe one day when he said he loved her, she could reply I love you too.

"Christmas. Right, that reminds me—" Cody turned to find his bag that was on the floor next to the bed, and pulled something out of it. "I have something for you."

"Oh—" Suddenly Sky felt embarrassed. Her cheeks heated. "I— I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything—"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I didn't expect you to - you've been in the hospital."

Cody's voice was kind, sincere - but still, Sky felt bad. She should have gotten Cody something, anything, but now it was too late. He was going away for Christmas, and she still wasn't in any shape to go shopping.

She felt like the worst girlfriend ever. All her time in rehab, Cody had been bringing her small gifts - chocolates, coffee, something to read, flowers - and now a Christmas present? And what had she ever given him?

Nothing but heartache.

But Cody looked happy when he offered her the small, gift-wrapped box with a large bow on top. By the shape and size of it, Sky could already tell it was jewelry, and suddenly her heart twisted painfully in her chest.

With a jolt, came the memory of another gift, another small box. The phoenix pendant Hawk had given her after they had gotten back together. The symbol of his love for her. She had worn it close to her heart every day, until—

Until she had ripped it off and thrown it onto the floor, and left it there amongst the scattered Legos when she had rushed away from Hawk and his friends whose laughter had followed her all the way out of the cafeteria.

She had no idea what had happened to that pendant. Probably it had ended up in the trash, or maybe someone had taken it. She didn't care. She never wanted to see the damn thing again. It hadn't been a symbol of love, because Hawk had never loved her. He had only given her that stupid necklace to get more pussy.

The pain was sudden and piercing, but she hid it the best she could. With slightly shaking hands, she started unwrapping the gift.

The box was pearly white, smaller than her palm. The lid opened easily and revealed the insides - a beautiful pendant with a simple chain and a small, white disk that had delicate, old-fashioned writing on it. Sky picked it up and read out loud:

"Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. The emotion got stuck in her throat. "It's—- a Mary Shelley quote."

"Sky, you are the bravest person I know. And… sometimes I think you don't see that. You are so strong, and when I look at you, I think—- I think that if you can still be such an amazing person after everything that's happened to you, then maybe—- maybe I can be someone good too. I love that about you, that your courage makes me want to be better than I am—- Sky, hey, is everything alright? Why are you crying?"

The tears had started to flow without warning. She brought a hand to her mouth to suppress them, but the sobs broke through, she couldn't stop them.

For I am fearless, and therefore powerful.

"I'm sorry—" Cody spoke, his eyes wide. "I'm sorry, what did I do? What—?"

"No— no," Sky sobbed, trying to wipe away the tears that just kept flowing. "No, it's perfect, I love it. How— did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Kat— she had a shirt with this quote. She—- she wore it all the time. Because she was brave, she was fearless—" The tears made her voice wet and thick. "But how— Did I tell you about that?"

"No," Cody was shaking his head. "You didn't. I just— That felt like you."

The tears were still running, but now Sky was smiling through them. She picked up the pendant and put it on - it found its place in the hollow between her collarbones as if it was made for her.

"Thank you," she breathed, wiping her cheeks. "It's lovely. It's the best gift anyone's given me since—- since forever."

He answered her smile. It lit up his whole face, any shadows or sorrows that had existed, were banished.

"Will you wear it—" he asked, taking her hand. "—while I'm away? So that you won't forget me?"

"You are always on my mind, jewelry or not. I could never forget you." She said, silencing the small, nagging voice that tried to remind her of how much she had not been thinking about Cody when she had been checking out Hawk's pictures on Instagram not half an hour ago.

It had been stupid, it had been a moment of folly, nothing more. Hawk was in the past, and she wasn't going to fuck up this wonderful thing the world was offering her, this love she didn't deserve, but what felt right in every single way she could think of.

"Kiss me," She leaned closer to him, and he did as she had asked.