Hawk had dyed his hair the day before.
During these weeks after quitting Cobra Kai, the red spikes that he had once loved so fiercely, the symbol of his strength, his brutality, his toughness, had become a burden. Every time he so much as glanced at the mirror, the spikes were a ruthless reminder of all the things he had said and done, his sins incarnated into his image.
He just wasn't that guy anymore.
He was changing, becoming something new, someone good perhaps, instead of the asshole he had been, so it was only fitting that his appearance should change too. The red had to go, and what better to replace it than purple? The mix of blue - the color he always associated with courage he had needed to flip the script - and red - the color that had made him tough.
As he now walked the hallway with Demetri, he couldn't help the small grin that kept tugging at the corner of his mouth. His new hair was getting a lot of attention, and even if his heart was all Sky's, he couldn't deny that the glances all the hot girls were giving him felt nice.
He knew he looked good. It wasn't just the hair or the way his new T-shirt matched the color of his mohawk perfectly. It was the new confidence he felt flowing in his veins, the promise of a better future. This was his rebirth, his metamorphosis. He had shed his Cobra's skin, and grown a new, better one. A purple one.
He tried to keep his attention on whatever Demetri was talking about, but his thoughts were slipping as his eyes searched the hallway for a certain cute redhead who had yet to see his transformation. Nervousness made the heart tick in his throat. He knew Sky had thought his red hair was hot - what if she didn't like the new one? Now that he thought about it, his purple and the bright coppery red of her curls didn't really match—
"Vietnam vet turned businessman," Demetri was saying, on his iPad the face of the man they had seen at the dojo the day before. "Had a few ups and downs but still turned out pretty rich. Not much dirt other than some toxic waste scandal in Borneo back in the '80s."
Hawk frowned, turning his attention to the photo on the iPad. Demetri could do his research, he had to give him that.
"Sounds like a Renaissance man," Hawk replied as they continued walking. "How'd you find out his name?"
"I took a picture at the dojo, then found an old facial recognition beta test and tweaked the code to make it compatible with HEIC," Demetri explained as if it was the most natural thing in the whole world, making Hawk let out a laugh.
"I love it when you talk nerdy," cut in an adoring voice and Yasmine appeared next to Demetri, stealing his attention completely. She looked like a beauty queen, as always, with her perfect blond curls and her stylish blue blouse and as she eyed Demetri batting her long lashes, her eyes were filled with such lust that it made Hawk a bit uncomfortable.
"You are both the first and my favorite person to say that," Demetri replied flirtingly, making Yasmine let out a delighted giggle before her lips locked with Demetri's in a passionate kiss.
Hawk's throat suddenly felt a bit tight and he had to look away. It wasn't that he wanted to be the one kissing Yasmine - far from it. No matter how physically attractive she was, Hawk had never crushed on her. But he envied Demetri immensely for what he had - the girl he loved walking to him like that, smiling and giggling, kissing him so happily—
"I– I like the new hue," Moon's soft voice stopped Hawk's inner torment, and he turned to face her, grateful for the interruption.
She was looking super pretty with a pair of loose denim overalls matched with a beautiful, white lace top that was practically see-through so that it revealed nice glimpses of her smooth, tanned skin.
As always, Hawk felt a bit star-struck in front of Moon. Being near her felt like he had found a spot in the sunlight, like he could curl up like a cat and sleep in her warmth and light, never fearing the shadows.
Geez, get a grip. She's your friend, not a fucking cult leader—
"Purple's the color of the crown chakra you know?" Moon flashed him a friendly smile. "It symbolizes enlightenment."
"Uh, yeah, that's what I was going for, so…" Hawk cleared his throat, searching for the right words. Crown chakra? What the heck was Moon talking about? But enlightenment - sure, he could vibe with that. Leaving Cobra Kai had certainly been enlightening, in more ways than just one.
"You into chakras now?" asked an amused voice behind him, making him turn around before he could finish his sentence. "What next? You quit karate for yoga?"
Hawk felt his cheeks heating as Moon gave a soft giggle at Sky's words.
"Maybe you should both try my yoga class," Moon laughed, and her big earrings jingled as she brushed some of her loose hair behind her ear. "It's meant to help you to unleash your inner goddess."
Inner goddess? Hawk glanced from Moon to Sky with a terrified frown. He was ready to do a lot for Sky, but this?
"Just kidding," Moon said, smiling sweetly. "But the purple does look good on you. Don't you think so too, Sky?"
"It looks great," Sky's eyes turned to his mohawk which was now arranged into a smooth fan instead of the aggressive - and time-consuming - spikes he'd had before. He couldn't read the look in her eyes at all, but her voice was soft, intimate when she brought up a hand and asked: "Can I?"
Something in Hawk's chest thumped almost painfully at her words. He managed a nod, but no answer came out, as a memory from the first time she had seen him after he had flipped the script, flushed through him like a wave tightening his throat. That first time had happened in the school too - in this very same hallway, next to the lockers. And just like now, Sky had raised a hand to touch his hair, the short hair on the sides of his head, the sharp mohawk, and her eyes had been deep and dark then too, searching for something in his face as her fingertips lightly grazed the blue blade on the top of his head.
And then she had taken his hand, pulled him with her into an empty classroom, and said Kiss me, Eli—
That memory left him breathless, and a tremor ran through his spine as Sky tiptoed to lay her fingers on his hair. Her touch was featherlight but it burned like flames. Time and space between that long-gone moment and this one was sucked into a black hole, it disappeared, leaving him just as open and raw in front of her as that day, just as needy and desperate for her touch, her love, her passion.
Sky drew in a quick breath, and pulled her hand back as if that short contact had affected her too. Her cheeks turned pink, and that sight hit Hawk like an electric shock, making his ears ring. It took all he had not to breathe into that smoldering ember inside of his gut, to surrender completely to the need, the yearning to have her near, to close the distance between their bodies, to pull her into his arms, to kiss her, kiss her, kiss her endlessly without giving a shit about the fact that Moon was right there, that they were in the school—
"You look nice, Sky. It's good to see you're doing better." Moon's gentle voice made Sky break their eye contact, and Hawk dropped back into the moment. Christ— I needed to get my shit together— He drew in a deep breath, pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, desperate to think about something else, anything else than the mindless wanting that had almost made him do something incredibly stupid. But it was near impossible— Sky was still right there, standing next to him and her scent of vanilla filled his lungs with every breath.
Sky shifted on her feet, her hand found the strap of her backpack, and her fingers clenched around it, maybe to hide the slight tremor of her body that Hawk noticed nevertheless.
"Thanks. I just… I guess I got tired of jeans and hoodies."
Hawk's throat grew tight. Since Cody's death Sky had only worn black. Black hoodies, black leggings or sweats or jeans, Kat's old black band T-shirts, no makeup, no jewelry. Knowing that this was her way to express her grief, Hawk hadn't said anything about it, even if he missed her pink, her glitter, her high heels almost painfully. But now—
"I love it," he rasped, without stopping to think. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you."
She looked down, and her lashes fluttered against the rosy skin of her cheeks.
Gone were the loose jeans and the too-big hoodies, and even if Sky still wore no colors, her style reminded Hawk of the clothes she'd used to wear before everything went to Hell. Her cute, pleated black and white skirt reached just above the knee and she had paired it with a cropped, black sweater and black, knee-high socks. She looked absolutely breathtaking. The way her hair fell around her face in wild, unruly curls, the curve of her hip, her hourglass waist, the bare skin of her thigh below the hem of her skirt— Hawk had to force his eyes up, back to her face, as he nervously cleared his throat. He hadn't let himself want her like this in a long time, to think about her like this in weeks, but suddenly it was all he could think about. Laying his hands on her skin, gluing his lips on hers, pushing her down on the bed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and—
"-since it's in May, it means I won't be here for prom or the tournament." Yasmine's voice interrupted Hawk's heated fantasies, and he forced his attention away from Sky, from that strand of bare skin of her thigh. "But I'll still root for you. Consider me an admirer from afar."
Prom. Hawk turned to look at Yasmine and Demetri, and the defeated look Demetri was trying to unsuccessfully hide, told Hawk he had indeed heard correctly. Yasmine wasn't coming to the prom—
He turned his eyes back to Sky and swallowed hard. Maybe this wasn't the right moment, maybe he should have prepared an amazing promposal with flowers and hand-painted signs and chocolates and whatnot— but then again, Sky had said she wasn't ready for dating or any big romantic gestures, so maybe this was the perfect moment? Maybe her new clothes were a sign that even if she wasn't ready to date him yet, she was ready for something, something cute and fun, a new start perhaps? Maybe he should just get the fricking words out of his mouth and be done with it— and if she said yes, then he could start planning on how to make the prom the best day of her life, a day that would obliterate even the shadows of the sorrow she still carried within.
"Sky—" he had to clear his throat. "About the prom—"
But his sentence was cut short, as someone walked past them, almost bumping into Hawk's shoulder in the crowded hallway. Annoyed, Hawk turned to look, to see the fat kid who had been Cody's friend.
"Sorry—" the boy mumbled, but as his gaze landed on Hawk, his face twisted and those watery-blue eyes turned cold.
It felt like a punch in the gut, that stare that told him exactly whom this boy blamed for Cody's death, his suffering, and just like that, all the shame, the guilt, the sorrow was back, drowning the happiness that had lingered in his heart all this morning.
He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Sorry I beat up your best friend. Sorry I left him to bleed and die on the bathroom floor. Sorry I fucked his girlfriend, and made him want to kill himself. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
That stupid word wouldn't form in time, it died on his lips and then suddenly the time leaped forward, the sounds of the hallway rushed back into his ears, drowning his scattered thoughts, the too-fragile shapes of his apologies. The fat kid turned his eyes away, pushed past them and disappeared into the crowd.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sky went after him.
Hawk felt like his stomach had dropped onto his feet, and he made a move to follow Sky, but Moon's hand landed on his forearm, stopping his intent.
"Don't. You'll only make it worse," she said sternly, her fingers gripping the sleeve of his shirt. "Poor Tom, this has been so hard for him. Cody was his best friend."
Hawk looked down to his feet, swallowing to keep the bitter bile down. He had almost forgotten— Moon who was friends with everybody, had been friends with Cody too, and with that fat kid, Tom. And Cody's death was like a stone thrown into the water, causing rippling circular waves that affected everyone who had ever known him.
Hawk turned his eyes to Demetri, a sudden pain piercing his heart. To lose his best friend, like Sky had lost Kat, and now Tom had lost Cody— it was unimaginable. It had been bad enough that he had ruined their friendship by being an asshole, had even broken Demetri's arm. The guilt over those things was sudden and crushing - even if Demetri had said it was all forgiven.
Hawk knew he didn't deserve Demetri's friendship - but was desperate to keep it, desperate to make up for all the bad things he had done, because no matter what had happened before - at least neither one of them was dead.
Demetri didn't even notice Hawk's glance. He had no eyes for anyone but Yasmine, who kissed him again, and then left, giggling and squeezing Demetri's ass (something Hawk would have preferred not to see), making him promise he'd save a seat for her at lunch. As if Demetri would ever not save a seat for her.
"Tell me you were not going to ask Sky to the prom like that?" Moon asked with a slightly judging tone, drawing Hawk's attention back to her, his thoughts back to Sky instead of Demetri and Yasmine.
He felt his cheeks heating as he shifted uncomfortably under Moon's gaze.
"I mean— Yeah. I guess."
A frown fell on her sweet face. "Here? Like this? Eli, if you really want her to go with you, you should think about something a bit more romantic. What happened to the phoenix pendant? Maybe you could give that to her when you ask her?"
Hawk let out an exasperated sigh. That Damn pendant— the small gift-wrapped box was back in his drawer, under the pile of T-shirts waiting for the right time, which now seemed like it would happen in another lifetime, if ever.
"We're not even dating," he muttered. "Besides, she said that she doesn't want any romantic gestures."
"That is a lie, my friend," Said Demetri, who had apparently heard what they were talking about, and laid a hand on Hawk's shoulder. "Girls might say they don't want roses or chocolate or gifts, but they are lying. And Sky is not an exception."
Moon let out a soft giggle. "True. We love flowers."
Hawk turned his slightly annoyed gaze back at Demetri. "Yeah? And who made you the dating expert?"
"Yasmine," Demetri shrugged as if it was obvious. "She's turned me into an expert on quite a many things."
Hawk rolled his eyes and made no further comments, and that was the end of that conversation.
