Cobra Kai: A Family Affair

23

"I love you."

"Uh, what?" Tory spluttered not quite believing what she had just heard.
"Seriously, you're going to make me say it again? Do have any idea how difficult that was?" Robby half jokingly complained. He would repeat it a million times if that's what it took to get Tory to believe and accept it but he had his own issues too. "No I heard you... I just..." Tory stopped Robby from having to say it again knowing his past and how difficult this was for both of them. "Um..."
"You don't have to say anything. I was just trying to prove that you can trust me to stay." Robby offered.
"No, I want to. I just, ha, I don't know how." She smiled with watery eyes. Tory sighed before clearing her throat "Earlier today I was trying to sort everyone into categories so I would know how to respond to their awkward sympathies. But then I realised I didn't know what category you would want to be put into. But you've kind of just answered that I think."
"And what category did you want to put me into?" Robby asked.
"I didn't know, but then I kept thinking about it. I guess my brain decided there was no better time than the horribly inappropriate present to get to the bottom of that." Tory tried to joke but it just made Robby feel bad. "I know, I know. I shouldn't have brought it up and I didn't mean to. It just kind of came out." Robby swore he saw a flicker of disappointment on Tory's face "But it felt right and I don't regret it, my feelings or voicing them. The only thing I would regret is if it drove you away." He added.
"No, no, don't be sorry. I'm just sorry that I can't say it back immediately." Tory cried.
"Hey, hey, shh. I already told you, you don't have to say anything just now." Robby soothed moving to hold her in his arms "The two of us have had our emotions screwed with our entire lives and now everything with your mom - I don't expect you to have a clear head or know what you're feeling right now. I know if I was in your shoes I wouldn't be able to think about anything, the fact that you have done so much is amazing."
"But you..." Tory cried knowing she must have killed Robby by not being able to say those three words back to him. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Tory, I'm right here. I'm still not going anywhere." Robby promised taking her hand and holding it to his heart.

/ /

The young couple had quite a restless night and spent the most time apart than they ever had whilst in a bed.

In the morning Robby woke up to find Tory already awake sitting up against the headboard. "Hey, how long have you been awake?" Robby asked pushing himself up to join her. Tory had an unreadable expression on her face "A while. I needed time to think."
"Tory, we don't have to-"
"Shh. I finally figured it out." She told him before explaining everything she had been thinking for the last hour "I don't think I ever really learned how to do it properly. Relationships, intimacy, telling people how I feel. You couldn't do that in my house. When I was a kid being told 'I love you' was always after 'I'm sorry' - they were the same thing. 'I'm sorry I hit your brother, don't worry I won't hurt you, I love you.'; 'I'm sorry I left, but I'll come back, I love you.'; 'I'm sorry I let that man into our house, I'm sorry he hurt you, it won't happen again, I love you.'; 'I'm sorry I'm ill, would you mind helping out around the house, I love you.'; 'I'm sorry I'm dying, I love you.' And you know, I believe it every time. And they did love me. But then a day later, a week later... maybe there's some part of me that every time I hear 'I love you' I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the 'I'm sorry' that's gonna come." Tory turned to look at Robby with tears in her eyes "And Robby, I don't know how to do this, but I.. but I want to. I want to so badly. I want to be with you. I want to learn to do this, I want to be better." Robby shifted closer to her saying "I don't know what I'm doing either. But we can figure it out. Together. Because I want to be with you too. And I'm not going anywhere, Tory. Really I'm not."
"Robby, I do... I love you... so much." Tory finally managed to say as she cried. Robby smiled and pulled Tory into his chest for a bone crushing hug.