Inextricable//A Cobra Kai Story

Chapter 21

"You know you shouldn't listen to a word that, that asshole says." AJ's voice broke through Eli's dazed expression.

His head snapped towards her and he stared at her with a look of fear, "What?" For a moment he thought she was talking about someone else.

"Kyler." AJ replied, "You shouldn't listen to what he says. He's ruled over your life long enough. You have proved him wrong so many times Eli. And now you are going to prove him wrong again, this time center stage."

She gave him a small smile trying to comfort what she thought was his nerves about the fight, but she was only half right.

Eli swallowed dryly before responding, "And what if I fail?"

"You won't." AJ replied with a small shake of her head, "I know that because I know you. I knew you as Hawk and I know you as Eli. And I believe that you can win."

"You have that much confidence in me?" He asked his heart beating faster than before.

Eli's mind was going wild especially with what had just happened right before she had walked over to him.

"I have that much confidence in you." AJ's smile grew wider as she stared at him.

"But I'm not Hawk anymore." He replied still not so sure about the fight or what she was saying.

"Yes you are. You always were and always will be. That personality was always inside of you. That confidence was as well. It's why I love you." AJ grabbed his hand in her own laughing softly, "I love you for you, I always have."

"And I love you for you." Eli hesitated slightly, "Always."

AJ leaned in closer and gently pressed her lips to his. While he reciprocated the kiss something was different. It wasn't full of joy or love like it usually always was. It felt weak and mild. AJ didn't like that feeling but this was no place to worry about relationship problems, only karate problems.

She backed away from the boy trying to keep the smile on her face. Eli smiled a little before entering the mats after his name was called. AJ watched him step up to Daniel with a little bit more confidence than before.

Half of her wanted to believe it was because of her but there was something about the way that he kissed her and the look of what seemed to be pity that Chris was giving her made her start to wonder if it was someone else's doing.

AJ shook her head at the thought. Eli wouldn't cheat on her. He wasn't like that. She laughed softly as he announced to Daniel, "The guy who's gonna win this whole fucking thing."

"There he is." AJ whispered to herself as Eli jumped up on the mats making his way to his place.

She left the Miyagi-Do's and returned to stand with the members of Eagle Fang as the match begun. It was just as tense as Sawyer and hers fight was. Everyone knew the stakes that were riding on the fight.

The fight itself didn't last very long. It was amazing. Round after round Eli managed to land a point. Kyler didn't even get the chance to touch him. The boy was fighting like Hawk again with Eli mixed in.

AJ couldn't stop smiling. She was more than proud of him. Eli had figured out who he was and what kind of fighter he was. He wasn't just Hawk or just Eli. He was a mix of both of them. It's who he always was. And she was glad she was along for the ride.

What paused her smile and happiness was the look that he exchanged with Moon. Of course everyone else in the stands was cheering but the way she was doing it made it seem like there was something more.

AJ shook her head again and forced herself to focus on her match and not on her boyfriends ex. It wasn't healthy.

Miguel looked over at his teammate with a raised eyebrow. From an outside perspective it looked like she was having a fight with herself and it was starting to scare him. As much as he wanted to ask her about it, Miguel was afraid that he would be pulled into the fight as well.