Lost in Hollywood

Another Kind of Torture

It was one thing to see Sky and Cody together at school. But to see her with him here, at the dojo—

It was another kind of torture.

This was supposed to be their place, the one place where Hawk knew he could hang out with Sky as easily and naturally as possible, the safe place where they could learn how to be around each other, to be friends again, and now–

It was fucking ruined.

"The fuck is he doing here?" Hawk muttered to Miguel under his breath.

Miguel glanced at Sky and Cody who stood talking with Mr.Larusso holding hands in a way that annoyed the shit out of Hawk.

"I don't know. But Mr. LaRusso has always said that everyone is welcome in Miyagi-Do, so." Miguel's sentence ended in a shrug.

"Jesus Christ," Hawk rolled his eyes. "Does everyone have to include him? I'm really supposed to train with Cody? That's gonna be a fucking disaster—"

"Yeah, well— I'm not sure he's too thrilled about training with you either," Miguel noted a bit pointedly. "You did beat the crap out of him."

Hawk didn't reply, just turned his eyes down and pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Miguel was right, of course. He knew that well enough. What he had done to Cody, had been awful, and he couldn't blame Cody for hating his guts and for wanting nothing to do with him. He wasn't looking for Cody's forgiveness anymore, knowing it would never be granted. But if Cody truly hated him that much, then what the fuck was he doing here where they would have to interact?

You know why he's here. He doesn't want Sky alone with you.

That thought made something turn hot and tense inside of his belly. The way Sky had looked at him when walking into this yard minutes ago, her cheeks turning pink as she had hastily drawn her eyes off him—

It couldn't be just in his head. Just like it wasn't just in his head that she had thrown herself into his arms only a couple of days ago, had let him hold her hand when she cried. There was something still there, between them, and he was sure that she felt it too. The pull to be close, the wanting that felt like an electric current running through his body, making his skin hot, flushed, turning into goosebumps. He couldn't stop thinking about how it had felt to hug her, how her scent had filled his nostrils with every, fast inhale, how she had buried her face against his aching chest—

Jesus Christ, get a grip. You're imagining things. She's here with her boyfriend, for fucks sake.

Hawk swallowed the sudden bitterness the best he could. He was being a horny, selfish idiot. His urges and desires hardly mattered now. What mattered was that Sky was here, instead of doing drugs, self-harming, or planning a suicide like he had feared. She was here, out of her bed, out of her house, and even if she was pale and the look in her eyes was still haunted, she seemed to be more or less okay. Hawk might not want to admit it, but he knew he probably had Cody to thank for that.

With a frown, Hawk glanced toward the duo. Cody was holding Sky's hand, and Sky leaned closer to him, as if he was the only thing in the world keeping her on her feet. It felt like a punch in the gut, and Hawk had to look away. He knew it was low and wrong to hate Cody for holding Sky's hand, and yet he did. He wished lightning would strike Cody where he stood and burn him to ashes.

"What have you got for us today, Mr. LaRusso?" Miguel asked, drawing Hawk's attention back to the moment. He looked up from his toes, to notice that Mr. LaRusso had walked to them and was now signaling them all to follow him.