Daniel LaRusso (The Karate Kid ) x Reader

Cherry Coke or Root Beer?

A couple of more steps, and we had finally reached our destination.
The theater wasn't
nearly as packed as I'd expected.
There were people scattered around the lobby, a few families,
a couple on a date, and a group of teenagers huddled around the arcade machines
that were way on over on the other side.
From a far, I spotted Cathy. Jack was right, she was already waiting for us near the entrance.
She looked... really nice.
She'd dressed up for the movie.
He blonde hair coiled into a perfect pony tail. Paired up with a mini skirt and simple blue top.
The second Jack saw her,
he grinned like an idiot, walked straight over,
and kissed her.
Right there.
Like it was the most normal thing in the world.
I smiled to myself.
Then, my eyes drifted toward Daniel.
What would that even be like...?
Oh... Absolutely not.
Where had that thought even come from?
I mentally shoved the thought into a box,
locked it, and threw away the key.
I looked away.
Only...
Daniel had been looking at me, too.
Not at Jack. Not at Cathy.
But, me.
The second our eyes met,
we both looked somewhere else entirely.
Well. That wasn't awkward at all.
Jack broke the silence
by clapping Daniel on the shoulder.
"Come on. Let's get snacks
before the line gets longer."
We handed over our ticket stubs and wandered toward the concession stand.
"Hey, Cathy."
I smile greeting her, and she comes in for a hug.
The concession stand came into view
almost immediately.
As we walked, the smell of buttered popcorn practically punched me in the face.
I smiled.

"What are you guys gonna get?"
Cathy asked us, Jack saying some popcorn and maybe a hotdog,
and Daniel shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't know food wise?
But, definitely a Cherry coke."
Daniel looked over at me.
" A Cherry Coke?"
I glanced back.
"...Yeah?"
He made a face.
"You're tellin' me you're at a movie theater, and that's your drink of choice?"
I frowned.
"What's wrong with Cherry Coke?"
"Nothing's wrong with it."
He paused.
"I just think Root Beer is better."
I stopped walking.
"...Root Beer?"
"Yeah."
I stared at him.
"Daniel."
"What?"
"Root beer tastes like medicine."
His eyebrows shot up.
"Medicine?"
"It does!"
"It absolutely does not."
"It tastes like someone carbonated cough syrup."
He laughed.
"Okay, first of all, that doesn't even make sense."
"It makes perfect sense, Daniel."
"No, it doesn't."
"It does if you've tasted Root Beer."
He pointed at me.
I was just being honest!
Root beer did taste like medicine.
We maybe bantered back and forth for a good 5 seconds...
"Okay, well then, Cherry Coke
tastes like regular Coke forgot
what it wanted to be."
I gasped dramatically.
"It has personality."
"It has an identity crisis."
"It has flavor."
"It has too much flavor."
he retorts, and I folded my arms.
"You've got terrible taste."
He mirrored me, crossing his own arms.
"Why are we arguing over cherry coke and root beer again?"
I asked, and Daniel shrugged his shoulders before we burst out laughing.
Somewhere ahead of us, Jack groaned dramatically.
"Are you two seriously arguing over soda?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah."
"Yeah."
Daniel and I answered at the exact same time.
Jack looked at Cathy.
"...See what I deal with?"
Cathy just laughed.
Daniel looked back at me.
"So..."
"So?"
"When we get to the counter..."
"I'm still that getting Cherry Coke."
"And I'm getting Root Beer."
"Good."
"Good."

We walked the rest of the way
in stubborn silence.
It lasted maybe five seconds.
Then Daniel spoke again.
"...You're still wrong, though."
This boy- I smiled.
"Mhm, keep telling yourself that, LaRusso."
He bumped my shoulder as we reached the concession counter.
"We'll see who's smiling after one sip."
I bumped him right back, determined to have him try that cherry coke.
"Oh, I already know who's going to be smiling."
Daniel says, making me turn my head to him.
"And who's that?"
I asked, and he answered with,
"Me."
"Sure, dude."
I chuckled, as we found a spot in the line.
He laughed under his breath, shaking his head.
"You are unbelievably stubborn."
There it was, that word. Unbelievable...
What Ali said Daniel would call me.
I snap back, and remembered I was supposed to say something.
"So I've been told."
"By who?"
I smiled innocently.
"You."