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XL .. the cobra and its venom
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FLASHBACK — LOS ANGELES, CA; 1984

bella sighed as she turned back to lock her car before walking into the chinese restaurant. chrissy and the girls were having a study session for their upcoming exams, but were craving chinese food. before walking into the restaurant, the cobra kai dojo, as well as her boyfriend's red motorbike, caught her eye.

being that bella was curious, she crossed the street and walked up to the window of the dojo. through the window, she saw johnny spar with a shorter boy who was a brown belt. she smiled as she looked at johnny defeat the boy with a kick. he returned to his spot as the sensei, john kreese, dismissed his students and the boys headed into the dressing rooms.

bella walked away from the windows and walked back across the street before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. "i didn't know you came to visit." johnny smiled as bella smiled and kissed him.

"i was across the street getting chinese food and i realized that i've never seen you in action." bella smiled as he kissed her, while the other cobras walked out of the building and greeted bella.

"you should've come earlier! you could've seen me kick your boy's ass." dutch laughed as johnny playfully shoved him.

"i would've loved to see that, but i have to order food for myself and the girls. we can't study for an exam on an empty stomach." bella smiled. "i'll see you guys later and i'll call you later, babe."

bella placed her lips on johnny's as the other guys whistled and awed. "wait, let me give you the tour. you've never seen the dojo." johnny smiled as he excitedly intertwined his hand with hers and led her into the dojo.

bella looked around at the many trophies and newspaper cutouts from previous years. "and this is where the magic happens." johnny said as he and bella took their shoes off, stepping onto the mat.

"this is so cool." bella smiled as she looked around at the medals and trophies adorning the walls.

"i'm glad you like it." a voice came from behind, startling both bella and johnny. they both turned to find kreese, walking out of the office. bella knew who he was, from what johnny had told her about him. she felt intimidated by him as he walked up to the mat, to where johnny was.

"oh, sensei, this is isabella monroe. she's my girlfriend." johnny said as bella shyly smiled, greeting the man that her boyfriend idolized.

"it's nice to finally meet you." bella smiled nervously. "i-i was watching from outside and you guys are great, i hope you don't mind–"

"not at all. i'm sure you saw mr. lawrence fight." kreese smiled as he patted johnny's back. "he is one of my best students."

"and i can see why." bella laughed nervously as she turned to look at her boyfriend, who wrapped an arm around her. "well, i should get going. it was nice meeting you. i'll call you later, johnny."

bella waved goodbye to her boyfriend as she walked out of the dojo. johnny smiled as he saw his girlfriend walk back to her car across the street as the sensei looked at the boy, his best student, with a look of love in his eyes.

"so she's the girl?" kreese said as johnny snapped out of his trance.

"um, yeah." johnny smiled nervously. "s-she's great."

"she's cute." kresse smiled as he patted johnny's back. "take care of her alright?"

"yes, sensei."

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･

PRESENT DAY — VAN NUYS, CA;1990

johnny softly groaned as he lightly stirred in bed. for the past few nights, he's been having the same recurring nightmare that he's had since that fateful december night back in 1984. he got this nightmare every time he got into a fight, but this time, it wasn't because he fought. on of bella's late night food runs; while she was inside getting food, he turned to look at where the cobra kai dojo once stood. he hadn't seen the old place in years, but in seeing it, it was bittersweet.

he tossed and turned, trying not to wake bella up as she was sound asleep. memories of that night invaded his thoughts as his throat tightened and couldn't breathe.

i did my best!

i don't teach losers.

i said i did my best!

how does second place feel now?

johnny opened her eyes and sat up as he took a deep breath, trying to slow his heart rate. he ran a hand through his hair as he felt bella stir and slowly wake up, lovingly placing a hand on his arm and stroking it.

"honey?" bella whispered sleepily. "you okay?"

"y-yeah." johnny sighed as he laid back down, beside bella, as she played with his hair. "i'll be fine. go back to sleep."

bella smiled softly as she softly placed a kiss on his nose. as bella closed her eyes, johnny laid asleep with his eyes wide open. this was one of the few times johnny feared something and now, he had quite a few things to fear; losing his mother (as she was the only parent he had whom he trusted), losing bella, becoming a father.

"bella?" johnny whispered as he laid down on her stomach, rubbing his hands up and down her sides.

"mhm?"

"a few nights ago, when you had a nightmare a-and i told you that i got them too." johnny sighed as bella looked down at him.

"what's wrong?" bella sighed as she played with his golden blonde locks of hair. "you've been acting strange and distant. is everything okay?"

johnny took a deep breath as he protectively placed a hand on the small bump. "i got the nightmare again but, i didn't fight." johnny said as tears formed in his eyes. "i just hadn't seen the old place in a while and now that i did, it just all came back to me."

bella sighed as she held onto the blonde tightly. "it was surreal seeing the dojo, run down with the paint chipping off the sides." she sighed. "i still think about that night too. we all thought we were gonna loose you."

"i sometimes think about what would've happened  if i didn't leave." johnny sighed as he looked up at bella as pain surrounded his bright blue eyes.

"i saw the fear in your eyes that night and i still see the fear." bella sighed as she softly caressed his cheek.

"i'm not afraid–"

"it's okay to be." bella said. "fear doesn't make you weak, nor does it make you less of a man. please remember that. it's okay to be afraid, but it's the overcoming that counts."

johnny sighed as he placed a soft kiss on bella's lips. "night princess." johnny softly muttered as he laid back down near bella's stomach and softly placed a kiss on the growing belly. "i love you."

bella smiled as she wrapped her arms around the blonde once more and closed her eyes. johnny remained awake as he thought about fear. all his life, he was preached the idea that fear made you weak, it made you a "pussy" and less of a man. he had always been afraid to let his guard down with a girl because if he did that, she would think he's a pussy; and no girl likes a pussy, according to kreese.

as he laid in bella's arms, he felt comfortable being himself. he knew he could confide in her and she still loved him, regardless of his crimes and scars. that was the love that he had always wanted and when he found it in bella, he knew she was the one; everyone knew it, even kresse knew it when he saw them together.

she's the one?

yeah, she's the one.