chapter thirty-six:
❛ i love you ❜

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Sunny sat at the kitchen table, her knuckles white as they gripped the edge of her now-lukewarm tea mug. The pale steam that had curled so delicately upward half an hour ago had long since disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a bitter, untouched brew. The room felt too quiet, the steady tick...tick...tick of the kitchen clock drilling into her skull, each second amplifying the silence surrounding her.

Her phone lay flat on the table, dark and unmoving. No calls. No texts.

No Eli.

Her chest felt tight, the kind of ache that sat right behind her ribs and refused to leave. Every time she blinked, she saw the look on his face after it happened-the way his hands had clenched, how his face twisted in pain when they took everything from him. Cobra Kai had stripped him bare, cut away his confidence just as easily as they'd shaved his hair.

Now, he was shutting down. Isolating himself. Just like before.

And she didn't know how to help.

"Sunny."

She startled slightly, her twin sister's voice grounding her back to the present. Moon was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms folded across her chest, watching her with that soft, patient expression she always wore when Sunny was on the verge of spiraling.

Sunny exhaled shakily, shoving the mug away and burying her face in her hands. "How can I not be worried, Moon? Cobra Kai-" Her voice cracked, and she had to take a moment to steady herself. "They took everything from him. They shaved his head, and now he-he thinks he's some kind of freak again. I haven't seen him like this since..."

She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Moon's face softened as she moved closer, crouching next to Sunny's chair. She reached out, gently prying Sunny's hands away from her face and holding them.

"I know," Moon said quietly. "But you can't force him to open up before he's ready. Eli's been through a lot, yeah... but he's strong, Sunny. You know that. He'll talk to you when he's ready. You just have to trust him."

Sunny shook her head, her voice trembling. "But what if he doesn't? What if he just-gives up? What if he starts believing all that crap they're saying about him again? I'm scared, Moon. He's not... he's not supposed to feel like this again."

Moon's fingers squeezed hers a little tighter.

"I get it. I do." She paused, giving her a meaningful look. "But you're not helping yourself by sitting here all day staring at your phone, waiting for it to ring. You're driving yourself crazy. Have you talked to Jade lately? What about the dance competition? You guys still need to figure out your theme, right?"

Sunny blinked, thrown off for a moment by the shift in topic. "Jade? I mean... yeah, I guess. We've been kind of slacking, and we really need to lock in a routine before the weekend but-"

"But nothing," Moon cut her off gently. "You need a distraction. Jade's good for that. And besides... you love that dance group. It's your thing, Sun. You can't put your whole life on hold because of this. I promise-Eli wouldn't want that."

Sunny bit her lip, nodding but not fully convinced.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell echoed sharply through the house, the sound jolting her heart into a full-on sprint.

Sunny's head snapped up, pulse racing. "It's him," she whispered, already halfway out of her seat. She practically ran for the door, hands trembling as she fumbled with the lock, yanking it open-

And her heart sank.

It wasn't Eli.

It was Demetri.

"Demetri?" Sunny blinked, her hand still clutching the doorknob. His hair was windblown, cheeks flushed like he'd been running. "What are you doing here?"

Demetri didn't waste time. "I need your help," he said, slightly out of breath. "It's about Eli."

Her stomach twisted in dread. "What happened? Is he okay? Did something-"

"He's quitting karate," Demetri blurted, cutting her off. "I went over to his house earlier. And he told me he's done. No Miyagi-Do, no Eagle Fang-just... nothing. He won't listen to me, Sunny. I tried everything. I even brought out the big guns, but it didn't work."

Sunny blinked, confused. "Big guns?"

Demetri looked mildly embarrassed, scratching the back of his neck. "...The Binary Bros."

She stared. "You didn't."

"I did," he admitted, eyes dropping. "I dug up our old YouTube channel. I even showed him our classic 'Top 10 Underrated Star Wars Characters' video, thinking maybe it would, I don't know, remind him who he was before all this karate stuff. Before Cobra Kai got in his head." He shook his head, defeated. "But he didn't care. He just... shut me out."

Sunny exhaled, her lips quirking slightly despite the tension. "The Binary Bros. You two were such nerds back then."

Demetri gave a half-hearted smile. "Still am. Eli's just... forgotten that part of himself. And it's killing me, Sunny. Please-if anyone can get through to him, it's you. He listens to you. Always has. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you could help him."

Sunny hesitated, chewing her lip. Part of her wanted to give Eli the space Moon had been talking about-he was hurting, and pushing too hard could make things worse.

But then she thought about the way he had looked after they'd humiliated him. How small. How broken.

She couldn't let him stay that way.

Her mind was made up.

"Okay," she said softly. "I'll talk to him."

Demetri's face broke into a relieved grin, nodding quickly. "Thank you. Seriously, thank you. He needs you."

Sunny watched as Demetri left, her heart pounding louder than the clock as she shut the door behind him.

Moon reappeared in the hallway, arms crossed with a knowing look. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go save your man."

Sunny shot her a glare. "He's not my-"

Moon smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that. Go."

For the first time all day, a determined spark flickered behind Sunny's eyes.

She wasn't going to let Eli drown-not this time.

The dim light of the basement barely reached the worn couch where Eli sat, hunched over, his hood pulled low over his face like he was trying to disappear. The string lights along the walls flickered faintly, casting shadows that seemed to mirror the weight pressing down on his shoulders.

Sunny stood at the bottom of the staircase, her heart sinking as she took him in. He looked so different from the confident, fiery boy she knew-the one who would throw himself into anything without hesitation, who had once made her feel like nothing could touch him. Now, he looked small, defeated. Broken.

She stepped closer, her pulse quickening. He hadn't even looked up when she entered.

"Eli?" Her voice was soft, careful.

No answer.

She walked over, lowering herself onto the couch beside him, not too close but close enough that her knee almost brushed his. The silence was so thick it pressed against her chest, the tension in the room practically vibrating.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow, barely more than a whisper.

"You didn't have to come."

Sunny exhaled, tilting her head slightly, searching his face for any trace of the boy she knew.

"Yeah, I did," she replied gently. "You weren't answering my calls. Demetri showed up at my house, and he was freaking out. He said you told him you were quitting karate-"

Eli let out a bitter, humorless laugh, the sound sharp and cold.

"Yeah? Well, maybe I should." His voice cracked, raw and full of self-loathing. "Not like I'm good for anything anymore."

Sunny blinked, shaking her head. "Eli, don't-"

His head snapped up just enough for her to catch a glimpse of his face beneath the hood. His eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with dark circles, his lips pressed into a tight line. He looked... hollow, like a piece of him had been chipped away.

"You don't get it," he muttered, voice sharp but trembling. "I'm not... me anymore, Sunny. They took everything. My mohawk-my confidence-" His hand shot up, tugging the edge of his hood lower as if hiding himself. "I'm just some freak with a stupid scar who let everyone down."

Sunny's chest tightened painfully.

"Eli..."

"And you?" He forced out a broken laugh, bitter and sharp. "You're perfect, Sunny. You're beautiful. You're kind and funny and-and you deserve someone who's not a mess like me. Someone who doesn't-doesn't fall apart the second things get hard. Someone who-"

"Stop it," Sunny cut him off, her voice trembling now.

Eli froze, the words dying on his lips.

She reached out then, gently cupping his face, her fingers brushing along his jaw as she turned his head to face her. He resisted at first, but when he finally met her gaze, her heart nearly broke all over again.

His eyes were glassy, his lip trembling. Vulnerable.

"I'm serious," she whispered, her voice stronger now despite the lump in her throat. "Do you honestly think I care about your scar? Or your hair? Or what Cobra Kai did to you? Because I don't."

His breath hitched. He blinked, like he couldn't quite process what she was saying.

She continued, voice softer but still fierce. "You're not a joke, Eli. And you're not broken. You're you. The same guy who makes me laugh so hard I can't breathe. The guy who learned every dumb dance routine with me, even though you hated it, just so I wouldn't be nervous before my recital. The guy who kissed me in the rain that night because he said it was cinematic."

A flicker of something-maybe recognition-crossed his face.

"You are not a failure," she whispered, her thumb brushing lightly over his scar. "You're the strongest person I know. But you can't let them win. Cobra Kai doesn't get to take who you are."

Eli's lips parted slightly, but he didn't speak. He just... stared at her, like he was searching for some crack in her words, some sign she didn't mean it.

When none came, he shook his head, voice barely audible.

"But I'm not... him anymore. Hawk was strong. Hawk didn't care what people thought."

Sunny shook her head, leaning in closer, her voice gentle but unwavering.

"Eli was always strong. You were always strong. Not because of some nickname, or a hairstyle, or what Cobra Kai told you to be. You were strong because you're brave, and passionate, and you never give up-until now."

His breathing hitched again, and his hand-tentative and shaking-came up to rest on top of hers where it still cupped his cheek. His fingers curled around hers as if grounding himself in her touch.

"You really believe that?" he whispered, so quietly she barely heard it.

Sunny nodded, her eyes welling up.

"I know that."

And for the first time, his walls cracked. The mask he'd been holding up for so long-this cold, bitter armor-crumbled as his face twisted with emotion. His shoulders sagged, the tension bleeding from his body as his forehead rested gently against hers.

The silence stretched, broken only by the sound of their breathing, synchronized and slow.

And then, he kissed her.

It wasn't desperate or forceful. It was soft, hesitant, like he was afraid she might pull away. But Sunny didn't.

She kissed him back with every ounce of reassurance she could pour into it, her hands sliding from his face to his neck, holding him there as if to say: I'm here. I'm not leaving.

When they finally broke apart, Eli stayed close, his forehead pressed to hers, both of them breathing shakily.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "For everything. For trying to push you away."

Sunny shook her head. "You don't have to apologize. Just... let me stay. Let me be here for you."

Eli nodded slowly, his thumb tracing gentle circles along her hand where it rested against his.

After a long moment, Sunny whispered, "You're not quitting karate, are you?"

Eli exhaled shakily, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips for the first time in what felt like forever.

"No," he whispered back. "I'm not."

And Sunny kissed him again-this time, it was filled with hope.

The silence lingered between them, warm and fragile, as they stayed close, foreheads touching. Eli's breath was still uneven, and Sunny could feel the way his hands trembled slightly where they rested against hers. His walls had come down completely-he wasn't hiding anymore.

And neither could she.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, louder than before, louder than her own breathing. She knew what she wanted to say, had felt it building for so long, but now it was right there, sitting on the tip of her tongue.

She had to say it.

"Eli," she whispered, drawing back just enough to meet his eyes. They were soft now, vulnerable but open. Real.

His lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something, but she spoke first, her voice trembling but sure.

"I love you."

The words hung between them, heavy yet weightless all at once.

Eli blinked, like he couldn't quite believe what he'd heard. His lips parted, but no words came out right away.

Sunny felt her chest tighten, her pulse racing as she forced herself to keep going, to be honest.

"I'm serious," she whispered, her hand sliding down to rest against his chest, right over his heartbeat. "I love you, Eli. All of you. Not because of karate, or how you look, or who you were before. I love you. The boy who makes me feel safe, and makes me laugh, and never lets me feel alone. And I'm not going anywhere, no matter how hard you try to push me away."

A tear slipped down Eli's cheek, but he didn't brush it away. His hand came up slowly, his fingers threading into her hair as he exhaled a shaky breath.

"I... I love you too," he whispered, the words raw, unsteady-like they'd been buried deep, but finally found their way out. "I love you so much, Sunny. I just... didn't think I deserved you. Or anyone."

Sunny felt her own tears well up, but they were the good kind-the kind that came with relief, with finally being understood.

"You do," she whispered fiercely, cupping his face again as her thumbs brushed away the tear that had fallen. "You do deserve me. You deserve all the good things, Eli. Please believe that."

He nodded, barely, his forehead leaning back against hers as he let out a shaky breath.

"I do now," he whispered, voice breaking just slightly.

She kissed him then-soft, lingering, full of everything she hadn't been able to say until now.

And this time, when they pulled apart, Eli wasn't hiding anymore. He wasn't trying to cover his scar or pull his hood back up.

Because for the first time, he felt like himself.

ASH SPEAKS!!!!

HEHEHEHEH THEY SAID I LOVE YOU GUYS
sorry for the short chapter💔💔

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:) PLEASE JUST STOP BEING A GHOST READER!! ITS ANNOYING!! PLEASE COMMENT AND VOTE. ITS NOT THAT HARD!!! PLEASE! please stop being a ghost reader!!!! us writers work hard on these chapters

im so sorry for all the notifications but please stop being a ghost reader!!!! us writers work hard on these chapters. i know i ask this a lot, but i really don't like ghost readers because i work super hard on these chapters so when i see views going up bt votes not its hard for my motivation!