warnings: mental health and mentions of violence!
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"SICK," Hawk praised the small letters decorating his friend's skin. "I can't believe you got one."

No Regrets was in permanent ink on the right side of Cameron's ribs. Of course, it wasn't where she suffered an injury from the school fight. No that was her left and that still stung on occasion.

"I would've got it red. But Rico advised that black ink always looks better on dark skin," Cameron said, as they walked through the hospital.

Hawk nodded in understanding, "And the touch-ups would be annoying too."

"Right. And tattoos feel literally like a sharp itch. It's no big deal... apart from the fact I'll have to hide it from my mom until college." Cameron realised, cringing at the thought. "Which is like impossible. But it can try."

"Trust me. I haven't walked around the house shirtless since I got this shit done."

They laughed rounding the corner to Miguel's hospital room.

"El Serpiente!" Hawk greeted only for his amusement to fade into anger when he saw Sam was in the room.

"Come to kiss him too?" Cameron's gritted words caused them all but Hawk to flinch. "Or... Hawk is here. Only he's not in a relationship."

"I didn't come to fight," Sam murmured.

"Sure. I'll let you know that Aisha didn't mention you the last time I spoke to her," Cameron replied, with an innocent shrug.

Sam glared, "Yeah, well you successfully turned her against me."

"Sam..." Miguel sighed, seeing the faux intrigue on his girlfriend's face.

Cameron let out a humourless laugh, "Nu-uh. I didn't turn Aisha against you LaRusso. Your words did just that."

She stalked further into the room, purposely bumping shoulders with the girl, leaving her to whatever Hawk quietly and angrily gritted out. "What the hell was she doing here?" she asked her boyfriend then pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Apologising," Miguel tiredly lifted the card on his lap, "She got me a card."

"Fuck her card. And fuck her apology," Cameron rolled her eyes, staring at the card in irritation.

Miguel believed she was trying to burn a hole through it with her mind and so he put it to the side.

"Exactly. Her boyfriend put you in this hospital," Hawk said, backing her up now in the hospital room. Sam was long gone.

"She and my cousin started this shit —" Cameron was cut off by a knock at the door.

Her irritation couldn't subdue at the sight of her cousin stepping into the room.

Clearing his throat, Drew questioned, "This a bad time?"

"What do you think asshole?"

Drew frowned at her words.

Miguel's brows furrowed as he tiredly shook his head.

Hawk decided to greet him, "Sup Drew."

He was the only one who received him nicely.

Drew inclined his head toward the boy, "Sup man."

It was awkward, to say the least.

Miguel stared at the Senior who no longer had a cocky edge to him. He seemed more uncomfortable and not like his confident self at all. So unlike the boy, he had met last summer.

Settling his hands down on his friend's shoulder, Hawk suggested, "Let's go and get some coffee."

Cameron shrugged him off, turning to him with a scowl, "I don't want coffee."

"Fine, I'll order you something. Let's let them talk."

She threw up her hands in disbelief, "What no!"

"Roni..." Miguel exacerbated, "It's okay."

Turning to him was a fool's move because then she saw his big brown eyes. The ones she was so happy to see.

And so she asked, "You sure?"

He reassured her with a nod, "Yes."

Caving in, Cameron sucked her teeth. She dragged her eyes back to her friend as her cousin gingerly stepped further into the hospital room.

"Fine. And Hawk you're getting me a burger because this hospital food makes me itch," she said to Hawk, who chuckled at his response.

"Whatever you say, Mrs Diaz."

"Shut up."

The couple grew flustered under the quip before Cameron left with him.

Drew didn't know what to say to Miguel when he settled down in the chair furthest from the door.

"Cool card," he decided, making Miguel crane his neck to see him.

"Roni hates it," Miguel said, folding his hands on his lap.

"She hates a lot of things now. Including me." Drew attempted to jest but it fell flat. And so he said what he needed to say, "Dude. I'm sorry."

Softly scoffing, Miguel breathed out, "Don't be, you didn't put me in the hospital."

"My mistake did. My drunken mistake did. And look, I get we were never close. I didn't like you at first." A fact that was obvious to the pair of them. "My cousin just lost her dad and I felt like I had to be the protector. The man of the house. So I was hard on you. I taunted, I teased you but I never hated you, Miguel. I admire you. And now..."

Miguel glanced away, staring back at his hands, "You don't."

Drew denied, "I do. I admire you. You're a tough kid."

"I'm a year younger than you," Miguel replied, rolling his eyes.

"Still like a child."

"A foetus?"

"Exactly."

Neither said anything for a moment, they never had a conversation that lasted so long or without mocking. It was unfamiliar.

Miguel turned to him, and admitted, "I don't blame you."

"I still feel guilty though," Drew responded slowly.

"I can't stop that. I won't."

Drew knew from Miguel's grim tone he was serious.

And so he said, "Understood."

Clearing his throat, Miguel gestured to the open door, "But... Cameron. Just give her time."

"I'll try. I miss her."

"And she missed me when I was in that coma," Miguel couldn't help himself.

"Trust me. I know."

"Good."

Rubbing at his thighs, Drew went to stand up, "I heard that you're having surgery man. And umm, some grants help people with their medical bills. It might not be enough to cover the debt but I'll send you some links."

"Thanks." Miguel looked grateful.

"Yeah, well it's the least I can do."

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LILY was told by Moon about a car wash fundraiser for Miguel being held the next day. It was to help help with his medical bills. And accidentally, she had let slip to her best friend about it all.

Cameron made sure the Hawk knew what was happening since she still wasn't entirely ready to talk to Tory just off the bat.

So when he, Mitch and a few others arrived at the car wash on motorcycles, they pulled up their helmets and studied the area.

"They're using Miguel as their poster child," Hawk said in disbelief.

Mitch turned to him, equally as pissed. "He's not Miyagi-do. They think they can get away with that?"

"They won't," Hawk said promisingly, catching sight of Nathaniel pocketing the money from the fundraiser into an envelope. Hawk pulled out his phone and already hit call. "Yo CJ, wanna hear what we've got planned?"

A chuckle was heard from her end, "I'm listening."

The news report where Sam advocated for her boyfriend set Cameron off and so she gave her friends the green light to do whatever they wanted.

After the car wash was completed they emerged on their motorcycles just in time to see Nathaniel on his own, bagging the money.

Their roaring engines made him quickly jump on his bike and sling his bag over his shoulder.

But they had him surrounded.

Each of them removed their helmets and stormed towards him.

"You picked the wrong side," Hawk nudged him off his bike.

Mitch snatched his bag from him.

Nathaniel hopped off his bike, exclaiming in annoyance, "Hey, give it back. Hey!"

Mitch pulled the envelope out of his bag, as Hawk pulled Nathaniel back encircling his arms around his neck, making them all laugh.

"Nothing like a long day of charity." Mitch grinned, "We'll make sure Miguel knows it's from Cobra Kai." He patted his head with the envelope.

Nathaniel tried reaching for it.

Hawk taunted in his ear, "Don't even think about it."

"Come on guys. We all wanna help pay for Miguel's surgery."

"You're gonna pay all alright," Hawk darkly spoke.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Hawknoteli

It's done.
Seen.

Cameron got up from her chair after pocketing her phone, hearing the news that Miguel's surgeon just arrived at the airport.

Johnny was there at the hospital, trying to talk to her but she ignored him, claiming she didn't want to have anything to do with him.

But he was determined.

After praying with Miguel's grandmother.

He approached the girl once more, unbothered by her huffing and puffing.

"You can keep doing that, this straw house ain't gonna fall down." Cameron was unimpressed by his jest, making him continue. "Look, you're pissed. Snappy. Irritated. You're lacking the patience you once had. Do you think I don't see it? Everyone does. You're letting it happen. Letting Kreese in with all his Cobra Kai bullshit."

"Oh, his bullshit?" Cameron let out a callous laugh, further proving his point. Nurses and staff passed them. Carmen and Rosa were thankfully sitting in Moguel's room. "Kreese is helping me through it, helping me get through watching my boyfriend lay in bed all day because he can't move. And why is that? Why is he in hospital Johnny?" He winced at the use of his name sounding so foreign on her tongue. "Oh yeah," an empty smile graced her lips. "Your son kicked him off a railing. A fucking railing all because Miguel showed mercy. He let that weak shit you taught us in and it didn't work in his favor. Now he has to get surgery that his family will be in debt for."

"Cameron."

"No. You may go on about why Cobra Kai is this and that but you left, remember? You didn't just screw up. You let Kreese back in and take over."

Johnny had been feeling like everything was crumbling since that school fight. Seeing the way his students were under Kreese's thumb made him feel sick but when he was Kreese's student he would have listened.

It took almost being beaten with a trophy to realize it.

To break from it. To snap out of it.

"So you can try your hardest to get me to understand whatever you wanna say. But why would I listen to a guy who turned from predator to prey?"

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a/n:

it's getting messy guys!

anyone happy with some character interactions? drew and miguel? hawk and cameron? cameron and johnny?