Camp Stinging Nettles

by desolateice

Summary:

Welcome to summer camp campers! Make sure to check out what cabin you're in. Is it the jackalopes with Johnny or the fresno alien with Lori? Maybe the cactus cat with Randy? Or are you in with our newest counselor and new canteen chef, Daniel in the Lone Pine Mountain Devil cabin? Don't worry camp stinging nettles will be a frightfully good time, there are crafts, hiking, camping, archery, kayaking and more... if you survive.

Cobra Kai Halloween prompt: Serial Killers

Chapter 1

Sid wanted Johnny out of house over the summers and Johnny didn’t want to be in the house.

It worked out.

He’d had the same summer job since he was old enough to have it, after being shipped off every summer as a kid for as long as Sid had been in his life.

He hated it.

But just every so slightly less than he hated being stuck with Sid.

There were things he liked.

He liked the trees, the smell of them and the dry dirt.

He liked the lake that glittered in the sun and he liked kayaking.

He liked running the paths early in the morning when it was still cool.

And he didn’t hate the kids.

He hated the teen and college counselors who were absolute dicks or didn’t give a shit.

He hated the food that they made, barely supervised by a bored “chef” who spent his time in the back reading romance novels rather than supervising and that the director skimped on ingredients for.

Meaning every ingredient was cheap or on sale or bought in bulk, which was why as a kid he got so sick of corn.

The director had gotten a deal on corn and every meal included it.

Another year it was radishes.

Then beets.

He hated the camp songs.

Songs that were supposed to somehow match with “Camp Stinging Nettles”, which seemed a dumb choice for a camp to send your kid to since without fail Johnny spent hours tending to nettle stings, taking the kids to the camp nurse for treatment.

He supposed he was lucky the director didn’t send them out to harvest the nettle, that they didn’t spend the entire summer eating nettle soup, nettle stir-fry, and drinking nettle tea.

The teens and college counselors fought over who got to be on kitchen duty because it was like an easy class, a blow off job.

The director didn’t give a shit and the actual staff ate something else with the director up in the office, so they didn’t care, it was just the rest of them that were tortured by eating shitty goop.

Bunch of sadistic bastards.

Johnny also hated crafting.

He had painted a life time supply of rocks, done enough papier-mâché, enough macaroni art, and built enough bird houses to last the rest of his life.

He was sick of the smell of wood glue, of seeing glitter and popsicle sticks.

He might scream if he had to deal with another brightly colored feather.

It’d taken a lot of bitching and moaning and being stubborn to get to where he was.

He was in charge of the fun activities.

He taught archery.

He taught kayaking.

He lead hikes and foraging— in the hopes of finding edible things that didn’t suck— and bird watching.

He taught swimming.

Anything that required muscle and strength and movement.

He was the counselor for that.

Finally.

He’d had to fight, hard for that, to be taken seriously because the head counselors, the director would listen to him and nod and then look at his sheet and frown and say, “Well I see, but wouldn’t you feel more comfortable doing crafts with the little ones?”

Never again.

Didn’t mean the rest of the camp still weren’t dicks about it.

Didn’t mean they still didn’t ask him if he was scared to be in the woods by his lonesome, surely he’d like some company?

He did not want their company.

He loved pointing out deer tracks, bear tracks, poison ivy and oak and the white-breasted Nuthatch.

He didn’t even mind that he was in charge of a cabin full of elementary school kids. Because they had a blast.

The kids were cool.

It was the counselors and staff that sucked.

Johnny dropped his shit off in his cabin, Jackalope, like every year and headed to the canteen listening to the droll from the girl who read the announcements, Lori.

He’d thought she was cool his first year, but then they grew up and she stuck her nose up at him just like the rest of them had.

He collected his clipboard and the new list of kids.

He got new kids every year in his cabin, but the old kids would still swing by, say hi, ask him for help with things.

The little ones also knew him.

They all knew him, and the new kids slowly would too.

“Johnny?”

Johnny blinked, looking up to see Daniel LaRusso, dressed in the camp shirt, a bright green and orange like peas and carrots threw up all over it holding a clipboard and a set of keys, the wooden engraving of the Lone Pine Mountain Devil on it.

Daniel should’ve gotten something softer, like the cactus cat, or the Fresno alien, or hell a ghost deer.

Johnny scooted over from the seat he’d taken, where he’d spread out on so that the other councilors wouldn’t sit next to him and Daniel sat, skin all golden and sunkissed, and smiling at him.

“Have you done this before?” Daniel whispered while their head camp councilor went through his papers because Randy couldn’t be organized to save his own life.

“Yearly,” Johnny said.

Daniel looked at him surprised.

“What? Don’t look the responsible type?”

“No, I just assumed you’d be doing something with the Cobras— er— your friends.”

“They go on family vacations, and their parents are extra adamant now. Meanwhile,” Johnny said lowering his voice so only Daniel could hear him. “My step dad doesn’t want to know I exist, so this is better.”

He expected a laugh.

Instead he got a frown and studied by big brown eyes.

Daniel should’ve gotten night watcher instead.

Not a territorial murderous demon.

“So, welcome Daniel LaRusso, he’ll be head chef this year helping us take care of our amazing potato donation.”

Johnny stared back at Daniel in shock.

Stomach churning, he frowned staring down at his clipboard with the general schedule on it, his students information while Daniel gathered up his special master set of keys for the canteen, that’d get him in everywhere, but mostly the god-awful kitchens.

He got his own keys, a small set to the supplies for archery and kayaking, for the towels and laundry.

He did so much fucking laundry every summer.

When the meeting was over he got up and left the canteen while the other councilors milled around, catching up.

He heard the sound of running and heard his name, turning slightly.

“Johnny! Wait up!”

“I can’t believe you’re working food,” Johnny said.

“What? Why not?”

“It’s awful, every single year the food is the worst thing ever. And I like potatoes. I’m going to hate potatoes after this summer.”

“What are you in charge of?”

“Activities like archery, hiking, swimming, kayaking, overnight camping trips. That stuff,” Johnny said.

“Well,” Daniel said stepping too close. “In case you didn’t hear, I’m head chef. So tonight you’ll see. This will be the best summer of camp food you’ve ever had. Which cabin are you in?”

Johnny held out his wrist, the wrist coil key ring with the jackrabbit with antlers hanging from it. “Jackalope. Every year.”

“What’s a jackalope? Actually what’s a…what is this thing?” Daniel asked holding up his own.

“They’re all monsters,” Johnny said continuing his walk, Daniel falling in step beside him.

“So that one is the cactus cat, that one is the night watcher, that one is the ghost deer, that’s the Fresno alien. I’m in that one, and you’re in that one, the Lone Pine Mountain Devil.”

“The what?”

“The Lone Pine Mountain Devil,” Johnny repeated then frowned, Daniel looked disturbed, eyes wide almost like he was about to cry.

“They’re all like local monsters. Listen mine’s just a dumb little rabbit with deer antlers. Yours is badass okay? It’s a territorial monster. You know? Protects what it cares about. It’s bat like with venomous fangs and claws.”

“What do they do?”

“Huh?”

“They’re scary right?”

“Well…” Johnny said digging his shoe into the dirt path. “Yeah, they attack their victims head and torso. They uh, rip their faces off? But they’re supposed to only attack those who disturb the peace of the land you know? Like a violent peace keeper.”

Daniel frowned, but seemed to calm down.

“Oh, okay. Are there monsters like that…are they—“

“Real?” Johnny asked.

Daniel nodded and Johnny shrugged.

“I mean sometimes the creature we do have play tricks on you. Like crows, they can mimic people sometimes. So I have kids almost yearly run up to me all in a panic because they heard a baby crying in the woods and I tell them it’s not a baby but that freaks them out more, so we have to go for a walk and try and find which bird it is making the sound. Takes forever.”

“You actually walk with them and show them it’s a bird?” Daniel asked.

He sounded surprised.

“Yeah well they’ll have nightmares otherwise. Or like be too worried to focus. You try getting a good nights sleep when all the campers decided to leave their own cabins because they’re scared to pile into your rickety bed. I had that happen twice, and this is much easier than trying to deal with a ton of children and pre-teens running to me in the middle of the night.”

Daniel smiled at him and the announcements broke the silence.

“Alright Stinging Nettle Camp counselors! Head to the buses it’s time to go pick up our campers!”

Johnny continued down the path, Daniel following up to the bus. Johnny climbed aboard and plopped down by the window behind the driver, surprised when Daniel automatically sat down beside him.

He put on his headphones and leaned against the window ignoring the other councilors until it was time to get the kids.

One of the few nice things about being a counselor was that it kept Johnny busy.

He could ignore his own peers and focus on helping kids get on the bus, into using his muscle to heave bags onto the bus even when dumbasses tried to help him.

Surprisingly it wasn’t that bad, having Daniel sitting next to him, standing beside him, watching the other councilors with a frown.

He’d expected Daniel to hit it off with the rest of them, leave his side and go help but he stayed, stubbornly next to Johnny, arms crossed across his chest, and helping him wordlessly.

It was…different.

Daniel’s hands brushed his as they gathered up the kids stuff.

He normally hated that shit.

Hated how people tried to take the bags from him like he was weak or couldn’t lift anything but Daniel just seemed to support, easily, from his side.

It always made him appreciate Cobra Kai, his schools, where no one gave a shit about the boxes the other counselors put people in. Made him really homesick that first year after he graduated high school. When he knew he didn't have Cobra Kai to go back to. A place where his actions and hard work outweighed everything else.

Or had.

He got the last one thrown into the back of the bus and felt a hand slide into his.

He looked down.

Alex, a camper from last year that had been absolutely convinced that there was a monster in the woods.

Johnny knelt down.

“Hey, welcome back.”

Sticky arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders and Johnny patted red hair.

“Ready for some sun and fun?”

God he sounded like a cheesy camp special.

He felt the kid nod then dart off to get onto the bus, hug over.

He stood up slowly looking away as he felt Daniel’s eyes on him.

So he wasn’t as tough as he seemed.

So what?

The whole point was for the kids to have fun, and if the kids liked him?

Well sue him.

He was proud that they came running to see him specifically every year.

He was pretty sure if the campers got to vote on their favorite counselor in the camp he’d be the winner, every year.

He climbed up onto the bottom step of the bus and held onto the edge before hanging out.

“Campers! All aboard or else you’re camping in this parking lot! I know you don’t want that, there’s no archery, no swimming, no crafting or campfire stories or songs in this parking lot. Say later to your parents and climb aboard before we leave you behind and you’ll miss out on all the adventure!”

Some of the other councilors whistled.

But Johnny found his voice carried well enough and he watched heads dart up like meerkats, hearing the sound.

The experienced campers knew what it meant to hear Johnny’s voice carry across the parking lot.

They kissed their parents or whoever brought them, hugged them, grabbed whatever else they forgot and ran, a hoard of children running and yelling, leading the others, the new kids, to realize it was time to go, running straight towards Johnny and the other buses.

Johnny shifted his weight so only his toes remained on the bottom rung and he stayed outside, hanging off the bus balancing carefully.

Daniel still stood outside of their bus, holding his clipboard, eyes wide watching the herd of children race.

The last one jumped on and Johnny scanned the parking lot for stragglers.

He thought about calling out to Daniel, a loud LaRusso!, but that’d look bad, for Daniel, so he swung his body around and hopped up the rest of the steps with his list and called out names, checking them off, high-fiving kids who wanted high fives, fist bumps for those who wanted them before circling back around and plopping back down into his seat.

Daniel hurried onboard taking the seat next to him.

It was going to be different this year.

He could feel it.

The nervous buzz of his skin that someone would sit with him was soothed by Daniel.

His heart wasn’t pounding hard in his chest, he didn’t have to curl in on himself, he could just enjoy the wall of noise of happy campers ready for a summer of adventure.

Chapter 2

Daniel thought as he watched Johnny lead his troop of campers off to the jackalope cabin to unpack that Johnny was full of surprises.

Though, the entire summer was full of surprises. A couple months ago if anyone had asked Daniel what his summer plans were going to be, he’d have said he’d be working Little Trees with Mr. Miyagi.

But Mr. Miyagi had to go on a trip.

“Daniel-san okay by self?” Mr. Miyagi had asked while he’d packed and Daniel had leaned against one of the walls with his hands in his pockets about ready to say yeah of course but the words didn’t leave his mouth.

Couldn't.

Mr. Miyagi was a grounding force of Daniel’s life.

His compass, his best friend, and normally, before, Daniel would’ve been ecstatic to have the place to himself. To lounge around and drink Yoohoo and eat Cheetos or other snacks while watching TV.

But Mr. Miyagi knew.

It was why his brow was pinched with concern. Trying to not press.

If Daniel had had any other life he was sure Mr. Miyagi would’ve recommended Daniel stay with a friend while he was out of town.

If he still talked to Ali, or if Jessica was still around. But Mr. Miyagi knew better.

It was just the two of them.

And they both knew that Daniel didn’t sleep well on the best of nights. That he had nightmares about Okinawa, about the All-Valley, about Silver and Kreese jumping out at him, about drowning and Mike Barnes laughing.

For weeks Mr. Miyagi had watched him with a frown, before murmuring. “Maybe Miyagi shouldn’t go.”

To which Daniel had to quickly tell him he had to go. It was important he saw his friends. That at least one of them had something good happen.

He wanted to tell Mr. Miyagi it’d be fine.

He’d just work at Little Trees.

But who was he kidding?

Little Trees without Mr. Miyagi made him jumpy.

He expected Barnes and his friends to come crashing in to tear the place to shreds any time Daniel stayed behind to lock up.

He was a wreck.

He plastered on a smile.

He scrambled.

They both knew he couldn’t handle it.

He needed to be near people, he needed to get away.

Daniel saw the newspaper open on the table and scooped it up, working on that smile that was so hard to keep on his face.

He flipped through it desperately, knowing Mr. Miyagi was waiting.

“There,” Daniel said. “I’ll be okay Mr. Miyagi, you’ll spend the summer with your friends, and I’ll go to summer camp. Says they need staff, I’ll call tomorrow morning and then with any luck I’ll spend the whole summer cooking for campers and getting fresh air.”

Mr. Miyagi smiled.

“Fresh air do good.”

“We’ll both get away from this LA smog.”

The interview had gone well, when he got the job. He’d never expected to be a camp councilor.

He’d gone to camp when he was younger, but he hadn’t been the type to go yearly for as long as he could.

He just went for a bit and held camp in a fond part of his heart.

Mr. Miyagi looked so proud and relived when Daniel had broke the news.

He’d be around people.

He’d get out of the house, the house where Mike Barnes and Terry Silver had been.

Away from Little Trees.

Everywhere he’d been terrorized.

He’d soak up some fresh oxygen, some sun, maybe some water and he’d spend his summer cooking up a storm and being in charge of some kids.

He could do that.

Easy peasy.

Camp Stinging Nettles new cook and counselor Daniel LaRusso reporting for duty.

Ready for free room, food, and a paycheck for the whole summer.

It meant he’d be somewhere outside of his room at Mr. Miyagi’s spending his nights trying to sleep, and trying not to to press at his old bruises and picking apart his wounds until it felt like  his blood was on fire underneath his veins and he needed to put it out.

He’d hoped that a summer of camp songs, and kayaking on a lake would help douse that anger at the unfairness of it all.

But then he’d been thrown for a loop.

He hadn’t expected Johnny.

He hadn’t expected to see the blonde in the crop top version of the green shirt with orange, “Camp Stinging Nettles” on his chest, the cut jean shorts that rivaled the ones Johnny wore for gym.

His heart had lept when he saw Johnny, when he realized it was Johnny. Excitement had buzzed through his veins.

And then he’d been stunned.

He was truly excited to see Johnny. And he wondered about that, puzzled over it.

He jumped at his own shadow, fists prepared to defend himself at the mere thought of most of his previous enemies.

But Johnny…

He supposed it was because of the tournament.

Daniel had won and Johnny had given him the trophy, ensuring he was the one to do so. Johnny had laid out that feeble olive branch and then the world had crashed around him so fast that Daniel realized Johnny was just a kid.

Johnny got a different category in Daniel’s mind.

He didn’t make Daniel’s blood boil.

He didn’t set off that fight or flight response.

Instead Daniel was delighted to see him.

Especially when Johnny made space for him to sit nearby, didn’t brush him off like an annoying gnat or fly.

And damn if he didn’t look good.

He supposed it was due to the heat. The crop top, the tiny shorts.

Johnny wasn’t the only one wearing that version of the uniform. A few others were dressed that way too.

But Johnny wore it better.

It was only a smidge cooler than his room at Mr. Miyagi’s due to all the trees and the lake. But just barely. And there were a million more bugs.

He was not looking forward to a bug filled summer.

Or mosquito bites.

He fiddled with his key around his wrist, the springy wire, the demon key chain as the kids sang on the bus on the top of their lungs, Johnny singing as well, just part of the noise until they landed and he smiled at Daniel.

A real smile.

A smile that seemed to say, this summer might be good.

A smile that reflected how Daniel felt, relieved that Johnny was there, but mirrored. And his heart skipped a beat at it. That Johnny might be relieved that Daniel was there too. He’d never had anyone have that reaction to seeing him. Not just happy to see him, but relieved, comforted by it.

It gave him hope as he got off the bus and gathered up his campers. They struggled to pick up their bags and Daniel watched them, glancing for a moment as Johnny headed off with his group, practically taking off in a run, chased by screaming kids, a race to their cabin, jackalope.

He wondered if that’s how one would move, bounding through the grass and dirt and paths.

Daniel triple checked his campers, that he had the right ones, the right amount and then led them off to their cabin.

It was sturdy, it was relatively clean. There wasn’t much to it, but it’d do.

As the campers picked out their bunks he introduced himself, went over the rules, safety, and then once he was sure they were settled, he headed off to the kitchens, preparing himself for his big task ahead.

The look Johnny had given him when they’d announced he was head chef, head cook, had worried him.

That he was taking over a domain made of nightmares. But what he found was the head of the domain snoring with a bodice ripper resting on his sleeping chest.

He tried to politely wake the guy up but was waved off.

That was fine, he didn’t mind being in charge.

But the councilors meant to assist him were worse.

They were there, sitting around chatting and chewing gum. Gossiping and laughing.

He cleared his throat and their eyes turned to him, it wasn’t polite attention, it was sharp, judging, curious but not in a good way. It made his skin crawl.

“So you’re head chef huh? What are we going to do with all these potatoes? Mashed potatoes forever?”

“Are mashed potatoes easy?”

“You’re new right, you took the bus with Lawrence. You do realize what he is right? You should like stay away from him.”

Daniel frowned, they’d said something similar earlier when he’d arrived. Like Johnny was contagious.

He didn’t like the insinuation.

It made his skin feel prickly.

Sure it was a rarity, but it was normal, it wasn’t contagious, it was just…how things were. And no one in the Valley or Newark or anywhere else gave a damn, except maybe these campers.

Maybe he was wrong.

He hoped he was wrong.

He hoped he’d misunderstood.

“We’re making gnocchi,” Daniel said rolling up his sleeves.

He was going to focus on work, on cooking.

He was determined to prove Johnny wrong.

He had a thousand recipes with potatoes. They would not get sick of them.

No one moved.

“Peal them,” Daniel said washing his hands.

“Let’s just serve them mashed potatoes.”

“Better yet, let’s serve baked potatoes.”

“We’re going to make a dough using something like mashed potatoes,” Daniel said.

They didn’t move.

Slowly ever so slowly the flow of conversation left him behind.

They weren’t going to help.

He felt that spark light up again.

Anger simmering.

He worked, peeling and chopping potatoes, boiling them, making food for everyone.

“So are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Dating Johnny? He’s a bit of a prude you know? I’d figure he’d be…easy.”

There was laughter when Daniel went to work turning potatoes into dough, rolling them out and making them into gnocchi, working on a sauce.

“You a beta or an alpha or another easy omega, like Johnny?”

“Does it matter? We’re supposed to be cooking. You’re supposed to help.”

“Oh come on, it’s summer camp, these kids expect slop. We can just chuck baked potatoes at them we nuke in the microwave and it’ll be fine.”

“I can’t believe the camp head gave him those activities. Johnny probably spread his legs or something.”

“Oh, I figured he was being punished for not spreading them, after all wouldn’t he fit better in the crafting section?”

“With you and Nicholas?”

“What? I’m as harmless as a puppy. He was totally fine working with me before.”

“You totally scared him off by trying to drug his drink after grabbing his ass.”

“I didn’t drug his drink!”

“You spiked it.”

“I just wanted to get him to loosen up. Omega’s aren’t supposed to be uptight dicks about everything. Besides I thought if he’d gotten a good fucking he’d chill out. Be more fun.”

The blood in Daniel’s veins boiled, he understood now why Johnny hadn’t stayed behind after the announcements, why he’d instantly put on headphones, why he seemed closed off once the others were around.

He knew Johnny was an omega, but it made no difference.

No one in the Valley talked about it, but Daniel had guessed when he saw Johnny taking medicine at lunch.

He puzzled over it, looked a little longer, wondered from time to time. But it didn’t change anything else.

Johnny still was an all-valley champion, still kicked ass at karate until Daniel beat him.

There’d been no incidents, no pheromones.

No nightmare situation from an old movie or soap opera drama.

He was just…Johnny. And their school and the Valley didn’t seem to care one way or the other about what Johnny was or anyone else. To the point Daniel had almost forgotten people acted like this. Behaved this way.

Sure, most people were betas and Johnny was probably one of the only omega’s Daniel had ever met, but it didn’t mean anything. It didn’t change anything.

Except that apparently, people at this camp weren’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows like Daniel hoped.

It got under his skin.

Pissed him off how easily they talked, how easily they joked about things, about Johnny. Like it was a common thought they all had. As if Johnny was an omega from a porno, not realizing life didn’t work that way, that it wasn’t reality.

He took it out on the potatoes.

He’d keep a close eye on them, on Johnny, he’d keep Johnny safe.

It seemed like he was a sheep amongst wolves and it made Daniel worry.

 

Cooking for an entire camp by himself was a pain in the ass. Especially since he got no help. But Daniel filled Johnny’s tray up with gnocchi, a side salad and bread he’d made and he watched Johnny while his team of counselors finally got off their asses and served everyone else.

He watched Johnny stare at his food with a frown at his table, surrounded by his campers, only to smile when they asked him something, talking easily with them and taking a bite of his food.

Daniel inched closer.

Johnny’s eyes widened, a look of surprise, of delight, on his face.

He ate quickly, as if someone would steal his food from him and Daniel laughed softly.

Johnny liked it.

It made his chest warm.

He’d made something delicious. That not just Johnny loved but the entire group of campers.

Daniel sat down with his own cabin.

“You made this?” one of the kids asked.

“I did,” Daniel said.

“How?”

“With potatoes.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

They stared with that same sort of awe at their food and at him and Daniel smiled.

“Maybe,” he said thoughtfully. “For an activity where you don’t want to do something else I can show you.”

 

After dinner Daniel wandered through the woods for a little bit, trying to clear his head. The councilors on clean up duty were nearly just as worthless as the ones meant to help him and he was pissed.

Pissed because not only did they suck at cleaning, they too made shitty remarks about Johnny.

“I heard he’s still studying in college.”

“Studying what? He’s just going to raise someone’s kids and that’s it. It’s not like he’s one of those unlucky smart omega’s who if they’re very careful not to get pregnant by the time they’re 21 might help cure cancer or something.”

The laughter had made Daniel furious.

“Really it’s surprising he doesn’t already have kids.”

“The sooner he realizes his place the better it’ll be.”

His blood was still boiling as he made his way down to the lake.

He was surprised to find Johnny laying on the pier, listening to his music, eyes shut.

He wanted to grab him, shake him, tell him he was in danger, he couldn’t just live so care free when the camp councilors talked the way they did.

But he also couldn’t bring himself to disturb Johnny.

He sat down beside him, hugging his knees to his chest and looking out at the water.

Music spilled out across the night air for a moment and Daniel turned, only for a snap as Johnny dropped his headphones over Daniel’s ears.

REO Speedwagon.

Daniel grinned, turning towards Johnny delighted, but Johnny pulled him down and Daniel frowned as his elbow hit the unfinished wood of the pier, felt it scrape his elbow, he was probably bleeding and he wanted to lecture Johnny but Johnny pointed up and Daniel turned, flopping onto his back and looking up at the star filled sky.

Newark hadn’t had stars like this.

Neither did the Valley.

With the army right next to Tomi Village they didn’t really have quite that all encompassing darkness either.

But this…

Daniel didn’t think he’d ever seen so many stars in his life.

The boiling of his blood slowed and after a while he followed the cord of the headphones slowly down until he could find the Walkman in Johnny’s hand.

He slid his fingers between Johnny’s, searching for the pause button, brushing against skin until he found it and pushed down with a click.

“Thanks,” Daniel said.

“You looked pissed,” Johnny said.

“It’s just…”

“I know, they all suck,” Johnny said.

“Why do you keep coming back?”

“Better than being home. And the kids are cool.”

“You do it for the kids?” Daniel asked with a laugh.

“You laugh but they’re sweet,” Johnny said. “Anyway…you…I’m happy to see you, even though I’m sorry you’re here. It’s…not great, but it’s nice to see a familiar face.”

“Don’t hate my face anymore?” Daniel asked pushing himself up and looking at Johnny.

“I’ve never hated your face,” Johnny said. “Annoyed by it, sometimes, sure. But hate, no.”

“Sheesh, if that was you annoyed, I’d hate to truly get on your bad side.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“I mean it Daniel,” Johnny said pushing himself up as well, meeting Daniel’s gaze. “I am sorry for it all.”

Daniel smiled softly.

Johnny had apologized before they graduated. A quick, red faced and nervous apology before the crowd pulled them apart, Johnny to go take photos with the cobras, and Daniel to go with his Mom and Mr. Miyagi.

He’d wanted to talk more.

He wanted to know why Johnny had grabbed his hand, why Johnny's hand had been so sweaty and nervous, why he’d held Daniel’s hand the whole time he apologized, tried to apologize, nearly stuttered.

Why it had made his heart flutter.

It’d been…cute.

“What have you been up to?” Daniel asked.

Johnny leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky.

He told him about college, about not knowing what he wanted, studying things that sparked his interest.

A little bit of engineering, a little bit of design, a little bit of science.

“I like working with my hands. I’m signed up for art classes in the fall. I don’t mind being direction-less because I can waste my step-father’s money then. How about you?”

Johnny’s attention was sweet, especially after a day of awful camp counselors.

Daniel carefully unhooked the headphones from where they rested around his neck and gave them back to Johnny, glancing out at the lake, fireflies floating on the breeze.

He hugged his legs to his chest and rested his chin on his knees.

Johnny sat the rest of the way up, easy, hands resting over his ankles where they crossed in front of him.

“It was shitty…for a long time.”

Daniel told him about Okinawa, about Silver. And Johnny listened and the boiling feeling all the anger at the world, the universe that had been building up for years caused him to curl his hand into a fist until his nails pierced the skin of his palm.

He didn’t notice.

Not until Johnny took his hand and very slowly forced his hand open.

“That’s a lot Daniel,” Johnny said softly.

For a moment Daniel worried he’d said too much, overwhelmed the tentative bridge that had been laid out between them, but then Johnny opened the pack at his waist, pulled out neosporin and carefully ran it over the half moons filling with blood on his palm before sticking brightly colored band-aids over them.

Johnny kissed the top of the band-aids and then jerked back a moment later as if he’d been stung.

“Ah, sorry. It’s a habit. The kids said…that it’s like magic. They stop crying. It’s weird. It’s so weird isn’t it? I…shit. What college guy kisses peoples injuries?”

He was bright red.

“Thanks.”

Daniel rubbed his thumb over his palm, the feeling of his blood boiling and rushing through his veins had finally stilled.

He felt peaceful.

Calm.

It was nice to be next to Johnny. To breathe in the night air and listen to the wild. He scooted over, just a little, letting his shoulder lean against Johnny’s.

Chapter 3

Johnny got up in the morning for his run.

It was the best time to fit it in because he could fortify himself before everyone else woke up.

As he passed the canteen he stopped.

It smelled good.

He popped his head in.

The canteen staff never were at work this early.

In the back was Daniel, frying up hash-browns, eggs and bacon.

“You’re doing this all by yourself?” Johnny asked, surprised.

Daniel glanced up, seeing him.

“Come here, have some coffee,” Daniel said turning towards the pot of coffee and filling up a mug passing it over towards Johnny with a pot of cream and packets of sugar.

Johnny took the coffee and went to work doctoring it how he liked it.

Too much sugar Ali had told him once.

“Do you want some help?” Johnny asked, debating about putting in the amount of sugar he actually liked or if Daniel might make fun of him.

He didn’t want to hate it.

He kept adding his sugar.

“Do you know how to cook?” Daniel asked.

“No.”

“Then how about, if you get up early tomorrow I’ll teach you. This morning I don’t have the time.”

It sounded rough, grumpy but Daniel smiled when he said it, in a tired way. Like he wanted to but was just seriously too busy.

“Then tomorrow,” Johnny said.

He wanted to stay but he felt like he was in the way. When he was little, back when it was just his mother and him, she’d told him, “I love you darling but I need you out of the kitchen so I can work.”

So he drank his coffee, set the mug in the sink, thanked Daniel then started his run.

He might, for the first year ever, eat well during camp and it’d be because of Daniel LaRusso.

Who’d have thought?

He was pretty sure he’d smelled blueberry muffins.

He was looking forward to breakfast for maybe the first time in his entire camp career.

It usually was just oatmeal or grits.

After his run he went to get the kids up.

He liked to get them to the canteen before the announcements so they could eat and decide their day without the hectic-ness that happened later. He didn’t want them to rush their breakfast and get sick. Plus it kept them out of trouble.

If it also got him out of the canteen before the other counselors became a nuisance, then that was just a bonus.

“Rise and shine campers!” Johnny called. “There’s eggs and bacon on the wind, hash-browns too. Let’s go get it while it’s still fresh from the frying pan.”

“You didn’t bring us any mushrooms or fruit you found on the trail?” one kid asked rubbing his eyes. “My brother said you generally bring back fruit from the trail. He said it was a trail feast."

Johnny had spotted the raspberry bushes, not quite ripe yet.

“Normally the food is pretty awful, but I know the cook this year and I have the most tentative of hopes we’ll eat well if you all put yourselves into gear.”

He watched his campers slowly get out of bed, bed head a delightful amusement.

He refilled his mini emergency kit in his fanny pack a bit surprised that that was something the kids looked forward to. That Johnny grabbing fresh fruit on his morning jogs, bringing back a bounty of ripe fresh berries was something the campers whispered to one another, that his newest cabin would look forward to.

He’d have to figure out a way to intertwine that in without spoiling their actual breakfast, especially since Daniel was doing it all alone. He couldn't let all that work go to waste.

When they seemed ready they lined up sleepily by the door and he took off in a slow jog towards the canteen, the screen door shutting behind them with a screech and snap as they followed after him, down the path to the canteen.

They grabbed their trays and headed along, getting their oatmeal and hash-browns, eggs and bacon. Marveling like he did at the golden blueberry muffins.

Daniel smiled at him and Johnny’s heart fluttered a little as he took his food and sat with his kids.

Johnny flipped through his clipboard while they ate.

“Campers, this morning’s craft is a tissue paper stained glass piece, there’s no glass whatsoever, it’s colorful tissue paper. If you’re interested after breakfast go to the crafting shelter. For our new campers that the third one down. The sport of the morning will be a game of basketball, this will be at the basketball court so if you’re wanting to do that head to the courts after breakfast. As for the water, this morning I’m doing kayaking so if you want to do kayaking you can follow me after breakfast, you’ll just have to sit on the pier a bit while I bring the kayaks out. After your first activity the counselor you’re with will list off the next options. Though I know some of you already signed up for things in advance. If you did a counselor will come get you.”

The kids mulled it over while they ate, while the other cabins slowly filed in, followed by the councilors.

He was almost done, almost free to leave, but still they managed to bump into him as he returned his tray, brushing up against him, whispering and asking questions.

The canteen was suddenly suffocating and loud and he quickly left, heading down to the lake for his early morning kayaking followed by a few of his campers.

He liked it there.

He felt, as the oldest one around a bunch of kids in their puffy bright life vests, like he could breathe.

Sometimes it hurt.

Sometimes it was hard to breathe.

But out in the woods on his own, he felt like maybe he could again.

The bubbles of peace never lasted long though. Not long enough.

He’d gotten the kayaks on the beach ready to go, the paddles out, and most of the life vests. Enough for his first round of campers to be taught how to kayak, the safety and let lose with a watchful eye and listening ear while they continued paddling around, having a blast on the water.

He’d confirmed that they were fine and as their time on the water wound down he turned to the crate that held the life vests, there was still one at the bottom of the crate being difficult.

He had to lean over, partially inside the crate itself, toes digging into the sandy dirt, thighs pressed against the wood so he wouldn’t tip in when he felt hands on his ass.

“Good morning Johnny.”

Nicholas.

Fucking Nicholas.

“You should try and have some decency. Advertising your need so early in the morning on the first real day. Is college not meeting your needs? I’d have assumed you’d get passed around at every party until you forgot your own name. That’s what we’d do if you transferred to my college. But I can help you if you want, take care of those needs of yours tonight, or hell this afternoon.”

Nicholas’s hips pressed against his, ground against him and Johnny stood up, kicking, knocking Nicholas’s feet out from under him, vest secure in his hand.

“Oh come on,” Nicholas said hands up giving him an innocent smile. “It’s just fun, it’s a compliment. Just trying to be of help for you. No need to break anything this time huh?”

“What do you want?” Johnny asked, debating using the life vest to hit him with.

He wanted to beat the shit out of him, but the kids were watching and he had no where else to go that summer.

He wanted to see Nicholas covered in his own blood.

“I’m here to pick up the kids for the craft time. We’re doing glitter frames next. Sure you don’t want to join? It’s pretty and sparkly.”

“Crafters come ashore!” Johnny called watching a few of them turn their heads and row towards shore.

“Don’t be so prickly. Aren’t omegas supposed to be all soft and sweet and needy?”

Johnny steadied kayaks helping kids ashore and taking their life vests.

Nicholas muttered about Johnny being a stuck up prissy bitch in a tone only Johnny caught before leaving him alone as soon as the campers got onto shore.

A relief.

He then moved on to archery after all the kids left, the last of his kayakers heading off to play the flag football game in the field.

Archery was the best because no one tried to mess with him when he held a weapon in his hand.

The disgust and anger that hit him in waves calmed. The shaking of his hands stilled once he held the bow in his hands, knocked the arrow and let it go.

Bulls eye.

He felt better.

When he’d been in high school. The summer before Daniel came to LA he’d nearly been banned from the camp.

He broke Nicholas's arm when he'd cornered him in one of the supply closets.

Now he was allowed to do what he wanted.

He was pretty sure the owner was scared that Johnny would tell Sid and Sid would sue them into the ground even though Johnny knew that Sid didn’t give a shit.

But it was a defense.

A thin defense.

But he’d take it.

Archery meant watching the kids shoot arrows everywhere but the target.

It meant keeping a close watch on them and giving sharp yells to ensure they followed protocol so no one got injured.

It meant having them crowd around behind him, asking him to show them how it was done again, a bunch of curious scientists studying his movements as he pulled the string back and let loose the arrow, murmurings of awe as it went straight into the center of the target.

They’d get better.

It was only the first day after all, and he’d been at it since he was younger than them, since his first camp.

After archery and putting away the arrows and bows, locking up the closet they lived in he returned to the canteen where Daniel was working. Curious about lunch, stomach growling and mouth watering with a hopeful curiosity.

Easy sandwiches with potato salad on the side.

There were those potatoes again.

He’d almost missed them at breakfast, not realizing they were hash-browns.

But damn.

The year it’d been corn it’d been ears of corn and creamed corn on everything…and grits.

Beets just meant stewed beets as a side.

Radishes were just chopped on everything, even his damn omelette's.

But Daniel? In a kitchen?

Heaven.

Who’d have thought?

He didn’t expect to ever look forward to the canteen. Breakfast and dinner meant his campers ate with him. But during lunch they went wherever they wanted.

Which meant, or at least Johnny always expected it to mean, he’d sit by himself.

He expected the staff to be dicks.

He expected the counselors to sit next to him, to close in on every side. Arms thrown all friendly like around his shoulders and waist while some guy told him about the porn he’d watched recently staring an omega and asking him if was the same, if he liked it the same way. Or asking if he wanted to see the skin mags they’d brought along. That it might be more fun for them to get along this year, they were pretty sure they could satisfy him. Did he want to see their dicks? He could taste them if he wanted, it’d be no problem for them.

But instead as he got his sandwich and his potato salad, marveling at how Daniel had once again figured out something unique to make potatoes out of, wondering how many more ways to serve them Daniel would find, he plopped down at a seat and found old campers falling in.

His old campers, crowding around him till there was no space left and Johnny felt like he could breathe again. Even when there wasn’t space they still found space to squeeze in.

It was sweet, it was silly, it was a relief.

He asked about their day, their year since he’d last seen them, surprised that they’d sought him out. Every year he expected the campers to outgrow it. That he’d reach that age where he was too old to seem cool to them. But they still showed up.

They chased after him while he was walking around camp to walk with him, to catch up, to talk. The joined him after dinner when he got his guitar out. They always screamed his name, excited, and running when they had his activities.

It was only the actual staff that seemed to dislike him, like a poison that spread slowly. Only the counselors seemed to hate him for things beyond his control.

After lunch he had a break and he thought about leaving. But he looked at the group supposed to help Daniel who were outside smoking and he slipped into the back instead.

He didn’t ask.

He just went to work washing dishes and cleaning up.

Daniel wasn’t even in the back.

Or at least that’s what Johnny thought at first.

Then he spotted the mop of brown hair and golden skin. Daniel was laid out on the big bags of flour like they were a bed, utterly exhausted.

Sleeping.

It was kinda funny.

Kinda cute.

He had flour on his nose. And Johnny wondered what from since there was nothing in lunch that had flour in it.

At least Johnny was 98% sure that Daniel hadn't made the bread from scratch.

He washed pots and pans and trays and silverware and set them out to dry. Then he walked towards the counter where Daniel had written out his plans for dinner.

Peel 80 potatoes was at the top of the list.

Johnny checked the time.

He could try that.

That’s what boys on ships did all the time in books. Peeled potatoes.

How hard could it be?

Hard.

A pain in the ass.

Johnny started with a knife, trying to work at it the way he’d seen Kreese peel an apple with his old army knife into one thin strip.

He’d thought that was the coolest fucking thing.

But he kept cutting himself.

He kept fucking up.

Potatoes didn’t quite work that way.

So he tried chipping away at the potatoes like he was whittling but that also was a pain.

He sucked at it.

He tried just slicing the edges off, which seemed to work. But it was a pain and potatoes were lumpy so it didn’t work quite as nicely as he’d hoped.

He sighed after then fifth one setting down the knife, washing his hands because he’d nicked himself again.

A hand came out and rested on his elbow and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“It’s easier if you use a peeler,” Daniel said holding up a tool with a handle and a horizontal blade.

Daniel held a potato in his hands and briskly ran the peeler over the potato like razor, thin shavings of potato came off.

Johnny dried his hands and stuck band-aids on his cuts before taking the peeler and going to work, grinning when it worked much better.

Chapter 4

Daniel was beat.

He was feeding hundreds of campers on his own.

The full time staff guy, the cook in charge of the building, hadn’t even left his cabin to help or tell Daniel where anything was.

He had to figure that out himself.

The other junior counselors would rather be outside smoking and gossiping and making out then help.

Because he “looked like he had it under control” or “That’s too much work man”.

The only use they had was showing up to serve the food and the lack of care in which they slopped food onto trays made Daniel want to scream.

His muscles were tired, he was sore.

Being kitchen staff was just…exhausting.

So after lunch he decided he deserved a nap and fell asleep to the drone of kids and counselors eating and talking on a rather lumpy bag of flour.

When he woke up it was quiet and he looked at his watch.

He had hours and hours and hours to go before dinner. But there was a sound.

A soft thunk of a knife cutting through something solid, a hiss and soft curse and then the sound of the water turning on.

He pushed himself up and saw Johnny and some of the most poorly cut potatoes Daniel had seen in his life.

Daniel almost laughed.

Johnny had cut himself.

Quite a few times.

Hopeless in a kitchen.

It was adorable. It was sweet. It made Daniel's heart melt.

Johnny was the only one.

The only person other than Daniel’s own cabin of campers that seemed to have any desire to help him.

If it’d been any one else Daniel wouldn’t have trusted it.

His trust was completely shattered thanks to Silver, but he knew Johnny and Johnny was a one on the scale of pain in the ass enemies.

He’d tripped over the damn scale and landed his ass into fondness territory, especially after he’d apologized.

At the time he’d been a five. When it’d all been rotten and awful. With the cobras anyway, he was a five.

On his own he was a three. More of a menace and a pain in the ass then anything when on his own.

Chozen was a 7, and Terry Silver and his group broke the 10 and fell into astronomical numbers.

And they left Daniel with anger.

So much anger.

But Johnny, he was clumsy in the kitchen and he was there and Daniel did have a shit ton of potatoes to peel and he liked teaching.

Loved the way Johnny looked when the peeler did the trick. And they sat in the back of the kitchen with Daniel, spending the afternoon peeling potatoes, a quiet challenge for speed, that Johnny surprisingly gave him a run for his money on. Until much faster than Daniel expected, his potatoes were peeled and that boiling anger had subsided and he’d had fun.

Actual fun.

“Hey since we’re ahead of schedule let’s make your mask.”

“Make my mask?” Daniel asked with a frown.

“Yeah, come on,” Johnny said reaching for Daniel’s hand and leading him out of the canteen and into the sun.

For a moment Daniel had forgotten about fresh air, about anything beyond the smell of oil and grease and potatoes.

Johnny lead him to the events cabin that was empty and Daniel wondered for a moment if they’d slipped away to fool around. Then he pushed the thought away.

Daniel was handed a box and Johnny carried another before heading to one of the tables in the back.

“So every year we make masks, or each camp counselor makes a mask for their monster,” Johnny said digging through his box and pulling out a wooden mask that looked like a bunny with horns.

“I made like four of these my first year as a counselor so I wouldn’t have to do it again. Generally the counselors do it at night after the campers have gone to bed but I don’t want to…well now’s a better time.”

There were so many things Daniel had wanted to ask, that had gotten caught up in his throat.

Like was Johnny okay?

He’d seen the way the counselors touched him, casually invading his space. He’d seen Nicholas grinding against Johnny over a crate near the lake and had nearly run out to help Johnny, his potatoes for potato salad boiling on the stove be damned. Only to watch Johnny knock the guy on his ass.

He’d expected Johnny to beat the shit out of him, but he hadn’t.

And that had made Daniel mad, furious that no one had done anything.

He’d wanted to shake Johnny and demand to know why that guy got off so easy?

Why he hadn’t beaten the shit out of him?

And then he remembered Johnny after the All-Valley, struggling to breathe.

Maybe, like Daniel, Johnny couldn’t breathe either.

Maybe his strike first had broken with that shattered trust the night of the All-Valley the way Daniel’s had after Silver.

Maybe, like Mr. Miyagi had pointed out later, Johnny had never been taught how to defend himself.

Maybe he needed help.

“So what do I do?” Daniel asked carefully putting the beautiful bunny mask with antlers down.

“Do you know how to whittle?”

“Uh, no.”

“Okay so first dig out the gloves and put those on.”

Daniel did and then he was handed a knife, a sharp knife, different from his own in the kitchens and Johnny leaned over into Daniel’s crate getting out supplies.

“You’re going to design the Lone Pine Mountain Devil. A lot of people tend to make the lone pine mountain devil like a cheap Halloween devil mask, just red with horns and the beard for some reason. Or a dinosaur. But it’s also supposed to be bat like and no one every includes that, so I think you can have some fun with it. Here’s some sketches. Whittling is like slow and meditative, kinda like Mr. Miyagi’s stuff that you said he taught you before right? So now that you’re wearing gloves to protect your hands you need to figure out which way is the grain of the wood. When you cut away at the wood with the grain it’ll go well, if you go against it it’ll splinter and tear. It’ll fight against you.”

“Kinda like you trying to peel potatoes.”

“Yeah,” Johnny said looking embarrassed, shy. Almost pouting.

Cute.

He was so close, guiding Daniel’s hand with the knife over a piece of soap he'd put in Daniel's hands. He smelled good. Sweet.

“You can practice with soap, make like a duck or something. It’s kind of fun. Sometimes at night I whittle soap so that the campers wake up and the new bar in the bathroom is a duck or bear or something. They get a kick out of it and it’s good practice. I uh, went ahead and did basic masks, I have spares, so you just need to add to them, if you want,” Johnny said digging through his own box and handing Daniel a blank mask.

“So what do I do?”

“Take the other wood, whittle fangs, bat like things, whatever you want to add and use the wood glue to adhere it. Then after it’s set, paint it. We have a festival at the end of the year where we wear them. And the kids make their own too. So my cabin will all have masks they made. It's fun.”

Daniel nodded, working slowly, carefully.

He made fangs, he made horns, he made little bat wings he stuck to the side, slowly, frustratingly.

Every time he got the wood grain wrong Johnny murmured that it was okay, they had plenty, he’d chop down a tree for him if needed.

And that made Daniel laugh, but finally he finished.

He set it back in the box to dry, promised he’d paint it later and Johnny glancing at the time, gently squeezed his arm, and like a camp Cinderella ran off to go take kids on a hike and Daniel returned to the canteen to finish dinner.

It was quiet in the canteen.

He was used to quiet.

But this was too quiet. Without Johnny there...Daniel felt his absence like a weight.

He had hoped that working at the camp would keep him busy in every way.

He was physically busy, prepping dinner, but his mind wasn’t busy and it wandered.

It wandered where he didn’t want it to go.

He thought about the blood on his knuckles after hitting that guy at the club.

The shock of it.

The way Silver smiled at him like it was the right thing to do.

The way he’d been manipulated so much and how easily he’d fallen for it.

He was furious.

Unmoored.

Without Mr. Miyagi he’d worried what would happen if he stayed home alone.

It wasn’t just that it was cheaper to be at camp.

He needed something to keep him busy.

Something to keep him steady and focused.

He needed to be around people.

And being out in the woods helping kids enjoy their summer had seemed like the perfect idea.

He could be like Mr. Miyagi. Impart wisdom and chill by a lake.

It’d been good in theory.

But he hadn’t expected the other counselors to piss him off so much. They got under his skin like a cold metal knife.

He cooked on auto pilot trying to steer his attention. Trying to focus and calm down.

He heard Johnny and glanced up seeing the kids following him like a little group of ducklings and it was the cutest thing. Just like the way they flocked to him at lunch.

He could hear Johnny’s voice carry through the empty canteen.

“Today’s hike, the first one of the summer will be a safety hike. We’re going to learn what’s poisonous, what’s okay to eat, what to do if you get lost and basic first aid. You will stay with me on the path, we will not get off the path, or one of our monsters might get you, got it?”

“Like the Lone Pine Mountain Devil?” a camper asked with a shudder.

It was one of Daniel’s and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Or anything else that might want to rip your face off. So stick with me okay?”

He got a chorus of yeses and off they went.

“What a shame. Really, an omega like that that’s already so good with kids is just kinda sad that he doesn’t have any of his own. Someone really should just knock him up. Maybe he’ll be less pissy. He just needs a good fucking, it’s in his nature. We should just lock him up in one of the supply closets and give him his medicine every hour. You know what I mean by medicine right? Dick.”

Daniel’s knife went straight through the cutting board.

“He’s really the kind that should just constantly be pregnant,” The other counselor agreed. “Keep him docile.”

It was a rush, the sound of his blood in his veins.

He chopped.

He was shaking.

He was furious.

“You’d think with how rare they were that the government would just scoop them up as soon as they presented and put them somewhere easier for them.”

“What like a whore house?”

“Well yeah. Something like that. It’s in their nature.”

It was always an ember.

Felt like the a spark going towards the summer sky, a star twinkling in the sky. Mr. Miyagi usually caught it, redirected it, helped guide him.

But here…

Without him…

It was a forest fire.

A rage that would burn him up from the inside out.

There was danger in it.

In all of it.

He knew that.

He was a cliche.

He’d been told about it, warned about it, ever since middle school when he’d gone to the doctors, gotten his test results.

“There’s a chance, if you’re not able to control yourself, it might spiral. You’re in the upper threshold of alphas. You should grow big and strong. And anger will come easily to you, and without the proper outlet, it can be dangerous.”

But he hadn’t grown big or strong. Not the way the doctors told him he would. But that fury, it sparked along his skin.

The group of counselors passed and he tried to breathe.

Tried to push it down, tried to let it out.

He went to work.

Chopping.

Rhythm.

Breath.

Time slipped through his hands.

Past him.

He saw nothing. Their words echoing through his head, conjuring up a sicking image that soured his stomach.

They joked. But in the way of the early onset of a mob.

And then it was all done.

Faster than he thought.

And he stood, breathing hard, sweating, holding the knife in his hand so hard that it hurt.

“Alright campers! Wash your hands.”

“But Johnny, it’s dinner!”

“Exactly! If you touched something in the woods that you’re allergic too or might be poisonous and then you eat it? Hoo our camp nurse will be the person you see next and you will be miserable. So soap and water, clean your nails! Go! All of you! Don’t look at me like that. I’m not making you bathe. Just wash your hands.”

Johnny stood watching the campers traipse off and he walked into the canteen, smiling at Daniel.

How could he smile like that?

He wouldn’t smile like that if he knew.

He’d probably never smile again if they got their hands on him. Their awful hands.

They’d break him, whatever happiness Johnny had managed to squirrel away for himself after the All-Valley, it’d be gone. It’d never come back.

It needed to be protected.

That smile needed to be protected.

“Need help with anything else?” Johnny asked using the sink to wash his hands.

“Uh, no, you helped me a lot already.”

Johnny smiled, clearly proud of himself.

Daniel wanted to grab him, hug him close to his chest and tell Johnny that it’d be okay, that Daniel would keep him safe. This time he’d protect him. He’d make sure this time they wouldn’t get hurt.

“You okay?” Johnny asked, smile faltering and Daniel felt a desperate need to keep that smile turned on him, a cold ice in his stomach, chilling him and spreading as it sunk.

“Yeah, I—“

“It’s because you’re not getting any help huh?” Johnny asked with a sigh, hands on his hips.

“Yeah.”

“I got something that might help,” Johnny said digging through the pack on his hip.

He pulled out a blunt and held it out to Daniel.

Daniel stared at it then laughed.

“You get better at rolling?”

Johnny’s face turned bright red.

“What?”

“Halloween? That thing you were rolling was so small.”

“I was learning! I’ve gotten better.”

“Yeah, that is better,” Daniel said looking at the clock. “Later?”

“You’re right,” Johnny said taking it back and sticking it in the pack.

“Thanks though, I…need something to look forward to.”

He needed the distraction, he needed to not think about the rush of warm blood on his knuckles, the crack of bones when they snapped, the desire to finally get them to shut up shut up SHUT UP!

Johnny nodded, “Then, I’ll go supervise the campers and I’ll see you after dinner…how about a short hike down the path? There’s a fork, if you go right, I’ll be that way.”

Daniel smiled.

Johnny left and Daniel leaned heavily against the counter.

He felt a bit better. But he was exhausted, the way his emotions crashed on him. A tsunami he had no control over.

The staff arrived to help serve the food and Daniel moved on autopilot watching Johnny.

He tried to let his gaze change, to focus on nothing, but he kept getting drawn in.

“Got a crush?” Lori asked with a laugh. “You should know he’s a prude. Who knew omegas that weren’t sluts existed?”

Daniel grit his teeth.

“He does have a nice ass, you should try giving it a squeeze. Can confirm.”

Daniel wanted to chop off Nicholas’s hand.

He thankfully didn’t have a knife.

Dinner was torture and it was a relief when it was over.

He waited till everyone was gone from the back of the kitchen, all up front with the campers for the movie that took over the canteen.

He slipped out through the back.

He followed the path, went right. He didn’t even pause, he knew where exactly Johnny was.

He knew it on instinct.

He could smell Johnny on the breeze. A sweet dessert just within reach.

And he was right.

Johnny was right where he expected. Sitting on a log near an overlook.

Daniel hadn’t even realized that the hike had been long and uphill.

He was panting.

He’d nearly run.

He was out of breath.

Johnny turned to him and smiled, patting the log next to him.

Daniel sat, heart fluttering, stomach full of butterflies.

How the hell did Johnny smell so good?

“You want to smoke? It’s weed. Just to be clear. You don’t have to, but it helps sometimes.”

Daniel held out his hand.

“I’ve smoked weed before.”

“You have?”

“Yeah.”

Daniel held it easily between his fingers, grateful they weren’t trembling.

He already felt like a mess.

Johnny looked at him amused.

“Not going to tell me the when or where?”

“And you’re not going to light it?”

Johnny fumbled for his fanny pack pulling out a lighter and with a snick it lit.

He cupped his hand around the flame and Daniel leaned in, helping Johnny keep the breeze from the flame with his own hand, fingers over Johnny’s just for a second while he held the joint gently between his lips.

He inhaled.

It was like a familiar old friend.

He breathed out smoke, relaxing.

He turned to the view.

He felt so much better.

“You going to share?”

“This isn’t just mine?”

“I didn’t bring that much weed on this trip. Just in case. I don’t want the kids getting into it.”

“So how was your day rough? I cooked all by myself three meals. You looked like you were surrounded, like always, by your adoring fans.”

“You noticed that?” Johnny asked with a frown. “They’re not adoring fans, they’re dicks. It’s bad enough they touch me but then they’re—“

Daniel whirled hand going to Johnny’s, taking it in his own.

Johnny knew.

He couldn’t handle that.

He couldn’t handle talking about that right now.

His heart nearly froze.

If they talked about it Daniel would pin Johnny down and promise him that he’d take care of it. That Johnny would be safe, would beg Johnny to run to him, to call for him if they tried to cross the line.

He felt on the verge of hysterics. He had to pull their evening back, away from that, away from people who were awful, away from the danger that lurked beyond their clearing before Daniel snapped.

“I meant the campers. They adore you.”

Johnny blinked.

They were almost nose to nose.

He could kiss Johnny.

He wondered what that would taste like.

He wanted to.

He could show Johnny a good time. A real good time. A summer of something sweet, just for the both of them. He could gorge himself on Johnny’s moans, his gasps, the feeling of Johnny’s skin beneath his fingers.

He wanted so much in an instant. To feel the way Johnny might cling to him.

A dark thought rumbled through the deep recesses of his brain.

The camp was full of dumb-ass betas who thought they knew a lot about omegas but Daniel knew, truly knew, and was the only one who could give what Johnny might need. He squashed the thought quickly, feeling sick.

He was better than the camp counselors who looked at Johnny like a piece of meat.

He was better than a dumb alpha.

Johnny’s face turned pink and he looked away.

Daniel inhaled a lung full of smoke, trying to push away his thoughts. Trying to force away the thought of Johnny being his. The need of it. The whisper that really, it was only nature, and those betas needed to learn a lesson, not to mess with what was Daniel’s.

“Oh, right, the campers,” Johnny said.

Daniel passed him the joint.

He waited for Johnny to talk about the staff, the other counselors but he didn’t. Thankfully.

The darkness passed.

He calmed down, pushing off the clammy cold that had laid over him like a fog.

He didn’t like those thoughts, they came up every once in a while. Like because he was an alpha he was owed things. He was better than the other camp counselors. He knew Johnny was so much more than an omega, like he was so much more than an alpha.

And just like he’d thought in high school, just because they happened to be an alpha and omega didn’t mean they were meant to be. It wasn't like they were each other’s type anyway.

Even though sometimes he did stare.

And sometimes he did wonder what Johnny tasted like when he went into heat, what he’d look like.

And sure it’d haunted his dreams. How many times had he dreamt of Johnny pushing him down on the ground with a haughty air and telling him to stay down while Johnny used him? How much that had thrilled him? How it changed after the All-Valley and how instead his dreams of Johnny came with Johnny telling Daniel to take his winnings, the trophy and himself.

How after he’d apologized, all flustered and cute Daniel dreamt that he told Mr. Miyagi and his mother he’d be back to them in a moment and chased back through that crowd to grab Johnny and kiss him, how Johnny had squeaked when he’d done that, an adorable sound of surprise before melting in his arms.

How when everything hurt, when he was scared in Okinawa Johnny came in his dreams and hugged him close, comforting him, listening as Daniel explained every awful thing with tears in his eyes. And Johnny would kiss him, a soft kiss to his forehead and tell him it’d be okay. He was tougher than he thought he was. A badass.

And with Silver and Barnes?

All that terror, sometimes Johnny didn’t come in those dreams even though Daniel desperately wanted him there.

It felt selfish.

And on a level he didn’t want Johnny in those dreams. He didn’t want to see Silver and Johnny in the same dream. Because it’d happened once. One night after Silver had shown his true self where Johnny had come to comfort him in his dreams, to hold his hands and listen and tell him he’d be okay and then suddenly Johnny was gone and Silver had him, pinned down and ravishing him and Daniel had screamed himself awake unable to get Silver’s laugh out of his head.

“Come now Danny-boy this is all you want. An alpha is made to take and fight and ravage. More than any one else, alphas walk hand in hand with blood-lust, they take what they want, they fight, they destroy. Now show me Danny, what you’re truly made of, show me the monster hiding behind that mask. If you don’t learn how to strike first then how will you ever get what you want? Maybe I should find this boy of yours, your omega. After all he was Kreese’s student, should be easy enough for me to find him. If I play you like a violin imagine how easy it would be for me to get him? How’d you like that Danny-boy? If you don’t use that backbone of yours, if you don’t go for it, you’ll miss out, and then maybe someone else will beat you to it. Make this boy theirs. If you’re not careful it could even be me.”

He’d told himself it was just dreams. That he’d made up the chance of friendship with Johnny based off breadcrumbs, that Johnny was away at college with the cobras and they’d keep him safe, that Johnny was an All-Valley champion and wouldn’t let anyone push him around. He didn’t need saving, he didn’t need rescuing, he didn’t need Daniel.

He’d meet some nice beta, probably a girl like Ali, and they’d get married.

It happened. Male omegas didn’t always end up with alphas. The world had moved passed that.

They’d have kids the way most of the world had them. And no one would talk about Johnny being an omega. He’d live his badass life. And Daniel would just sometimes wonder.

But he hadn’t taken it into account what that final All-Valley had done to him, what Kreese had done. And now Daniel worried. Maybe Johnny wasn’t defending himself as much as he should. Maybe he needed Daniel.

As a friend.

As a protector.

As someone to watch his back.

They sat, watching the moon rise up over the lake and lightning bugs flit around, smoking their joint, passing it back and forth and talking about everything else, and nothing at all.

Everything was going to be totally fine.

Daniel would make sure of it.

But first, before bed, he’d finish his mask.

Chapter 5

Notes:

This is where things get dark. Proceed with caution.

Warnings for death, murder, mentions of assault, and non-con ( and eventually more so in that arguably cliche omegaverse way)

Normally Johnny waited till a few hours after dawn for his morning run, but since he was going to help Daniel in the kitchen he started at dawn.

He had liked helping Daniel in the kitchen.

It felt safe, comforting.

And maybe Johnny liked the way Daniel gently guided him through the steps, the hand on his elbow. The way Daniel looked proud of him when he did it right. When he got it.

Johnny enjoyed learning new things, and the idea that he might spend this camp summer not only eating well for the first season ever but also learn a new skill?

The guys would die when he got home. He couldn’t wait to see their faces when he made them dinner. Let alone when he told them who he’d learned it from. They’d trip over themselves demanding to learn more.

It’d be like Grease.

How’d the song go?

Tell me more, tell more.

Things were going well.

Maybe the rift between them had healed. Johnny’s thick headed-ness that had ruined their relationship, ruined Daniel’s first semester in LA, maybe they both could finally have a good summer.

And maybe they could try to be more than friends.

Maybe Johnny wouldn’t chicken out, would find a good opportunity to kiss Daniel and maybe Daniel wouldn’t be grossed out, or think he was easy or that it was one of the millions of other thoughts that stopped Johnny from acting.

That and the fact it sounded like from Daniel’s stories that Daniel only seemed to like beta girls.

Ali, the long ago camp girl Judy, Kumiko, Jessica.

All beta girls.

Johnny didn’t know what Daniel was and he didn’t care.

He liked sitting with him talking the night away, just the two of them.

He liked working with him in the kitchen.

He liked the way he smiled.

He liked the way he smelled. Which was rare. A lot of people, most betas, to Johnny smelled sour.

All the camp counselors smelled bitter.

But Daniel smelled a bit like spices. Probably from working in the kitchens.

It was a welcome change.

He ran the familiar paths, enjoying the feeling of his blood pounding through his veins, the sound of the birds chirping and the bugs buzzing, the wind through the leaves.

He saw shoes first.

He frowned.

The shoes were attached to legs.

He went for his pack on his hip.

He had one of those needles for allergic reactions.

Maybe a kid who was allergic to bees and didn’t know it got stung.

He wondered if someone got sick or hurt.

He groped through his pack for the first aid kit.

He opened his mouth to tell the person it’d be okay when he finally got around the bushes to see the body.

Nicholas.

Maybe.

His band-aids and gauze wouldn’t do anything to help.

None of his training would fix this.

He couldn’t look at Nichloas’s face after that first glance.

It was like something had eaten it.

He felt sick.

Whatever had eaten his face and his chest, had also eaten the guys hands.

Johnny turned back the way he came to an old familiar rock, stumbling to sit on it. He curled his head between his knees, breathing, struggling to breathe, trying to ignore the sound of the flies.

The smell hit him now as the wind changed direction.

The blood had dried a long time ago.

Whatever had come for him was long gone.

Only Nicholas had that dumb tattoo on his ankle.

It was definitely Nicholas.

He’d shown it to Johnny and then told him had a dick piercing that he’d show Johnny any time he wanted to. That he was sure Johnny would enjoy it.

He didn’t like Nicholas.

Maybe he’d wanted him dead.

But to see it.

For it to be real.

He hadn’t done it had he?

He’d been so high the night before when he’d finally stumbled back to the cabin a little giddy.

Giggly.

Leaning against Daniel, wanting to touch his hair, bumping his shoulder against him.

“You’re cool you know that? Best guy in this whole camp. This year, this year will be better because you’re here. Better than the other councilors. Like Nicholas, you know how I get to do archery and kayaking stuff like leading the hiking and and I get to do over night trips with just the kids by myself? It’s because of Nicholas. I broke his arm a couple years ago. He tried to corner me in the supply closet.”

He hadn’t ever told anyone other than the head of the camp when he’d been dragged in, covered in blood, the director demanding to know why he’d broken Nicholas’s arm. Why Nicholas was looking away and wouldn’t say what happened beyond a sullen, Johnny did it.

“Surprised me. Said he needed help with something with the craft stuff for the campers, needed my help in the supply closet. He almost—“

Johnny thought he could say it, but he choked on the words, letting go of Daniel to stop and crouch in the path because he saw a firefly and it was so damn pretty, it crawled onto his finger and he studied it close, wondering if life, if his life would’ve been better if he’d been born a bug.

“He didn’t…” Johnny continued as Daniel stood in the darkness beside him. “I showered like twenty times after, because I could still feel his hands on me, all over me and I was just so shocked at first, stunned that something like that could happen, to me. That I thought maybe I was dreaming until it almost, until he tried to— and then I broke his arm. I wrenched it back and it snapped, and I felt sick. It was like when Bobby hurt your knee, when I hurt your knee but worse, more final of a sound. So the director gave me all the tasks I want and I’m no longer doing crafts with Nicholas.”

He breathed as the lightning bug flickered, glowed slowly on his hand, little soft blinks. No one had heard his own Morse code, his own screams of S.O.S.

He saved himself.

He could save himself.

He had worried after Kreese that he couldn’t.

That he’d freeze up again when someone attacked him.

He’d been relieved when he’d heard that snap, felt the bone give way, because it meant he could act still.

That he wasn’t going to forever just be frozen in terror.

A frog croaked in the distance and the lightning bug flew off.

Johnny stood, too fast, stumbling.

He half expected Daniel to catch him, was surprised when he didn’t move, when he stood so stock still in the dark.

Maybe he’d ruined things.

Maybe Daniel thought he was dirty or something.

He felt a little sad. Like he’d ruined the night, their fun.

“I’m…gonna go to bed,” Johnny said, toward the figure that he knew was Daniel but it was so cold, all the warmth he knew from Daniel had slipped out into the evening and Johnny wondered for a moment how high he was. Because that was Daniel, he knew it was Daniel, but for a moment he felt so sure that it was a demon. A monster watching him in the dark, listening to him.

“Good night Johnny,” Daniel had said.

And Johnny had seen him smile. Told himself that Daniel was fine. It was all the weed that made those teeth look sharp, monstrous.

He felt like he needed to say something, do something, he needed to pull Daniel back to him, that he couldn’t leave that cold monster in the darkness staring at him, watching him.

He couldn’t just leave a demon in the woods.

He couldn’t leave Daniel thinking that Johnny was dirty, or…or a slut or something, but he didn’t know what else to say. How to explain that he’d stopped it before it’d gotten out of hand. He’d just…been groped, molested, he supposed if he wanted to put a label on it that made his skin crawl. That sometimes he had nightmares about those hands on him again.

He had gone to bed, holding his head high as he slipped into his cabin and he'd gone to bed. 

Now, as he tried to breathe he thought about how he'd wished for it with every fiber of his being every time he felt Nicholas’s breath on him, hot and warm and smelling like bitter herbs.

Every time Nicholas told him that next time Johnny would enjoy it. Because Johnny would be so much happier with his life if he didn’t fight against his nature.

He'd wanted Nicholas to die.

To stop existing.

To be out of his life.

He could've done it.

He looked at his hands, at his shoes. Not a spot of blood on him.

He didn’t do it.

Nothing in the camp handbook said what to do when a counselor got mauled.

Because that was it right?

Something hungry had come and ate Nicholas.

He had to tell the director.

He couldn’t let the kids go hiking or stray far, especially if there was a monster in the woods.

“I’ll get help,” Johnny said.

He said it for Nicholas.

For himself.

Stating his action the way he would've for CPR.

He go up and started running back to camp.

The director was pissed Johnny woke him up. Took him forever to stop lecturing Johnny and listen. And then he didn’t believe him, grumpily trailing behind Johnny back up the path.

And then the director was sick. And they were rushing back to camp. The nurse was woken up and a driver and the police were called and the campers were all told to stay near the lake or crafting for the day.

No archery.

No hiking.

No exploring.

“You okay?” Daniel asked handing him cup of coffee.

Waking up Daniel to get the canteen up and running early felt awful.

Daniel had already been through so much that Johnny didn’t want to put anything else on his shoulders, but Daniel snapped to work.

He made breakfast, he made coffee and now he sat with Johnny by the lake, drinking coffee and patting his knee.

“Just breathe,” Daniel said, soothingly.

Johnny did.

Daniel moved a little, arm wrapping around Johnny shoulder, slow going, tentative and Johnny set his coffee down before turning, hugging Daniel close.

“It’s okay,” Daniel said. “Everything will be okay.”

And for some reason Johnny believed him.

He expected camp to be closed but it wasn’t.

Nicholas’s death was dismissed as a tragic bear attack and camp went back to normal.

Except Johnny stopped going on his runs.

He carried bear mace with him when he went hiking with the campers. Made sure they stuck close with him. And instead of doing early morning runs he worked in the kitchens with Daniel.

He learned how to cook potatoes a thousand ways.

Daniel taught him how to make gnocchi, how to make pasta, potato pancakes and regular pancakes, he taught him how to cook bacon and eggs, how to make a good omelet.

And it was heaven.

Daniel was a good teacher, guiding him through the steps patiently.

Johnny learned how to make cupcakes and cookies.

He learned how to make parfaits and brownies.

A good pasta sauce from scratch, how to cook raw meat like chicken versus pork and steak.

He learned how to make vegetables tasty.

And in the evenings they hung out.

Daniel always came and sat with him when he played guitar and sang with the campers and Daniel smiled, that soft sweet smile at him when he did so.

He taught Daniel how to shoot a bow and arrow. They kayaked on the lake. They talked for hours.

Johnny thought for sure they’d run out of things to talk about, but they never seemed to. They always found something new. He learned about Newark, about growing up in Jersey and how close that was to New York. He learned about winters that were so cold.

Daniel asked him to teach him how to play guitar, and it was funny how awful Daniel was at it at first and the way he’d frown, bite his lip and nearly pout, but he got better, he got good at it.

Johnny wanted to dance with him. There were a few socials, a few dances at camp, and sure they were for the campers, and Johnny usually avoided them like the plague, but this year he wanted to dance with Daniel, wrap his arms around him and sway to the music.

Wanted to kiss him soft and slow and sweet.

He wanted to take his hand and climb up to a secluded spot.

He wanted to go skinny dipping with him in the lake, giggling at the rush of it until they were making out and touching each other in the water under the moon.

Johnny grilled hamburgers and hot dogs near the end of the summer marveling at how he knew what to do and turning to see Daniel smiling at him.

It almost seemed like Daniel was fond of him. And his chest felt warm. It made him think that maybe he could make a move. Maybe he could kiss Daniel and not ruin everything. He could tell him how he felt.

It’d been in the back of his throat for weeks. A sudden thought that had struck him upside the head and left him dazed.

“Daniel,” Johnny said.

“I was thinking, we could teach the kids to make ice cream,” Daniel said.

“I want to—“

“They’d like that huh? Salt, ice, cream and sugar is all you need really. What about during the festival? With the rockets and what not?”

“That’d be fun but Daniel—“

He been so quiet at first but then as the summer went on that talkative guy he knew slowly returned.

It was frustrating but also Johnny’s favorite thing.

“I’ve got chocolate chips, cookies, we could make jam and they could have fruit flavors—“

“Daniel!”

Daniel blinked, startled.

Johnny felt his face burn.

“What?”

“I—“

Daniel grinned, looking at Johnny amused. “Yes Johnny?”

Johnny looked at the burgers and took a deep careful breath.

“I wanted to say thank you,” he said quietly. “For taking the time to teach me. I think, no, I know. I realized is more right. I realized that in my entire life, you’re the best teacher I think I’ve ever had.”

His vision blurred a little and he blinked hard.

He needed to say it. To unearth that truth before he could even attempt the other ones.

He glanced at Daniel who was looking at him so warmly.

Johnny rubbed his face with his arm and cleared his throat, returning his focus to the grill.

“I’m just…I know it hasn’t been great, but I’m glad you came to camp. I’m glad you’re here. Maybe…we can sneak away during the festival and go to the look out? Watch the fire works from there together?”

“I’d like that,” Daniel said.

Johnny smiled, going back to grilling.

He was sure he’d get his courage up by then.

He just had to practice in his head what he’d say a thousand times or more and hope he didn’t ruin it.

He’d take the blankets and maybe, if Daniel liked him, before they went home, before Daniel went back to Reseda and Johnny went back to college they could have sex under the stars and camp could end in a perfectly sweet note.

 

There were nights that were perfect. And there was an amount of luck Johnny had and it generally, always, predictably ran out.

The end of the summer festival was always a big deal. And generally people were in good spirits and the crude behavior of the other councilors was low enough to ignore.

Plus he was going to hang out with Daniel. He was going to take a blanket up to the look out and some snacks he’d tried making. And he was going to kiss Daniel LaRusso and tell him he liked him, and if Daniel was down for more he was too.

However Daniel wanted him, that was what Johnny wanted. He wanted to be one. He wanted to make love. He wanted to feel Daniel’s hands on him.

He was so lost in his thoughts, in the excitement of his plans that after playing a few songs on his guitar he didn’t put his guard up like usual. He didn’t think anything about it when Lori gave him a drink.

He didn’t think anything about the fact Chad was watching him, or Scott, or Randy. Or the ways the girls giggled with Lori.

He just hiked that trail he’d hiked a thousand times in time to see the fireworks and enjoy the bonfire.

But then his eyes got heavy as he sat slumped next to the fire he’d built.

He was tired.

So damn tired all of a sudden.

And warm.

Too warm.

Warmth that curled through his veins, slowly like a cat stretching in a sunbeam.

“Did it work?” Dawn asked.

“Looks like,” Chad said.

He felt like he was dreaming, watching the fire dance. So pretty that he didn’t really notice the hands on him, pushing up his shirt. Hearing the fabric rip.

And then all of a sudden when some distant part of his mind thought he needed to do something, that something was wrong, there was something warm and wet on his skin. And his head was heavy. Too heavy.

There were screams.

Lots of screams.

He looked up, forced his head up.

It was quiet all of a sudden.

Chad was dead.

He gazed around the fire.

They were all dead.

Standing on the edge of the fire, breathing hard, was a demon. A monster. Completely covered in blood.

No.

Not a monster.

A person wearing a mask.

He knew that mask.

He helped make that mask.

It was made out of wood he'd whittled himself, that they'd pieced together like a puzzle. He remembered being excited to see it painted only to realize it was missing.

The air smelled good.

Under the metallic scent of blood, was something wild but comforting. Full of spices he liked.

The figure turned.

Johnny was going to die.

He felt that to his core.

But instead of fear, or panic, instead of any reaction he expected he would have when faced with a murderer in the middle of a murder spree alone in the woods, instead of screaming, or begging for mercy, or trying to run, Johnny went into heat.

Chapter 6

Notes:

Warning: Murder and non-con, neither are clear headed.

He couldn’t breathe.

All he saw was red.

He was starving.

He was thirsty.

His skin itched and it was uncomfortable and he had a pounding headache.

The only thing that helped was putting an end to the screaming.

The silence was refreshing.

He turned.

There was one left.

One last beating heart.

He lifted his knife, lost in the thrum of it all. The need to get rid of everything.

But there were no screams.

He blinked through the mask.

He almost hadn’t brought it. But he loved that mask, they’d carefully made it together.

Someone important to him.

The sound of his own breath sounded frantic and wild in his own ears, echoed back to him from within the confines of the mask.

The blonde was left.

The mostly naked blonde.

There was something important about that.

But there was something else.

Something to focus on.

Why wasn’t the blonde screaming?

He was breathing hard.

No.

Yes?

His chest was rising and falling and bare, shirt had been ripped. Long pale knees were pressed together, like he was trying to hide something. The ripped clothes? A shyness?

His face was pink, no, red.

Not just from the blood that had splattered.

His mouth was open and blue eyes were glazed, watching him.

He wasn’t screaming.

He was watching.

Looking.

He didn’t mind the blonde’s eyes on him.

It didn’t burn the way the other’s had.

Something in the air smelled good.

Soothing.

He knew where it was coming from.

Instinct took over.

As it had when he’d gotten there.

He didn’t remember getting there.

He didn’t remember putting on the mask or grabbing his knife.

He remembered trying to make it look like an attack, that specific mauled look.

He had to do that before he left.

Like he’d done to the last one. He think he understood how to do it now. The art of making it look like a mauling.

But first he had to take care of the blonde.

He put his hand on one of the blonde’s knees, all the hair on his skin stood on end at the sound the blonde made, as his legs fell easily apart.

Wet.

Heat.

He needed that.

Desperately.

But he couldn’t be seen.

He knew that much.

He guided the blonde onto all fours, a clumsy move, the blonde struggled up, struggled to follow the guidance, not fighting him, but just lost in heat.

He moved carefully, taking off that pack from the blonde’s hips, he knew there were good things in there, that he was fond of it. It sparked something distant that he’d shoved away when he’d rushed into the clearing, with his mask and his knife.

He carefully helped the blonde out of his ruined shirt, the shorts that’d been ripped.

He felt sick, a bit dizzy and heady. He wanted to drive the knife into flesh again.

He hadn’t made it in time.

He was sure of it.

The blonde had been hurt. His blonde. The omega, his omega had been harmed.

He’d fix it.

He ran his hands over the blondes shivering feverish skin, feeling the heat radiate off of him.

He’d always wondered, and now he marveled.

He wished he had something for the blonde. Something soft to lay against.

He spotted a blanket, now dirty with blood, but only a little, he could flip that so the blood was facing the dirt, and lay it out. He coaxed the the blonde away from the carnage, facing him away from it, knowing instinctively that the blond shouldn't see it if he came out from that glazed heat he was in. 

He started running his fingers down his spine towards the wetness, marveling out how easily his finger slipped inside, how the blonde moaned and arched.

He fumbled at his own shorts for a moment, blood drying on the jeans.

He’d have to burn them.

But he’d have to do that later. There was a lot he needed to do.

First he had to take care of the blonde.

The blonde who was waiting patiently on his knees and elbows to be taken care of.

Something distant in his head told him he’d wanted this to go differently.

Sweeter, romantic, but the blonde whimpered a little, like he needed it desperately and all hesitation flew out the window.

He settled between the blonde’s legs, lined himself up and slid right in, bloody hands gripping the blonde’s hips tight.

Perfect.

Heaven.

Just one time.

It was all he wanted.

He could live with this.

Just once.

It was all he’d need.

It’d been what he’d hoped for for the night.

Just once by the fire, with the fireworks overhead. They were still going off. Loud booms and cracks in the sky, illuminating everything in bursts.

He could ignore the blood seeping into the grass, the bodies growing cold and stiff around them.

He’d focused on the blonde. The reason why he was there in the first place.

This was it. The whole purpose of the night.

The thrusting into the blonde’s wet warmth.

But it wasn’t enough.

Not with the sounds the blonde made.

Easy peasy, the dead had said. An omega begging to be filled.

He pushed the thought from his head.

But he did it.

Over and over again.

Filling the omega until the fire works ended.

Until the songs ended and the revelry.

Until he couldn’t any more.

Until the omega was satisfied, had come enough times that he’d lost count himself, until the omega passed out, pleased and full.

And then suddenly it all came crashing down. Like ice water on his head.

Chapter 7

Notes:

There's going to be a time skip in this chapter and verge from canonical timeline.

Johnny had a splitting headache when he woke up the next morning in the nurses station.

His campers crowded around with big owlish eyes full of concern, faces filled with panic and worry.

He was sore.

Had he forgotten to take his medicine?

He must’ve.

There was so much he had to do. He had to get them on the buses, take them home, he had to tell Daniel how he felt, he had to get the kids up and ready for school, he had to go to work. He had to tell Bobby that he’d forgotten to do his homework.

Wait.

He wasn’t in school anymore.

“Dad, it’s here again.”

Johnny peeled open an eye to look at Sam standing next to where he'd fallen asleep on the couch in the dark, shaking him.

Right.

It’d been years since camp.

Years since the murders.

Years since Sam had been born.

Her voice was tight and eyes were wide and scared almost a mirror to the campers he remembered.

Johnny pushed himself up and kissed her forehead, brushing curls away.

It was the same as always.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“You gotta look,” Sam said.

“Right,” Johnny said following her to her room where she stood a few feet from the window and pointed.

He flicked off her lamp.

“Is that better?” he asked motioning towards her bed for her to get in it, so he could re-tuck her in.

Robby, was sleeping in his own room, snoring up a storm.

A tiny nose crinkled with a frown.

“Other parents scare off the monsters.”

“Has our monster ever come in through your window?” Johnny asked.

Her arms were crossed over her chest in a look that was so familiar to him that it hurt.

He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“No. It just always is…watching, in the darkness. Why don’t you scare it off?”

“It’s…complicated,” Johnny said.

“Can I spend tomorrow with grandpa? The monster doesn’t show up there.”

“Sure kiddo.”

“Will Robby come too?”

“Of course.”

She nodded, crawling into her bed and rolling onto her side with a frown.

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it evil?”

“No.”

She nodded, and hugged her bear to her chest.

Johnny didn’t look out the window.

He knew he was there.

Standing in their backyard, watching, wearing that same mask.

There was no point in looking when he knew.

He could feel it in his bones the way some people could feel an oncoming storm.

Instead he went downstairs, pausing momentarily to look in Robby’s bedroom, sleeping peacefully.

Robby used to notice too. He used to worry. Especially as a baby.

He’d cry.

But now he slept through any visits.

It was just Sam who got scared now.

Johnny went to the kitchen flicking on the light.

He’d make cookies.

Once upon a time he tried to lure him inside.

He remembered his first semester back at school after that summer.

He could smell him on the wind, that smell of spices that he loved.

Johnny had embarrassed himself. Even thinking about it now he got embarrassed over it. Felt his skin burn at the thought and memory.

He’d thought maybe…

He’d left his windows open and his door open and Johnny had waited for him to come up the stairs or find a way in.

He hadn’t.

Johnny had spent the night alone.

He’d kept trying.

Got worried when his mother made Sid buy him a home.

Far from Sid, but near his friends.

She didn’t want him to live in apartments like she had as a single parent.

Johnny worried he wouldn’t be able to find him again.

Didn’t know how to explain that he needed him there.

But after Sam was born he was there.

Standing in the yard wearing that mask in the darkness.

Watching.

And he kept coming back.

He only did what Johnny had hoped he would once.

When Johnny had been so busy and sleep deprived from taking care of baby Sam he’d forgotten to take his medicine and went into heat. It’d knocked the air from his lungs the surprise of it, made his knees weak and he’d nearly collapsed.

And then there he was, standing in the kitchen, staring at him through that mask and Johnny hadn’t even had to say please.

It’d been messy and on the kitchen floor and Robby came from that one.

Johnny wanted him to stay.

He’d woken up in his bed later that night, cleaned up a little, tucked in.

Alone.

He felt cold, clammy.

Johnny had been mad at first. Mad that this kept happening, that he didn’t stay. That he just stood outside watching.

But then he realized what happened.

Each time had been the same.

Johnny had gone into heat.

He liked to think that people could withstand the animal instinct of an omega going into heat. He knew beta’s didn’t even notice.

But Johnny had done it. It’d been him, it’d been Johnny.

The kids were because of that.

And it wasn’t like he was avoiding Johnny.

He was making sure, from a distance that Johnny was okay, that the kids were okay. But it wasn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want to be a part of their lives. He just felt obligated.

And it wasn’t like he hadn’t ever given Johnny anything.

Shortly after Robby had been born, when his mom got sick Mr. Miyagi showed up. Held Johnny’s hands, held the kids so easily in his sturdy arms while he sobbed at his mothers side.

She got to see Robby for just a moment before she passed. They got to meet.

If he’d been alone, the way he’d felt alone, he would’ve fallen apart. But the guys had moved in down the street. And they came. They learned how to take care of bottles, how to burp babies, how to change diapers. How to be Uncles.

And Daniel tentatively picked that title for himself.

Coming with Mr. Miyagi.

Shyly cooking up a storm for them all.

For holidays he invited Johnny and the kids to Mr. Miyagi’s, they met Lucille, they met Louie.

And Johnny felt his skin tingle, nervous, trying to figure out what his role was.

He kept his eyes open for a ring on Daniel’s finger.

For a trace of someone he picked in his life.

Someone who wasn’t charity, a mistake, an accident.

Johnny tried to prove that he wasn’t completely worthless. Though he felt it. Every time they lived that double life. The way Daniel just stood in the yard, watching him with that mask on. Pretending the kids weren’t his.

A separation of everything.

A line he’d drawn without ever talking to Johnny.

Sometimes Johnny wanted to scream.

To yell out the window and ask Daniel what he wanted. That he didn’t have to check on them like this. Not all of them could hide behind masks.

He wondered sometimes if someone else stayed up late at night wondering where Daniel went.

If they got to kiss him, spend the nights with him, live out that domestic life.

What did Daniel tell them?

Did he ever tell them he was near an omega once that went into heat and couldn’t help it, got drawn in like a moth to a flame and now just made sure they were okay?

Stood sentry from the yard?

A yard that could’ve been theirs.

A yard that Johnny wanted to be theirs.

He wanted to ask Daniel a million questions.

Was he doing it right?

Raising kids on his own? But not.

No.

Daniel had made sure he had Mr. Miyagi.

The kids called him grandpa and the old man nearly cried every time. Got a misty look in his eyes.

And Sid…if all the counselors hadn’t died that summer he probably would’ve assumed Johnny was just a slut like everyone else thought. But he assumed whoever had knocked him up would’ve stepped up if they hadn’t been mauled by a bear.

That’s what everyone thought.

The counselors had been mauled by a bear.

Only Johnny had survived.

Only Johnny and Daniel.

Johnny who’d woken up bundled up in the infirmary scaring the nurse half to death when she came in pale faced, the kids rushing, relieved he was alive, the way Daniel had watched him but kept his distance.

Whatever relationship that’d started to bloom between them destroyed by his heat.

There were stories about an omega’s heat sending an alpha into a violent spiral. Johnny had just always assumed it was directed at the omega. Not at the people around the omega. He hadn't realized Daniel was an alpha. Not until that night.

He also knew that sometimes weird things happened in the woods, that a person could eat the wrong thing and lose themselves.

But Johnny knew it’d been Daniel. Just like he knew Sam was Daniels. He realized that the other counselor, Nicholas had probably been killed by Daniel too.

It’d probably never been a bear.

Even though a bear was what got blamed. It was easy to just nod about that.

The nurse told everyone he was in shock.

And maybe he was. Trying to understand what had happened. How there was a chance it was his fault, that his heat had triggered that thing he sometimes had read about, heard about on the tv or radio. Sometimes alphas went into blood lust.

Only saw red. If things got too much.

And Daniel had been through so much. That Johnny kept his mouth shut. Didn’t call out to Daniel, didn’t ask him to come in, to sit with him and drink coffee or tea or hot chocolate and eat the cookies he was making.

Daniel didn’t need to be tied down by Johnny.

He didn’t need that extra weight.

Johnny had wanted it. Ever since the start of that summer when he’d seen Daniel again. All he’d wanted to do the whole summer was grab Daniel and kiss him, to find somewhere secluded, to feel him close, between his legs.

And when those counselors had been killed. Instead of fear, like a weirdo, he’d gone into heat because he knew it was Daniel. And he’d never seen Daniel hotter. Kicking ass, covered in blood and taking charge.

Though he knew kicking ass and murdering people were different.

It was twisted, he knew it.

But it’d been so damn hot.

He’d been embarrassed and then he got exactly what he wanted, just without kissing or cuddles or any of the things he’d expected.

He’d day dreamed about a romantic summer with Daniel. That if he just crossed that line. Kissed him while passing the joint back and forth, while looking at the moon and stars, while in the kayak, or in the kitchens, guiding his fingers across guitar strings, if he’d not chickened out and invited him to the dance instead then maybe…

He’d planned to make a move that final night.

But instead he’d ensnared Daniel.

And he refused to be an omega that entrapped a mate by using the kids.

He set the chocolate chip cookies out on the window sill.

He could make out Daniel just beyond the light reflected in the grass from the kitchen.

He'd gotten very good at watching Daniel without looking at Daniel. Keeping track of him out of the corner of his eye.

He’d leave the tray out. Let them cool and he’d pile them high on a plate.

Daniel would never take a cookie if they were lined up on a tray, easy to notice one missing. But piled haphazardly and uncounted on a plate? Maybe.

He opened a bottle of wine that he knew Daniel liked.

Johnny preferred beer. But he couldn't stop hoping he could lure Daniel closer, like some old tom cat stray by leaving things out for him.

He knew though that Daniel wouldn’t come close until Johnny went upstairs.

He piled the last of the cookies out, drank some wine and left the bottle out, before heading up to his room.

He went to his room.

The door was unlocked. All of them.

All the windows.

He listened. Heard the door open.

He could imagine Daniel downstairs, eating a cookie, drinking wine.

He heard him through the house. Moving through the halls.

He always did it. Closed the windows after checking on the kids.

He’d pause outside of Johnny’s room and Johnny debated, he had gotten a few toys, he thought about touching himself, if the sound of him moaning would lure Daniel in. But Daniel didn’t seem to want to have that relationship with him.

He’d feel pathetic if he tried and Daniel didn’t take the bait.

He'd already done that and failed too many times to stomach.

And Daniel had never taken to it before.

So he drank his wine, brushed his teeth and laid back in bed, flicking off the light. He turned his back to the door. Heard it creak open a little. The soft pad of feet.

Daniel hovered.

If Johnny rolled over would Daniel run away?

Would he attack?

What would happen?

The relationship they had was so tentative, held together by the thinnest of threads.

Johnny squeezed his eyes shut, he scarcely dared to breathe.

There was a soft sound, fingers against the mask.

That damn mask. The demon mask he’d helped Daniel make.

It’d been gone later, before Nicholas had died.

He assumed a kid had taken it. Until he’d seen Daniel that night.

The smell was the same.

Daniel’s scent. Spices.

It was calming.

Soothing.

He felt a soft press against the top of his head.

A kiss.

Then the smell, the comfort, the warmth of Daniel left. The mask, presumably falling back over Daniel’s face.

Johnny listened to the windows getting locked, the doors locked, and once he was sure Daniel was gone he grabbed his pillow, buried his face in it and cried.

Chapter 8

Daniel wanted to scream.

What sort of idiot left all their windows and doors unlocked?

Didn’t Johnny worry about himself?

He was an omega for fucks sake.

Let alone one who had two small children.

How many other dumb things did he do?

Just leave the kids alone with strangers?

Thank god the cobras lived in the neighborhood. Thank god Mr. Miyagi kept an eye on them.

“Why not just tell Johnny?” Mr. Miyagi asked while Daniel ranted.

He frowned.

He hadn’t told Mr. Miyagi everything.

But Mr. Miyagi knew Daniel liked Johnny.

No.

Loved him.

But he had two kids, who knew whose kids those were?

Yes, he’d had sex with Johnny but who knew if one of those other damn counselors had gotten their hands on him first, he was like 99% sure that they had, it was why he’d snapped in the first place. Or what if later he’d been consoled by someone else?

Daniel had never claimed a monopoly on Johnny or his heart.

He’d missed that boat and then set the damn dock on fire.

He wouldn’t have been surprised if Johnny had had several lovers by this point.

Though he kept an eye on him and he hadn't noticed Johnny bringing anyone home.

Maybe it was hard to explain.

Maybe he didn't want to scare anyone off because of the kids.

Well their loss.

He’d adopt those kids in a heartbeat.

But Johnny never seemed to look at him that way.

And if Johnny knew he’d killed those people?

Or hell, his boss?

Johnny would never want to speak to him again.

And that first time and the second time Johnny hadn’t been in his right mind.

Daniel had…he’d raped Johnny.

He felt sick every time he thought about it.

He’d taken advantage of Johnny, of his heat.

He’d been unable to stop himself. Like a cliche alpha from some soap opera.

He’d wanted Johnny so badly and Johnny didn’t fight him, too lost in his heat. Sometimes he wondered if Johnny was too trusting, leaving his windows open when he touched himself, for anyone to see. Left his damn lights on like he was giving the whole neighborhood a show.

Daniel realized he’d have to stand guard back when Johnny was in college, when he’d seen Johnny through his window start to take off his clothes and touch himself, eyes fluttering with pleasure.

Who knew he was such a trusting dumbass?

Sure he knew how Johnny liked it now, from accidentally watching too much, from his gaze lingering, taking note of which toys Johnny seemed to prefer. But eventually he always caught himself, turning his back to Johnny, keeping an eye out for anyone else who might have a view into Johnny’s room.

Johnny deserved privacy.

And now that he had kids Daniel had to keep them safe.

Keep Johnny safe.

He wondered, frequently, if Johnny was seeing someone.

He daydreamed about asking Johnny out.

Would he say yes?

They seemed to still get along. During all the holidays where Mr. Miyagi invited Johnny, ensured that Lucille got to play with the little ones.

Johnny always seemed happy when Lucille offered to hold them. Not minding when she started talking up a storm about babies with a look Daniel knew meant “When am I going to be a grandmother?” to which Daniel didn’t know how to answer.

How could he? When what he wanted and what she wanted was already in her arms? But they weren't his.

He thought about how nice it could be. To go out to dinner with Johnny, to hold his hand, to laugh like they used to, to kiss him softly, finally, like he had been itching to do for years, decades it felt like.

The way it would feel to make love, not lost in Johnny’s heat, not animalistic in his own rut, but sweet and slow.

To wake up with Johnny.

To lock those doors and stay on the inside of them.

To kiss that forgetful trusting blonde and know Johnny was safe. Finally safe.

Daniel wouldn’t feel like he needed to follow him so much. Watching that old boss that put his hands on Johnny, told Johnny he’d give him a raise if Johnny got on his knees and showed him how good he was with his mouth.

The way he’d seen red, followed that boss out into the woods, and it was just so easy.

Too easy.

He’d slipped into Johnny’s home again that night. Wanting to hold him, to kiss him. He’d kissed the back of his neck, the top of his head. He locked the door.

He wanted to be good.

But he needed to be with Johnny.

He wanted to whisper to him. That it was okay now.

Johnny could find a new job. One where he was respected.

Daniel just needed to touch him. There was something about it all that made him need Johnny, need to touch him, confirm he was okay. That no one had hurt him while Daniel was away.

He pulled the covers back.

Blood on his hands as he removed Johnny’s clothes.

Daniel kissed his skin.

Johnny shifting easily, moaning softly, pliable like always for him, wet and sweet.

He wanted to spend the night.

He wanted to make love to Johnny all night. To tell him it’d be okay.

He’d protect him forever. Keep him safe. He’d figured it out.

He’d eventually get strong enough to not just scare off the monsters, but to fight back, to kill them.

One day he’d find them. One day he’d corner them both and they’d be gone, and then they’d sleep so well. And those two, they wouldn’t just play dead either.

He’d make sure they wouldn’t come back.

And for a moment it felt right.

Easy.

The thought of it, he’d protect his family, his omega.

But then he had clarity. He realized what he’d done once the thrumming of his blood stilled.

Johnny in his bed, moaning, the covers a mess of blood. Neither of their blood.

He’d done it again.

Damn it.

He sat back, hands covered in blood, his body covered in blood. Johnny’s body covered in red hand prints.

Fuck.

It was a nightmare.

Johnny was probably terrified.

He’d come though. A lot.

Maybe Johnny wasn’t getting as many dates as Daniel assumed he was. Maybe being a mostly single parent kept him too busy.

Johnny shifted, pushing himself up, onto his hands and knees…an offering and Daniel’s stomach twisted.

Damn it.

He shouldn’t.

He should get up and walk away. Figure out ways to apologize to Johnny without every saying why.

He should clean up, wash the bedding covered in blood. Look through the house for more blood.

What if the kids saw the bloody hand prints he’d probably left everywhere?

But…

He slid back inside, he wanted to bite Johnny’s neck. Make him his in the old ways. It felt so good.

He shivered.

The best promise he could give would be for there to be no more nightmares.

No more panic attacks.

He’d get rid of them. Sure he’d have to dig two graves. And this was just an easy one, some shitty boss who laid his hand on Johnny.

Imagine when he finally got the others.

The true monsters.

And damn, Johnny felt so good, and he was moving his hips, moaning like he was enjoying it too.

His hands were gripping the sheets.

The sun started to rise when Daniel came down again. Slid out, taking in the tired way Johnny slumped onto his side, full of Daniel’s seed.

Maybe Johnny would get pregnant again.

Maybe this time it would be his, Daniel thought pushing some that escaped back inside.

He was always so pretty when he was pregnant.

His fingers stopped, he frowned.

What was he thinking?

He was better than this.

How would he even explain that?

If he got Johnny knocked up, the day dream he had of it wouldn’t work, unless he explained that it was him, the one behind the mask. That he’d killed people. That he’d assaulted Johnny. Multiple times now.

But damn.

He wanted to kiss him.

Instead he sat back. Watching those blue eyes slide shut, tired, drained yet sated. Blood on his chest and stomach and hips and thighs, his ass.

Daniel had a lot of cleaning to do.

He did it sometimes.

Because Johnny left his doors unlocked, and if not the doors, then the windows. So Daniel cleaned.

He put away the kids toys, did laundry, took out the trash, organized the spice cabinet the way it should’ve been organized from the start. He unloaded the dishwasher cleaned up pots and pans.

He threw out things that had expired, went grocery shopping.

He knew where everything was. Because he’d spent so many nights exploring, so many afternoons when no one was home fighting the onslaught of dust bunnies because Robby had allergies.

He went to the en-suite bathroom and turned on the shower.

He locked the door so he could take off the mask.

He washed the blood off himself.

He stepped out, clean.

He looked at his clothes, bloody.

He couldn’t wear them again.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and put the mask back on.

He opened the door.

Johnny was asleep.

He carried his own clothes and some of the blankets down to the washing machine.

He got a bowl full of warm water and returned to Johnny’s side, he washed the blood off of him.

When was the last time he’d visited?

Actually visited?

Asked what Johnny was doing?

He was growing out a beard.

He ran the back of his fingers against it.

He’d get beard stuff, put them in Johnny’s bathroom.

He removed the bedding with blood on it, gently lying Johnny on the chaise lounge he dragged over from the corner and covered him with a blanket now that he’d been cleaned up.

He lifted his mask a little and kissed Johnny’s forehead.

One day he dreamed of making love to him with Johnny’s arms and legs around him, instead of the way they had been doing it.

It was easier for him to keep the mask on with the way they were doing it, had done it, the few times.

He carried the bedding down to the washer, worked on removing the stains. Getting rid of the blood.

He cleaned the walls where he’d dragged his hands, drunk on blood lust.

He’d turned Johnny’s home into a nightmare.

He thought about making breakfast. But instead he grabbed the wine. The open container Johnny had opened and left out.

Another ridiculous thing Johnny did.

He drank as he cleaned.

He wanted to be in bed with Johnny.

He wanted the family Johnny had to be his.

He finished cleaning up the gore, cleaned up the door outside, the sliding glass door into the backyard he’d come in through, leaning against, panting, till his breath fogged the glass, his hand print bloody.

What was wrong with him?

Like a dog in rut.

Why couldn’t he be…neater?

Why was he such a mess?

He wanted to plant flowers in the garden, ones with thorns under the windows so no one could get in or sneak in.

He moved the laundry into the dryer, after surveying them all for stains from the blood. He’d gotten better about getting them out.

He went upstairs again.

Johnny was breathing softly.

Daniel made a new bed, pulling out bedding.

He was tired.

His muscles were sore. A reminder he was getting older.

At camp, he’d been sore but he’d ripped apart bodies with a fervor and then fucked Johnny until dawn and still got up and went about his day like nothing had happened, like he was fine.

Maybe he needed to find a way to tone down the murder sprees. But if he was lucky no one else would bother Johnny.

No one else would bother him.

Not unless those two monsters popped up again.

He carefully scooped Johnny back up.

When did that get so easy?

It'd been so difficult that night, after he'd taken apart the counselors. Having to wrap Johnny up in that blanket and lug him down to the nurses station, down that long damn path in the dark, heart pounding, panicked, realizing he was panicked for all the wrong reasons. Panicking about that. Worrying that he'd hurt Johnny, worrying that he'd snap if he ran into anyone else. Grateful that he'd managed to make it look like a bear attack before he truly started freaking out.

He'd had to stop, leaning against a tree, getting splinters in his arms, until he caught his breath to continue on. Three times on the way back down to camp wanting to cry. Furious with himself that he might not have made it in time. Sure that he hadn't.

Was it carrying all the dirt for Little Trees?

Was it from lugging around dead bodies?

Had he grown into himself? Finally?

Not a small weak alpha any more? Now that he had an omega he adored, he’d reached his potential.

He was stronger because of him now.

He tucked Johnny in. He returned to the basement, changed into his clothes fresh from the dryer and then snuck out, heading home.

Chapter 9

Johnny woke up to the kids crying and his door being banged on.

The guys stood there, pale. They scooped up the kids wordlessly while Johnny frowned.

The air was heavy.

Johnny rubbed his eyes and turned to start a pot of coffee. Then he frowned.

There was coffee already ready.

It hadn’t been a dream.

He’d known it.

The way it’d felt when he woke up, in fresh sheets, but sticky.

Daniel had visited him in the night.

It wasn't just some horny dream.

“Johnny,” Dutch said with a frown.

“He’s dead.”

“Who?” Johnny asked, whirling, stomach dropping.

“Your boss.”

Bobby was pale, jaw set, lips in a fine line.

“We were worried. Do you need us to help with anything?”

“No, I’m okay,” Johnny said leaning back against the counter.

Was that it?

When bloodlust took over Daniel he came for Johnny?

Were the two inextricably tied?

Did he hate Johnny?

Was he killing and then still mad at everything Johnny had done as a teen so he needed to fuck him into the mattress after, like a little death without the additional bloodshed?

Had Johnny gotten it all wrong?

His vision blurred.

He’d been excited when he’d felt Daniel pulling away the bedding.

He hadn’t been in heat this time.

So why hadn’t Daniel stayed?

Arms wrapped around him, pulled him into a hug.

“He was a shitty boss, not worth your tears,” Dutch said, patting his head.

It wasn’t his boss he was crying for.

It was himself, for the fact Daniel always left.

He never stayed.

He thought maybe this time.

Just maybe.

But he let himself be hugged, embraced, he cried into their shirts.

 

Work was eerie.

His boss was gone.

But the shop still opened, he still fixed shit.

He still did repairs and kept himself busy, grateful for the flexible schedule so he could go pick up his kids.

But his mind wandered as he sat in the shop, waiting for a job to come in and not just answering the phone like a damn secretary.

“Yes, the memorial is next weekend, at noon. We’re thankful for your patronage and patience during this trying time. Yes gutter cleaning is still half off. No, I’m sorry ma’am that coupon for a free pressure washing expired last month.”

He didn’t like the hardware store.

But it’d been easy. He’d stumbled into it after Sam and Robby had been born, after he started going stir crazy and wanted to fix things around the house.

He wanted to build a play set for the kids in the backyard.

He wanted to build them a tree house. And the old lady who’d ran it at the time had taken one look at him and asked him if he wanted a job.

Handy fellow like yourself would be of use.

And then the old bat had to go and retire and leave Johnny with her godawful son-in-law who unsealed Johnny’s record because there was just something off about Johnny.

Johnny had built that treehouse, and now he was pretty sure sometimes Daniel hid in there, watching. Every time he went up there it smelled like spices. As if he’d just missed Daniel.

If he didn’t know better he’d worry that Daniel was homeless.

A heavy can of paint thumped onto the counter in front of him.

The old bat.

She looked tired, drained.

“You still working on making that tree house of yours nice for your kids?”

“Yeah,” Johnny said. “I was thinking of adding something for them or…I guess me, to nap on if one of us gets tired.”

She nodded.

“It’s just wood right now right? Windows, door, roof and walls?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go. I need a distraction from that damn phone ringing. And if we’ve got the energy we’re digging out a damn pool.”

He stared at her.

She paused at the door.

“Or at least a fish pond.”

She drove a truck. Like Mr. Miyagi and it was already loaded with supplies.

They drove to Johnny’s place, the quiet little neighborhood and walked out into the backyard.

She stood there with her hands on her hips taking stock of his play-set, the basic tree house he’d built.

The trees he’d planted when the kids were born because his mother said that she’d always wanted to do that for him.

She had snuck a maple seedling and planted it in some dirt somewhere in a park and hoped it grew strong and big just like him.

She nodded and walked at a brisk pace towards his tree house.

“Bring the stuff from the truck,” she called.

He stared at her in horror, how quickly she scaled the tree and hopped into the tree-house.

Crazy old bat.

What if she fell and broke something?

She wasn’t Mr. Miyagi.

What if Daniel was in there?

What if she could tell Daniel had been in there?

His heart pounded as he hurried to gather the tools and supplies, carefully handing them up before joining her.

The guys had helped him build it after work, after their jobs and before their jobs. The bones of it anyway. And there was a lot he’d wanted to add. That he’d wanted to do but that damn boss of his had kept him too busy to do so.

They painted, they fixed the windows so it’d be more waterproof.

They made a porch, threw down a rope ladder the kids could climb up and built a steady solid ladder that wrapped around the base of the tree in a spiral.

“In case you get pregnant again,” she murmured and Johnny felt his ears burn.

“I take my medicine,” Johnny protested.

“I’m not insinuating that, but who knows you may fall in love one day and decide you want another.”

They added a slide that the old bat had way too much fun sliding out of.

They added a hammock, a swing, a pulley system with a basket.

She helped him hook up electricity and a few lights.

Then they sat on the grass of Johnny’s back yard sewing up big fluffy pillows that would work as a bed or something to lean against, the sun starting to set.

“Damn, didn’t have time for the pool.”

“Are you…are you okay?” Johnny asked.

“I’m just sick of the condolences, and I can’t be in that office a second longer,” she said with a frown. She looked at Johnny and then away. “I’m sorry Johnny.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t know he was harassing you. I didn’t know when I left him in charge that he was such an awful person. But the office, fuck the office is just full of shit to keep you busy. Uniform designs that he was going to try and institute, the ways he tried to get at you, what had failed. I’m so sorry Johnny. I should never have left him in charge. And I just can’t, I don’t know what to tell my daughter. I can’t tell her that I’m glad the bastard is dead. But I am. He had kids without her, elsewhere, at his previous job and he stowed it all away in that damn office.”

She was frowning and she looked at Johnny with something fierce in her eyes, something stony.

“I don’t know what I’m doing with the shop, but I’ll figure it out, and no matter what I will ensure you’re okay. So don’t be stressed or anything. And if you don’t want to come in, that’s fine. You shouldn’t have to even fake being sad that he’s dead.”

He stared at her, stunned. She stood up, brushed herself off.

“I’m going to head back now. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Johnny sat in the yard for a while. Soon the kids would be home.

One of the guys offered to get them.

He wondered, for a moment, what he wanted to do.

Not for the first time.

Not for the last time, he was sure.

He didn’t like working at the hardware store, he didn’t like being a repair man of sorts.

But he did like working by himself out in the field.

But he kinda missed working with kids.

But he did not want to be a school teacher.

He flopped onto his back on the grass hugging the big thing he’d made, a blanket, a pillow, a bed, something for the kids to lay on, something for Daniel to lay on or sit on if he holed himself up in that little house.

He sat up quickly.

He should put up a wet paint sign.

Otherwise Daniel would for sure get paint all over himself.

He scrambled to get paper and a pen, climbing up the staircase.

It was a thousand times better than before, much easier.

“Easier if you get pregnant again, you shouldn’t be climbing up the side of a tree if you’re pregnant to get your kids or if something happens,” she’d said.

She was right.

But two was enough.

Two was plenty.

Johnny couldn’t handle any more by himself.

He didn’t have enough hands. And sure he was good with his legs but the idea of three kids or more felt like spending his life balancing on one leg with a baby on one leg and one in each arm.

He didn’t know how other parents did it.

He barely did it.

He carefully set the sign on the door then looked at the slide, slipping down it with a grin.

That was a great choice.

The kids were going to be delighted.

He made his way back inside, thinking, waiting for the kids to get home and see the new tree house. He’d have to keep them out of it too. Keep them from getting paint all over them. Maybe they should’ve done wall paper instead or something instead.

Chapter 10

Daniel followed his usual routine after he killed someone.

He followed the same old paths he always had.

It had, like always, looked like a bear attack, and thankfully it was Halloween so he could slip into a crowd, covered in blood a bit earlier than normal and no one batted an eye.

No one questioned his mask other than a few “Cool mask bro.”

He felt giddy.

Elated.

A little light headed.

He made his way down the street of the neighborhood, to Johnny’s house.

He slipped through the back, finding a spot in the tree he always hid in until dusk fell, watching.

Johnny had some months ago redone the tree house and while Daniel loved to hole up in there, he was covered in blood and did not want to scare the children who loved playing in there.

He would for sure ruin everything if he went in.

So he stayed perched outside of the tree house waiting.

Johnny walked home with both kids in his arms, the cobras in their costumes dropping him off, telling sleepy children good night.

Robby was a pirate, eye patch flipped up, practically drooling, and Sam was a doll, bow askew as she opened her eyes sleepily.

Johnny got the door open and wished the guys good night, they wandered off down the street prepared probably to drink and Daniel slunk out of the tree with a wince, creeping towards the house.

Every year Johnny picked cute things for the kids to wear.

This year was no exception as Johnny washed their sleepy faces and tried to take off their costumes.

“Wanna keep wearing it,” Robby grumbled just loud enough for Daniel to hear from outside the open window.

“At least let me take off the boots, even pirates know not to drag all the sea into their bed. And your eye patch. You don’t need that to sleep. Can I hang up your hat?”

Robby nodded sleepily allowing for those slight changes before Johnny tucked him in.

Sam was on the step-stool brushing her teeth and Johnny carefully took the bow out from her hair, handing her her pajamas.

He shut the door then stepped out into the hall where Daniel could see him, sighing.

It took a bit of time, the comforting motions of a life and then the kids were in bed and Daniel couldn’t wait any more.

He needed to see Johnny, he needed to touch him he needed- to sit down.

He slid the sliding glass door open, leaning against it heavily.

He shut it behind him, locking it.

He walked up the steps, slowly, wobbly.

Johnny was on his side, back to the door when for the first time in Daniel’s life the door creaked when he opened it.

He’d have to oil the hinges next time he came.

His heart leapt to his throat, as Johnny sat up in bed.

“You okay? Couldn't sleep? Or do you have a tummy-ache from all the candy?” he asked fumbling for the lamp switch and illuminated the room.

Daniel couldn’t hide.

He was still wearing the mask, but he was sure he was a gruesome sight.

A creature from Johnny’s worst nightmares standing in the light.

Johnny threw back the covers and was up in an instant, crossing the room.

“Holy shit you’re bleeding,” he said, grabbing Daniel and pulling him into the bathroom. “Sit on the edge of the tub,” Johnny ordered.

It was that camp counselor tone and it made Daniel smile behind the mask.

A parental tone and he obeyed sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

“Fuck you’re freezing,” Johnny muttered as he got out the first aid kit.

He pushed up Daniel’s sleeve, the part of his shoulder where Silver had gotten him.

Who knew the guy kept swords on him?

Oh well. He and Kreese were bear food now.

He wanted to giggle.

He wanted to grab Johnny and tell him.

No more nightmares.

No more jumping at shadows.

Daniel had finally pulled it off.

Two birds, one stone.

The stone was him!

Johnny was fussing.

And it was nice.

“Damn it, you’re going to need stitches.”

Johnny hesitated, staring at Daniel for a moment before darting out of the room.

Daniel slumped against the side, head leaning against the wall.

He was so tired.

Johnny returned with a plastic box, a lighter and a bottle of whiskey.

“Drink some of this,” he said handing Daniel the whiskey and busying himself with the lighter, grabbing a needle and thread from his secondary first aid kit.

Johnny might’ve been a trusting and dumb blonde who left all his windows open, all his doors open, who got his rocks off in perfectly clear view, but damn if he wasn’t boy scout prepared for emergencies. That old camp counselor, prepared and seasoned in first aid and basic emergency situations.

Daniel was in great hands.

Beautiful hands.

He was so pretty.

Daniel wanted to kiss him.

Daniel turned his head, lifting the mask and gulping down alcohol till his throat burned. Then he handed it back to Johnny.

Johnny washed the wound, washed away blood and then went to work, he sterilized the needle with the lighter and Daniel watched him. The way he focused and worked.

Damn he loved him.

Johnny was it for him.

Daniel didn’t know if he’d loved anyone else quite so much.

For a moment he thought about opening his mouth, telling Johnny how much he loved him, what he wanted to do to him.

But how must it look?

The guy who killed people in front of him showed up covered in blood in his house? And that person wanted to bone?

“You should shower, if you think you can handle it, if you can stand up enough. Then you’ll know where the rest of your wounds are,” Johnny said after he finished his stitches, putting away his supplies. “I can get you a robe.”

Daniel nodded.

“When you get out, when you’re finished, show me any other wounds or scratches,” Johnny said tapping his first aid kit, taking it with him to his bedroom. Returning only to put a robe on the hook on the back of the door then giving Daniel his privacy.

Daniel stripped, tossing bloody ruined clothes in the corner after locking the door. He took off the mask and carefully cleaned it.

He showered, he’d gotten cut a few more times he saw as he showered, shallow cuts.

He dried off and put on the robe, putting the mask back on, pushing open the door.

He held out his hand to Johnny who sat up, opening up the kit, showing him the cuts.

Johnny rubbed ointment on the injuries and put colorful kid band-aids on them, then once he was done, for the three cuts he’d bandaged he gave Daniel quick kisses over each one.

He froze, face burning after the third one.

“Sorry— it’s a habit.”

Daniel darted forward hands on Johnny’s shoulder, his hip.

He’d roll him over.

He wanted to fuck him.

“Hey, uh, wait a second—“ Johnny said, grabbing at the hand pushing him.

Daniel just needed to get him onto his stomach.

The way they always did it.

If Johnny said no, Daniel would stop, he wouldn’t be able to stomach that, so he paused, hovering over Johnny.

“Can I lay on my back this time?” Johnny asked, face a bright pink. “Robby let go of the monkey bars this morning and I dove to catch him and skinned my knees. Walking them from house to house trick or treating was rough. I just finished putting ointment on them but it’ll hurt like hell if I’m on my stomach or knees.”

He looked away. The back of his neck was red with his blush.

“You can blindfold me. Would that be okay?”

Johnny had changed into a long t-shirt and Daniel shifted on the bed to run his hand down Johnny’s leg, along his thigh until he saw Johnny’s knee, an angry red. Both knees were injured.

His stomach felt cold for a second.

If they’d gone for it the usual way he would’ve hurt Johnny without realizing it.

If that door hadn’t creaked.

He frowned, studied Johnny for a moment then slipped off the bed.

He searched around for a moment for something to use, before spotting a black familiar hachimaki.

It felt fitting for the occasion, for the night.

He returned to the bed and motioned up, curling his fingers towards himself. A quiet request for Johnny to sit up.

Johnny sat up and Daniel leaned in, tying the hachimaki around Johnny’s head over his eyes, ensuring he couldn’t see.

He pushed the bottom of the t-shirt up, mouth going dry when he realized Johnny wasn’t wearing shorts or anything else.

He wasn’t going to see Daniel. So it wouldn’t matter if Daniel wore his mask or not.

He flicked off the light, locked the door, shut and locked the window, closed the blinds, and came back, hanging up his mask on Johnny’s bedpost, within reach if he needed to grab it.

“Um…are you still there?” Johnny asked softly and Daniel smiled.

This was perfect.

Johnny was laying, partially propped up on his elbows with his legs spread, waiting for him.

Daniel could hold him, could take his time, he could go slow.

He could be steady.

He could kiss Johnny without that damn mask in the way.

He pressed his hand on the inside of Johnny’s knee, carefully away from the injuries, watching him shiver before sliding his hand down along Johnny’s inner thigh, gently coaxing his legs further apart, heart in his throat as he slid a finger inside.

He’d worried what he would do if Johnny wasn’t wet.

If he wasn’t hard.

But his finger slid inside easily and Johnny made a soft sound at the intrusion.

Daniel watched, fascinated, realizing he’d never seen Johnny from this angle. Heat rushed through him, he added more fingers even though he knew it wasn’t necessary.

He wanted to.

He wanted to just play with Johnny for a moment.

He thought when he’d shown up that he had that heady high from the kill. That he just wanted to fuck Johnny because of that. A need to celebrate the end of their nightmares.

But this, this required the night.

He earned it.

After so long of worrying about Silver, about fearing that Kreese would find Johnny again, he’d finally ended it.

Daniel slid his fingers out and crawled back onto the bed, settling easy on his own knees, lining himself up watching Johnny the way he curiously had his head tilted like he was desperate to know where Daniel was, unaware just how close he was.

He’d know soon enough.

Daniel pressed close, feeling the push through the ring of muscles, the slow slide into Johnny until Daniel bottomed out.

Johnny had moaned, his heels digging into his bed. He shifted, one of his legs coming up and wrapping it around Daniel’s hips.

Daniel grinned, grabbing the other and carefully hooking his hand under Johnny’s knee as he slid out a little and then rocked back in.

Oh this view was much better.

He could see Johnny’s face, the way his chest rose and fell, his lips parted as he moaned, the way his abdomen tightened, how he arched, how his dick swayed with Daniel’s movements, just as hard and wet as Daniel had hoped.

Daniel couldn’t help himself.

He dove, kissing Johnny, slipping his tongue inside, tasting mint, tasting Halloween candy, tasting Johnny.

Johnny’s hands found Daniel’s arms and for a moment Daniel’s movements stuttered, what if Johnny regretted it?

Wanted to throw him off?

But Johnny's hands roamed, curious, feeling and appraising muscle and Daniel found himself smiling.

He was being felt up, tentatively touched, until Johnny seemed to gather some courage and hooked his arms around Daniel’s shoulders, moaning hotly in Daniel’s ear.

Daniel wanted more of this.

He wanted to spend more of his nights watching the way Johnny arched and held Daniel oh so close when he came.

The soft satisfied moan Johnny made when Daniel filled him up.

The surprised squeak when Daniel pushed his seed back into Johnny, when he decided it wasn’t enough and hard again, slid back into Johnny for a round two, a round three, eventually a fifth before he finally felt drained, like he’d settled that primal urge.

He liked the small sound Johnny made when Daniel relaxed, laying down on top of him, still inside, the easiest way to ensure it stayed inside, for the moment, wondering about toys, in that sex addled mind of his. It’d be easier if he bought a plug. Then his omega would be full without any seed escaping.

He rested his head on Johnny’s chest, squeezing a pec, listening to the soft sound Johnny made, his body extra sensitive from being unable to see.

He wanted to stay.

He wanted to spend the night and cuddle with Johnny.

He wanted to tell Johnny everything.

But he couldn’t.

Sure Johnny hadn’t flipped, or screamed, but he also hadn’t the first time.

Daniel frowned.

He’d thought the first time Johnny didn’t even remember, had been too lost in a heat induced haze to be scared because Johnny hadn’t said anything later.

He hadn’t told anyone that it was a person who’d killed all those counselors.

The nurse had said it was shock, they told Johnny it was a bear attack.

Johnny had just stared quietly off in the distance and Daniel had assumed it was shock.

But Johnny had practically bolted out of bed to bandage him up.

He hadn’t run off screaming. Hadn’t wondered why there was an intruder in his home.

How dumb was his beloved omega?

Did he just let anyone who wandered in fuck him?

Did he help any injured soul who broke into his home?

He slipped his arm under Johnny, around his waist and hugged him tight.

His dumb trusting omega that left the doors open, and the windows, who saw a blood covered masked figure and let him do whatever he wanted.

Carefully stitched them back up.

He’d have to keep a closer eye on him.

It’d be so easy for a stranger to take advantage.

Daniel couldn’t have that.

He pressed a kiss to Johnny’s pec and pushed himself up again.

He waited for a moment to see if he could give it another go before realizing he was spent.

It was time to go.

Chapter 11

Johnny sat in his bed staring at the ceiling for a while while the sun rose.

He was burning with questions.

What had happened?

Who had cut Daniel like that?

Had Daniel won? Or managed to just escape?

If Daniel had come to him did he need to keep an eye out for someone who might’ve followed?

Were the kids safe?

Was Daniel safe?

Daniel had been so fucking insatiable and Johnny could still feel it all over. Like a ghost of Daniel lingered on his skin, in the air, in the bed beside him.

He didn’t want to move.

But there were kids to get up and get ready for school.

He had to make breakfast even if it meant just getting the cereal off the top of the fridge for them.

He sat up and grimaced.

He felt his skin burn and he took a deep breath resting his head in his hands.

He pushed the blankets aside, his knees looked better, he was glad he’d put the ointment on before he’d gotten ready for bed.

He’d noticed Daniel in the tree when he’d gotten home from trick or treating with the guys.

He’d hoped, maybe, it meant Daniel would come in. And he’d showered and cleaned up, applied ointment on his knees while he heard Daniel moving through the house and put on just a shirt.

He’d hoped he’d get laid. But he always hoped that when Daniel was around, watching.

But he didn’t want to make a fool of himself, plus just a t-shirt meant less fabric to rub against his knees.

He wanted to ask if it was from Daniel’s side.

If that trust fall at such a young age that made Johnny dive as if he was playing baseball to catch his son was a LaRusso gene, because Sam had done it too.

There was a lot of things he wanted to ask about.

But then he’d gotten bored, started drifting off and when he heard the creak of his door he’d automatically assumed Daniel had gone home and one of the kids had come with a nightmare induced by too much sugar before bed. Even though he’d tried to be a good parent, he’d limited it, but still.

And then there had stood Daniel, frozen in the doorway, caught, bleeding.

Johnny knew instantly.

He knew in a moment that Daniel was hurt.

He was paler than normal, he swayed, he was trying not to hold his arm and Johnny moved without thinking, grabbing Daniel and pulling him to the bathroom to fuss over his injuries.

He’d been terrified until he realized it was within his wheelhouse.

He could handle the injuries Daniel had and then he offered Daniel a shower, washing the blood off his own hands in the kitchen sink, and returning to his room.

He gave up any hope on getting laid.

But then Daniel opened the door and steam rolled out like fog into Johnny’s room and Daniel wore Johnny’s robe, loosely, wearing that damn mask but Johnny could see him, his hair wet from the shower, beads of water rolling down his neck, down his chest where the robe was open.

Daniel had moved towards Johnny and Johnny used his first aid experience as an excuse, to ensure Daniel was okay, sticking the kids favorite band-aids on Daniel with a feeling that that at least was a small claim. That Daniel was theirs, a part of their family at least in band-aids. And he’d be okay if he didn’t get laid tonight.

He didn’t get laid most nights after all.

Still he almost swung straight into giddy that he got to sit next to Daniel and be that close to him and touch him and Daniel wasn’t shying away.

And when Daniel grabbed him, he’d nearly embarrassed himself.

Who gets grabbed by a murderous man in a mask and just assumes sex is on the table?

But Johnny had been so sure.

And almost as soon as he said anything he’d nearly regretted it. His heart had nearly drowned out all other sounds with how fast it was pounding in his ears. Too embarrassed by his assumption. His hope. After all Daniel was in his bedroom.

But Daniel was injured.

He wasn’t going to fuck Johnny.

No one with that injury and blood loss would still have the energy, let alone be able to go for it. And what if Daniel opened up one of the stitches?

But then Daniel was trying to roll him over and Johnny forced himself to protest, not tonight, not with his knees, not when they were this close. For the scare Daniel had given him showing up injured Johnny needed, no deserved a treat, and the best would be to face him.

Even though Johnny thought for sure he’d get turned down. That his heart was in his throat and Daniel would just leave and Johnny would spend his night worrying.

But it seemed to work as Daniel took stock of the injuries on Johnny knees, verifying that Johnny wasn’t lying and then he wandered about Johnny’s room looking through his stuff getting his old hachimaki and using it to gently but securely blindfold Johnny.

It was more exciting then it should’ve been.

But Johnny was going to get laid.

He was going to get to have sex with Daniel, facing him, he could touch him, maybe wrap his legs or arms around him, embrace him, finally.

He couldn’t see Daniel and every touch came off shocking, a pleasant buzz on his skin that sent a shiver down his spine whenever he felt Daniel.

It’d been good.

He’d expected one round.

A normal person would’ve pulled the stitches.

Johnny would’ve had to redo them.

A normal person would’ve fainted.

He’d tried to keep his expectations low.

Daniel was injured after all.

He thought that Daniel would have to go home, go back to his life, but he stayed, he kept going, like some damn battery commercial until Johnny couldn’t think straight.

The only thing he could control anymore was ensuring he didn’t moan Daniel’s name, that he didn’t say anything, that no words formed on his lips begging Daniel to do this every day. To not leave. To stay there with him.

He was grateful he’d never tripped up, never spoke the words on his mind, just wordless moans and soft pleas of there and more and harder and please.

Small words.

Never I love you so damn much please stay with me forever.

He’d die from embarrassment he was sure.

He put more ointment on his knees and then frowned. His thighs were covered in bite marks.

“Daniel you fucking vampire,” Johnny grumbled pressing his fingers against one of the bruises.

He’d bit everywhere but the spot Johnny wanted to be bit. The spot that would bind them.

He got up carefully, knowing from experience that an almost all-nighter made his knees weak, usually sent him to the floor and he for sure didn’t want to reopen all the angry raw marks on his knees by falling to the carpet so he moved carefully, slowly towards the bathroom to clean up.

His chest was covered in bruises, his sides, his neck. It was almost like all the places he usually found Daniel groping had to be marked, claimed by Daniel in some way.

He cleaned up carefully, got dressed, got the kids up, moving down the stairs slowly, carefully, practically clinging to the banister.

One day he’d be brave enough, or fed up enough that he’d tell Daniel to stay because he’d be in no shape to take care of the kids in the morning and maybe, for once, Daniel could get up and feed them breakfast and let Johnny recover from a long night of sex where Daniel attacked him like a damn mosquito.

But he went through the motions, got the kids ready, drove them to their day care and then drove himself to guy’s place where he collapsed on the couch.

“You look awful.”

“Love you too,” Johnny grumbled.

“Did you not sleep?” Bobby asked looking up from his newspaper.

Bobby would make a good dad.

He had the cliche look down already, wearing some dumb robe over his pajamas, matching slippers, sitting at the table with his cup of coffee, black, and toast and eggs while he read over the paper.

The rest of the guys were probably snoring in the other bedrooms.

“I didn’t get much sleep,” Johnny said.

“Is it…nightmares? It’s common after everything you’ve been through. Do you want to talk about it?”

All Bobby was missing were the fatherly glasses.

He could’ve meant anything with the ‘everything you’ve been through’.

He could’ve meant Kreese trying to kill him, the maulings at camp Stinging Nettles.

He could’ve meant that Bobby like everyone else assumed Sam’s father was one of the counselors that died.

He could’ve meant the nightmare of a night where Johnny had realized he was pregnant, running into Bobby’s dorm room sobbing because he hadn’t heard a peep from Daniel and wasn’t ready to be a parent and scared out of his mind and Bobby hadn’t known what had happened and just caught Johnny and hugged him until Johnny stopped crying.

Bobby’s roommate slipped out of the room, to give them privacy Johnny had thought gratefully at first, only for the door to open later with Dutch, Jimmy, and Tommy joining them on the floor, wordlessly embracing him, faces pinched with concern.

They’d made a game plan that night, a vow.

They’d be there for Johnny no matter what he chose. And when he decided to keep Sam…well Johnny wouldn’t have to raise her alone.

They’d be his community.

They’d be babysitters so Johnny could sleep, they went with him to classes, learned how to swaddle and change diapers.

It was hilarious to see when Johnny went back through the photos, especially because the guys were going through different styles.

Dutch had gone for a punk rock look with spiked hair and piercings and black with tattoos and he’d have his arm around Johnny but glaring at pretty much everyone else, especially a camera.

Bobby was experimenting with neon and metallics for a futuristic look that hurt to physically look at.

Jimmy was trying out a hippie style, all peace and love.

Tommy was into some goth chick at the time and almost matched Dutch except he wore black lipstick and black eyeliner all the time and painted his nails black.

They were all trying to find themselves but showed up to help.

Johnny wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.

And he knew they were dying with curiosity when almost like clockwork, as soon as he was okay’d by the doctor after Sam, he managed to get pregnant again. But he watched them bite their lips, a quiet determination that even if Johnny decided to have a thousand kids they’d be there to help.

But he kept taking all of his medicine. He didn’t want any more after Sam and Robby. Not on his own.

He was too tired.

He couldn’t handle any more kids.

Not without Daniel.

His heart couldn’t take it.

“Hey Bobby?” Johnny asked as he fiddled with the blanket over the couch.

“Yeah?”

“I was watching…a scary movie yesterday,” Johnny lied. “And this serial killer and this other character got together…do you think they could have a happy ending, real life?”

“I’d hope not,” Bobby said with a frown. “The serial killer would end up in jail and probably the other character too as like an accessory. They never get happy endings.”

“Even if the serial killer is killing…awful people?”

“Are you sure then it’s not a vigilante then? Still, that’s frowned upon,” Bobby said closing his newspaper and turning to Johnny. “Is this what kept you up all night?”

He was up and over to Johnny in an instant, cupping the side of his face.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? Shit, are you pregnant again?”

“I’m taking my medicine, I shouldn’t be. I just…I want them to be together and happy.”

Bobby sighed pushing himself up and sat on the couch wrapping his arms around Johnny.

“I think sometimes when someones been through as much as you have, it makes sense to want happy endings. I think you deserve whatever constitutes one for yourself too. Are you lonely? Do you want us to start asking around again?”

Johnny shook his head.

The guys had tried to set him up on dates before.

He’d been on countless blind dates over the years, usually when he got fed up on hoping Daniel would visit and too horny to think straight.

But they always ended up nowhere.

When the guys leaned in for a kiss Johnny leaned out of the way.

Same with women.

It made his skin crawl.

They smelled wrong.

He had tried to force it, going with a woman for a night cap at her place after, but he couldn’t get into it.

It was all just wrong.

So he apologized, flustered, and she offered to peg him instead and Johnny thought she was great, in another life, maybe. But he realized and apologized again sharing his realization with her.

“I think I’m in love with someone and there’s no room for anything else. I’m so sorry. I thought I could, I wanted to, but I think it’s just him and that’s it. Which is kind of sad because I don’t think he actually likes me.”

Instead of having sex they sat in her living room and drank and watched a movie she’d been wanting to see and while it ended not as a date, not in sex like he’d hoped, it ended up being the start of a good friendship.

Johnny got to be a part of her wedding party.

The first trip he’d been on in a while, leaving the kids with Mr. Miyagi for the weekend while he drove out to Tahoe for her wedding on the lake.

For a weekend he was just a guy in a suit who was friends with the bride. Who cut a scary figure enough to keep everyone well behaved. Who was good with his hands and helping carry heavy shit around.

It felt good.

He felt like himself again.

And she was so happy he was there, so relieved he was there.

And he caught the bouquet, somehow, on accident, he hadn’t even tried.

It smacked him in the face as the single women ran for it, jumping to catch it, only for it to hit him straight on and then land easily in his hands while he stood there blinking in stunned surprise.

The bride had spun and practically roared with delight when she realized he’d caught it.

“Maybe you’re luckier than you think huh? Maybe you’ll get your love returned huh?” she’d asked, a little drunk, poking him in the chest before she left for her honeymoon, before hugging him so tight, a whisper of thanks before leaving.

And Johnny had puzzled about that as he drove home, the bouquet in the passenger seat,  as he got home in one of those rare thunderstorms, putting the bouquet in water, lightning lighting up the yard and he glanced up to see Daniel wearing his mask standing in the yard, in the pouring rain, staring.

Maybe.

Maybe he was stuck loving someone who didn’t love him back.

But maybe there was a world where he put his shit down after getting home and saw Daniel standing out in the rain staring and he gathered up all his courage and he walked through to the glass sliding door and he pulled Daniel in and told him to get inside before he caught a cold and not to be a dumbass.

A world where he told Daniel about how he’d caught the bouquet and in that moment all he’d thought about was Daniel.

How much he loved him, how the whole damn reason he’d gone to the wedding in the first place was because he’d tried to get laid with someone else and it hadn’t worked because he’d realized he was stuck on Daniel.

And he’d peel the wet clothes off of Daniel and they’d fuck on the floor and water would drip on Johnny and he’d push that damn mask off his face and kiss him and maybe, just maybe Daniel would love him back.

He’d stay.

The mask would get hung up somewhere, forgotten, maybe put in a box and Johnny would retire his toy collection and stop biting his tongue during sex and he’d cry out Daniel’s name, he’d say all the things he held back. And they’d hold hands in public. And it wouldn’t be like the last time they’d both been at Mr. Miyagi’s sitting on the deck drinking Mr. Miyagi’s sake and watching the kids stumble around the garden and the way their fingertips brushed when Johnny leaned back and how Daniel hadn’t moved his but just sat stiffly like this was too much but he’d permit it.

How it’d taken everything in himself not to slip his hand over, to lace his fingers with Daniel’s and ask him what he thought of their kids. If Johnny was doing a good job. If Daniel could even tell.

But instead Johnny put away his leftovers he’d been sent home with except the piece of wedding cake he’d been given and he sat at the counter top and he ate it, ignoring the watchful eyes of Daniel, wondering how nice it would’ve been to have had him to dance with at the wedding, how nice it would’ve been to see him again in a suit. To have spent the night in Vegas messing up the hotel bed, rather than rushing home.

They could’ve driven home together, Daniel could’ve driven and Johnny could’ve laid down and sucked him off until Daniel wouldn’t have been able to handle it and they’d have to stop somewhere and have sex.

Maybe he should’ve told someone.

Maybe he still could.

Maybe he could say the words out loud.

He could just say he loved Daniel LaRusso so he didn’t want to go on any dates with any strangers.

He heard footsteps, the sounds of the guys waking up, them coming down the stairs and he sniffed, trying to scrub away all the tears before they caught it.

He wasn’t fast enough and Tommy stopped, Jimmy and Dutch crashing into him.

“I’ll make pancakes,” Tommy said.

“What the fuck man?” Dutch grumbled then his gaze reached Johnny and the anger melted and he sighed. “You want some coffee or something?”

“Yes please,” Johnny said.

Jimmy walked over, kneeling beside the couch, taking Johnny’s hands in his.

“It’s okay. You know my parents cried every November 1st too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they said Halloween was so much fun and stressful and that it meant I was getting older, and they’d mourn the fleetingness of time afterwards. They called it their Halloween hangover. They got bummed taking down all the decorations and putting away my costume. But it’ll be okay. We’ve still got time before work and all that. We can come over and help. We can make it fun to put away all the decorations, to clean up the magic.”

“Thanks,” Johnny said softly.

He was lucky, so damn lucky that he had them, his best friends in the world. Even if he never had his love for Daniel returned, at least his love for them came back to him returned in new and shocking ways. At least his platonic love was returned ten fold.

Chapter 12

Daniel sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to the news.

He listened for a bit about stocks, about sports, about the weather and then there, the report of another bear attack.

It was a relief.

It was all finally over.

“Daniel-san finished now?”

Daniel stiffened, looking over at Mr. Miyagi who had been doing his evening crossword and now paused to look up, over his glasses at Daniel.

Daniel frowned, heart racing and threatening to jump out of his damn chest.

“Huh?” he managed weakly.

Did Mr. Miyagi know?

How?

And if Mr. Miyagi knew then did other people?

“If finished,” Mr. Miyagi said slowly. “Maybe now good time to move forward?”

“Forward? What do you mean?”

Five words. Pretty good.

“Johnny-san.”

Daniel blinked.

“Daniel-san say love Johnny-san, but turn to stone any time Johnny-san close. Miyagi almost thought Daniel-san still scared of Johnny-san, then realize no, feel guilty. Why feel guilty?”

Oh. This again.

“He’s got a family! He might not like me.”

Mr. Miyagi sighed the biggest sigh Daniel had ever heard.

“Sam, Robby, both call Miyagi grandfather. Johnny-san ensured that. Johnny-san dress up when know Lucille visiting. Try and make good impression. Dress up when visiting here too. Dress kids up. Always watching Daniel-san, always close whenever opportunity. Miyagi not know why had to wait so long, but now, fight won, maybe now time to go on date?”

Daniel stared at Mr. Miyagi with horror creeping across his skin. It was like he lived on a different planet.

He was…

He knew.

Mr. Miyagi knew.

“Mr. Miyagi I— you…what happened to all the pacifist…what the hell?”

“Remember Miyagi trip? Boston?”

“Yeah? Mr. Miyagi did you murder someone?”

“Boston? No, no, but learn importance of ending and winning a fight. And changed way Miyagi think about things. Sato never let Miyagi live it down. So much arguing and then one trip to Boston and things change. Not condone, but think lots and understand, or trying. So, Miyagi repeat question. Finished?”

Daniel felt sick. Whatever relief he’d been enjoying was now a cold that spread across his skin.

“I…I want it to be. But sometimes I act before I think. Especially—“ Daniel took a deep breath, hugging the pillow to his chest. “If someone is hurting Johnny, or going to. I can’t…I want to promise it, but I can’t.”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

“Maybe feel better if go on date.”

“Why would he want to be with me when I’ve done all this?”

“Miyagi have blood on hands.”

“That’s different!”

Mr. Miyagi shrugged then got up and sat next to Daniel. “Before wife,” Mr. Miyagi’s voice trembled for a moment. “Before son and Mrs. Miyagi passed, I worried. If wife knew horrors of war, horrors Miyagi lived would she still love—“

“Of course she would!” Daniel said.

Mr. Miyagi nodded, taking a breath, steadying. “Talk to Yukie and Sato about it. They say same thing. Of course. But still think. Like Daniel-san. But Miyagi have weekly call with Sato and Yukie, Daniel-san…how often have date with Johnny?”

Daniel felt his skin burn, rubbing at his eyes and sniffing.

Mr. Miyagi wasn’t going to let it go.

Not this time.

This time it wasn’t just a gentle nudge of maybe Daniel should take Johnny to a movie.

Or Miyagi would babysit if Daniel wanted to go to a concert with Johnny.

Or all the little newspaper clippings of date ideas he left for Daniel to find.

“I’ve done…bad things.”

“Can do good things now.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“What Daniel-san want?”

Daniel sighed, frowning.

“Fine. Yes. Yes I want to ask him out on a date.”

Mr. Miyagi wrote something down and passed it to Daniel. “Here, have Johnny-san’s number. Give call.”

Daniel took it, face burning bright red.

“I know his number!”

“Daniel-san sure? Never seem to call it. For boy who talk lots on phone, talk to Ali hours and hours, Jessica hours and hours, Kumiko hours and hours. Never call Johnny. Miyagi go get phone.”

“What? Now?” Daniel asked, scrambling to get up, to beat Mr. Miyagi to the phone.

The old man was so spry.

“If help, Miyagi call Johnny-san, then Daniel-san know phone work, and number work.”

Mr. Miyagi was smiling.

Delighted at his own jokes.

“I…I want to do it in person. I need to see his face,” Daniel said quickly slipping between Mr. Miyagi and the phone and keeping it on the hook. “Let me pick a place and buy him flowers and ask him out in person okay? I need to know what expression he makes when I ask because if he’s quiet for too long because he doesn’t want to say yes or something I’ll be crushed, but what if he’s taking too long to answer because the kids distracted him and he completely missed my question? Or what if I’m lucky and he’s so excited he’s speechless?”

“Third one most likely.”

“But still, I gotta do this right. I can’t just call him up.”

“Can just call up anyone else. Daniel-san spent two hours talking to pizza delivery guy last week.”

“I had questions!”

“Hai, many questions, so many. Miyagi worry Daniel-san fall for pizza delivery guy.”

“What? Never! I just wanted to know why they did it wrong is all.”

Mr. Miyagi laughed and some of the panic eased.

“I will okay? I just, need a game plan. So give me a bit of time. Okay?”

“Don’t take too long.”

Daniel nodded. If he wasn’t careful Mr. Miyagi might change his mind about arranged marriage and Daniel might open the door to his home to find Johnny standing there equally confused while Mr. Miyagi got a priest or something into the house.

Though, that might be easier.

Then it’d just happen and Daniel wouldn’t have to go through the terrifying ordeal of asking.

He sat at the kitchen table with the phone book.

Where was a good place to take Johnny on a date?

Dinner and the movies?

Would that be fun for a single parent who arguably didn’t get out much?

Should he take Johnny to Golf n’ stuff?

A different arcade?

He threw himself into planning.

He wanted it to be perfect. Just like he’d wanted it to be perfect so long ago. Back when he’d wanted to reach out under the fire works and carefully take Johnny’s hand in his, maybe tuck some of that blonde hair behind his ear and ask him to dance to the music.

It’d be sweet and Daniel would talk, about prom, about school, a little bit about everything. He’d let some of that anger and darkness out into the star filled sky, leave it behind in that woods and he’d kiss Johnny and he’d get up the courage to say everything he wanted.

That he’d been so scared to spend that summer alone. Terrified of every shadow that crossed his path if he’d been left in the Valley. Terrified of Terry Silver who knew where Daniel lived. Of Mike Barnes. Of Kreese. Of someone new finding him and doing worse.

Sometimes he had nightmares that they set the house on fire.

That Daniel had to rush around gathering up Mr. Miyagi’s treasures while trying to find him through the heavy thick smoke. All he could hear was Terry Silver’s laugh.

He worried he’d crack that summer.

And he’d wanted to tell Johnny.

He’d been planning to on the walk up, practicing it over and over. About how much fun he’d had with Johnny that summer and he didn’t want it to end.

He wanted to exchange numbers.

He wanted to visit.

He wanted to take Johnny out on a date. Dinner and a movie.

He’d wanted the world.

But then he’d heard voice. And then he’d seen…and he’d seen red.

He’d ruined everything.

And now he had to redo it.

It had to be perfect.

He couldn’t just trust newspaper or magazine reviews.

He had to go to the restaurants and try them out first.

Was it too loud, too crowded?

The worst thing would be to invite Johnny somewhere and be unable to hear him, or for the food to be over hyped which was par for the course in LA.

Newark would’ve been easier.

He knew all the good places because it hadn’t changed in generations.

Unlike LA where the best places changed depending on what was trendy.

And did he want trendy?

Or did he want something reliably good?

Metaphorically he wanted to be seen as the second. That Johnny could rely on him. That Johnny could trust Daniel, lean against him.

It took his full attention for a few weeks.

Planning.

Setting all his ducks up in a row.

He’d start with flowers.

A beautiful bouquet and then he drove to Johnny’s, dressed casually but nice. His favorite red Okinawan button up.

He knocked.

He waited.

He frowned.

He tried the door.

It was locked.

Odd.

But maybe someone had finally told Johnny it wasn’t safe to leave his front door unlocked.

He walked around back.

The sliding door was locked.

Smart. Johnny was making smart choices.

Daniel swallowed hard.

He was proud.

This was a good thing.

He was learning.

Daniel tried the windows.

Also locked.

Johnny never locked up the house.

Where was he?

The car was gone. No light was on.

Could someone have taken them?

Why would they lock up?

Maybe he was just out?

Maybe he only locked everything up when he was gone?

Like he was so sure in his badass karate skills that as long as he was home he could leave everything unlocked?

But where?

And what if?

What if Daniel was wrong?

What if they were home but sick?

The kids were too little to help Johnny.

What if he was stuck injured somewhere and—

He took a deep breath.

He knew where the spare key was.

He retrieved it and let himself in.

No one was home.

Maybe the kids were at a neighbors.

Maybe they were with Bobby and the guys.

Maybe Johnny was on a date.

Johnny was allowed to go on dates.

He was his own person.

That was fine.

But if he was hurt…

Or injured…

Or…

He locked the door behind him and made his way to Bobby’s.

Bobby was smart. Locked his doors, kept his blinds down after the sun started to set.

Daniel knocked.

It was fine.

It was all fine.

 

Bobby opened the door surprised to see Daniel on his doorstep looking frantic. He was dressed up, holding flowers.

He bit back a smartass comment. The urge to ask Daniel if he was at the right house, or if those were for him. But he knew better. And the whole thing was absurd and didn’t need him accidentally knocking the Bambi on his doorstep over.

“Hey Daniel.”

“Do you know where Johnny is?”

“He’s not home?”

“You’re not babysitting tonight?

“No, are you babysitting tonight?”

Bobby frowned.

Normally it was easier to play dumb. Of course Daniel was looking for Johnny. He was always looking for or at Johnny. Like a magnet.

He and the guys had noticed it in school, the way Daniel would watch Johnny.

It was the first inkling Bobby got that Daniel was an alpha. And he put his guard up. Maybe too much. Fought a little too hard, did shit he regretted because he didn’t want Johnny to get hurt.

But Johnny usually told them where he was going. Mostly because of the kids.

Sam and Robby were usually with them or with Mr. Miyagi when Johnny was busy. Not that Johnny was busy often, unless it was work but his bastard boss had died a while back and work had been more relaxed for Johnny ever since.

And Johnny rarely went on dates.

Didn’t seem to like to, which probably was because he was too busy staring at Daniel with that heartbroken look on his face like everything he wanted was just within reach but too far out of it.

Which was so dumb because Daniel had the same damn look on his face all the time.

They had a bet going, on who would crack first.

Dutch was sure it’d be Johnny, that old cobra in him striking.

Bobby thought it’d be Daniel, mostly because he saw the way Mr. Miyagi always adjusted everything. He always sat them right next to one another, always pushed Daniel towards Johnny, a little at a time.

Tommy thought it might be Johnny, but he kept getting wishy-washy about it. Changed his bet depending on the day and the event. His excuse was that they were both hard-headed dumbasses.

Jimmy thought it’d be Bobby. That one day Bobby might snap and tell them both to shut up and just kiss already or slam down like $20 and tell them to go fuck it out at a hotel but for the love of god, to please wear a damn condom.

Sometimes Bobby wondered if Jimmy was right.

“I’ll ask the guys.”

Bobby left the door open for Daniel who shuffled in looking for all the world a panicked lost dog.

Bobby tried not to let that flood into him.

He was sure there was a logical explanation. They weren’t Johnny’s only friends.

He had that lady he went on a date with once, and he got a long with his new-old boss.

Heck, he’d been out part of the day, maybe Dutch was reading Grimms fairy tales to the kids, or maybe Jimmy was coloring with them upstairs or Tommy might’ve put them down for a nap and he hadn’t realized it.

He got Daniel situated on the couch, made him a cup of tea and then headed upstairs to see who was home.

It would be just their damn luck that Daniel would finally make a move after all this time only for Johnny to be missing in action.

That was his fear.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.

Though Bobby had other parts to his bet he didn’t tell the others yet. And he was dying a little for Johnny to just open up and tell him.

He wondered sometimes, the way Daniel and Johnny moved around each other. Like they were all too aware of the other. Like they knew each other in an embarrassingly intimate way.

Bobby didn’t fully know everything about omegas and alphas, he and the guys weren’t in that boat. He knew accidents could happen. That heat and rut could happen. He’d seen enough soap operas to know that sometimes one could not know who the parents were just by being so out of it from hormones and horny bullshit. But still he was dying for Johnny to confirm it. That Robby and Sam were surprisingly similar in very un-Johnny ways.

In very…

Daniel ways.

And sure all the counselors had died at Camp Stinging Nettles, but…Daniel had also been there.

He hadn’t realized it at first of course. He’d been too horrified. First Kreese then the camp. Bobby had regretted leaving for his summer vacation with his family, regretted leaving Johnny alone and they’d all agreed that they’d never let that happen again.

And when Johnny told him…well he’d read countless books on child rearing, on omegas, on all sorts of different things. And they’d worked hard together.

But Johnny needed someone. Needed a family.

Laura had been amazing until she got sick. She talked Sid into giving them some of the properties he had hoarded. One for Johnny as a gift, and one sold greatly discounted for the guys. Within walking distance.

Bobby assumed one day they’d move out. They’d meet people and start their own families.

Yet he found himself talking about Sam and Robby as if they were his own at work. Had seen Dutch rush home and shove them all out the door because Sam had some event, or Robby had. Or when they were younger the look on Jimmy’s face that made Bobby’s heart nearly stop only to learn Sam was walking for the first time.

This was their family.

It might grow.

It might change.

But it was theirs.

And Bobby loved it. They all did.

And they were just waiting. Waiting with Mr. Miyagi for those two dumbasses to make a move. Because it was just so obvious.

It was enough to drive Bobby crazy. How many drunken ranting sessions had they gotten into trying to spitball a solution?

If they got Johnny on a date maybe he’d realize how much he loved Daniel. Or maybe Daniel would get jealous enough to make a move.

Neither had happened.

Instead it’d turned into play dates for adults.

Johnny made a new friend and no progress had been made.

Bobby wanted to ask.

He wanted to grab Daniel by his collar and ask him what the fuck was wrong with the both of them?

Why play this game of being together but not?

Was he stringing Johnny along?

Where the hell did Robby and Sam come from? It had to be Daniel. And if so why hadn’t he taken responsibility?

It seemed so unlike the gentleman sweating nervously like a prom date on their couch.

“Maybe they don’t think they’d work out well,” Tommy had said during one of their drunken nights, sitting on the floor in the living room eating a pizza.

“Or maybe Johnny’s too traumatized by his dad leaving and Sid being a shit that he’d rather do it on his own?” Jimmy had asked.

They had countless ideas that they tossed about, countless excuses, musings and wonderings that got them no where.

Bobby opened the door to Dutch’s room. He was laying on his bed listening to music.

“Have you seen Johnny or heard anything?” Bobby asked when he pulled his headphone from his ear.

“No,” Dutch said, frowning. “Why, did something happen?”

“Daniel’s here. With flowers. I think…it’d be just Johnny’s luck to not be around when Daniel tries to make a move,” Bobby grumbled.

He went to Jimmy’s room, and Tommy’s and the guys followed him back down, to hang out with Daniel or really to see what Daniel asking for a date looked like.

He looked anxious and concerned and his face was set rather grimly.

“Why don’t you stay here?” Bobby asked. “For a bit anyway and I’ll call around?”

He felt bad. He was going to lecture Johnny as soon as he saw him again.

It was just his awful luck to be gone to be missing, to be…god, Johnny had such shit luck. It made him nervous, seeing how worried Daniel was, the way he’d bit at his thumbnail in a way Bobby hadn’t seen since they were in high school, more than that, there was a bloom of red, of blood.

Shit.

Bobby walked over.

“Hey, how about you put those pretty flowers in water while you wait? Are you hungry?”

Daniel glanced at him, there was so much white in his eyes, he normally had such big brown eyes but he looked so…terrified, so panicked, suddenly so small again, back like high school, back when Bobby kept looking kept wondering, is that really an alpha? One of those rare alphas that were mentioned in stories and fairy tales? One can be this small and skittish and— it’d been the first couple of fights where it’d sunk in. The scrapiness, despite his size, clearly stronger than he looked, more dangerous.

“Yeah, good idea,” Daniel said dragging his attention back down to the flowers.

It got hinted to, in this weird family-not-family dinners that Daniel had been through a lot. Traumatized, not just by them but by others, by Kreese, by Kreese’s friends. There were little whispered sayings, don’t poke a bear, don’t poke an alpha. The idea went hand in hand. One was bound to lose one if they tried.

Bobby’s hair stood on end as Daniel got up, walking robotically over to the kitchen, Jimmy getting him a nice vase, giving him options, helping him fill up the vase with water, telling him that they were such nice flowers.

Daniel looked like he was about to cry. Held together by the tiniest of threads and Bobby wondered now, how much courage he’d had to gather to take this step, where the hell Johnny was, and if a door might shut forever if they didn’t find him fast. He picked up the phone, the only thing he could do to stop himself from walking over and hugging Daniel and spilling the beans, that Johnny loved him with all his heart and it'd be okay, they'd fine him and Daniel would get his date, his happily ever after.

Chapter 13

He tried baking a pie, tried putting it on the counter, hoping Daniel would come. Even if it was just standing in the yard and staring at them. Watching.

He wondered if he could take the kids on a trip somewhere. Where would they like to go? Where should he take them?

He wished his mom was around. Would he ever have gotten up the courage to tell her that they were Daniels? To ask whatever her advice might’ve been?

He grew out his beard, the kids giggled about it. It was scratchy. But they liked it.

Maybe he could drive them to Newark.

Maybe he’d find something in that trip.

It was winter break and he packed up his things. Their bags full of little things, impossibly small and he drove.

And he drove.

He remembered from that summer, Daniel telling him about the journey. About time with his mother in awe, staring at the grand canyon, at all the stops they’d made. And Johnny wrote them down, a checklist in reverse.

Lucille had told him, a few years ago that if he ever wanted to visit, she’d happily show him and the kids, at that point barely Sam, around.

And maybe, maybe that’d help. The kids would get to connect with their roots in an abstract way.

They were good kids. Even when they bickered. Fought from their corners of the back of the car, shrieking because they were siblings in a way Johnny never had known.

He had a headache when they got to the grand canyon.

He took a picture of them both.

A stranger took a picture of him with them. And when he got back in the car, listening absently to the kids go on and on about how big it was and how amazing it was he wished Daniel was with them.

That those photos would’ve had Daniel in them.

How many times did he force a family photo with Daniel without telling him?

For the kids.

For the future.

For one day.

Instead of just him.

It was fun though. For the kids, who giggled and shrieked and sang songs with him at the top of their lungs.

The best songs.

Rock, like any good dad would teach his kids to like.

He pulled up in front of Lucille’s right in time for a fresh snow to start falling.

He stood staring up at the gray sky in surprise.

“Dad! What’s that? What’s falling from the sky?” Robby asked.

“It’s snow!” Sam said.

“That’s not snow!” Robby said.

“It is snow!”

“Dad, what is it?”

“It’s snow,” Johnny said.

“See?”

“Stay in the car with the doors locked for a moment okay?” Johnny said.

A routine.

Unless he was close the doors were always locked.

That or they held his hands in their tiny sticky fists while walking around.

He was so tired.

His headache persisted.

His body ached.

He thought maybe he hadn’t spent this much time with his own kids alone and wondered if that made him a bad parent.

If a long road trip gave him a headache, was he that awful at this? If his body ached just from picking them up from a few times a day?

He watched as they locked the doors, faces pressed up against the glass staring up at the sky, at the first snow they’d ever seen and he walked up the steps.

They would love it.

He was sure.

There had to be a park somewhere. And maybe he should’ve packed winter clothes.

He hadn’t thought about it. He hadn’t thought about little winter boots and little winter jackets or gloves and scarves and hats and ear muffs.

He was the worst parent.

Lucille LaRusso looked surprised to see him, had him rush the kids inside with all their things.

Johnny carried them up the steps, one under each arm, bag in each hand as they shrieked in delight about how cold it was.

A feeling brand new to them.

But Daniel…

This was something Daniel had grown up with. And Johnny wanted them to have this, at least this, at least one winter of their childhood like Daniel had had. And if they liked it, well he could bring them back, maybe, if this hadn’t freaked Lucille out.

He should’ve called ahead.

But he had panicked that the last time he’d seen Daniel had been for the last time. That Daniel wouldn’t come around any more. That he was done. And he needed something of Daniel’s. Even if it was just dragging his kids to Newark on a whim.

“I thought I’d show them New York City and let them have a snowy Christmas,” he said hoping his voice didn’t tremble as much as he felt like he was.

She studied him for a moment.

She was sharp. Like Johnny’s mom had been.

She gave the kids cookies, gingerbread to decorate and he watched as they instantly got covered in icing themselves, more than the cookies.

They’d need a bath tonight.

But they were happy.

That was such a relief he almost felt faint.

“Johnny, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why here?”

“You invited me, once, and I thought the kids should—“

She looked at him for a moment then frowned, thoughtful.

“Of course, you and the kids are always welcome, but…Johnny, Mr. Miyagi every once in a while…are they…Daniel’s?”

Johnny stared at her, how quickly she saw through him. How she immediately honed in on it.

He supposed some mothers were like that.

He wondered if his own mother had suspected. If that might’ve been why she’d pushed Sid so hard to give him the house no strings attached as soon as possible, so that he couldn’t take it back if he found out, figured it out.

He looked away and nodded.

“Does he know?”

“I think so.”

“I’m going to murder that boy,” Lucille said turning towards her phone.

“Wait,” Johnny said turning to her, reaching out for her. “I…” he let his voice drop low. “I went into heat on accident and he just was…nearby.”

“But you love him.”

She said it flatly, like she knew.

His throat felt dry. He was very obvious even when he didn’t mean to be. He didn’t want to be pathetic or needy or a burden.

But he couldn’t help his feelings.

He didn't want to be just something…someone to drag Daniel down.

He hadn’t meant to upset Lucille.

He nodded.

“I don’t want to make him do anything he doesn’t want to do, but I thought they deserved one holiday season here. And I just, needed a break. He usually visits and he hasn’t in a while. He’s keeping his distance, he’s probably found someone new. So I just needed a change of pace, fresh air-”

Lucille laughed and Johnny felt his face redden.

He supposed this close to New York they probably got the same amount of awful smog as LA.

“And I mean they’re delighted, this is their first snow. I want them to see the tree. It’s apparently huge.”

“It is,” Lucille said. She frowned. “How about we make cookies? And we can go to New York. They can learn to ice skate.”

“Thank you,” Johnny said relieved.

He stepped towards the couch.

They’d make fun memories. And maybe Johnny would learn new things about Daniel. Find some peace between loving Daniel and not being able to have him.

Acceptance.

They’d get to learn things about their history, their family at least from Lucille. They’d have more, so much more than he could give them on his own, his sad family tree that was all dried up and cut off behind him. Just him. Unlike Daniel’s side which was so much bigger and livelier and full of so many rich traditions.

Maybe they’d learn to make pasta, or learn Italian-American Christmas traditions. He was pretty sure there was something about fish.

They could make memories to hold deep in their hearts and shake like a snow globe whenever they needed it. Memories of snowmen and ice skating and giant sparkling lights.

And it was such a relief that he almost didn’t mind when the world blacked out and he landed face first onto Lucille’s living room floor. Because at the very least the kids were safe and with family.

Chapter 14

Daniel worried some dry skin on his lip between his teeth while Bobby called.

No one had the kids.

The cobras were worried, but they were being kind to him, sweet and patient. He responded to their conversation, the best he could but he didn’t remember what he talked about.

He just was waiting.

The phone rang and Bobby grabbed it off the hook.

“Hello? Oh, hello Mr. Miyagi, uh, yes Daniel is here,” Bobby said and Daniel sighed getting up.

Mr. Miyagi was probably thinking that Daniel had chickened out, again.

Failed.

Again.

He’d just tell Mr. Miyagi that he’d tried.

He paused though, feeling a wave of nausea, panic at seeing the color drain from Bobby’s face, his eyes widen.

“Oh, uh…of course Mr. Miyagi,” Bobby said, hanging up the phone with a trembling hand.

“What is it?” Daniel asked. “What happened?”

Something had happened.

Must’ve.

Something had happened to Johnny.

“Your mother called.”

“Ma?”

His stomach dropped in a different way. Was she hurt? Was she okay?

“She said to hurry home. Johnny’s in Newark? But he’s sick. She wants you to go straight to the hospital as soon as you can, don’t stop at home. She’s got the kids and they’re okay, a little shaken.”

Bobby quickly wrote down the information for the hospital and put it in Daniel’s hand.

“Will you…tell us how he is after you get there? We’ll uh…drive you to the airport.”

Daniel nodded.

Flying would be the fastest.

Dutch grabbed his keys

Daniel wanted to tell Dutch to hurry, to yell step on it, but instead he held onto the handle from the ceiling for dear life, needing something he could crush in his hand, as Dutch sped out of the sleepy neighborhood on his way to LAX with the other three crammed into the back.

No one asked if he wanted to stop by at home first.

No one asked if he wanted to grab some clothes or if he needed anything to go with him.

Instead Dutch slammed on the breaks, hand thrown out to catch Daniel so he wouldn’t bash his head into the dashboard as he made it to departures.

The guys filed out, they were so fast. Getting the door open for him and rushing him through the crowd to the ticket desk while Dutch found a parking spot or sat and waited, Daniel didn’t know.

All he did know was that he didn’t know where to go. He’d only flown internationally from LAX, just to Okinawa and back. He hadn’t flown to Newark in…well…ever.

Sometimes he took the bus, sometimes he drove.

But they guided him easily through the crowd of people, hands on his arms, shoulders, back, talking a lot, but none of it sinking in until he found himself staring at the lady in charge of ticketing listing off the next available time to Newark.

Daniel started to open his wallet but they beat him to it.

He stared at the ticket in his hands surprised.

“You need anything?”

Now they asked.

But no one waited for him to answer, filling his arms up with things.

A bag they bought and shoved a neck pillow into, some book Jimmy heard were good, a magazine Dutch recommended having parked and found them.

A box of candy that they said Johnny liked. Souvenirs for Lucille.

It was too much but it passed the time while he waited, with them and he realized they were all worried, pale but trying not to add to his own panic that he could feel just the edges of closing in.

He always wondered what it was like, that close group of guy friends that Johnny had in the cobras. And sometimes he felt a spark of jealously. That they could so easily be close to him while he just couldn’t figure out the right way to even be near Johnny.

But here they were, worried and panicked like him but making sure he was okay, that he got on the plane.

They were hugging him close and he was breathing in their scents, not awful, not metallic and sour like most people and he hugged them back, grateful they were there.

“Call us when things…calm down,” Bobby said.

In his eyes it seemed he wanted to request more, wanted to be told asap but knew that was impossible, knew that they’d have to wait, that they’d go home and worry and wait by the phone until Daniel could call and update them.

Daniel nodded, a promise leaving his lips hurrying to board and waving at them, catching the tears and panic in their eyes when he’d started to turn away.

He’d call as soon as he knew and he knew they’d tell Mr. Miyagi where he was. That Mr. Miyagi probably knew he wasn’t coming home that night, but not in the way either of them had hoped.

He settled onto the plane, ordering a coffee and regretting it as he couldn’t keep his leg still, antsy and wanting to move but unable to in his awful middle seat squeezed between people.

He started with the book, skimming through the pages, none of it sinking in. He flipped through the magazine, looking at pictures, eating the snacks he was given, drinking a soda the next time the lady came through.

When he landed he rushed straight for the taxi. Had almost climbed over the man in the aisle seat as soon as the seatbelt sign was off and darted with his bag as far up as he could before anyone else had registered the light was off.

He wanted to run but he didn’t want to get stopped and asked why. He didn’t want to talk to anyone other than a car rental place and even that was torture. But he wanted to get there and get Johnny if he needed to, or get anything Johnny needed. He wanted freedom even if it meant driving in Newark or New York if needed.

He drove too fast. Grateful that no one stopped him. He wondered if he looked as awful as he felt, as wild as he felt, fingers holding on so tight to the steering wheel that his fingers were white and he had to carefully pry them off once he parked and hurried out the door. He ran to the front desk.

“Daniel LaRusso for Johnny Lawrence?” he asked, breathless.

“Oh! You know normally I don’t know right off the top of my head, but omegas are so rare. He’s in room 453. He’ll feel better once you’re there.”

Daniel rushed to the elevator and pushed the button.

It took too long.

He raced to the stairs, hurrying up them, skipping over steps, heart pounding. Omegas were rare. And this one was hurt. And this one was his. He’d promised himself to keep Johnny safe.

His mind buzzed.

Why was he in Newark?

Why was he here?

Why wasn’t he home?

He should’ve been home, in that cozy place that smelled of Johnny and not this awful place that smelled so strongly of disinfectant.

He slammed through the door to the fourth floor and rushed through the halls, reading the numbers until he stopped.

Johnny was pale on a hospital bed breathing shallow.

His eyes were shut.

Daniel scrambled, not daring to breathe, grabbing Johnny’s hand.

Panic, flooding through him.

“Johnny? Johnny what happened?”

Johnny peeled a blue eye open looking at Daniel then sighing.

“Dammit.”

“What happened?” Daniel asked, harsher than he meant. “What the hell are you doing in Newark?”

“Go away.”

“I’m not going away, until you tell me.”

“How’d you even know?”

“Ma called Mr. Miyagi.”

“She promised she wouldn’t bother you.”

“You’re not a bother, is that what this is? Come on, tell me what happened. Why are you here?”

He grabbed the chair and pulled it closer, awkwardly, not letting go of Johnny’s hand.

“Again, why Newark? Why didn’t you tell anyone? No one knew where you were.”

“It’s dumb.”

“It’s not dumb, what is it?”

Johnny frowned and sighed. “You stopped coming around.”

“What?”

Daniel didn’t understand.

Dinners?

They had like group dinners maybe a few times a month but that was with everyone, but Daniel had been at the last one, and to go to Newark because of that? It didn’t make sense.

Johnny didn’t say anything just stared at the blanket, fiddling at it with his free hand. His face reddened.

“You’re going to be mad.”

“Mad? Johnny why would I be mad? I’m worried, I’m—“

Terrified.

“You stopped coming around, and I got nervous. I dunno, I felt kinda sick, and I assumed it was…emotional shit? Dumb emotional shit so I thought well, it’s winter vacation. I’ll give the kids a white Christmas, a Newark Christmas ‘cause you always talk about it, so we drove out and your mom said we could visit so I thought I’d take her up on it. It felt like the only thing I could do. Like I had to do it. Was desperate to do it. Like I was grasping at straws and if I told anyone they’d talk me out of it and I didn’t know how to explain why I had to or…anything.”

Daniel frowned studying Johnny.

Why would it matter if Daniel wasn’t there? If he wasn’t around?

Why would he come all this way because Daniel had been at Mr. Miyagi’s, like usual?

What was a few weeks since they’d seen each other at their usual dinner at Mr. Miyagi’s?

That was normal.

Unless…

Daniel’s skin buzzed, horror settling cold in his veins.

“I wanted them to have at least this much you know? Ice skating and the tree and a nice little memory. But I guess…”

“Ah, Mr. LaRusso?”

Daniel snapped his head towards the doctor in the white lab coat, letting go of Johnny’s hand. He felt tense, like a cat with it’s back arched and hair standing up. He nearly hissed.

A part of his mind wondered how the doctor knew who he was.

Another wanted him to go away, but the doctor had the answers he needed.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Ah, I guess you didn’t know. That happens from time to time. It feels too natural to even realize it’s happened,” the doctor said opening his clipboard.

“What?” Daniel asked, hand tightening into a fist his nails dug into the palm of his hand.

“You’re an alpha correct?”

“Yes, so?”

They were not going to tell him to leave that room.

He’d…rip them to shreds if they tried.

“Omegas and alphas are a rare part of society, a small percentage. But an even smaller percentage of omegas and alphas create strong bonds. There’s not a ton of studies on it because it’s so rare, but it’s usually called a fated pair. We noticed…you haven’t bitten him.”

“Of course not!” Daniel said, scandalized.

They were…

They were friends.

And how would he have explained that?

How many times had he nearly done it and forced himself to stop because it wouldn’t have been something he could’ve explained to Johnny later?

He’d done a lot of things he couldn’t forgive, but that?

He’d never have been able to live with himself if he’d trapped Johnny in a relationship without talking first. Without Johnny even knowing who he was in a relationship with.

“So the less you see each other, the further you get apart, the sicker he gets. The harder it gets for both of you. You’ve probably felt a bit sick yourself and just not noticed. You should really both get some support. The barrier between animalistic urges are higher for you both. Your mother let us look at your files when Johnny went down to try and figure out what had happened. Your type of alpha is prone to blood lust. Especially if you fear your mate’s in danger. I will get you some medicine to help with that. It’s remarkable you haven’t yet, but your mother explained that you live in LA. You should find a doctor who specializes in your care out there, I’ll give you some referrals so you can get refills. You really shouldn’t have gone this long without care, but no one probably realized it.”

Daniel stared at the doctor then back at Johnny whose face was red.

He reached over and took Johnny’s hand again.

That felt better.

“I’ll give you both some time. But you should rethink whatever hang ups you have about biting if you’re going to travel around without the other. Especially since you have kids. It would’ve been very dangerous to have fainted while driving. We’ll get you some pamphlets, it’s actually safer now then it used to be, and we’ll get you a care kit so you don’t have to worry about infections.”

Daniel waited until the doctor left then spun on Johnny, he was on top of him in a moment, hands on his shoulders, staring down at him.

“Why did you just leave without saying anything?”

“I didn’t want to bother you. And I thought you didn’t…I mean you don’t want to be tied to me right?”

“What? But…”

Daniel felt off-kilter for second. A realization that now was the time to come clean.

“I’ve been attacking you,” Daniel said.

Johnny’s brow furrowed with a frown.

“No, I lured you in by going into heat at camp.”

“I…” Daniel dropped his voice looking around. “Killed the campers and then I—“

“I went into heat.”

“I wanted you before that though.”

“Well I wanted you before that!”

“I keep breaking into your house.”

“I leave the doors unlocked hoping you’ll come in!”

Daniel sat back looking at Johnny.

“You didn’t just leave them open because you thought it was a safe neighborhood?”

“No! I left them open because ever since college you’d hover and watch from outside the window but never came in and I was hoping you’d come in. I…I’d try to lure you in sometimes.”

Daniel thought about the wine, he thought about the plates of treats, he thought about how many times he’d watched Johnny through his window.

“Were you masturbating trying to get me to come in?” Daniel asked, face getting red.

Johnny flushed down to his neck, his ears burning red, he turned away.

“I was hoping you’d…join me.”

“What?”

“Oh, come on, how else did I invite you? You stood outside my windows wearing a mask. You scared the kids!”

“So you knew?”

“Of course I knew!”

Daniel lowered his head, scooting down, wrapping his arms around Johnny.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to take you on a date. I wanted to be romantic and sweet and the reason I wasn’t coming around was I wanted to do it right. I picked a restaurant and I spent a few weeks trying to find the perfect restaurant. I just, we haven’t done it right. I keep fucking up. I just kept jumping your bones.”

“Not enough.”

Daniel turned his head, studying Johnny’s face.

Was he pouting?

Not enough?

Seriously?

“Haven’t you been going on dates and—“

“No, not really.”

Daniel stared at him surprised.

“We can fix that.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to go on dates, I want to do stuff together. I want to adopt the kids.”

Johnny blinked staring at him.

“You…”

“I don’t care if one of the other camp counselors got there first, or if they’re from a date. I want to be their dad.”

“You are their dad.”

“I will happily adopt them in a heartbeat.”

“Daniel,” Johnny said pushing himself up with a frown. “They’re your kids.”

“They will be, I—“

“Daniel!” Johnny said. “You’re the only one I’ve had the kind of sex with that produces kids. They’re both already your kids.”

“What?”

“The kids. Sam and Robby, they’re both LaRusso’s.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel asked.

“I thought you knew! Who did you think the father was?”

“One of those awful councilors. When I got there I thought they’d—“

“Huh? No one had done anything till you did it. And I’ve been on dates sure, but like, well it makes sense now after reading one of the pamphlet the nurse gave me about this, but like…I dunno I try and kiss someone else or get laid and I just can’t do it. I thought you could. I thought you didn’t want me, or to be a dad and I mean I went into heat when you…well it was hot. I found it hot, which I think is probably some messed up thing about me, but the doctor said I might’ve been given a heat inducer because he asked if the first time we did it seemed normal. Which how is any of this even remotely normal? But I mean I got desperate a few times and nothing happened. Couldn’t even manage to kiss a date. I mean I made a friend, but that was like it and it sucked, but I thought, well at camp you only talked about women. Kumiko, Ali, Jessica so I assumed even though you were an alpha that maybe I wasn’t your type? Especially when after camp you never talked to me again until Sam was born.”

It hadn’t been that long had it?

He’d talked to Johnny after camp, right?

He’d seen him, almost weekly.

No.

He’d just been watching him from afar, like a creep.

Oh what an idiot.

That means he seriously hadn’t talked to Johnny the entirety of his pregnancy with Sam.

He wanted to bury himself in a hole.

He should've been there, not just physically there watching from a distance, but through the entirety of it. He should've held his hand, and talked to him, and done all the things the cobras had done to help.

“Johnny, I— I attacked you.”

“You did not, you turned me on so much I went into heat.”

“But—“

“Daniel, stop it. Even if there had been heat inducers or whatever I had hoped we’d end up doing it that night.”

Daniel felt a little woozy.

“Wait, hold on. I just need to clarify. So you wanted to do it with me?”

“Yes, I wanted to have sex with you.”

“So I didn’t attack you?”

“No. I don’t think I would’ve wanted you to stop either, it was a pretty intense heat that time.”

“And that’s where Sam came from?”

“Yeah.”

“And you liked me?”

Johnny cupped the sides of Daniel’s face. “I’m going to repeat it, so listen very carefully, okay?”

Daniel nodded.

“I wanted to, the first time, every time, more times then we’ve actually done it. Okay? I had a massive thing for you during camp and it’s only gotten worse. I love you okay? Sam and Robby are both yours. Ours. They get spooked when you stand outside the house watching them, so, if you want to make me, us, happy. Please come inside and live with us instead. Hang up your mask. Move in, sleep next to me, let’s have sex whenever the mood strikes. Stop reorganizing my spice cabinet in the middle of the damn night. I like alphabetical, I was using that to try and teach the kids their abc’s now they’re all confused. Because their father comes into the house in the middle of the night and organizes them however he wants. And you will not believe how many times they both mess up and now think it’s p, b, t, m, o. Why on earth does the parsley, basil, thyme, marjaram and oregano all have to go together huh?”

“Those are the ones I use the most for cooking. They’re like important Italian ones.”

“Well then you explain that then, I’m so fucking tired,” Johnny said with a frown. “If you’re going to keep moving my shit at least move in. Huh?”

“Are you sure?” Daniel murmured, he was shaking a little.

“Daniel, I’ve told you everything. So please put a guy out of his misery will you?”

Johnny looked miserable, like him, waiting and hopeful, but also scared. Scared that he’d get rejected even though that was the dumbest idea.

Daniel could never, would never, it was just, all so close, so preciously there, it left him kind of stunned. Everything he'd been wanting for so long had been within reach.

Daniel reached out, gently letting his fingers touch Johnny’s beard, he leaned in and kissed him.

Johnny didn’t pull away, held him close, tight, slipping his tongue in his mouth.

Daniel felt better. Lost in pressing every part of himself against Johnny, feeling the way Johnny’s body moved against his, rubbed against him, how quickly Johnny got hard against Daniel’s thigh. How quickly the room filled with his smell, intoxicating, sweet. Daniel needed it. Needed to taste him.

No.

Damn-it.

He wanted to do it once, romantically. Not quick and rushed because they needed it.

Daniel laid down on top of Johnny, hugging him close, breathing in that scent.

“I want to be with you so badly.”

“But?” Johnny said and the way he said it made Daniel’s chest tighten.

It was said with such expected sadness and disappointment. Like Daniel would never pick him. Never want to be with him.

He pushed himself up, just a little so he could look Johnny in the eyes. Those tear filled eyes.

“I want it to be romantic. I want it to be slow. I want to be somewhere where we can be alone. I could lock the door but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s secure, plus like you're in the hospital, I want to make sure you're okay first. I want us to take our time. Like it’s the first. I want to overwrite the past, now that I know that you like me too.”

Johnny wrapped his arms around Daniel’s waist, holding him close and letting his head fall back on the pillow.

“Unfair.”

“How’s that unfair?”

“You rile me up and then just leave me. You always do this.”

It hadn’t subsided.

Daniel had gotten control of himself but Johnny hadn’t.

“What if I just touch you?” Daniel asked rolling onto his side, sliding his hand down Johnny’s chest to his stomach.

How many times had he tortured himself, standing guard trying not to watch while Johnny touched himself and wondered what it’d be like to do it himself, up close?

“Please,” Johnny murmured and Daniel never moved his hand so fast before, slipping it under the fabric and between Johnny’s legs, touching his dick, marveling at how much pre-cum there already was.

It helped.

Johnny curled towards him, hands finding places to touch to hold onto Daniel.

“I haven’t take care of you the way I should’ve. Gotten it all mixed up. But I will, I’ll take good care of you from now on,” Daniel murmured.

Johnny came surprisingly fast. He was shivering when it was over and Daniel held him close, cleaning his hand with a tissue and throwing it in the trash. Wondering if that had been a bad idea, if he should've stuck to his original idea, of waiting till the doctors cleared everything, that Johnny was okay first. But Johnny just curled up against him, arms wrapped around him and Daniel felt light.

Lighter than he had in a long time. He would keep his promise. He’d take care of Johnny and he’d be romantic, and he’d be with the kids, he’d take care of them. They’d be a family.

He felt soft breath on his neck, Johnny was asleep and Daniel’s vision blurred.

Part of him understood. Almost as soon as the doctor had said it, he’d known, maybe all along. Maybe the way Mr. Miyagi had known, maybe even deeper. But he’d been scared, terrified of Silver and Kreese and his small fragile family he wanted that he couldn’t be with them until they were gone. Until the threat was gone.

It’d been eating at him that entire summer at Camp Stinging Nettles, all those months leading up to camp. That he wasn’t safe, that anyone and everyone he loved wasn’t safe. That he had to be stronger and tougher to protect them. Because he thought after the first all valley that he'd never have to deal with cobra kai or Kreese again, but then Silver had shown up and tricked him and there had been Kreese again. And he hadn't been able to sleep ever since, or relax. He'd felt nervous and jumpy and awful. But then Johnny had been there and sweet, helping him peel potatoes and for a moment Daniel lived in a dream where he thought maybe he could put it behind him, he could move forward and maybe he could do it with Johnny. That he'd sleep through the night because Kreese and Silver weren't in those woods, wouldn't be able to sneak in and pull puppet strings again. And Johnny and he could just...be.

But the counselors attacking Johnny? Or maybe even the threat of it happening was too much. A reminder of everything else that had happened to him before. Having people steal from him over and over and over again, his money, his winnings, his bonsai, his hopes and dreams and he’d just snapped.

He couldn’t handle it happening one more time, he couldn’t handle it happening again. He couldn’t let anyone else touch his mate.

He’d allowed himself to daydream that summer, of dates with Johnny of a future, of kids and family dinners. And he’d pinned his hopes on Johnny, on that being what he wanted, who he wanted to share that dream with. Maybe not realizing how deep that connection had grown. The seed of it appearing maybe when they’d been in school together, growing under the tender and clumsy care of two awkward teens trying to figure out life, having already tasted their own blood and the feeling of skin against skin in a brutal way, not realizing it was a crave for something more animalistic then even they’d realized, or wanted to think about.

The past him, the one who’d first met Johnny would be horrified to know what he’d become.

He’d be so disappointed.

Daniel ran his fingers through Johnny’s hair.

How many times had he waited for Johnny to drop off to sleep before creeping through the shadows to check on him? To reassure himself that Johnny was eating, that he was taking care of himself?

He’d wanted to touch Johnny’s hair so many times, but feared waking him up, unable to explain himself and not wanting to wake him just because Johnny needed the rest.

He’d hoped for a long time for a moment like this, to get to rest, truly rest with Johnny. To not worry about monsters in the shadows that might come for his family, unable to bring himself to actually let himself hope for that family to be his. Not sure he deserved it.

And yet, Johnny had always left the light on for him, the one at the backdoor that’d been off when he’d gone to visit. He always left the door open, for him.

Warm tears ran down Daniel’s face and he hugged Johnny tight, burying his face against Johnny’s neck.

Johnny mumbled something in his sleep, arm coming around Daniel.

A logic, protesting part of his brain had recoiled when the doctor said “fated”, that Johnny was a meant to be, how could pheromones or whatever determine that? Did they even truly know each other?

He’d wanted to get to know Johnny.

Wanted an old school romance. The kind told in movies.

He wanted to say but wait a minute, when Johnny said he loved him, wanted to ask how, why, what had he done to deserve such emotion when he felt like he’d been nothing but horrible? He felt rotten. His Ma was going to kill him.

But then he remembered waking up in the canteen on that bag of flour and looking at Johnny with his fingers covered in little nicks of blood, trying his hardest with his brow furrowed to peel a potato.

For him.

And he knew, how absolutely easy it was for him to love Johnny.

He'd known in that moment, felt it so strongly.

He’d say it back. He’d say it a million times. And he was overdue on it by years.

 

Daniel woke up in the morning, curled up against Johnny.

Johnny was awake, talking softly with a nurse.

Her eyes slid over to Daniel and she pointed his pen at him.

“You buster, next time you gotta at the very least give him a sweater or somethin’. Omegas are sensitive to their partners not bein’ around. I know everyone gets busy, but he’s not gonna feel safe unless you’re around. Part of his attention gets diverted to worryin’ about you. Probably likewise, huh? But at least exchange somethin’ with scent on it if you’re not gonna do a bite. It’d solve all you’re problems. Like a lil alpha and omega weddin’. Or I suppose like elopin’. But you both ‘ve got to make some changes.”

“Yes ma’am,” Johnny said solemnly.

She looked at him and smiled, then shot Daniel a stern look before walking off.

“Does she hate me? She doesn’t even know me,” Daniel grumbled into Johnny’s hip.

“They just have very cut and dry facts is all,” Johnny said.

“And what’s that?”

“An alpha and omega had sex, bonded, had 2 kids, and haven’t taken precautions for their health. From their point of view this was the dumbest avoidable trip to the hospital, and I should probably be even more embarrassed then I am. I’m mostly just uncomfortable about the fuss.”

“Really?”

“I mean you’re here with me, if I could’ve gotten that sooner by being in the hospital I’d have taught myself to faint like a goat.”

“Don’t you dare,” Daniel said. “You need your fight or flight response to work.”

“Huh?”

“Fainting goats were bred to faint. It’s a response, like fight or flight to specific stressors. But in fainting goats instead of fighting or running away, they faint.”

Johnny shifted, sliding down onto the bed to lay next to him, brow furrowed. “Why would anyone breed goats to faint, wouldn’t that just make them easy pickings? Is it like dog breeding? Some rich person get bored?”

“Some predators like to play with their prey, like to specifically…kill,” Daniel said with a frown the word sticking on his tongue as he ran his fingers over Johnny’s arm. “So when one of those runs into a fainting goat, well all the fun is gone, it’s dead. So they lose interest and if they’re not hungry, or if the goat faints before the predator gets close they assume it’s already dead and don’t want to eat that. So they go away. It’s why some animals play dead, it’s to avoid being killed.”

“How’d you know that?” Johnny asked.

“Mr. Miyagi and I took the kids to the petting zoo, uh and Sam liked the fainting goats so I talked to the owners so I could answer her questions, if she had them, she just…didn’t ask why like I expected her to. I thought most kids asked why like…every five seconds.”

Johnny smiled softly. “Mom left me her big encyclopedia, like massive, that she got when I was little that she told Sam that it has the answers to everything in it. So Sam generally holds her questions for that big book. And then will ask if she can’t find the answer.”

“Oh,” Daniel said softly.

“She can’t read too well so mostly she asks for help with it and for me to read it to her. I read a lot to her about goats but not fainting ones, because she probably didn’t know that that’s what she was looking for. She’d probably be delighted if you told her on the drive home.”

The drive home.

Days, together, trapped in a car from Newark to LA.

It sounded like heaven.

Daniel smiled kissing Johnny softly.

“Can we stop at weird tourist spots?”

“As long as you promise to take pictures with us.”

“Deal.”

“Be careful to what you’re agreeing to, they argue and sing and purposefully drive each other nuts until they exhaust themselves and Sam’s in a stubborn phase where she doesn’t like to sleep. So she just gets crankier and crankier and she’ll kick if you try and ask her to take a nap and tell her she’ll feel better after a nap.”

“I can’t wait.”

“It’s the worst.”

“I’m going to love it. I was sullen the whole ride to LA, and I was a teen.”

“Teen angst versus like toddler tantrum is vastly different.”

“But she’s ours,” Daniel said with a warm smile.

Johnny blinked, eyes looking glassy and he sniffed. “Yeah she is. And she’s monstrously strong like you. Refuses to go down and stay down, like you. Even if it’s just a damn nap.”

Daniel grinned.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Robby’s just as stubborn, but he’s younger so he at least sleeps.”

There was a soft knock at the door and Daniel looked up to see the doctor. “Everything is looking better now that Mr. LaRusso is here, so we should be able to discharge you this afternoon.”

“Thank you.”

“We’ll also fill out a prescription for some blockers, for the time being…for the both of you.”

When the doctor left it took a lot more energy that Daniel expected to pull himself from the bed.

He didn’t want to move, he didn’t want to leave Johnny’s side, or more accurately stop touching him. So he hovered.

He felt more in the way than anything else, but any time he stepped far away he felt disappointed and the edge of Johnny’s lips turned down a little, and when he stepped closer, when he was what he thought must’ve been obnoxious, holding out Johnny’s jacket for him like he was a child or something Johnny gave him an amused smile and he felt better, so he stayed close, too close until medicine was picked up and he’d bundled Johnny into the rental and was driving the familiar roads to his mom’s place.

On the ride home he held Johnny’s hand, it wasn’t necessary but he wanted to.

He got Johnny up the steps and the door opened sudden, a rush of nostalgia hit him like a brick wall. Ma was cooking but the look on her face could kill.

Not directed at Johnny.

Daniel was so dead.

Johnny got a warm welcome home, and kisses on his beard covered cheeks. Daniel was pulled into the house with a smack on his arm.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know! Honest Ma!”

“Have sex with a omega and not know that the kid’s are yours? Aren’t you supposed to have a good nose Mr. you-didn’t-use-enough-oregno from the doorway when you were in high school?”

“Ma, that was different. I don’t just pick up kids and smell ‘em and go yeah that one’s mine.”

“Well maybe ya oughta.”

“You know that’s weird right? Like real weird.”

“I know! But, those are my grandbabies, and I missed out, and you! You missed out!”

“I know Ma, believe me, I know,” Daniel said, drooping a bit.

She studied him for a moment before hugging him tight, Johnny had already left his side to go check on the kids and he felt his eyes well up in tears as he hugged her back, just as tight.

“I know honey, I know,” she said softly. “You’ve been through so much, and I know you don’t tell me everything, I know it’s been bad, but I hope…I hope you can be happy now, even though I know happiness isn’t a constant state, but I hope you and Johnny work it out and that little family that’s been waiting for you is one full of good and joyful things, and I hope you can rest.”

Daniel nodded, sniffing.

“Really?” came a loud surprised voice.

“I promised didn’t I?” Johnny said.

“But you’re sick.”

“I’m better now.”

“Hospital sicknesses are never that fast.”

Sam sounded so skeptical.

“Did you get a kiss that made it better?” Robby asked, very seriously.

“I did,” Johnny said, answering it back just as seriously and Daniel’s ma laughed a watery breathy laugh and he pulled himself away to see the kids crowding around Johnny, looking surprised.

“Go on, I said you could this time,” Johnny said gently tapping at Sam’s shoulder.

“But you always said—“

“You can this time, promise, it’ll be okay.”

Sam nodded, frowning, turning away from Johnny, taking Robby’s hand and walking over to Lucille and Daniel, staring at his shoes with a frown.

“Want me to ask?” Robby murmured.

She shook her head then took a deep breath.

“Are you our dad? You smell like family even though you’re not. Why do we call you uncle if you’re our dad? Are you moving in? Dad left half the closet empty and whenever I ask if I can have it for my dolls he said he’s saving it. Is it for you? Do I need to move my dolls clothes out of the closet? Are you going ice skating with us? Can you teach us? Dad says he doesn’t know how but that you do, that you’re from here. Is that why we’re here? Because of you? Is that why dad got sick? Did he get…”

“Heartbroken?” Robby supplied.

Sam nodded. “Did you break dad’s heart? Do you not like us? Or do you not like Dad? Nonnie said we can call her nonnie, is she really our nonnie? Can we see the tree? Can we play in the snow? We want to try building a snowman, make angle wings and have a snowball fight—“

“And go sledding,” Robby added.

“Are we coming back, are you staying? Are you moving away from us? Why did we come here? Can we play in the snow now?”

“Woah,” Daniel said dropping down to his knees. “That was a lot of questions to answer at once. But yes, and I’m sorry, your father and I didn’t know, we’ve got a bunch of stuff to figure out, but yes Ma, er, Nonnie and I are your family.”

“Is Louie Jr.?” Robby asked with a frown.

“Yes.”

“Vanessa?”

“Yes. We can do all of that snow stuff. You can call me dad, if you want, and as for moving in…uh we’re still talking about—“

“Yes,” Johnny said.

“Oh, uh, yes…well I mean I still want to do the date and I need to talk to Mr. Miyagi— But you’ll be seeing more of me. And your father wanted to take you here for the snow and holidays and to see your Nonnie. And I…maybe, I might’ve broken his heart, but it was an accident, it was more of a distance issue. We’re going to fix it. Okay? So don’t worry.”

“Did you kiss it better?” Robby asked.

Daniel felt heat rush to his face. “Uh, yes, I think, it did work that way. Kind of.”

Robby nodded.

“How about we let your fathers get settled in from the hospital, make them some hot chocolate the way I showed you—“ Lucille started.

“With all the marshmallows?” Robby asked excitedly.

“And a candy cane?” Sam asked.

“Yes, exactly.”

They bolted through the house and she laughed softly, kissing Daniel’s cheek.

Daniel crossed the room to Johnny, hand reaching out to his. “She’s been asking about that a lot?”

“I told her she can’t just walk up to people and ask if they’re her father. She told me the duck in her book did it so why couldn’t she?”

“Did she do it a lot?”

“For as long as she could speak,” Johnny said softly. “You don’t know how many times she’s reached for you and said da or papa or—“

His eyes were watery.

“Oh. She knew?”

“She could tell. So could Robby. It was just you.”

“I’ve missed too much,” Daniel said.

“How’d you…know I was missing?” Johnny asked sitting on Lucille’s couch.

Daniel sat next to him, facing him, arm on the back of the couch, knee against Johnny’s thigh.

“I came to your house to ask you out and you weren’t home.”

“Why now? Why not…why not before?”

“Did you watch the news?”

Johnny frowned.

“I… the last time I came to your house—“

“When you got cut? What cut you?” Johnny asked, hand going to where the wound had been, one of them anyway.

Daniel had been so relieved to have done it, to have gotten rid of their ghosts, but to say it, to tell Johnny, to remember the way during the tournament Johnny had looked at Kreese, that adoration, to tell him, what he’d done.

He felt a wave of revulsion, of panic and dread at what Johnny’s reaction might be.

“I killed Silver and Kreese. I couldn’t rest till they were gone, I couldn’t sleep, I worried about you and the kids. I didn’t want anyone coming and hurting you.”

Johnny frowned, reaching out and gently tucking Daniel’s hair behind his ear. Waiting for more.

“I saw them out hiking, and they were talking, I thought, I’d leave them alone. I’d moved past this, but then I heard what they were talking about…and it was you and me, about Mr. Miyagi and the shop and they were making plans and I just followed them for a bit, listening, until I couldn’t any more…I couldn’t let them try and enact any of their plans and I couldn’t handle them coming back again and again over and over again so I attacked. Silver hiked with swords. That’s how I got injured.”

Johnny nodded.

It was enough. Johnny didn’t need to know the details.

The revenge they’d been plotting, the desire to ruin all their lives even more, the way they’d spoken about Johnny being an omega that had churned his stomach.

It was over now.

If Johnny still…even liked him.

Johnny looked away from him and Daniel felt his heart sink like a stone. He didn’t want to have to justify it by telling Johnny things that would just upset him.

“You said you came by to ask me out, I know you want to spend time with the kids, but could we…do we have to wait till we get home, could we…go on a date here?”

His face was pink, he wasn’t meeting Daniel’s gaze, almost shy, not in revulsion.

Daniel's heart raced, reached for Johnny’s chin, turning Johnny gaze back towards him. The beard hid so much of his blush.

“I just told you a terrible thing I’ve done and now you can’t wait for a date?” Daniel asked so shocked he laughed.

“Shut up,” Johnny grumbled, looking away, resting his face in his hand, hiding.

“I don’t get it.”

“What don’t you get?”

“Shouldn’t you be running to the hills? Shouldn’t you tell me to leave?”

“I’m sorry it’s just really hot.”

“It’s really hot?” Daniel asked. “What’s hot?”

“I’ve never had someone fight to protect me, okay? And you’re already hot but then on top of that you’re a fucking badass, like a vigilante and I think if the doctors hadn’t given me heat suppressors I’d probably be in heat right now and that’s embarrassing as hell so like throw me a bone so that we can bone sooner rather than later.”

“Is that what you like about me? That I’m hot because I kill people, because I can’t keep that up, I’m done. God, I hope I’m done.”

“You in general are hot. And it’s not that you kill people, it’s…okay we were out with the guys and you were with us and this mom was being a bitch and you very politely but kinda dickishly stood by me. And you get me, the guys didn’t get it. I mean they kinda did but like not the way you did. And I have fun with you. Even on small things like the times we run into each other at the store, you getting stuff for Mr. Miyagi and it’s just…nice and fun. So yes, I want to go on a date with you as soon as possible, and maybe that’s also because I’d like to share a bed with you as soon as possible too.”

“Then,” Daniel said getting up and holding out his hand. “Can I take you on a date?”

“How quickly can you drink hot chocolate.”

“So fast.”

Johnny grinned, challenge accepted.

They went to the kitchen drinking hot chocolate and talked with the kids. They settled on a compromise, taking the kids to the park, building a snowman together before Lucille took the kids home and Daniel walked with Johnny hand in hand, knowing right where to go.

The perfect spot to get Johnny flowers, to take him to dinner, the perfect spot for dessert and watching Johnny delight and marvel at it all and how remarkably easy it all was.

It was all he’d wanted.

And he stood on the step that night, gently tugging on Johnny’s hand, pulling him back at the door for a kiss before Johnny grinned and they went inside, they went home, putting away their things, checking on the kids and curling up together in bed.

Chapter 15

Johnny woke up in Daniel’s bed at Lucille’s. Everything smelled wonderfully like home. It was because it smelled like Daniel Johnny realized belatedly. It was why he felt so comfortable there. Even though it was nightmarishly cold.

“Welcome to December in Newark,” Daniel had told him when they’d gone out to play with the kids the day before and Johnny had shivered.

He’d looked amused for a moment before he’d wrapped an arm around Johnny, hugging him close, sharing his body heat.

“Can’t believe anyone lives here,” Johnny had grumbled, just loud enough to be heard by Daniel, not the kids who were having a blast.

“Says the guy who lives in nothing but smog and santa ana winds and doesn’t get true four seasons.”

But it’d been good, a great day and Johnny had felt…better than he had in a long time. More…he didn’t know what the word for it was.

Balanced? Stable? Secure?

Almost perfect.

There was something nice about seeing Daniel playing with the kids. The way they shrieked and called him dad so easily. The smile on Daniel’s face when they did that, the way he lit up, the way Lucille had nearly cried.

They were good kids.

And the date itself? The way Daniel’s hand always found his?

“I just want us to have a chance at normal,” Daniel said softly over diner at a nice Italian restaurant with a dim romantic glow.

“Nothing is normal,” Johnny said.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Daniel said looking away.

Johnny started to speak but the look on Daniel’s face gave him pause.

“I…I was so mad. So furious. The doctor made it sound like it’s normal. But I broke, and it’s so easy to break, to slide into that, to see nothing but red.” He glanced at Johnny. “I liked it.”

There was fear, momentary fear in Daniel’s eyes.

“I don’t want to be that person. I want to be someone Mr. Miyagi can be proud of. I want to be someone that’s good. I want a sweet life with you. I want to spend holidays with you and the kids. I want to go on more dates with you. I wish we’d had that before. I wish I’d pinpointed it earlier, when we were fighting. Why I wanted your attention. Why I needed it. Why every time you came back I was excited about it. Excited to keep that tit for tat going. And then when you apologized I didn’t want you to leave. I wanted to grab your hand. I wanted a world where we went on a date. Lots of dates, until we kissed, until we came together the normal way. Not…not the way we did. I’m so sorry Johnny. I swear I’m a romantic at heart.”

Johnny had grabbed Daniel’s hand, running his thumb over the scarred knuckles on Daniel’s hand. The doctors had answered so many of their questions, which were many, before he'd been discharged.

Why hadn’t it kicked in when they knew each other in high school?

Why hadn’t Daniel going to Okinawa knocked Johnny out?

Or when he’d gone to college?

Sex had done it. Cemented the bond without them realizing it, but left everything untied, it’d continue to be untied until Daniel bit him, and he wanted to ask Daniel to just do it. But Daniel wanted to do things slow, romantic. Even if Johnny just wanted to lock them in a hotel room for a week and order room service and not leave.

“I loved that summer with you and any time I’ve had with you.”

“But—“

“I don’t want to waste any more time. I don’t need you to pick me up at 8 for dinner and a movie. I need you in bed next to me. I need to wake up next to you. I need to kiss you, see you around. I need you to be in our photos, in our home. I need to not be alone any more with you just watching from the yard. Does that make sense?”

“I just want to keep you all safe and—“

“I’ll feel safest if you’re in the house.”

Daniel brushed at his eyes that sparkled with tears in the candlelight.

He squeezed Daniel’s hand tight, reassuring, or trying to be. He wanted to kiss his cheek, his forehead, to hold Daniel close.

“Let me annoy the hell out of you from inside the house.”

Daniel laughed.

“Will you stop leaving the doors all unlocked?”

“Well I’m sorry, but the guy I’ve got the hots for just stands in my yard like a lost puppy and I thought like a cat he’d come in when he wanted. And you always did.”

“Yeah! To lock your fucking doors and windows.”

“And do laundry and eat cookies like a creepy Santa.”

“I didn’t think you’d notice.”

“I had to learn to notice. I drank wine because you like it and I thought maybe you’d come in and have a glass with me.”

“You don’t like wine?”

“No! I prefer beer.”

Daniel sighed.

“I can’t believe you thought I just left my doors unlocked and cookies out for what, the raccoons?”

“Yeah.”

“Dumbass it’s all been for you. I just thought you didn’t want…me.”

Daniel shifted his hand in Johnny’s, gripping it tighter.

“I hear you, okay? I’ll, we’ll start here. I’ll show you and the kids around. I’ll take you ice skating, to the museums, we’ll do all the tourist things, all the kid things. I’ll hold your hand everywhere if that’s okay. And then we’ll drive back together.”

“That’d be nice,” Johnny said.

It was a start.

He wanted to be selfish.

He wanted more, but it was also more than he’d ever expected.

He could wait a little longer.

He could do romantic.

He could do slow. And if he couldn’t well maybe he’d push Daniel down and ride him until he was satisfied.

In the morning they took the kids over the river.

The kids ran to Daniel and he scooped them up, smile so bright.

They took photos at home with Lucille, with Daniel’s family. Reintroducing Johnny and the kids. The LaRusso’s accepted it so readily, like they’d expected it all along.

They drove home and it was nice to see Daniel in the passenger seat, singing with the kids, sometimes his hand found its way to Johnny’s thigh and Johnny would swallow hard, forcing himself to focus on the road and not the heat or weight or yearning he felt in his bones.

They stopped at places Daniel remembered from his original trip with Lucille. He got excited to take photos with them, to retell the tale with the years between.

He slept in the motel beds with Johnny, but there wasn’t a chance for anything else, the kids snores filling up their room and Johnny itched to be home, taking solace in the smell of Daniel, the feel of his breath and heartbeat.

At home Daniel hovered on the steps, but then helped carry things in. Since the kids were too young to help with most of it.

The guys and Mr. Miyagi came after the last bag was being carried in.

The kids ruined any surprise it might’ve been.

“Dad’s finally going to live with us,” Robby said.

“Instead of just lurking,” Sam said.

Johnny laughed, Daniel’s face went pink then red, flustered and quietly explaining fated pairs and the awkwardness of the kids being his.

It took time.

They settled into a slow routine.

Daniel still hovering at the edge of Johnny’s bed before crawling in with him, curling up next to him.

It took a week to get him to stop hesitating.

He seemed tentative to reach for Johnny, to cuddle, to accept that this was his home too.

That that door was open, and he was welcome to put down roots whenever he was ready and wanted to.

Then finally the guys were all free to babysit and Johnny pounced, heart in his throat with hope.

They had the place to themselves. They could have sex. They could have a quick dinner and then maybe they could finally be together again.

Daniel came home with a pound of potatoes and Johnny groaned.

“What?” Daniel asked. “They’re just potatoes.”

“Yeah, but I’m going to have to peel those.”

“You have a peeler right? You’re not going to try and peel them with a knife again are you?”

“No. I’ve got a peeler. I had a good teacher.”

Daniel smiled at that and they sat, together in the kitchen peeling the potatoes.

He felt disappointed.

He wanted…he’d hoped they’d have sex, he’d hoped to be partially undressed at the very least by this point, moaning and grinding against one another.

Instead he was peeling potatoes like that summer back in college.

He set the last one down with a relief.

“You didn’t cut yourself this time,” Daniel said with a smile.

“I had a ton of practice.”

“You were my best assistant.”

“The bar was so fucking low.”

Daniel laughed. “It was.”

Then he frowned and got quiet.

“Johnny,” he said softly looking at the potato in his hands. “I killed them. What if I can’t stop? What if when the kids grow up people are mean to them? What if I kill those people? What if I keep killing people?”

“Do you want to?”

Daniel blinked.

“I wanted to kill those people so badly and I did and I liked it. I was so relieved when they were gone.”

He met Johnny’s gaze, held it.

“I’m not scared of it, but I am scared that I might hurt you.”

“You didn’t. When you killed all of them at camp, you didn’t hurt me.”

“You went into heat. They drugged you.”

“That’s what the doctors thought too, but I thought…I thought it was just because I thought you looked so damn hot.”

Daniel blinked.

“We’re fucked up.”

Johnny laughed.

“Probably. I mean I liked fighting you in high school. It was thrilling.”

“But bullying and murder are different.”

“True,” Johnny said with a shrug before reaching out, holding Daniel’s hand.

“I’m going to try and stop.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t want to scare the kids.”

“I’m sure they’ll appreciate that. But I think the biggest thing you did to stop scaring them was not wearing that mask and staring from the yard or like creeping through the house any more.”

“I didn’t realize how creepy that was.”

“Very. I didn’t realize I had such a hot stalker. I just thought you were trying to keep it a secret that you were watching me. Like you had some other lover somewhere. And I was your…dirty secret.”

“No. It’s just you,” Daniel said. He got up abruptly. “I’m making you dinner. And then after... I want to be with you.”

“So my job's done?” Johnny asked, hope making his heart pound.

“Yes.”

Johnny moved to the island, sitting out of the way with his can of beer, a Coors that Daniel had brought home, grateful that he didn’t have to drink wine anymore.

Daniel worked so effortlessly in the kitchen, it was like watching a dance, the skill in his knife work that Johnny had stopped to watch from time to time at camp.

It felt so long ago and yet like yesterday.

Yesterday when they were both a little younger, when Johnny was hoping he could get Daniel’s attention through something cool.

Maybe he’d play him a song, maybe he’d whittle him something, maybe he’d…and now there he was in his kitchen, finally, the smell of Daniel that Johnny loved wasn’t just a fading scent, but there, strong, along with the food Daniel was making.

It was in his sheets, in his bedding, on the towels and couch and it just lingered in the house the way it was meant to.

He looked happy, confident, a side of Daniel Johnny had glimpsed from time to time during that summer.

He was healing. With the medicine, with Johnny, with all the monsters being 6 feet under.

“Here try this,” Daniel said holding a spoon out to Johnny.

He leaned forward taking a bite.

It was delicious.

He smiled and Daniel brightened.

It was the way Daniel had when they’d gone out to eat in Newark. It was a whirlwind of food. And Daniel seemed to wait with bated breath to see Johnny’s reaction.

What did he like, did he love it as much as Daniel did?

It was all delicious, every diner and pizza shop and restaurant and bodega. And it’d been fun to take the kids sledding, to go ice skating, to just walk around and see things. The way their eyes had widened at the big Christmas tree, or central park.

The kids hadn’t been able to stop talking about it. And Johnny promised they’d go again.

He’d already settled on it.

At least once a year. Visit family for the holidays at least.

He wanted them to have that. Something he’d never had.

Snowy cold winters that made their cheeks and noses pink and their eyes fill with wonder.

He wanted to drive or fly, and pull them around on sleds for just a little longer, for them to know Lucille’s home filled with delicious smells and help with it, to watch the kids get covered in flour while baking cookies.

“Almost done,” Daniel said with a smile.

Daniel hadn’t fully moved in yet. But he was working on it. Or more accurately, Mr. Miyagi was.

He’d come by sometimes, “Daniel-san left favorite sweater, thought might want here.”

The thing changed, but Daniel always flushed bright red, and told Mr. Miyagi thank you while Johnny took the item and hugged it to his chest, wanting to squirrel it away just in case Daniel left again.

Mr. Miyagi wasn’t kicking Daniel out.

Daniel still slept over a few times a week. Half in their house, half at Mr. Miyagi’s, and on those nights Johnny dragged out the clothes he’d set aside of Daniel’s until the bed smelled like him and fell asleep hugging a sweater.

He got it.

He understood.

If his mother was still alive he’d be with her as much as he could. And Mr. Miyagi always took such great care of them. But Johnny wanted him to stay, wanted to finally make love again.

Fuck.

Whatever.

He’d take what he was given.

He grabbed Daniel’s wine and his own beer and carried them to the table where Daniel set out the food.

It looked and smelled amazing.

“When was the last time you had gnocchi?”

“Camp,” Johnny said.

Daniel stared at him in surprise. “No way. Impossible, surely…I must’ve made it for you since then.”

“Mr. Miyagi usually cooks,” Johnny said.

Daniel blinked then frowned deeply, the way he did occasionally when he seemed to realize he’d overlooked something, forgotten that he wasn’t around or hadn’t been around as much as he thought.

Regret.

“I’ll cook more.”

“You don’t have to.”

“But you like my cooking right?”

“I do.”

“Then I’ll cook more. Ma’s lasagna recipe and mac and cheese and—“

Johnny reached out for Daniel’s hand, relieved when Daniel met his and held it easily in his own.

“All I need is you,” Johnny said softly.

“I…”

“I know you love Mr. Miyagi and don’t want to leave him alone, and that it feels sudden, but all I’ve wanted…for years, is for you to live here fully, all the time, with me. I want to wake up next to you every morning. See you, here. I know you want to do things…right, that you’re a romantic, but can we meet somewhere in the middle?”

“I feel awful,” Daniel said. “I mean I’ve killed people—“

“You’ve been protecting me.”

“Still,” Daniel said looking at Johnny’s hand rubbing it with his thumb. “I need to prove to myself I guess that I can be good at something else, something helpful and beneficial.”

“Well,” Johnny said slowly, tossing some gnocchi in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully, like he was actually struggling to think of something Daniel could do to be useful even though he already did so much. “I dunno, I haven’t gotten off in a while, I can always use some help with that.”

“I dunno—“ Daniel said slowly. “I might be a bit rusty.”

“If you’re rusty them I’ve collapsed into dust,” Johnny grumbled but then he noticed Daniel was smiling, amusement in his eyes.

He ate his gnocchi feeling his skin burn.

“Did you enjoy it when we did it in the past?” Daniel asked, almost innocently and Johnny nearly choked on his gnocchi.

“Huh?”

“We’ve had sex a few times, but it was…desperate and needy because I just…did it without talking to you. I want to know what you want to try.”

“I want to see you.”

Daniel looked surprised, a little taken aback, blushing.

“You always wore a mask and we always did it so I couldn’t see you or touch you, except once but you blindfolded me.”

“So…no mask?”

“Of course no mask!” Johnny said surprised when Daniel started laughing.

“Good because I wasn’t planning to unbox that out of storage. Are you done eating? Ready for dessert?”

“Daniel,” Johnny said, it almost came out as a whine, preparing to launch into a complaint about waiting, about how long it’d been, about how he loved Daniel’s cooking and would probably love dessert, but they only had so much time without the kids and if they didn’t have sex tonight Johnny might be the one to snap.

Daniel was up in an instant, hand cupping Johnny’s face, tilting it to cut him off with a kiss. Not a quick shut up kiss, not a peck, but slow and sensual and Johnny let himself reach for Daniel, to wrap his arms around him, to feel his back and shoulders, the feel of his spine through his shirt, the muscles hiding away. No longer the twig he’d once been.

“Where?” Daniel asked, pulling away after a while.

“Huh?”

“Where do you want to do it? Here?” Daniel asked, voice thick in a way Johnny hadn’t heard in a while. “Or the living room? Or do you want me to carry you to the bedroom?”

Johnny stared at Daniel, his brain not fully registering he question, delayed.

Daniel smiled softly, kissing him, a quick peck before he moved, shifting to scoop Johnny up.

Johnny stared at him, surprised.

He’d known Daniel could pick him up, move him, must’ve that first time because he hadn’t walked himself to the camp nurses station, but he’d gotten there and the only way that had happened was Daniel carrying him.

But to just lift him up to carry him to the bedroom?

Johnny leaned in, kissing Daniel’s cheek, his jaw, nibbling at his earlobe. The scent in the air was different. Daniel’s scent was stronger, heavier, almost like a blanket and Johnny felt dizzy from it, his body reacted to it in a way that in any other situation, if he wasn’t so desperate to get laid to begin with, would’ve embarrassed the hell out of him.

Daniel hadn’t even really touched him yet.

But there was a promise in the air that made Johnny’s heart race as Daniel nudged the door to their bedroom open with his foot.

His bedroom that smelled like Daniel, that Daniel had claimed a side of, with his books he liked to read before bed piled on his bedside table, with his clothes intermingling in the drawers and closet, his razor and toothbrush and shampoo in the bathroom, his towel hanging next to Johnny’s. Mostly moved in. Mostly Johnny’s.

Johnny half expected Daniel to just toss him on the bed, to drop him on it in a playful manner but he set Johnny down so carefully, so gently, gaze filled with so much love that Johnny’s vision blurred for a second with tears.

Daniel kissed him, slow, like there wasn’t a rush, like time wasn’t an issue, slow and sweet, gently tucking hair behind Johnny’s ear. His hands moved, brushing gently against his neck, down his chest, squeezing one of Johnny’s pecs in his hand.

Clothes felt uncomfortable and Johnny shifted, moving so he was sitting up so he could take off his shirt, wanting to feel Daniel’s fingertips against his skin.

Daniel smiled, helping him out of his shirt, out of his pants and underwear.

“Better?”

“Almost,” Johnny said reaching for him, pulling him back into a kiss, relieved when Daniel’s lips met his, when he moved onto the bed, on top of him, didn’t push him away or try to still his hips as Johnny grinded against Daniel’s thigh, needed some friction, to touch something and the fabric of his jeans were a little rough but it was what he needed for the moment while his hands were busy trying to touch Daniel’s shoulders, his arms, his back, to keep him close as they kissed.

Daniel’s hands went back to roaming, to working their way down his chest, thumbing at his nipples, squeezing at where his flesh had gotten softer with age, a hand eventually finding Johnny’s knee and it wasn’t much of a request before Johnny shifted, bending his knees, spreading his legs, wet with need.

He’d read a lot more about omegas and alphas then he had most of his life, usually too embarrassed by it to want to delve deep, usually wanting to ignore facets of his life and body. To just be normal. But the pamphlets the doctors had given him said that fated pairs could go into heat and into rut a couple times a year after they bonded. He assumed the times Daniel had gone for it without Johnny being in heat, must’ve been a rut. That they’d stumbled and fumbled their way through their own cycles together, inconsistent because they hadn’t secured it with marking, with the bite that Johnny’s skin itched for.

His past self, the self in high school that was trying desperately to prove himself despite being an omega, trying to prove that it meant nothing might’ve been horrified about how he was now. Legs spread for an alpha, rubbing against his thigh with soft needy moans, naked and wet, hard and desperate.

But if he looked past himself, at Daniel, he was pretty sure he’d get over the mortification and understand. Because the look Daniel was given him made his mouth dry, made his toes curl a little. It was full of so much love and care, like there was nothing else in that moment other than Johnny, in being with Johnny.

Daniel’s fingers slid inside of Johnny easily, two that were suddenly inside of him and Johnny gasped, surprised, pulling away from the kiss and Daniel smiled at him. “Sorry, bit impatient of me, did that hurt?”

“No,” Johnny breathed, he wanted to say that they could skip that, he was pretty sure Daniel could just stick it in, no problem and even if it hurt a little Johnny wouldn’t care, but Daniel was moving his fingers, finding that spot that made him see stars and Johnny’s words were replaced with moans, his own fingers digging into Daniel’s biceps.

He came faster than he expected, face burning, he’d wanted to last longer, but it’d been so long, it was always so long and he always came so easily with Daniel, so quick. He opened his mouth to say something, to apologize for being so fast, but then squeaked because Daniel hadn’t stopped. He grabbed Daniel’s wrist pushing him away and the velvet dark look Daniel had been given him turned into one of confusion while Johnny caught his breath.

“What are you doing?” Johnny managed.

“I wanted to watch you do that again,” Daniel said, one of his hands coming to cup the side of Johnny’s face.

“I don’t want to come from your fingers again, not right now,” Johnny said feeling his ears burn.

“Oh,” Daniel said, looking thoughtful for a moment before dipping his head down and sticking out his tongue.

Johnny grabbed him and pulled him back, reaching for the zipper of Daniel’s jeans.

“Why was that your go to? And not this?” Johnny grumbled.

“Right,” Daniel said, helping Johnny then looking at him a little sheepishly. “You smell really good and I got a little lost in it. It gets stronger when you come.”

“I don’t want to be the only one,” Johnny said.

There would be more time for all of that, for slow days full of teasing until they were exhausted, but if Johnny didn't get to enjoy Daniel's dick, then he'd be pretty miffed about their night, more frustrated and wound up. And he wouldn't be able to explain it, just embarrassed over how badly he wanted it, how close he got without getting what he wanted.

Daniel nodded and slid in, easily, maybe too easily, but Johnny didn’t care, he’d been waiting for so long, too long, torturously long. So long that he'd wanted to watch Daniel, the way he moved, not just to feel him inside again, but to watch the way his brown eyes looked at him like he was a feast that made his skin tingle, the soft way he smiled, the way he tilted his head to kiss Johnny’s palm when Johnny reached up to him, to push back his hair, to touch those silky looking locks, or his soft golden skin.

“You’re beautiful,” Johnny said.

Daniel looked surprised, then smiled brighter kissing him. “Yeah?”

Johnny nodded.

Daniel was beautiful, his eyes were still so kind despite everything, despite all the hardship and the death. He’d cracked a little under the pressure, but so had Johnny. And when Johnny cracked everything got worse, he had a harder time taking care of himself, or caring about anything in general. Without the kids, without the cobras or Mr. Miyagi or Daniel Johnny would’ve been in a much different place. But Daniel, Daniel even at his worst, still cared about the campers, about strangers, about the people he loved. And he fought for them, always had, from the beginning, from when he stood up and was ready to fight Johnny on Ali’s behalf. Someone he’d just met.

Daniel nipped at Johnny’s lips, smiling at the sounds Johnny made while Daniel’s hips snapped forward, while he settled into a steady pace.

He’d wanted something like this back at camp. To sneak away and fuck somewhere in the woods, to watch the way Daniel moved in the moonlight beneath a starry sky, maybe somewhere secluded near the lake.

Then almost every night after camp, back at college he day dreamed of Daniel coming into his room and doing the same thing. He’d wanted to just be connected, physically connected, full of Daniel. The urge hadn’t ever left, just fluctuated with need, the need of not just being close, but filled.

“I love you,” Daniel said so sincerely pressing a kiss to Johnny’s forehead. “You’re taking it so well.”

Johnny squirmed as Daniel talked.

“I worried maybe you wouldn’t want it, that maybe I’d ruined our chances…physically, by jumping your bones, but your so wet for me, so hard.”

Daniel stroked his cock a few times and Johnny moaned, arching.

“You almost smell like you do when you’re in heat. I thought it was always just heat, but it’s you aroused isn’t it? You wanting me? If I’d known, if I’d figured that out I wouldn’t have tortured myself just watching you from the window, I’d have taken care of you earlier. This is my job after all, we’ll do it more. I’ll make sure I satisfy you more. That you make these sounds for me more. That you get your fill when you want it.”

It sounded like the perfect dream. To not be alone. To have Daniel with him, to have an active or even hyperactive sex life with Daniel.

He needed to say something, do something other than moan and writhe and feel high off of Daniel’s scent.

“I love you too,” he said.

For a moment Daniel looked startled, surprised, like he hadn’t known, hadn’t expected it, which was dumb, hadn’t Johnny said how much he liked Daniel? How long he’d waited? Then his eyes glistened and Johnny reached up cupping the side of his face, brushing away tears.

His beautiful murderous dumbass.

He kissed him, enjoying the soft whine Daniel made when he bit his lower lip. The way Daniel’s fingers dug into his thigh and hip, as he sped up, almost like he was desperate and needy too, and Johnny wrapped his arms around him, his legs, holding him close until Daniel came, dizzy from his own orgasm, slowly catching his breath, the feel of Daniel relaxing against him until he slid out and laid next to him, looking happy, proud of himself.

“You love me?” Daniel asked.

“Of course I do,” Johnny said.

Daniel grinned happily, fingers running along Johnny’s side, along his arm then going gently to the back of Johnny’s neck, where his skin itched and Johnny shivered.

He rolled over, ducking his head so Daniel could, so he hoped, Daniel would bite him.

Daniel pressed a kiss against the back of Johnny’s neck, moving him slightly into a familiar position.

How many times had they done it this way?

How many times had he moved his head to give Daniel the opportunity to bite him? Begging him to do it so silently and it never happened?

He felt something hard press against him, both surprised and unsurprised as Daniel slid back inside, shivering as some of Daniel’s seed spilled out and down his thigh. He felt the graze of Daniel’s teeth against that sensitive spot on the back of his neck and his arms trembled.

He was going to snap.

He was going to chew Daniel out for teasing him, for not just doing it. For not taking some responsibility.

His skin burned and Daniel wrapped an arm around him, hand on his pec, holding him secure as Daniel licked his neck.

Johnny bucked against him, surprised at his own involuntary action, at the way he practically begged, but then he felt it, a pinch of teeth against his neck, the way Daniel’s teeth sunk into his skin.

Johnny gripped the bedding tight.

He’d thought it would hurt, he’d expected it to hurt, but instead he found himself grinding against Daniel, shifting to hold himself up with one arm the other hand finding Daniel’s at his chest, holding his hand.

He felt…safe.

Like Daniel had him.

Overwhelming at ease, after so long of unease, after so many nightmares about his neck, about Kreese’s hands around it, about his arms, choking off his air supply, about the glint in Kreese’s eye that said really…maybe, Kreese was enjoying it in a sick twisted way, and had been looking forward to an opportunity to put Johnny in his place. That maybe he wasn’t as safe by Kreese’s side as he’d thought he was, that maybe Kreese didn’t view him as an equal to the beta’s or alphas of the world, but that Johnny was just a show pony until he wasn’t, until the spotlight went out or changed and that if Johnny didn’t escape, if he didn’t run, things would get so much worse.

If he’d stayed, if he’d won, Johnny didn’t know what his future would’ve looked like but sometimes he had a sick feeling in his stomach that Kreese would’ve shown his true colors eventually and that Johnny was grateful he’d learned when there was still enough time to run and escape.

And that was thanks to Daniel.

Daniel who had spent that summer with him not treating him like a freak. Allowing him something he didn’t think he’d get the chance for. A sweet summer romance of playing his guitar for Daniel, of making things together, of laughing under the stars and the brush of fingertips in the dark that never quite became hand holding but was close enough to be a promise of possibility that helped Johnny heal.

And then when nightmares rose up like Johnny feared they one day might Daniel had arrived and taken care of them. Every nightmare Johnny had had Daniel had knocked down and he held him, each time, close and Johnny felt safer.

No one had ever defended him like that. No one was willing to stand up and fight people who looked down on Johnny. The guys would’ve, he knew they would’ve, but he had to explain it first, and sometimes he didn't have the strength to. But Daniel just did it automatically. He knew. The way Johnny knew when Daniel was having a rough day and needed a hand on his shoulder, the way his scent changed when he was upset. And he’d been upset for so long, scared and frightened and backed into a corner for so long that the scent Johnny had loved had been diluted. But now it was so strong he almost felt dizzy from it.

It was almost like he was wrapped up securely in a blanket, a reminder that Daniel was there, that Daniel had his back, that he was safe there with Daniel that so much tension fled his body like a string that had been cut that he almost face planted into the bed if Daniel hadn’t been holding him up.

He was absently aware that they’d both come again, that he couldn’t again even though his skin buzzed with pleasure, he was overly sensitive and quite sure he’d black out if they tried it again.

And then slowly, so very slowly Daniel’s teeth slid out of the back of his neck and his neck burned, not painfully but pleasantly and Daniel licked his neck, carefully curling up with him again on the bed, nose breathing in Johnny’s scent like maybe for Daniel too Johnny felt more like himself, more like something undiluted due to pure happiness.

 

Johnny woke up feeling sore and stiff, the back of his neck stung and he reached to touch it to feel the little marks of Daniel’s teeth only to hit a bandage. He frowned as Daniel grabbed his hand, kissing it.

“I didn’t want it to get infected,” Daniel said.

Johnny nodded, laying back down, curling back up with Daniel.

“Are you going to finally fully move in?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” Daniel said.

Johnny nodded letting his eyes shut again, just listening to Daniel’s breathing and his heart beating feeling remarkably at peace and balanced.

“Hey Johnny,” Daniel said, hand squeezing Johnny’s hip.

“Hmm?”

“Do you want another?”

“Another what?” Johnny asked.

“Another kid.”

Johnny opened one eye studying Daniel with a frown.

“Only if you do all the work,” he said, partially a joke, surprised when Daniel shifted and Johnny felt him hard against his thigh.

“Deal,” Daniel said, spreading Johnny’s legs and sliding back inside.

Johnny yelped grabbing onto Daniel, fingernails digging into his back. The want in the air becoming infectious despite Johnny feeling drained.

Daniel was insatiable until the doorbell rang. Until the kids returned home and he hopped out of bed, kissing Johnny’s forehead, getting dressed quickly in one of his own robes and heading down to welcome the kids back home while Johnny tried to catch his breath in bed, sticky and sweaty and exhausted. He wondered if he should've been more careful about what he wished for.

Johnny breathed, slowly, carefully and thought about getting up to greet the kids, to welcome them home but he was too tired.

He slumped back into the pillows and covers listening to the sounds of the house. The yells and shrieks of the kids, arguing about something, Daniel’s soft calming voice, the sounds of them getting ready to bed. Water running, turning off, feet padding off to bed, the soft sound of a story being told, of a door being shut, and then Daniel was back, wrapping his arms around Johnny, kissing the top of his head.

“I’m serious,” Daniel said, kissing Johnny’s temple. “About another one.”

Johnny yawned, pressing his face against Daniel’s neck, too tired to respond.

 

Johnny had dreamed for years of Daniel living with him fully. For their little family to be all in one space, he hadn’t even realized the amount of stress had been just always there, always worrying about Daniel, out there, fighting people, stalking around and not inside.

But there were hiccups. Which shouldn’t have been surprising.

Daniel still cleaned while Johnny slept. He still reorganized the damn spices on Johnny so he couldn’t find shit, only he reorganized everything else too. The drawers and cabinets, hell even Johnny’s dresser drawers. Johnny spent one morning staring at his sock drawer wondering why it was fully of shirts.

Daniel was everywhere. The food in the fridge was what Daniel had picked up, the food on the table was what he’d made, the clothes the kids wore Daniel had put them in and it felt like a whirlwind where Johnny wanted to go wait a minute, hold on now, but just found himself standing in places staring trying to wrap his mind around where everything went, occasionally calling out, “Daniel, where’s the cinnamon?” or “Daniel where are my socks?” or “Daniel why is Robby wearing Sam’s favorite sweater?”

He was trying, hard, Johnny realized to make up for lost time, to be there, for all of them. To make sure he wasn’t just a specter haunting their halls and yard but a force within their home, and it’d take time, Mr. Miyagi said for the house to re-balance.

“It’s next to the nutmeg and allspice.”

“They’re with mine in the drawer to the right.”

“Oh shit, is it really her favorite?”

But it was nice. As frustrating as it was to come home with a bag full of groceries and trip over the dining room table because Daniel was…nesting. That’s what Dutch said it was, probably, settling in but like in the way a dog spins in a circle five times or something like that to lay down. Only Daniel’s version of it meant he couldn’t find any of his shit and kept bumping into things that hadn’t been there before.

Johnny loved that Daniel was home, that dinner was made in the evenings, that on the weekends they cooked together, or the kids helped make pancakes, he loved that the house was full of laughter and joy.

Then one evening he came home while the kids were out with Lucille who was visiting, to the house thick with a scent. It wasn’t the first time. Sometimes it’d happen when there was nothing going on. Just sitting together on the couch with the kids and he’d turn to look at Daniel confused, or swat at him only for Daniel to feign innocence.

This time though he found Daniel in the living room flipping through old albums.

“What is it?” Johnny asked.

“Huh? What’s what?” Daniel asked.

“What set you off?” Johnny asked trying to lean over to see what Daniel was looking at.

Daniel turned, hooking his arms around Johnny’s waist, pulling him in, close, till Johnny landed on his lap.

“I got a call today.”

“Yeah?”

“How would you feel about going back to Camp Stinging Nettles?”

“What?”

“The old owner, he’s retiring. He doesn’t want it to stay abandoned for ever, and thought if we came back, well the old bad publicity might go away, and I’ve been thinking of just how good you used to look in those shorts and crop top.”

“So that’s what got you all worked up?”

“That and I was going through boxes in your closet and saw that you kept your uniform.”

“I keep a lot of things.”

“If we took over we could have sex at camp in our own cabin far away from the campers.”

“Uh huh,” Johnny said.

Daniel’s hand was on his thigh, sliding up, under the shorts he wore.

“I think summer should be our time, our anniversary,” Daniel said against his neck.

“You bit me in winter.”

“No of our first.”

“You mean when we fought on the beach?”

“No silly, camp. I’m talking about camp. So, do you want to? You in those hot tiny shorts leading campers on hikes and on boats and archery, me cooking and doing paperwork, after the lights are out you and I can make the bed in our cabin creak.”

Johnny hooked an arm around Daniel, slipping backwards onto the couch and pulling him down with him.

“Maybe if you promise to dance with me.”

“Every night.”

“I mean really dance.”

“Any time you want.”

Johnny smiled. “What will the kids do?”

“Mr. Miyagi already said he’d watch them.”

“Then…maybe.”

 

Bobby heard a knock at the door and got up, opening the door to find Daniel. It wasn’t unusual any more to find Daniel on his doorstep. More frequent since he’d moved in with Johnny, usually running over to try and catch up on things he didn’t know.

When Robby coughs like this is he sick? What kind of medicine can I give him?

Sam is crying and won’t stop and she’s like hiccuping, I’ve tried everything.

They won’t eat anything.

They won’t sleep.

Daniel wanted to prove himself to Johnny, that he could do it, he could be the dad that had been missing from their family picture so badly that it was kind of cute.

“What’s up?” Bobby asked stepping out of the way to let him in.

“Johnny isn’t feeling well, he said you’ve got this blanket that you sometimes give him and he feels better with it,” Daniel said.

Bobby blinked, stepping back and sinking hard into the chair they’d stuck by the phone in the hall for when Jimmy’s mother called and talked for hours and hours and hours.

His face burned a little.

He had hoped that with Daniel moving in that blanket would never come up again.

It was embarrassing.

He didn’t like the implication.

“What? Is it gone? Why did you turn pale and then bright red?”

Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath and then got up.

“We’ve still got it. I just…” he frowned as Daniel grabbed his arm.

“Bobby, he’s not feeling well and I’ve tried everything, he doesn’t want to go to the hospital. He said this will make him feel better.”

“I gotta explain something okay?” Bobby said walking off towards the closet where it was kept, Daniel trailing along like a lost puppy.

“Yeah, okay.”

“When Johnny came back from camp pregnant I did all this reading okay? We all did, and there was this thing, the books said that when an alpha is missing or not around for some reason or another it was best to surround an omega with alpha scents to make them feel comfortable, so I did something…weird.”

Daniel frowned, brow wrinkled.

“You were like the only alpha I knew of, and Johnny seemed to have this crush on you after camp so I…I went to Mr. Miyagi and told him that Johnny was pregnant and I asked if we could have something of yours to help.”

“What?”

“So the blanket…it’s your blanket,” Bobby said pushing the box into Daniel’s hands. “Mr. Miyagi said it came with you from Newark so like…it’d probably do the trick. And I never thought to tell you or him for that matter that we took off with your blanket, but we did, and when Johnny’s like this…he generally wants it. I mean he’s usually here and we take turns curling up with him, bundling him in it and he can sleep but…I mean it’s gotta be placebo because surely everything at home smells like you now.”

Daniel opened the box carefully, lifting up the blanket.

“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for this?” Daniel whispered.

Bobby sighed, leaning against the wall.

“Listen, it’s like all he had of you okay? It helped, a lot. And it’ll help this time too. I also recommend getting good at rubbing his back especially like here,” Bobby said motioning towards the small of his back.

“Huh? Why?”

“Because,” Bobby said clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “Johnny only ever wants that blanket when he’s pregnant.”

Daniel’s eyes went wide, and without a word, took off in a run with the blanket, out the door and back home to Johnny and Bobby, tiredly, walked off to go warn the guys that they were most likely uncles, again.

 

Summer came with a smell of sunblock and children screaming.

Daniel wondered if maybe he’d made the wrong choice, his kids screamed enough and yet he’d picked the one place where children were allowed to scream and screech to spend his summers.

Was it odd to return to the scene of the crime?

Was it a bad choice to go back to a place that had made him snap?

But then he’d look out of the office window and see Johnny, hair golden in the sunlight surrounded by campers hanging on his every word.

He thought about how nervous he’d been when hiring staff.

He worried that no one would apply.

Or that he’d only get a repeat of awful counselors like the ones before.

But the look of surprise on Johnny’s face, the way he held out his arms, to Daniel’s utter confusion as applicant after applicant ran into Johnny’s arms and Johnny’s eyes glittered with tears.

Each one came with the same story.

Johnny’s old campers wanting to see him again, not wanting to be a part of the camp if he wasn’t there, wanting to bring some of that fun and magic back to it the way Johnny had, wanting to remember that summer where Daniel had cooked them magical feasts that they still dreamed about.

It might just be okay this time. Daniel realized, watching the counselors talk to Johnny in the woods, the campers crowded around to listen. Robby and Sam were around somewhere, having fun, Anthony asleep in his crib.

They’d had plenty of offers to watch the kids over the summer but Daniel couldn’t. After so long of not being a part of their lives, he was determined to make it work. Even if it meant bouncing Anthony on his knee while answering phone calls from worried parents. And relief when the campers didn’t seem upset that there were younger kids or even a baby at camp. The amount of offers of “I’ll watch him Mr. LaRusso,” from the counselors, well trained babysitters, gave him a sense of relief when he stepped into the kitchens, a whole swath of kids and counselors delighted to learn how to cook, ready to chop vegetables and learn how to simmer and saute and bake and have fun.

It was a far cry from that summer he’d spent with Johnny. Though sometimes Johnny still slipped into the kitchens with him at night and they’d sit on bags of flour talking about everything and nothing, peeling potatoes while the children slept, all safe in their bunks.

He’d worried maybe that he’d snap but those feelings didn’t re-surge. He didn’t wake up in panicked sweats or night terrors.

He did, once wake up listening to the sounds of the night, curious as to why he woke up only to find the bed empty.

It’d made him panic at first, one jolt of fear of where is Johnny only to realize his smell, the sweet smell of him wasn’t stale or old and it was nearby, coming from an open window. He walked over and stuck his head out the window to see Johnny sitting on the roof looking up at all the stars in the sky that they didn’t have back in LA.

“Thought you were too tired to move,” Daniel said carefully clambering out onto the roof.

“Almost, I could make it this far, I wanted to see the stars.”

“You could’ve woken me, I’d have brought you out here.”

Johnny looked at him amused, “You’d have tried to go another round first. I know how you are when you wake up, even when you’re half awake another part of you is raring to go.”

“I remember someone complaining once that they didn’t get laid enough.”

“Well you swung around into near constantly horny.”

“That’s just been my entire life,” Daniel said wrapping an arm around Johnny to wrap the blanket around his shoulders.

Johnny had gotten dressed, a camp t-shirt and shorts, which was more thoughtful then Daniel who’d just grabbed a big blanket.

Johnny shifted, laying down, head on Daniel’s lap, looking up at the stars.

“Do you regret it?” Daniel asked softly, playing with Johnny’s hair.

“Regret what?”

“Coming back here? Is this torture, to be here every day where—“

“Is it for you?” Johnny asked, eyes sliding away from the sky to Daniel’s face.

“No, and I wonder if I should feel bad about it, but I like it here because despite everything I liked our summer here. I liked the campers, I liked being out of the city and away from most of my nightmares, and I liked being with you. I liked that summer, despite everything because I got to spend it with you, I saw this side of you I’d only barely glimpsed before and fell in love with you. So I wanted to come back here, despite everything because this camp is you to me. But I should’ve talked to you more about it. I should’ve asked if you were really okay being here again.”

“I loved this camp,” Johnny said. “Not the counselors or my old boss, but the camp itself. I loved running in the mornings and looking at the stars and the delight at the end of each season when the kids accomplished things. They mastered archery, they figured out how to row a canoe, they got over some fear or challenge they’d been working on, they put on a show they’d been nervous about. I liked being a part of that, and working at the hardware store, repairing shit was just a job I had to make sure there was enough food and clothing for the kids, who knows where I’d be if my mom hadn’t made Sid give me a house. If the guys hadn’t been around. I know, if you’d felt like we were safe, if you’d felt better about everything you’d have been there all along. I know you’re this softy and broken hearted about Sam and Robby and me to the point you’re totally going to spoil Anthony.”

“I’m not going to spoil him.”

“He’s going to be a brat, I can already tell and I love him. I’m hoping he’s got all your sassy fire from when we met.”

Daniel laughed softly.

“What? They’re all bratty for a bit, doesn’t mean I don’t love them. We all are at some point or another. I just know. I know there will be days where they don’t know how to tell us what’s wrong and we won’t know how to parse it and we’ll all get frustrated but we’ll learn. And other days will be magic, like when Anthony started giggling because he heard a frog for the first time. This is a magical place to spend your summers when it’s safe and when it’s good, and with you, I know we can, because as twisted up as you are about everything, I know that you have our best at heart. You’re not some wild wolf, some Lone Pine Mountain Devil, you’re more like a guard dog that when pushed too far will snap and protect and you did.”

Daniel looked down at Johnny, leaned down to kiss him and Johnny leaned up to meet him before his nose wrinkled and his eyes got darker.

“Stop it,” Johnny said.

“Stop what?”

“You know exactly what. We can not sex on the roof.”

“We could. It’s totally possible,” Daniel said hand sliding between Johnny’s thighs, under the shorts, grinning when his fingers met a slick warm heat.

“The roof is uncomfortable,” Johnny murmured, bending his knees and digging his toes against the roof despite himself, allowing Daniel in.

“Of course it is. But we’ve done it in more uncomfortable places; backs of movie theaters, bathrooms, that one alleyway where your back got scratched up from the brick.”

“We’re too loud, we’d wake up the campers.”

“Maybe we just do it a little different,” Daniel said shifting the blanket slightly and Johnny turned his gaze towards Daniel’s lap and he moved, for someone full of excuses, pretty fast, taking Daniel in his mouth.

It was an awkward angle, all twisted up against one another and Daniel bit his lip, trying to stifle a moan, fingers working inside of Johnny, looking up at the star filled sky for a moment as he tried to remember to breathe, to not wake up the whole camp.

He curled back, towards Johnny watching him, mouth full of him.

Maybe someone would say returning to Camp Stinging Nettles was a terrible idea. He had killed people there. He’d snapped. But, Daniel loved it there because he got to be with Johnny.

He got to watch Robby and Sam run through fields, got to see them sitting in the grass with Johnny, holding a basket for him to put berries into only their faces were a mess because they were eating them all.

He got to see the way Anthony got delighted at all the bugs, the butterflies and fireflies, that they were all learning how to swim and they weren’t alone.

They were safe, not just because Daniel was there, or Johnny.

That they’d created a community, were building one where their kids didn’t have to worry about old wars from before their times or old grudges. That nothing from their past would come back to bite them or darken their days. That at home they had their uncles and Mr. Miyagi and Daniel’s family. And here they had a different family, a family Johnny had built without every realizing it by filling summers with magic for others and keeping them safe despite the nightmares he was going through.

He’d made it magic for Daniel. Brought him a summer full of possibilities, and every summer now would be full of magic and stories and adventure for them and their kids and their campers. And they’d be welcome back every year to grow and learn and have a chance to let out any yell or scream or shout they needed, to shake off the horrors outside their camp and to just be themselves.

It was just an added bonus that when there were breaks in their schedules that Johnny would come find him, his scent thick not with want but need and that smell would go straight to Daniel’s dick. It was maybe one part of everything that the blockers didn’t help with.

He couldn’t help it. One look from Johnny and he was pinning him over a table, or dragging him onto his lap, fingers digging into his thighs while Johnny rode him at his desk, basking in the moans, the way Johnny wanted him so badly. It soothed those missed opportunities, all those times the windows were left open and Johnny would touch himself, thinking of Daniel, hoping he’d come inside.

Those looks, that smell, it eased any lingering worry that Daniel was taking advantage, that he had taken advantage. The protests weren’t real protests, just little check marks, like on a list on Johnny’s clipboard.

Are the doors shut?

Are they locked?

Are we not going to scar anyone if we do it right now?

It was never a no.

Just a quiet responsibility, marking things off.

No one would see them up on the roof. After all there’d been days Johnny had sat up there and Daniel could smell him but never see him from below and it’s frustrated the hell out of him until Johnny told him where he’d been.

Hearing, was a different issue. But with Johnny’s moans muffled by Daniel’s dick it wasn’t as bad as usual. They had sound proofed their room early after they moved in. Johnny’s boss at the hardware store helping him out with it. So they didn’t have to worry there, and once Johnny knew how to do that, he helped ensure Daniel’s office was sound proof too.

If they remembered to shut the windows.

Which they were fairly good about.

When Daniel came Johnny gave him a look, almost a pout and Daniel smiled.

“Let’s go back inside huh? So I can take care of you properly, now that you’ve had a taste.”

Johnny didn’t look amused, swatting at his arm but carefully getting up, pulling on the blanket, on Daniel, towards their bedroom and peeling off his shorts and plopping down on the bed, looking back at Daniel with a what-are-you-waiting-for-look. The kind of look he’d gotten used to, a few times, once when the campers and counselors went to a different camp for the day to play sports with other kids and Johnny had stripped and jumped in the lake then given Daniel a challenging look that was almost reminiscent of when they’d been in high school, that same damn smirk of knowing that Daniel was in over his head.

Daniel had never been faster at stripping then in that moment, diving in after him. Delighted when Johnny laughed when Daniel caught him, kissing him warmly in the hot afternoon sun.

Or the times they snuck away like a couple of teenagers to a lookout spot with their sleeping bags, zipping them up together and making love under the stars.

Daniel knew not to hold back any more, knew that he was wanted, that his home was wherever Johnny and the kids were, wherever the people who loved him waited for him. That after a long day of working at the bonsai shop with Mr. Miyagi that the lights on were for him, that the doors were open for him, that the cookies were for him and that there was a warm bed waiting for him to crawl into and arms that would wrap around him and welcome him home as soon as he did.

That after a hard day of arguing with customers who thought a bonsai was an easy plant to take care of and didn’t understand the price tag and the artistry or the hard work, that Johnny would listen and run his hands through Daniel’s hair and kiss his forehead and he’d feel better.

And maybe that kid who moved to LA against his will would be upset to learn he was still there, would be horrified by what he’d done, but would probably see how happy Daniel was, how much he was loved and Daniel was pretty sure that younger version of him would get it. Because he’d found a place not just where he was wanted, but where he was loved, he’d found a home that was his, that he’d protected and kept safe and would continue to do so.

Johnny shifted his hips back a little, a prompt to hurry up and Daniel didn’t need a second invitation, quickly shutting the window and savoring Johnny’s moan when Daniel slid inside.

The future that had felt tattered for so long felt whole again. Summers at camp, teasing Johnny, competing with him and their campers for who’d be the fastest rowing team, who’d win the pie eating contest, showing off their karate skills at the talent show to the delight of the campers, and stealing quiet moments whenever they could.

In the fall they’d pack the kids off to school, remarking at how fast they grew and Daniel would bundle up Anthony and take him off to the bonsai shop to hang out with him and Mr. Miyagi and kiss Johnny to wish him a good day. In October they’d go trick or treating together and Daniel would help with the costumes and delight in Johnny’s creations. In November they’d feast with the guys, with Mr. Miyagi, and then in December they’d pack up the car and drive out east to Newark and stay for part of the winter, through the holidays into the new year, filling his Ma’s house with the sound of children and laughter and he’d cuddle with Johnny who’d complain about the cold and cling to him under blankets, cold hands finding his warm skin. And in the spring they’d be home, working on the garden, the house, stopping to enjoy the flowers that Daniel filled their house with.

They’d go on dates, they’d go to dinner and the movies, they’d drive around and make out at make out spots and slip into the back seat for more. They’d hold little hands and jump in puddles together, laughing and uncaring about dirty clothes, they’d bake cookies and old family Italian recipes. They’d make crafts and the house would fill with glitter to the point there’d still be some on their faces or arms months later.

It was warm and happy and sweet and Daniel licked the back of Johnny’s neck, watching the way his body shivered. The old bite healed, that old promise marked into Johnny’s flesh, that he was Daniel’s and Daniel was his, a bond of olden times and yet new and solid for the both of them. Something that Daniel found both of them drawn to.

Johnny worrying about something and the way his hand would reach back to the back of his neck, almost a sheepish look but trying to find comfort in that promise. The way Daniel reached for it, fingers grazing the mark while they were out at PTA meetings or in crowds to remind Johnny he wasn’t alone that Daniel was there with him. The way Johnny’s shoulders relaxed when he did that, the tension melting from them with the reminder that Daniel was there, had his back. The way the reminder made him feel soft and warm beneath his fingertips because Johnny had wanted that, had wanted him, and it was there for him to see and feel etched in his skin.

And in moments like these the reminder of that promise, that bond, made Johnny buck his hips, his breath and pulse quicken and that sweet smell stronger. A reminder that they were past the times where they both thought the other didn’t love them, that they weren’t just occasional lovers tricking the other into a time intertwined, but mates.

“Told you you could go again,” Daniel murmured against Johnny’s ear.

Johnny’s arms were shaking and Daniel leaned back, sliding out for a moment to roll Johnny over onto his back before sliding back in, delighted in the face Johnny made, the sounds he made, the way his body seemed to sink into the bed with relief that he didn’t have to support himself up alone any more.

The doctors had made it sound like, after they’d bonded everything would calm down. But it didn’t, not really. The blood lust yes, but the lust in general? It seemed worse. Or like they were making up for lost time.

Johnny had grown his beard back again, usually during camp he let it grow out, not wanting to waste time in the morning shaving when he could be out on a run, or part of his time in the morning was lost to Daniel who’d ask if he wanted to, real quick before they started their day. Then Johnny would run off and Daniel would start his day slow, getting dressed, and ready, taking Anthony with him, awake from Johnny already kissing his forehead before he’d taken off, blinking owlishly at the morning. His little sous-chef who joined him in the kitchens with the staff.

Daniel kissed Johnny’s jaw, the soft beard tickling his skin. He kissed his neck, enjoying the deep moan Johnny made. His neck was sensitive. He’d seen strangers try to throw their arm around Johnny’s shoulders in a bar and the way he’d swat them, get defensive, but for Daniel he bared his neck, delighted in the soft kisses, licks and bites he received in return.

Trust, Daniel had realized one night when they hadn’t been able to sleep due to a surprise thunderstorm that’d rocked the house. He trusted Daniel to touch him where he’d once been hurt, trusted Daniel not to hurt him, always had, even when Daniel had been so sure he’d been hurting him. That instead he’d been answering a plead, a need from them both.

Johnny had held onto him so tight that night, startled when Daniel had knotted him. Something that startled Daniel as well. Surprised when the pressure of it seemed to continuously press on Johnny’s prostate so he was shivering with over-stimulation, and orgasming hard when it’d finally settled inside of Johnny. Daniel couldn’t handle it either, they’d both ended up passing out afterwards, over stimulated and moaning when Daniel had woken up again and managed to slide out of Johnny.

It wore them both out, so Daniel was grateful when it was a rare occurrence. Because he’d rather be present, rather enjoy listening to Johnny tell him how good he felt, no longer quiet like he’d once been, scared to startle Daniel away, holding onto him however he could. Watching Daniel closely, eyes so full of love and want and need for him. His darling omega who would kiss whatever came close to his lips, Daniel’s wrist, finger tips, arm, shoulder, neck and face. The feeling of Johnny’s fingers in his hair, a soft tug when it felt good, or the squeeze of his hand on Daniel’s arm.

He did that. He made Johnny feel good. Only he got to see the looks Johnny gave him, so full of love, after he was sated, after he came, the way Johnny cuddled up with him, like he never wanted to let go. Soft sweet moments that were just his, just theirs and would be, just theirs, as a fated pair, for life.