𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 / ❛ into hawk ❜

[ episode seven, all valley ]

Marlee sat cross-legged on the plush outdoor couch in her backyard, the warm evening sun casting a soft glow across her as she focused on the canvas in front of her. Her paintbrush danced across the surface, blending deep oranges and purples into a picture of the sunset, the colors flowing together like a dream. She hadn't realized how much she missed painting until now—how therapeutic it felt. It was one of those moments when everything in her life felt still, and for the first time in a while, she felt... at peace.

Ever since joining Cobra Kai, something had shifted inside her. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, maybe it was the strength she felt every time she sparred, or the confidence it was giving her. Maybe it was the people around her—Miguel, Aisha, Jace, all of them pushing her in their own ways. But above all, it was the way it felt to be alive again. The same spark she used to have before life knocked her down.

Her mind drifted, like it often did, back to Hawk. She hadn't seen him much outside of class, but every time she did, it was impossible not to notice the change. He was more himself now, or at least a version of himself that didn't shrink from everyone's judgment. The new confidence, the way he held himself—it was almost like he'd become the person he was meant to be all along. He didn't look like the quiet, awkward kid she once knew. Instead, he seemed almost.. untouchable. And the way he carried himself now, she couldn't help but admire it.

But there was more to it than that. A part of her wasn't sure if the connection between them was just that—admiration—or something deeper. Something she wasn't sure she was ready to explore.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone buzzed beside her on the table. She picked it up, unlocking it to see a text from Hawk:

Hawk: "What's up? Can I come over?"

Marlee blinked, her pulse quickening slightly. She hadn't expected him to text her like this. Part of her wanted to say no, to keep things casual, but another part of her, the part that hadn't felt alive in so long, wanted to see him.

Marlee: "Sure, I'm outside. Just go through the back gate."

She set her phone down and returned her focus to her painting, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal, even though her heart was racing. Maybe she was being impulsive, but she was tired of overthinking everything. Besides, it would be nice to have company.

A few minutes later, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching, the crunch of gravel underfoot. Marlee glanced up to see Hawk approaching, a confident grin on his face as he made his way toward her.

"Hey MB," he said, his eyes scanning her artwork. "I see you've been busy."

Marlee raised an eyebrow, trying to play it cool. "That's one word for it."

Hawk nodded, sitting down next to her on the couch without hesitation. "You've been getting good at this."

"Thanks," she muttered, feeling a bit self-conscious under his gaze. She didn't expect him to notice her work so closely.

"Yeah," Hawk said, leaning back with his arms behind his head, "I can see why you like it out here. It's nice."

Marlee smiled faintly, glancing at him. "Yeah, it's where I spend most of my time when I'm not in class or.. doing other stuff."

He smirked, then looked back at the canvas, his gaze lingering a little longer than before. "I can tell. It's peaceful."

She paused, wondering if he was talking about her art or something else. "Yeah. It helps clear my head."

Hawk shifted slightly, turning his body toward hers. "So.. what's on your mind then? What do you need clearing of?"

Marlee hesitated, unsure whether to bring up the obvious—that there was something between them now, something she couldn't ignore. But instead, she just shrugged. "You, I guess."

Hawk's grin widened, his cheeks flushing. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, meeting his eyes. "You're different. And I don't know.. I like it."

He chuckled, sitting down beside her. "You should. I'm finally done letting everyone walk all over me." He paused, then added, "You're a lot like me, you know."

Marlee tilted her head, a small smile forming on her lips. "Oh, really? How so?"

"Strong. I can see it." His tone was serious now, and his eyes held a depth that wasn't usually there. "You're different, too. Ever since you started at Cobra Kai."

Marlee felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words. She wasn't sure what to say, but she knew one thing—she liked being around him. There was no denying it.

Hawk leaned in slightly, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair as he studied her. There was something in his eyes, a mix of admiration and something else. Something that made her feel like maybe they were connecting in a way she hadn't expected.

"Hey," he began, his tone casual but with a hint of something more, "do you wanna go somewhere"

Marlee blinked, not quite processing what he said at first. The sudden invitation caught her off guard. She'd been lost in her thoughts, but now, with Hawk so close, the idea of spending more time with him didn't seem like such a bad one.

"Go somewhere?" she echoed, sitting up straighter, her mind working quickly. She hadn't expected him to suggest that, but at the same time, she couldn't say she was surprised either. It felt natural.

"Yeah," he continued, a small grin forming. "Could be anywhere."

She hesitated for a moment, her thoughts racing. She wasn't sure where this was going, but something about the way he was looking at her made her want to take the leap.

"Sure," she said, her voice a little lighter than she intended. "I'm down."

Hawk's grin widened, and he stood up, offering her a hand with a playful smirk. "Great. Let's go then."

Marlee took his hand, standing up with him, and for the first time in a while, she felt a spark of excitement. Something was shifting, and she had no idea where it would lead—but for once, she wasn't afraid to find out.

The two of them walked out of Marlee's house, the warm evening air brushing past them. Hawk glanced around, his eyes landing on a house down the street with a fountain in the front yard. He picked up a small rock from the ground and tossed it in the air, trying to skip it across the water. It didn't go far, plopping flat into the fountain with a soft splash.

Marlee raised an eyebrow, holding back a laugh. Hawk shot her a quick look, a grin creeping up. "Shut up, that was bad luck!"

She couldn't hold it in any longer, chuckling softly. "Yeah, okay. Just admit it, you don't have skills."

Hawk nudged her with his shoulder, his grin widening. "It's the rock's fault, not mine," he defended, shaking his head. "I've got skills, you'll see."

"Uh-huh. Whatever helps you sleep at night," Marlee teased, rolling her eyes but still smiling.

Hawk laughed, then paused, looking around the neighborhood. "What's your deal anyway? You're always home or at the dojo. You ever go out?"

Marlee shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Guess I'm just more into.. quiet nights."

Hawk raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh, you're one of those?"

"Shut up," she replied, nudging his elbow. "I'm just picky about where I spend my time."

"Fair enough," he said, looking back toward the road. "You ever go to places like that? The ones with, like, music and people just.. being crazy?"

"Sometimes," she replied, "Not really my scene."

Hawk smirked, giving her a sideways glance. "Maybe I'll change your mind one of these days."

Marlee shot him a skeptical look. "You really think you can pull that off?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, his grin never fading. "I mean, I can try. Worst case, we just grab some food and mess around."

"Yeah, I can get behind that," she said, feeling more comfortable with him than she had expected. "You really want to go somewhere, or are we just aimlessly walking around tonight?"

"I mean, now that you mention it," Hawk said, looking down the street with a mischievous glint in his eye, "there's this little diner a few blocks away. They've got great fries."

Marlee raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You're just trying to feed me junk food, aren't you?"

Hawk grinned even wider. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," she said with a smirk, "but you better be good at picking places. I'll judge you."

Hawk laughed, the sound warm and easy. "I can handle it."

As they walked, their conversation shifted to silly anecdotes from their pasts. Hawk was telling Marlee about the time he tried to teach himself how to skateboard, but kept falling off in spectacular fashion.

"You wouldn't believe how many bruises I had," Hawk said, laughing. "I swear, I thought I was going to get kicked out of school for looking like I got into a fight with a tree."

Marlee grinned. "I can totally see that. Were you at least good at it for like, five seconds?"

Hawk shrugged, his grin still on full display. "I don't know, maybe. I don't remember. But it was more about the thrill of almost breaking my arm."

Marlee chuckled, shaking her head. "You're a mess, you know that?"

"Hey, at least I'm an entertaining mess," Hawk replied, his voice light with humor.

"Yeah, you've got that going for you," she teased, laughing at the scrunched up face he gave her afterwards. The easy, unforced kind of laughter that made the evening feel effortless.

As they neared the diner, the neon lights of the sign flickered above them, casting a warm glow over the sidewalk. The familiar hum of people chatting and the clinking of cutlery drifted out from the open door, and the smell of fries and burgers made Marlee's stomach rumble.

Mars looked at the diner with an amused expression. They walked up to the door together, Hawk pulling it open and letting her walk inside first.

The diner was cozy, with checkered floors and booths that lined the walls. There was a jukebox in the corner, playing some old rock song, and a few other people sat at the counter chatting with the waitress. Hawk led them to a booth near the back, and they slid into the worn seats across from each other.

"So," Hawk said, looking over the menu, "you ready for some fries that might just change your life?"

Marlee gave him a playful, skeptical look. "I'll believe it when I taste them."

Hawk smirked. "Alright, just wait. You'll see."

The waitress came over, and they placed their orders—fries and burgers all around. As they waited, the two of them fell back into easy conversation, laughing about random stuff. They were in their own little world, with nothing but the dim lighting and the hum of conversation around them.

Marlee leaned back in her seat, "You're not that bad at this whole hanging-out thing. I thought you were gonna be all tough guy."

Hawk shrugged, his expression softening just a little. "I can be tough when I need to be."

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Yeah? And when would that be?"

Hawk paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers with a certain intensity that made Marlee's heart skip a beat. "I guess it depends on the situation," he said casually, though the way his gaze lingered made it clear that he wasn't talking about just anything.

Before Marlee could respond, their food arrived, and the conversation shifted as they dug into their meals. The fries, as it turned out, were as good as Hawk had promised, crispy and seasoned just right.

"I'm telling you," Hawk said, taking a bite and grinning, "I'm a connoisseur of good fries. You won't find better anywhere."

Marlee couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay, you win. These are pretty fucking good."

Hawk raised an eyebrow triumphantly. "Told you."

They continued eating, the atmosphere comfortable. It felt easy to be around him—like they'd been doing this forever. It was nice.

.・゜゜・・゜゜・

Marlee jogged towards the dojo, her breath coming in quick bursts. She didn't even know why she was running—it was just instinct at this point. Hawk had dropped her off after their impromptu diner trip, and while she had told him she'd catch up with him later, her mind was racing. She needed to talk to someone, and realistically, there was no one else to go to. So, here she was.

She pushed open the dojo door and stepped inside, scanning the room for familiar faces. Johnny and Miguel were standing next to each other, talking by the mats, and when they saw her come in breathlessly, they both looked up.

"Dude," she said, catching her breath, "Hawk came over and we went to this diner and it was so good and—"

Johnny interrupted with a smirk, his tone too casual for the weight of what he was implying. "You're into Hawk, aren't you?"

Marlee froze for a second, her mouth open as she blinked at him. "Uh, yeah," she finally admitted, the word slipping out before she could stop it. "I think I am."

Miguel's eyes lit up, and he grinned like he was holding back a laugh. "That's awesome. I knew I saw something between you two."

But before she could reply, Miguel's face shifted slightly, a proud grin forming as he looked at Marlee. "So, the date went amazing," he said, a twinkle in his eye. "Me and Sam kissed."

Marlee's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?" she exclaimed. She blinked twice, processing what he'd just said. Then, without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him in an unexpected, excited hug. "No way, that's amazing, Miguel!"

Miguel chuckled as he hugged her back, clearly enjoying the moment. "And sensei crushed the committee meeting." He shot a glance over at Johnny, who was smirking in his usual way.

Marlee turned to Johnny, surprised. "What? You did?" she asked, her voice filled with admiration.

Johnny shrugged, his grin widening. "I told 'em exactly what Cobra Kai is all about. No bullshit. I got it done."

Without even thinking, Marlee gave Johnny a hug too, her enthusiasm contagious. "Yes! Cobra kai's in!"

Johnny chuckled, clearly surprised but pleased with the praise. "Alright, we all had a great night. But the real celebration's coming."

Miguel furrowed his eyebrows. "What's that?" he asked, curiosity piqued.

Johnny's eyes lit up, and he gave a dramatic wave toward the fridge in the back of the room. "The good stuff. We're celebrating like real men. And women." He pointed at Marlee, making her laugh.

He walked over to the fridge, opening it with purpose. When he returned, he was holding three red solo cups, grinning like he had just pulled off some grand scheme. "This calls for a real toast," he said, pouring something into the cups.

Miguel sniffed his cup and immediately recoiled. "What is this?" he asked, scrunching his nose.

Johnny just shrugged. "Drink it. It'll put hair on your balls. And give you the guts to ask out Hawk." He glanced over at Marlee, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, drink up."

Marlee squinted at the drink, unsure of what she was getting herself into. But she figured she might as well go along with it. "To Cobra Kai," she said, lifting her cup.

"Never accept defeat," Johnny added, his voice serious as he raised his cup in turn.

They all clinked their cups together, and Marlee took a sip. The liquid burned on the way down, and she immediately felt her face scrunch up in reaction to the strong taste. Miguel followed suit, taking a hesitant sip and immediately grimacing, looking like he might puke.

Johnny, on the other hand, took a long drink, clearly savoring it. Then, seeing their faces, he burst out laughing. "That's the spirit! You'll get used to it," he said, clearly entertained by their reactions.

Marlee shook her head, laughing through her discomfort. Marlee wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "What the hell is that?"

Johnny grinned. "It's called 'Cobra Juice'—a special blend for champions. Only the toughest can handle it."

Miguel groaned, but there was no denying the look of amusement on his face. "Yeah, I'm definitely sticking to soda next time."

Marlee smiled, feeling an odd sense of warmth in her chest. The weird drink, the strange bonding moments—it was all so different from what she'd known before. And for once, it felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.