[ It seems that holding gazes isn't particularly easy for either of them right now - and yet it happens. Just as Robby tries his best to hold Daniel's gaze, so does the man continue to look back at him as he listens to the boy speak, the words spilling out. There's still something painful in Daniel's gaze as he listens, but there's a little more too, the emotion too complicated to even put into a single word. (But it's not all bad, at least.)
The only thing that's a little more straightforward is the man's reaction to the apology Robby himself puts forward at the end there. Daniel shakes his head. Initially slowly, but then a little more firm before it stops.
Sure, maybe not everything Robby did was great. Hurting kids, teaching Miyagi-do to Cobra Kai of all dojos-- but it's not like everything Daniel did was great either, and the entire time he heard about the things Robby was doing, it felt like Daniel's own fault, the consequences for having hurt the boy enough to push him away. The reason Robby didn't think twice, as the boy himself words it.
So Robby not listening-- that's not his fault. If anything, Daniel can't help but think of the time he joined Cobra Kai so long ago, how he too didn't listen to mister Miyagi, only tried to push the man and his concern away as far as he could, doing things he usually never would have done before, bad things.
Daniel never understood why mister Miyagi seemed to forgive him so easily afterwards.
Maybe now he does.
A hand reaches out, possibly intending on landing on Robby's shoulder. And it does, but-- it does a little bit more than that. Not just resting there, but with both of them sitting on the bed, it's easy for Daniel to scoot over a little so he's more directly next to Robby and then use the leverage of that hand already in position to gently pull Robby a little closer, moving the boy into a sideways hug. There's so much he wants to say and explain, and there's so much he wants to hear from Robby too, especially when the other speaks about screwing up things for people in Cobra Kai, but there's not much of it he can say without his phone.
He just hopes he can convey some of it this way. Even if it's not really like he's hugged Robby before, it's not like Daniel has never thought of it, making a gesture like this feel much less awkward than it perhaps ought to be.
And it's the easiest way to say it's fine. To say I was never mad at you. I was only mad at myself for hurting you. I was mad at Kreese and Silver for manipulating you, using your pain and anger. I'm so glad you're okay. I'm worried about you being here in a place like this. ]
You.. are strong.
[ Daniel's voice is still incredibly scratchy, but since he can at least speak at a much lower volume now he's got Robby this close, he can still force it out.
Sorry, Robby - even if you ask him to not speak and spare his voice, this old man apparently just has trouble with doing that around you. Especially when Daniel disagrees with that point so hard that he has to say it, ahead of everything else, ahead of all the things he needs much more of a voice to actually be able to properly convey.
And there's one more thing too, right? Something that he's been thinking about ever since the end of that summer when everything fell apart, haunting his mind. Something that seeing Robby again in this empty city without anyone he knew only strengthens. ]
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The only thing that's a little more straightforward is the man's reaction to the apology Robby himself puts forward at the end there. Daniel shakes his head. Initially slowly, but then a little more firm before it stops.
Sure, maybe not everything Robby did was great. Hurting kids, teaching Miyagi-do to Cobra Kai of all dojos-- but it's not like everything Daniel did was great either, and the entire time he heard about the things Robby was doing, it felt like Daniel's own fault, the consequences for having hurt the boy enough to push him away. The reason Robby didn't think twice, as the boy himself words it.
So Robby not listening-- that's not his fault. If anything, Daniel can't help but think of the time he joined Cobra Kai so long ago, how he too didn't listen to mister Miyagi, only tried to push the man and his concern away as far as he could, doing things he usually never would have done before, bad things.
Daniel never understood why mister Miyagi seemed to forgive him so easily afterwards.
Maybe now he does.
A hand reaches out, possibly intending on landing on Robby's shoulder. And it does, but-- it does a little bit more than that. Not just resting there, but with both of them sitting on the bed, it's easy for Daniel to scoot over a little so he's more directly next to Robby and then use the leverage of that hand already in position to gently pull Robby a little closer, moving the boy into a sideways hug. There's so much he wants to say and explain, and there's so much he wants to hear from Robby too, especially when the other speaks about screwing up things for people in Cobra Kai, but there's not much of it he can say without his phone.
He just hopes he can convey some of it this way. Even if it's not really like he's hugged Robby before, it's not like Daniel has never thought of it, making a gesture like this feel much less awkward than it perhaps ought to be.
And it's the easiest way to say it's fine. To say I was never mad at you. I was only mad at myself for hurting you. I was mad at Kreese and Silver for manipulating you, using your pain and anger. I'm so glad you're okay. I'm worried about you being here in a place like this. ]
You.. are strong.
[ Daniel's voice is still incredibly scratchy, but since he can at least speak at a much lower volume now he's got Robby this close, he can still force it out.
Sorry, Robby - even if you ask him to not speak and spare his voice, this old man apparently just has trouble with doing that around you. Especially when Daniel disagrees with that point so hard that he has to say it, ahead of everything else, ahead of all the things he needs much more of a voice to actually be able to properly convey.
And there's one more thing too, right? Something that he's been thinking about ever since the end of that summer when everything fell apart, haunting his mind. Something that seeing Robby again in this empty city without anyone he knew only strengthens. ]
.. missed you.