It's always been hard to convince Daniel once he's got a certain thought in mind. It tends to circle his mind, not letting up, no one's words being able to reach him or convince him otherwise.
But there's one exception to that, right? Strangely enough, even more so than his own kids, or his own wife - it was mister Miyagi, back when he was still alive, and it's Robby now.
Daniel has never questioned why when it just was that way. The way mister Miyagi always soothed all his nerves, the way Robby's words always feel like they make hope grow in his heart. This time, too. It's not a full conviction yet, but it's the start of it, a seedling, a bit of hope - that maybe he really wasn't in the wrong here. That sometimes feelings are just a messy thing, especially when you're wrong, and everything can get all twisted up.
It's something Daniel's heart is going to have to sit with for a while, sort out - but in the meantime, he knows very much that the actual topic has gone unaddressed. Robby's feelings laid out on the table, but not responded to yet. Not in the way Robby deserves.
"You made me happy too," he manages to say. His voice sounds somewhat choked up, but after breathing in, after swallowing-- he sounds a little more normal again, though still touched. Still fond. "I also wanted to be close to you, and I also liked you a little too much. Just.. not in that way." A slight pause, and then: "You know that already, right?"
Daniel figures he doesn't have to say it more explicitly. Everything they've said, and just everything about it in general - it's clear that Daniel could never have those specific feelings for Robby, nor could he ever return them. Not with the age gap, with his marriage, with his fondness for Robby as a son.
But that doesn't make the feelings invalid. Like Robby himself said-- it didn't have to be anything else. The angle of the feelings doesn't matter as the feelings themselves. The warmth of them. The affection, even if not romantic.
"I know it might sound hard to believe, with the awful things I said when I got mad, with what happened with juvie, but.. I felt strongly for you too, Robby. Even back then. I was so happy you wanted to train with me, and that you accepted my help, and that you even wanted to be my new dojo's first student. You never thought we could be like that, like a family, but I-- to me, it already felt that way." Especially with Robby in his house. "I was just too stupid to fully realise it before I ruined it for a while."
His smile dips a little, but it's mostly into apologetic.
"You were always my kid already, Robby. I know it's not the same thing--" Because even if it might not matter, he still doesn't want to just dismiss everything Robby told him, confessed to him, treated like such an important conversation by the boy that he felt like he had to bring it up now. "But you were already important to me. Always."
no subject
It's always been hard to convince Daniel once he's got a certain thought in mind. It tends to circle his mind, not letting up, no one's words being able to reach him or convince him otherwise.
But there's one exception to that, right? Strangely enough, even more so than his own kids, or his own wife - it was mister Miyagi, back when he was still alive, and it's Robby now.
Daniel has never questioned why when it just was that way. The way mister Miyagi always soothed all his nerves, the way Robby's words always feel like they make hope grow in his heart. This time, too. It's not a full conviction yet, but it's the start of it, a seedling, a bit of hope - that maybe he really wasn't in the wrong here. That sometimes feelings are just a messy thing, especially when you're wrong, and everything can get all twisted up.
It's something Daniel's heart is going to have to sit with for a while, sort out - but in the meantime, he knows very much that the actual topic has gone unaddressed. Robby's feelings laid out on the table, but not responded to yet. Not in the way Robby deserves.
"You made me happy too," he manages to say. His voice sounds somewhat choked up, but after breathing in, after swallowing-- he sounds a little more normal again, though still touched. Still fond. "I also wanted to be close to you, and I also liked you a little too much. Just.. not in that way." A slight pause, and then: "You know that already, right?"
Daniel figures he doesn't have to say it more explicitly. Everything they've said, and just everything about it in general - it's clear that Daniel could never have those specific feelings for Robby, nor could he ever return them. Not with the age gap, with his marriage, with his fondness for Robby as a son.
But that doesn't make the feelings invalid. Like Robby himself said-- it didn't have to be anything else. The angle of the feelings doesn't matter as the feelings themselves. The warmth of them. The affection, even if not romantic.
"I know it might sound hard to believe, with the awful things I said when I got mad, with what happened with juvie, but.. I felt strongly for you too, Robby. Even back then. I was so happy you wanted to train with me, and that you accepted my help, and that you even wanted to be my new dojo's first student. You never thought we could be like that, like a family, but I-- to me, it already felt that way." Especially with Robby in his house. "I was just too stupid to fully realise it before I ruined it for a while."
His smile dips a little, but it's mostly into apologetic.
"You were always my kid already, Robby. I know it's not the same thing--" Because even if it might not matter, he still doesn't want to just dismiss everything Robby told him, confessed to him, treated like such an important conversation by the boy that he felt like he had to bring it up now. "But you were already important to me. Always."