Chapter Text
For Daniel, summer doesn’t kick off to the great start he thought it would. After graduation, he made plans to spend the sunny summer days on the beach with Johnny or training in the yard with Mr. Miyagi, only to find out two nights ago from his ma that they’re moving to Fresno for two months. In other words, the whole damn summer.
Naturally, Daniel is pissed off about it. He understands that the job opportunity his mom was offered is one she can’t turn down, but he’s not happy that he has to move out of South Seas. They’re supposed to leave tomorrow afternoon, and Daniel hasn’t even started packing because he does not want to go. This puts a damper on his entire summer, ruins everything, and he nearly redesigns his fender on the way to Mr. Miyagi’s place because he’s livid .
All Daniel wanted was for his first summer in California to be fun and memorable. Now, he’s gonna be stuck in Fresno instead of cruising around the streets on Johnny’s motorbike and having beach parties with their friends and training at Miyagi-Do. If someone told him last year before he moved to the valley that he’d be looking forward to spending the hottest months of the year in California, Daniel would’ve laughed and told them they’re wrong. But here he is, crushed and mad that he’s not gonna spend all these bright sunny days on the golden coast with his hot blonde boyfriend.
What makes him angrier is that Johnny doesn’t even seem bummed in the slightest. It’s bad enough that he showed up to work hungover the day after the graduation party (they all celebrated a little too much) and got fired, but then when Lucille sort of sprung the news on them later that night, he seemed disappointed when Daniel stomped out of the room, but when he joined Daniel a little later, he didn’t. Johnny never said whether or not he’s coming with them to Fresno, he’s not even reacting at all to the fact that their lives are going out of focus, and Daniel is too busy seething in silence to yell at him about it.
Johnny mainly sits there in silence when Daniel rants about how much everything sucks. Then, Daniel is drawn into make-out sessions (which often lead to more) with his dumb boyfriend that are clearly meant to distract him, but Johnny is so enticing that he allows it. But that is not happening tonight. Daniel is gonna have to face the music and say goodbye to Mr. Miyagi, and then spend the night moping and there’s nothing Johnny can do about it, except maybe give him an answer as to if he’s fucking going with them or not.
He should be, because he has nowhere else to stay (unless he’s sleeping on Laura’s couch or in Bobby’s guest room, but both options seem unlikely). The asshole leaves the question unanswered every time, and frankly, it’s stressing Daniel out. He can tolerate Fresno if Johnny is with him, but without him? He’d hate every second of it.
When Daniel parks outside of Mr. Miyagi’s yard, he barely notices the Avanti a few spots away, meaning Johnny is either here to say goodbye too, or he’s just hanging around. Daniel gets out of the Ford, opens the gate and storms into the yard, muttering obscenities as he interrupts Johnny and Mr. Miyagi doing serene breathing exercises on the deck.
Johnny’s concentration is broken by his boyfriend stomping into the garden, face hot with anger. He rolls his eyes, because that hasn’t been unusual for the past two days. Fresno this, Fresno that . If he stopped his yapping for a second, he might notice that Johnny, Mr. Miyagi, and Lucille have already worked out an alternative. Or maybe the truth is, Johnny likes seeing Daniel all riled up. He thinks it’s cute, which is why he hasn’t explicitly stated the solution to Daniel’s problem.
“Woah, what’s the matter with you?” Johnny asks, and Daniel glares at him, because isn’t it obvious? Hasn’t Johnny been paying attention to anything? Knowing him, probably not.
“I’m pissed that I have to spend the whole summer in Fresno, man!” Daniel exclaims, wondering if Johnny ever listens to a word that comes out of his mouth (he does most of the time, but sometimes he accidentally tunes his bigmouth boyfriend out, oops) or if he’s too busy gazing at his lips to notice.
“Yeah, I know. I have to hear about it every night,” Johnny remarks, and Daniel huffs, mimicking Johnny as if he’s the one being ridiculous. Then again, Johnny knew what he was getting into when he asked Daniel to go steady (just like Daniel knew when he said yes). But even Daniel’s incessant chatter, as annoying as it can be, Johnny adores. Still, he shares a look with Mr. Miyagi, because he needs his help to deal with the stubborn spitfire (like Johnny is one to talk) in front of him.
“Things could be worse,” Mr. Miyagi says, and if that was supposed to be even remotely consoling, it’s not.
“Yeah yeah, thanks,” Daniel mutters under his breath, stopping in front of the deck and gripping Johnny’s toned arm, blinking up at him with his big brown doe eyes, his boyfriend looking down at him with an amused expression. “Johnny, are you coming with us? I don’t wanna be in Fresno without you,” he whines (he doesn’t mean to, but he’s getting desperate for an answer here and doesn’t get why Johnny keeps avoiding the question and he’s paranoid), and he grows more frustrated when Johnny grins, as if something is funny to him. “Why are you smiling like that?” Daniel questions, pouting, and Johnny shares another look with Mr. Miyagi before they both walk off to the other side of the house. “Where are you going?” He demands, baffled that they’re both walking away from him right now. What the hell?
“We have just the thing make you feel better,” Mr. Miyagi says when Daniel follows him and Johnny like a lost puppy, and Daniel has heard that one ( many times) before, so he knows just what his sensei means.
“Probably got work for me to do,” he comments, and the snicker he hears from Johnny is practically confirmation.
“Hit nail on head.”
“Yeah, well, how come every time I have a problem, you have work for me to do?” Daniel asks, grumbling.
“Cosmic coincidence,” Mr. Miyagi answers without missing a beat, and before Daniel can come up with a snarky reply, he notices something that wasn’t there before. Something that’s hard to not notice.
Where there used to be empty space next to this side of Mr. Miyagi’s house, there’s a wooden structure, like the base of an extra room. Daniel gawks at the sight, because when the hell did that get there? Daniel hasn’t been back here in like, three days, and Mr. Miyagi already made modifications to this extent? Damn .
“When’d you build this?” Daniel wonders, the pile of Johnny’s stuff in the corner going completely over his head (and he calls Johnny the mindless one, pft).
“Daniel-san, watch.” Mr. Miyagi picks up a hammer, and demonstrates how to nail down the boards to keep the structure upright. “Come. You try. Must focus. Focus most important.” He hands Daniel the hammer, and Daniel, never the one to follow a simple task without asking a hundred questions, turns to him, puzzled (also, Johnny still has that stupid look on his face, and Daniel doesn’t know what that’s all about).
“No, this is weird. Johnny, what’s that look on your face for, man?” Daniel cocks an eyebrow at the chuckle he gets from Johnny in return, because he’s failing to understand anything humorous about this situation.
“I’ve been helping Mr. Miyagi build this. It’s a guest room,” Johnny explains, but that only adds to Daniel’s confusion, because Mr. Miyagi never has guests (besides the six teenagers that invade his backyard most afternoons).
“You expecting company?” Daniel asks, and since he’s not catching the hints (to be fair, they’re not really good hints), Johnny decides to go ahead and tell him what it’s for, that this new room is the reason he’s been intentionally dodging Daniel’s questions about him going to Fresno with him and his ma (he would go without a doubt if Mr. Miyagi hadn’t offered them a place with him).
“LaRusso. It’s for us,” Johnny reveals, and Daniel’s mouth drops open at that. This room is for them?
“Wait, what? Really?” Daniel beams, the possibility of him and Johnny being able to stay here with Mr. Miyagi filling him with mere excitement. Now that would be a fantastic summer. Waking up and heading straight outside to the garden for training? Piling up in Mr. Miyagi’s old truck and heading to the beach in no time? What could be better?
“Miyagi talk to mother,” Mr. Miyagi says, and Johnny watches as Daniel nearly fights the urge to jump up and down enthusiastically.
“And she said me and Johnny can stay here?” Daniel’s tone is hopeful, because staying here in the valley with his boyfriend and his sensei would be a dream come true.
“Both boys stay here, if like,” he replies, and Daniel exhales in relief.
“You saved my life! Thanks!” Daniel bows in gratitude, grinning widely.
“Welcome.” Mr. Miyagi bows back, and then he gives Daniel the hammer and walks back to the house, leaving Daniel and Johnny to get to work.
Daniel turns to his boyfriend and smiles, because now he gets why Johnny seemed to dodge his questions every time, and where he spent all day yesterday. The smirk on his face tells Daniel all needs to know, that Johnny wanted to surprise him and see the look on his face.
The truth is, Johnny knew Daniel didn’t want to spend the summer in Fresno, so he called up Mr. Miyagi and asked if they could work something out to where they could stay there with him, even offering to pay rent if that’s what he wanted. Mr. Miyagi basically told him he didn’t need to, and that he could stay as long as he and Daniel built their own room. Once Johnny got approval from Lucille, he was at Mr. Miyagi’s the next morning with wood and a hammer, and he got a lot done in one day. He didn’t want to tell Daniel, because he wanted to surprise him and see him smile when he found out the change of plans. He’d say it was pretty worth it.
“So this is why you haven’t been giving me an answer,” Daniel comments as he slots his arms around Johnny’s broad shoulders, and Johnny grins, content at the simple act of affection.
“I wanted to surprise you,” Johnny admits, and his heart skips a beat at the way Daniel’s eyes light up, because he’s the one that gets to make him happy like this.
“Well, I’d say it’s a pretty great surprise, babe.” Daniel kisses Johnny tenderly then, forgetting about the hammer until he involuntarily drops it and it nearly lands on his foot, and that’s enough to get him to pull away from Johnny and get to work.
They’ve got a great deal of work to do before they get this room how they like it. It’ll probably take most of the day, but that’s alright. This room with be somewhere that’s theirs, and something that they build together.
~
It takes Johnny and Daniel the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon to finish the room (taking only a few breaks to make out and goof around when Mr. Miyagi isn’t watching), but it’s a team effort, and they do it together. Daniel thinks the final product is perfect, and he hopes Mr. Miyagi is proud of the work he and Johnny did. He’d say it matches the rest of the place nicely.
While Johnny finishes the interior of the room, Daniel builds a rosewood frame for Mr. Miyagi’s Medal of Honor, so he can show it off. Mr. Miyagi appreciates it, but tells Daniel in few words that his heart says he’s brave, his medal says he’s lucky, but he puts it on a mantle anyway.
The three of them are drinking iced tea outside of the new room when a mailman shows up in the yard, carrying a bag of envelopes, one which is addressed to Mr. Miyagi.
“Does Mr. Miyaji live here?” The mailman asks, and Daniel and Johnny instantly hop in to correct him.
“It’s Miyagi!” They say in unison, and the mailman raises an eyebrow, before shrugging and digging around in his bag.
“Registered letter for you sir, from Okinawa.” he announces, pulling out a sealed envelope and handing it to a confused Mr. Miyagi.
“Okinawa?” Mr. Miyagi mumbles, taking the letter and opening it, his movements slow as he begins to read it, perplexed and conflicted.
Daniel watches as his face turns from neutral to concerned, and that has Daniel under alarm, because he’s never seen Mr. Miyagi like that. He can’t read Japanese, but he really wants to know the contents of that letter.
“What is it?” Daniel wonders, sitting at Mr. Miyagi’s side, Johnny on his other.
“My father. He very sick,” Mr. Miyagi tells them, distraught as he stares into the distance. And Daniel is surprised too, because he had no idea Mr. Miyagi’s father was still alive.
But the sadness on Mr. Miyagi’s face is one that he can relate to deeply. He remembers when he was eight years old and his dad started getting sick, and then he died. It’s hard, and he expressed his grief by lashing out a lot. He only got through it because his mom was there with him. Losing a parent was hard, and he wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but he thought Mr. Miyagi’s parents were both dead. Turns out he was wrong.
“He’s still alive?” Johnny murmurs, voicing Daniel’s thoughts, and Mr. Miyagi curtly nods before getting up, heading for the truck, and as usual, Daniel and Johnny follow him in silence, an already full day taking an unexpected turn.
~
Mr. Miyagi drives them to the passport center, and that’s when Daniel and Johnny find out he’s planning on going back to Okinawa. And really, was there any other choice for him to make? His father is dying, and Daniel can’t imagine not being there for that. And sure, that means he and Johnny have to go to Fresno now, but considering the situation, they understand and they have no qualms. They just want to support their sensei.
The three of them wait in line for what feels like hours, and Daniel chats away, wondering how come people can get passports in one day ( next-day plane ticket , Mr. Miyagi informs him, and Daniel is confounded at how everything is happening so fast). He has to deal with Johnny shifting the entire time because that boy cannot stand still, but Daniel’s more interested in Okinawa and Mr. Miyagi’s history there.
Mr. Miyagi tells them the story of why he left Okinawa. He fell in love with a girl, but she was arranged to marry someone else, Mr. Miyagi’s best friend of all people. Sato found out after Mr. Miyagi mad a speech to the whole village, and challenged him to a fight for honor, but instead of accepting the challenge, Mr. Miyagi fled the country and hasn’t returned since.
Daniel has a million questions, ones that he makes known. He doesn’t understand how Mr. Miyagi could leave Okinawa if he was very in love with Yukie, and if she loved him too. Daniel doesn’t think he could ever leave Johnny. Not for anything . He can’t even imagine fleeing the country without him.
But Mr. Miyagi doesn’t believe in fighting, he doesn’t put his passion before principle ( even if win, you lose ). However, Daniel’s principle is different, and maybe that’s okay. He believes he should fight for love, because Johnny is dearer to him than anything else. The situation isn’t the same, but Daniel has fought for him, and Johnny has for him as well. And if they ever face the unlikely situation where Daniel has to fight to the death for him, he would without a moment’s hesitation.
It turns out that Mr. Miyagi’s old girlfriend, Yukie, was the one to send the letter. Mr. Miyagi shows them pictures of her when they get back to his house, and ones of his best friend, Sato, as well. Daniel is intrigued by all this (and Johnny is too, but makes it much less obvious), and has a million questions. If Yukie and Sato ended up getting married, if Sato is still alive and if he is, if he’s still mad about his honor. Eventually, it gets late, and he and Johnny have to go home, leaving Daniel curious.
Mr. Miyagi apologizes that things didn’t work out as far as them staying there, and Daniel tells him it’s okay. But going home and packing for Fresno doesn’t feel right, even if Johnny is going with them. Daniel feels like he should be there in Okinawa with his sensei, because if the tables were turned, Mr. Miyagi would be there for him.
That night when he and Johnny get back to South Seas, Johnny hops in the shower, and Daniel hesitantly turns down his invitation to join so he can talk to his ma, asking her if it’s okay if he uses his college funds for a plane ticket to Okinawa.
Of course, her initial answer is a big fat no, but once Daniel explains the importance of him being there, she relents without protest. She makes him promise to make enough money for college when he gets back, and Daniel agrees, and pushes that to the back of his mind as he goes back into his and Johnny’s room, dragging his suitcase out of his closet and packing everything he needs, making a note to pick up a book on Okinawan history on his way to the airport. Hopefully, Mr. Miyagi is okay with him coming.
The only thing is, Daniel doesn't know if Johnny is coming with him or not. Daniel wants him to more than anything, but Johnny’s been saving for their own apartment for months, and he’s made it clear that he had plans to spend the summer partying with him and his friends. That doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen. Okinawa is probably the last place Johnny expected to end up this summer, and Daniel doesn’t want to foil his plans. Besides, Johnny’s been saving up for their own apartment, it probably wouldn’t make sense for him to blow his money so he can follow Daniel overseas. He’d understand if Johnny didn’t want to go with him. But Daniel also really doesn’t want to be away from him at all.
“What are you doing?” Johnny asks as he enters the room (shirtless, his golden locks wet and messy just above his shoulders, and that would be tempting if Daniel wasn’t too preoccupied with packing), flopping down on their bed.
“I’m packing for Okinawa, man,” Daniel responds, eyeing Johnny cautiously. It takes the other boy a minute to process what Daniel just said and he sits up, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“What?” Johnny blinks in confusion, because when did that happen? What did he miss while he was taking a miserable cold shower by himself?
“Look, Mr. Miyagi can’t just go without me. He needs to see his father, and I wanna be there with him,” Daniel explains, and then it all makes sense in Johnny’s head. Daniel wants to go to support their sensei when he needs it the most. Only, he’s more than just a sensei to him. He’s a father figure.
Johnny gets it. He’s had two karate father figures in his life, and Mr. Miyagi is the second and the best. But Daniel follows Mr. Miyagi’s teachings and takes them to heart, and they have a special bond that Johnny doesn’t have with him, although it’s similar ( father-in-law , Johnny thinks with a discreet snort). Johnny admires the old man, but Daniel loves him like a best friend and a father, and Johnny knows in his heart that Daniel is the son that Mr. Miyagi never had.
Of course, Johnny wants to be there for his sensei too, because Mr. Miyagi has done that for him. He’s always been patient and kind to Johnny, treats him like a proper mentor should. And the other ex-Cobras seem to like him a lot more than they liked Kreese, so, they might wanna come to. The only reason Johnny hasn’t said anything is because if Daniel isn’t going to Okinawa, neither is he. And the same situation applies if Daniel is going, he’s not going without Johnny. They’re in this together.
“No,” Johnny says, and Daniel gives him a perplexed look. “He can’t go without us,” Johnny corrects, and Daniel’s first reaction is to break into a wide smile, but then the reminder of money hits him like a train.
How is Johnny supposed to afford this? It’s not like he’s still living off his shithead stepdad’s credit card. He’s on his own financially, and he spends more money on beer than he probably should, since he’s still a teenager with very little sense of responsibility (not that Daniel can talk).
“What? Johnny, you’ve been saving up for an apartment for months. You can’t just…spend all your money on a plane ticket,” Daniel reasons, and Johnny shrugs. Fuck the apartment. That can wait a little longer. They literally just built an entire room for them to stay in, so, he thinks the apartment can wait a while.
“It’s not all of my money. I’ll make more. Besides, we have a room at Miyagi-Do, an apartment can wait,” Johnny says. “And you’re literally spending your college fund on yours, so I don’t think you can have an opinion,” he points out, and touch é .
“Fair enough,” Daniel chuckles, putting down the clothes he’s folding into his suitcase and sitting down next to Johnny on their bed, holding his hand. “You sure you wanna come, babe? We might be there all summer, you never know,” he continues, and that’s the thing. Johnny wouldn’t have it any other way. He doesn’t care if their summer is spent somewhere that’s an absolute dump, as long as they’re together.
“If I’m with you, I don’t care if we spend our summer in Newark,” Johnny muses, squeezing Daniel’s hand, going for romantic but getting a frown and a glare in return.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Daniel inquires, folding his arms because he knows his boyfriend did not just insult New Jersey when he’s never even been there. He’s made it clear that he thinks Newark is full of loudmouth, stubborn punks just like Daniel (even if Daniel insists he’s not a punk and Johnny is just a blonde pretty boy, which isn’t actually an insult, but still ), and he does not want to go there for the holidays like Daniel keeps trying to convince him to. But that’s okay, he will anyway. Daniel knows exactly how to get what he wants from Johnny.
“I’m trying to be romantic, man,” Johnny laughs, holding his hands up in mock defense, and Daniel jabs his index finger into Johnny’s rib, earning a yelp from the other boy.
“Insulting my hometown isn’t being romantic, John,” Daniel huffs, getting up and leaving Johnny by himself on the bed, ignoring how the water droplets on Johnny’s bare skin makes him think unholy thoughts.
“It is if it sucks,” Johnny retorts, and Daniel scoffs, waving Johnny off and going back to his packing.
“Yeah yeah, you’ve never been there, what do you know,” Daniel murmurs, rolling his eyes. To his alarm, Johnny follows him, and Daniel expects to be tackled into a sparring match that results in the lamp being knocked over again , but much to his pleasant surprise, Johnny hugs him from behind, wrapping his arms around Daniel’s middle and kissing his shoulder. It’s sweet and domestic, and Daniel finds himself leaning into Johnny’s touch, pleased with the contact.
“The point is, I’ll follow you anywhere, baby. Of course I’m coming with you,” Johnny whispers into Daniel’s ear, nipping at his lobe and sliding a hand up his shirt. Daniel smiles to himself, thinking he’s lucky to have Johnny all to himself like this (and little does he know, Johnny thinks the exact same thing).
“Well, then you’d better start packing your suitcase,” Daniel remarks, knowing how Johnny likes doing things at the last minute.
“I’ll pack tomorrow.” Johnny waves him off, and Daniel expects Johnny to distract him from his own packing with heated kisses, but then he lets go of Daniel and heads to the living room. “I’ve gotta call the guys,” he calls back over his shoulder, and Daniel cocks an eyebrow.
Daniel doesn’t know why Johnny needs to call the guys at this exact moment, but he has a feeling that he and Johnny won’t be the only ones tagging along on Mr. Miyagi’s trip to Okinawa.