They arrived at Sky's home some fifteen minutes later - after a very quiet and rather awkward car drive.

Sky had barely said a word during the whole time, and Hawk had noticed that she was driving with one hand only, which made him think that she was hurting more than she admitted.

Of course, she's hurting you dimwit. You punched her into a fucking bullet wound—

"You want to come in?" Sky's voice interrupted Hawk's self-loathing thoughts as she stopped the car in front of her house. "I have ice cream, besides, I really think we need to talk."

"Yeah, sure," Hawk replied with a nod, as they stepped out of the car.

To talk?

Despite what she'd said about her dad being home, Hawk had silently hoped there would be kissing - and maybe even more than that. But now, the way she said they needed to talk made a cold fear settle itself in his belly. She seemed so fucking serious and he couldn't help but to think that she was going to tell him that kissing him had been a huge mistake and that it was never going to happen again. That she wanted to be just friends - or maybe not even that.

Just the thought of that possibility was enough to make Hawk's guts clench in a tight knot. Once he had thought he'd be happy to be her friend, that he'd take whatever it was that she was prepared to give him - but not anymore.

I don't wanna be friends. I wanna be anything but a friend to her. I want to fucking kiss her, and I want to fuck her, and I need for her to want me as I want her–

Trying to hide his nervousness, he stuffed his hands into his pockets as he followed her in through the front door.

"Dad, I'm home!" Sky called, and a distant reply came from somewhere, maybe a couple of rooms away.

Sky glanced at Hawk and made a face. "Still working," she said. "I swear, he'd work throughout the night if it wasn't for me."

"What does he do?" Hawk asked as they started walking through the house. They crossed a cozy living room with a large TV, a black cat that was sleeping on the couch (Hawk briefly stopped to scratch her behind the ear, earning a purr), too many house plants on every free surface - and a big marble bust of Julius Cesar in the corner.

Sky noticed how Hawk raised his brows to the emperor and gave a small laugh.

"Since you asked - my Dad's writing a book about the fall of the Roman Empire."

"Figures," Hawk said. "That's kinda cool."

"I like to think so," Sky noted. "So I hope you're not making fun of him."

He didn't have time to reply, as Sky pushed the door open and they stepped into a small room that was clearly the office of Sky's dad. The walls were covered in bookshelves, but there were so many books that the shelves weren't enough and everywhere there were huge piles easily taller than Sky. More busts and statues were scattered around the room, a couple of them rather dangerously balanced on top of the book piles, and on one wall hung a large map that showed the borders of the Roman Empire at its peak. The air smelled of ink and old paper.

"Hi, Dad," Sky said, and only then did Hawk notice the man who was sitting behind a large, oak desk reading an old, leather-covered book.

He looked up, pushed his glasses up on his nose. "So, how was Karate?"

"It was fun, I'll go back tomorrow—" Sky replied and Hawk noticed how she didn't mention a thing about her shoulder. "Dad, this is Eli. Eli Moskowitz. He's in my science class, and he goes to Cobra Kai too."

"Ah, Eli!" Sky's Dad exclaimed and stood up. He took a long look at Hawk with his large, green eyes. "I have heard of you, young man."

"Dad!" Sky blushed, making Hawk wonder what was it, that he had heard of him. Surely Sky hadn't told about the kiss? Or... the other stuff? He had a pretty solid hunch that Sky's dad wouldn't be this happy to meet him, had he known what had happened in that empty classroom.

But Sky's dad offered his hand, and Hawk shook on it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. O'Brian." He said. "Everyone calls me Hawk—"

"Well, I am not everyone, so I shan't do that." Mr. O'Brian said. His grip on Hawk's hand was strong, unyielding. "Besides, Eli is a traditional name - why wouldn't you want to use it? It means high or elevated in Hebrew if I'm correct. Perhaps that is the reason for your nickname?"

Mr. O'Brian finally let go of Hawk's hand, but before he had a chance to think of a reply to his notion, Sky interrupted them.

"Dad, enough," She said determinately. "I'm gonna get some ice cream with Eli, in my room. Okay?"

"Fine, fine," her dad replied. "But no funny business, eh? Can I trust you, Eli?"

Hawk was extremely aware of the fact that Sky's dad could not trust him, not in this matter. 'Cause if there was even the slightest chance to make out with Sky, he sure as Hell would take it.

He cleared his throat, clasped his hands behind his back.

"Absolutely, Mr. O'Brian," he said, "No funny business."

Sky silently rolled her eyes, grabbed Hawk's sleeve, and dragged him out of the room.

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