THE WAY WE BREAK || cobra kai

Johnny hesitated outside Tessa's bedroom door, his hand hovering over the knob. He could hear the soft chatter of her and Harper inside, and a tight knot formed in his stomach. "Tess?" he called out, his voice a little unsure. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," Tessa answered softly, sharing a look with Harper.

He pushed the door open, stepping inside. "Hey, so, I've gotta head out to meet an old friend," Johnny said, his gaze flicking nervously around the room. "Miguel's on his way," Johnny continued, shifting his weight. "He'll be here, just in case you need anything."

Tessa pouted, clearly not thrilled with the arrangement. "I don't need a babysitter."

Johnny shrugged awkwardly. "Well, you've got one now." His voice softened slightly, his eyes flickering with concern. He'd been anxious about leaving her alone today—but Miguel's promise to keep an eye on her had put him at ease. "I'll see you later," Johnny said with a small wave, trying to keep his tone light as he gave the door one last glance before stepping out and shutting it quietly behind him.

A few minutes after Johnny left, the quiet sound of footsteps approached, and the door creaked open. Miguel peeked inside, eyebrows already raised as he took in the scene. Tessa and Harper were curled up on the bed, holding half-eaten muffins in hand, blankets pulled to their chins, and Harper's iPad was propped up on a stack of pillows at the foot of the bed. Both girls were giggling, Harper nearly doubled over with laughter while Tessa wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

Miguel stepped inside, confused. "What are you watching?" he asked, glancing from the screen to the girls.

"The Proposal," Tessa answered, her grin wide.

"What's that?" Miguel asked, genuinely baffled.

Harper sat up so fast the blanket fell off her shoulders. "What? Are you kidding?" she gasped like he'd just confessed to never hearing of pizza.

Miguel shifted his weight, caught off guard. "I don't think I've seen it," he said cautiously, holding up his hands.

"Oh my god," Harper groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Get in here. You have to watch it with us now."

Miguel's eyes darted to Tessa, silently asking if this was really necessary, but she just smiled and scooted over, patting the open spot beside her.

"You're gonna love it," she said, nudging a muffin toward him. "Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Just trust us."

Harper was already rewinding the movie. "We're starting over. No way are you missing the beginning."

Miguel sighed, but there was no real protest in it. He kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, settling next to the girls as Harper hit play again. The opening credits rolled, and Tessa passed him a muffin. By the time Sandra Bullock was fake-engaged to Ryan Reynolds, Miguel was snorting into his third muffin, trying to pretend he wasn't totally invested.

The movie eventually wound to a close, the final scene fading into soft music as the credits began to roll. Harper let out a content sigh, her head resting against Tessa's shoulder now instead of a pillow. "That ending gets me every time," she mumbled, wiping the corner of her eye. "It's just... so perfect."

Tessa let out a giggle, curled up beside between Harper and Migeul with a blanket pulled around her. "You cried again."

"You cried too," Harper shot back without missing a beat.

Miguel smirked. "I didn't cry."

"Sure," Harper teased. "You just had something in your eye during the airport scene."