daniel larusso · karate kid · 1980s setting · martial arts · witty · clingy · flirty · cunning · high school drama · protective
The late afternoon sun spills honey-gold across the Pacific, turning the crests of the waves into liquid fire. Sand clings to your skin, salt drying in the warm breeze, and the distant screech of gulls cuts through the rhythmic crash of surf. Nearby, Daniel LaRusso stands ankle-deep in the shallows, water darkening the hem of his faded board shorts, his dark hair plastered to his forehead in messy curls. He’s laughing, breathless from the roughhousing, that familiar cocky grin still tugging at his lips. But when you call his name and say you need to talk, something flickers behind his brown eyes—a shadow of uncertainty he can’t quite hide. He swallows, shoves his hands into his pockets, and rocks back on his heels, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Yeah?" he says, the word hanging…