No Means No

"I said no, Kaden!" Jason shouted at the teen with Dick spectating on the side, ready to jump in if things got ugly. Kaden glared at his father and snorted at him.

"And why the fuck not?! You want to keep me safe? That's a bit hypocritical don't you think, Robin?" Kaden snapped back, crossing his arms over his chest. Jason's jaw worked as his anger built, the comment meant to be derisive.

"I told you, I don't want that life for you Kaden! You-"

"Well, maybe I do!" Kaden interrupted. Jason ran his hands through his hair, fighting the urge to punch something. He'd never hit Kaden, that was one thing that he'd never do, but goddamn, he wanted to hit something.

"Well, you know what then?!" Jason growled, turning back to face his son. He glared at him and took a step forward, poking the teen in the chest.

"When you turn 18 and move out, you can do whatever the fuck you want!" Jason said to him, matching Kaden's glare with one of his own.

"But until then, you're still a minor and you're still living under our roof, so you can fucking forget it." Jason stormed off to his own bedroom to prevent himself from saying or doing something he'd regret. God damn, was he this defiant at that age?! Yes...yes he was. Worse, actually, now that he recalled.

"Fighting with yourself isn't so fun, is it?" Dick teased, coming up from behind him and wrapping his arms around him. Jason snorted.

"Fuck, I can't believe I was that much of a defiant ass when I was that age," he said flatly. Dick laughed and pressed a kiss to his neck.

"You were worse, remember?"

"You saying I got off easy with Kaden?"

"Mhm." Jason chuckled in amusement and sighed contentedly, tilting his head to the side to give his husband better access to his neck. Dick trailed kisses up and down his neck, occasionally nibbling and licking the flesh, marking it as his own.

"Love you Jaybird," Dick whispered in his ear, eliciting a little moan as his breath played over the man's skin. Jason smiled and tilted his head back to steal a kiss from the man.

"Love you too, Dickie-bird," Jason replied, shoving Dick down onto the bed in a quick motion. But before they could do anything else, there was a knock at the door. Jason sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes, helping Dick up off the bed as the two of them went to go see who it was at eight o'clock at night.

Jason padded through the apartment, not even bothering to pull on a shirt, and pulled the door open. There was a young man about Kaden's age, standing there with glasses, dressed in a white band t-shirt, a black cotton jacket, and jeans. He looked a little nerdy with the glasses, but otherwise he looked pretty good, definitely Kaden's type. A sly grin spread across Jason's face.

"Hey there. Looking for Kaden?" Jason asked. The teen fidgeted nervously a little bit and nodded.

"Uh yeah...is he, uh, here? Oh, um...my name is Matt." Dick chuckled in amusement from behind Jason; the kid was kind of adorable and nervous and fidgety like that.

"Kaden, you're boyfriend is here!" Jason shouted, causing the teen to blush. Moments later, Kaden came out of his room, his own face beet red.

"I don't have a boyfriend! Who're you-oh, Matt. What're you doing here?" Kaden asked, padding over to the door on naught but a pair of loose fitting jeans. Matt stared at Kaden, face flushed, and silent.

"Yo, Matt, anyone home?" Kaden asked, snapping his fingers. Matt was snapped out of his reverie, blushing crimson.

"Um...our, uh, date, remember? You said to drop by at eight?" Matt asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Kaden stared at him as if he had three heads, until his memory clicked. He gasped and ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh...shit! I totally forgot! Dammit!" Kaden cursed, heading for his bedroom. Jason and Dick laughed at him and Kaden just shot a glare back at the both of them.

Jason turned to the teen in the doorway and said "why won't you come in? Miss Todd will be a while."

"Bite me!" Jason called back from his bedroom, earning another laugh from his parents. Jason and Dick sat at the kitchen table, watching this boy, Matt, carefully. Normally, Jason would issue a threat about treating his son right, not taking advantage of him, and so on and so forth, because he knew what teenage boys were liked. Kaden wasn't his daughter, but it was still his fatherly duty to scare the shit out of his boyfriends, just in case they got any ideas. But this kid, Matt, he didn't need to worry about. He was far too nervous and jittery for him to be concerned.

"So, Matt. When'd you and Kaden hook up?" Jason asked curiously. Kaden came out moments later dressed in a white t-shirt, black cotton jacket, and sneakers.

"We didn't. Not technically. He asked me out and I said yes. No biggie," Kaden supplied. He stopped in front of Matt and gave a shrug as he extended his hand and pulled the other teen up off of the couch.

"Actually, it is kind of a big deal. You haven't dated another guy since Jeremy," Jason pointed out with a smirk. Kaden shrugged, since it wasn't something he really thought about. He dated girls mostly, and Jeremy had been the first, and last, guy he'd gone out with.

"C'mon, let's get going, huh? Before dad and pa get annoying," Kaden said with a smirk, earning a laugh from his parents.

"It's our job to be annoying," Jason called after the teens.

"And embarrassing!" Dick added in.

Once the two of them were out of the building, Kaden followed Matt to an old, dark blue 67 Impala. He whistled at the car as he slid into the passenger's seat.

"Nice. Very nice, I'm impressed," Kaden said with a smirk. Matt chuckled a bit and flashed a smile at the other teen.

"My grandfather gave it to me," he replied with a shrug, starting up the car and heading off down the road. Kaden stared out the window, letting his thoughts roam as they drove god only knew where. Matt hadn't told them where they were going, but at the moment, he didn't care. He was still somewhat put off that his parents refused to let him join them on patrol. And why not? He was well trained! He could hold his own, and if need be, he could ask Damian to train him some more! So what was the big deal?!

"We're here," he heard Matt say, snapped out of his reverie. Kaden's head popped up and he looked to see a movie theater. A bit cliché, but it'd do for a first date. He honestly wasn't expecting much from this guy because he seemed way too nervous and seemed to have very little confidence, and that was very much not Kaden's type. So why did he agree to date the guy? Huh…

"A movie theater, huh? Interesting choice," Kaden said with a smirk, leaning in close and wrapping his arm around the teen's shoulders "hoping to jump me in the dark, hmm?" Matt blushed crimson and chuckled a bit but said nothing. They bought tickets to an action movie, and some popcorn and made their way into the theater.

The lights dimmed as the movie began, Kaden and Matt taking seats up near the back; there were only three other people in the theater, which was cool because that meant less of a chance of someone getting loud and obnoxious during the movie, something Kaden loathed. Not that he was paying much mind to it tonight.

The movie progressed, with Kaden's thoughts on how to convince his parents he could help. He really wanted to be a vigilante like his parents; they did something that mattered. They were doing something to help people. And what was he doing? Playing gymnastics in a fucking high school team for petty trophies and awards, with plans to go to college for engineering. He was already pretty fucking good with a computer, so that part wouldn't be so bad. But that aside, he wanted to be a hero like his papa. Like his dad.

At first, he saw his father as a criminal, but eventually he began to understand why he did what he did. And then, as he began rationalizing it and thinking it over, he realized in a way that, yeah, he dad really was a hero despite what he or anyone else thought. A hero was someone who gave up their wants, their needs, their desires, to help others. And his dad did that everyday, giving up his own morals and virtues to play Crime Lord in order to keep the criminals of Gotham under his thumb and protect people.

"You okay Kaden?" Matt whispered. Kaden was yanked from his thoughts and he glanced over at Matt and gave a shrug.

"Yeah, fine, just distracted," he admitted. He sighed and turned his attention back on the screen, finally paying attention to the movie. He was also keenly aware of the fact that Matt hadn't looked at him or ever touched him, save for that one moment he asked if he was okay. Had this guy ever dated before?

He didn't have time to dwell on it when the movie came to an end. He sighed as he and Matt got up from their seats and shuffled out of the theater.

"Not bad. A bit cliché, but not bad," Kaden told the teen, flashing him a smile. Matt smiled back at him and shrugged.

"I'm glad you had fun," he replied. Kaden chuckled in amusement.

"So, you gonna kiss me?" he asked. Matt blushed crimson and looked at him as if he had three heads.

"W-what?" he squeaked. Kaden sighed, rolled his eyes, ran a hand through his hair. Wow, this guy was seriously bad at this.

"You don't date much, do you? When someone says they had a good time on a date, that's usually the part where you kiss them. Duh," Kaden answered with a shrug. Matt's blush deepened and then he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"R-really? I uh...um..."

"Ugh, you're hopeless," Kaden said flatly, grabbing the teen by the collar of his shirt and tugging him forward. He pressed his lips against Matt's and kissed him, slowly, sensing the teen's nervousness. Hell, he could feel it, and the boy didn't even seem to know what to do. So Kaden decided he'd show him; he swiped his tongue over his bottom lip and when his lips parted, he slipped his tongue into the teen's mouth, deepening the kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds before he pulled away.

"Wow, you've got a lot to learn pal," Kaden said with a laugh as he looked over the very flustered teen in front of him. Matt had absolutely no technique whatsoever and overall, was a pretty poor kisser. But Kaden decided he'd fix that himself.

"Look, not to bum you out or anything, but you're not really my type," Kaden admitted. Matt looked a little crestfallen at that, but Kaden wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him back to the car.

"But hey, you want to be a good boyfriend right? So stick with me, and I'll teach you everything you need to know." But when they got back to the car, a not-so-great surprise was waiting for them; a couple of thugs were trying to break into it.

"Hey! Back the fuck off!" Kaden shouted, drawing their attention. They turned and one of them drew a gun and shot at him and Matt. Kaden didn't flinch, but Matt shrunk back as the bullet missed; the guy had shitty aim. Now most, sane, logical people would flee and be scared when a gun was drawn on them. But not Kaden. No, all drawing a gun on Kaden did, was piss him off. If one needed any more evidence that he was definitely his father's son, this was definitely it; instead of running Kaden rushed forward as the guy raised the gun again, and drop kicked him, catching himself on his hands as the man slammed back into the car, dropping the gun.

The other guy pulled out a gun, but Kaden scooped up the one the other guy dropped and threw it at him, jumping over the hood of the car the instant he threw it and punched the guy in the face, grabbing up both guns and throwing them away. The two men shouted and fled from the scene.

"Yeah, you better run you sons of bitches!" Kaden shouted after them. He sighed and raked his hand through his hair, then looked back toward Matt who had a look of shock on his face.

"What?" he asked innocently. Matt stood up straight and continued to stare at Kaden. Finally he shook his head, breaking himself from his thoughts.

"You just...they had guns! And you didn't even flinch! You took them both down like nothing!" Matt exclaimed. Kaden quirked an eyebrow and then gave a shrug.

"I'm trained in martial arts. Plus I was already kinda pissed. Pent up aggression I guess," he replied easily. He slid into the passenger's seat and gestured for Matt.

"C'mon, let's get going!" he called. Matt shook his head again then slid into the car. He turned it on but noticed something out of the corner of his eye; Kaden's jacket sleeve and shirt sleeve underneath, were ripped and his arm was a little bloody.

"You're hurt I think you were shot!" he exclaimed, staring at it wide-eyed. Kaden looked down at the wound and snorted.

"Adrenaline I guess. Didn't feel it. It's just a scratch, don't worry. I'll take care of it when I get home," Kaden replied, waving his hand dismissively. Matt looked at him, staring for a few moments before he pulled away from the theater and headed back to his apartment. The drive back was quiet, neither of them uttering a word. Kaden sensed that Matt was a little intimidated by him, which if he were honest, made him a little proud. And then he remembered his father's comment you're a badass just like your old man and that made him grin.

"Here we are," Matt called stopping the car. Kaden flashed a smile at the teen as he glanced over at him.

"Thanks. Tonight was alright, you're not bad at this. But like I said, you want dating advise, you stick with me," Kaden said with a cocky grin, hopping out of the car.

"G'night," he called back.

"Night," Matt called, pulling away from the building. He glanced down to the wound on his arm, only then realizing he was going to be in trouble. He could lie, but his papa was a living lie detector. His only option was to tell the truth and get it over with. He sighed deeply and headed inside the building; he'd have to face them eventually.

He slipped back into the apartment; all the lights were on and both his parents were curled up on the couch watching Netflix, his papa sitting snugly in his father's lap, head against his shoulder and arm around his neck, and Star laid on his other side, curled up beside him.

"Hey Kade, have fun?" Dick asked without looking from the television. Kaden glanced over at his parents as he moved toward his room, hoping neither of them would look.

"Uh, great. It was fun," he said quickly. And then it happened; his father looked over at him and noticed the wound on his arm.

"You're bleeding. Are you okay? What happened?" Jason asked. Kaden sighed deeply and turned to his parents, both who were looking in his direction now.

"Some guys tried to take Matt's car so I kicked their asses, no big deal," he said with a shrug. Jason and Dick were both off the couch and Dick turned to Jason.

"He's lying," he said. Jason frowned and looked his son in the eyes.

"What really happened Kaden?" Jason asked firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. Kaden growled under his breath then sighed again, raking his hands through his hair.

"Er, well...they...may have had guns," he admitted and immediately both his parents' faces turned to worry.

"What?!" the both of them called simultaneously. Kaden flinched at the sudden outburst and then when they both began hovering over him. He'd have been annoyed if it hadn't been for the fact that it had been just over a week ago when he'd nearly died. In hindsight, perhaps taking on armed thugs had not been his brightest idea.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Don't you remember the last time you and guns were involved?!" Jason snapped angrily. Again, Kaden flinched. Jason raked a hand through his hair and shook his head, pointing to his son's bedroom.

"Ugh, I should ground you for the rest of your life," he growled. Kaden snorted and made for his bedroom without another word. Jason turned to Dick and asked "what the hell are we going to do with this kid?" Dick chuckled in amusement and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Relax Jaybird. Give it time and keep firm on your decision and I'm sure he'll eventually give up. You know how teenagers are, they don't have a whole lot of patience. Plus, he's your kid, so he has even less." Jason snorted.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Jason called, following Dick to the bedroom.

That night while Kaden lay in bed wide awake and trying to find sleep, he kept thinking back to those thugs he stopped earlier. More importantly, he remembered how much fun it was, and how good it felt to do good. The more he thought about it, the more he thought about what his parents did. And the more he thought about that, the more he realized he wanted to be a hero. And it was in that moment that he decided he'd find a way...

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait. Both this and Forged In Fire have been giving me a hard time. Writer's block and all. 1,000,000+ ways to go, but no idea which way to pick. x)

My readers voted in favor of Kaden being a vigilante 6 in favor, 4 opposed. I have a few ideas that may make both sides happy, but you'll just have to wait and see. :3 Also this story will be returning to the series' roots, "Arkham". How you ask? You'll just have to wait and see.