DC || Aqualad || DC || Teen Titans || Aqualad & the Teen Titans || Teen Titans || DC || Aqualad || DC
Title: Aqualad & the Teen Titans: Fish Out of Water
Fandom: DC Comics / Arrowverse
Disclaimer: All rights concerning the Arrowverse reserved to Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, all rights for the comics reserved to DC. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: m/m, found family, hurt/comfort, fluff, f/f, m/f
Main Pairing: Kaldur/Dick
Side Pairing: Kory/Kara, Arthur/Mera
DC Characters: Kaldur'ahm | Jackson Hyde, Dick Grayson, Conner Kent, Kara Danvers, Donna Troy, Koriand'r | Kory Anders, M'gann M'orzz | Megan Morse, Krypto, Arthur Curry, Mera
Summary: This is the story of how Kaldur'ahm created his human alias, fell in love with a fellow Teen Titan and dealt with the emotional outfall from his past before becoming a Titan.
Aqualad & the Teen Titans
Fish Out of Water
/Titans Tower, San Francisco, late 2009\
Kaldur'ahm had grown up in Atlantis, with a loving mother who kept him sheltered. Only as a young teenager did he learn why she kept him so sheltered – because his father was Black Manta. She died when he was thirteen, in an attack. His father had come to pick him up, to save him – or so his father claimed. Only years later would Kaldur learn that his father had caused that attack, in an attempt to get his ex-wife back and get to Kaldur. But back then? He didn't know. He was a child, who had just lost his mother, who got to meet his father for the very first time. Impressionable and easy to manipulate for his father, who started whispering into his ears. Telling him that Aquaman was at fault, was a villain who had caused his mother's death.
"Hey. You still up, or already?"
Kaldur startled and turned away from the aquarium. He'd been transfixed by it, by the colorful fishes and the little mermaid with the dark skin and nearly white hair. She'd reminded him of his mother, hijacking his thoughts. Robin entered the kitchen, wearing nothing but his mask and sweat-pants. Though he tried to look away, he couldn't. Robin was very well-trained, but not in a bulky muscles kind of way like Conner, but lean muscles – an acrobat. That showed in every attack and it was completely enchanting to watch for Kaldur.
"...Or are you sleeping right now?" asked Dick with a quirk of his lips.
Dick. When the Teen Titans had started out, Robin had insisted on only going by his moniker as Batman's sidekick. Where the others on the team shared their real names, Robin didn't. It had been Kaldur with whom Dick had first shared his real name. Or at least this nickname. He still hadn't given out his last name, or taken off his mask when around them, but Kaldur still felt like they had a closer bond by now. And he understood where Dick came from; there was no dual identity to be had by the others. M'gann and Koriand'r were aliens from another world, Kaldur'ahm was, in a way, also from another world. Born and raised in Atlantis, new to human culture. Neither Kara, nor Conner or Donna, shared their legal human last names with the team either, after all.
"No. I'm just..." Kaldur trailed off, turning his head toward the window overseeing all of San Francisco. "It's past midnight. Today's the anniversary of my mother's death."
The silence between them felt heavier now. It was hard to read Dick's expression with the mask covering his eyes, but Kaldur liked to imagine it was empathy. Not for the first time did Kaldur wonder what Dick's eyes looked like – what color they were, their depth.
"How long has it been?" asked Dick in a soft voice.
He hopped onto the table right opposite the counter Kaldur was perched on. The acrobat easily folded his legs in a manner that seemed uncomfortable to Kaldur.
"Four years now," replied Kaldur after a beat, returning his attention to the fishes.
"I'd like to tell you that it goes away, but it doesn't," Dick's voice dropped some more, barely a whisper now. "It's been eight years since my parents died and... it still hurts. It doesn't stop."
Kaldur's head snapped around to stare at Robin in surprise. That was perhaps the most personal piece of information Dick had ever shared with them. No. No, he was sharing it with Kaldur, not the entire team. Swallowing, Kaldur shifted his posture to fully face Dick.
"You and I are... somewhat alike in that," Dick continued when Kaldur didn't speak. "Batman took me in, after... after my parents died. Gave me the guidance and training to become Robin."
Okay, so tonight Kaldur was going to learn more about Dick than he had in the past months of them being on the same team, huh? He could work with that. Getting more comfortable, he leaned his back against the wall and tilted his head toward the ceiling.
"I'd say we're still quite different, unless your dad got your mom killed and ended up in prison for being a super-villain," quipped Kaldur dryly, heaving a sigh.
"I'm... sorry to hear that," Dick sounded more unsure now. "I didn't mean-"
"No. I'm not... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I'm just..." Kaldur ran his right hand over his face, pushing his dreads out of his face. "My father is the most infamous villain of the underwater world. I didn't know that. My mother, she... she hid me away from him all my life. When he tracked us down... I firmly believe that he didn't mean to kill her. I believe that even... He is a villain, but he did love me and I think he also loved my mother."
"I'm sure he did, even if just in his own, twisted way," offered Dick reluctantly. "I may not know your father, but I always find the assumption that villains are inherently and a hundred percent evil and hold no love in their hearts... very, very dangerous. It's a tool used to dehumanize them, but the whole point is that... even villains are human, they aren't separate from us."
Kaldur hummed softly in agreement. "Thank you. For not dismissing me. I've... had many people scoff at me for it. But... My father, he never... What I meant before, about us being different, is that you were taken in by a hero after your parents died. I was taken in by a super villain after my mother died. I lived with my father. And he... I know he manipulated me, twisted my reality into thinking him a hero – a rebel against the oppressive regime under the queen, Aquaman's mother. I... didn't know better. Politics ever only graced me in passing, mom kept me isolated enough from society that I never got the chance to form my own opinion on it. What my father said... made sense, with my lack of context... I'm just... I had no reason to doubt him."
"Then... how did you end up with Aquaman?" asked Dick curiously. "If you don't mind..."
"I don't," Kaldur smiled faintly, welcoming the distraction. "I lived with my father for three years, training to become a fighter. A warrior. And then he sent me to infiltrate the royal court. My father staged an attack on the king, who was out with his best friend. They'd been blindsided by it and I was supposed to come in as the good Samaritan bystander, helping out. I saved her life and Arthur was so grateful, because aside from his mother and his cousin, she's... the most important person in his life. I told them the story my father made me rehearse, of me being just an orphan. Sixteen, no family, saving the royal adviser's life... They took pity on me, they took me in."
"A good strategy," commented Dick in a thoughtful tone.
"Worked like a charm," agreed Kaldur with a wry smile. "Until it didn't. Because the queen treated me like the grandson she doesn't have yet. Her son, Aquaman, took me under his wing, became my mentor and... so much more too. The woman I had saved, Mera, she... became like an older sister. I felt like I had family again, with them. I also got an insight into the royal court and I started to question what my father had taught me. I also learned more about my father, about Black Manta."
"You figured out the truth and made a choice," concluded Dick after a moment of silence.
"I... did," Kaldur pressed his lips together in a tight line. "It was the hardest choice in my life. Because I felt like I betrayed my father. He... He had lied to me and used me, yes, but he had also... loved me, he'd never raised a hand or even his voice against me. He helped me through my grief for my mother. He... But the things he had done, the people he had killed..."
"Being a hero means sometimes making the touch calls."
"Against your own family though," argued Kaldur, unwilling to absolve himself.
"Yes," replied Dick with utter conviction. "Sometimes, choosing the greater good comes at a personal cost and sometimes, even the people we love can be... People are complicated."
"Thank you, Dick," whispered Kaldur warmly. "For listening. And talking."
Dick hopped off the table and patted Kaldur's knee briefly. "Anytime, Kal."
The warmth of Dick's hand lingered on his thigh even after Robin had left the kitchen.
/Early 2010\
"Hey there, kiddo. Was looking for you at the pool. Only found a sunbathing Amazon."
Kaldur and Conner paused in the middle of sparring. Brushing his hair out of his face, Conner looked between Aquaman and Kaldur, before stepping over toward his water bottle.
"We can pick this up later. Robin owes me a rematch anyway. This time, I'll win."
Superboy's face was set in conviction as he stalked out of the gym. Kaldur laughed as he reached for his own water bottle to empty over his head, relishing in the water. Even as Arthur walked over toward Kaldur, his eyes were on the retreating Superboy.
"Are you telling me the little birdie is capable of beating Superboy? I'd pay to see that."
"At chess," explained Kaldur amused. "It drives Conner nuts that Robin's got him outwitted."
"Ah," Arthur deflated a little. "That checks out. Protege of Batman and all that. The guy's scary. I once saw him play chess against J'onn, Clark and Diana. Parallel. At the same time. Scary."
Once Kaldur gathered himself off the floor, the two of them headed out of the gym and toward Kaldur's bedroom. Over the past months, the room had turned more personal. Shells and stones he had gathered along the beach were lined up on the shelves in front of books, photos of him with his mom, him with Arthur and Mera, were standing on the shelf above his bed. Kaldur reached for his towel to dry off while Arthur collapsed onto the orange bean-bag in the corner.
"How you doing, kid?" asked Arthur, less playful now and more concerned. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when... I wanted to come by, but... Bit of a fight between Thalassa and Amphitrite, me and Mera went to try and settle things, negotiate some peace between the goddesses. Kept us busy."
"It's okay," Kaldur offered the smallest smile. "I didn't expect you to hold my hand through it. And I... I'm fine. I was fine. Robin... kept me company. Made it feel... less lonely."
"Robin, mh?" there was an inquisitive edge to Arthur's voice now. "You guys are friends?"
With hot cheeks did Kaldur turn away and run his fingers through his dreads. "I, uh, guess."
"You 'uh, guess'?" Arthur offered a sharp grin. "So aside from chess, he's not that much like Bats?"
"I don't know. Not like I've really met Batman before, aside from when the Teen Titans were founded. But Robin is... He's..." Kaldur motioned vaguely with his hands. "He's just so..."
"He's a pretty bird you can't resist," teased Arthur with a knowing smirk.
That gave Kaldur pause. The one who got away. The one Arthur referred to as his Black Siren, a beautiful woman with a voice like a singing bird, who had captured his heart two years ago. He'd been there to see it, to listen to Arthur wax poetry about her. Both Kaldur and Mera had spent months teasing Arthur about it, but quite honestly, Kaldur had thought his mentor had moved on by now. Then again, the heart was a complex, fickle thing that did whatever it wanted.
"Take some advise from an idiot?" offered Arthur, the look on his face softening.
"Doesn't sound like a very good idea, but I'll listen anyway."
"As a man, who didn't notice that his best friend might actually like him to the point of it nearly being too late: Don't chicken out of confessing because you value your friendship so much. A real friendship will also survive a confession, even if it's not recuperated. And as a man, who met a charming bird before but let her fly away: Don't let him fly away."
So Arthur was aware that Mera liked him? How long had that been going on? Living in San Francisco did make him feel... disconnected. Not just because of the distance. The human world was still strange for him, even after living here for a couple of months.
"So what, you gave up on your pretty birdie and... Mera?" asked Kaldur curiously, leaning forward.
Arthur laughed sheepishly at that, brushing his long, dark hair out of his face. "Yeah, I guess. We were talking about... How life needs to move on, I suppose. I've been looking for that siren for so long, but I'm... the heir to the throne, I gotta think about the future, or something like that. Ma said something along these lines, after I adopted you. That I do things the wrong way around, but at least I now have an heir. I talked to Mera about it all and she said something about how I'm looking too far and not seeing what's right in front of me. I... thought about it for a few days and..."
"Congrats," Kaldur grinned and patted Arthur on the back.
"So, you willing to accept my advise then?"
With his heart racing did Kaldur turn away from his mentor again. It wasn't quite that simple, was it? Yes, he knew that Dick was gay, he'd shared that when explaining human sexualities to Koriand'r and it had traveled to reach Kaldur's ears too. But there was a difference between two boys both being gay and them being actually attracted to each other. It was so impossibly hard to read Robin.
"Little bird aside, how are you getting along with the rest of the team?"
"Good. Good, I guess," Kaldur ran a hand over his face, tilting his head back. "We're a... bit of a mismatched bunch? Everyone's such a unique personality and brings their own culture too. It's... for the most part, it still kind of feels like we're all... sniffing each other? Getting to know each other. Getting to know... each other's boundaries, I suppose."
"Right, mh," Arthur furrowed his brows. "That's part of being a team. I'd love to tell you that we adults got it all figured out, but... We're from as many different cultures as you kids and sometimes, there are misunderstandings. Some members keep more secrets than others. Some are... much closer than the others – I mean, Di and I, we're family. Di and Clark are married. Meanwhile, others were total strangers to us when we became a team. It... makes things more unbalanced than if we truly were all a bunch of strangers thrown together into this."
That made Kaldur hum in agreement. It made one feel more like an outsider toward the already established sub-groups. Kaldur knew he felt like that in a way. Kara, M'gann and Koriand'r had been friends before this – it was why Koriand'r had become a Teen Titan to begin with – and Conner and Donna were siblings, adopted and still new but they had been the first people they had when coming into this world so the two clones shared a deep kinship. Kaldur had met Kara, Conner and Donna during the large family dinners at the Kent farm, but he couldn't say he had formed a friendship with either of them before the Teen Titans had formed. Perhaps that was one of the things that drew him in with Dick – the both of them stood more on the sidelines.
/break\
"Turning vain there, Supes," commented Dick lightly.
Robin was sprawled over an armchair, legs parted as one hung over the arm-rest. Kaldur's eyes were drawn to his thighs, the hard lines of muscles. Swallowing, he turned away. His attention instead was drawn toward Conner too. It was true that their Superboy had been staring into any reflecting surface he could find lately. Right now, Conner stood in front of the mirror in the hall just at the entrance to their living room. The lines of his body were tense, a frown marring his features. The living room was rather crowded, noted Kaldur as he came to join them from the kitchen. Koriand'r and Kara were on the couch, cuddled up to each other, though both were now looking up at Conner. Krypto was sprawled out on the other couch, belly-up. The large dog took up a lot of space, so the couch was fully taken. M'gann and Donna were out on patrol tonight.
"It's not that," Conner turned his frown toward the team. "Every time..."
Kara and Kory exchanged a look and sat up straighter on the couch. With there being space now, Kaldur took a seat next to them. It didn't take long for Conner to walk over to join them, easily lifting Krypto's head up to rest it on his lap after sitting down on the couch. With a smile on his lips did he scratch the dog's chin, causing his tail to wag loudly against the couch.
"When I pass a mirror and just see my image from the corner of my eyes, I... always just see... Superman. I've been pausing more, looking more closely and... all I can see is him."
Oh. That was a tougher conversation than anticipated. In the end, it was Dick who first got up and walked over to Conner, sitting down on the table in front of the couch so he could face the Superboy. With his head tilted and deep in thought did Dick reach out and just... start running his fingers through Conner's hair. Kaldur watched in mild bewilderment.
"Change your style," declared Dick after a moment. "You wear your hair like him, you wear jeans, shirts and flannel like him. Your super-suit is nearly identical to his, aside from the color-swap from blue to black. Sure, you're his clone and can't do much about your face, I guess, but... You've been copying his style in every other respect of your appearance too. Little changes go a long way."
"How do you know about the flannel-?" asked Kara tensely.
She sat up straighter, hands on her girlfriend's thighs as she leaned over Koriand'r to glare at Dick. The human grinned without a care in the world and it was one of the most impressive things about him. A human among who could essentially be gods and he never backed down, he stood with his shoulders squared, equal to them all. Though Kara's question was quite valid.
"Batman's the world's greatest detective. I'm his apprentice," replied Dick. "He figured out the real identities of Superman and Wonder Woman a while ago. It's... not really that hard to figure out?"
"And you think that's fair?" asked Kaldur with a frown. "That he knows who they are but they still don't have a clue who he is? That seems very... deliberately imbalanced."
"Call it an insurance," Dick shrugged, his attention turning back to Conner. "So? Make-over?"
"Make... over?" echoed Conner wondrously. "I... Uh. Yes? Maybe. You think it'd help?"
The look on Dick's face turned sharper. "Okay, listen. I'm the one who gave my cousin her first lesbian haircut. Give me a chance, I'll make you look like a new person."
"I'm... not a lesbian?" argued Conner.
That made Dick laugh – he looked pretty when he laughed. "I mean sure, But you're bi, so you definitely need a less straight good boy look. C'mon."
For a brief moment, Kaldur wondered how Dick knew that Conner was bi. Superboy frowned thoughtfully for a moment before he shrugged and then nodded in defiance.
"Anything but looking at Superman's reflection," agreed Conner after a beat.
/break\
Koriand'r and Kara were on call and the rest of the Teen Titans turned it into a group outing to give Conner his make-over. The first step had already happened last night, when Dick took an electric razor to Conner's hair, giving him an undercut. While he left the upper part longer and fluffy, he shaved around Conner's head to leave about a centimeter in length standing. It did do a lot to give Conner a different vibe, but he still dressed like Clark Junior.
"You know, if this superhero-thing doesn't work out, you could try become a hair-stylist," stated Donna, running her own fingers over the right side of her head. "You have good instincts."
Her right side was shaved the way Conner's undercut was, at the side of her head where the longer hair started, she had it braided close to her skull. Coming home from patrol, she too had wanted a change, had wanted to look less like Diana. Dick grinned to himself, arms crossed behind his head. This was the very first time he was doing something with the team, outside the tower, in private. He wasn't wearing his mask. Kaldur couldn't tear his eyes away from Dick's face. He had blue eyes, very deep blue eyes, captivating blue eyes. So expressive and beautiful.
"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind," Dick winked. "Okay, so first stop."
"But... How do I pick clothes?" asked Conner unsure.
"You take what you think is neat, what you think would suit you," Megan shrugged.
M'gann was in her human form, a black teenage girl, her hair dyed a bright red, reaching in tight curls down to her shoulders. She was wearing a green summer dress, a smile aimed at Conner.
Donna turned toward her. "You been through this too, huh?"
"Yes. Human fashion is... very different from Martian fashion. It took me a while to find things that I liked and that I felt comfortable in," replied Megan in a very soft voice. "Kory had an easier time finding her own style, I suppose. But her and Kara helped me find mine."
"You really think it was a good idea to let them patrol together?" asked Conner. "Lately, they have been... distracting each other a lot."
"They have to work together, we're all on the same team," argued Kaldur. "They gotta work through the honeymoon phase. I'm sure they will, they both have strong hearts."
"I like that," Dick offered a small smile. "Strong hearts."
Thankfully did they enter a store at that and Kaldur was spared fretting about how this made him feel. Conner looked lost as he turned his head to look around the store. Admittedly, Kaldur had taken the easy way out when it came to clothing – he wore jeans and a broad variety of orange shirts and that was it. He'd never much cared for fashion, even less so on the surface. But he could see how that was a bit of a problem for Conner; he had defaulted to what he saw. Clark's clothes.
"Okay, since Kon's looking a little lost, how about we make this a bit more fun?" suggested Dick, clapping once to gain everyone's attention. "Everyone, browse the store and gather everything you think would look good on Conner, then we regroup and Conner tries everything on."
That was a nice suggestion. Different styles and an outsider's perspective might help Conner. For the next three hours did the Teen Titans raid the store, gathering clothes, getting a fashion show from Conner and giving him feedback on what they thought. The outcome was most definitely not what Kaldur had expected, considering the black shirt and flannel he usually wore.
Tight, red pants, with a black studded belt around his waist, a tight blue turtleneck, with a black leather jacket over it and black heavy leather boots. The finishing touch were black, round sunglasses. It definitely helped in making him look less like Clark Kent, that was for sure.
"That was... nice of you," whispered Kaldur as the team headed back home.
Him and Dick were hanging back a little, Conner in the lead, looking happier than Kaldur had ever seen him, with M'gann and Donna flanking him from either side, talking animatedly. Dick turned to look at him curiously, tilting his head a bit. As though he was considering something.
"I'm a nice guy," offered Dick after a bit.
"I know," Kaldur quirked a smirk as he got a small blush out of Dick.
/break\
Conner and Donna were on patrol and Dick was on a home-visit – apparently, Batman and Batgirl had a tougher situation to deal with and needed Robin back. Kaldur had been thinking a lot about Batgirl lately, wondering how she fit in. Was she Dick's sister, adopted or by blood? Had Batman taken them both in after their parents died, or had she already been Batman's daughter? Or were they not related at all? The problem with getting bits and pieces of information about Dick was that it left Kaldur craving more. Frustratingly enough.
Kaldur squared up as he entered the living room "Can I... ask you a question, or am I interrupting?"
Koriand'r and Kara were curled together on the couch yet again – if they weren't in the bedroom of one of them, they could often be found together, especially on the couch, cuddling. Kara was a very physical person and Koriand'r was also quite affectionate. M'gann was on the arm-chair, with Krypto on her lap, concentrating on the movie and trying not to mind the cutesy couple. Now that Kaldur had spoken up, she took the remote and paused their movie.
"Can always continue later," offered M'gann with a smile.
Breathing deeply, Kaldur approached and took a seat with Kara and Kory after the girls sat up. Kara sat with her legs crossed, Koriand'r behind her, running her fingers through Kara's hair. Not long after, she started to braid Kara's hair in a French style. It was cute, Kaldur thought, how easy and casual the two were in each other's spaces. From behind Kara, Kory tilted her head.
"Ever since we went shopping for Conner, he found... his own style and seems happier."
"Oh, do you want a make-over too?" asked Kory eagerly.
"No," Kaldur huffed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm quite fine with what I am doing."
Which was true. When he had first come from Atlantis, his hair had been shaved very short. Ever since, he had been letting it grow out and started dying it a bright blonde. Now that it was longer – thought not very much just yet – he had started wearing his hair in dreads. He liked that, wanted to let it continue growing. Though he had to admit, he kind of liked Conner's undercut, so maybe that was something to consider at one point, when the dreads got too long and heavy, make it more airy.
"He's finding his identity and I've been thinking about that too. My identity, that is," continued Kaldur. "You guys... had to take on a human identity too, I thought you could help."
Donna and Conner both didn't really; Martha Kent had given them their first names and they had taken the Kent name when Clark and Diana had adopted them. Kara turned to look at her girlfriend curiously, as though the two girls were talking with each other without words.
"I... didn't have to do too much there," started M'gann. "I just... anglicized my name. Megan Morse. It works for me, even if the pronunciation is slightly different than my name really is."
"I kept my name," offered Kara. "Kara isn't that much of an unusual name on Earth. Though I took my adopted family's last name. Zor-El is an outstanding name... And we kind of did the reverse to Conner, after Martha gave him that name, I provided him and Clark with what would constitute a Kryptonian name, thus Kon was coined and since Kal adopted him, Kon-El."
"I went with Kory because it's what you all started calling me, or well, the ones struggling more with my full name. I like the sound of it and Kara has been helping me in finding a fitting last name to go with it. Splitting Koriand'r so it would be... close to my real name was a nice idea. Kory Anders works for me. It's different but not too different."
Kaldur hummed, tapping the pads of his fingers against the arm-rest. "Kaldur'ahm is harder to... turn into a regular human name, I think... And I don't know if I want to. Being called something that's not my birth name but vaguely like it seems more... confusing, to me."
"That's fair," Kara chuckled and leaned back against Kory. "Then... pick a name you like."
Kaldur furrowed his brows at that. "Just like that?"
"Why not? It's your name, you're the one who's going to be called it. You should like it," replied M'gann. "And what about your last name? I know Aquaman adopted you, so... his name?"
"I'm not... I don't know," Kaldur sighed and ran his hands over his face and head. "My father... is human. His name is David Kane. I don't... I know he's a villain, I just can't imagine... sharing his name... My mother though, I know she used our Atlantean names to hide from my father. She was born in the human world though, as Lucia Hyde. I love Arthur, but he adopted me to give me a home and place, it feels... dishonest to abandon my blood family entirely? I..."
"It's your name. You can choose what you feel most comfortable with," stated Kara kindly. "I know I struggled with Danvers at first, when my memories of my family was still too fresh, but they have been my family for so many years now and it makes me feel like I belong with them, while my Super identity keeps my link to the El family alive, through Clark and now through Conner."
"That's how I feel about my superhero name," Kaldur smiled thinly. "Aquaman is a... big name, especially in Atlantis. I... As Aqualad, I feel much more like a part of his family than I would if I called myself Curry. Curry is... his human father's name."
"So Hyde then?" asked Kory. "And do you have an inkling about the first name?"
"Not really, no," Kaldur sighed and leaned back.
"Perhaps ask someone who has already had to pick out a name before?" suggested Kara. "Like Clark and Diana – though then they just, uh, picked Clark's dad's name for their son... Lois and Cat named their son Carter, don't know what motivated them."
That was a good angle, probably. Ask a parent who had to pick a name before. Even though it was probably different to name oneself or one's child. He offered them a grateful smile.
/break\
"Hello. I'm your substitute today, because Aquaman is... busy. You may call me Aquawoman."
Kaldur sat up straighter, staring at Mera in surprise. The redhead was wearing her Atlantean armor in all green, aiming a smile at the Teen Titans. Even after about a year of living at the tower, the Justice League still made sure to train them. One lesson a week, the Justice Leaguers rotating on who had teaching duties. Today, Arthur had been schedule to teach them.
"Is he alright? Does he need help?" asked Kaldur tensely, about to get up.
It was Dick right next to him who rested a hand on Kaldur's arm, making him pause. Dick motioned toward Mera a bit pointedly and. Right. If Arthur were in trouble, Mera wouldn't look as relaxed. Flustered did Kaldur sit down again, while Mera smiled soothingly at him.
"It's not hero-business, it's being the heir and next in line for the throne business," replied Mera, amusement coloring her voice. "He has to deal with diplomatic meetings and royal balls too."
"And... you didn't want to accompany him as his date?" asked Kaldur, just a bit teasing.
"Lucky man," muttered Donna beneath her breath.
"Thank you," Mera smiled and brushed her head behind. "You, I've heard of, mh? So you didn't just get Wonder Woman's good genes, but also her good taste."
Mera winked playfully, before chuckling. Donna's eyes widened at that, her cheeks flustering.
"Wait, seriously?" asked Kara, looking at Mera.
"Yes, Wonder Woman has a dating history before she married Superman," Mera smiled. "But I don't think I'm here for gossip, am I? I'm supposed to teach you traditional Atlantean hand-to-hand combat. So let's move all of this over to the pool, mh?"
Kaldur enjoyed when it was Arthur's turn to teach them, because his lessons came easier to him than say Batman (who was very intense). Mera made them all pair up, taking Kaldur to go with her to show the others the moves. It was so easy to fight with her. While his father had first taught him how to fight, Mera had been the first to teach him how to fight like an Atlantean.
"You've greatly improved," complimented Mera proudly when the session ended.
Kaldur lingered behind, slowly gather equipment, while the rest of his team left. "Thank you."
"So Arthur told you about us, mh?" Mera smiled a little, her cheeks flushing. "It's... still... Very new and we're adjusting to the shift in our dynamic, from friendship to romance, and sometimes we struggle with it. But... Yes. Arthur and I are officially dating. How's that for surprises?"
"Congrats," Kaldur grinned and nudged her slightly.
"What about you? Arthur told me that you have a special someone in mind too?"
Flustered, Kaldur turned away some. "I... Don't want to talk about that. There is actually something else I wanted to talk to you about. I was... thinking about... finding a name for myself. A human name. I don't think Kaldur'ahm does for a good human cover identity. And I thought... perhaps you could help me with it? I know you don't have a lot of experience with... human things, but..."
Mera nodded and sat down on the bench in front of the pool, motioning for Kaldur to join her. "Atlantean is an evolved form of a human language, ancient Greek. Perhaps you could reverse engineer a name for yourself through that. Take an Atlantean name of a significant meaning for yourself and see to turn it into something humans would have an easier time with?"
"That... That is a great idea? Thank you, Mera, you're amazing," Kaldur smiled and hugged her.
/break\
Knocking on his door tore him out of his thoughts. "Hey. Can I come in? What are you up to?"
Turning some, he looked over his shoulder at Dick, who was lingering in the doorway. Low-riding sweat-pants, tight black tank top. Kaldur swallowed hard, smacking the bottom of his pen down against the paper repeatedly, nervously. He nodded after a moment and watched Dick enter.
"I am... coming up with a name for myself," admitted Kaldur. "A human name."
"Oh. I heard that was a thing you were thinking about," Dick flopped down opposite him. "Wanna run it by me? Maybe I can help you with it? Only if you want to."
Kaldur paused, before he sat up. "M... Aquawoman gave me good advise the other day and I've been working with that. Finding an Atlantean name that holds meaning for me and... trying to figure out how to anglicize it. I got the first part, but I'm struggling with the second."
"Okay," Dick leaned back against Kaldur's bed, relaxing, looking like he belonged there. "So?"
"The name I chose is Ajax'ason," replied Kaldur, feeling strangely nervous as he said the name for the first time. "It's made up of two elements. Ajax means 'mourner', since... I have been put onto my path of becoming Aqualad and becoming this new person by... loss. The loss of my mother and in a different way, the lost of my father. Ason comes from the word meaning 'healer', because I don't want this name to be... only sad. It comes from my mourning but it is supposed to signal my healing, the path I am taking to move on and to become stronger. Ajax'ason."
"Ajax'ason," echoed Dick with a heavy American accent, making Kaldur grin a bit. "Ajax'ason. Okay, that's... a bit bumpy to say. Ajax'ason. Ajaxson? Jaxson. Jackson? How does that sound to you? Jackson – with a ck – is a pretty common name."
"Jackson," Kaldur tasted the name on his tongue with a wondrous look on his face. "Jackson Hyde. I like the sound of it. It's still close enough to the Atlantean name I chose for me to know what it means, but it seems normal enough for humans. Thank you, Dick."
He smiled softly at the Robin, watching just how leisure Dick was sitting here. How comfortable he seemed in Kaldur's space. Over the past months, Dick had really opened up to the team. Taking off his mask for the first time had been such a huge step.
"Why did you do it? Take off your mask in front of us, I mean. I've been wondering about that..."
Dick blinked a couple of times, looking surprised by the sudden question. "The way... Conner talked about his identity and trying to figure it out... I... I feel like I'm standing deep in the shadow of Batman too. And creating this distance to the team, the way Batman keeps his distance to the Justice League, is just more of me mirroring him. But I want to be more than Robin too, I guess. And I feel like none of you could do much with my face, even if you wanted to. Which I don't think you do. I'm... I want to trust this team. I thought this was going to be a summer long stay, but then I ended up... staying here. And I think we all work well together. I think I want to trust my team."
Sometimes, Kaldur forgot that they were all just lost teenagers trying to figure out who they were. Dick was very good at acting mature – even when he made silly, childish puns – and he was a strong and reliable leader. But at his heart, he too was a teenage hero following big footsteps set by a great hero, unsure how to forge his own, unique path.
"You..." Kaldur trailed off before he cleared his throat. "Are you and Conner... a thing?"
"What?" Dick laughed, though it was a stuttering sound and he looked flustered. "I mean, we made out a couple of times, yeah. But we're not in a relationship or anything. I... It was before I took off my mask and it just didn't feel right, doing more than making out with someone without even letting them see my full face, you know?"
"Ah," Kaldur swallowed as he sat up. "So, now that you took your mask off...?"
"I'm... not romantically interested in Kon," replied Dick, a teasing smile on his lips as he slowly leaned toward Kaldur. "He's attractive. And I like him as a friend. But... There is someone else I'm... romantically interested in... He's just not been paying much attention to me."
"Then he's an idiot," blurted Kaldur out.
"Really?" Dick huffed out a laugh. "It's you, you dork."
"It... What..." Kaldur blinked repeatedly, looking stunned. "How. I mean, how did you come to the conclusion that I'm not paying attention to you? I am paying so much attention to you, I was afraid I was broadcasting it way too loudly. I thought you were ignoring it to be polite. Everyone's got me figured out, Arthur and Mera have been teasing me for weeks now."
"...Huh," Dick blinked owlishly at him. "I... Wait, really?"
Kaldur groaned in frustration and grasped Dick's face with both hands. "I'm going to kiss you now."
Dick nodded enthusiastically at him. "Okay. Yeah. I can work with that."
Smiling, Kaldur bridged the last small gap and pressed his lips gently against Dick's. When the other started moving against his lips, the two scooted closer toward each other, Dick wrapping his arms around Kaldur's neck. When their kiss broke, Dick leaned his forehead against Kaldur's, smiling and looking prettily flushed. Laughing in genuine excitement, Kaldur kissed him again.
/Summer 2010\
"This was a nice idea," commented Kory as she looked around.
She was holding hands with Kara beneath the table. Since Dick and Kaldur had been dating for a few weeks now, Kaldur had suggested perhaps a double date with the other couple on their team and both Kara and Kory had been quite enthusiastic about it.
"How about a toast?" suggested Kara after their drinks arrived.
"To Jackson Hyde," added Dick, nudging his boyfriend softly.
The name still felt foreign to Kaldur half the time, but he was growing more accustomed to it, especially when he was out with the team like this, or when him and the Kents returned to the Kent farm for family dinner, which Martha Kent very pointedly insisted he attend since he was Arthur's son and Arthur was family. He loved that extended definition of family.
"To Jackson Hyde and Dick Grayson," corrected Kaldur with a playful smile.
Dick had finally opened up more, had told Kaldur in private what had happened to his parents. And while he didn't share everything with the entire team, he had finally ended up sharing his full name, saying that it was because everyone else now had one too. Dick grinned and ducked his head as he came to nose Kaldur's cheek while the two couples toasted each other. When Kaldur had first come to the tower, he had felt like a fish out of water, but he had come to find his own school of land fishes here that made him feel like he belonged. Like this was his place.
~*~ The End ~*~
Author's note: I know I said Flash would be next, but then I fell down a Jackson Hyde rabbit hole, because I love Kaldur'ahm on Young Justice and when I ran out of comics to read, I realized that no wait I can just... write about him! So, in an unplanned turn of events, Aqualad got to be the first breakout character from my Teen Titans roster xD"
