Prompt by kate1zena: "Where the fuck is all of my ammo, Dick? Why are they all rubber?!"

Dick - 27

Jason - 24

Kaden - 2

Breakdown in Communication

"DICK!" Jason shouted from their bedroom. Dick padded toward their shared bedroom from Kaden's room, having just gotten the boy down for his afternoon nap; the kid slept like a stone once you got him down and not even a hurricane could wake him. That was one of the few blessings of raising a toddler.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck as he poked his head inside the bedroom door. Jason was standing in front of the closet near the lock box that held his handguns and ammo; they'd argued about keeping those in the apartment when they moved in together, but Jason insisted it would be better to have them here in case of an emergency, such as someone breaking in. Dick had a hard time buying that since they could both easily defend themselves without weapons, but Jason's argument was quite persuasive: Kaden. The boy would turn three in a few months.

"What's up Jaybird?" Dick asked curiously, leaning against the door frame. Jason spun on the spot and shot Dick a glare, holding handfuls of rubber bullets in the cup of his hands.

"What the fuck is this?!" Jason growled. Dick glanced down at the bullets in Jason's hands, then up art his boyfriend and quirked an eyebrow, looking at him as if he had three heads.

"Those are rubber bullets, Jason," Dick replied in amusement, a smirk tugging at his lips. Jason scowled and tossed the rubber bullets back into the lock box, slamming the door shut and locking it again.

"Where the fuck is my ammo?!" Jason shouted. Dick frowned and moved into the bedroom, crossing his arms over his chest. Why was Jason freaking out over this? It wasn't like he needed the ammo, right? He promised to stop killing!

"Well, you said you'd never use live ammo again, so I tossed it out." Dick answered honestly. Jason's scowl deepened as he raked his hands through his hair and turned on the spot, taking a deep breath and mentally counting backward from ten.

"You tossed it out? Tossed. It. Out?!" Jason growled. He moved toward Dick and glared at the man, jabbing him in the chest with his finger. Dick dug his heels in and glared back. "What if Kaden gets kidnapped again, huh?! Did you ever think of that, when you threw out all my ammo?!"

"Then you can use rubber bullets!" Dick shot back, brow furrowing in frustration. Jason opened his mouth to speak several times, looking like a fish out of water. He clench his fists and his jaw worked as he scrubbed as his scalp, moving away from Dick and across the room.

"RUBBER?!" he shouted when he finally turned around again, staring at Dick incredulously.

"Yes, Jason! Rubber!" Dick retorted, moving slowly toward his boyfriend. But Jason wasn't having it; he shoved past Dick and out of the bedroom and into the living room. Dick frowned again and followed after him. "Jason, rubber bullets are just as effective, without the lethality!" Dick called after him. Jason spun on the spot and shot another glare, arm slashing through the air angrily.

"No, Dick! Rubber bullets are NOT as effective as live ammo!" Jason ground out.
"What about me, Jason? Are you saying you can't stop killing for me?" Dick asked softly, his expression softening to match as he moved closer to his boyfriend.

"Dick-"

"And what about Kaden?"

"Dick, that is NOT fair! You can't use my son against me like that!" Jason hissed, but Dick stood his ground and reached out to gently pat Jason's arm.

"Jason, you're a father now. You have to stop and think about what's best for Kaden...if not me," Dick said softly, and Jason couldn't help but catch the slight sadness in Dick's last words. If he weren't so angry, he might've reacted differently, but instead he snorted and pulled away from the man.

"I can't fucking believe you," Jason snapped, and Dick's expression soured again as he followed Jason across the room. Jason turned to him and said "I don't know what I'm more pissed about; the fact that you threw out my ammo, or the fact that you didn't even consult me about it!" Dick felt a twinge of guilt at Jason's words because he was right about that.

"Well Jason, when we decided to move in together, we also decided to make some changes for each other-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Stop right there," Jason growled, pointing toward the couch which had a few shirts, a pair of pants and a sock scattered across it.

"What changes have you made for me?! I dialed back the violence, but you-" Jason snapped. "You're still a fucking slob! You know, I've been biting my tongue, but every day, I have to clean up after your ass! I mean, for god's sake, you left your-" Jason paused, glancing down toward Kaden's room "-costume on the fucking bedroom floor!"

"I was tired, Jason, and besides, Kaden was fast asleep!"

"Not the point! I'm tired of you making decisions without me!" Jason shouted angrily. He threw his hands up in defeat and stormed into the bedroom, coming out moments later with his jacket on. He moved to the door and kicked on his boots, grabbing his keys off the wall.

"Where are you going?!" Dick called, following after him.

"Out. Away. I can't fucking deal with this right now," Jason growled. It was for the best; he was still working on his anger, which he still had a lot of, and he needed to get away for a bit before he really said or did something he'd regret later.

"Jason-" Dick called, but Jason was already out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Dick stared at the door for a few seconds, clenching his fists angrily. He let out an growl as he clawed at his scalp and flopped down on the couch, heaving an exasperated sigh; Jason could be so damn infuriating sometimes!

Dick pulled a small black box from his pocket and opened it up, revealing a gold ring inside. He stared at it for several long moments in silence, then closed his eyes and sighed. He sat up again and grabbed his phone from underneath a t-shirt he left lying on the coffee table and dialed Roy's number; he needed someone to talk to and Roy was one of his best friends. Unfortunately, he got a busy signal. Jason. Of course Jason would call Roy though. The two of them were close friends. Jason confided everything in Roy. Dick felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought but it was easily over shadowed by one simple fact; Jason chose him. Even if that were not true, he and Roy would always be friends.

Dick put the phone down and heaved another sigh, letting himself fall back onto the couch. He heard the patter of tiny feet from down the hallway. Dick looked up and saw Kaden, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, coming down the hall.

"Papa. Where's daddy?" Kaden murmured, followed by a little yawn. Dick sat up and flashed a smile, holding his arms out for the little boy.

"C'mere little wing," Dick called. Kaden moved toward his papa and into his arms, and Dick gingerly picked him up and cradled him in his arms. "Daddy had to go for a little while, but don't worry. He'll be back soon." He was a father now and he loved Kaden; there was noway he'd be gone long.

_._._._._

Jason heaved a sigh as he shirked off his jacket and hung it up in a nearby closet before moving across the room and throwing himself down onto his bed in one of his safe houses. His safe houses were nothing flashy; a bed, a couch and a coffee table, and a small kitchen and bathroom. He did, however, have a TV, a DvD player, and a bookshelf in this one. He had to have something to pass the time, and this one was more or less for it he needed to lie low for more than a few days at a time.

His safe houses were also always meticulously neat and tidy everything had its place. His cleaning habits were in stark contrast to Dick's, who was messy and kind of a slob. Where Jason had everything tucked away neatly and in its place, Dick left clothes hanging around, old dishes sitting on tables and counters, unwashed, it was one of the things that really irked him. He hated always having to clean up after his boyfriend.

He was a bet skeptical about moving in with him and sharing an apartment with him at first, but ultimately, he decided he was happy with it. In fact, he'd be infinitely happier if the man would just learn to clean up after himself!

But that was a minor thing compared to today's argument. Dick was always making decisions without consulting him, and that made him so angry. On top of picking up after that ass, he never came to him when it came to making decisions like getting rid of his fucking ammo. And he was still pissed about that, sure, but he was more pissed that Dick hadn't even talked to him about it. He just did it.

In times like these, he just needed some space and so he was glad he had kept his safe houses operational; it afforded him some time to cool down, and get some space. His anger was still a big issue with him and he didn't want to hurt Dick, so when he got pissed, he took some time to get some space. He was working on his anger, like he promised, for both Dick and his son's sake, but it wasn't easy. He'd always had a problem with his anger.

Jason sat up on the bed and grabbed his smart phone, sifting through it for Roy's number. In times like these, he could always count on Roy to just listen to him and let him blow off steam. Though Roy was often blunt and direct, telling Jason the things he needed to hear as opposed to what he wanted to hear. Even if Jason was angry about something Roy would say, in the long run, he was grateful for Roy's honesty.

"Hey Jaybird, what's up?" Roy asked. When Jason heard Roy's voice, he paused for a few moments, then heaved a weary sigh, scrubbing his face with his hand.

"Nothing. Just...thought I'd say hi," he lied. Jason never was very good at just saying what was wrong. Roy always had to coax it out of him. Talking about his emotions and opening up? Not one of hie strong suits.

"Jason, you can't lie to me. Tell you what, I'll come over and we can hang out, like the old days, hmm?" Roy replied.

"Sure, sounds great," Jason replied, the idea bringing a smile to his face. Though the old days weren't really that long ago, it had still been a while since he and Roy got together and just hung out together. So when he heard the call end, he tossed his phone onto the nightstand.

A knock came at his door about half an hour later while he was reading a book on the couch. He pulled himself up and moved to the door, pulling it open to reveal a grinning Roy standing there with a couple of beers, a movie and a couple of chili dogs.

"Dude, I got your fav," Roy said cheerily, making his way inside and closing the door with his foot. Jason grinned from ear to ear; he hadn't had a chili dog in ages.

"Roy, you're my hero," Jason said as he clapped his best friend on the back. Roy set the chili dogs and the beers down on the coffee table and Jason got to setting up the movie. When he got it going, he turned and plopped down onto the couch beside Roy, grabbing a bear and a chili dog. He bit into it and made a slightly exaggerated 'mmm' sound.

"Roy, buddy, I fucking love you," Jason said, taking another bite. Roy chuckled in amusement and popped open his beer, taking a sip and nudging his friend in the side.

"I know," Roy replied smugly. The two of them sat in silence through the first fifteen or so minutes of the movie, by which time the chili dogs were consumed and the beers half gone. Then Roy turned to Jason and adjusted his position on the couch so he could look at him.

"So, you wanna tell me what's up?" Roy asked. Jason sighed and stared down at his hands for a few moments, thinking about how to start. He decided to just recount the argument, every detail including how he practically exploded on Dick.

"I didn't mean to explode like that, but he doesn't talk to me about anything, before he does it!" Jason said. Roy gave a nod and patted Jason's shoulder.

"Jaybird, talking never was your forte either. You both need to get your heads out of your asses and fuckin' communicate," Roy said. Jason shot him a glare, but Roy didn't so much as flinch. "You need to apologize to Dick-"

"What?! For what?! He's the one who threw out my ammo! And the ass whose been deciding shit without me!" Jason snapped back, jumping off the couch. Roy, once again, remained unpahsed and remained sitting on the couch. He sipped his beer patiently, then looked back up at Jason.

"You exploded on him, got angry instead of talking shit through. I know you don't wanna hear it, but you're just as guilty," he pointed out. Jason's jaw worked and he opened his mouth to protest once again but Roy beat him to it. "Besides, this whole shitstorm could've been avoided if you both communicated better. I mean, c'mon. You're not exactly Mister Conversation. And your communications skills? Well, frankly they suck." Jason shut his mouth immediately and his expression softened a bit as he rubbed the back of his neck. Well, he's not wrong.

"I'm not saying let him off the hook for his crap, but you gotta straighten your shit out too." Roy hauled himself up off the couch and patted Jason's shoulder. "Do you love him?" Jason arched an eyebrow and stared at him incredulously.

"Yeah, of course I love him."

"Then stop being a stubborn, angry jackass and apologize! And talk to him, for Chrissake!" Roy said with a slight laugh, smirk tugging at his lips as he patted the man's shoulder. Jason frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. He hated it when Roy was right; the son of a bitch got all smug and cocky when he knew he was right. But yeah, he probably shouldn't have exploded on Dick like that. And if he'd just pulled his head out of his ass and talked to his boyfriend before all this, it probably could've been avoided.

"What're you all smug about? Just because you're right once in a blue moon-" Jason began, his face splitting into a grin. Roy snorted and waved his hand dismissively, flopping back down on the couch as he interrupted "I'm right all the time!" Jason snorted and sat back down beside him.

_._._._._

Kaden was playing with his blocks in the middle of the living room when a knock came at the door. Dick grunted as he pulled himself up off the floor from push ups to go and answer it. He grabbed a bottle of water off the counter and took a swig of it before he pulled open the door.

"Alfred! Come in!" Dick said with a bright smile, stepping aside and gesturing toward the inside of the apartment. Alfred smiled back and made his way inside, raising an eyebrow at the mess inside.

"Master Dick, your cleaning habits are frankly, lacking," Alfred said to him. Dick chuckled in amusement and shrugged his shoulders, closing the door shut behind him.

"You're not the only one who thinks so. Jason's been on my case about it too," he said with a laugh.

"Alfie!" Kaden called with one of his infectious giggles as he held his hands out toward Alfred. Alfred chuckled in amusement as he knelt down and picked the boy up. Kaden giggled happily and hugged him.

"You know, you don't have to keep coming out here Alfred. We've got it covered, it's totally fine," Dick said smoothly. Alfred looked around the apartment and arched an elegant brow, then turned his attention to Dick.

"Really Master Dick? Judging from the looks of this place 'fine' is the last word I would use to describe it," Alfred replied, setting the toddler back down on the floor. He clapped his hands together and moved into the kitchen to get to work. "And besides, I did promise to come by and aid you and Master Jason once in a while. Speaking of, where is he?"

Dick sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, briefly glancing toward the door

"He's not here right now," Dick replied. Alfred glanced up at him and took note of his tone and posture; they'd had another fight, it seemed. Alfred moved out of the kitchen and into the living room, ushering Kaden to his bedroom.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Alfred asked, standing before Dick as he began picking up the clothes littered around the living room. Dick heaved a sigh and recounted the argument they had had this morning and Alfred listened attentively while he worked.

"Master Dick, have you considered how Jason was raised?" Alfred asked. Dick quirked an eyebrow as he looked up at Alfred. What did that have to do with anything? "Master Jason grew up on the streets of Gotham, in Crime Alley. An urban jungle, if you will." Dick could see where this conversation was going and he started to feel like a bit of an ass.

"Put yourself in his shoes for a moment; he's doing what he has to to protect not only his child, but you as well." And then Dick felt even worse. He didn't approve of all the killing, but considering how Jason grew up, how he had to claw and scrounge, even turn to crime just to survive...

Alfred picked up the ring box off of the table and handed it to Dick.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" he asked. Dick shook his head immediately and took the box, tucking it safely into his pocket.

"No! No of course not. I love Jason, it's just-"

"Then let that be enough Master Dick. Love, trust, and support."

_._._._._

Jason unlocked the door to his and Dick's shared apartment early the next morning, pushing the door open quietly in case Dick and Kaden were still asleep. To his surprise, both Dick and Kaden were wide awake, both in the living room; Kaden sitting on the couch eating his breakfast and watching cartoons, and Dick was doing one-handed push ups on the floor. What was even more surprising was, for once, the place was nice and tidy.

Kaden looked up from the TV as the door opened and smiled brightly. He placed his plate on the table and jumped off the couch, rushing over to his father and into his arms.

"Daddy!" Kaden chortled as Jason knelt down and enveloped him in a hug. "Up! Up!" Kaden called and Jason obliged with a toothy grin, picking the little boy up and hugging him tight.

"Hey champ! Daddy's so happy to see you!" Jason replied cheerily. Dick chuckled in amusement as he pushed himself into a sitting position, panting a little as he grabbed a nearby towel and dabbed his brow. He pushed himself to his feet and tossed the towel onto the table before moving across the room and pressing a kiss to Jason's lips.

"Hey," he offered with a smile. Jason smiled back at him and put Kaden down and gestured toward his bedroom.

"Why don't you go play with your toys, hm? Daddy and Papa have to have a grown up conversation," Jason said to him.

"Can we go to the park after?" Kaden asked. Jason chuckled in amusement and ruffled the boy's dark hair, kissing the top of his head.

"Sure," he replied and Kaden ran down the hallway, cheering happily. Jason stood at full height again and both he and Dick stood there silently, awkwardly for a few moments, waiting for the other to say something.

"Look, Dick, I'm sorry about yesterday," Jason began, heaving a sigh and rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I didn't mean to blow up like that. It's just-"

"It's okay Jaybird. You were right," Dick interrupted, sighing slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. "I have been making decisions without talking to you first, and I am kind of a slob-"

"Kind of?" Jason teased with a smirk. Dick snorted, and playfully slapped the man's arm.

"The point is, if we're going to make this work, we both need to put in effort. Not just you," Dick said smoothly. The two of them stood there again, awkward silence spreading between them. Then Dick closed the space and pressed a kiss to Jason's lips. Jason wrapped his strong arms around Dick's bare waist and pulled him close, tongue swiping along his bottom lip, deepening the kiss. Though the moment lasted only seconds, it was all the other needed as they pulled apart from each other, grinning from ear to ear.

"And I guess...maybe I'll concede to let you have some ammo. But only some," Dick said softly. Jason locked eyes with his boyfriend and smirked a bit.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I get it Jason, I do. I mean, we were raised completely differently, and I know you're just looking out for me and Kaden, but, and can I ask this one thing?" Dick asked. Jason licked his lips, glancing around the room and considering the request for a moment before giving a slight nod.

"Sure."

"Please, only use kill shots as a last resort?" Jason smiled at the request and stole another kiss.

"That all?"

"Yeah. Well, and maybe the...anger thing." Jason heaved an exasperated sigh but was still smirking. He ran a hand through his hair and nodded, other arm still pinning Dick against him.

"Yeah, I'm working on it Dickie. I'm working on it. But you need to-"

"Clean up after myself more, yes I know. And from now on, I promise to talk to you first before making any decisions. Okay?"

"Okay." Dick and Jason smiled at each other and leaned in for another kiss, when Kaden bounced out of his room in a pair of jeans and a Superman t-shirt, giggling happily.

"Daddy and Papa are happy!" he said cheerily. Dick and Jason laughed as they both knelt down and held their arms out for the boy, who raced into their arms and hugged his parents lovingly.

"Can we go to the park now?"