Too Good To Be True

Kaden sat at the lunch table, chin resting on his hand as he stared at the object of his affection: Zachary. He was like a love-sick puppy, and it was likely this was just teenage infatuation, but damn, was Zachary hot. Kaden had had crushed before, girlfriends, boyfriends, but Zachary...well, Zachary was the only guy he'd crushed on so hard before, and since Lian wasn't interested-

"Hey, earth to Kaden!" came a voice and the snap of fingers beside his ear. Kaden flinched, sitting up right as he stared across the table at his best friend, Michael. The ginger quirked an eyebrow at him and Kaden just gave a shrug.

"What?" Kaden asked innocently, glancing over at Zachary again. Michael frowned and poked Kaden with his fork. Kaden flinched again and shot Mike a glare.

"That. That's what. You've been staring at Zachary for, like, five minutes. Just go ask him out already! Jesus," Mike said with both amusement and annoyance. Kaden grimaced at the idea, glancing back over at Zachary once more before turning his attention back to Mike. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What are you, fuckin' high? Zach is the captain of the football team!" Kaden said matter-of-factly. Mike too a bite of pizza and shrugged.

"So? What's your point?" Kaden face palmed and shook his head.

"So? My point it, he's out of my league! I mean, I know I'm pretty popular, don't mean to brag, but a popular nerd is still a nerd," Kaden explained, sipping his soda. He then pointed to the milk on his friend's tray and said "and besides that, I still hang out with one of the few people who still drinks milk at sixteen." Mike jabbed Kaden with his fork again, and Kaden just snickered at him.

"Hey, fuck you. I like milk," Mike snapped back, locking eyes with Kaden as he chugged the rest of it down. Kaden snorted with suppressed laughter and Mike just grinned at him. The rest of lunch went by rather quickly, with Kaden stealing occasional glances at Zachary until the bell rang.

The rest of the day from there was pretty dull, World History easily being the worst as Mrs. Smith droned on for the whole hour and a half, with Kaden barely managing to stay awake through it. English followed, then his free period, and finally the day came to an end with Kaden heading to his locker. Both Mike and Melinda met up with him there. The blonde haired tomboy, dressed in boy's jeans, sneakers, and a black band t-shirt, punched his shoulder as per her usual greeting.

"So...asked out Zach yet you pussy?" she asked with a smirk. Kaden shot her a glare, then glared over at Mike, who shrugged innocently.

"What? I didn't say anything!" Mike said, raising his hands defensively. Linda snorted and punched his arm again.

"Please, nobody needs to tell me, what with the way you ogle him all the time," Melinda teased. Kaden blushed and flipped her off.

"I do not 'ogle' him," Kaden replied, stashing some of his books into his locker. Melinda snorted and shook her head, punching the bridge of her nose.

"Dude, you're completely hopeless. Just ask him out! What's the worst that could happen? He says no?" Melinda said dryly. Kaden snorted and hefted his bag over his shoulder and turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"He's one of the most popular guys in school. Out of my league!" Kaden reiterated for what felt like the one-hundredth time. Melinda rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly clamped it shut, eyes wide, and Mike's too, as Zachary approached, while Kaden was busy digging in his locker.

"Hey Kaden," came Zachary's voice. Kaden froze in place, unable to turn around until Melinda subtly nudged his arm. Kaden turned and flashed a smirk, trying to play cool while shifting a bit to hide his growing erection as the images of Zach naked started to fill his mind again.

Stay cool, stay cool, don't picture him naked. Fuck.

"Hey Zach, what's up?" Kaden asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Mike snorted with held back laughter, to which Zachary flashed a quizzical look before turning back to Kaden.

"So Kaden, I was thinking-" Zach began, and Kaden's heart caught in his throat. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, is he going to ask me out? Oh shit. Fuck. Fuck, stay calm. Stay cool.

"We're friends right? I mean, it's not like we talk a whole lot," Zach went on, giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. Kaden just gave a nod and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah sure. I guess we are," he replied coolly. Zach flashed another smile and Kaden felt his knees starting to melt.

"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out with me? Say, Saturday?" he asked, the whole time he seemed so cool and confident. Kaden was silent for a long time as his brain broke. Holy shit. Is this real?! Did Zachary just ask me out?! Holy fuck. Say something! Speak! You look like a dumbass! Say something you idiot!

Kaden gave a nod of his head and cleared his throat and tried to remain cool, aloof. He gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"Sure. Saturday sounds good," he said calmly. Zach chuckled in amusement.

"Playing it cool? I like that. Cool, I'll pick you up at six?" he asked. Kaden gave a nod.

"Sure, six o'clock on Saturday. Perfect," he replied. Zachary's smile widened, and Kaden's stomach did a backflip.

"Cool, see you then," Zach replied, giving a wave before heading off down the hallway. Kaden sighed in relief and fell back against the lockers, a huge shit eating grin on his face.

"Oh god, I'm gonna pass out. I can't believe that just happened," Kaden muttered, scrubbing his face with his hands. Melinda laughed and Mike just laughed at him.

"Dude, you're pathetic," Melinda snickered. Kaden ignored her and pushed himself away from his locker.

"Hey, you both can bite me! I'm going out with Zachary on Saturday!" he said to himself, speed walking out of the building. He remained perfectly calm as he walked off campus, but as soon as he was out of sight of the school, he pumped his fist and cheered. He popped his earbuds in his ears, turned on his music, and the rest of the walk home flew by like nothing as he celebrated in his head. His crush just asked him out on a date!

He pushed the door open to his apartment, and pulled the earbuds out, turning off the music. Star greeted him as usual and he just couldn't stop smiling. Jason, who was sitting on the couch, one leg dangling over the edge with Dick nestled comfortably in his lap reading an Artemis Fowl novel, looked up at his son and quirked an eyebrow. He gently nudged Dick and pointed toward the teen, both of them now focused on Kaden.

"Well, you look happier than a pig in shit. What's got you so cheery?" Jason asked. Kaden looked up and grinned widely as he dropped his bag beside the arm chair and sank into it with a contented sigh.

"Today mostly sucked, but the most unbelievable thing happed today that makes up for all of it!" Kaden said cheerily. Jason and Dick exchanged looks, then back to Kaden. Dick closed the book and set it on the coffee table, shifting into a sitting position.

"Well? Don't keep us in the dark. What was it?" he asked amusedly. Kaden sat up, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Zachary asked me out on a date! We're going out on Saturday!" he said cheerily. Jason and Dick exchanged looks again and then both smiled at the teen.

"That's great! Zachary, as in football captain Zachary?" Dick asked. Kaden gave a curt nod. Kaden gave a nod, followed by a dreamy sigh as he sunk back into the chair, legs dangling over one of the arms. Jason snorted.

"This the guy you've been crushing on for like, a year?"

"Yes. He's smart, funny, and let's not forget, hot as hell. I think I died and went to heaven. I never imagined he'd ever ask me out, of all people," Kaden said with another contented sigh. Jason snorted again and shook his head.

"You're like a love-sick puppy," Jason teased and Dick swatted him playfully.

"Aw, leave the kid alone, Jaybird! I think it's adorable! Besides, as I recall,m a certain someone was pretty smitten with me at the age of sixteen," Dick replied. Jason blushed a little at the mischievous smirk on Dick's face.

"No," Jason said firmly. Kaden, curious, sat up in the chair and watched his parents, paying special attention to his papa.

"We went camping one weekend," Dick said, and Jason tried to shush him, but Dick shoved him away "and we were talking about our pasts-" Jason shoved him down on the couch and Dick just laughed and flipped them over, pinning him down "and your dad kissed me! Just like that! You should have seen his face, all flushed and red. He's was adorable!"

"Fuck you," Jason snapped, face flushed red. Kaden laughed in amusement at their interactions and at his dad's face.

"That never happened!" Jason protested, pushing Dick off of him. Dick laughed and shook his head, shutting him up by crushing their lips together.

"Ugh, gross," Kaden complained, shielding his eyes. Dick glanced back at Kaden and laughed.

"Don't listen to your dad. He was painfully adorable that night when he finally told me he was in love with me." Jason, face flushed red, crossed his arms over his chest.

"Guys are not adorable!" both Jason and Kaden said in unison. The three of them looked at each other and then busted into laughter.

Saturday night had come, six o'clock, as promised, and Kaden was nervous as hell. He chose to dress casual, with a simple pair of black studded jeans, black and white converse sneakers, and a black sleeveless hoodie with a white tank top underneath. His papa had suggested he shave that fuzz off his chin, but he declined; he kind of liked it.

"Relax Kaden, I'm sure everything will be fine!" Dick reassured him as he headed to the living room with a bowl of popcorn; Saturdays were their movies nights, the whole family, but they made an exception tonight for Kaden, since he seemed really excited about going out with this guy.

Kaden glanced back at his papa and flashed a nervous smile, fiddling with the chains on his pants. He glanced up at the clock, and at only a minute past six, a knock came at the door. Kaden was tempted to jump at it, but instead played it cool and waited for about ten seconds so he didn't seem overeager. He hadn't been this nervous about a date since he asked Lian out. He always felt like a complete klutz and an idiot around the people he liked most. Fortunately, he was in a better state than he'd been in with Lian.

Kaden pulled the door open and planted a cocky smirk on his face for added effect. His face flushed a bit when he saw Zachary on the other side. The teen was wearing a pair of faded jeans and black sneakers with a black band tank top and a dark blue blazer jacket. Frankly, he looked hot. But then, Kaden had gotten a sneak peak underneath those clothes-no Kaden, mind out of the gutter.

"Hey Kade. Wow, you look nice," Zach said with a smile tugging at his lips. Kaden blushed a little bit and rubbed the back of his neck nervously before stepping aside and gesturing inside the apartment.

"Zach, hey. You too. Why don't you come in?" Kaden asked. He glanced over at his father who was giving Zach one of those "I don't like him" looks.

Jason glanced over at Dick and frowned.

"I don't like him." Dick snorted softly and shook his head.

"You said that about his last boyfriend."

"Yeah, well, I was right. His last boyfriend was a little prick," Jason protested. Dick snickered at him and swatted him playfully, pushing himself up off of the couch and tugging Jason with him.

"C'mon, at least meet the kid before you write him off, hmm? And be nice."

"Fine. I'll try," Jason said dryly, allowing Dick to tug him up off the couch. The two of them approached the two teens and Dick held his hand out to Zachary.

"Hey, so you're Zach, huh? Dick," Dick said smoothly with a welcoming smile. Zachary smiled back and shook the man's hand.

"Yeah, Dick Grayson, right? Bruce Wayne's son. Everyone knows who you are," he saidb with a slight laugh. Dick chuckled in amusement then subtly jabbed Jason in the side with his elbow. Jason held his hand out in greeting.

"Jason," he said smoothly. Zachary gave a nod and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you," he replied. He turned to Kaden and flashed another smile.

"So, uh...you ready to go?" he asked. Kaden blushed a little bit and have a nod, then shook his head.

"Wait, let me go, uh, grab my wallet," Kaden said quickly, retreating to his room. Dick returned to the couch but Jason had other plans. He glanced at Dick over his shoulder, then looked back at Zachary.

"So, Zach," Jason said smoothly, burying his hands in his pockets as he moved to stand beside the teen. Zachary looked up at him, smile fading slightly at the look on Jason's face. Jason nodde down the hall toward his son's room.

"That's my little boy, you see," Jason began licking his lips as he leaned in closer to Zach "so, y'know. If you have any ideas about 'getting lucky', I would advise you forget them. Because if you hurt my boy," Jason patted the teen on the shoulder and flashed the brightest smile he could manage "well, I don't have a problem going back to prison." Kaden returned moments later and Jason gave the teen a hug.

"Have fun you two" he said evenly before joining his husband back on the couch. Kaden gave a wave as he headed for the door with Zach behind him. He glanced up at the teen and quirked an eyebrow.

"You okay? You look a little...off," Kaden commented. Zach's smile returned and he gave a nod.

"Yeah, just fine!"

It was a pretty standard date; they went to the movies and then to the local pizzeria afterward, and from there, they went and got some ice cream. Kaden started to get the sinking feeling that this was just like his date with Lian; a misunderstanding, and that Zachary was just hanging out with a friend. It wasn't that he wasn't having fun, on the contrary, the date thus far had been a lot of fun, but he feared that Zachary didn't like him the way he had hoped.

"This was fun, Kaden. I enjoyed it a lot, you're a pretty cool guy," Zach said with a smile on his face, the two teens walking down the dark streets of Gotham, lit by the street lights. The sound of cars and traffic filled the air, and it was a warm night, perfect for a walk. But for Kaden, it was a little depressing; he didn't feel that spark that he was hoping for and so it seemed he had been friend zoned.

Kaden blushed a bit and looked in Zach's direction when he felt the teen's fingers in his hair. Zach smiled at him, and his knees suddenly felt weak again; god damn that smile...

"I like what you're doing with your hair by the way," Zach began, and suddenly Kaden felt his hopes shatter against the ground again. Okay, so part of his hoped Zach was going to kiss him, so what?!

"That white streak looks pretty cool," he finished. Kaden flashed a smile and nodded at the other teen.

"Thanks," he replied. Zach pulled away, but moments later, Kaden felt his heart racing; he swore he just felt Zach's fingers brush against his. But surely that had been an accident. He glanced down at his watch; it was almost ten at night which meant they'd been out for four hours. Time really did fly when you were having fun.

Kaden looked up and saw his apartment building come into view. He heaved a sigh and Zach looked over at him with a slightly concerned look.

"Something wrong?" Kaden blushed a bit and shook his head.

"No. Just tired I think. Didn't sleep well last night," he lied, flashing a smile. Zach didn't look like he believed him, but he smiled regardless and shrugged his shoulders. They started up the stairs to Kaden's apartment and Kaden could feel the disappointment welling up inside him. They came to his door and the teens turned to each other. Zach smiled another one of those knee-melting smiles and raked a hand through his hair.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Kaden. Maybe we can do it again?" he asked. KAden felt a slight dip in his disappointment and smiled back. He gave a shrug uf his shoulders.

"Sure," he answered. He grabbed the door handle, but Zach stopped him.

"Oh, one more thing," he said coolly. Kaden looked back at the teen and flashed a quizzical look. And then his heart started hammering like crazy in his chest because...Zach was kissing him. He felt the teen's arm snake around his waist as he pressed his lips against Kaden's. Zach's lips were soft against his own and Kaden nearly melted into the kiss, his dreams coming true as his eyes fluttered closed.

Holy shit, Zach is kissing me!

What do I do? What do I do? Oh my god!

Zach is kissing me! I can't fuckin' believe it!

When the teens pulled apart, both their faces were flushed pink. Kaden fidgeted a bit in place and Zach rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I hope that was okay," he said nervously. And Kaden smirked, grabbing Zach by the collar of his jacket.

"It was fine, but for future reference, if you're gonna kiss someone, do it right," he said, smirk turning mischievous as he pulled Zach close and kissed him again. Zach was a little surprised at first, but then he started getting into it, his hands resting on Kaden's hips. The teen shivered a bit when he felt Zach's thumb brush against the skin on his thigh. The two of them just stood there, making out, even as the door flew open, the both of them completely oblivious, until-

"Ahem. I guess that means you two had fun?" came Jason's voice, looking at the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Kaden and Zachary jumped apart, nervous and blushing.

"Um...y-yeah," Kaden replied nervously. Though Zach looked even more nervous than he did at the sight of the teen;s father.

"Um...so Kaden. You free next week?" he asked, glancing back at Jason, whose expression darkened a little. Kaden smiled and gave a nod.

"Sure. How about next Sunday?" he asked. Zach smiled at him and leaned in for a quick kiss before retreating before Jason could kill him.

"Sure, I'll see you next Sunday." Kaden watched the teen go before he slid inside the apartment, his fist pumping and letting out a cheer. Dick looked up at him from the couch with a goofy grin on his face.

"I guess that means it went well, huh?"

"Yes! It did! And I think..I think he really likes me! We're going out again next Sunday, so that's good, right?"

"Very," Dick replied. Kaden had a goofy grin plastered across his face as he retreated to his bedroom and Jason sighed, raking a hand through his hair as he flopped down on the couch beside Dick.

"Relax Jaybird, he's growing up. You knew it was only a matter of time-"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up. Now where did you put my shot gun?"