Starfire stared at the rising sun, her hair becoming scrawny and tangled in the wind but for once, she didn't care. The sky was a beautiful periwinkle blue streaked with pink and gold. She hugged her knees to her chest as she heard footsteps trudging towards her.

"What are you doing up so early, Star?" Robin asked lightly, yawning and falling down next to his girlfriend.

The past nine months had been bliss for the young couple but Starfire could feel the cracks in their relationship.

She did not feel the same butterflies in her stomach when she kissed him or any excitement when they went out. Their relationship was stuck in a dead end with no future.

Today, on the anniversary of their first kiss, Starfire was going to stop that never-ending cycle.

"Star?" Robin said, waking her from her reverie.

"Robin… I was just thinking… maybe you and me should… like see other people." Robin looked away from her, down at the crashing waves at the base of the tower.

Suddenly he stood up and began to walk away from Starfire. "I'm sorry." Starfire said, standing up as well. Robin stopped and looked over his shoulder at the rising sun.

"So am I… just go back to Tamaran."

"How did you-?"

"I guessed. See you, Star." He said with forced casualness before disappearing down into the Tower.

Starfire shoulder her bag before soaring into the air and toward the blazing sun.

The emotions Robin had been holding back, crashed down on him so hard he slid down the wall. Tears slid down from behind the mask and he hid his face in his gloved hands.

Why had she left him? What had been done wrong? These thoughts chased each other in an endless circle when suddenly; strong warm arms wrapped around Robin and lifted him to his feet.

Still sobbing his grabbed the forearm. "Star?" He asked, opening his eyes and staring into a pale face.

"Raven?"

"You can't do this here. Is Beast boy sees you, you'll never hear the end of this." The dark teen said lightly.

When they reached his room, Robin collapsed on the bed, pulling Raven with him. "She left…" He sobbed, clutching at her arm.

"Yea… she told me." Robin turned his masked eyes to hers.

"What? She told you?"

"She was really worried about the two of you-?"

"If she was that worried she would have sorted it out, not left!" Robin snapped, tears rolling down his cheeks. "She made me loose everything!"

Raven stayed silent for a moment, stroking Robin's spiky hair absently. "We're all still here, Robin. You haven't lost everything…" She said in a slightly hurt tone but Robin did not hear it.

All his thoughts of Starfire were washed away as he pulled Raven closed, nuzzling his face into her soft skin. "Are you ok now?" She asked quietly.

"I will be… if you're here." Raven gave him something he had never felt with Starfire. Peace, tranquillity, quiet. Things were always rushed and heading somewhere with Starfire but Robin existed only in that moment there with Raven.

The dark teen sighed deeply before speaking. "I'll always be here. We'll all be here for you." Robin lifted his face to meet her face.

"Why don't you sleep it off?" Robin nodded dumbly and lay back on the bed.

"When I was little, and I couldn't sleep... My mum would come into my room and lay down with me. She'd play with my hair, maybe tell me a story, but really just... just hold me until I'd fall asleep again. And when Dad was home, he'd come in too and sit there and sit with me. He wouldn't say anything… he didn't need to. I didn't get to see him much so him… just being there was so soothing... In the morning, Dad was gone to work, but Mum would still be here, making sure I slept the whole night."

He said and he felt the futon dip suddenly. "You were lucky to have them." Then Raven's arms were around him, and he felt safe and warm, and then those fingers through his hair, tracing the lines on his face.

He turned and clutched at her, wanting to draw her into him to take away his pain. Raven pressed his lips to Robin's forehead.

She shushed and soothed and tried desperately to show him that he wasn't really alone, never had been. Raven knew he was strong but he was only human.

He could feel Raven's warm breath against his ear, shivered as her fingers traced invisible patterns on his back. He pressed his face into her shoulder as those soft, delicate fingers moved down the ridges of his spine.

He tentatively began copying her movements, slipping his fingers beneath her shirt as she had done. Robin heard her sigh softly, tuck her head into his neck and shoulder, moving down and folding into him.

He needed Raven, he knew that.

But did she need him too? He pulled his hand away briefly from her side and when she whimpered he knew.

Before he knew what he was doing, Robin's mouth was on Raven's, and again he felt the urge to bring her into himself, to draw out whatever it was that made her her and keep it with him always.

He pulled her shirt over her head before kissing her gently. Robin suddenly realized fully that he could see her now, as he had never... Never...

His eyes flashed to hers, asking permission, she smiled back and let him settle over her. His mouth descended to her neck, first to nuzzle and give a few quick, tentative licks before instinct urged him to give her more.

She moved against him, fingers in his hair, gasping and rocking and he wanted all of her for himself and wanted her to want him the same way.

He hooked his fingers into the waistband of her pants and again looked to her for permission. She nodded, fire dancing in her violet eyes, and he complied.

Her hands were all over him, every place she could touch, grasp, to bring them closer. Raven's legs fell open, hips moving of their own accord.

Robin sat up and looked at her a moment in dumbfounded disbelief, wondering how they had gotten to this place. With Starfire, he had been a different person but with Raven… he wanted to erased all the darkness from her life and be gentle.

Suddenly Raven was up and pulling his own pants off and he let himself moan as her hands pushed the material down his legs, the warm air of morning touching all of him.

They fell together, limbs wrapping around each other, soft and slow; he trying to erase all those years of darkness and Robin trying to prove that he was still whole, even if he were broken, he was whole.

She whined and arched and something stirred in his chest; something akin to pain but different. This had a solution, had an end and a beginning all wrapped in one.

He touched her where he most desired to be, where he could join with her, that precious space at the juncture of her thighs.

He hadn't expected her to feel like this. Warm and wet and like living velvet beneath and around his fingers. She was tight and pressing down on his hand, mewling like a kitten.

He inserted another finger and she hissed. He moved his hand forward and then back, watching her face. She leaned up and drew his head to hers, kissing him between the broken sobs his ministrations were causing.

Raven looked at him, whispered that she wanted him, asking if he wanted her. He laughed. They both laughed and when they were done laughing he kissed her again and pushed her further up on the mattress.

Her legs came up around his mid-section, drawing him forward. He leaned over her tummy and torso, bracing himself with one hand, the other stroking her quivering shoulders while he slowly slid just inside.

She sucked in her breath. He was more than the fingers had been. Robin moved slowly, brushing the backs of his knuckles against her cheeks, straining to keep himself under control.

All the energy he had left, ever last bit of fuel that he could find, he put into this. Finally, he was buried inside of her and nearly swept away by the flood of sensation and thoughts that bombarded his brain.

This was so incredibly different to his other experiences. Raven sighed, shifting underneath him, feeling him inside, deep and warm and alive.

He bent his head down to her shoulder, kissed the little dip at the base of her throat and thrust forward, shallow and slow. Lights exploded behind his eyes and he wondered why he had never taken the time for this before.

Robin looked up at her, saw her eyes half-lidded and hazy with lust. She smiled and touched his face before returning her arms to their place tight around his shoulders as they crashed together, like foam-capped waves, each pulled toward the other over and over.

The muscles in Robin's back slid beneath his skin, shining with sheen of sweat, as he brought himself into her, brought her into him. Her body curled toward his, strong legs bringing him closer, deeper into her.

Noise slipped from their lips, incoherent and perfect. They clung to each other, trying to stay above the water, trying to keep from drowning and then both let go, crying loud enough to scare the crows from the window ledge outside the bedroom window in a flurry of black feathers.

They were both shaking, eyes wide like startled deer. Robin brushed the damp hair away from Raven's eyes; looking down with his handsome blue ones.

She looked up at him and saw he had an odd glint in his beautiful eyes. "What?" Raven asked, slightly nervous.

"Nothing… I was just thinking about us." Raven sat up slightly, Robin's arm still draped over her flat, softly toned abdomen.

"What about us?"

"About what happened to us. And how blind I was before. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I think I-." Raven pressed a finger to his lips and he kissed it gently, grateful to all that finger alone had given him.

"Don't say it. But I… I think I do to."

A few moments passed, both enjoying the sounds of the city waking up around them, possibly because of them.

Robin said and stayed joined with her, her legs still wrapped around him. He yawned and played with her hair, pulling the tangles out as his eyes drifted shut. She palmed over his chest, her breathing becoming even and slow.