Friendship Date

"You should ask her out."

"No."

"What's the harm? You know you want to."

"No."

"You know she'll say yes anyway."

"I said NO!"

The three Zodiac Knights of Jump City's Teen Titans were in the newly constructed Smart Brain Special Ops room in the Tower. It was quite large, nearly 3 times the size of the individual Titans' living quarters. You could tell this was the Knights' Special Ops room due to the fact that Smart Brain Corporation's emblem was painted right on the door. The room itself was fitted with the very much advanced technology coming from Smart Brain as well as well as the three SB Gear Cases located on a table nearby.

Draco's D.R.A (Direct Response Artillery) Gear

Pluto's D.O.G (Defensive Order Guardian) Gear

Shadowcobra's S.N.K (Strategic Neutralizing Killer) Gear

Anyway, both Draco and Pluto were pestering Shadow, their leader and friend. What about you may ask? Well, during their vacation on Gaijo, which ended up turning into another adventure, there was a sudden and surprising revelation that Shadow and Starfire, or should I say Ichijyo and Koriand'r, were once childhood friends who met on the very same planet when they were about 6 years old or so. They were forced to have their memories erased due to a traumatic experience in the past. Of course, memories tend to resurface when treading on familiar land. They had rediscovered their lost friendship and decided to catch up on lost time, which of course led to both Pluto and Draco pestering Shadow into taking Starfire out on a 'Friend Date'.

"What's the harm in taking Starfire out on a date?" Pluto asked, "It's just amongst friends."

"Perfectly harmless," Draco agreed.

"One: Starfire has a boyfriend, Robin and two: I have a girlfriend, Raven," Shadow stuck up two fingers. "It would not be proper."

"Look, you two need to catch up on 11 years of lost friendship," Pluto elaborated.

"I think it's safe to say that we've accomplished that already," Shadow narrowed his eyes.

"But only when you thought each other as a stranger," Draco pointed out, "Now that you know you were once best friends, you should try to catch up on that."

"But by calling it a 'date', won't that be giving out the wrong message?" Shadow asked, reluctantly and slowly agreeing to their plan.

"Maybe…but you both need to do this. Besides, Starfire was quite happy when she kissed you," Draco reminded. Shadow blushed.

"Only to save my life!" Shadow exclaimed hotly. It was true. On Gaijo, a trio of Deathtron pirates were trying to use Starfire's energy to power up a powerful weapon hidden under Gaijo. The weapon was known as the Medusa Cannon since it had the power to turn all organic matter to stone. The Knights and Raven were protected by their magical auras. Shadow broke Starfire out of the cannon's generator but was severely injured by the backlash of energy from the force field surrounding Starfire. If it wasn't for the power transfusion circle Renia had drawn so that Starfire could give him her power, he would've died. Of course, she had to kiss him to do so. They had cemented a sort of bond because of that and well…

"So why are you blushing?" Pluto grinned.

"You know what? This is none of your bloody business! I'm going out to meditate on the roof with Raven! Good day!" Shadow stormed out of the Special Ops room in a huff.

"That was mean," Draco stated.

"Maybe, but the Snake's in denial," Pluto shrugged.

Shadow muttered angrily and incoherently as he made his way up to the roof. He was going to do some gardening; that always cheered him up or at least calmed him down.

After returning from Gaijo, Shadow had to go out and buy new rose bushes to replace the ones that had been burnt to a crisp by their house sitters (Hot Spot, Thunder and Lightning). Of course, after Shadow was through with them, it was a miracle if they weren't traumatized enough to suffer from nightmares. He sighed, pushed the door open and froze.

There was Starfire, looking at his rose bushes, sniffing the black, red and white blossoms. She sighed as she did a slight twirl, enjoying the scent. The roses were beautiful, the description fitting more for the person admiring the flowers. He couldn't help but blush. She then noticed him and smiled, causing the blush spread more. She glided towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Salutations, dearest friend Ichijyo, on this glorious afternoon!" she said sweetly.

"G-G-Good afternoon, K-K-Koriand'r," he stammered. After the incident on Gaijo, Starfire and Shadow had started to use their real names more often. They were childhood friend, so what was the harm.

She let him go and smiled. A slight blush appeared on her face as she studied Shadow's features. His skin was the color of alabaster and his eyes the color of sapphires. She also noticed that he smelled of roses…it was the same fragrance he had purchased at the mall that one time. She floated down to the ground, looking at him.

"So…um….how are you?" he asked, his index fingers and thumbs rubbing together.

"I am…okay," her right foot rubbed against the back of her left leg as her hands were tucked behind her.

"Good, well, I'm just here to do some gardening," Shadow walked past her and headed towards his roses. When he picked up the scissors, he tried to get his mind, breathing and emotions under control, failing miserably. He accidentally snipped off a white rose bud and then accidentally cut his face one of the thorns for leaning too close to pick it up. Starfire saw the cut on his cheek and gasped. She flew towards him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, placing a hand on his cheek. He recoiled, stepping back. She had a hurt expression on her face due to his action.

"I'm fine, just a scratch," he told her as the cut disappeared. He put his scissors down and walked pass her, "I need to go."

Starfire just stood there, back facing the rose bush, as Shadow walked away. Her shoulders were shaking as she began to sob.

Shadow locked himself in his room, lying on the bed on his side. He cursed himself, "Idiot! Why did you have to do that? Now she's probably crying. She might've told Robin and then the Boy Wonder would come here to kick my arse from here to Gotham!" he sighed, "Why am I so…afraid? What am I afraid of?" There was a knock on the door, "Wow, Robin must be here to kick my arse." He floated off the bed and answered, "Who is it?"

"Raven."

Damn. Anyone but her…he opened the door and she walked in, arms crossed. Her hood was up, but he could still see the narrowed violet orbs under her hood.

"So…is this a social visit?" he asked, "Or is this about…"

"Starfire?" she finished for him, "Yes it is."

"Oh," he groaned, "I knew I was going to have to talk about this. What did she tell you?"

"She didn't need to exactly. I'm an empath remember? So when I sensed a sudden feeling of sadness, I tracked it down and found Starfire, crying on the roof, next to YOUR roses." She asked, "What happened?"

"It's…complicated."

"You're avoiding her, ever since we got back from Gaijo you won't even look her in the eye."

"We're Titans, Raven, we need to maintain a professional relationship."

Ouch. Bad excuse.

"Professional relationship?" Raven repeated, eyes narrowed, "If you wanted to maintain professional relationships, you wouldn't have become close to everyone here. That's just an excuse, Ichijyo and you know it."

Shadow sighed. She was right on the dot. He had to tell the truth, "Alright, luv, it's just that…I'm starting to have…feelings for Koriand'r."

"What kind of feelings?"

"The same kind of feelings I have…for you."

Raven blushed but then shook her head. "So, you love Starfire?" she said, suddenly feeling a little bit jealous. He nodded. "So, why not tell her?"

Shadow looked at her like she was crazy or something. "Raven, I can't just tell her outright that I might have feelings for her!"

"Is it better to see her hurt that her best friend doesn't seem to care about her anymore?" she countered. "She thrives on her emotions and the way you're hurting her right now by avoiding her is hurting her more than anything that can be physically done to her."

"I know, but…I just…finding out Starfire was my childhood friend is one thing, but…realizing that I may just have feelings for her is just too much."

"Well, if you don't talk about this, you'll never get your feeling sorted out."

"I know that, I just don't know how to go about it."

Raven paused, "Take her out on a date."

"Huh?"

"A date; a date amongst friends, to talk things out."

"Are you sure? I mean, are you really sure about this?"

"If I wasn't I wouldn't be suggesting it. Now go."

Shadow went over to her and kissed her, "Thank you, luv."

"You know I'm only letting you do this to fix your friendship with Starfire."

"I know, but thank you still."

Robin went up to the roof. For some reason, he felt like something was calling him up there. Pushing the door open, he was shocked to see Starfire with her knees pulled up against her body and hugging her legs. She was crying.

"Star!" Robin panicked and ran towards the alien girl in distress. "What's wrong?" he kneeled down next to her.

Starfire looked at him with tear stricken eyes before tackling him into a hug, crying against his shirt. "Oh, Robin!" she cried, sobbing.

"Starfire, tell me what's wrong," Robin coaxed her.

"I am…my feelings…I care for friend Shadow…" Robin stiffened but relaxed. "Why is he avoiding me so? I thought we were friends."

"I…I don't know…" Robin said slowly. He loved Starfire, but he was starting to see Shadow as a rival for Starfire's heart and affection. It was silly, really, since he knew Starfire was in love with him and that Shadow was in love with Raven; but they were just so close on Gaijo and he was afraid to lose Starfire.

Also, even if he hated to admit it…he was…a little bit…Jealous. Shadowcobra was a lot of things Robin wasn't.

"I very much miss him. He was my first and best friend as I was his and all these years we never knew. Now that we do…it is as if he does not want to acknowledge that fact anymore," Starfire sniffled.

"Maybe he has his reasons, Starfire," Robin said to his girlfriend, running a gloved hand through her hair soothingly. "I mean, he's a very busy guy." He listed, "He's CEO of a company, a Knight, a Teen Titan and Commander of the Deathtron Secret Police. He's got too little time on his hands and-"

"It's not an excuse to ignore and hurt the feelings of my friends," Shadowcobra interjected as he walked into the scene. Starfire looked up. "Hello, Koriand'r. I'd like to apologize about my behaviour and how I've been treating you."

Starfire and Robin stood up and Shadow noticed that Starfire had been crying. Now Shadow felt even guiltier than he already was. Starfire wasn't just his best friend; she was more than that. She was the first friend he ever made. The spell may have erased their memories, but not the feelings and finally the memories returned…

He was not going to mess this up, not this time, no way. He and Starfire were going to catch up on lost time. He turned his attention towards Robin and asked, "Robin, do you mind if Starfire and I talk in private?"

Robin felt the continuous presence of a green eyed monster lingering in his mind before shaking it off. He put on a strained smile and said, "Sure." He turned to give Starfire a short kiss on the lips before saying, "Talk to you later, Star."

"You too, Timothy," she replied as the Boy Wonder left the two on the roof, alone, with no sort of supervision whatsoever…He was gonna beat up a punching bag with Shadow's face on it to relieve his stress.

"Koriand'r," Shadowcobra said, nodding.

"Ichijyo," Starfire replied, nodding her head as well. Suddenly, Shadow kneeled before her on one knee and took her hand. She felt panicked and confused. "Friend? What is wrong?"

"I wish to apologize, Koriand'r," he said to her. "Since we returned from Gaijo I have been avoiding you and causing you pain. As your friend I should not have done so and it was such a dishonourable fact to deny the feelings I once had for you. For that I am greatly sorry." He kept his head low as to not make eye contact.

"Arise, Commander Shadowcobra," Starfire said with her most regal sounding voice, befitting a princess. He did and she looked him in the eye. "My friend, your apology is accepted." She then wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. He hugged her back and smiled.

'At least phase 1 is complete,' Shadowcobra noted in his mind. 'Now for phase 2.' "Koriand'r?" Shadowcobra said, still holding her in a hug.

"Yes?" she answered, with a beaming smile and sparkling emerald eyes.

"Would you like to go out with me today?" He asked.

Starfire blinked and then squealed happily before tightening her hug. "OH I WOULD LOVE TO!"

"Koriand'r…" Shadowcobra said in a struggled tone. "I can't breathe."

The plan was simple: take Starfire out for the day. However, how was he to do this? For one the tabloids would be all over them. It was pretty official that Robin and Starfire were a couple but what if she was seen with him? Starfire didn't need that sort of negative attention and even if the gossip wasn't true it could till hurt her. Lies could hurt more than the truths and tabloid reporters were not all that interested in the truth or facts just stories to grab their readers' attention.

Shadow was in his room, looking himself in the mirror. The two friends had decided to go incognito, disguising themselves as civilians. He changed the color of his hair to jet black and combed his bangs over to cover the red Mark of Sin on his forehead. He also put on a black buttoned down shirt and put on a pair of black jeans with matching black leather shoes. Over the ensemble he wore a black trench coat.

He was a Goth and proud of it. Most of his clothing was black. He had some purple but he rarely wore those.

This date was going to be all about Starfire. He would do anything she wanted with no questions or hesitation. It was the least he could do for her.

Starfire looked herself in the mirror and smiled, She had on a purple tank top with a red star on it and a pair of tight jeans. On her feet were a pair of white sandals. She then put on the sunglasses to conceal her green eyes and then pulled her hair up into a ponytail. In her room was her sister Blackfire who was smiling.

"Wow, Kori," Blackfire said, amazed, "You look dressed to kill."

Starfire gasped, "Sister! I do not wish to kill anyone." Blackfire rolled her eyes. Even after all these years Starfire still didn't understand earthling slang.

"I mean you look great, Starfire."

"Oh, then you were speaking in slang, sister? I have attempted to study the American earthling slang but it is very confusing."

"Wow, really? I wouldn't know," Blackfire spoke cynically.

"You are being cynical, yes sister?"

"At least you can understand that. So where will you and the Snake be going on your little date?"

Starfire groaned. Somehow the news of her outing with her best friend had spread and now everyone in the Tower knew. She suspected that she had been 'bugged' by their resident mad scientist, the Zodiac Knight of Immortality who was known simply as Pluto, but then shook her head. She would demand for answers later. Right now she was just so happy.

"I am not sure. I supposed we would simply improvise," Starfire stated.

"So, what did the Boy Wonder say about this?" Blackfire asked although she knew the answer already when she saw several broken cement blocks in he gym and a broken punching bag.

"I told Robin and he said he was happy for me. He then gave me a sweet kiss and told me to 'clean his clock' if Ichijyo did anything inappropriate."

'Jealous bird brain,' Blackfire thought. God, boys could be such jealous idiots. Of course, Robin did love Star and having another guy having interest in his girlfriend would slightly irk him. "I think Robin would be getting rid of some steam."

"Why?" Starfire cocked her head in confusion.

"Nevermind, Star, nevermind."

As soon as Ichijyo left his room he was immediately blinded by several flashes of light. He blinked as he saw spots and when he regained his normal eyesight glared at the three perpetrators.

There standing in front of him were Cyborg, Beast Boy and Pluto, wearing business suits and fedoras. The former two were holding up cameras as Pluto held up a microphone to Ichijyo's face and asked like a reporter, "So, Ichijyo, I hear you'll be taking the ravishing beauty Kori Anders on a date tonight. You got any comments?"

Shadow's left eyebrow twitched as his sclera began to turn black and his irises turned blood red. His pupils turned into narrow slits, similar to a snake's he hissed at the Dog Knight. Beast Boy and Cyborg backed away from the irritated Knight of Invisibility but Pluto pressed on:

"Aren't you afraid of Tim Drake who is also Kori's boyfriend and that he might do something unpleasant to you?"

"The only person who is going to have an unpleasant experience here, Yoshiyuki Takada, is YOU!" Ichijyo's fangs were bared and Beast Boy paled. Cyborg was rethinking if this was a good idea in the first place. They all heard the familiar ringing sound as Genosnaker burst out of the reflective surface of the wall and grabbed Pluto in his fangs before pulling him into the Mirror Dimension. After a few seconds, Pluto was spat out of the Dimension as Genosnaker slithered out, eyeing the changeling and bionic Titan hungrily. Pluto looked like he had been through a blender since his clothes were all torn up.

"I suggest that you two destroy those negatives or else my pet here might like to have you both for a snack!" Ichijyo threatened. Cyborg and Beast Boy both grabbed Pluto off the floor and ran like bats out of Hell. Ichijyo looked up at the giant purple cobra who bowed at the Snake Knight. He placed a hand on Genosnaker who hissed in appreciation. "Thank you, my partner."

"Oh, friend Ichijyo!" called out a serene and gentle voice. Genosnaker swiftly vanished into the Mirror Dimension as the pretty alien glided toward its Knight. Ichijyo turned and smiled at the girl. She took his gloved hand and smiled. "Shall we go?"

"We shall but wouldn't you like to travel in style?" Ichijyo smirked as he held up a card.

Robin had Shadow's picture pinned up on another practice dummy and began to beat the snot out of it as Draco watched. Since the gossip about Starfire and Shadow's 'date' ran through, the leader of the Teen Titans was getting extremely agitated. The only reason Draco was in the room was to lift weights though the normal ones would simply not do. He had enhanced strength because of the Power of the Ox and could lift as much as Cyborg, possibly more. However, despite not being challenging, the weight machine that Cyborg, Starfire, Blackfire and Draco used still needed some fine tuning after an incident involving Wildebeast and Thunder.

Draco continued to lift weights as he saw his friend/leader/team mate punch the stuffing out of the practice dummy. He would simply talk to him AFTER he had finished his workout. He then heard a familiar ringing sound in his ears but knew it wasn't anything hostile.

Robin's eyes went over to the window and he saw a large wide shape flying away from the Tower. It was too small to be the T-Ship but vaguely familiar.

Both Ichijyo and Kori were riding on the back of Stingdiver, kneeling down, as the pink stingray monster glided over the water. Starfire laughed with glee as the wind swept past her hair. She looked down into the water to see a variety of fish swimming. She giggled almost happily

Ichijyo remembered something horrible involving the water but shook his head. He held onto Kori's hand protectively and squeezed it. Kori looked at him curiously.

As they were nearing the mainland, Ichijyo immediately used his Zodiac Power to cloak them as they entered the city. He didn't want anyone freaking out because of the appearance of a monster stingray.

They went to an area that didn't have any people around and became visible. Ichijyo called the monster back into its card and then slid it back into his deck which he slid into his coat pocket. He turned to Kori and asked, "So, where would you like to go first, Kori?"

Kori thought for a while. There was the 'Mall of Shopping', but she remembered how utterly depressed Ichijyo had acted when he was coerced into carrying her shopping bags. She then thought of 'breaking the ice'.

"How about we have a drink of tea first, my friend?" she suggested with a sweet smile. Ichijyo couldn't help but return the smile.

"Alright," he nodded.

'Why am I even doing this?' thought Draco as he flew over the city and looking through the scope of his DRA-Cam. 'Ah, now I remember. Robin 'ordered' me to do this. I just hope Shadow doesn't find out and decide to do whatever he might do to me.' The Dragon Knight shuddered. A while ago, after recognizing Stingdiver, Robin had sent Draco on a scouting mission. The mission was to spy on Starfire and Shadow's 'date' and to record everything for the Boy Wonder to see. He then thought, 'But if Starfire finds out…' Despite Starfire's gentle demeanour, when she was angry she could be REALLY violent. If he was found out then he would take Robin with him. "You owe me for this, Tim," Draco said distastefully as he continued to spy from the air.
Ichijyo had the faintest sense that he was being watched. He shook it off as he took a sip of tea. Sitting opposite him was Kori. Both of them was sitting at a table outside of a teashop and under an umbrella to shield them from the hot sun. Kori was drinking ice tea and enjoying it too. He too was enjoying his time with Kori.

His reverie, however, was interrupted as he heard a familiar ringing sound. His eyes darted over to the source to find Metaceros watching him. He sighed, relieved. It was a false alarm. He finished his tea and placed the money on the table for the waitress to collect. He also left a little tip for her too. He stood up and gestured towards Kori who had just finished her ice tea.

"Shall we, Kori?" he asked charmingly.

"We shall, friend," Kori smiled as she took his hand.

"They're back on the move," Draco reported but he had a VERY bad taste in his mouth. As exciting as this was he hated to spy on his friends.

"Follow them," Robin responded.

"Hai," Draco sighed as he flipped his communicator close. He then saw with his keen eyesight a purse snatching. He then flew down quickly to handle this.

He knocked down the perpetrator, and then took the purse before returning it to the woman who had been running after him. He gave the woman a salute before launching himself into the air again, leaving a trail of flames. "I love being a hero," was all he said.

Kori and Ichijyo went to see a movie. It was, much to his chagrin, a romance. Ichijyo was not a fan of romance unless it was in a horror movie. Mushy stories like this tended to make his stomach churn uncomfortably. However, he could not disappoint Kori. He paid for the tickets and snacks and went in to watch the movie.

Inside the theatre, Ichijyo and Kori sat next to each other. He looked around to see couples but also noticed a few of the boyfriends shuffling in their seats. They didn't look like fans to romance movies either. Good. At least he wasn't alone in the boat.

The movie started and Kori watched it with interest. Her hand rested on his and suddenly squeezed it. It wasn't painful since she was careful not to put any of her alien strength in it. He didn't even watch the movie, just enjoying his time with his best friend was enough for him.

Draco decided to take a detour. He had heard a way too familiar ringing in his ears and went to investigate. A Mirror Dimension monster has jumped out to pull an unsuspecting victim in but the Dragon Knight's quick reflexes saved the person before he became monster chow. Now clad in his armor he had entered the Mirror Dimension to do battle.

"Final Vent!"

"DRAGON COMBUSTION KICK!"

The following explosion marked the end of the monster as Draco walked away and towards a nearby portal. He did not notice a golden clad Knight watching him from afar.

Kori giggled and cooed as she looked at the cute little puppies and kittens put up on display in the pet shop. She was a sucker for cute little animals. Ichijyo, however, was eyeing the more exotic specimens like snakes, iguanas and scorpions. They had different tastes in animals apparently.

"These puppies and kittens are oh so adorable!" Kori squealed as she floated an inch off the ground. A shadow hand gently pulled her down before she drew some unwanted attention.

"I prefer more exotic animals, Kori," Ichijyo said as he looked at the frogs for sale. They would make an excellent meal for his pet python.

"And these little white mice are simply too cute!" Kori squealed. Ichijyo's eyes widened as he froze.

Little white mice?

He turned to Kori and walked over to her. He looked down at the mice in their little cage. These mice weren't for sale as pets. They were…food mice for snakes. He had often come down to this pet shop to purchase a few to feed to his pet python. He had never told Kori this, though. It would break her heart if he ever told her the truth.

"Yes, they are cute," he agreed. "Maybe you would like to look at the hamsters instead?" he suggested.

"Friend, you seem uneasy," Kori observed. "What is wrong?"

Ichijyo put on a smile and said, "Nothing, Kori."

She knew immediately what would cheer him up. She took his hand and pulled him out of the pet shop.

Jinx found out about what Robin was doing from the 'Three Stooges' and immediately went to look for her boyfriend. As she looked up, she saw a streak of fire speeding in the air. She knew immediately who it was. She took out her T-Com and called him down. He loyally did. When he landed he looked down shamefully. Jinx placed a finger gently under his chin and lifted his face up to look at her.

"You shouldn't be doing this, Ryuki," Jinx spoke, reprimanding her boyfriend. She didn't seem too pleased.

"I know, Jinxy-chan, but…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"As punishment for doing this to both Kori and Ichijyo, you're taking me out on a date right now, Dragon Boy!"

"H-hai!" Ryuki smiled.

Ichijyo felt right at home in this flower shop. Plants always calmed him down. He didn't know why but there was just something in the fragrance of flowers. He then remembered how his mother would play with him when he was a child in their family's garden. He had loved flowers then as he did now, evident by the fully restored rose bushes on the Tower roof.

Starfire went and sniffed a few flowers. The smells were so intoxicating in a VERY good way. She just loved the smell of flowers which was why she would wake up early to smell Ichijyo's roses on the roof.

The two then left the shop but Ichijyo had bough a few flowers just for Kori. She smiled and hugged him. He then faintly heard the shopkeeper whisper, "Ah, young love." He sighed. It was only a matter of time until someone thought he and Kori were a couple.

Robin hadn't gotten a report from Draco for an hour now as he paced in his room. Just what was he doing? He then heard his door slide open and saw Raven leaning on the doorway.

"Oh, hey Raven," Robin greeted but then saw the stern look on her face. "Um, is something wrong?"

She stomped over to him and gave him a hard smack.

"Ow! What was that for?" he exclaimed, holding his now red cheek at the stinging pain.

"Spying on Kori, Tim," Raven said with mild agitation. "How low can you possibly go?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to-"

"Trying to make sure your precious little girlfriend doesn't get stolen from you?" Robin bulked at the accusation. "That's right. I found out about your little scheme from the Idiots Three. They CAN'T keep a secret like this, you know?" she paused. "Just what is your problem?"

"Raven, you got to understand that-"

"You're jealous? Oh, I can understand that."

"Dammit, Raven! Let me finish! Besides, who are you to call me jealous? You're jealous too!"

Raven narrowed her eyes at the accusation as her eyes turned to glow white. She then calmed down. "I am, there's no denying, but you doing something like this is wrong. I trust Shadow, do you?"

"I…I do. But this is just so weird. He's going out on a date with my girlfriend!"

"And Kori's going out on a date with my boyfriend, but you don't see me sending someone to spy on them."

"Who else knows?"

"Jinx. She went to track down Draco as we speak."

"I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"

"I don't have to be psychic to tell you that, Boy Blunder. Listen, Kori loves Ichijyo but remember that she's in love with you. Don't mess this up by being a jealous dick!"

Robin chuckled. Sometimes Dick, the original Robin, would've been considered one too. He then smiled. "Okay."

"Good," Raven said before smiling. "When those two come back you'll tell them everything."

Robin paled.

Both Kori and Ichijyo went to the park and stood near the lake. The Snake Knight had bought some bread and threw some bits in to feed the ducks. Kori joined in too. She suddenly slipped and fell in the water.

Ichijyo's eyes suddenly went wide with panic. "KORI!" he yelled before jumping into the water. He helped her out of the water but was now drenched. Her clothes stuck to her body and her ponytail stuck to her face. Her sunglasses had also been lost. "Are you okay?" he asked, taking off his coat and putting it over her shoulders.

"I am fine, friend," Kori said earnestly.

When Kori had fallen into the water, a memory flashed into his mind.

He finally remembered what had happened.

"Let's go home," he said. "You need to dry up or you might catch a cold," he said to her.

"Okay," she said before sneezing. She nearly fired a starbolt but Ichijyo was using his nullifying powers to negate hers. The power he possessed had its uses and a lot of people would want to have their hands on the power to cancel out other powers. That was why he never used it in front of Copycat less the evil Cat Knight copy it and use it against them. Zodiac Powers were the only powers he couldn't turn off.

The two of them returned to the Tower. Kori and Ichijyo stood in front of her room. She still had his coat and wanted to return it. "Keep it," he said. "I have others."

"Oh, okay," she said, blushing a bit. "I had a wonderful time with you today," she said. The date had been simple and not too extravagant. She didn't care what they were doing as long as it was with her best friend.

"Maybe we can go to the arcade next time," he suggested, running a hand through his black hair. The red on his face was quite prominent against his pale skin.

"I would love that very much, friend," Kori said honestly. She then gave him a light kiss on the cheek before she giggled and retreated into her room.

Ichijyo stood frozen outside her door for a full minute before he made his way towards a certain traffic-light colored bird to talk things out, but that is a story for another day.

A/N: So how is that? A good or bad chap? Anyway, I hope you enjoy some more of the oneshots coming your way.