A/N: Sorry it's been so long since my last update; I've been busy with schoolwork, etc. etc. This is actually an old story that's been sitting on my computer for a few months! I'd better write some new stuff otherwise I'll get rusty... anyway, this fanfic's written from Robin's POV. Hope you like it and don't forget to review! )

The Logic of Love

By The Silver Phoenix

Summary: One-shot Robin likes straight answers. He doesn't understand the mystery of love. But with a little help from Starfire, perhaps the Boy Wonder will realise that maybe, just maybe, there isn't any logic behind love, after all… RobxStar

Disclaimer: The Teen Titans are the property of DC Comics and Cartoon Network.

It's supposed to be simple, isn't it? L-O-V-E. Four letters joined together in that order to create a short, one-syllable word. 'Love' can be a verb: to show affection for something, or someone; it can also be noun, which describes these amorous feelings.

But it's not that simple.

I like straight answers, I'll give you that. Nice, solid, stable things that don't move or change. Like the laws of physics or something that can't easily be smashed. Equations and sums—that's my language. Give me numbers and then we're talking. Years of training with Batman have taught me that the only things I can place my trust in are Mathematics and Science. And the only person I can fully trust is Batman. I don't even trust myself, sometimes.

So as you can guess, affection is not something I understand. Not particularly well, at any rate. It's not that I don't have any feelings. Even the lectures and lessons and bullying and constant browbeating from Batman couldn't take those away from me. I'm a human being, for goodness' sake. Of course I have emotions. Especially during these blasted teenage years when there's an excessive flow of hormones at the most inappropriate moments…

Even so, love is not within my range of understanding. The reason being, love has no logic. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Unlike maths, you can't get a straight answer out of it. You can stamp on it and yell and scream at it and threaten it to answer you (or you can try), but in the end it only stares back at you, as if mocking you. Taunting you, tempting you to get an answer out of it… which is, of course, impossible.

Love is considered a weakness in superheroes. Batman taught me enough about that one. Rule number one: never get too attached to anyone. It's dangerous to both you and that person. That's why you have to hide your feelings: to protect people. To protect yourself.

Love is the force that drives people to the extremes. It is the force that motivates people to do the unthinkable. The force that compels them to challenge life and death, and fate itself.

Love is a dangerous game. It's like a changeling, changing form unpredictably in the blink of an eye. Love can be passionate, ardent, fervent one minute, but the next thing you know, you're falling… tumbling, tumbling down into a deep, bottomless abyss… It's teasing you, mocking you, misleading you… and laughing in your face at the same time. Then you realise you've been cheated—hypnotised, mesmerised by the illusions woven by love… Love is a dangerous game. There are no rules or regulations, it's unfair… and somehow, love always manages to win in the end.

Love makes you blind—it deceives you, and tells you what your heart wants to hear, makes you see what your heart wants to see… but not what is in front of your very eyes. The fiery flames of love consume you, rising higher and higher until your feelings are spiralling out of control, and still you can do nothing about them but watch hopelessly, knowing you are trapped, drowning within your own emotions. After all, you cannot choose whom you fall in love with. Not really, anyway.

The way you make me feel every time I'm near you is unnerving. It's not as if I don't like it. In fact, it gives me a nice feeling inside every time I think about you. It's the fact that I can't understand why it happens that's frustrating me. There's something about the way you look at me, the way your eyes seem to pierce through my very soul, like you can see all my innermost secrets, and nothing is hidden from your beautiful emerald eyes. The way my heart is taken for a roller-coaster ride and I can feel the butterflies flitting around in my stomach every time you touch me. It's magical. And the way—

Snap out of it, Robin. You're being pathetic.

Love makes you irrational. See what I mean? It bends your will, complicates and blurs your thoughts, so that you're prepared to go to extremes to achieve your goals. Prepared to take extraordinary risks. The world revolves around the ones you love, and you are prepared to do anything—anything—to make them happy. And you know you would give the world to see them smile. You'd give the Universe never to see them cry again. I know I would…

"Robin?" Starfire's voice murmurs. "You are not watching the movie." I look down, startled. We're supposed to be watching one of Cyborg's sci-fi movies—Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, I think—but I just realised: I haven't been paying attention. Strange. Didn't realise I could daydream with all the loud noises going on in the background. But then, you should never underestimate the power of love.

I smile at Starfire, and she smiles back. She shifts her head a little from where it had been resting on my shoulder for the past 60 minutes, and snuggles closer to me, somehow entwining her fingers in my cape. She tilts her chin up. "I love you, Robin," she breathes in my ear, so that I can just hear. Stunned, I reply on impulse, "I love you too, Star." I wrap my arm around her, and try to concentrate on the lightsabre battle raging on the screen. But I can't concentrate.

I can't believe what she just said. Maybe I imagined it. I can't believe what I just said. But… it was the truth, wasn't it? I know it was. It feels so good to confess it. It feels so good just to say it, for once. To accept it. It's as if a huge burden has just been lifted from my spirit.

Sometimes, you need to contain your emotions, hold them back before you lose control. But there are other times when it's best to let your emotions flow free. You cannot hold back love forever. You cannot deny it forever, when it is struggling to be set free, tugging at your heart for you to confess your feelings. And trust me, it's harder to keep your feelings locked up, when you know you can't hide them forever. You cannot be in denial forever—because when you are deceiving your heart, deceiving yourself… then you are living a lie.

I tried to tell you all along, a smug voice at the back of my head tells me. You're in love, Robin, and you'd better accept it. OK, enough with the lecturing already, Richard! Not like I was going to deny it or anything, right?

Being in love is a feeling like no other; you soar high on the wings of love, flying in a sky without boundaries. A world without boundaries. A world of love. Love brings colour into a world of grey, love ignites hope in times of depression. It connects all the people of the world together, so that we are one. It is the fire that lights within your heart which truly opens your heart to the world. Seeing the world through eyes filled with love, everything really makes sense, for the first time. As they say, love makes the world go round…

That one small, simple smile Starfire and I exchanged—it was more proof than I needed. I don't know how Starfire does it, but she does. Her enchanting smile always has that kind of magical effect on me. She has a certain charm about her. Yes, I admit it. I love her. God, it's such a wonderful feeling. One small, simple smile… and all of Batman's rules have flown straight out of the window. There are times when you have to follow your head… and there are times when you have to follow your heart.

It is at those times that you suddenly realise—perhaps there is no logic to love after all.