It was a balmy May night as the masked thief scaled roof top to roof top, his form practically blending into the shadows in which he hid. The darkness of the night sky overpowered the faint crescent moonlight and he was never so grateful for such an overwhelming blackness; Jump City had always been something akin to a bustling New York City, but on a much smaller scale. He supposes that's one of the reasons he chose to stay in the pitiful area, but he already knew that was a lie building into something more momentous; the multitude of lights and uneven skyline of skyscrapers, retail stores, restaurants, and boutiques all fell under his sweeping gaze within those few minutes. He stood atop an empty corporate building on the fringe of the lively city as his eyes finally spied the flaming red hair that he had been searching for; smirking, he easily employed his high tech suit to all his glory as the built in binoculars zoomed in upon the scarlet haired girl.
She was entering into a clothing boutique, a slightly confused expression upon her face as she gazed at the display window; the shadowed man smirked as he saw her disappear in before stealthily venturing back into the darkness. A brief glimpse of her was all he needed to sate himself, to assure him that her split from the wingless Boy Wonder was true and that a chance opening was cleared for him. He'd always taken a keen interest in the tanned alien girl and he could easily see that she held some grain of affection for him as well, despite the hatred that the former sidekick practically seethed every time they crossed paths.
Easily, the man that was Red X crossed his arms as he continued to mull over the occurrences that led him to become such a vigilant watcher upon the vivacious sweetheart of a hero. Was it so wrong for a man as dark as he to lust after a girl as pure as she? Perhaps in a distant past they could have made something of themselves when he was a ward of a wealthy man and…Red X quickly shook those thoughts aside as he sneered at his moment of weakness. Never indulge in past preferences, he mentally dictated as he leaned back unto the rooftop door; after all, what the Joker did to him was perhaps the greatest freedom he'd ever received and he'd be damned if he'd ever swerve back unto that self righteous path that the little sidekick and his gang followed so religiously. Well, everyone except the foreign beauty; her natural curiosity and deep empathy for others often blurred the lines between 'good' and 'evil'. She would constantly give aid to those who needed it, even if they were on the opposite side of the playing field; she had never actually used a star bolt on him, the thief mused, but preferred to engage him in a playful and curious banter which intrigued and attracted him. He knew she didn't do it on purpose, it was just her natural tendency to see who her opponent was, if she should truly fight him; Tamaranians were fierce warriors yes, but only when they knew for sure who it was that they would be fighting. This explained the alien girl's reluctance to engage her sister in combat until the last second (though Red X was certainly more than willingly to hunt the bitch down again and wring her neck once he received news of his girl's near peril) and also why when she fought, she fought to momentarily wound and never to kill.
"How long have you been standing here, X?" Came a soft voice, something akin to strawberries dipped in sugar and filled with the curiosity of a bumblebee gathering nectar in the spring. He could smell the scent of honey and vanilla rolling off of her as the warm night air carried it to him; inwardly, he smirked as he spun around to meet her, his mask covering the gleam that now borne itself in his eye.
"Well hello there, cutie. How long have you been hiding in the shadows? Picking up a few of my trademarks?"
The tan skinned girl merely smiled, shaking her head in amusement as she stood a few good feet apart from him. "You knew I was here, do not pretend to be…"
"Oblivious?" He offered, the smirk still upon his covered lips.
"Yes! Oblivious! Do not pretend to be so with me, Red X. What are you doing here?"
He pushed himself off the metal door, giving a shrug as he turned to view the city before beginning to pace in front of the foreign beauty. "Always with the what's and the why's and when-will-you-stop's, eh? How come I don't ever get a kiss as a greeting, sweetheart?"
The girl reddened, a blush upon her cheeks as she struggled to gain composure under the vigilante's playful banter. "I do not kiss thieves."
"But you kissed Robin-boy when you first got to Earth didn't you, babe?"
"I needed to learn this language! Would you have me still speaking Tamaran to you?"
He smirked, "well all the better for you to kiss me then, darling."
"You-we will not discuss this now!" She affirmed briskly, "as you are not committing a crime and I am not in uniform nor with my teammates, then we will not fight each other and will engage in formal conversation."
He raised a brow at the alien girl's breathy claim. "And what makes you so sure that I'm not the one itching for a fight or two tonight?"
"Because you have never touched me in battle."
"I'd never hit a pretty girl, babe."
"You are very…what is the word? Clicky? No…cliche!" Starfire finally smiled, proud at herself for having remembered the terminology she had momentarily forgotten. It was a word that Friend Raven often employed to her whenever Starfire gushed over something such as rainbows (there were never any rainbows on Tamaran) or kittens, puppies or even warm cups of pumpkin spice latte. Now, looking across at Red X she could tell that he was amused judging by his relaxed stance; usually when they fought, he was as skilled as a cat on the prowl, all grace and fluidity, never casually standing with arms crossed and a slight slouch in his demeanor. It relaxed her seeing him to calm, not that she would ever need to worry about him in battle stance; throughout every single entanglement that the Titans and Red X have engaged in, the skillful thief had made sure never to hurt her. Even something so simple as shooting a cohesive X band was reserved only for the most drastic measures when regarding her; taking a few steps closer, her confidence rising, Starfire gave a bright and sunny smile. "I do believe this is the part where you greet me with a witty comment."
Red X grinned, though Starfire would never see, as he walked a few paces closer towards her, his gloved hand raised slightly. "You're a bit presumptuous, aren't you?" He chuckled, "who says I've got something up my sleeve other than a 'hello and how are you'?"
"Because you are Red X. You are too vain to be simple."
He stared at her momentarily, respect filling his every molecule; he knew that most people regarded Starfire as naive and often dull but he saw none of that. Through her simplicity and innocence, the innocence that children carried and something that the fiery haired alien possessed in abundance, allowed her to see situations for what they were. A sight devoid of all bias and impurity…and he smiled.
"You think too lowly of me, sweetheart. I think I'm a bit less shallow than that."
Starfire cocked an eyebrow before shrugging, an amused smile on her lips. "Is that how this evening is going to go?"
"I could think of a hundred million different ways this evening could go but I doubt your little team of goons would appreciate those ideas." He offered, the suggestion thick in his tone as he skimmed her body up and down. For once, she did not wear her skin bearing uniform but rather, a pair of dark skinny jeans and sky high black heels. She wore a skin tight black lace blouse and her thick hair was coiled in perfect curls; she carried a red purse that slung from her shoulder and Red X could easily tell that it was empty judging by the way it gently waved in the warm breeze. As he gazed towards her purse, his eyes shifted up to her eyes were confusion, amusement, and…desire? were burning. He inwardly smirked.
"Your ideas usually end with Robin trying to beat you into submission." Starfire frowned.
The elusive thief shrugged, "and he usually ends up getting his ass kicked doesn't he?"
"No. You usually end up pounding his face, not his rear end." Starfire enunciated, eyes completely fixed upon Red X.
The response was jocular; the usually cold demeanor of Red X disappeared and from him a deep rumbling laughter filled the air as Starfire watched on, overjoyed at his easy happiness and confused as to what brought it on. As she stood there, a dulcet smile upon her countenance, the skull masked man walked a few paces closer until only a few inches separated the two.
"Why don't we get out of here, hm?"
"And where would we go?" Starfire frowned. She'd visited just about every boutique in Jump City and there was nothing there that really appealed to her.
Red X smirked, as his fingertips danced along Starfire's lithe arms. "We're about to go under, babe." And with that, he grabbed Starfire, pressing her close to his chest as the two teleported right into the heart of Gotham City.
Author's Note: I just saw a few episodes of Teen Titans and I thought Red X and Starfire could actually make an adorable couple, and so I decided to make this little two-shot. This is my first time writing a TT fanfiction piece so my facts might be a little off!
