Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Author's Note: Another oneshot that's kinda recent. Idk what the inspiration for this was tbh but eyyy, my birthday happens to be next Wednesday so yay posting this is relevant-ish. Originally written in 2015.
Dark auburn hair tumbled over the edge of the circular bed and spilled onto the ground as she laid back and emitted a sigh. Starfire had recently discovered something that she had been completely unaware of. It happened to be Robin's 'day of birth' and she had absolutely no knowledge of it. At first, she had felt discouraged that he had not told her or even so much as subtly hinted at it. She was somewhat hurt that he could not trust her with such information even though the two of them had been in a relationship for over a year and a half. However, she reasoned with herself that trusting her had nothing to do with it considering he had opened up about his identity almost a month into their relationship as well as removing his mask for her.
That specific memory gave her butterflies just by thinking about it. Starfire had felt so elated that he finally felt close enough to her to reveal such sensitive information about himself. The mere concept of removing his mask made the boy wonder defensive so Starfire felt truly honoured as she knew how difficult it was for him to talk about any part of his life before the vigilante facade of being Robin.
Nevertheless, Starfire reminded herself of what her boyfriend was like. He liked his privacy and she respected that but a birthday was something to be enjoyed and celebrated with those closest to you; at least, that was her thoughts on the notion. He was so very similar to Raven like that; she would never understand why someone would want to keep the news of their birthday a secret.
However, as ridiculous as she thought it was, she understood that Robin was not someone who enjoyed having a fuss made of him but in turn, it caused Starfire to feel guilty. For her birthday, he had given her the most beautiful necklace that she wore beneath her neck plate every single day and he had also spent the entire day attempting to make her birthday as special as it could be. She had felt so touched by his determination to make the day memorable and she wished she could return the favour with zeal; Starfire felt utterly penitent over the fact that she had nothing planned due to her lack of knowledge over the significance of today.
Starfire closed her eyes as she allowed her head to hang off the edge of her bed whilst she delved deep into concentration. In a way, she felt somewhat guilty over how she had found out about his birthday too.
She had found out early that morning when she had felt the sweetness of sleep leaving her. Starfire had woken in Robin's bed and had watched him carefully, keeping her eyes narrowed to feign the appearance that she was still slumbering soundly. Although he had not been facing her, she could tell that he had been smiling at whatever it was he had been holding in his hands. The boy wonder had sighed and proceeded to slip the card amongst some of the paperwork upon his desk.
Starfire furrowed her eyebrows at the action but as he turned back towards her, she relaxed her expression so that he would think she was sleeping. She heard his footsteps as he got closer to her and inwardly smiled as he leaned down to gently kiss her forehead. Her eyes remained closed as he walked around the bed and wandered into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
As soon as the sound of the door closing met Starfire's ears, she silently floated off of the bed and drifted over to his desk where he had hidden the object. She flipped through the stacks of paper until she found something heavier.
The Princess had tilted her head whilst her eyes widened with realisation. There was no way of being confused over what it was as it was written crystal clearly on the front. She opened it and saw that it had been signed by 'Bruce and Alfred'; two names that she had become very familiar with even though she was still yet to meet them.
Thoughts and questions began to fill her mind at that point, including that of questioning his trust in her. Suddenly, she heard Robin whistle alongside the sound of running water signalling to her that he was washing his hands.
Starfire gulped and hastily shoved the card back into the slot between the stack of reports. Without allowing another second to pass, she zipped through the air, into the bed once more before tightly shutting her eyes, attempting to regain the disguise of being asleep.
After a moment she relaxed as she felt Robin shuffle back into bed and wrap an arm around her waist. He snuggled closely to her and she felt him bury his face against her mess of red hair. She smiled absently to herself and decided that she would plan something special for him. With the newfound information, she couldn't simply forget about it; she loved her leader, best friend and boyfriend very much and she wholeheartedly believed that everyone deserved a celebration of their day of birth, including him.
But that had been several hours ago and she now resided in her own room whilst Robin had preoccupied himself with filing reports in his room. She exhaled noisily as she considered the things she could do for his birthday. Her mind had immediately darted to the idea of a party but she was pretty certain that he wouldn't appreciate that very much. Starfire wanted to do something small but meaningful whilst maintaining simplicity. Robin wasn't as much a fan as she was when it came to sparkly, glitzy, pink objects and decorations.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open as a thought struck her and she squealed in triumphant delight. She bolted upright and lightly clapped her hands together. The beautiful alien would have to make a trip to the mall of shopping but that was hardly an effort for her. With a jubilant smile, she lifted from her bed and happily floated down the hall, humming an upbeat tune as she passed Robin's room, feeling confident with her idea. Whilst she still wished she could do something a lot more extravagant for her boyfriend, her last minute scheme would have to do; it was sweet and simple and most of all, she hoped that Robin would like her own unique way of celebrating the anniversary of his birth.
She glanced at her friends as she cut through OPS in order to get to the elevator that led down to the ground floor. Starfire toyed with the idea of asking for their help but she knew better than that; if she mentioned that it was Robin's birthday, Beastboy and Cyborg would immediately set out to create a big party; something that Robin definitely wouldn't want. Starfire's mind lingered on Raven, wondering if she would want to join her in her travels to the mall of shopping however; the thought soon faded as she saw Raven open up a large, dusty novel.
Starfire shook herself and alerted her friends of where she was going. For obvious reasons, she had not directly told Robin where she was going but if he were to take a break from the reports, she knew that he would ask for her. She didn't want to worry him.
The Tamaranian reached the elevator and tapped her foot after stepping inside as she calmly waited for the contraption to reach the ground floor. When it did indeed reach the intended destination, the doors of the Tower opened for her and revealed the delicious rays of sunshine. Starfire absorbed the heat immediately and giggled to herself. The Princess deeply inhaled the scent of fresh air and took to the air without hesitation, enjoying the cool breeze that rumbled through her gorgeous long hair as she moved through the sky.
The sky had taken on its usual onyx hue as the day turned to night and Robin sighed as he glanced out of his window. What a way to spend your birthday-
He mentally scolded himself. The boy wonder complained but he knew deep down, he didn't like people to fuss and he didn't like a big deal being made over one single day that allegedly held so much significance within it. Robin wasn't sure where along the line; he had developed the cold feelings towards his own birthday. As a child, he absolutely loved being spoiled and being doted on by his parents.
Robin allowed another sigh to slip past his lips. That was a long time ago. Maybe the death of his parents was the thing to give him such a bitter outlook on the celebratory event; maybe not. He couldn't pinpoint the exact reason but he was glad that the titans were unaware of his birthday. He felt pretty sure that Beastboy and Cyborg would take the news as a go ahead for an uncontrollably messy party. He rolled his eyes behind his mask as the thought fleeted through his male teammates and how reckless their impulsive ideas could be.
In contrast, he knew that Raven was possibly the only one out of them all who would leave him in peace and not make a big thing about it. She usually wasn't the most upbeat over such festivities. Robin shuddered at the memory of how quickly everything had gone south when they had thrown her a surprise party.
He gave into a small smile. It was ironic really; how willing he was to celebrate his friends' birthdays but god forbid, anyone was to even mention his own.
His mind absently drifted to Starfire, like it usually did. She was always the prominent figure of his thoughts, with the exception of work and when reports needed his attention. But even then, she would filter through and he would have to desperately concentrate in order to focus on the task at hand.
Robin couldn't help the smile that remained upon his face as he thought over what he had previously mused about birthdays and such. Starfire, whilst less pushy than Beastboy or Cyborg about conducting activities to celebrate someone's birthday, was on a whole other level in comparison to Raven.
Starfire became extremely enthusiastic when it was one of their birthdays. She would not push them to do things they didn't want to do because she was sweet and thoughtful like that. However, she always tried to urge those around her to enjoy the day; to take solace in the fact that such days retained importance. She tended to more so make a person understand that they should reflect their individual day as a blessing. The idea that everyone had a purpose and everyone was special; so in turn had a specific day to embrace what they were created for.
The dark haired boy blinked a couple of times and sighed but it was not out of frustration; but content and admiration. Out of the many reasons as to why he loved her; her positive outlook on the simplest things never ceased to amaze him. You would never find a human giving such philosophical views on the topic of birthdays.
His smile slowly faded from his features and was instead replaced by a frown. Robin wished he had told Starfire about his birthday. As selfish as it might have sound; all he really wanted on his "special day" was to lounge around with her snuggled up against his chest. She had asked him in the past but he had managed to avoid the question. However, he secretly wished that she knew purely because he wanted to give her a smirk and a reason as to why she had to spend plenty of time with him, to match said smirk.
Robin bit his lip and hunched forwards, picking up his pen to try and get some more work done. He had missed Starfire a lot today. She had apparently ventured out to the mall in the late hours of the morning as told by Cyborg. Of course, he didn't mind and he was glad that she told Cyborg to tell him where she had gone or he very may well have had a panic attack. But, it was now nearly 6pm and she had yet to return home. He drummed his fingertips against the desk and he bit down on his lip a little harder. Fears and concerns flashed through his mind as he started wondering if she was alright. Jump could be a dangerous place at night and-
His thoughts ceased immediately as he felt a soft hand come to rest on his shoulder. He hadn't even heard her come in. Her potent strawberry aroma filled his senses and he felt momentarily dizzy. It could only ever be the one alien Princess he was so very fond of.
Robin dazedly closed his eyes behind his mask and relaxed under her kneading fingertips that were currently doing wonders for the strained muscles in the shoulder she was touching.
The boy wonder's face broke out into a serene smile and he turned his head to look at the emerald eyed beauty, who had one hand behind her back and wore her soft, signature smile.
"Star... I haven't seen you all day." He whispered, eyes never leaving hers as she leaned closer towards him.
Her peaceful smile remained as she removed her gentle hand from his shoulder. Starfire lightly ran her fingertips against the edges of his mask before slowly peeling it away from his eyes. She emitted a soft sound of approval as his lightly blue eyes melded with her own jade orbs.
It was a subtle comfort for her and he knew it because he shared in the notion. They both enjoyed being able to gaze at one another without the mask causing an issue. The mask wasn't for her; it would never be for her. The mask was for others but being without it and allowing himself to be naked and vulnerable in the deepest of ways? No. That was for her. She would forever be the only person who he would allow to take the mask from him.
Starfire reached across and gingerly placed the sacred item upon the edge of the desk, without breaking eye contact with him. The Princess reached up and gently caressed his cheek before she closed the distance between them in a sweet and loving gesture.
Robin had never been one for faltering in action and he wasn't about to start now. He brushed his fingertips beneath her chin and across her soft, golden cheek. He considered the sugary taste of bubblegum on her lips and her tongue. Starfire was like his beacon and his safe haven rolled into one.
Just by tenderly kissing her and embracing the emotions he felt for her, the whole world tended to slip away. Everything became a little fuzzy and the world seemed to get kind of quiet, if only for a minute. In these frequent displays of affection for one another, nothing else mattered; not the reports he was working on, not what their friends were up to in the common room and not what the newest of criminals was scheming.
In moments such as these, it was just him and Starfire and there was not a single care in the world.
Starfire quietly giggled against his lips and he couldn't resist the playful smirk that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Auburn hair slipped over her shoulder as she reluctantly broke their kiss and slowly extended the arm behind her back.
He fought the urge to continue staring at that gorgeous face of hers; curiosity getting the better of him as he noticed what she had placed on his desk.
He blinked.
A small, round cake took up placement upon the desk and he was shocked to say the least. It was presumably vanilla what with how light the colour was. There were showers of white chocolate shavings spread around the sides whilst there were also specks of light blue laced within the delicate chocolate pieces. To top it off, there was blue frosting that had been squeezed upon the top of the cake, creating a number of impressive and professional swirls alongside approximately 5 candles that had slotted in around the edge of the cake as not to ruin the decorations on top.
By the time Robin shook his head and glanced back at her, she had stood up straight once again and clasped her hands in front of her chest, biting her lip hesitantly.
He couldn't contain his warm smile; she was so wonderfully unpredictable and he absolutely loved that about her.
"I wished to do something... to acknowledge as well as celebrate the day of your birth..." She stammered, the blush rising in her cheeks.
"How... How did you know it was my birthday?" He asked, curiously.
Her eyes shifted a little and she nervously scratched her arm, scuffing her shoe in the process. 'Adorable' was the only word that came to mind whilst he watched her.
"I... I happened to witness you opening the celebratory message from Alfred this morning..." She stated, quietly.
Robin nodded, "I thought you were asleep." He commented,
Starfire anxiously tapped her fingertips together, "I apologise. I realise that it was wrong to feign the slumber but I was so curious and when I learned that it was the anniversary of your birth, I simply had to do something... Even if it was a tiny gesture such as this. I am aware of your distaste in the parties so I attempted to think of something that you would not-"
He cut her off with a light chuckle that made Starfire's heart melt and he stood up. He gently took her hands in his and rested his forehead against hers, peppering small, appreciative kisses all over her face, causing her to laugh.
"It's perfect, Star. A party would have been..." He trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence,
"... Unwise." She stated, mirth laced within her voice.
He shrugged and let his hands find her waist before he pulled her closer to him so much that their noses were brushing against one another's.
"But this..." He nodded towards the small cake on his desk and squeezed her waist affectionately, "I'm touched that you'd go to any trouble at all-"
Starfire moved her own hands up so that they could rest against his chest, "You are my boyfriend and my best friend, Robin. It is hardly the trouble. Besides, I believed you deserved some form of celebration. You are so very important to me and I would hate it if you were not made to feel significant on your most special of days."
He chuckled and rolled his eyes, "It's not that special."
The corners of Starfire's lips quirked upwards, "I vehemently disagree, Robin. I am personally very euphoric over this day... It is the anniversary of the birth of the person that I cherish most. I believe it is a very important day."
Robin gazed at her, "I love you so much." He told her in a hushed tone,
"And I love you," She paused, pecking his lips, "Very much so."
He grinned at her and leaned in closer, clearly wanting more than a simple peck of the lips. Robin's eyes drifted shut just as he inched closer and his heart pounded in his chest, waiting to capture her cupid bow lips once more.
But instead, he was met with frosting being smeared over his lips. His eyes snapped open and he playfully glared at Starfire who had the remnants of frosting coating her fingertips. Robin watched with a loving gleam in his eyes as she broke out into fits of laughter. He felt the familiar fluttering feeling in his stomach as that sound met his ears.
He licked his lips and made a small noise of approval. Starfire stared as he did so, noticing that he still had some light blue frosting just above his upper lip.
"It tastes delicious, yes?" She assumed, taking his reaction into account.
Robin grinned, "It's awesome." He pulled her closer, "You should taste some."
Starfire squealed loudly as Robin dropped a couple of kisses against her lips but instead, resorted to merely rubbing his face all over hers, spreading the sweet and sticky frosting all over her face.
"Robin! Stop!" She puffed out, amongst heaps of giggles, "You are making my face all sticky!"
He chuckled and ceased the playful assault, resting his forehead against hers as they slipped into merely smiling and staring at each other once again.
"Thank you for this... And for not telling the others... You know what Beastboy and Cyborg would be like," He sighed and rolled his eyes before his smile returned, "But... You know... You're the only one I'd really want to spend today with anyways... I suggest curling up in bed with cake until we fall asleep."
Starfire breathed a sigh of content, "That does sound absolutely wonderful." She paused and nuzzled his neck, "Happy Birthday, Richard..."
The light whisper of his true name, the one that only she was permitted to call him made him shiver and he made quick work of covering her mouth with his once more. If this is what he was to expect each year, perhaps his birthday wasn't such a bad thing after all.