Robin and Starfire are in the garage helping Cyborg clean the T-car. Well they were. Now they're doing everything but that. You see, Cyborg stepped out for a few minutes to find the wax for his car. They did intend to clean the car, really they did, but then Robin somehow discovered that Starfire was intensely and irrationally ticklish. You guessed it- it was all downhill from there. He tickled her endlessly and she laughed as she ran away, like a childish game of tag. Finally he pinned her to the wall holding her two forearms against the wall along with a sly smile and a bit of an evil twinkle in his eye. Her face was brilliant, laughing and throwing her head back, and he was leaning in, closer to her face. But when she had stopped laughing she opened her eyes, looked at his face and instantly had her smile vanish. In fact, she closed her eyes and lowered her head, having her bangs cover her eyes. She aggressively shook off his grip on her arms and looked up at him. Robin pulling away, had his mouth slightly parted in shock. With blazing green eyes she spit out "Do not touch me, Robin" and stormed out of the garage.
He's left alone in the garage, looking quite confused. She's a teenage girl. He's a teenage guy. He hears about girls being prone to mood swings, but like this? It was then when Cyborg strolled in with the car wax, proud like a peacock, as if he'd strolled in with a trophy. "Man! Did you know it was in the main floor the whole tim- uh- w-what..?" the look on Robin's face along with the absence of Star baffled the just recently enthusiastic teenager.
"I-I don't know." Robin said looking down at the floor, looking defeated, taking the same route Starfire had just taken.
And Cyborg sighed. Mostly because he had to do all the work by himself now.
The next few days the ex-exuberant Tamaranian avoids Robin in every way- doesn't look at him, doesn't talk to him, even avoids being near him. At the breakfast she'd scarf down her toast and mustard like it was water, then leave to her room. During the day she'd meditate with Raven until even Raven was tired of meditating. During dinner she wouldn't even say a word. And of course, everyone notices and while still oblivious to why she's acting the way she is, Robin now has to worry about avoiding the other Titans' questioning looks, because nothing is weirder than Starfire appearing anti- social beside Raven. And so finally, he confronts her. Okay, well not completely- I mean, he tried, he did try. But all he really did was sit on the floor, his back against her door, clustering the courage to knock.
But eventually he did knock and she did open. Strangely enough, he was then wishing she didn't. Her face with no emotion was almost unrecognizable and to be honest, somewhat frightening. He must've knocked on Raven's room, not Star's. After a few seconds had passed, he decided it was about time he said something, sometime, but like so many un-leader like moments, the grishnik had caught his tongue, yet again. So she just walked back and sat on her bed and he followed like a lost puppy. Sitting on her bed, they just stared at each other for an unknown time period and then Robin was the one to break the silence.
"I'm sorry."
"But you do not know what you have done wrong" she said quietly.
"Would you tell me?" he asks with a soft mellow voice.
She looks away, avoiding his eyes, but begins,
"You are aware that I spent a time in captivity with the Gordanians. In that time, I was"
she pauses, planning her words carefully.
"a slave. Often they would-use me- for… well you see I was- you could say I was –"
Robin grimaced, and she knew he had understood.
"Violated," his voice cracked, along with his composure. He breathed and glared at the poor ground.
Her voice was higher and cracking as well, shaky, and often she'd pause trying to collect herself,
"my master would hold me against the wall, holding my arms, much like you did" and she started speaking faster and started ranting breathy,
"and the look on your face, was just like his, and your hands were just like his, and then I questioned if you were even any different than him, and if you desired me… the way that he did, and then I avoided you because – " tears streamed down her cheeks, and Robin desired to reach over, hold her face, and wipe her tears with his thumbs, and hold her in his arms, but it wasn't touch that she needed, and he knew that. That couldn't heal things this time. She needed space and respect.
"I'm sorry."
There was a lot of other things he could've said, things he could`ve added, things he could`ve done, but it's hard to come up with anything when you have a picture in your head of a precious Starfire being abducted and abused for days, or months, or years. He got up and left, without another word, before his mask soaked too visibly.
Robin tried to keep calm, as he walked to the training room. He knew as soon as he got there, he could begin his self-therapy, which included breaking, throwing and yelling at things, but for now he needed to push away the thoughts he had about the pig that would take innocence and corrupt it so selfishly and –
Just get to the training room, just keep walking, he thought
But when he got there, he wasn't alone like he expected. How unfortunate for Cyborg. He wouldn't even know what hit him. Perhaps, literally.
Robin walked in and threw his hands in the air. "Did you know?!"
Cyborg sat up from his weight lifting machine, being patient and a little startled, just waited.
"Did you know she's been raped? Did you know about that?!"
Cyborg's eyes softened.
"Did you know I- I'm" he closes his eyes "I'm an idiot."
Cyborg gets up and gives Robin the all-too-needed man hug – brave move, considering Robin had originally come to break things – often times metal.
They stand there for quite a while, Robin's mask wetting Cyborg's shoulder. "You know something Cy?" Robin softly says
"I would so rather be hugging Star than you."
and soft chuckles eased the air.
For the next couple of days, Robin gives her space and keeps his distance, until one night the two find themselves on the opposite ends of the hallway. Yes, awkward indeed. They walk towards their destination; Starfire's eyes glued to her feet, Robin's eyes shifting quickly towards her, back to the ground, then towards her again. After they're just about to step into their rooms, Starfire speaks. Her voice like wind chimes,
" You are different than him. I know that now." She says, and continues walking.
Robin is left alone again, in the hallway. But he smiles.