A/N: Hey, this is my first Teen Titan's fic so please be somewhat gentle. I don't mind constructive criticism, but I do not appreciate flames. Please let me know if anyone seems out of character. Where I live they are only playing the first 2 seasons, regrettably, and have only seen a few episodes from each, so . . . yeah.
This story takes place directly after "Transformation".
TT
When Starfire began acting strange, I was the one who should have noticed. Everyone else assumed it was just one of her "weird Tamaranian" things; I was the one who should've assumed nothing. I should've checked on her, asked her what was wrong. For Starfire to not be bouncing around the tower in her usual happy-go-lucky fashion, something must have been wrong. I was the one who should've noticed her unusual silence, after all, I am the one who notices when the slightest thing goes wrong, so why didn't' I notice Star? When she left, I was the one who took immediate action. The one who pushed Cyborg to revamp the sub and pushed all the Titans into a frantic search. I was the one who assumed Starfire needed us to find her, to help her, to be her friends. But in reality, I was the one who needed her.
"Please be my friends," she had pleaded with us when we found her, saved her. "I am almost normal."
I'd instinctively spouted off some corny television show line about it being what was in the inside that counted, and we all returned home; another successful end to a mission. But for me it wasn't over, as much as I pretended it to be, something inside continuously nagged at me to confront suppressed emotions. I guess that's why I was elected leader of the Titans, because of my ability to conceal my emotions during a battle. Unfortunately, that was also my greatest fault. Concealing so many emotions is enough to tear anyone down mentally, even the strongest men lay victim to their emotions.
I still hear my panicked scream at night; I remember how the word was ripped from my throat, burning my chest with the force, "STARFIRE!" It was the first time I'd ever lost face in battle and afterwards I seemed driven by emotion and fueled by the need to find Starfire. If anyone had asked me then why I was pushing so hard to find her I would have shrugged off their insinuations and explained that she was one of the team. We'd come to everyone else in their time of need, so we should do the same for Star. But now I know it was so much more than that.
TT
Robin rapped lightly on the door, "Starfire?"
"You may enter," her voice was slightly muffled.
Robin pushed the door open, "Starfire I-" he stopped, staring around the room in stunned surprise. Books and magazines were strewn across the floor in a haphazard fashion. Starfire's torso was bent over the end of the bed, her hair sweeping the floor as she looked underneath the ends of her comforter. "Uh, Starfire? Are you feeling okay?"
"I am glorious, Robin," she pulled herself upright on the bed, her red hair flipping over her shoulder as she did so.
Robin averted his eyes, trying to ignore how her smile tugged at his heart. "What are you looking for?"
Starfire's cheeks flushed slightly, "A magazine that I had once, I need to ask it something."
"Well, maybe I can help," Robin shrugged, "As long as it's not a girl question."
Starfire wrestled with this idea for a moment, looking at Robin somewhat hesitantly. "I was hoping it could explain to me these ticklings in my stomach."
Robin smiled, "You mean you have butterflies?"
Starfire looked horrified, "They are trapped in there?"
"No," Robin laughed, "You just feel as though wings are beating against your insides, right?"
"Oh, yes. What does it mean to have such butterflies?"
"It can mean a lot of things," Robin crossed the room, sitting beside her on her bed. "You could be nervous, anxious, excited . . ."
Starfire shook her head sadly, "It is not any of those. I am not nervous, anxious, excited . . . . they are warm ticklings, friend Robin. When I feel them my heart starts to feel as though it is running and my cheeks feel as though on fire."
Robin felt his heart sink as he recognized the emotions. "Star, do you feel like this when," he swallowed hard, "when you see a certain person?"
"Yes," she answered in a small voice.
"Then it probably means you care for that person, Star."
Starfire looked confused, "But I care for Raven and I do not feel such things for her."
"Not that kind of care. It means that you want to be more than friends with them, Star, that . . ." his voice was sounding slightly strangled now, "Possibly that you love them."
"Oh, so it is normal to feel this way?" she asked happily.
Robin had to smile at that, "Yeah, Star, it's normal."
"Glorious," she clapped her hand together, a smile breaking across her face.
"Yeah," Robin muttered, "glorious."
Starfire's smile faded from one of pure joy to hesitation. "I am sorry, Robin, did you wish to speak with me?"
"Oh, yeah, well, Star I . . ."
"Yes?"
For the first time since he'd become a titan, Robin felt his courage leave him. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
"Oh," her smile fell, "I am fine, Robin, thank you."
"I'm glad you're back," Robin forced a smile, "I'm sorry I bothered you." He turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Robin turned, "Yeah, Star?"
Starfire cast her mind around for a plausible reason to explain why she had called him back. "I, I have one more question to ask of you. May I?"
Robin offered her a smile, "Sure,"
Starfire shifted uncomfortably. "Am I to tell the 'certain person' that I care for them?"
"That's up to you, Star?"
"But what if he does not also feel the butterflies?"
"Anyone would be crazy not to feel that way about you, Star." Robin smiled as Starfire's cheeks colored.
Emboldened by Robin's praise, Starfire stepped forward and asked innocently, "Do you, too, feel the butterflies for someone?"
Robin hesitated, he contemplated lying, masking his emotions as he was so used to doing, but as he looked into her bright green eyes he knew he could never lie to her. "Yeah, Star, I do." He failed to notice the apprehension that clouded her eyes.
"You will tell me about this girl, yes?"
Robin sighed, seeing no way out of this that wouldn't hurt Starfire. "What do you want to know?"
Starfire thought for a moment. "Is she what Beast Boy would call a 'babe'?"
Robin smiled, "You could say that."
"Oh, so then she is pretty?"
"She's beautiful."
"Oh," Starfire glanced involuntarily at her mirror. "Is she normal?"
Robin frowned. "Normal isn't all it's cut out to be, Star. Normal people are boring."
"So she is not normal?"
"No," Robin shook his head, "but that's why I love her."
"Robin," Starfire struggled to keep tears out of her voice. "Does she feel the butterflies for you?"
"I don't know, I haven't told her how I feel. I was afraid she wouldn't feel the same way."
"But now?" Starfire prodded.
Robin sighed, "I almost lost her, Star. She left because she was afraid no one would like what she was becoming, because she was afraid no one would accept her because she wasn't normal."
Starfire met Robin's eyes; the story was beginning to sound all too familiar.
"I almost lost her because I never told her how I felt. I won't be able to live with myself if she leaves again without knowing how I feel about her." Robin sighed once more, "I'm sorry if you don't feel the same, but I can't help how I feel. I love you, Star."
Starfire absorbed all this slowly, "You have the butterflies for me?"
"Yea, Starfire, I do."
"Oh, Robin!" Starfire threw her arms around him. "This is glorious!"
"It is?"
"Yes! Because you are my certain person whom I feel butterflies for when I see you!"
Robin's eyes widened behind his mask, "I-I am?"
Starfire pulled back, smiling, and nodded happily. "Perhaps we should have the ritual of exchanging thimbles now, yes?"
"The what?"
Starfire's brow furrowed. "Do you not exchange the thimbles like the Peter of Pan?"
Robin raised one eyebrow at her, "Peter Pan? Have you been watching Beast Boy's Disney movies again?"
Starfire's lip quivered, "So you-you don't do the . . . exchange the . . ."
"Not exactly."
"Then what do you do?" Starfire stared at him soulfully, her eyes brimming with curiosity.
"We, well," Robin could feel his cheeks begin to flush. Instinctively, Robin scooted closer to her on the bed, hesitantly reaching for her hands. She let him take them. Robin pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. "It's like . . ." he tilted his head down as she closed her eyes, meeting his lips with her own. The kiss was short but sweet, unlocking a bliss neither of them knew the contained. "That," Robin murmured against her lips, reluctant to pull away.
"Robin," Starfire whispered, "I have even more of the butterflies now."
Robin laughed, kissing her once more. "So do I, Star, so do I."
TT
A/N: So, love it? Hate it? Let me know! Please review!
DOJ--