Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Wish I did, but I don't. Humph.
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Scrap Booking
A pair of masked eyes scanned the common room, searching for their mark. They passed over a half man, half machine teen who was taking part in a vicious video game competition with a green shape shifter. A cloaked girl hovered a foot above the couch, a shadow cast over her pale face by her hood, reading a book quietly. Everyone seemed in place except for one team mate, who was nowhere to be found.
"Where's Starfire?" the masked boy, Robin, asked his team.
"Don't know." The metal-man, known as Cyborg replied, his eyes still glued to the television screen, determined to be victorious.
"Haven't seen her." The green teen, Beast Boy, said. He bit his tongue, his brow furrowed, as he quickly worked the game controller, maneuvering his green car on the screen. He let out a triumphant shout as he managed to pass his opponent's car, and continued to play, a broad smile on his green face.
Robin's brow furrowed. As if sensing his concern, the cloaked girl named Raven spoke in a monotone, "Try looking in her room."
Robin nodded and turned with a swish of his cape, making his way down the long hallway and towards his missing team mate's room. He stopped in front of the metal door, with the word 'STARFIRE' marked accross it. Bringing his knuckles up to the door, he briskly rapped twice and waited.
"You may enter, unknown visitor!" came the cheery reply, and Robin smiled. He punched in the security code and waited for the door to slide open before entering.
His eyes fell upon his alien friend, who sat Indian style on the floor. Surrounding her was a clutter of construction paper, photographs, glue sticks and various other crafty materials. A stack of photo albums sat beside her, tilted precariously to one side. One album lay open in front of her, obviously her current project. Starfire, however, was currently preoccupied in shaking her hand vigorously; a piece of paper having seemingly gotten stuck to her palm.
"Robin!" she exclaimed, looking up to see her visitor, a broad smile spreading on her orange tinted face, "Welcome! I am taking part in the Earthly activity of 'the scrap booking' and am finding it most enjoyable!"
Robin walked over to where Starfire sat and squatted down to get a better look at her scrap book. There was a picture of the whole team, who appeared to be posing at the local park. Everyone was smiling, save for Raven, who was glaring at Beast Boy for draping his arm around her shoulders. Starfire appeared to be floating, both her arms pulling Cyborg and Robin into a hug. Cyborg's left arm was lifted, punching the air, and Robin merely smiled. Below the picture, a caption was written in fancy hand writing. It said, 'These are my friend, the Teen Titans. We all enjoy the outings to the park'
Beside it was a picture of Raven who sat in the shade an old oak tree, hovering a few feet above the ground in the lotus position. She seemed oblivious to picture being taken of her as she focused on her meditation. The caption below read, 'Though Raven does not act excited about the outings, I know she still enjoys them.'
Below it was a picture of Beast Boy and Cyborg, who were both shouting at each other animatedly from opposite sides of a picnic table. Beast Boy was standing on the bench, making it easier to face Cyborg head-on, his arms flaying in the air comically as he shouted his defense. Cyborg looked like he wanted to strangle the changeling. The caption read, 'Beast Boy and Cyborg often do the fighting over whether meat or tofu is better.'
Robin resisted the urge to laugh. The two friends, though usually rather annoying when they fought, just looked plain funny in the photograph.
Beside that photograph was a picture of Beast Boy, grinning and holding up a plate where a firm block of white tofu sat. The caption below read, 'Beast Boy loves the tofu. I do not find it quite so appetizing.'
That was all Starfire had in that album so far. Robin looked up from the book and at Starfire, who was watching him intently, her breath held, as if waiting for him to criticize her.
"That's really cute." Robin said with a sincere smile, and Starfire seemed to relax.
"Thank you, your compliment is appreciated." She said cheerily, clasping her hands (she seemed to have been able to remove the paper from her palm while Robin had been looking at the album), her emerald eyes shining in a way that was simply adorable. Robin's eyes shifted to the pile of albums beside her.
"Have you finished those?" he asked her. Starfire nodded.
"Most of them. I have been doing the scrap booking for some time now."
"Can I see them?"
"Certainly!"
Robin reached over and picked a thin album off the pile, opening it and glancing down at the first page. What met his gaze made him flush. The entire page had pictures of him on various different occasions. One was a picture of him cleaning his R-cycle, the caption reading 'Robin takes very good care of R-cycle. It is his favorite possession.' Various other pictures of such nature filled the page.
Robin turned the page quickly, jaw hanging on its hinges, and looked at the next pictures. There was a picture of Starfire and himself posing on the roof. Starfire had Robin wrapped up in a tight hug, a light blush tinting Robin's cheeks. 'Robin is my very best friend,' read the caption. Another picture below it showed the Titans at the beach. There he was, sitting on a rock, watching the ocean. He noted, his blush deepening, that he was in his swim trunks, and if that wasn't enough, the caption below it read, 'Robin is very kind, and also displays 'the hotness', though he is not physically of a high body temperature.'
Flipping the pages, Robin saw that the entire album was filled with pictures devoted to him. Where she got all those pictures, he would never know, but it was both flattering and unnerving.
The Boy Wonder looked up, wide eyed, to see Starfire, whose face was as red as his.
"I…did not intend for you to see that…" she said, reaching forward to take the book out of his hands. Robin thought for a moment, ready to have the album over to her, but stopped. Instead, he shut the album and held it away from Starfire's reach. Starfire looked at him, confusion dominating her features.
"This is pretty flattering…" Robin said, a devilish smile crossing his features, "Maybe I'll just…keep it."
Starfire's eyes widened, and she made another attempt to swipe the book away from him, but Robin jumped to his feet, waving the album above his head tauntingly.
"Robin, do not tease me!" Starfire huffed, getting up and crossing her arms, "It is not nice!"
Robin faltered for a moment, unable to deny how cute Starfire looked at that moment, her arms crossed and her lip sticking out slightly as she pouted. He let out a yelp of surprise, however, as Starfire suddenly darted forward, attempting to make a snatch for the book. Robin managed to move out of the way just in time, and quickly darted behind Starfire. The girl spun around, a small smile of amusement gracing her features, quick to pursue. Lifting off the ground, she flew over to the Boy Wonder, swooping down, causing Robin to duck and make a mad dash towards her bed.
He dove over the bed and on to the other side, peeking over the pink comforter. Starfire landed and walked wearily towards him, watching his every movement carefully. Robin moved backwards slowly, aware that he was backing himself up into a corner. He cast a desperate glance around, finally looking up once more at Starfire as she moved round the bed and towards him, a triumphant smirk on her face.
"Do you surrender, dear Boy Wonder?" she asked, taking another step forward. Robin cast another quick glance around, thinking. He slowly moved into a cat-like position, crouching down, his fingers planted firmly in the carpeted ground, clutching the album tightly with the other arm as he looked around once more. He locked gazes with Starfire, matching her smirk evenly.
"Not yet." He quickly jumped up, flipping over Starfire's head and landing with cat-like grace behind her. Starfire turned round, momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure. She lifted off the ground and darted once more after her friend, who was zigzagging in an attempt to throw her off. The two ran in rough circles around the large room, laughing as they continued to play their game of predator and prey.
Robin leapt agilely onto Starfire's bed, grinning in childish mischief. The two stood there for a moment, catching their breath and giving each other mock glares. The side of Robin's mask quirked upwards, and he held the album out in front of him.
"If you want it so badly, take it," he said slyly, "Who am I to keep something you obviously love so much away from you?"
A blush crept up the alien girl's cheeks once more, but she remained calm. Her face seemed to light up with an idea, and she put her hands on her hips and rocked to one side, looking the boy in the eye. Slowly, she moved forward, swishing her hips from side to side as she walked an impish gleam in her eyes. She kept her staring into the boy's eyes evenly, her mouth curled into an almost seductive smile. Robin watched her, unable to tare his gaze away.
"Perhaps I do not desire it as much as I thought I did." She said slowly, twirling a strand of ruby hair around her finger thoughtfully. Her feet lifted off the ground and she floated slowly towards the awe-struck Boy Wonder.
Robin clamped his jaw shut and gulped, eyes the size of saucers, aware of how dangerously close Starfire was to him. He could clearly see every short strand of ruby hair making up her bangs, every dark, long lash lining her dazzling emerald pools. He took a sharp intake of breath, tensing up as she moved ever closer to him. He took a step backwards nervously, his heel going several inches over the side of the bed. Starfire moved forward after him, her eyebrow quirked, and her lips looking fuller then ever.
"After all," she said, her voice sweet as honey, "What is really so special about that book?"
The boy could feel his heart rate quicken, his mind racing. Since when had Starfire been so…foxy? He gulped again, his face flushed. The corner of Starfire's mouth quirked into a triumphant smirk, and in one swift movement, she reached forward and plucked the album out of Robin's hand.
"I win." She whispered, and Robin snapped out of his trance-like state, unable to believe what had just happened. His jaw dropped. However, he did not have time to respond, for at that moment he felt himself teetering dangerously on the edge of the bed, and in a desperate attempt to regain balance, he grabbed hold of Starfire's shoulders. The two let out a simultaneous yelp as they toppled over the edge of the bend and onto the floor in an awkward heap.
Robin groaned, eyes scrunched shut, for although the floor was carpeted, it still hurt to come crashing down head first into it, and it hadn't helped that Starfire's chin had smacked painfully into his upon impact.
"Sorry about that." He managed to say groggily.
"Apology accepted. My I ask of your forgiveness?" Starfire replied, shaking her head slightly to regain her senses.
"Of course."
Their eyes snapped open simultaneously when they realized that Starfire had landed right on top of Robin. Not only that, but their faces were now so close that Robin could feel Starfire's ragged breath on his skin, and it unnerved him. This was most definitely not a safe position to be in, and the adolescent boy had to shake his head to shake off some hormone-induced thoughts that inevitably filled his mind.
Get your mind out of the gutter! He mentally scolded himself, his face flushed. He shifted his position uneasily, trying desperately to ignore how perfect his best friend felt on top of him.
"Uh…maybe we should get up now-" he began weakly, but was cut off when Starfire brought her lips crashing down on his. His masked eyes opened wide in shock, but soon closed as he gave up any thought of protest. His mind raced, his senses wild, for though he had contemplated kissing her before, he had never dreamed it would happen in real life. Reveling in the softness of the kiss, he lifted a gloved hand and placed it at the back of the alien princess's head, and she brought her hands up and cupped his face, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. It was…intoxicating, Robin concluded.
They would have loved this moment to last forever, but were not so fortunate, for they suddenly heard a click. They broke apart and looked up in horror like two deer caught in the headlights to see a familiar green shape shifter standing in the doorway, a Polaroid camera in one hand and a very recently taken photograph in the other. A devilish grin played on the boy's features as he waved the picture, snickering.
"Dudes, you are so busted." He said, turning to make his getaway and shouting, "Hey, Cyborg! Get a load of this!"
However, Robin and Starfire were quick to react. They leapt to their feet and dove for Beast Boy, who let out a shrill scream as he got pummeled to the floor. With Starfire pinning Beast Boy's arms down, Robin was able to grab the photograph, just in time for Cyborg to come running into the room. He stopped in the doorway and watched the three of the scuffle taking place on the floor, confusion playing on his features.
"What have y'all been up to?" he asked, quirking a brow. Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak, but Starfire slapped a hand over it, laughing nervously. Cyborg looked all the more confused. Robin moved over to the side of the bed where he and Starfire had been only moments before. The album had been thrown aside during the fall, and now lay open on its spine.
"You know," Robin said, picking up the discarded album, "You could put this picture in your scrap book."
Seeing Robin's mischievous smirk, Starfire giggled.
"Perhaps I shall!" she said, her eyes glinting, pinning Beast Boy down effortlessly as he tried to wriggle from her grasp. Robin walked over nonchalantly, still looking at the photograph. He stopped as an idea struck him.
"But wait…this picture isn't good enough." He said a devilish glint in his eyes. The others stared.
"It is not?" Starfire asked, finally letting go of the captive Beast Boy and floating over beside Robin to get a look at the photograph. Beast Boy sat up and rubbed his head.
"It's not? 'Cause I thought I took a pretty good picture." The green teen said in disbelief, standing up and walking over beside Robin. Cyborg followed him, his jaw dropping when he saw the picture, and uttering a quiet 'whoa', his organic eye bulging.
"Nope, it will never do," Robin said giving Starfire a devilish smile, "See? It's off focus. We'll have to take another one."
The two other boys just stared in shock, and Starfire giggled as Robin put his arm around her waste and drew her closer to him, capturing her lips in his own. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into the kiss with a contented sigh. The Boy Wonder looked impossibly smug as he curled his fingers around her ruby locks, leaning her backwards slightly to deepen the kiss.
Cyborg and Beast Boy watched in shocked, silent horror.
"Do…do you think I should take a picture?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes bulging. Cyborg picked his jaw up off floor and looked down at his little friend.
"Man, whatever you do, count me out." And with that, he hurried out of the room, eager to get his mind off his two friends making out and back on video games. Beast Boy watched for a moment longer, stunned, then scurried after his metal friend, leaving the two lovers to enjoy their kiss in peace.
The couple sunk to the ground, tired of standing in their rather awkward position, caught up in the heat of the moment. The two were so infatuated, in fact, that they didn't hear the little click from the doorway or the swish of a cape as the gothic teen retreated to the her room, having completed her task.
"The others may have forgotten about the camera," Raven said quietly to herself, a small smirk playing on her lips, "But I'm not going to let a good picture go to waste."
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Well, there you have it. Was it good? I thought the end turned out kinda crappy. --;; But I like this anyway. It's the longest one-shot I've ever written. Oo I was going to write another one, but I was hit with a inspiration and had to write it. - I love sudden bursts of inspiration. Bah, I have so much fun writing about R/S…Anyhoo, that's about it.
Reviews are always welcome!