Disclaimer: If I can stop one heart from breaking/I shall not live in vain/If I can ease one life the aching/Or cool one pain/Or help one fainting robin/Unto his nest again/I shall not live in vain--Emily Dickinson
Starfire didn't normally sleep curled up in a ball, but she usually didn't sleep on the couch in the Titan's main room, either. She only stirred when bare feet stepped on the creaky board next to the kitchen. Even then, she didn't awaken, just rolled over.
The person whom the feet belonged to, usually graceful and agile, did wake her up when he tripped and took a nose dive into the open dishwasher. Starfire sat up, raising a glowing hand so that she could see in the dark room.
"Robin?"
He winced at the sound of her groggy voice. "Sorry, Star. I didn't mean to wake you."
"Oh, it is all right," she assured, flying over to his position among the plates and pots, still using her green light. "I do not mind the waking up. Do you require assistance in rising?"
"Yeah, Star," he accepted as he did the hand she held out. "Thanks. Why are you sleeping down here anyway?"
"I was unable to fall into sleep on my bed, so I came down here to try again."
Robin grimaced when he was standing and Starfire inquired as to his condition. He swore he was all right, but Starfire had to see the evidence of this for herself before she believed it.
Hurrying to his other side, she examined his back and ran her hands up and down it. His breathe caught. Normally, he was strong and impenetrable. But when she touched him—or just smiled at him, even—he melted.
"Seriously Star," Robin began, not really wanting her to stop but not wanting her to worry either. "I'm fine. I'll just grab what I came for and go back to bed. And you should too."
"Perhaps I could walk with you up to your room and then go back to mine. That way I would be assured that you are really all right."
He was going to protest but forgot to as she, who knew him so well, poured the glass of milk that he had come to retrieve. As she held it out to him, he spoke, agreeing instead of contradicting.
"Sure Star." He drained the cup and put it in the dishwasher as Starfire went about straightening it. He began asking her about one of their many topics of discussion as they headed up. When they reached his floor, Robin kept going up and Starfire gazed at him, green eyes wide, head tilted in confusion.
"Let me walk you to your room, Star," was the only offering of explanation she received. With silent acceptance of his decision, and hidden hope that it meant more than the politeness of a friend, she continued their conversation.
It was amazing, Robin found himself thinking, how many times this girl had saved him. She had almost always been the one to catch him when he fell, literally and figuratively, to take him back to the tower, to put him in his bed.
He only halfway paid attention to what the alien girl was saying and, before he knew it, they were at her room. She entered and, as he was leaving, called to him from the doorway.
"Friend Robin?"
"Yes?" he asked, turning and not too far away.
"I thank you for accompanying me to my room." He nodded, about to say, "No problem." He got a word and a half out before being stunned by her lips on his cheek. She pulled back and giggled. "Good night Robin."
He nodded, dazed, as she closed the door. He stood still for a minute before knocking, thinking about nothing but what he was about to do. He was scared but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He had fought evil villains and stopped dastardly deeds. He wasn't going to let his feelings get the best of him and bring him to his knees. Starfire had taken care of that.
Immediately after she opened the door, he kissed her, not giving himself time to back out. He walked back to the stairs afterwards, his mission accomplished. It was several moments before he heard the door close, and he turned back, nodding once to himself.
It was a good night indeed.
A/N: Not exactly how I imagined it. It was the same until the middle, the part where Robin said he wanted to walk her to her room. That was the first thing to happen that I hadn't planned. I actually changed the next-to-last two paragraphs. They were pretty bad the first time I wrote them, seeing as I was half asleep and trying to hurry and finish them up so I would be rested before I went to the amusement park the next day. Yeah…anyway…That was the first Teen Titans I've written in a while so please keep that in mind and be gentle when you review. I actually kind of like it, Now that I've changed the ending.