Honeymoon, a teen titans fanfic

Honeymoon

A/N: This is a longer version/rewrite of the chapter in my fanfiction Happily Ever After? because then I was a pretty awful and inexperienced writer, striving for a B in essay writing class, and I thought I should write such an important moment in life in a more detailed way. The plot is basically the same, so there might be same passages, but much better, I promise. Tell me what you think of it! Should I slip this into Happily Ever After?? Well, here goes!

They weren't married yet, but who cared if they practically shared a room, as long as they didn't do anything inappropriate? Robin inched closer to Starfire, rubbing his cheek in her long hair that was spread-eagled all over both pillows. He made soft murmurs of contentment as the silky strands caressed his face, soothing the nasty bruise on his jaw he had gotten earlier in the day. Robin breathed deeply, filling his nostrils with Starfire's fruity scent. Starfire's lips quirked into a smile at his antics.

"You are one very strange boy, Robin." she said.

Robin continued to bury his head in her hair.

"Not boy," he insisted, "Man."

Starfire snorted with laughter. "Fine then, man. It does not change the fact that you are very strange."

"Your hair feels good on my bruise." Robin stroked the fiery mass with one hand. "Plus, it smells wonderful."

"Does it pain you much?" Starfire asked for the millionth time that day, her eyes concerned.

Robin shook his head with a smile. "No, I'm fine," he answered; just as he had replied every single time she asked him that. "Nothing your hair can't handle," he added with a happy sigh. Starfire burst into giggles at the sight of his expression. Soon, Robin began to laugh too.

After a while, the laughter melted into a contented silence.

The corners of her lips still reaching for her ears, Starfire started to speak. "Robin, where are we going for our honeymoon?"

Her previously half-closed eyes opened wide to examine his expression more clearly.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, his own blue eyes twinkling exquisitely under the dim lamplight. Starfire studied the darkened ceiling of the white ceiling of Robin's room, deep in thought.

"Perhaps, Hawaii?" she said after a while. "We merely passed it by when we journeyed to Tokyo, and it looked rather promising."

She tugged on a stray lock of hair. "But I do not wish to go if you have already been. It would be nicer if this was new for the both of us."

Robin inwardly smiled. Typical Star, always wanting the best for him, even if it meant giving up something she really wanted. And he knew Hawaii was one place she had always wished to visit, ever since her brief glimpse of the white beaches and swaying palm trees she had gotten so many years ago. She had inquired about the island's name and expressed such delight about the sun and the 'strange trees' that it was quite obvious that she was smitten with the place.

"Well, you're in luck, Star, I've never been there either. Hawaii it is." he said, allowing his smile to surface onto his face. Starfire's face lit up like the morning sun.

"Glorious!" she cried joyfully, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a swift kiss on the cheek before letting go.

Her face still shining, she said rather reluctantly, "But it is now late, and I feel we must return to our rooms and sleep."

Robin groaned his disappointment. "Can't you sleep here today?" he asked rather imploringly.

Starfire shook her head. "You do not want Beast boy and Cyborg to start the teasing and the nasty jokes again, do you?"

She smiled impishly at him before she untangled herself from the bedcovers and jumped onto the floor. "Besides, you fidget too much, which is quite disturbing."

"Thanks a lot," he grumbled, though his twitching mouth gave him away. Starfire's smile widened before she leaned in, kissing Robin on the cheek one more time before she floated to the door.

"Good night," she called out, "Pleasant shlorvaks!"

"Good night to you too!" he replied, propping himself on his elbows to watch her leave. With another sparkling smile and a whoosh of closing doors, she was gone. Robin couldn't wait for the day she could remain here in his bed without them having to insist red-faced that they hadn't done anything.

"Sunglasses?"

"Check."

"Uniforms?"

"Check."

"Spare clothes?"

"Check."

"Zorkaberries?"

"Double check."

Starfire sat perched on the edge of her round magenta bed, her lips pursed in thought.

"Hair gel?" she asked. Robin looked up from the open suitcase at his feet.

"So that's what I forgot to pack!" he exclaimed, sprinting away out the open door. "I'll be right back!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Starfire gave a cursory glance at the contents of each bag. "That is not the only thing you have forgotten," she murmured, floating over to her door. She looked both ways along the corridor before she crept to Robin's room. Glancing around, she confirmed that he was not present.

She opened the door and immediately approached the drawer by the door. Starfire silently slid open the second drawer and pulled out a neatly folded pair of sky blue pajamas. She then proceeded to fly back to her own room as fast as she could and dropped the acquired item into a boston bag that still had room to spare.

She couldn't say for sure why she had acted so secretively, but she just had an idea that Robin would not have wanted her to look through his things. He could be like that sometimes. She shrugged. They were married. They were leaving early the next day, and it was getting late.

Robin's head poked in through the open doorway. "Got it," he said triumphantly, holding up two black cylinders in his hand. He stepped inside and tucked them in a corner of the suitcase before zipping the bag shut.

"I think that's everything," he said, dusting his hands before standing up to look at Starfire.

"Glorious," smiled Starfire, albeit a little tiredly. A mass breakout from the prison had greeted their return from Tamaran, and they had spent all day rounding up the stragglers. "Now maybe we may get some sleep."

She floated off the bed to give Robin a hug. Robin seized that chance to kiss her on the lips.

"Or we can try to," he said, their foreheads still touching, their eyes still half-closed. "Are you excited?"

Starfire nuzzled his cheek. "Yes, very," she murmured dreamily. She laid her head sleepily on his chest. Robin picked her up bridal style and laid her on her bed, foot on pillow, the way she preferred. He pulled the sheets over her slightly stirring form.

"Night," he said.

"Good night," she whispered back, her eyes already closed.

By the time Robin reached the door and looked back at her, she was sound asleep.

The orange T-Ship stood ready, with full tanks and open canopies. (A/N: In case you're wondering what these are, they're the glass lids on the T-ship that lift and act like a door. I checked it with the transcripts for the Teen Titans.) Robin checked the straps on all their luggage one more time, and deeming them secure, jumped into his cockpit. Starfire was already seated and ready in her own compartment.

Three heroes stood next to the ship, all with smiles adorning their countenances.

"I wanna go too! Why can't I go?" Beastboy wailed, looking half enviously at the ship.

Raven gave Beastboy a withering glare. "Because they're going on a HONEYMOON, dimwit." After a final glare towards Beastboy, she returned her attention to the newlyweds. "Have a good time, you two." she said, with a smile tinting her lips. "We'll keep green bean in check."

"We'll miss ya both." Cyborg gave them both a wide, toothy grin. It was so nice to see Robin ecstatic about something. "But don't worry about us, be happy."

"We will be seeing you soon, friends!" Starfire said brightly, waving at the three remaining titans as Robin started the engine and the ship began to lift off the ground.

Robin glanced a smile at his team. "Yeah, real soon." He pulled the thruster and the T-Ship flew up into the bright morning sky, leaving three small specks behind it.

The weather was beautiful as the ship careened over the clear blue ocean, making little ripples along the surface. The sun was bright, but not scorching, and a cool, salt tinted zephyr blew across the open windows of the T-Ship.

Starfire shook her head, allowing the breeze to sweep her long hair out of her face, making it flutter like a scarlet flag behind her. They had traveled for a few hours now, and the only sounds that could be heard were the rush of wind as the ship flew through the air and the soft grumble of the engines.

Starfire glanced toward to her right where Robin sat, his dark hair bouncing against his shoulders, his hands lightly grasping the steering yoke. He was staring out at the blue horizon, and Starfire wished his mask was off so she could see what he was looking at.

She finally spoke up. "It is strange doing the flying of the T-Ship without our friends, Robin." she said quietly.

Robin's voice was just as quiet, as if somehow hushed by the great silence that surrounded them. "I like it this way, just you and me."

"Do not be hurt, dear Robin. It is merely that it seems strange. I do not dislike this."

Her face blossomed into a brightly sparkling smile, her eyes outshining the early summer sun above their heads. Smiles that were reserved for Robin only.

"Perhaps I like it this way as well." With those words hanging in the air, she hovered over to Robin and kissed him on the cheek, nuzzling him gently before returning to her seat.

Robin landed the ship on the mountainous ridge north of Honolulu. He had already staked this place out and confirmed that the place was uninhabited by the satellite images provided by the Watchtower.

"Welcome to Oahu, Hawaii." he said when the engine had died down. Starfire immediately flew out and observed the surrounding trees. Her eyes sparkled like the bit of blue sea that they could both see in the distance.

"Beautiful," she breathed, turning round and round in an attempt to see everything at once. Robin could only smile as he watched his wife. Wife, he thought with relish. He couldn't believe that she was his, that she'd marry someone like him. Lost in thought, he didn't realize Starfire had grasped his hand in hers until she began to pull him down the mountain.

"Come, Robin! There is too much to see to stand here idle," she sang out.

There was nothing more in the world he wanted to do than comply, but first things first. He braked, and pulled her back, pulling a small object from his pocket as he did so.

"Here," he said, slipping a ring onto Starfire's finger. Starfire let go of his hand to activate the hologram ring.

"Ah, yes, I had forgotten," she said with embarrassment. "I was much too excited."

"Doesn't matter, Star." He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "It's more than understandable."

Robin dug inside the T-ship and unstrapped their bags, lifting them down to the ground.

'C'mon. Let's go."

Starfire snatched both parcels from his hand, and giggling, ran down the tree-covered mountain.

"Star, wait up!"

"Here we are," Robin said, fishing out the key from his pocket and inserting it into the lock. It turned with a satisfying click, and the door swung open.

The first impression as they stepped inside was whiteness. A soft, white light seemed to radiate from everything. The bright sunlight shone through the wide, open window on the other side, slightly muted by the thin white curtains that fluttered gently in the ocean breeze. The white walls reflected the light from the windows, so that it felt like a clear mist had settled inside the room, blurring all sharp angles, yet giving everything an inner clarity.

Quaint wooden furniture stood here and there; a white leather sofa leaned against the living room wall, a woven rocking chair standing beside it. Three tall, wooden, backed stools stood in the bar of the kitchen; a dinner table and four ordinary chairs stood not far away. A partially open door to their right revealed a bedroom with a queen-sized bed with enticing white sheets and pillows, and some more white curtains hanging in another large window overlooking the sea.

Even as Robin laid the luggage on the floor and began to unpack, Starfire stood in front of the doorway, her eyes bright as she looked around the room.

Robin straightened up. "You like it?" he asked with a slight smile.

Starfire turned to Robin, and hugged him. "No, I love it," she whispered into his ear. "It is wonderful. Thank you."

Robin chuckled. "You should be thanking Bruce. He's the one who suggested this place to me. I didn't know it, but this place is actually his. That's probably the only reason we could get this place on such short notice."

"Truly? I must call k'norfka Bruce to thank him."

Robin handed her a pile of folded clothes. "After we unpack, Star."

She stuck out her tongue at him before sashaying away into the bedroom, her giggles erupting just as she stepped over the threshold. Robin had to shake his head with a smile as he followed her inside with his own stack of clothes.

The sound of the crashing waves filled the atmosphere as two people sat side by side on a striped beach towel, hunched bare legs touching as both gazed out into the orange sky of sunset. The woman gently leaned on the man's shoulder, and the man, in turn, snaked his arm around the woman's shoulder. After a long while, as if there was some sort of silent signal, they turned their faces to each other. For a single moment in time, their faces were sharply silhouetted against the sinking afternoon sun that shone golden through the distance between their lips. Then, the void was no more, as both were lost in each other, joined in a bond as ancient as time.

The sun sank beneath the waves, yet they did not part until the moon charted her path across the sky. As they released each other, there seemed to be a kind of peace, of understanding. The man stood, his form dark against the city lights blinking from far away. He flung the towel around his shoulders. Then, he carried his bride all the way to the dark of their room.

White, warm whiteness flooded Starfire's eyes as she slowly opened them, blinking a few times. The sleeping face of Robin gradually came into focus, and Starfire smiled as she observed the curve of his nose, the sweep of his hair, traced the line of his mouth and loved every single branch of sunlight caught in his long, dark eyelashes as the morning sun streamed in through the window.

Starfire smiled softly at the memory of the night before, so dark and shadowy yet strong and passionate and right. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek before slipping out from under the covers and tiptoed across to the bathroom, turning the shower on full blast before stepping under the torrent of warm water. She tilted her head upwards, letting the water stream over her face and through her hair, just enjoying the very feel of it, before reaching for the shampoo.

She stepped out of the bathroom soon after, steam billowing out behind her, a light pink bathrobe wrapped around her slender form. With one glance to the closed bedroom door, she walked to the kitchen and pulled out a couple of frying pans.

She was soon absorbed in the task of cooking breakfast; scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and quartered oranges. She didn't notice the bedroom door open; neither did she hear the footsteps that approached her as she cracked three eggs in a deep bowl. Just as she reached for the eggbeater, she felt two strong arms slip around her waist. Starfire gave a small "eep" of surprise before Robin kissed her on the cheek, soft lips contrasting with his scratchy chin.

"I love you," he whispered, the three words Starfire loved to hear no matter how many time they were said, before untangling his arms from her.

Starfire dropped the eggbeater back onto the counter as she spun around and flung her arms around Robin, who was clad in sky blue pajamas. "I love you too," she murmured, nipping his ear gently. "It is a glorious day," she remarked, gesturing at the window through which the sun shone down upon the clear blue ocean.

"Not as glorious as you," Robin said with a grin, picking up the bowl and eggbeater. "You do the toast, I'll do the eggs," he said, the eggs already more than half mixed before she could decide to agree.

Starfire's cheeks were still blushed pink as she nodded and placed two slices of bread in the toaster. They tinkered about the kitchen in silence, and the little space was soon filled with the delicious scent of bacon, eggs, and slightly burnt toast.

"Bon appetite," Starfire beamed at Robin as she set the plateful of bacon next to all the other food on the table.

"When did you learn that?" Robin asked in amazement as he pulled the toast towards him. Starfire slipped into the seat in front of him, and said, "I distinctly recall friend Beastboy using the term quite frequently, and I sort of 'picked it up'."

"Ah," he said, and merely handed the piece of toast that he had spread with peanut butter and jam to Starfire.

With a smile, she bit into the bread, and pulled out a jar of hazelnut cream from under the table with a sly expression. Robin's eyes widened as Starfire pushed it towards him.

"When did you buy this?" he asked as he twisted the cap open, making a delicious chocolaty smell drift throughout the room. Starfire just shrugged mysteriously and proceeded to finish her PB&J sandwich.

"So, where to now?"

Robin turned to face Starfire, who was gazing out to the sea, eyes bright. The blue convertible swerved softly to the left, following the road's lead. They were slowly tracing the coastline of the island Oahu, just enjoying the sea breeze and the quiet tranquility of being alone with each other without interruption.

"What if we get down and walk for awhile?" Starfire suggested. "I think that it will be nice to do so."

"Okay then," Robin said, immediately parking the car beside the road and hopping out, opening the door for Starfire when he reached the other side. Hand in hand, they began to walk the shoreline. Soft sand gave way to rocky cliffs, but they still walked on, hands clasped tightly together. Soon, his arm was around her waist as she leaned slightly into him. The sound of the crashing waves rose up all around them, and the heady tang of the salty sea filled the empty air. And they walked, step by step in harmony.

Robin glanced to the ocean, just to see a cozy looking rocky cove with tide pools in every dip and shallow in the black volcanic rock. Starfire saw too, and the spirit of adventure shone in her eyes as she let go of Robin and ran towards the edge. She started to hop down, Robin following close behind her.

Once they reached the bottom, they glanced around. It was as if a large scoop of rock had been carved out of the black cliff, closing off the rest of the world, only leaving the blue sky above and the blue sea ahead to be seen. The waves were gentler here, and all sign of civilization was erased from every sense. It was only themselves and the vast sky and sea standing alone in the near silence.

It was truly awe-inspiring.

For a moment, both were deprived of the art of speech. This place felt so private, so sacred. Robin could only wonder if they were simply feeling a fraction of what people so long ago had felt every single day. Then, they looked at each other to find that they were feeling the same thing.

Brightly colored tropical fish flitted around their ankles as they waded deeper, hands joined together once more. When it became impractical to hold hands as they walked, Robin insisted that he go relatively in front of her, "to look out for potential dangers". Starfire gave him a look, but smiled and let him do as he wanted.

"Careful, Star, these rocks are sharp," he called out over his shoulder.

"Do not worry, Robin, I am fine."

A flash of yellow in a small pool caught her eye. Starfire bent down to look closer at the tide pool by her feet. A vibrant yellow fish flashed its fins at her, compelling her to dip her hand in the water as an attempt to touch it. The fragment of yellow darted away from Starfire's hand, staring warily at it when the fish felt that it was far enough away from the foreign object that had entered its sphere. Starfire resignedly withdrew her hand from the pool.

"Oh…" she murmured, choosing to admire its bright color instead. "Robin, what is this small yellow creature called?" she asked, lifting her head to look at his form sharply defined against the open sea.

Robin turned his gaze from the ocean to his wife. He waded back nearer to her and crouched down beside her to peer at what Starfire was pointing at. He smiled.

"That's a butterfly fish."

She cocked her head just a little bit, her questioning gaze locked on him. "I was unaware that butterflies could be fish."

He shook his head. "No, it's just a fish that looks a little like a butterfly. See the round shape of the fish?"

The yellow fish swam in small circles, its fins waving lazily in the sunlit sea.

"It is beautiful…" Starfire breathed softly, her inquisitive eyes fixed on the butterfly fish. It was just like her to be delighted in something as simple as fish.

Robin grinned. "As are you," he teased.

Starfire blushed crimson.

"Thank you," she murmured, shifting her head sideways to look at Robin. "I…What is that?"

The last part was uttered in surprise, as something behind Robin caught her eye.

A dark shape was swimming in the water a little way from where they were standing. Robin instinctively stepped in front of Starfire.

"Get behind me," Robin said sharply, hoping it wasn't a shark. Starfire peered over his shoulder, wondering what it was. As they both waited in silence, the wavering dark shape defined itself as an oval with a head, four legs and small tail. The clear water revealed a beautifully marbled shell of a sea turtle.

Robin relaxed as he let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, it's just a sea turtle."

"Robin, may I go look at it more closer?"

He looked at Starfire, who gazed at Robin, eyes bright. He considered her request for a moment.

"Go ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Starfire hovered over while Robin slid carefully along the slippery rocks behind her. The shallow water gently lapped against his bare feet as the tide slowly began to rise. Far away, a wave broke into brilliant white shards against the rocks with a great slap. But before he could reach the place where Starfire was hovering above the turtle, the sea turtle swam slowly away from the cove back into the open sea. When Robin finally reached the place where Starfire now stood, the turtle was just a smudge on the blue horizon.

"It was a glorious creature to see, Robin!" Starfire spoke quietly, but with much awe. "I am feeling the remorse that you could not see it with me. The shell had lines that were wavy and the face had something like the beak of the bird as a mouth and the feet were not feet but was strange, like the front flippers of a whale, and the skin made it look as if it were an animal of ancient and…"

Robin just smiled and said, "Hey, I think I know where I should take you tomorrow."

"Oh…" Starfire was speechless as she stepped into the cool interior of the aquarium. Tanks filled with fish every color of the rainbow stood in the spacious area. The walls itself were tanks, showing off Hawaii's tropical heritage of the sea. Starfire gazed mesmerized at the fish, not even noticing Robin paying for tickets.

"Kori, there's more inside," Robin called out, using her civilian name in public, beckoning towards the shadowy hallway that led to the interior and the real beginning of the aquarium. Starfire shot to him, almost dragging him inside in her exuberance.

He tugged at her hand, bringing her attention back to him. "Star, I'm excited too, you don't have to pull me so hard. And be careful; you're floating."

She abruptly stopped and let go of his hand, willing herself to touch down to the ground.

"Oops. I am sorry, Richard."

He grasped her hand again with a smile. "No matter."

For the next few hours, Starfire was in happy oblivion as she drifted around from one tank to another, firing questions at Robin. Robin smiled to himself as he answered almost every one of her questions. He was glad that Starfire was happy, and he was also glad that he had thought to surf the Internet the day before to brush up on his marine biology, especially about tropical fish. The pamphlet from the aquarium was a great help too.

"That's a dory, Kori," he said as a blue and yellow fish swam past.

"I knew that," she said, making a face, then burst out laughing. "You have already told me that after we watched the movie 'Finding Nemo'."

"Oh. Have I?" Robin asked in confusion.

Starfire nodded. "Yes. In fact, you have told me twice because I had forgotten the next time we pulled out the movie. As you see, I have not forgotten this time."

Robin shrugged. "Eh, memory loss. Comes with old age, I guess."

They both laughed heartily and linked arms before waltzing out to the outdoor pools. There, they found a small souvenir shop where Starfire kept lifting up then setting back down a little doll shaped like a sea turtle.

"Do you like it?" Robin asked her, looking over her shoulder to see what she was examining so carefully.

"Oh… well… I suppose…" she stammered, knowing the miniature turtle had no practical use.

"Give it here," he said, gently tugging the doll away from her. Then he promptly went to the cashier and pulled out his wallet.

"Thank you," Starfire said, bestowing a small kiss on Robin's cheek as they walked out the shop, holding her small turtle in her hand and stroking it with her thumb. The smooth cloth felt good against her fingers, and the shape and size was just enough to fit comfortably into her hand. The slight weight of the sand inside it was somehow soothing to her.

"Don't mention it. If you want something, don't hesitate to ask. It's our honeymoon, and this money's mine to use as I want, anyway." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and they walked on.

They also paid a visit to the zoo, where they spent half and hour staring at the ostriches running around their wide pen, laughing together at the birds' antics and admiring their graceful stride and speed. After that, they just about wandered aimlessly around from pen to pen, chatting to each other, sometimes wondering what the others were doing now, sometimes planning out what they would do the next day.

"I bet Beastboy's devouring a tofu burger just about now," Robin remarked over lunch.

Starfire swallowed her bite of hotdog. "Yes, and he will probably be offering some to Raven and Cyborg."

"I think that's their way of having fun. You know, arguing about tofu and meat every day."

"I think that as well. It is more of a friendly banter than a true fight."

Starfire wiped her hands on her paper napkin and placed it on her tray.

"Finished?" Robin asked her. She nodded, and they both stood up.

Later, as they were still roaming about the zoo, Robin spotted a fenced area with a few geese with brown markings pecking about inside it. "Look, Star," he said, reading the information plaque set up in front of the fence, "this goose is the bird of Hawaii."

They both peered over the fence at the flock of geese.

"They're called nene," Robin observed, his eyes back on the plaque. "Weird."

Starfire leaned on the fence to get a better look.

"They are quite adorable! But what does it mean to be a 'bird of Hawaii?"

Robin placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's just a symbol, like the R on my clothes and motorcycle means Robin. The eagle's America's bird."

As they walked on past the nene pen, Starfire spotted a zookeeper with a stuffed sea turtle specimen. She asked so many questions about the animal that when they finally left, Robin almost felt as if he could major in marine biology.

"But wasn't it obvious that it wouldn't have been a poached animal, Star?" Robin asked on the car ride home.

Starfire scowled slightly. "No, and besides, friend Garfield would have liked someone to ask that question, if only to make sure. Better safe than sorry, you always say that."

"Yeah, Gar would have wanted someone to ask that. You're right, I guess."

But everything has an ending. Between roaming the Waikiki beach day and night, visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial, trying out everything there was to try at the Polynesian Culture Center (where they found out a coconut could be opened by a mere rock; "If we'd known this sooner we wouldn't have had to throw out those coconuts we bought last year!" Robin said), and long talks amid themselves, the two weeks allotted to them passed by quickly. All too soon, Robin and Starfire was packing their bags, returning their key and climbing back up the mountain slope. Once they reached their ship, both took off their civilian clothes to reveal their uniforms underneath. Starfire deactivated and pulled off her hologram ring before handing it to Robin, who tucked it back into his utility belt.

They boarded the T-Ship.

"It was good while it lasted," Robin said, starting the engine. As the ship became airborne, leaving the island behind them to remain only as a memory, Starfire whispered, "I will miss you." Her voice was lost in the slipstream of the ship.

That was the single, most longest and most thought out story in my entire storywriting life! It took such a long time, I thought I'd never finish it. This little piece of work took three months to work out. Three. Months.

Who knew a honeymoon was so hard to think out? Well, it's probably because I've never gone on one nor heard stories about anyone's honeymoon.

By the way, all the places mentioned above in my story really exist, or used to exist six years ago, which is when I vacationed in Hawaii. The coconut story's mine too; we even tried using a hammer, then a hammer and nails but the damn thing just wouldn't open, and we had to throw them out. Imagine our surprise when we saw a man open it easily with his bare hands and a small rock!