You are cordially invited to the wedding of Victor Stone and Sarah Simms, who will be delighted to have you present during the ceremony of their betrothal. Guests are welcome. Date and directions are on the reverse side of the card.
He smiled as he looked over the wedding invitation one more time and put it back in his bag. Dick Grayson took a tiny road trip from New Jersey to New York City, also known as Gotham City. After graduating Princeton, Dick was happy to find out that his old friend Victor was ready to tie the knot with someone he cared about deeply.
"Congratulations, Cyborg," he said to himself as he got out of his parked car and entered one of the entrances of Central Park.
Cyborg was going to marry a longtime friend of his at a location in Central Park, and Robin wanted to see it beforehand. He was excited to see his old friends again after a few years. He couldn't wait to see how much Beast Boy matured, to see if Raven gained any optimism throughout the years, and how Starfire was doing.
However, Robin already knew about Starfire. Although they hadn't spoken to each other, he knew what she was up to. Starfire, known as Kory Anders to the whole world except for a few exceptions, was a well-known model who showed up very often in magazines, sporting the latest trends in fashion. Kory was also involved in many charities and philanthropic events.
Robin felt nostalgic thinking about his old friends. Although he was going to see them soon, Robin wouldn't be able to relive the nice memories they made with one another.
When the Teen Titans decided to part ways to go to college, they all needed to take other aliases for cautious reasons. Robin was called Richard "Dick" Grayson to all his friends at college, Starfire became Kory Anders and famous, Beast Boy took his name Gar Logan, and Raven was Rachel Roth.
Robin strolled along the park by himself, wearing a plaid button down shirt and denim jeans. To an onlooker, he would've probably looked like a hipster. He was very tall and lean. He could feel eyes on him from teenaged girls. They reminded him of the giggles a certain redhead had …
When he realized he got to the spot where his longtime friend would be married, he noticed a familiar face. She was slender, nicely dressed, and taking pictures with a film camera. She had her hair tied up in a bun and her bangs covered a portion of her forehead.
The girl looked up from the camera and finally saw Robin.
"Well, if it isn't the one and only Kory Anders," he said, grinning. It was a strange coincidence of seeing her while just thinking about her moments ago.
Starfire beamed excitedly and pulled Robin into a tight embrace. "Oh, Rob –"
Robin cut her off saying, "It's actually Richard, but most friends call me Dick." He smiled and whispered, "You can call me that later."
Starfire stood in front of him and looked at him with amazement. It was really Robin. After all these years of barely keeping contact, here stood someone who once meant the world to her. He still does, thought Starfire, doesn't he? She brushed those thoughts away since they wouldn't matter anyway. What happened, happened, she reasoned. No need in revisiting the past.
She's so pretty, Robin thought. This is so surreal.
"Well, this is splendid!" squealed Starfire. "Oh, let's go do something together! Like old times!"
Robin chuckled. He liked this. He missed her. "Take it easy, Star."
"You mean Kory," corrected Starfire. "I am just so happy to see you."
"Me too," Robin admitted. "Why don't you give me your number? I have to find a hotel to check into and then maybe I can call you? We can do something then."
Starfire replied, "Oh, no, don't do that. You can share the suite that I booked! The room has two beds and I'm sure it would be alright for us two to live with each other for the meantime." She took his arm. "We can catch up! You can fill me in with all the details of your life without -," she paused to look for the right words, "the rest of us."
Robin's stomach filled with anxiety. He wasn't sure about sharing a room with Starfire. He knew that it wouldn't be difficult, seeing how he was able to live with her once, but he was unsure about the level of appropriateness in the situation. Robin usually spent his time at the Wayne Manor. He's used to seeing Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Not Starfire.
"It would be like a slumber party," Starfire reassured.
"I don't know, Kory," Robin answered. "I mean, it's been a long time since we've seen each other or even spoken. Are you sure?"
"Richard," she replied, "this should not have to do with anything about our relationship." However, Starfire didn't truly believe it so.
It has everything to do with what we once had…the two of them thought.
Robin winced when she said that and hoped she didn't take notice. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed. "A sleep over sounds good to me." He smiled. Deep down, Robin was worried that he would say something to her that he would regret later on, or even worse, that he would do something instead.
He always knew how to please Starfire and how to make her happy. Starfire felt her heart beat abnormally faster, like the times when she used to fight evil alongside Robin. She had the strangest feeling in her stomach all of a sudden when Robin smiled at her.
Maybe I shouldn't have invited him to stay with me, Starfire realized. How stupid I am!
When the two adults were walking out the park, Robin's heart was racing. He couldn't think properly and was feeling very nervous. He couldn't believe he just agreed to stay in the city that never sleeps with a girl he used to be superbly in love with. Yet, Robin wouldn't be able to deny that he had missed Starfire's presence in his life. The first few weeks of college felt like they missed something for Robin. He wanted Starfire there with him, but they chose to go their separate ways. He used to write postcards to her, too, except he never sent them to her even though he knew her address at the time. Those few weeks was one of the first times he allowed himself to become distracted. Robin was glad to be with Starfire at the moment, but he knew that there was going to be awkwardness entailed for the two of them. It was unknown what would go on in that hotel room, yet Robin knew there wouldn't be any physical intimacy. He just had a feeling about that.
"How did you arrive here in New York?" Starfire asked, causing Robin to stop his train of thought.
"I decided to drive here," Robin answered. "You know, to think about things, prepare myself to meet all my old friends. I kinda always liked driving on empty highways."
Starfire smiled. "You were always the thinker, Robin."
"Kori."
"But no one is here to listen to us!"
Robin stopped walking. "You happen to be a superstar. You're the only person besides Bruce that I walk around with and have people gape at me. Don't you think people would want to listen in on what we're saying?"
"Oh, Dick. I'm sure even if we were not walking together, many people would love to take a look at you. You have changed a bit. In a good way." She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "I apologize for upsetting you."
Robin's heart sank a little. "I didn't mean it that way –now you're making me feel sorry."
Starfire giggled. "Let us just forget about it and pretend it's no big deal!"
"Deal. Look, my car is right there across the street. Do you know the directions to your hotel?" Robin asked.
Starfire gave him a look. "I'm quite accustomed to things around here. I know how to go out and about. In fact, I would say I'm pretty normal, in my opinion."
Robin flushed. She kept making him feel bad about his remarks. He didn't mean to imply that she wasn't normal or that she was upsetting him –she was simply taking it the wrong way. He hoped she would be easier to talk to once they got to have a real conversation.
"Gee," he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to take it that way, I just –"
"Please stop apologizing," Starfire asked. "Now you're making me feel bad. You're doing nothing wrong. I'm enjoying myself with you. It's a nice getaway from the stress of being someone famous."
"What's that like?" Robin asked. And from there, they started talking about what it's like being each other on the surface, and soon checked in to their hotel room.
There was a kitchen and dining space, a living room, a bathroom, and the room Robin and Starfire would share. Robin felt at peace in the air-conditioned room since he didn't have to think about things like schoolwork, chores, etc. He was on vacation –with a friend, as well.
He sat down on the sofa while Starfire went into the kitchen. It was quiet since neither of the two was talking. He was feeling very apprehensive about the situation. Could it really be true that he was sharing the same suite as the one and only Kori Anders? Not only Kori Anders, but Starfire, the girl who remained to be able to, after all the time that passed, make him stumble for the right things to say and the right things to do.
"So what are you doing here in Gotham so early? Cyborg's wedding is in a week," Robin asked, trying to bring sound to the room. He smelled the aroma of coffee coming from the kitchen.
Starfire came in carrying a tray of two mugs, a pot of coffee, and a plate of cookies.
"Star, you didn't have to do all this," Robin said, feeling embarrassed yet happy to know that she would do this for him. "Thanks."
He took a cup of coffee from the tray and helped himself to a cookie.
"I love chocolate chip cookies! But I never eat them around the other models. Unfortunately, they seem to judge me whenever I bite on anything. They're so thin," Starfire said. "It's not easy being a model."
"Starfire," Robin said, "you look amazing. I don't think you should worry about what the other girls think of you."
Starfire blushed. She was feeling rather jumpy around Robin. It was because of her that the two of them ended their relationship. She loved Robin, but she thought that the two of them needed to experience college, life that didn't consist of saving lives every other day, at their own pace. She didn't want to get in Robin's way and she knew that maybe she needed to be on her own, meet new people, learn new things without Robin. Of course, whenever something good happened to her, she always wished Robin was there with her so that they could be happy together. She did want him around, but she was afraid she would get in the way of Robin doing his own thing.
"Thank you, Robin. You always know what to say!" Starfire said.
Actually, I don't. Not right now, Robin thought. Not with you.
"Anyway, I am here early because I felt like a vacation was needed for me. I've been working so hard, taking so many photos, going to all these places that never felt like home…I wanted some time off. Do you understand?"
As Starfire spoke, Robin was in admiration of her. The way she spoke was so polite and eloquent. She looked stunning, with her cup in her hands and legs crossed. Simply put, Robin was struck by her. He was almost afraid of those strong, old feelings were going to rush back to him. Robin knew that this time, he wouldn't be able to do anything about a crush. He knew this because Starfire made it clear that it was over between them when they broke up.
Starfire told Robin she wanted a word with him at the Tower, when all their other friends were out. She told him it was important and that she hoped that by the end of their discussion he wouldn't resent her because of it.
"Now that we're going to different places to study," she said, sounding sad, "I believe it is best that we also end our relationship."
Robin was confused and shocked. This news surprised him because he felt that things were going great for the two of them. He had no idea that Starfire didn't want to be with him anymore or that she wasn't happy with him. It was a disappointment.
"But, Starfire," Robin said, "I thought things were great between us. What's wrong?"
"There is nothing wrong. I just think it is best that we," she paused to look for the right words, "experience new things without having to carry each other around as baggage."
"Baggage?" Robin asked. "I didn't think you felt burdened by me…"
Starfire shook her head. "No, no, Robin! I did not mean for it to sound that way. I do not wish to be in your way when you meet new people and learn new things. I think you would want the same for me, too." She held Robin's hand. "Please try to understand. I don't want it to go to the point where I become a distraction for you and you begin to resent me."
"But I would never think that about you, Star," Robin replied. "I want to be with you."
"I do, too," Starfire responded solemnly. "But I think it's for the best that we go at our own paces." The conversation ended and Starfire knew how much she hurt Robin. "I did not mean to hurt you, Robin. I'm sorry if I did. I hope you don't hate me."
"I'd never hate you, Star," Robin said, trying to smile so he could reassure her. "I'm just shocked that you would want this." The two of them didn't say anything to each other and silently acknowledged that it was over between them. "Thank you for everything, Starfire."
Starfire smiled and embraced him. "Oh, thank you, Robin. You have given me so many memories to cherish –I will never forget them!" She kissed his cheek. "Just know that I will always love you." After saying that, she left Robin to stand by himself.
"I'll always love you, too," he said to himself. He felt horrible.
Back in the present time, Robin was dazed and Starfire noticed.
"Uh, Robin?" she inquired.
"Yeah, I understand," Robin said, sheepishly. "A girl like you definitely needs some time off."
Starfire smiled. "I knew you would understand! But Robin, what are you doing here? And if you don't mind me asking, why were you in the park?"
"I guess I wanted a vacation, too. Just like you. And I wanted to see the spot where Cyborg would be getting married, just to know what it'd look like beforehand. I assume you had the same idea in mind."
"It appears that we are quite alike in our pursuits," Starfire remarked.
There was silence between the two once again and Robin went on to think about his last memory of Starfire, back when she broke up with him. She told him she would always love him and he said the same thing. Did he still love her? Robin felt uneasy about the idea and perplexed. There'd be no way that after all these years that Starfire still felt the same way. After all, one knows that when you become a famous model, you meet many people. Surely Starfire has had a fair share of relationships. A normal guy would've wanted her.
"So what do you do now?" Starfire asked Robin. She was feeling apprehensive about the silence. There were butterflies in her stomach, but not like when she's about to tread the runway. It was a different kind of nervousness with Robin.
Starfire knew that with Robin sitting across from her, she wouldn't be able to deny to herself that she still had feelings for him. She did regret ending things with him when she realized how lonely she felt without him, but she was afraid that Robin felt otherwise. Starfire also thought about Robin now and then, wondering if he was all right and hoping he was happy wherever he was. All she wanted was for him to be at his best. Starfire was able to clearly remember the day she ended it with Robin and how she told him she would always love him.
Starfire missed Robin. She missed seeing him everyday, watching him smile after every victory or joke Cyborg made about Beast Boy. Starfire created a life for herself that allowed her to be too busy to think about Robin but with him being with her at the moment, she was lost for thoughts.
"Bruce provided me with a job at Wayne Enterprises," Robin said. "As if that's any surprise."
"Then you must be well off," Starfire said. "Do you like your job?"
"Well, I'm fine with doing it. You have to do what's necessary, so I'm willing to work. I don't think I make as much as you do, though." Robin smiled.
Starfire blushed. "I feel embarrassed talking about my fame and fortune."
"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Robin said warmly. "Let's move on to something else, then."
"Yes, let's," Starfire agreed. She thought of a new topic. "How was your experience at Hudson?"
"Actually, I didn't stay at Hudson. I studied for a year there but then transferred to Princeton. Hudson really wasn't the place for me. I think I needed a different experience, if you will."
"I understand," Starfire said. "As you might already know, I wasn't able to finish college. I think I'll take a few classes later on, but my modeling consumes quite some time. I still like it, though."
"What are you doing now with your work?" Robin asked, even though he already knew the answer to that.
"I'm working with this designer who designs dresses for occasions such as galas, fancy dinners, and I suppose you can even wear them for prom."
"Prom," Robin repeated. "Nice, Starfire."
"Thank you," she replied. "Did you go to prom?"
"I didn't want to," Robin said, "but my friends told me I should. They said prom came around only a few times and all that sentimental stuff. If you ask me, I was still kinda scarred by the time I had to take Kitten to prom."
Starfire beamed at the memory. She also remembered how infuriated she was that another girl would've been dancing with Robin instead of her. She was very jealous that night and wasn't afraid to show it, either.
"I think the end of the night turned out rather well," Starfire said. She was referring to the moment Robin and she was declared Prom King and Queen.
"Ha," Robin replied. "That was a pretty sweet moment, I'll have to admit." His coffee became cold and he set the cup on the coffee table. "I was so happy when you showed up that night. It was a surprise, but I felt so relieved to see you instead of Kitten."
Starfire smiled. "I'm sure that wasn't the only time you were happy."
"No, but it was one of the nicest."
Robin felt tense. He longed to touch her soft skin like he once used to. He wanted to run his fingers down her hair. He wanted to go back to the old times.
"That reminds me of one of the nicest things you've ever said to me," Starfire said. "It was during the time I went through my transformation. To my dismay, I looked like a monster. When I tried hiding myself from you, you told me, 'I'm your friend. I don't care what you look like.' That was so relieving for me at the moment. I didn't want to be ugly in front of my friends but as long as you were okay with the way I looked, I was okay, too." She smiled at the memory.
Fuzziness took over Robin's entire body. He never felt like this before and didn't know what to do next.
"Starfire," Robin began, "as long as we're friends, I'm never going to care about what you look like. And even if we aren't friends, I'll always think you're beautiful."
"You always know what to say," Starfire said. "I suppose you've had your share of girlfriends?"
Robin, startled at this new topic, said, "I've never really had the time."
"Oh," Starfire simply said. She was surprised. She was almost sure that Robin was likely to have a few girlfriends since he was so good looking, smart, and nice. Robin wasn't a jerk like other guys. He was sweet.
"Well, maybe there were two or three girls that I went out with occasionally…"
"All at once?" Starfire asked, curiously.
Robin chuckled. "Of course not. Do you think of me as the player-esque type? Ha. I wouldn't consider my time with those girls as real relationships. They were nice and I liked them, but I wasn't into it."
Robin was able to have many girls interested in him. In fact, when he was invited to parties, he usually always hooked up with a girl that he would only see rarely on campus and wasn't looking for anything serious like he. However, Robin wouldn't be able to tell Starfire that he preferred hooking up than committing.
"I see," Starfire said. "Did you like any of these girls a lot?"
Robin shook his head. "Not as much as some of them hoped I would. I was kinda busy with schoolwork." That was partly true. "What about you, Star? I'm sure plently of guys came knocking on your door to try to land a date with you."
Starfire flushed. "Well, I haven't had many boyfriends. Only one…"
"Tell me about him."
Starfire looked uncomfortable. "His name was Noah. He was a photographer that I worked with and just two years older than I. I thought I had feelings for him, but when he asked me out to dinner and told me he liked me too, those feelings vanished."
"Was he upset about it?"
"Well…" Starfire dragged. "I told him I felt the same way only because I did not wish to hurt him. It was strange, though. I didn't understand why I liked him until he told me he felt the same way. We were together for three months and then I told him I couldn't be in a relationship anymore."
"You must've felt horrible," Robin said.
"Very," Starfire said, looking sad. "I cared about him, but not the way I cared about you…"
"Starfire…" Robin gulped.
Starfire stood up. "I think I'm going to bed. I'm very tired! I'll see you in the morning, Robin. Good night."
Starfire felt shy after what she told Robin. To her, it felt like the closest thing she came to intimacy with Robin. She hadn't seen him for years, so she was scared. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with her feelings. She wanted to tell Robin that she still cared deeply for him, but he hadn't shown any signs of reciprocation.
Starfire entered her bed and shut her eyes to try to sleep. After a while, Robin entered their room and he also went to bed.
He let out a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long week. He wasn't even tired, but there wasn't anything he wanted to do that night, so he just lay in bed. He took his iPod from his messenger bag lying on the floor and listened to music while thinking. He still had feelings for Starfire, but she seemed like she didn't want a relationship. Also, she was a busy girl. He was, too.
Robin dozed off to sleep soon enough and his iPod ran out of battery. Meanwhile, Starfire awoke in the middle of the night and turned to look at the time. It was around one. She also glanced at Robin, who looked so peaceful in his sleep. She turned away and stared at the wall next to her.
"You're my friend. I don't care what you look like."
Starfire began to cry. She tried to hide the sounds of her sobs, but anyone in the room would be able to tell there was someone crying. She didn't want to wake up Robin. She was feeling horrible. She wanted to go back to the times when things were less tense with Robin. When neither of them didn't have to worry about doing, or saying something they would regret. She was feeling nostalgic and longed to go back in time to experience those moments with Robin again. She wanted to be able to hold his hand again.
She choked back a sob and Robin woke up. He heard Starfire sniff and whispered, "Starfire?" She didn't hear him as she sat up and walked out the room to calm herself down.
Robin stared at the ceiling and wondered whether he should go after her and see if she's alright. But knowing Starfire, she would just claim to be okay. Thus, Robin continued to lay in bed and picked at the edges of the sheets, hoping that Starfire was doing alright.
Please review my story if you enjoyed it! When readers comment on my work, I'm more likely to update more frequently and am inspired to continue on with the story. I hope you all liked this!