Starfire was very familiar with kissing.
On Tamaran, everyone kissed everyone else all the time. Kissing was a cultural courtesy; the higher up on the totem pole a person was, the more respected the kiss. And as a princess, Starfire had been kissed a lot.
In fact, Tamaraneans could learn other languages from kissing. It was that very ability that helped her learn English after all.
It wasn't until earth however, that Starfire learned a different side to kissing. Here, humans regarded kissing as something sacred and romantic, something shared between lovers. Unless of course, you counted the affectionate pecks of the cheeks or forehead, or the greeting kiss on either cheek. But kissing of the lips was solely reserved for romantic purposes, an idea that was foreign to the alien princess.
That was of course, until she kissed Robin romantically.
Sure, they'd kissed once, when she first arrived on earth and wanted to communicate. But that's all it was then, a peck on the lips to absorb the language. Nothing more, nothing less. But then Starfire joined the Titans and became great friends with Robin. And as a result, she developed feelings for the young detective.
So when they kissed romantically for the first time in Japan, she finally understood the whole kissing thing.
Since then, she and Robin had shared many kisses. Many sappy, steamy, wonderful kisses. She mostly kept those moments to herself, but occasionally the Tamaranean divulged some of the information to her friend Raven.
After all, Starfire couldn't always keep the moments to herself, some were just too romantic and sweet, and she needed to tell somebody. And since Raven was one of her best friends and was definitely her best female friend, she told her. It worked well, since Raven was a rather quiet person, she'd listen intently and only speak when needed. It was something Starfire enjoyed about the demoness; she always offered advice when needed and let Starfire rant until the sun came up.
That being said, Raven was a rather private individual. Starfire had long ago accepted the empath's desire for privacy, never poking or prodding too far on any issue. If Raven ever wished to speak with her about something, she would. Otherwise Starfire let her be.
Still, it was rather surprising when Raven came knocking at her door one lazy morning.
"Friend Raven?" Starfire asked, tilting her head to the side. "What is the matter?"
Raven shuffled slightly, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground. She sighed heavily, fidgeting with her cloak.
"Can I...talk to you?"
Starfire blinked. "Do you mean the girl talk?" she asked hesitantly. Raven nodded furiously, her gaze still stubbornly stuck to the ground. A happy grin spread across Starfire's face and she welcomed the empath into the safety of her room.
Flying over to her bed, the princess settled comfortably on the worn mattress and snuggled a pillow. She waited patiently for Raven to join her, unable to resist the urge to beam at her stoic friend.
"What shall we converse about friend Raven?" she asked. Raven stared off into space, her hands clasped nervously in her lap. Whatever was on Raven's mind was making her visibly nervous, and Starfire did her best to upkeep her calm and cheerful demeanor.
"How do you kiss?" Raven blurted.
At this, Starfire balked. That was a question very much unlike Raven, so much so that the Tamaranean's mind went blank.
"How do I kiss?" she echoed. Raven bobbed her head again, seemingly unaware of Starfire's shock. "Friend Raven, you have not...kissed before?"
Raven sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, a telltale sign of her annoyance. "Would I ask if I had?"
Starfire frowned. "I suppose not. I am sorry."
"It's okay," Raven muttered. She quieted after that, presumably waiting for Starfire to speak.
"Why do you wish to know?" Starfire asked. She couldn't help it, her mind was brimming with curiosity. This elicited another sigh from the demoness, and Raven shifted uncomfortably on the bed.
"I-I'm curious."
Starfire could sense there was more to it than that. She may not be the one with emphatic powers, but Starfire was a sensitive being. She could tell Raven was holding something back. She didn't prod though, she never did. Instead, the alien princess contemplated a response, truly wishing to help her friend.
"Well, it depends. When I kiss formally, I simply brush my lips against another's. When I kiss to learn a language, I must press them on the other's lips so the language transfers. But when I kiss Robin...I kiss him as the actors do in the movies."
It was a lame response and Starfire knew it. She just wasn't really sure how to explain it. Kissing came so naturally to her. She was able to asses the situation and adapt accordingly. Lately, her kissing often involved 'the french kissing', something she hadn't experienced until arriving on earth. She definitely had no clue how to begin explaining that one to Raven. It was only fun to experience.
"Um...thanks Star. That was...helpful."
Starfire nodded lamely and watched as her friend exited her room. Her mind wandered to the question that had been nibbling at the back of her mind throughout the conversation; who did Raven want to kiss?
X~X~X
"Silkie?"
Starfire floated through the common room, in search of her beloved Silkie. The larvae was in great need of a bath, and she wanted to get that over with before patrol that night. Unfortunately, she couldn't seem to locate the little parasite.
"Silkie? I wish to bathe you!" she called as she scanned the room. Not seeing him, she flew to the couch and lifted up the cushions. "Silkie?"
Nope, not there.
The Tamaranean hooked her hands under the curved seat and hefted it into the air, her green eyes scanning the floor and couch underside.
Nope, not there either.
"Oh Silkie, must you hide?" With a huff, Starfire drifted towards the kitchen. She scoured the cabinets, the fridge, even the dishwasher! But Silkie was nowhere to be found. The alien princess contemplated where her precious worm could be hiding. She'd already checked the basement, training room, evidence room, laundry room, and now the Ops. The only other places were the bedrooms.
She floated to the doorway and pushed the button to enter the hall, only to be greeted by a rather unusual sight.
There, leaning up against a way, was Raven and Beast Boy. Kissing. Starfire's hands rose to her mouth, and she stifled a gasp. Luckily the two lovebirds were too occupied with each other to really notice the Tamaranean's presence, and Starfire quickly vacated the area.
Well. Perhaps her advice had helped after all.
She couldn't help the smile that was playing on her lips as she flew through the tower, her mission to find Silkie completely forgotten.
X~X~X
There was a slight rap at the door. Starfire's head popped up at the sound, and she eagerly leapt of her bed and soared the short distance to her door. With a smack of a button, the strong steel slate slid back, revealing a rather flushed looking Raven.
"Oh! Friend Raven! What a surprise!" Starfire sang. The sight of the empath pleased her, as she'd been silently begging for her friend to initiate 'the girl talk' so she could do the hearing of the 'deats' as it was called. She welcomed the sorceress into her room once more, biting her lip to try and hide the happy grin threatening to overtake her face.
"Are you wishing for the girl talk again?" she asked. Raven smiled and shook her head.
"No, Star. I just...wanted to thank you. I uh, took your advice and watched a ton of romance movies. They were horrid, but I think it helped."
Starfire couldn't contain her squeal. She rocketed forward and squeezed her friend in a tight embrace. "Oh how wondrous! Though I wish to hear 'the deats' I will not make you do the kissing and telling. Unless of course, you wish to?"
Raven disentangled herself from Starfire, and the alien princess saw a frown flit across her friend's features.
"How do you know I've done 'the kissing'?"
Starfire's eyes went wide. "Oh...um...I m-may have seen you and friend Beast Boy do 'the kissing'..."
Raven's face flushed a deep, dark red. She scowled and glared at the ground, refusing to meet Starfire's gaze.
"I am sorry Raven. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable," Starfire said. She heard Raven sigh, and the empath raised her head.
"I-it's okay Star."
She grew silent again. Starfire took this as an opportunity to think about what had transpired. Clearly, Raven had the crush on Beast Boy. After all, she wouldn't have been asked to describe kissing to the empath and later found the two exchanging such pleasantries if that wasn't the case. No, Raven certainly had 'the feelings' for their shapeshifting teammate. How long this had been happening, she didn't know.
So she asked.
"Friend Raven?"
Raven hummed in response, still glaring awkwardly at the ground. Starfire floated closer to her friend, her head tilting as she pondered. "How long have you had 'the crush' on Beast Boy?"
Her question seemed to throw of the empath, as her head jerked up and revealed a startled expression gracing her face. "W-what?"
"Well, you kissed him, yes?"
Raven dipped her head. "Y-yes. And?"
"If you kissed him, does that mean you have the crush on him?"
Starfire watched as Raven floundered for a response, her face turning red once again. She glowered at the Tamaranean, her eyes forming angry slits. "Starfire, if you whisper a word of this to anyone..."
She grinned at Raven, performing the motion of locking her lips and tossing the key. It was an expression Robin had taught her the other day, and she was thrilled at the chance to use it.
"Good," Raven muttered, before promptly disappearing into the floor. Starfire gazed at the spot for a moment before erupting into a fit of giggles. She was happy that Raven was finally 'getting some'.
Perhaps later she would do the 'kiss and tell'.
X~X~X
Author's Note:
Hey! Here's just a silly oneshot I thought of. I wanted to practice writing in Starfire's perspective since I find her a little more difficult, so hopefully I did okay haha. Anyway, thanks for the support!
-vixensheart