Glorious
Summary: The sun shown so brightly! There was not a single cloud in the sky! I looked back at the ground. It was bright green! It was such a wondrous color! Specks of pinks, purples, and yellows scattered over the sea of green.
Yes today was truly glorious… it made me sick!
Glorious… that is the word I would use to describe today. Absolutely glorious… I looked over the edge of the roof and gave a small smile at the butterflies that began fluttering in my belly. A small adrenaline rush fell upon me as I imagine jumping from the tower. I imagined how the wind would kiss my face and my hair would become a dancing flame. Still staring at the ground I unconsciously took another step forward; my toes now hanging off the edge.
The sun shown so brightly! I looked up at it and had to cover my eyes as they began to burn. There was not a single cloud in the sky! Seagulls flew by leisurely enjoying their day. I looked back at the ground. It was bright green! It was such a wondrous color! Specks of pinks, purples, and yellows scattered over the sea of green.
Yes today was truly glorious… it made me sick!
I wrapped my arms around myself as I felt my throat close up. My eyes began to burn and I shut them tight to keep the tears in. This place was so full of life and color! I couldn't understand it!
"There's so much blue…" I whispered to myself. I opened my eyes again, ignoring the salty streams that ran down my cheeks. Blue ocean met blue sky. The eerie calmness of the ocean made it so it was impossible to tell where one started and the other began. "Today is glorious… and I hate it!"
"Starfire?" I jumped at the sudden voice that interrupted my thinking. I turned around quickly attempting to rid my eyes of the tears. More focused on hiding my emotions than my position on the roof, I felt my foot slide from its place on the ledge and on to open air. I tried to regain my balance only to have it abandon me as I tumbled from the ledge. I closed my eyes and searched for the joy of flight… and panicked when I couldn't find it. At that moment I found it quite humorous that I was thinking of jumping only seconds ago. Before, I was excited at the idea. Now I was scared.
"Starfire!" I heard him yell and when I opened my eyes again he was flying towards me. He had jumped off the ledge after me. He was suddenly nose to nose with me and I cursed whoever gave him that mask. I stared where his eyes should be and imagined what color they were. His hand slipped around my waist and I had to stifle a gasp at his feather like touch on my bare skin. His other hand leapt to his belt and before I knew it we were safely at the base of the tower.
"Starfire are you ok?" His voice echoed in my head but for some reason I couldn't understand him. My hands were on his chest as I continued to stare at him.
"Why didn't you fly? Oh you're crying! I forgot that Tameranian powers are based off of emotions! What happened?! Did Beastboy do something to you?! If he pulled another prank I swear…" His jabbering continued on and his hands gripped at my waist tighter. I still couldn't hear him! I was fascinated by his mouth for some reason…My heart rate increased and I could feel my brain start to fill with "the foggy." I could see his lips forming words but it came out as a jumbled mess to me. In the back of my mind I faintly remember Cyborg showing me a cartoon called Charlie Brown. Robin sounded like the school teacher! Random incoherent words that should have meaning but for some unknown reason they do not. Suddenly the Charlie Brown noises stopped. Before I realized what was happening, Robin's hand was on my cheek. My eyes darted up to his mask; widening at his movement. His thumb stroked my cheek wiping away my tears.
My heart sped up again as I felt his fingers circle to the back of my neck and tangle into my hair. A small smile found itself to his face and I felt him start to pull me to him. His arm wrapped around my waist, trapping me against him. My skin burned where his fingers touched and I had to force myself not to make a sound. My arms circled around his neck and I let my eyes drift shut simply enjoying the feel of him. I felt his forehead press against mine and I smiled when he had to lean down slightly in order to do so. He was now a couple inches taller than me. A fact that he would not let me forget.
"Star? Are you ok?" His voice was so caring and it brought me out of my day dream state slightly. I felt him tighten his arms around me slightly as I sighed. I had momentarily forgotten why I had been upset in the first place.
"Yes. I am fine. I was merely gazing at the brightness of your world." I felt his forehead crinkle against mine in his confusion.
"This is the most beautiful time of the year Star. You should be enjoying it." I gave another sigh and reluctantly pulled away from him. However, I kept one of our hands interlocked. Since our trip to Tokyo we have become more open about our relationship. Holding hands was one of our favorite things.
"I do like this weather Robin. It's just…well…it's so bright! All of the colors! I'm having a hard time with it all." I looked out at the ocean again. "So much blue! It is such a strange color! And it's everywhere! On my planet, such a color would be rare to find! And the ground! There are little green things growing all over the place! We would consider this an act of war!"
I heard Robin give a small chuckle and I looked back at him raising an eyebrow.
"Star, you've lived here for years. Why all the confusion now?"
I gave a small shrug and looked away. I played with a strand of my hair with the hand that wasn't intertwined with his; a habit we both know to mean that I am embarrassed. "It is not that I am confused just this year. I have felt this way before, but it seems to be stronger this year for some reason." I glanced back at him shyly and he gave a small smile and squeezed my hand giving me the encouragement I needed to continue.
"Well… I think I might know what is wrong with me… I believe I am to be having the "sick home" feeling. I have not had a chance to spend the time on my planet. It has been many years ago since I was supposed to be a prize for the citadel. Also, the last time I was there it was not under nice reasoning. You agree?" I saw Robin flinch slightly at my words. Whether he flinched at me being taken to the citadel or my arranged marriage I couldn't tell. I continued on ignoring that conversation. "Earth is so much different than Tameran. I find it hard to switch terrains sometimes."
I watched as Robin's brow furrowed for a second and just as quickly changed into a smirk. "I have an Idea! Tell me what Tameran is like." He sat down on the ground suddenly and leaned against the tower. Giving a small tug on my hand encouraged me to sit down next to him.
"Ok. Where would you like me to start?" I watched as he laid my hand on my thigh.
"Tell me about the land. The climate, weather, landmarks, anything you can think of." He flipped my hand so the palm was face up.
"Ok. Well the land is really flat and made up mostly of what you call rock. There are occasional mountain ridges but they are widely spread out. Most animals live in the mountains or underground." I had to take a minute to focus my thoughts. Robin was tracing random patterns on my palm with his fingers. My breath kept catching in my throat and my heart continually kept speeding up. I glanced over at Robin. He was looking at the sky. Probably not even aware of what he was doing to me. I cleared my throat and continued on, impressed when my voice came out stronger than I thought it would.
"I believe that the sky is what I miss the most. It is not blue like here. It is red. It is most beautiful as the suns rise and set. As I grew up I would often sneak out of the castle and journey to the mountains at night. The days are hot and the nights are cold. I prefer the cold to travel in. So I would sneak to the top of the mountains and I would watch the suns rise." I laid my head back against the concrete wall and closed my eyes remembering those days.
"What are they cities like?"
I thought about it for a moment. "There really are not many. The largest is where I grew up. I think you call it a capital? Is this correct?" He smiled and nodded so I continued. "There are small cities all over the planet. The smallest has a population of only 20 Tameraneans. We don't need all of the things humans do. Big buildings and cars would be pointless for us. We live off of the land and use animals for things we cannot do." I heaved another sigh. "I do love this planet but sometimes I feel like it is overwhelming for me. It is sometimes too bright and colorful. I find myself missing the colors and landscapes of Tameran."
Robin suddenly shot up with a large smile on his face. When he reached to help me up I gladly took it but was still confused. "Robin?" Before I knew what we were doing we were running into the tower. "Robin what is going on?" But instead of answering me his smile just got bigger and he pulled me harder. He pulled me into the living room and quickly went to the computer. He began typing frantically, the smile never leaving his face. Cyborg, Beastboy, and Raven were all on the screen looking at Robin like he had grown two heads.
"Dude! What are you doing? This is an emergency line!" Cyborg began scolding Robin. His arms were flailing around while trying to point an accusing finger at Robin.
"Yo Cyborg! Robin is SMILING! It's obviously an emergency!" BB's voice broke in.
Cyborg stopped ranting and zoomed in to the camera. I couldn't help but laugh as all you could see on Cyborg's screen was his nose and eyes, which continued to get wider as he confirmed BB's statement. Finally he backed up from the camera. "Proceed."
"Starefire and I have to go on an emergency mission. You think you can handle it without us for a few days?"
Cyborg and Beastboy's jaw dropped and their eyes bugged out. They began snickering but before any dirty jokes could be brought up a black bubble went around each of their heads, silencing any snide remarks.
"We got it here. You guys go on." Raven calmly replied while she continued to hold the other two captive.
"Thanks Rae! You can call Titans East if you need help." With that the conference ended and Robin turned back towards me. He was still smiling. "Pack your things Star! We're going on a trip for a few days!" He grabbed my hand again and began leading me out into the hallway.
"Wait, Robin! Are you saying that we are going to Tameran?" I asked feeling dread in my gut. Tameran was a long way away and very dangerous for a wanted princess and a human boy.
"No Star I'm afraid we're not." He stopped and turned toward me. He cupped my face in his hands stroking my cheeks with his thumbs for a moment. "I'm going to show you that not all places on Earth are this vibrant. I think you'll feel right at home." He smiled at me again and softly pressed his lips to mine. I quickly melted into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. Our lips moved together and I felt his hands move from my cheeks. They ran down my sides leaving a hot trail behind to wrap around my waist pulling me flush against him making a gasp escape from me. His hands ran up and down my back as my hands tangled in his hair. We kissed for a while longer until we were both gasping for breath. We leaned our foreheads together as we caught our breath. I smiled and gazed up at him. I was not certain because of that mask but he looked dazed.
"I promise I will take you to Tameran soon and we can stay as long as you like. But for now this place is closer and I think it is quite similar. Go get packed. I'll meet you in the garage." He gave me one more kiss automatically making my knees go weak. I wanted to clutch onto him and continue kissing him but I forced myself to let go… for now.I gave him a smile and pushed myself away from him. I began walking to my room. I was actually really curious to find out where we were going. A place similar to Tamaran? Here on Earth? Where in the world could that possibly be?
To Be Continued...
