As You Wish

It started so simply, so innocuously. Robin was sharing a sunset with the resident alien princess, lost to his thoughts of nothing in particular, a companionable silence between them. Then Starfire had turned to him and dropped a bombshell.

"Why do you never kiss me?"

She can't have been entertaining the thought long, Robin reasoned, or he'd have noticed that was what she was thinking. Right? He was a great detective's protege, and she wore her heart on her sleeve. He wouldn't have missed that.

Right?

"Um," he replied intelligently, gathering his thoughts.

Starfire sighed, her brows flattening in a sort of resigned expression he was more used to seeing on Raven. She looked back to the sky.

"My apologies. I do not require an answer."

Robin ran an irate hand through his hair, more collected now that she wasn't asking him...things. But he didn't like seeing that kind of resignation on Starfire's face. Disliked it more than he disliked talking about feelings, so with a deep breath, he plowed ahead.

"Were you—expecting me to?"

Her gaze remained fixed on the sunset. She bit her lip, the only sign she'd heard him.

"Yes."

Now Robin was irritated with himself. Had he led her on somehow? He was always very careful not to cross the line between friendship and...and the other thing. Because Robin, though a leader, was still a teenaged boy. Also, there was Batman.

Maybe the sunset? he thought, grasping for any handhold in this awkward conversation. He knew she took many of her Earthly cues from movies, so he supposed it made sense she'd think watching a sunset together would lead to...well. The other thing.

"I know," he began lamely, tugging at his uniform collar, looking everywhere but at Starfire, "that people do that in movies...with the sunset...but that's not really-"

The Tameranian girl made a tsk sound that was decidedly impatient, interrupting him.

"I am aware that films do not faithfully represent real life. While I find it a pleasant setting, I do not consider the sunset sufficient motivation."

Robin blinked behind his mask, silently berating himself. It was still too easy, apparently, to equate her inability to express herself in Earthly ways with naivete. He should have known better, but he decided to brood about it another time. His one and only hypothesis was struck down.

"Then, why?"

Starfire had stopped biting her lip, but now wore a very small smile. To the untrained eye, it was sad, but Robin had given a lot of attention to her smiles. Expressions. Because he had to. As a leader.

Not a sad smile, but gentle. Fond. That was a rare breed, and usually only applied to Tameran.

"Because you let me drink mustard."

Robin quirked a brow at that, and would have probed further, but she was still talking.

"Because you went looking for me when I left, for my transformation. Because you objected to my wedding before you knew anything was wrong. Because you danced with me. Because you let me keep Silky. Because you are always sure to explain human customs to me. Because you are jealous of Aqualad. Because you always try Tameranian food when I ask, even if it is ambulatory."

She finally turned to look at him, eyes sparkling.

"Because you sit here with me even though everything that makes you Robin wants you to finish reports downstairs. Everything but the piece of you that draws you here."

Robin's masked eyes couldn't leave her gaze, even if she couldn't tell. "Well...of course I do all that stuff. We're friends."

The fond smile widened a bit. "That is not how I feel when you do them."

This was beginning to look like other thing territory.

"I didn't mean to—to make you think that."

Smile still in place, Starfire shook her head, saying nothing, looking back to the sunset.

There was still something there, though. Now Robin's analytic mind wanted to know what.

"What are you trying to tell me, Star?"

She giggled. "Nothing."

He frowned.

"It didn't sound like nothing."

"I have all ready said what I had to say, Robin."

Circles upon circles. He didn't think even Batman could navigate this one.

"What am I supposed to say?" he shouted, not really at her, but at his inability to deal with this in the way she deserved.

She laughed, actually laughed, but he was still vexed.

"Robin," she said, with the biggest smile yet, "You are not required to say anything. You are not required to do anything, but the things you have done speak for you. I have heard the emotion behind your actions. I was under the impression that particular emotion accompanied kisses."

He stared. She knew.

Knew what? There was nothing for her to know. She was imagining the—the other thing.

Shut up, Bruce.

He breathed in. He breathed out.

"Oh," Robin said, quite calm now.

"Indeed," Starfire said, and shuffled closer.

AN: This story was mostly me not having a real plot and wanting to show that Starfire isn't as dumb as some people make her out to be, so I gave her a conclusion she could momentarily stump the Boy Wonder with. I think I need actual prompts. Some day I'm going to write Star/Rob through Silky's eyes, and it will be AMAZING.

Also, it happens to be my personal belief that love is best shown through actions, not words.

~Juletti