"I think that's the last of them," Cyborg said, walking across the rooftop with Beast Boy, their arms full of a multicolored array of brightly-wrapped cylinders.
"It should be," Raven muttered from her folding chair. "You made three trips."
"You can never have enough fireworks!" Beast Boy replied cheerfully, adding his armload to the already impressive pile.
"When do you believe you will be prepared to begin the display of fireworks?" Starfire asked, her feet kicking anxiously in the air where they hung over the edge of the Tower.
She had already been sitting there for what felt like an eternity, sipping on her bottle of mustard to occupy herself as they had painstakingly set up the fireworks apparatus.
"I dunno. 10 minutes or so," Cyborg muttered in reply, and she pouted as she looked back out over Jump City.
The sky was barely dark, still a deep blue at the base of the horizon, but the city lights still shone brilliantly across the bay in rippling streaks. Every now and again, a stray firework would blast against the backdrop from somewhere in the distance -a faint flash of color against the appearing stars- but most citizens were no doubt waiting for their display.
It had been her idea, of course, becoming the caretakers of the city's 4th of July fireworks a few years ago.
Robin had needed some convincing, and she was not exactly proud of those weeks of whining, but he had eventually been unable to deny that their being out in the middle of the bay made their Tower the ideal location for such an event.
"Besides," he had said, "it'll make for some positive PR."
Starfire had not understood this expression, but he had agreed, and that was all that truly mattered.
But Robin was not here now; he would not enjoy this year's display. He was, as far as she knew, in Gotham working on something important with Batman. That was all he had been willing to tell them, and she had known better than to press.
She had asked him when he was coming home after he had been gone a week, however, but he had not been able to tell her that either.
It had been two weeks total now, and she was talking herself out of calling him nearly every night.
She found it rather odd how much his presence could be missed around the Tower, considering he stayed in his room most of the time anyway, but, of course, she had her own reasons for being distraught.
Today was a holiday, though. A special occasion. Surely she could justify it, if only tonight.
Ripping her communicator from her belt as soon as this thought passed her mind, she quickly held the appropriate quick-dialing button and waited.
He answered before the first ring was complete.
"Starfire, what's-"
"Nothing is wrong," she interjected knowingly, and his head tilted up at her from the screen. "There is none of the trouble. I was merely…" Her voice faded away as she searched for words that were not 'missing you'. "It is the 4th of July," she continued, skipping that sentence entirely, "and Cyborg and Beast Boy are preparing the display of fireworks. I thought you may wish to see."
That was partly true, at least.
"Yea, sure," he said, and she was surprised at how sincerely interested he sounded. "How are they doing?"
"Well, Beast Boy has not injured himself yet," she said, looking over her shoulder to make sure that was still the case.
Robin chuckled. "At least that's an improvement from last year. I thought that bald patch on his leg would never grow back."
Starfire laughed with him, but quickly stifled it with her hand as she saw Raven looking at her curiously from her seat several feet away.
"Are you going to be partaking in the fireworks in Gotham?" she asked, brushing a windswept strand of hair from her face.
"They've already happened here," he replied. "Time difference," he added at her confused expression, and she nodded as she recalled.
There was a loud clattering from behind her, and she turned, the communicator twisting with her.
"I told you those pegs were important!" Cyborg shouted as he hoisted the fireworks contraption back up. "Now I have to redo your side!"
"You're the one who wanted me to help!" Beast Boy snapped back, glaring up at him.
"Just put the fireworks in," Cyborg muttered, tossing Beast Boy a sheet of paper. "Here's the guide. Just put the right kinds in the right slots. And try not to set any off this time," he added gruffly.
Beast Boy muttered darkly as he began picking fireworks out of the pile, consulting the piece of paper before laying them inside the machine.
"That's not right," Robin said, and Starfire jumped, having forgotten he was there. "Our colors are in the wrong order for the finale."
"How can you tell?" she asked, looking between the communicator and the fireworks, wondering how he could possibly discern any detail from that distance.
"The wrappers are different," he answered matter-of-factly. "It's supposed to go: blue, purple, red, green, light blue, but he switched the blue and the purple."
"Is that a problem?" she asked, wondering why the order of the Titan-themed colors was significant.
"Not really," he mumbled. "It's just that you're supposed to be next to me," he added, his voice fading abruptly at the end.
"Oh," she said, making sure the communicator was facing away so he could not see the grin she simply could not manage to suppress.
"The colors look better than way," he muttered, and she moved the communicator back in front of her as she got control of herself.
"Of course," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"So," he said hastily after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, "you ready for your part?"
It was her job to shoot a small starbolt across all of the fuses at the beginning and end of the display, ensuring they ignited at the same time.
They had established this method after Beast Boy had had a rather ridiculous accident with a match. It had burned his hand, causing him to drop it. This would have been fine, had it not fallen into the pile of fireworks.
The resulting explosion had blown off a portion of the roof, although the people watching from shore seemed to enjoy the spectacle.
"I believe I am prepared," she said, forming a starbolt in her hand and holding it up in front of the screen.
"Glad to hear it," Robin chuckled, and they were silent for a few moments.
"Did you release any of the fireworks?" she asked, looking down at the communicator resting in her lap.
"I saw some," he said, and she could hear the shrug in his voice. "We didn't set any off though. Batman isn't exactly the fireworks type," he muttered, a small smile playing at his lips.
"No, I suppose not," she chuckled, and then returned to looking out over the bay.
"Robin?" she said after a while.
"Hmm?" he murmured back.
"What is it like? Gotham, that is," she asked, looking down at him curiously.
He looked down from the communicator, and she feared he would not answer her question, but then he looked up once more.
"It's…different," he said hesitantly.
"Do you prefer it?" she asked, deciding it was best to be bold about such things.
"What?" Robin spluttered. "No. No, of course not. Why would you-"
"You have been absent a long time," she interjected, unable to look directly at him. "I merely thought, perhaps-"
"No, of course I'd rather be there with you…all. All of you," he added, clearing his throat.
She smiled faintly down at him. "Then when shall you be returning?" she asked, trying not to sound too sorrowful.
"I don't really know," Robin sighed heavily. "I was planning on coming back for a visit soon though."
"When?" she asked a little too eagerly.
"Soon," he replied, smiling reassuringly.
She nodded, disappointed but accepting.
A wind came off the bay, ripping her hair from her shoulders and rushing across her skin, causing a small shudder to run through her.
"You cold?" Robin asked, and she smiled at his concern, even through a mere video.
"No," she replied with a shake of her head.
"Cyborg usually brings blankets up there. You could go get one of those."
"I am fine," she assured.
"Or Beast Boy was wearing a jacket, wasn't he? I'm sure he would-"
"Robin," she interrupted laughingly, "I am fine. Truly."
"Right," he mumbled, smiling weakly. "Sorry. I just-"
"Worry," she finished, smiling back at him. "I know."
She sat there, quiet as they simply stared at one another for a moment.
"I'm glad you called," he said into the stillness, and she smiled broadly.
"I did not want you to miss our fireworks," she replied, trying to control her grin.
"Yea, well, about that. See, I-"
"Okay, Star!" Cyborg called, and Robin fell silent as she turned. "You're on!"
She flashed a grin to the communicator before leaping up, carrying Robin with her as she raced to the fireworks mechanism. Kneeling on the ground, she carefully lined up her hand with the row of fuses, making sure that Robin would be able to see them light.
With a flash of green, they were burning, sizzling as they shrank.
"Fire in the hole!" Cyborg yelled, and he, Beast Boy, and Starfire took several steps back, watching as the last centimeters of fuse burned away.
The fireworks shot into the air with a hiss, twisting as the climbed. A thunderous boom echoed overhead as the first of them exploded in a shower of blue sparks, followed by several others that whizzed and popped in sporadic, white flashes.
"Aren't they beautiful, Robin?" she asked wistfully as Cyborg and Beast Boy were lighting the next row themselves, the ceremonial, big beginning now complete.
"Robin?" she asked when he did not respond. "Can you see? Robin?"
She turned the communicator back around toward her to find it empty, Robin's face replaced with the usual screen.
Disappointment hung heavy in her chest as she closed the communicator with a sigh.
"Yea," said a familiar voice beside her, "they are."
She turned with a gasp, blinking rapidly to see if the vision of Robin standing next to her would vanish like a waking dream.
"I thought I'd come back and surprise everyone," he explained, smiling at her. "I tried to tell you just before-"
"Robin!" she cried, restricting the remainder of his sentence with her arms around his neck.
"Robin?" Beast Boy muttered, and then turned toward them. "Robin!" he exclaimed, his eyes brightening.
"Hey," Robin said simply, smiling and waving to everyone in turn as they all perked up to look at him.
"You back from Gotham?" Cyborg asked, still busily loading fireworks.
"Just for the night," Robin answered, and Starfire's face fell for a moment before she caught it. "Thought I'd catch the fireworks."
"Well, you're in for one hell of a show!" Cyborg announced. "BB, will you hurry up? There's people falling asleep out there!"
"It's hard to tell them apart in the dark, okay?" Beast Boy snapped back defensively, handing Cyborg a large, green firework.
"Boys," Raven muttered, her voice barely audible over the fireworks as she rolled her eyes and sank lower into her chair.
Starfire laughed, Robin chuckling along at her side.
She stood there, staring up at the sparks of color, her hands folded against her chest in rapturous awe, and wondered at how everything suddenly felt so much more complete.
She started as something brushed against her shoulders, and looked to find Robin's arms reaching around her.
"Here," he said, and she took the corners of his cape from his hands as he pulled back over her shoulders.
She smiled at him as he returned to stand beside her, and, as he smiled faintly back, she no longer felt the slightest bit of cold.