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Summary: After Val-Yor's racism forces some of Starfire's past into the light, Robin confronts her. And Starfire does something she has never done before.

Title: Deceptive Protection

Words: 980

Rating: M for implied past sexual content and a scene of sensuality.

Each piercing squeak of the chain reverberated in his head adding to his mild migraine. The chain threatened to break from the wall with each swing; yet, his blows did not slow. He welcomed the pain. He deserved it. He had let his emotions get the better of him and now…

SMACK. CREAK.

He had forgone boxing gloves. His gloves were damp from the blood forming across his raw knuckles. His body ached and his throat and lungs burned. But, he went on. He never paused. Had it been minutes, hours, days? He lost track of time in his blind rage. He needed something to punch. He needed to fix this issue. It was his job as leader. As her best friend.

His grunts were staccato in the empty room and added to the melody of the punching bag's dance.

If not for the years of brutal training from Bruce, Robin would have not known that Raven had entered the room. He continued on his path of rage and the girl reminded silent as she sat on the bench behind him. He knew she would wait for his storm to calm. Unless…

Her voice caused him to wince, "Breaking that won't fix anything."

His movements slowed as his fists turned to cupping hands to stop the sandbag. It had been reinforced after the last time he broke it; as Raven alluded, if he continued on, Cyborg would have to find some other way to keep his trusty punching bag secured. For all their sakes…

He did not turn to face her. "You knew something, didn't you?" It was purely rhetorical. They both knew the answer.

"Not the meaning of the word," she admitted. "I never thought what happened all those years ago would still be rampant in the galaxy."

He spun and sauntered the few feet to sit beside her on the bench. He ripped off his gloves and sure enough, they were bloody. Raven sighed as she reached for his hands; her white magic already glowing and the damage slowly repairing itself. "When Starfire and I switched bodies, I saw glimpses of her past. Just images. And even when she told me her background, there were obviously somethings she left out." Raven lowered her head, her purple hood dropping to cover more of her face. "I left out things, too."

There was a pause as she finished healing him. "What did you see?" He finally asked.

With a heavy sigh, she said, "It's not my place to tell. However, considering recent events…

"She was a slave."

The blind rage returned.

XXX

Starfire lay sprawled out on her purple bed. The purple was calming despite its ugly shade. Silky snored softly off in the corner while a strange otherworldly melody drifted across the room. An alien device sat on her vanity table and played songs from her home world. While other creatures might call the sounds harsh or distorted, the uneven melody calmed her the same way the color purple did. It was home to her. And while she really loved her home on Earth, sometimes she did greatly miss Tameran.

It was during a particularly low note that Robin burst into the room. Gasping, Starfire lurched upwards. She expected to be called into action, but the pure anger she saw rolling off of Robin was more frightening than any battle. She could feel his eyes staring daggers into her very soul.

"Friend Robin-"

He pounced on her.

With an "eep" of surprise, Starfire was flung back onto her bed with the much shorter human holding her down. In a fluid movement, Robin ripped off his mask, his blue eyes pierced her like glass shards. Her chest constricted. He had never-

"Kori," he practically hissed.

Immediately, Starfire flinched. She had told him her real name but he had never used it. The same way she had never used his true name. But in that moment, she knew they weren't Robin and Starfire.

They were Dick and Kori.

His breath was hot on hers as his lips attacked her own. She pulled the human closer, ever conscious of her alien strength and that with one wrong move she could kill him. Her heart lurched at the thought. As if she could ever kill him even by accident…

His fingers tangled in her crimson hair as he forced her mouth closer making the kiss sloppy and uneven. Her lungs burned and she clawed at his back to press his hard edges to her soft curves. In that moment, she was so close to him, yet not close enough. Her heart thundered in her ears and nearly silenced the haunting melody sprouting from her music box.

Her cheeks burned and she needed to breath. She knew his human lungs had to be passed their ability. She pushed him away gently, their lips popping and spittle hanging from them. She blinked up at Dick as their chests heaved. "Dick, I-"

He shoved himself away from her, his jaw locked and his shoulders shaking with each deep breath into his fail human body. She sat up, her own breathing normal now, as he whispered her real name.

"Raven told me. Everything."

The tall girl pulled her legs to her chin, her emerald eyes staring ahead. "I understand."

"Why didn't-"

"It is common for my people to be traded throughout the systems," she answered nonchalantly. "I told you earlier that my people are seen as lesser beings. That we are weak."

"And…" He swallowed thickly. "Is it true that…"

He glanced back at her and she tilted her head, a sad smile twisting her pretty face. She could see the tears burning along his eyelids. She couldn't be the cause of his pain. She could not force herself to tell him the truth.

So she lied.

"No, Robin. My body was never used for sexual pleasures."