Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Like, I wish I did but... Y'know.
Author's Note: Another Valentines oneshot which actually, the more I read it, the more I dislike it. I think I liked it when I originally wrote it back in 2014 but now i'm like meh.
The golden orb in the sky danced against the window panes of Titans Tower and it fuelled a certain mechanical titan with a joyful mood indeed. Cyborg whistled and hummed cheery tunes the whole time as he moved about the kitchen, fixing himself up with a gourmet breakfast.
You see, Valentine's Day was but a day away and although he would never admit it to his friends, he did have a soft spot for the loving day. It gave him an excuse to be a big ol' teddy bear with Bumblebee. He had a midnight picnic and a 50's styled drive in planned for them for the following evening. He even got her a giant teddy bear and chocolates – Icing on the cake.
Unfortunately, he soon learned that not every couple in the tower were having the same romantic feelings he was. Suddenly, Starfire floated through the doors of the main room and Cyborg looked up from his mixing of pancake batter with a wide grin, "Mornin' Star!" He chirped,
Starfire looked up, almost startled, like she didn't realise he was there. She gave him a small smile, "A good morning to you also, friend Cyborg." She replied. To any normal person, there would have been nothing wrong with her response but Cyborg knew his 'little sister' all too well. His whistling slowly began to die as he watched her trudge around the kitchen, pouring her cereal with practically no emotion.
"Everything okay, Starfire?" He asked, concern evident in his voice. Starfire nodded and attempted to pass him but he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him with big, sad, green eyes.
"Star." He said, dragging the 'a' out to make her understand that he knew better than that.
Cyborg felt her shoulder sag as she sighed, heavily. He removed his hand from her shoulder and turned slightly to show that he was 'all ears' as the expression went. Just when he believed she was going to open up – which she usually had no problem doing – she quickly shook her head.
"It is nothing." She told him, picking up her bowl of cereal. Just then, Robin wandered in and the two glanced at each other for a split second. Robin removed his eyes from hers and sat on one of the stools and opened the morning newspaper. Cyborg looked back to Starfire who looked miserable to say the least. Her eyes were focussed on the counter and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
Saying nothing, Starfire picked up her bowl of cereal and walked out of the room. Robin placed the papers down and Cyborg saw him staring at the doors, after her. Cyborg watched as Robin mirrored Starfire's mannerisms that morning as he sighed deeply. The electronic titan crossed his arms over his chest and felt a little defensive of Starfire. He was continuously worried that Robin would hurt her in some way. Of course, he loved Robin like family but Cyborg felt the need to be there for Starfire and Raven. He would be just as defensive also if Beastboy hurt Raven.
"What was that about, man?" He asked. Robin frowned and looked up at Cyborg, shrugging like someone who was lost in a test.
"We've been arguing a lot recently... Which has kinda led to just... Not talking." Robin informed him, leaning against his hand. Cyborg relaxed a little bit as he could practically feel the depression rolling off of the boy wonder.
"Whatcha been arguing about?" Cyborg asked,
Robin shrugged and caved into a sigh, "It's not even arguing. It's just me... I've been getting so angry at her about how she performs in battles and her tactics. She's just stood there, accepting it and then gone to her room and cried. I hate knowing I've made her cry..." Robin explained, the misery slowly consuming the dark haired boy.
"But Star's just as good in battle as the rest of us; if not, better." Cyborg countered,
"I know!" Robin exclaimed, dropping his head into his palms, frustrated. Cyborg patted Robin's back sympathetically,
"My advice? Go and talk about it with her. Ain't nothing good gonna come from not confronting it." Cyborg shrugged,
Robin took a minute before he looked up from his hands and smiled gratefully at Cyborg, "Thanks-" Robin was cut off by a sudden, blaring noise and the flashing of red within the room. Cyborg dropped his fork that he had planned to eat the pancakes with and sprinted over to the main computer to receive information about the apparent mission. Robin didn't turn his head when the remaining three titans rushed into the room.
"What's going on?" Raven asked,
"Cyborg. Report!" Robin barked, immediately delving into his 'leader mode'.
"Plasmas ripping the city apart to get to the sewers." Cyborg returned, tapping away at the computer.
"Awh man!" Beastboy whined, "I won't get his stench off me for days!"
"Like you usually smell much better." Raven responded, smirking a little at her own comment.
Beastboy grinned, revealing his sharp tooth and leaned in towards his girlfriend, "I just wanna smell good for you for tomorrow." He whispered,
Raven shut up immediately and blushed a little so she pulled up her hood to cover her face.
"Let's get moving, team." Robin ordered. They all nodded. Cyborg, Beastboy and Raven all hurried to leave the room. Starfire turned to follow in suit but Robin gently took her hand for a moment. She stopped and looked at him with a concerned expression but she was unable to meet his eyes.
"Uh... Star?" Robin stuttered,
"Yes, Robin...?" She replied, in a quiet voice.
"Um... Mind if I fly with you? My bike still needs to be repaired from the last mission..."
There was no expression flooding Starfire's face as she simply nodded and took her hand back from his. She gulped and ran out of the room. Robin sighed as he followed after her.
The mission ended quicker than any of them expected. Starfire had been the one to cause the time cut. When Plasmas was roaring and thrashing, he grabbed one of Robin's explosives that had been thrown. He grinned an acidic smirk as he aimed the explosive back at the titans but Starfire stopped his actual toss. Starfire had cleverly flown closer and when the giant goo monster held it up to throw, she wrapped herself around Plasmas' hand. The explosive detonated and the titans were all worried that Starfire had gone up with it.
However, what they found in the aftermath was the human form of Plasmas, asleep in the middle of the street. Starfire soon floated down, covered in dark soot from the proximity of the bomb to herself. Her hair was frazzled and her stomach, chest and face were covered in the black stuff. When she reached the ground, she received congratulatory comments and pats on the back from the team, minus Robin. He stood and said nothing. He was the only one who was far from happy about her behaviour in battle.
When they returned to the tower, Beastboy and Cyborg were already deep in conversation about which game they wanted to play. Raven had practically raced through the hall to grab her book from the table in the main room. Beastboy and Cyborg were the first ones to walk through the door to the main room, followed closely by Raven, then Starfire and finally Robin. Robin's expression was stern and as if he was completely ready for an all out fight with someone. None of the titans expected him to suddenly pick the fight in the middle of the room.
"What were you thinking today, Starfire?" He growled. Starfire raised her eyebrows in surprise and turned to face him.
"E-Excuse me?" She asked, the fear of him yelling at her again rising.
"How could you be so thoughtless today!? You could have been hurt!" He yelled, throwing his arms up to emphasize his point,
"But... But Robin... We all place ourselves within difficult and dangerous situations during battle. I was simply-"
"I'll tell you what you were doing. You were acting completely irrational! You know we could have handled that. You didn't needto put yourself in the complete line of fire like that!"
"I... I am... Sorry, Robin... I-"
"I think you would benefit from working on your battle tactics, Starfire. They are clearly lacking. Don't be so stupidly reckless next time!"
Starfire visibly recoiled as if Robin had hit her and he instantly regretted his words when he saw her expression.
She could feel the tightening within her chest and she could feel the tears welling up behind her emerald orbs. She was almost afraid to do anything in case the flood gates opened.
"Y-Yes Robin... O-Of course... Please... Excuse Me." Starfire stammered, her voice trembling. She sucked in a breath and quickly scurried past Robin.
"Star-" Robin sighed, attempting to take her hand. She ignored his effort to reach out for her and continued until she was past the doors. Robin's eyes fell to staring at the ground and he felt his unhappiness begin to overtake him once more.
There was a tense and awkward aura hanging in the air of the main room for a few minutes which felt like years to each of them. Raven and Beastboy exchanged uncertain glances but Raven saved them, "Uh... Me and Beastboy are going to go out for a little while." She stated, loud enough for all three males to hear.
"Oh cool! Where are we going, Rae?" Beastboy chirped, clearly not as effected by the tension as herself and Cyborg. Raven rolled her eyes at the changeling and created a dark portal with a wave of her hand. She grabbed the front of Beastboy's uniform and dragged him inside of the portal with her before it vanished from existence.
Cyborg glanced over at Robin who had now resumed his position of sitting on the stool in the kitchen. Robin could clearly feel Cyborg staring at him as he raised his head with a dejected expression.
"Man..." Cyborg breathed. Robin grunted in frustration at his own actions,
"I know! I can't help it! She was being reckless and thoughtless and... And..." Robin trailed off,
"No she wasn't. You know she wasn't. C'mon Rob. We both know the reason you keep getting stressed at her is because you're so afraid of her getting hurt in a battle that your fear is turning to anger."
Robin sighed. He knew Cyborg was dead right about his reasons for yelling at Starfire.
"What should I do?" Robin asked, feeling lost.
"Well... I doubt she'd wanna talk right now." Cyborg guessed,
Robin frowned, feeling like there was no bright side on his gloomy day.
"What are you guys doing for tomorrow?" Cyborg quizzed, hoping his plans would boost their relationship. Robin twiddled his fingers and looked down. Cyborg's expression plummeted and his jaw fell open slightly,
"You've got nothing planned!?" Cyborg hollered, disbelievingly.
"Well, we haven't been talking so I didn't even think about Valentine's Day. I wasn't even sure if I was going to have a girlfriend by the end of this week." Robin grumbled.
Cyborg tapped his chin lightly with his fingertips, "I have an idea. Are you willing to do something for her tomorrow?" He tested,
"Of course. I just don't wanna fight with her anymore..." Robin mumbled. Cyborg smiled sympathetically for the conflicted leader.
"You can surprise her here in the tower? It's all yours tomorrow evening anyways." Cyborg suggested,
"I hope your idea will work..." Robin anticipated.
"It will!" Cyborg claimed, waving his hand, "I'm the master of loooove."
Robin closed his eyes and shook his head but he cracked a small smile nonetheless.
The evening of Valentine's Day came to be and Robin couldn't help but feel nervous. He drummed his fingers against the edge of the counter in the kitchen as his nerves began to swallow him. He cast his eyes over at Starfire who was sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed. He knew she was still awake though. Suddenly, his thoughts were broken as Raven and Beastboy entered the main room. They looked nice and Cyborg and Robin told them so.
"Thanks! Takin' Rae to this cool restaurant in town." Beastboy said, proudly. Raven ducked and felt for her hood which was no longer there considering they had placed themselves in civilian clothing for the night. Raven wore a smart purple shirt that stopped above her knees and she placed herself in black leggings and black boots.
Beastboy himself cleaned up pretty well for his dinner plans with Raven. He wore a simple blue V neck shirt with a dark blazer over the top and a grey pair of dress pants. No one could talk him out of wearing high tops though... Not that his date really minded.
"Awh, look at Rae-Rae blushing!" Cyborg teased, earning a glare and a crimson blush from Raven.
"Don't make me send you to another dimension." Raven threatened, holding her fist up and allowing black magic to be seen.
"Pst... She really will do it." Beastboy warned. Cyborg gulped and nervously laughed. Raven lowered her fist.
"So. What are you and Bumblebee doing?" Raven asked, crossing her arms over her chest as Beastboy bent to tie his laces.
"I'm taking her to a drive in movie. She loves the whole 50's theme of that sorta stuff." Cyborg explained. Raven nodded.
"Ooh! Park closely to the screen to see the movie better!" Beastboy told him, waving his arms around.
"Uh... I don't know if we'll actually be watching much of the movie..." Cyborg mumbled,
"What'd you mean?" Beastboy wondered, bewildered.
"Move past it. Please." Raven said, sighing at her boyfriend's lack of understanding. The two immersed into a conversation so Raven strolled over to Robin who gave her a small smile.
"Everything okay?" the empath questioned quietly,
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" Robin replied, keeping a light tone to try and keep her from knowing. It didn't work. Raven crossed her arms and tilted her head at him.
"Are you still fighting with Starfire?" Raven queried, lowering her tone,
"I... How'd you know we were fighting?"
"Other than the performance between you two yesterday? Starfire has been upset all week. Her aura is bleak. And on top of that, she's come crying to me twice this week. Not a good sign, wouldn't you agree?"
Robin sighed, "I'm hoping to fix things with her tonight."
Raven nodded, "I'm sure any show of affection would be great for her right now. She just wants to know that you still care... She was asking me if I thought it was a good idea for you and her to break up, you know."
"What!? I- I don't want to split up."
"Shh. Like I said... Affection will give you a happy Starfire."
Robin nodded and smiled thanks to Raven. Beastboy suddenly placed his hands on Raven's shoulders. Robin couldn't help but smile at the blush that spread over the dark girl's cheeks.
"Alright, Rae. I think we should get going. You have to be on time for reservations, right?" Beastboy checked. Raven groaned and placed her forehead against her palm.
Beastboy grinned, "I'll take that as a yes! Let's go!" He chirped, taking Raven's hand in his and leading her out.
"Later guys!" Beastboy called as they walked through the doors.
Moments later, Robin's eyes returned to Starfire who was now sitting up with her back towards him, still on the sofa. He bit his lip a little. For the plan to work, he kind of needed her to be in her room. He looked over at Cyborg. The mechanical titan held up a hand, telling him to be patient.
As if the gods were on his side, Starfire slowly rose to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. Robin tried not to stare at her form for too long. Yes, she was his girlfriend but he felt weird about ogling her around other people.
She walked around the edge of the sofa and stooped to the ground to pick up her mutant worm, Silkie. Robin faintly smiled at the way she cuddled Silkie and cooed to him like a baby. Maybe it was bad luck to think such a thing but Robin couldn't help but believe that she'd one day be a wonderful mother.
She continued to walk in silence presumably towards the doors but she stopped and smiled up at Cyborg, "I believe I am feeling the tired... Goodnight, Cyborg... Robin." She paused, "I hope your romantic evening with friend Bumblebee is most successful,"
Cyborg patted her shoulder, "Thanks Star. Night baby girl." He bid her farewell,
"Uh... Night Star," Robin chanced, feeling like he was going to get a starbolt in his face. To his surprise, her green gems met his face and she gave him a small nod accompanied with a small smile. He felt a relief wash over him and he gave her a sincere smile in return.
With that, she left the room. Robin sighed and turned to Cyborg, "Got a smile. Best sign you've had all week, huh?" Cyborg guessed. Robin made a face to show his happiness about that.
"Is everything set?" Cyborg wondered,
"Yeah... It may have taken practically all day to set up but I think it'll be worth it. As long as it makes Starfire happier." Robin admitted,
"Good. Well, let me know how things go, boy wonder and I'll probably see you in the morning. I'll be back pretty late."
Robin nodded, "Oh and Cyborg?"
"Mm?"
"Thanks,"
Cyborg chuckled and waved his hand before offering his fist for a bump which Robin took him up on. Robin felt his pulse race as Cyborg left. Now he had to start setting his plan into motion. He sighed nervously, God, I hope this works. I love her way too much to let her go easily. Robin thought, as he made tracks.
Starfire sighed as she stroked Silkie. Her eyes were closed and her head hung off the end of her round bed, like always. If she leaned a certain way, she could feel the ends of her auburn hair brush against the floor. Starfire had indeed been feeling very unhappy over the past week. She was confused for the most part. She didn't understand why Robin had suddenly been getting so very angry at her. Every time she did something which would usually result in praise, resulted in a lecture. She sighed again and rolled onto her stomach, opening her eyes in the process. She leaned her cheek against her left palm. Most of all, she was fearful that Robin had no feelings for her anymore. She feared that sooner or later, he would break up with her.
The alien beauty felt tears form in her big jade eyes and she braced herself for a cry but a knock on the door stopped her from doing so, "Y-Yes?" She stuttered, realising the sadness would affect her speech.
There was no answer.
Starfire raised an eyebrow and swivelled herself around so that she sat with her feet on the ground. She got up and quickly crossed the room to open the door.
When she looked out, there was no one around. She was about to simply close the door but something caught her eye. On the ground by her feet was a beautifully wrapped box. It was baby pink with a darker pink bow wrapped across it. She was curious as to what exactly it could be. She looked around again before she read the card. It simply said:
- To Star
Starfire blushed a little bit. She knew Robin's handwriting anywhere. What was he up to?
She picked up the box and retreated back inside of her room. She placed the pink box on her bed and opened the top whilst Silkie sniffed it and gurgled at her. "I am unsure of what it could be also, my little bumgorf." Starfire answered, as if understanding her pet.
After moving some of the delicated thin paper away, she gasped. She pulled out a pretty midnight blue dress. It was strapless and looked like it would end just above her knees. She smiled and saw another card placed in the bottom of the box along with matching shoes. It said:
- Star,
Please wear this and meet me on the roof. I have a surprise for you.
- Robin
Starfire laughed aloud. She couldn't help but smile at the note. The way he kept adding small hearts made her heart flutter and she found it endearing to say the least. Starfire quickly undressed out of her purple uniform and pulled the dress so it fit around the right places. At first, she didn't understand how she was supposed to do the corset back up without anyone else around but she surprised herself and was able to figure it out – With the help of her full length mirror of course. She slipped the darker shaded heels onto her feet and took a breath.
She looked herself over in the mirror but felt that something was missing. With that thought in mind, she grabbed a couple of clips from her dresser and simply clipped her long hair to one side. She then caught sight of the thin silver charm bracelet Robin had given her for their 1 year anniversary. She smiled softly at the memory.
She turned to Silkie as she approached her door to leave, "I shall be back later, Silkie." She told the mutant. Silkie gurgled and snuggled into Starfire's bed a little more. The princess shook her head at her pet and left.
Starfire had her breath snatched from her lungs once more that night and she placed a hand to her chest and smiled in shock. On the floor, there was a trail of red rose petals leading presumably up to the roof. Her smile remained plastered against her lips as she continued following the shower of petals.
When she eventually came to the door leading outside, she noticed a beautiful red rose lying on the floor. Apparently, she had reached her destination. She blushed and crouched to retrieve the flower. She sniffed it and closed her eyes. He had remembered that roses were her favourite flower. That made her heart swell.
With a shaky hand, Starfire opened the door to the roof and her jaw dropped and she almost lost her grip on the single red rose in her hand. She almost forgot to breathe as she saw a dramatic change in the appearance of the roof. There seemed to be a wooden canopy that had been installed above her head. It stretched over the open part of the roof and had a criss- crossing of wooden beams with green vines twisted around them. This new part of the roof wasn't what made Starfire so amazed.
Hanging from the wooden canopy was hundreds of lengths of red, pink and white ribbon. They danced a little in the air as a gentle breeze presented itself. Starfire felt her cheeks ache as her shocked expression had turned into that of an overjoyed one. On the ends of the curtains of ribbons were small purple hearts. In addition to the beautiful display of ribbons, there were fairy lights wrapped around the beams of the wooden canopy; some of which dangled down alongside the ribbon.
After barely getting over the sight of the roof, she noticed a cleared pathway, leading her to... Robin. She felt her heart practically melt when she saw him biting his lip nervously and looking at the ground.
She slowly made her way towards her charming boyfriend whilst she let her fingers brush against the hanging ribbon lengths. She smiled at the sight of him as she got closer. He was dressed in a fetching suit. It had a good balance between formal and formal/casual. Starfire couldn't deny that he looked very handsome indeed.
He looked up and grinned at her, "Evening, Star." He greeted, standing up straight,
Starfire giggled a little and shook her head, "Robin... What-What is all of this?" She quizzed, gesturing around her with her hand. Robin walked over and stood in front of her. He hadn't dared be this close to her during the entire week.
"Do you like it?" He asked, worried for her answer. Her smile became gentle and soft; a true Starfire smile. She carefully rested her hand against his cheek,
"It is truly beautiful, Robin..." She breathed. He mirrored her smile and momentarily got lost in the haze of green. He cleared his throat and took her hands in his.
"I just... I wanted to show you that I still care about you like crazy... Even if I haven't been showing that lately..." He admitted, tagging the end with guilt.
Starfire's smile only widened and she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Robin gulped, "What was that for?" Robin squeaked, happy but shocked,
"For being the most sweetest boyfriend." She returned. He smiled shyly and moved aside to present something else to her,
"And look..." He paused, "I thought we could look at the stars together with... Uh pizza... Not very special... Sorry..."
Starfire giggled and shook her head at him. Without a word, she took his hand and she walked around the blanket that was placed on the ground. She noted the two pillows and figured they would be sitting on them.
"Do not be silly, Robin. I believe this is more wonderfully romantic than the gourmet meals shown between loving couples on the earthly movies of the romance genre." Starfire shared.
Robin smirked. My same Starfire... He thought with pride. Robin sat on the second pillow and began pouring soda into each of their glasses. Starfire giggled as she picked hers up and sipped it, "Thank you, Robin," She stated. Robin nodded and let his eyes travel over her figure for a moment,
"By the way... You look beautiful tonight." He said in a hushed tone,
"Thank you. The most strangest thing happened this evening. Someone had left this lovely dress and these pretty shoes in a box, outside of my door." She answered, smirking,
"Wow... That is strange," He countered, smirking too. Starfire touched her fingertips to her cupid bow lips as she giggled. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and looked back at Robin. He swivelled himself so that he was facing her,
"Look, Star..." He inhaled a deep breath, "I'm really sorry that I've been acting like a jerk larely."
Starfire did an uncharacteristic thing and shrugged, "It is my fault for doing things wrong. Apologies."
"You haven't Star... The reason I've been getting stressed is because the situations we get ourselves into are dangerous and I love you so much and... I'm scared you'll get hurt." Robin babbled,
There was a moment of silence before Starfire's angelic voice filled it, "You have not told me that you love me for what seems like... A very long time..." She told him,
"Sorry about that," He commented, giving into a sheepish smile,
Starfire sighed and moved the pizza box so that she could scoot closer to him,
"Robin. Why did you not simply tell me? I love you a lot also and I am constantly petrified that you will get hurt within battle also but I realise that we are heroes and we must risk our lives every day in order to save others. You must trust me when I tell you that I am capable of looking after myself... I promise you..."
Robin pushed a lock of loose hair behind her ear and let his fingertips brush against her cheek, "I know... I'm sorry, Star." He whispered, allowing himself to get caught up in an affectionate moment between them.
"It is alright. I understand your fears." Starfire responded,
"So... Are we okay? I really hate arguing with my girlfriend as well as my best friend..."
Starfire smiled small, "Yes... I do not like fighting with you either..."
Robin mirrored her relieved smile and leaned forward. He wound his arms around her small waist while her arms snaked around his shoulders. They remained like that for more than a minute as they simply basked in the comfort of knowing there were okay again. Robin stroked her long, red hair whilst Starfire buried her face in Robin's shoulder, picking up on his boyish scent.
Starfire pulled back and cupped Robin's face in her soft hands, "I have missed being with you..." She said, quietly.
"I've missed being with you too," Robin confessed, taking her chin with his index finger.
He slowly leaned in and melded his lips with hers. A rush of affectionate sensations ignited his senses. He felt like he hadn't kissed her with so much love in a very long time. Starfire responded in a positive way, by running a hand through his dark hair. Her fingertips on the other hand found their way to Robin's neck and stroked his skin. She felt his goose bumps almost immediately.
He pulled away as he remembered something. He smirked at her and ran a hand down her bare arm, "Oh... And Happy Valentine's Day, Star." He said. Starfire giggled and threw her arms around Robin once again and tackled him into a loving cuddle. The gesture was so Starfire and they both landed on the flat roof, laughing.
Robin was beyond thankful to have his relationship with Starfire restored. He could honestly say that Valentine's Day was his best so far and he knew as long as he was with Starfire for future ones; they could only get better...