AN: I just wanted to give a few background notes that might help with understanding the story.
Ages: Cyborg 25, Raven 23, Robin 23, Starfire 22, Beastboy 21
Note that this is really just a prolog and the next chapters will jump ahead 2 years. The above ages are for the events of this chapter and will also jump ahead by two in upcoming chapters.
I would also like to point out that I do not plan on making every detail of their lives accurate to the comics or anything, like in this chapter I don't think in the show Robin knew Batgirl before moving to Jump, but for the sake of the story just go with it.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!
Starfire knew more languages than she could count, in different galaxies, of different races, and amongst different cultures. So, needless to say, she was usually never at a loss for words. But even with her vast knowledge of languages, when she walked in one night on her boyfriend of 3 years in a passionate embrace with another woman, not a single phrase came to mind. Instead of making some quick, to the point, screw you remark, she just turned and walked back to her room, her face as expressionless as her mind.
The following day it did not take her long to pack. Cyborg had seen a disheveled red head who unmistakably was not Starfire leaving Robin's room the night before, and told the others about it before Starfire announced her departure. It hadn't taken more than a second for the Titans to put two and two together. As Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven all begged and reasoned for her to stay, she simply shook her head and thanked them for their friendship. She left amongst tears and hugs, leaving behind three lost and confused friends and Robin nowhere to be found.
At the time, she hadn't made any plans on where she was going. She wasn't even sure of how long she would be gone; maybe a day, a month, a year, or maybe she wouldn't be back at all. The only thing she knew for sure was that she needed time to deal with her emotions away from Robin.
As she left, she thought, for only a second, that she should stay and talk to him. But in the end she knew it would only lead to a fight, and hearing his explanation would only cause her more pain. No matter what he said, it would never make sense to her. For Tameranians, once you consummate your love with your chosen mate, you are biologically connected to that person. They from then on love that sole person with their whole being, and can never love another in the same way. When Starfire was younger it had seemed like such a beautiful notion, that you and one person would be joined so wholly you could never love another. Now to her it seems as some cruel joke, that she must forever love someone who will never love her in the same way. And she still loved him, even now, but she felt as though she must carry it through the rest of her life like a dark burden holding on to her heart, forever aching, yearning, stabbing.
It was to be a quick mission, Batman said, just gather information and get out, no fighting.. Batman wanted to know why records had been found in Joker's abandoned hideout in Gotham that linked him to a local arms dealer all the way in Jump City. So, since he couldn't abandon his post in Gotham Batman had asked Robin to take the mission without the rest of the Titans. It was a matter of stealth, he had told Robin, he didn't want the five of them on the trail, the more people the more chance of getting the cover blown, but Robin also knew the secrecy was more about Batman's inability to trust anyone one he hadn't trained himself. When Batgirl arrived to aid Robin in the mission the two Dark Knight prodiges were able knock out the task in no time. Earlier in the day Robin had feigned feeling a bit under the weather, but encouraged the other Titans to take a trip out to dinner and the movie theater. It had taken extra convincing to get Starfire to join as she insisted that she would stay with him and make one of her "special puddings", but after a promise to make it up to her with their own date the following week she reluctantly joined the others in their night out. Robin and Batgirl had no problem on the mission, they got in, got the information they were looking for, and got out. They were so quick, in fact, that after it was over they still had about an hour and a half until the other Titans returned home. So, after a little while of convincing for Batgirl, her and Robin stopped at a bar to have a few celebratory drinks and to catch up with one another.
As much as he didn't like to admit it, Robin had missed her. Not in any romantic sort of way, they had only dated for a few months before Robin called it off to move to Jump City and start off on his own. They both agreed it was better off anyways, Batgirl still had training to do with Batman and they both felt better staying friends. Batman, of course, highly supported that decisions as he had been pretty dismayed by his two apprentices interest in each other. But that had been 6 years ago, and except for a few visits Robin made to Gotham every year, they never really got a chance to catch up.
Looking back on that night, Robin, for the life of him, could not understand what had caused him to drink that much. Even though all of the Titans were now over the legal drinking limit he discouraged alcohol amongst the team except for very rare occasions, and even then only in moderation. So as Robin drained his sixth shot he was really starting to let loose. Maybe he was drinking because he was tired of always having to keep up a perfect image, or because he had missed his old friend and wanted to catch up, or because the more he drank the more she reminded him of Starfire and they really had been having problems lately. He didn't remember who had initiated it, or whose idea it had been to take the cab back to the Tower. Really, the only thing he remembered clearly that night was looking up to the open doorway and seeing Starfire there. And he knew what she was feeling as he saw her face, because it was an expression he had only seen her wear once before, when she received news of Galfore's death. Well, it wasn't an expression so much as a lack of one. Starfire wore her emotions on her sleeve, always expressing her happiness with a smile that never left her face and her sadness with tears. So when she showed nothing, just poised and stoic, he knew there was no erasing what he had done. That night, after telling his unfortunate friend to leave, Robin cried for the first time since his parents death.
AN: Suggestions and reviews are very welcome!