FIVE MONTHS EARLIER:
"Here comes the bride, all fat and wide. Here comes the groom, skinny as a broom!" Beast Boy sang loudly in the middle of the pizza restaurant. Several people turned their heads to stare at the green Titan, astonished at his inappropriate outburst.
Coraline "Coral" Rachel Grayson, on the other hand, squealed in happiness, and reached forward to tug on Beast Boy's pointy ears. Robin watched the whole scene, smiling as Beast Boy grimaced in discomfort, but allowed the three year old girl to continue tugging at his ears.
"Beast Boy, you are doing the spoiling of our daughter." Starfire teased, laughing as Coral screeched Beast Boy's name and began tugging on his dark green hair.
"I'm not spoiling her." He said defensively, pulling away from her and handing her an orange crayon. Coral grabbed the crayon greedily, immediately bringing it down to the coloring book in front of her.
"Buying her a princess coloring book. Singing to her. Letting her pull on you ears... Yes, that definitely doesn't sound like you're spoiling her." Robin joked, pushing his menu away when he saw their waiter approach.
"What'll you have?" The bubbly blonde asked, her voice cheerful as she kept her eyes on Coral. She cooed at the baby lightly while Robin ordered their pizza. When she was done scribbling it down, she stuffed the pad of paper into her apron.
"So who's baby is this? I didn't know you had a little sister, Robin?" The waitress - Sandy - asked. Coral looked up at her, blinking her huge emerald eyes; Robin coughed awkwardly.
"She's, um, she's not my sister."
"Oh?"
"She is my daughter." Starfire responded automatically, flicking her eyes to Coral's face.
"Our daughter." Robin corrected, wrapping his arm around Starfire's shoulder. He could tell she wasn't comfortable. And he understood why. People always jumped to the worst conclusions.
Aren't you a little young to have a baby?
How old are you, exactly?
Was she planned?
Are you and Robin married?
These were typically the questions they were asked, whenever people saw Starfire holding the young girl. And because it was too difficult to explain the full situation, Starfire always just smiled at them and ignored their judgements.
"Well she's cute as a button, that's for sure." Sandy remarked, pinching one of Coral's pink cheeks. Coral giggled, bobbing her head back and forth.
Starfire sighed as she walked away, reaching across the table to brush Coral's black curls away from her face.
"You okay?" Robin asked, eyeing her carefully.
"I am fine. I am merely thinking." She responded, twisting the ring on her left hand. Robin smiled triumphantly, the same way he did every time he saw her wearing the ring. It was a reminder that soon, she would be only his. And all they had to do was say two simple words.
"What're you thinking about?" Robin prompted, watching as Cyborg began to play peekaboo with Coral. Raven even jumped in a couple times, making faces at Coral as she pulled her hood up and down.
"I wish that things were easier."
"How?"
"I wish that people would not be so quick to judge Coral. I do not wish for them to think of her as an accident, or a mistake." Starfire whispered. Robin shook his head and kissed her cheek, hugging her quickly before pulling away.
"Star, no one thinks that. And if they do, you can't listen to them. Coral may not have been planned, but I wouldn't trade her for the world."
"And me?"
Robin grabbed Starfire's left hand, kissing right below her engagement ring.
"I wouldn't trade you for the world either, Star. Nothing can keep me from being with you."
