"Cimmerian Sunbeams"

Chapter III

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About two weeks later, Starfire's hair was no longer black. The color rinsed out much more abruptly than the girls anticipated, but it was a great thing. Raven was quite relieved to see her teammate with her natural color again. Starfire snapped out of her phase, and continued wearing her colorful hues.

"I am … me again," Starfire had said to Raven, once her hair was completely ginger again and she had grown out of her Raven-phase. "But I still wish that we could understand each other …"

"It's alright, Star. Believe it or not, I understand you a lot more than I did when we first met … and though it may not all happen at once, little by little, I think we're learning more and more about each other."

Starfire had smiled brightly. "I am glad you think so, friend Raven!" She lunged herself at her darker friend, before stopping short. "I am sorry … I forgot that you do not like the hug."

Raven chuckled softly. "It's fine … just this once," she said, allowing Starfire to attack her with yet another one of her trademark bone-crushing hugs.

And as of currently, Raven sat on the couch, deeply involved in a thrilling horror novel. At the same time, she was doing her best to ignore Beast Boy's bothersome voice in the background.

"Friend Raven!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed. Raven could only guess whom.

"Starfire, I'm kind of busy—"

"Friend Raven, do you wish to assist me in the shopping for the food?" she asked quickly.

"Star, I really can't—"

The Tamaranian girl looked at Raven with pleading eyes. "But friend Raven…" she quickly lowered her voice. "Friend Robin has offered to assist me, but I'm already going with you … correct?" She smiled apprehensively.

Raven felt sympathy for the girl. If there were a guy that continued to try and make moves on her she certainly wouldn't want to be alone with him anywhere. Raven smiled softly. "Yeah. Come on, we'd better go, before it gets busy …" Raven put down her book and stood.

"Thank you," Starfire whispered, gratefully.

Robin entered the room. "You sure you don't need any of my help?" He asked once more. He put his hand on Starfire's lower back.

"I assure you that Raven and I have it under our control, friend Robin, please do not worry about us!" Starfire grabbed the list off of the table and flew to the front door. "We will be back shortly! Good-bye!"

"Starfire," Raven said, delicately. "When are you planning on telling him? It's been a while now… and he's not taking any hints. You're better off just telling him how you feel … or rather, how you don't feel."

"I am sorry," she said quietly. "It would not be easy for me to do such a thing…"

"Look, if you can't tell him, then I think somebody should," Raven explained in her usual monotone. "Do you want me to talk to him for you?"

"W-would you … could you do that?" she asked. Her voice was small, and timid.

"Sure … anything to make him back off. I really think he has no idea how you feel. He really cares about you, Starfire, and he doesn't want to force you into anything."

She nodded. "But please … try not to upset him … he is my friend, and I do not wish to hurt him."

"Don't worry; I'll have it all taken care of by tonight."

"OH, THANK YOU!" she gushed, hugging Raven tightly. "I am sorry, I simply could not resist!" she added, with a goofy smile.

"Heh … right …"

And the two girls continued on their way to the food store.

- - -

"Robin, can I talk to you for a few minutes? Alone?"

"Uh, sure Rae," he said, walking into his room and closing the door. "What's up?" He took a seat on his bed and offered Raven a seat next to him.

"Look, Robin … Starfire loves you. She really does. She doesn't wanna do anything to ruin your friendship … but the truth is … she doesn't feel the same way about you."

"What?" he asked, surprised.

"You mean, you haven't noticed? When you go to kiss her, and she tries to pull away? When she tries not to talk to you alone? You haven't noticed at all?"

"Well … to tell you the truth … no, not really."

Raven scowled inwardly. How he couldn't see, was beyond her. If anyone had given enough hints, it was Starfire. She sighed. "Look, just keep in mind that she doesn't like you that way. She didn't want to tell you herself, she was afraid you'd be angry. She doesn't wanna lose her friendship with you."

"Yeah … I understand, … I guess … I don't want to make her do anything she doesn't want to. I really care about her, y'know?" he said, in a disappointed tone.

"Of course," offered Raven, empathetically.

"Raven?"

"What?"

Robin put his hand on her thigh and rubbed it gently. "Thank you," he said. "I never really realized how much I have in common with you. And how much you've been there for me."

The lilac-haired girl stared at his hand, touching her thigh. "Um, thanks?" she said, unsure of how to respond. She didn't take her eyes off of his hand.

"And also…" he continued, leaning in closer to her. "I never really stopped and took notice to how beautiful you are."

Raven grimaced and peeled his hand off of her thigh. "Cut it out, Robin. Is this some kind of joke? Your girlfriend just dumped you, and you aren't the least bit upset?"

The team leader leaned his upper body forward, as if to lean in for a kiss. "You know, I've never really gone for the shy type… but you're really cute." His lips were hardly a fist's length away from Raven's when she gave him a shove.

"What—what are you trying to do?-!" Raven narrowed her eyes. "You need to learn to take a hint, Robin. Neither Starfire nor I see you that way! I can't believe you just … ugh! What's happening to you, Robin?-!" Raven stood from his bed and stormed out of his room. She made a beeline for her own room and slammed her door shut. "That idiot!" she shouted, enraged. She couldn't believe it. She could not believe that the Boy Wonder, the one who just got rejected by his current girlfriend, had the nerve to think even of trying to kiss her. Who did he think he was?-! Did he expect her to fall head over heels in love with him?-!

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Go away," she said coldly, immediately assuming it was Robin.

"F-friend Raven?" came the voice, timid and small.

"Oh, it's just you, Star. Come in." She used her telepathy to open the door for Starfire.

"Did all go well?"

"No, it didn't."

"Oh." Starfire walked over to Raven, and took a seat next to her, against the wall. "Did something go wrong?"

"I told him how you felt; he was completely clueless that you felt that way. He told me that he understand completely."

"That is glorious! But … how did it not go well?"

Raven closed her eyes. "After he told me that … he … he put his hand on my thigh – and nearly kissed me."

"What?-!" Starfire nearly shouted. Immediately she stood. "The nerve of him! Does he think you feel the same? You certainly do not! How dare he?-! I do not know much about boys on earth, but is it normal for them to go so quickly between one girl and another?-! Is it even allowed to kiss somebody that is not your 'girlfriend'?-!" she spit all this out quickly, while pacing back and forth in front of Raven and using her flailing arms for expression. Suddenly, she paused and looked at Raven. Speaking with fear and alarm, she asked, "A-are you his … girlfriend?"

Raven blinked. "Absolutely not!"

This was Starfire's cue to continue. "This is an outrage! He is our friend, and is it not right for one friend to disrespect another friend's feelings about whether or not they—even feel the same! It is impolite, discourteous, and on my planet, one would be exiled! Perhaps beheaded! This is an uncivil act that will not go unnoticed. I am appalled! Absolutely—"

Starfire continued with her colorful speech. Raven sat back and watched wide-eyed as the Tamaranian girl expressed weeks, maybe months of pent-up anger. Raven considered stopping the girl, but instead came to the conclusion that the venting was healthy and necessary for her friend to go through.

As Raven endured the Wrath of Starfire, her mind began to travel. She'd never seen Starfire act this resentful and offended before, even when things far worse had occurred. Doubtless, one's fury is justified by actions like Robin's, but perhaps if he was the one who had broken up with her. It was her idea, and what could she care that Robin was hitting on another girl? True, Starfire had shown signs of striving to strengthen the bond between herself and her violet-eyed teammate, but enough to react with such intensity to a failed-first-kiss?

Unless, Raven mused, the misdirected annoyance was not because of that but actually the other way around. What if Starfire was jealous that Raven liked the attention? That seemed unlikely, because the only explanation for that was Starfire being jealous of… Robin. That would mean Starfire had an interest in Raven romantically. Raven zoned out of her thoughts and back into Starfire's rant—which had now switched from English to Tamaranian. Raven felt something warm, like a feeling in her stomach. Her mind shuddered. First Beast Boy, then Starfire… her thoughts owed it all to an underlying conceit issue. Before long, she'd believe Cyborg was hitting on her, she assumed. Starfire would never feel romantically for her, she thought. Raven scoffed. It was a stupid idea in the first place.

tbc.