Angst alert. Also fluff alert.

Betrothed- The Kiss Edition

"Starfire?"

She turned and faced the pier. What in the name of X'hal was he doing here? "R-Robin?"

He stepped out from under the pier, ruining everything. How was she supposed to stay strong when Robin- the odd chink her armor, the person she couldn't understand but wanted to so badly- shows up like that?

He reached out to touch her and she was frozen. She wanted him to touch her, even briefly.

But he couldn't. A supportive touch on the wrist could so easily turn into a firmer grasp. Firmer grasps could become caresses or gentle brushes.

She couldn't. She was going to be married. She couldn't do this with Robin, not now. It would hurt too much in two days' time when she would be waking up next to her new husband.

She flinched back, her bare feet slipping on the sand as water rushed to shore, and she overbalanced-

A gloved hand caught her wrist and pulled her forward. "Are you okay?"

Don't do it, Starfire. Don't. "Yes, Robin. At least for the moment."

His grip on her wrists was loose, like he just forgot to let go. Like touching her came so naturally that he didn't want to stop.

Dangerous thoughts. "Um... Robin..." she muttered, trying to point out the fact that he was still holding her.

"Yeah?" he answered softly.

His voice was low in his throat and if it wasn't so dark, she might have been able to see his eyes behind the domino mask. She inched closer, hoping that maybe she could see if she looked harder.

"Star..." He put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her very gently. She rocked back on her heels but she didn't back up. "C'mon, stop it."

"Will you not allow me to know your eye color?" she sulked, pouting a little.

"I really shouldn't." One hand was still on her shoulder and the other was loosely holding her wrist.

"It does not matter," she pointed out. "I will be gone shortly."

"I know, but-"

Slowly, she trailed her fingers up the sides of his face, which shut him up effectively. Touching him like that awakened something in her, something fiery and overpowering. Her fingers slid under the domino mask. She felt his eyes flutter closed, but he didn't try to stop her.

The mask peeled away and she held it between two fingers. She gasped, moving her hands away from his face to cover her mouth. "Dick?!"

"Sh," he hissed, his eyes snapping open so he could look around them.

"How can you be Dick?" she demanded, bunching the mask up and holding her fist at her hip. He grabbed for her wrist so he could take it back from her, but she moved her hand out of his reach.

"Star, give it," he commanded.

"You are not supposed to be Robin! That must mean that Selina knew the whole time!"

He lunged for her wrist again, but she moved it behind her back.

"And that must also mean that Bruce Wayne is Bat-"

"Don't," Robin hissed at her. He leaned forward to reach her arm and the motion threw Starfire off balance.

Both teenagers fell with a splash into the frothy water. Starfire tried to keep the mask away from, but he pinned her wrist down with his hand. She could have broken his hold, of course, but suddenly it didn't matter to her whether or not he wore the mask.

He was kneeling next to her, adjusting his mask with both hands. Once it was on, he frowned at her. "You shouldn't have done that." He offered her his hand and she accepted it, allowing him to pull her into a sitting position.

"Tomorrow I will leave. Permanently. It does not hold much consequence."

He looked down at the water, and it was all so different know that she imagined how he looked under the mask. The expression he might hold in his eyes. "Starfire." His voice was very soft, almost sounding hurt. "I don't… I wish… You shouldn't have to do this."

"I know," she murmured, and he snapped his head up to look at her, which made her look away. "It is unfair." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "I am giving everything I can for a planet that allowed me to be sold away." She shouldn't be talking like this. It was traitorous. "I am finally happy, away from everything I'd ever known. And I am called back." Everything was blurred by tears, and she flicked her gaze back to Robin. A few tears escaped, and she could feel them trickling down her cheeks. "I do not want to go."

Robin took her hand and pulled her to him. He didn't offer any comforting words, but then, there probably weren't any. She pressed her forehead into his shoulder and she felt one of his hands against her back.

"I am frightened," she whispered.

They stayed that way for a while, even after Starfire stopped crying. Even after she had calmed down.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked finally, pushing her away to look at her face.

She considered the question for a few seconds. Was she? She had calmed, although nothing had been solved. And what was worse, the saltwater made her hair curl stupidly. But she was here with Robin, and somehow that made everything bearable. "Yes."

"Good." He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling supportively. "Everything will work out, Starfire."

She was forming an idea. An impulse that itched its way from her brain to her fingertips, eager to be acted upon. "Perhaps you are right," she mumbled.

"You'll see. It'll be fine. Lots of different cultures on Earth do arranged marriages, too, and those usually work out okay."

"Robin…" she said, the impulse taking over, despite her best attempts to brush it aside.

"What is it?"

Starfire grabbed his shoulders and pulled herself closer to him, planting a kiss right on his mouth. She felt so relieved, the itch leaving her brain.

Shortly after, she started to panic. That was the second time she'd kissed Robin without consent. That was no way to behave, not on Tamaran or on Earth. She let him go and shied away from him. "Robin, I apologize, I did not mean to be so forward… I…"

He sighed and pulled her out of the water onto the sand with him. "You're leaving tomorrow. That means that there're no consequences, right?"

"I…" she said again, confused.

He took on of her hands and stepped up so close to her, and she let her eyes flutter closed.

He kissed her softly and slowly, and a fluttery feeling rushed from her stomach up to her head, making her dizzy and too hot.

Neither of them really knew what they were doing, but it seemed to come naturally. Starfire tilted her head so that their noses didn't bump quite so much, Robin adjusted his grip on her hand and brought one hand up to rest on her hip.

He broke for air sooner than she did, as humans need to breathe more frequently, but he didn't end it there. More kisses, harder and faster than the one before, and Starfire was getting swept up in it all. She wound her arms around Robin's neck, mostly because her legs had gone weak and she needed the extra support.

Their mouths opened against each other, Starfire raised a hand to stroke her fingers against his hair. It was hypnotic and warm and safe even as it was new and exciting. So many different things rushing through her mind, yet not one thing seemed to be able to break through the cloud of want that fogged her brain.

Then shrill beeping made them both jump, and Robin pulled his communicator out of his belt. "What?" he croaked, keeping it closed.

"Dude, where are you? Overload's causing power surges in the traffic lights. Downtown's a wreck."

"I'll meet you there."

"Robin?" Starfire called sadly as he pocketed the device.

"I- I- sorry, Star, I gotta… You… Take care of yourself, okay?"

She was alone. Deliriously happy and somewhat crushed at the same time. At least she had the memory to help through her betrothal.

Yep. Note that this is completely different. This would change the entire course of the whole story, not just one chapter. (I've made an AU for my AU. I don't know how you are supposed to feel about that.) I won't be expanding on the AU AU, though. Use your imaginations.

Up next: Remember that time Selina jacked the Batship?