Chapter 6
Tribute
Robin climbed back to the roof and slowly made his way to the door. He opened it and made his way to his room. He opened the door and threw his gadgets on the floor on his way to his bed.
"Why is it so hot in here?"
Robin took his shirt and boots off and left only his black pants on. He was soaking wet. He threw himself to the bed and immediately fell asleep. His entire body ached and his head was spinning. The worst part of it all was the heat. Maybe the heater was too high, maybe not. Morning had arrived at Titans Tower and Robin had spent the entire night watching over Starfire. Raven had never left her side either, so he was not able to get inside the room. Robin had gone back to his room and Raven had left the ER minutes after he did.
Cyborg and BB were also tired and even though they did not want to take any chances with Starfire, they decided to rest until at least noon. Raven, Cyborg, BB and Robin fell in a well deserved slumber. On the other hand, Starfire had rested enough and her body had enough strength to begin the new day. She opened her eyes and yawned the last of her sleep away as she stretched her arms.
"Where am I?"
Starfire then immediately acknowledged that she was in the ER but she had no idea how she had gotten there. She was even more surprised to see that she had a cast on her right leg. She touched her cast and tried to lift her leg but it hurt and she winced. How was she supposed to walk around with this?
"No wonder why Robin hated this artifact"
She tried flying and quickly realized that even though she was not putting as much pressure on it, the "hanging" also made her ankle hurt. She cursed in Tamarean.
"Rokter Zib!"
Starfire wanted to stand up and look for her friends but with the cast on, she did not think she would get anywhere without some kind of aid. She looked around, searching for something to help her get moving and when she found nothing but mess she sighed. She looked down at her legs and frowned. However, at that exact moment, an idea formed in her head. She pulled the blanket and struggled with it until she was able to put her casting leg inside it. She used the blanket to support the leg and held it with both of her hands.
"Now I can fly"
She got off the bed and stopped at the door. She opened it and once outside, she did not waste time and arrived at Robin's door. She knocked on it.
"Robin, may I come in?"
She waited for a couple of seconds but there was no response. Maybe he was not there.
"Robin, I am coming in"
Starfire opened the door and saw Robin sleeping on his bed. He was laying on his face, his left arm hanging from the side of the bed. Starfire flew to his bed, his presence being everything she could see. She sat on the edge of the bed. She loved the way he looked while he slept. He looked so relaxed, so free…
"So free of his troubles…with me"
Starfire combed the back of his head with her fingers and realized his hair was wet. She frowned.
"Did he go outside in this rain?"
Starfire paid more attention to her surroundings and saw Robin's clothes on the floor, soaking wet. His bed was also wet and his face was shinning. She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. He was hot, literally.
"Robin, you have a fever!"
Starfire removed the blanket from him. She had to dry him up. She tied the blanket she was using to carry her leg around her waist and grabbed clean clothes for Robin to use after he took a bath. She then put Robin on her shoulder and he just groaned.
"You shall take a lukewarm bath, Robin"
Starfire took Robin to the bathroom and put him inside the tub. She looked around and noticed how messy, er—destroyed the room was, it made her shiver. She ignored it and focused on her primary task which was getting Robin feeling better. She opened the water faucet and made sure the water was not cold or hot either, but just ok. She sat on the floor and stretched her leg with the cast while she sat on her other flexed leg. She began trying to wake Robin up, talking to him while she carefully stroked his hair.
"Robin, Robin, you must wake up. Please, wake up"
Starfire had to repeat her pleadings a couple of more times until Robin finally opened his eyes and sneezed.
"You be blessed"
"Thank you"
Robin's eyes widened.
"Was that…Starfire?"
Robin turned his head and saw Starfire sitting next to him. He gasped. He turned to her side and held her head between his hands.
"Starfire…how did you? When did you? Are you ok? Are you feeling ok? Oh, my god! I was so afraid I had…l-lost you" He brushed her swollen lips with his thumbs and gave a horrified look at her marks on her neck. "Who did this to you?"
Starfire smiled, touched by his words and his face of pure worry. He looked adorable to her. She cupped his face with her hands.
"Robin, I am alright. I do not know how I got this cast but it does not matter. How are you feeling? Why is the bathroom this way?"
Robin blinked rapidly several times. How could she forget something of this magnitude? Maybe she had hit her head hard enough to forget about it. Robin desperately wanted to know who had done this to her but he also believed that it was better if she did not remembered such a horrible episode. Now if he could only make her forget about the Red X episode…
"You mean you don't remember?"
Starfire shook her head. Robin pulled her face to his and gave her a long kiss. Once they were done, he realized he was inside the bath tub with his pants still on. He sneezed again.
"Bless you. Are you allergic to my kisses?"
Robin laughed and kissed her again.
"I don't think so but if I am I really don't care. That won't keep me from kissing you"
Starfire smiled and he kissed her once more.
"Starfire, what am I doing here?"
"I saw that you had gone to bed soaking wet and you had a fever. My plan was to bring you here so you could get rid of those wet clothes, take a nice bath, dry up and then put you to bed to relax. I believe you have caught the cold"
She was right. He had put himself at the mercy of the elements to take her of her and he was now suffering the consequences. However, he did not care. The sacrifice had been worth it. He had no regrets. He was still sleepy but he wanted to spend time with her until the rest of the Titans woke up and forbade him from doing so. He had to act fast.
"I see. Look, Star. I'll take a quick shower and do all the things you just said. I know you can't move but why don't you wait outside and I'll be out in no time. Ok?"
Starfire nodded. She left the bathroom and waited outside as instructed by Robin. She did not have to wait long for in less than 10 minutes, Robin was out and ready to go. He saw that Starfire was still using the blanket to support herself and frowned.
"Let me carry you, Star. I have an idea to help you fly around freely that doesn't include blankets or crutches"
"Very well"
Robin carried Starfire, making sure he did not hurt her. Starfire put her arms around Robin's neck. Robin was relieved to see her alive and well. He was happy to be able to hold her again. Last night she had been severely hurt when she was in his arms but today she was awake and holding onto him like if her life depended on it. He liked the feeling. She used her left hand to turn his face to hers and looked directly at his eyes –mask.
"What's wrong, Star?"
Starfire shook her head. She felt tears forming in her eyes. Robin's worries grew bigger.
"Starfire, did I hurt you?"
"No"
Starfire could not stop a couple of tears from falling down her cheek. Robin noticed them and furrowed his eyebrows. Starfire smiled at him and he felt he was going to melt with that smile.
"Why are you crying, Star?"
"I just feel very lucky to be with you"
Robin's face denoted his surprise. He believed for a second that she had read his mind and felt his own feelings. He felt the same way as her. More tears fell down Starfire's cheeks and Robin kissed her forehead.
"Please don't cry, Star"-He whispered
Starfire held even tighter to his neck and buried her head in between his neck and her arms. Robin slightly rested his chin on her head, trying to reassure his feelings to her and tell her without words, how lucky he felt of having her as well.
He began walking until they arrived at to his room and he locked the door on his way in. He was not going to let the Titans take her away from him anytime soon. He laid Starfire on his bed and removed the blanket from her. She had stopped crying but her eyes were still red and puffy. He handed her a tissue and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. She smiled.
He grabbed his utility belt from the floor and got a flexible measuring tape out. He then began taking measurements of Starfire's foot, the distance between her foot and her waist, and even the waist itself.
"That tickles Robin!"
Robin smiled and continued to take measurements. He wrote everything down on a notepad and then told Starfire to wait inside and do not leave his room. She nodded.
"I shall remain here until you come back. Please, what are you planning to do?"
"It's a surprise, Star. Please, don't leave ok? I'll try not to take long"
Robin left his room and Starfire used this time to relax and decided to take a quick nap before Robin came back. Robin began working on an aid to help Starfire carry the cast around.
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An hour had passed and Robin returned to his room, trying to make the less noise possible. The other Titans were still asleep and he did not want to disturb them yet. He walked in his room and locked the door. He saw Starfire sleeping on his bed. He did not want to wake her up but she had to be awake to try on his improvised "crutches". He sat on the edge of the bed and called Starfire's name a couple of times. She opened her eyes and smiled.
"Robin! You have returned…what is that?" Starfire said pointing at a metal artifact that, to her, had no shape whatsoever. Robin chuckled.
"Uhm…it's a thingy-maggig"
"What?"
Robin laughed. Starfire tried to keep a stern face but she was glad to see Robin having fun…with her.
"Sorry, Star. It's something that will make your flying easier. The only way you can walk with a cast is by using crutches but they are a pain in the…behind…and under your arms as well. So I made this!" Robin said, holding the metal artifact proudly in his hand.
"How is that supposed to help me fly?"
"It's pretty simple actually; it kind of combines the same mechanism as the crutches with your idea of the blanket"
"Oh! Shall we call it a crunket?"
"A crunket? Is that Tamarean?"
"No, it is crutches and blanket combined"
Robin frowned.
"Ha-ha, very funny"
It was Starfire's turn to laugh. Eventually, Robin laughed too.
"Actually, this has already been invented and has a name"
"Oh! What is the actual name?"
"It's a…" Robin mumbled.
"I am sorry but I was not able to understand"
Robin mumbled again.
"Robin, either that is the most complicated Earth word I have ever heard or you have no idea what the name of this artifact is"
"Your second option is most likely to be true"
Starfire giggled.
"Ok, now, see this round part? This goes around your waist, preferably inside your clothes. These two long sticks with the circles in between go around your leg. Your leg should go inside it. I'll give you some privacy to put the top part on and then I'll help you adjust the bottom part that will support your leg, ok?"
Starfire nodded and Robin partially covered his eyes with his hands.
"Very funny, Robin. Now go outside and wait for my call"
Robin shrugged and smirked. He walked outside his room and in a couple of minutes he was back inside.
"What is the next step Robin?"
"Sit down on the bed, Star. I'll be with you in a second"
Starfire did as instructed and Robin grabbed a chair and sat at an enough distance for Starfire to be able to stretch her leg. He rested her foot on his lap and began adjusting the metal rings to her cast, leg and foot. In no time, Starfire's metal crunket was ready.
"How does it work, again?"
"You see, people use this to help kids with deformation on their legs to walk. The adjustments I have made, like the ring on your waist and the shoe like ending on your foot, will help you ease the pressure on the leg so you can fly. The ring on your waist will help the entire artifact stay in place and pull it up. The metal shoe at the bottom will give support to the leg and the rings around the entire leg help it stay in place and prevent it for making movements that may hurt you"
Starfire studied the artifact and mentally reviewed Robin's explanation until itt made sense.
"How are we to know if it works?"
"Fly. I'll stay close instead you need to fall down, just fall over me!"
Starfire smiled.
"Ok"
Starfire began lifting herself in a very slow motion until she was well above the floor.
"Move around to see if it carries the weight and the movements"
Starfire was not sure about it but trusted Robin enough to know that he would not do anything to harm her. She slowly began moving around the room and the crunket did not break. Robin was right; she was going to be able to fly around as long as she was wearing the artifact.
"Wondrous, Robin! You are a genius!"
Robin smiled and Starfire hugged him fiercely. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and thanked him with another hug.
"Starfire…crushing bones…may need a…crunket…for my back…in the future…"
Starfire gasped and released Robin.
"I apologize. It is just that I was worried that I would be constrained to my bed while I used this cast. How long does it have to stay there?"
"I don't know exactly but it can't be less than a month"
Starfire flinched.
"A…whole month?"
"Maybe more"
"…"
Robin hugged her and stroked her hair with his hands.
"It's ok, Star. Maybe Raven can accelerate the healing with her powers"
"I shall ask her. I do not wish to use this cast for long"
"Sure thing, Star. Maybe you will be free of this thing by Valentine's Day and we can go to the ice-rink at the mall"
"Really? I would love that! Do you truly believe I may be healed by then?"
"Well, today is January 3rd so one month will be…"
"Robin! Today is the 3rd day of the month?"
"Uhm, yeah…why?"
Starfire hugged Robin and sighed. He hugged her back and asked her what was wrong.
"Today is the anniversary of Red X' death"
Robin frowned. The hit on the head had been strong but had not made her forget about Red X.
"Oh, are you planning on doing something?"
"I cannot do much in this condition or with this horrible weather but I do have something in mind"
"Do you need help with anything?"
Starfire did not know if it was safe for Robin to help her out. They had had a big argument because of Red X just 4 days ago.
"I think I can handle it myself"
"But I want to help you, please?"
Starfire doubted for a second and decided to allow him to help. She did not want to start another argument because of Red X.
"Very well. But if you feel like not doing something let me know, ok?"
"I will"
"Do you promise?"
"I promise"
"Let us have breakfast feast and awake the others, so you can tell me what happened to the bathroom and the rest of the Tower. I found it very messy"
"Sure"
Robin knew that as soon as the Titans woke up, her time with Starfire was bound to be over. Yet, he had to take the risk if he wanted Starfire to go on with her plans and if the wanted to clean the Tower.
"If they wont let me be with her, I won't let them sleep"-Robin thought mischievously
Robin smirked and followed Starfire to wake up the rest of the Titans. The first person they woke up was Raven. Robin knocked loudly at her door and she opened with a growl and an annoyed face.
"What?"
"Good morning, Raven! Guess who woke up?"
Robin pointed at Starfire with his thumb and Starfire flew in between them, her hands clasped together and her big bright smile on her bumped face.
"Hello Raven! Are you ready to have breakfast?"
"Starfire…and…Robin?"
Robin smirked and stuck his tongue out at Raven while Raven gave him an I-will-get-for-this face.
"What's the matter, Raven? Surprised to see us this early together?"
Raven ignored Robin's question and directed her attention to Starfire. She was glad she looked ok, regardless of the marks on her body and the…flying cast.
"What's that on your leg, Starfire?"
"Oh! It's a crunket! Robin made it for me to help fly without worrying about my cast!"
"Crun…ket? Oh, really? It seems Robin had a lot of time on his hands"
"Indeed, I woke Robin up early this morning and after he showered he made this for me. Is he not the best friend who is a boy ever?"
"You have no idea, Starfire"
Robin's smile of triumph was plastered all over his face as he listened to Starfire and Raven's conversation. He was actually having fun for a change.
"So, Raven. Why don't you wake BB and Cyborg up and we meet at the main room? Starfire and I will wait for you there"
"Sure thing, Robin. We won't take long"
With that, Starfire and Robin left Raven's room and made their way to the main room while Raven woke BB and Cyborg up. In no time, all five Titans were at the main room, looking at the mess their Tower was.
"I still do not understand what caused this chaos"
"We don't know either, Star"-BB said
"Well, it's not gonna clean up by itself, ya know"-Cyborg said
"No, it won't. Why doesn't Starfire clean the kitchen only enough to allow her to make breakfast and the rest of us clean the rest of the Tower and then come back to clean the main room after we eat what Starfire makes for us?"-Raven asked
"That's sounds like a lot of work for Starfire, don't you think Raven?"-Robin asked
"Worry not Robin. Thanks to your invention, I can perform my assigned job"
"See Robin? Your invention did pay off"-Raven said
"Take your time, my friends. I shall reward you with a big breakfast feast!"
"Cool, Starfire! You go girl!"-BB said
"Let's get our butts to work!"-Cyborg said
The four Titans walked to the entrance and left the main room to do their tasks. They were to clean their rooms and then meet at the Training Room to start the cleaning there. They would move from room to room together until they reached the main room like Raven had said. They did not think they would be able to clean the entire Tower before breakfast but were sure that they could advance the cleaning by much.
"Is every one clear about what they are supposed to do?"-Raven asked
The Titans agreed and Robin sneezed on them.
"Bless you?"-Cyborg said
"Dude, say it! Don't spray it!"-BB said
"Are we supposed to take that as a yes?"-Raven asked
"Take it as whatever you want, Raven"-Robin answered
"Ok, let's go"-Raven said
Robin began walking without saying a word and the rest of the Titans followed him closely. He sneezed a couple of more times. He was beginning to feel the effects of last night's vigilance.
"Robin, remember that you can't be with Starfire. We'll be watching you"-Raven said
Robin stopped and gave Raven the angriest look he could.
"I hope you are happy you zorblorkin clorbag"-Robin said and then kept going to his room to make final clean-ups.
The rest of the Titans just stood there while Robin disappeared at the corner of the hallway.
"Dude! He just called you a bad name in Tamarean"-BB joked
"Shut up and get to work"-Raven said
Each of the Titans went to their respective rooms and began cleaning them. Thanks to their powers, cleaning half of the Tower took them an hour. They returned to the main room and ate what Starfire had cooked for them and then returned to clean the other half of the Tower. Starfire decided to clean the main room and her room by herself.
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By noon, Titans Tower was back to normal and Cyborg and Robin were performing the final repairs outside the Tower. BB was asleep in his room and Raven and Starfire were in Raven's room, meditating. Raven had recommend Starfire to meditate with her so she could have a better chance to remember what had happened at the Tower the night before.
"We need to know who did this to prevent it from happening again, Starfire" Raven had told Starfire and she had agreed. Maybe meditating could prevent the past events from happening ever again.
While Starfire meditated, Raven tried to search Starfire's mind for memories of last night but she soon realized that Starfire was blocking her from entering her mind.
"Why is she blocking me? How does she know how to block me?"
Starfire was deep in mediation, working hard to stop Raven from getting into her mind. She trusted Raven's intentions were good but she could not risk getting discovered, at least not now or anytime soon. Raven stopped trying to reach into Starfire's mind and continued her own meditation. As much as she wanted to know what had happened, she knew she had to let go of it for now. Most of all, she respected her friend's wishes to lock her mind away from intruders. She had the right to do it.
"I mean, I do it all the time, don't I?"
"Raven?"
Raven opened her eyes and saw that Starfire had stopped meditating. She was now completely on the floor.
"Raven, it is uncomfortable to mediate with my leg hanging. I wish to stop now"
Raven's feet touched the floor and studied Starfire's face. She honestly seemed annoyed by the cast.
"I thought Robin's invention was helpful"
"Oh, but it is! However, my leg is numb by now"
"I see"
"Raven, are you aware of today's date?"
Raven sighed. She was hoping Starfire would not remember the past but she did. She wondered if Robin knew about it. She nodded.
"Yes, are you still doing something?"
"Indeed, I wish to take flowers to the place he…left us, nothing major as this weather might not allow us to do more"
"Yes, it poured all night and it will probably continue today"
"I will inform Robin and Cyborg. May you inform Beast Boy? I wish to go now that rain is not present"
"I'll get on it"
"Thanks Raven"
Starfire began flying to Raven's door but she stopped when Raven called her name.
"Yes, Raven?"
"Starfire, keeping secrets may seem to be the best option at times. Keeping secrets keeps people we love from hurting but it's not worth it if keeping these secrets from others makes you miserable"
Starfire looked at Raven. Raven noticed her change of mood on her face. She seemed upset at Raven's comment.
"I do not know what you are talking about"
"Look, Starfire. I'm not going to force you to tell me what happened yesterday but please keep in mind that we all want the best for you. Even if we do things that don't seem like it, we do, we really do"
Starfire gave Raven a last cold look before opening the door and closing it a little bit harder than needed. Raven crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the floor.
"I know you are hiding something Starfire and I'll find out what it is for your own good"
Starfire flew rapidly away from Raven's room and did not stop until she found Robin and Cyborg. They were fixing the outer walls and changing the windows of the main room. Starfire sighed deeply before faking a smile and clinging on Robin's neck.
"Starfire! Are you ok?"
"Yes I am Robin"
"'Sup lil lady! Feeling better?"
"Yes, Cyborg. Raven informed me about the cast. Even though it is very uncomfortable I wish to thank you for your aid"
Starfire flew from Robin to Cyborg and gave him a big hug. Cyborg patted Starfire's head and smirked at Robin.
"Your girl's hugging me"
Robin's eyes narrowed. It took them a couple of seconds before they all laughed at Robin's face.
"No problem, Star. As long as you are ok then we are all ok"
"I am exceptionally in debt with all of you"
"In debt? Starfire, this is what friends are for!"
"Exactly, Star"-Robin said
"Well…man, you ain't her friend, you are her boyfriend…you have a different purpose"
Robin's face became red and Starfire giggled.
"Cyborg! Shut up!"
Starfire flew to Robin and hugged him again.
"Robin, how much longer will the both of you be busy?"
Robin gave Starfire's question a little thought. The Tower was almost completely repaired. They just needed to seal the holes on the wall in the main room and change the big window.
"About an hour or so, is there anything you need Star?"
Starfire nodded.
"I wish to buy flowers and take them to Red X's last resting place"
Cyborg flinched and expected Robin to hit the roof and get on her case but he did not. He smiled and held Starfire's face by her chin.
"Sure thing, Star. Can you wait an hour?"
"Yes, I can. Do you need any assistance?"
"Thanks but I think we have it covered, right Cyborg?"
"Yeah, Star. Relax, watch some TV, I think that fungus show you like is on now"
"Wondrous! Where is the remote?"
"Uhm…under the couch?"-Cyborg guessed
Starfire used her right hand to lift the couch with no problem at all and found the remote. She giggled and Cyborg shook his head at his lucky guess. She immediately turned the TV on and soon became absorbed by her favorite show. Robin looked at her for a couple of minutes until Cyborg brought him back to reality.
"You are gonna wear her out if you keep looking at her that long"-Cyborg joked
"Are you still thinking of keeping me away from her?"
Cyborg's face became serious and he stopped what he was doing.
"I know it sounds stupid but Raven had some very good points. We just want the best for you two"
"You can't keep me away from her forever, you know?"
"Don't take it personal man"
"Look, I'm not gonna tell you what I think about it because Starfire may hear us and I don't want to worry her"
Cyborg looked at Starfire and then at Robin who was again lost in her presence.
"You were very scared…last night…weren't you?"
Robin kept his eyes on her while he answered Cyborg's question.
"I was terrified. I thought I had lost her"
"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"
Robin took a moment to answer.
"Why wouldn't she? I love her"
Cyborg had a sudden feeling of guilt from keeping Robin away from her. The way he had said those last words, especially the last sentence had made Cyborg feel sad about them. He knew they were having some major problems between them but he could tell that none of them had changed what Robin felt for her. Cyborg never thought Robin would get so attached to someone as he always gave an impression of being a little bit too determined and sometimes even cold. Starfire had definitely changed that in him.
Robin sighed and returned working and after a couple of seconds Cyborg did the same. Cyborg made a mental note about telling Raven what Robin had told him. Never had he told them, out loud, the l-word to them about Star, or anyone for that matter.
"Well, there was that time with Mother Mae-Eye"-Cyborg thought
However, that had not been voluntarily and had not been from the heart. Robin was not only fighting against whatever it was that he was suffering with Starfire but he was somehow fighting against his friends as well. He did not need to have more obstacles in his life and Cyborg felt responsible for giving Robin more trouble than he needed. He was definitely going to try to talk Raven out of their plan. Seeing Robin suffering like this made Cyborg realize how much they were making Robin's life miserable because of mere speculations.
At another room in the Tower, Raven pounded the door at BB's room to wake him up. After several loud poundings, BB opened the door. His hair was all messed up and he was wearing only one shoe. His clothes were wrinkled and his eyes were half-closed.
"Hello, Raven! I was taking my noon nap!"
"Don't you think you take too many naps?"
"Let's see: My morning nap, my noon nap, my early-afternoon nap, my late-afternoon nap, my before-bed nap, my beauty sleep and my sleep-sleep. Wow Raven! I have too few naps!"
Raven rolled her eyes while BB scratched his butt.
"So, why are you eager to see me, Raven?"
"Me? Not really. Starfire wants us to go with her to the forest where Slade's lair was to leave flowers for Red X"
"Oh! You're right. Today was the day…of well…that. Is Robin ok with this?"
"I don't know. Starfire was gonna take care of it"
BB's stomach rumbled.
"Raven, you think we could eat something before we leave?"
"I think we'll have to eat outside. Starfire cooked the last of our food this morning. All the other food was wasted last night"
"Aw, man!"
"Get ready, we'll be leaving soon"
"Ok…alright" BB said while he mumbled other things and slowly closed his door. Raven stood there for a couple of seconds and heard BB snoring again.
"Get up!"
BB kept snoring and Raven used her powers to open the door and pushed BB out of his bed. His faced smacked the floor and a small tear appeared on the corner of his eyes.
"That was mean of you Raven"
"I told you we don't have much time"
"But…But…this will totally throw off my nap schedule"
Raven began glowing and BB flinched. He knew not to mess with Raven that much.
"Ok…sorry, my bad…be right back"
BB ran outside his room and was soon in the bathroom taking a shower. Raven made her way to the main room and saw Starfire on the couch, watching TV and Robin and Cyborg working on the few last repairs of the Tower. Raven sat next to Starfire on the couch.
"What did Robin say?"
"He said it was ok. We shall be leaving the Tower as soon as they finish their work"
"Oh! So he didn't get mad?"
"Not at all! He told me to wait for about an hour and we would leave"
"I guess it's ok"
Starfire nodded and continued to watch her show. Raven looked at Robin and he looked back. He was still mad at her. They stared at each other, waiting to see who moved their gaze first but none of them did. Cyborg noticed the silent argument between them and called Robin's name, asking him to stop at the pizza parlor before going to Slade's old lair. Robin was forced to look away and Raven did the same.
"We have no food here man! I bet BB's starving too!"
"Fine. We'll go to the pizza parlor, then to buy the flowers, then to the forest and then we will buy some groceries"
"Alrighty"
Cyborg and Robin kept working on their tasks without really talking to each other. Raven pretended to watch the TV but was still trying to get inside Starfire's mind. Starfire still kept blocking her from getting in. In about an hour, the repairs had ended and the Tower was back to normal. Robin and Cyborg joined Raven and Starfire on the couch. Cyborg sat next to Raven and Robin sat next to Starfire. He held her hand.
"Ready to go?"-Robin asked
"I am afraid Beast Boy is not here yet"-Starfire answered
"I woke him up and told him, he should be here by now"-Raven said
"Maybe I oughta…" Cyborg began but was interrupted by the sound of the main door opening. All of them turned back to see BB crawling inside the room.
"Beast Boy! Are you alright?"-Robin said
"What happened?" Cyborg asked and ran to him. "Are you ok, buddy?"
"Need…food…please"-BB answered
The Titans fell to the floor.
"What the? Beast Boy, we thought someone had attacked you!"-Robin said
"Attacked me? Puh-lease! No one can defeat Beast Boy!"
"I can"-Raven said
BB gulped. Robin sneezed.
"Bless you"-The Titans said
"Thanks. Ok, enough. Let's get going. We have a lot of things to do"
Robin did not feel like driving his bike with the sudden dizziness he had and the almost as frequent sneezing. He did not want to provoke an accident because he had to close his eyes for 2 seconds to sneeze. They all went in the T-Car, drove by Cyborg. Raven was the co-pilot and BB, Robin and Starfire were on the back. As usual, BB had sat behind Raven to bother her during the entire trip. Robin had sat behind Cyborg and Starfire was in the middle.
"Raven, you really need to find better ways to wake people up, especially me"-BB said
"Do you really think I care?"-Raven asked
"I can make you care"
"No, you can't"
"Oh! Come on, Raven! Smile, you are on Candid Camera!"
"Have you been watching re-runs of old shows…again?"
"Yeah"
"…"
BB kept bothering Raven while Cyborg drove to the pizza parlor, his stomach rumbling as loud as the car itself.
"This time I'll get the last slice"-Cyborg thought
Starfire had been quiet since they left the Tower. Robin found her mood changes unusual. It was not normal for Starfire to be cheery and then gloomy and then melancholic and then cheery and then sad in less than a few hours. Robin squeezed her hand that was still in his but she did not look at him. She seemed lost in her thoughts.
"I wonder what has her so troubled"
Robin leaned on to her face and whispered in her ear.
"What are you thinking about?"
Starfire snapped back to reality and it took her a few seconds to react.
"Yes, Robin. I agree with you"
Robin smiled and followed her lack-of-attention response.
"You do? You agree to break-up?"
Starfire gaped. Robin tried his best to put a serious face while he did his little prank.
"What? No! Break up? Why? I do not agree at all!"
Robin laughed and she dropped her mouth even more. She felt hurt.
"Robin, what in X'hal's name is so funny? Are you happy to break up with me?"
Robin laughed even more. Starfire snapped her hand from his.
"Sorry, Star…it's a joke" He laughed some more at her expression. "It's just that I asked you what you were thinking and your answer was not exactly what I was expecting and I couldn't help to make a joke about it"
"Well, it was NOT funny, Robin"
"I didn't know you cared for me that much"
"I do not. I actually go out with you so you will not leave me homeless"
Robin gaped and she began laughing.
"Ok…I get your point"
They both laughed.
"I do care for you Robin, very, very much. Do not have a doubt about it"
"What will you do if I said I don't believe you?"
"I would say you are being an insensitive clorbag"
Robin laughed.
"Would you believe me if I told you I called Raven a zorblorkin clorbag?"
Starfire gasped.
"You did? Why would you call Raven by such a horrible name?"
"'Cause she deserves it" Robin thought. "I was…practicing my Tamarean?" Robin lied.
Starfire shook her head.
"Bad, bad Robin! You are making bad use of what I teach you. Why did you call her like that?"
Robin sneezed.
"Bless you"
"Thanks…I'll tell you later, when we are alone"
"If we get the chance"
Starfire nodded and held Robin's hand again. Moments like this made her want to change her decision about what she had in mind. Maybe she would.
"I cannot risk it anymore"
"We're here! Food time!" Cyborg said while he parked the T-Car. The Titans got out of the car and made their way up to the pizza parlor. They ordered their pizzas and sat a table at the other end of the place. That had grown to be their table: the Titans table. The day was cloudy but no more rain fell, at least for now. Raven stared at the menacing clouds.
"We really should've brought umbrellas"-Raven said
"Yeah…hopefully we won't get sick"-Cyborg said
"I already am!"-Robin said
"Yeah and you spread your germs on us this morning"-BB said
"Did you?"-Starfire asked
"Accidentally, yes"-Robin answered
Starfire sneezed.
"Bless you"-The Titans said
"I think you already got one of us sick"-BB said
"You could have stopped yourself from kissing Star for at least a week, man! Now you got her sick"
"I do not believe I am sick"
Starfire sneezed again.
"Or maybe I am"
Starfire sneezed again.
"At least it's not like that time at the pier when you almost blew up the place"
"That was an allergy-related sickness. I do not think I will blow our home with my sneezing this time"
The waitress arrived with the pizza at the table. The Titans began eating and talked for a while. Starfire was again quiet but this time, none of them asked her what was wrong with her because they already knew. They knew Starfire was having flashbacks of the time she came here with Red X before he died. She looked inside the parlor and saw the booth were she had sat with Red X a little bit more than a year ago. Starfire had confessed to him that she knew he was not dead. She could almost feel his presence next to her. She closed her eyes to not cry.
Robin noticed Starfire's uneasiness and held her hand. Starfire looked at him and he smirked.
"You want to leave now?"
Starfire nodded.
The Titans left the parlor and went to the flower store. They bought the biggest flower arrangement they found and made their way to the forest. They parked their car and walked inside the forest. As opposed to last year, the path was not as clear and the T-Car would not get inside it. They had to walk to Slade's old lair.
The breeze became cold and the sky was filled with dark clouds.
"I think it is going to rain"-Raven said
"We shall not take long"-Starfire said
A few minutes later, the Titans had arrived at the place where Red X had died. The tree which served as an entrance to Slade's lair was gone. The burnt ground was the only thing left. The scene made the Titans shiver. Even though they thought they had left all of this past behind, they knew that deep inside, they still remembered every single detail of that day at this place. It was all in their mind, as if it had been yesterday.
The Titans circled the place where Red X had disintegrated and they all looked down at the empty spot. The rain began pouring. None of them moved. Their eyes were fixed at the now muddy spot. It was the same place, the same people and even the same weather. Robin gave Starfire the flower arrangement and she carefully put it on the ground.
Starfire closed her eyes and Robin put his arm around her waist. She sobbed quietly and then turned to hug Robin. He hugged her back and allowed her to cry on his shoulder. The rest of the Titans stared at the ground, each one of them lost in their own memories of the experience. Starfire stopped sobbing and hugged Robin even tighter. He closed his eyes and kissed her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Star"
Starfire shook her head and told Robin he had nothing to apologize for. Robin knew it was better for them to leave before Starfire felt worse.
"Let's go Star"
Starfire nodded. The Titans left the forest and made their way to the grocery store. The drive to the grocery store was quiet. They arrived at the parking lot and parked near the entrance. Cyborg turned the car off but none of them moved from their seats. They were still recalling their episode at the forest minutes ago, along with all the memories it brought to their mind. Raven sighed and was the first one to leave the car. Cyborg followed her and BB followed Cyborg. Robin stayed inside when he heard Starfire say she was not going in with them.
"Robin, aren't you coming?"-Raven asked
"No"
Raven frowned. She knew where Robin was going with this. She was not going to allow Robin to be alone with her again as long as they were not sure if he was not the one who caused her illness.
"Raven, I really don't think Star should be left alone, especially now"
"Robin, may I talk to you outside the car?"
Robin wished he could stay inside the car and make Raven state her ideas in front of Starfire. He knew Starfire would defend Robin's point of view as well but he was also aware that this was not the best moment to start an argument in front of Starfire. She was in no condition to argue with anyone.
"Sure, whatever"
Robin patted Starfire's leg and told her he would be right back. She did not even nod. Robin got off the car and followed Raven to a considerable distance away from the car where none of the other Titans could hear them.
"What the heck is your problem, Raven? Don't you see how Starfire is and you want to leave her alone in the car?"
"I just don't think you are the best person to leave her with"
"Cut the crap, Raven. She needs company and I am staying with her"
"Are you aware that you are the only one who is allowed to use the card to buy stuff?"
Robin frowned.
"I'll give Cyborg access to use it"
"You can't. There is a lot of money in that account and you are the one responsible for its use. You know better than no one that the card is useless without your fingerprinted authorization"
Robin was pissed. He knew Raven was right. He had to go with them.
"Call me when you get to the cash register"
"No! You are not staying with her"
"You can't tell me what to do"
"I am now"
"I don't have to argue with you. I'm the leader, I'm the one who makes the decisions and unless you want to start a diet for a few weeks, you better get your mouth shut and get your ass in that store. Call me when you are at the register"
"I don't think you want Starfire starving"
"She won't"
"Are you listening to yourself? You are saying plain stupidities and acting like a complete idiot. Stop acting with your heart and listen to your head"
"I can't"
"Can't or won't"
"Pick one"
Robin looked at Starfire when she lay down on the back seat. She was out of site from where they were standing.
"Do you want me to tell Starfire what happened last night? Do you want me to tell her that she almost died?"
"Shut up"
"I will Robin. If you don't come with us, I will tell her that she was the one who destroyed the Tower and hurt herself. You think she can handle it right now? I don't think she can"
"Why are you trying to hurt her?"
"I'm trying to protect her"
"Protect her? Sure, from whom?"
"From you"
Robin walked back to the car and Raven crossed her arms. She did not want to leave them alone and cause another incident like the one that took place last night but she would not allow them to hurt each other any more.
Robin got inside the car and told Starfire something the others could not hear. She nodded and he turned the car on to turn the A/C on. He locked the door and closed it. He then walked in front of the Titans, aiming to the front door.
"Let's go"-Robin said
They all followed him inside the grocery store and bought everything that they needed to not have the necessity of coming back any time soon.
"I hope you are happy, Raven"-Robin thought
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Night came and the Titans fell asleep. They had done many things during the day and with the lack of sleep from last night, they were eager to get under their covers and do not wake up until the next day. BB, Cyborg and Raven went to their rooms and immediately fell asleep. On the other hand, Robin had waited until they all were sound asleep and went inside Starfire's room. She was asleep as well.
Robin walked to her. He stood in front of her and stretched his arm to stroke her hair but he stopped himself before his hand reached her. Raven's words came into his mind.
"I'm trying to protect her"
"Protect her? Sure, from whom?"
"From you"
Robin sighed. He knew about the saying that you always hurt the ones you loved but never before he believed it to be true. He now did. It seemed the more he wanted to help her, the more he ended up hurting her. He was running out of ideas. She was running out of options.
"I don't want to hurt you any more"-Robin whispered
Robin kneeled down beside her bed and stared at her for a long time. She never woke up. Robin began to feel dizzy again and decided that it was time to rest. It had been a long day and his cold did not make it any easier. He stood up and made sure Starfire was covered and that her sleeping position did not affect her cast leg.
He walked to the door and looked at her a few seconds before closing the door behind him.
"What is wrong with me? I'm…becoming…weak"
Robin realized he was acting in ways he never thought he would act. Starfire was changing his ideas, his beliefs and his soul.
"Maybe Raven's right, maybe we are not meant to be together"
The idea of breaking up with Starfire crossed his mind. They were getting too involved and too dependent of each other. Maybe dating was not such a good idea. He had begun to believe their relationship was affecting their job; the job they were "hired" to do. When had he lost himself in this relationship? When had he stopped being himself? When had he begun living life just for her?
Robin tried to imagine the consequences of breaking up with her. Their co-worker relationship would certainly be affected but he knew Starfire would do the work anyway. The part that he was sure he would not be able to regain was her friendship. Things between them would never be the same. She would never be the same. He would never be the same. He knew dating a coworker was a complex situation from which nothing good for the actual team was gained. He should have seen this coming.
He knew that his old self would have not made such a decision of screwing everything else for the sake of being with her. However, he had not planned for this to happen. Their bond just grew and grew stronger until the only step to move to was to become a couple –an official couple. Back then, everyone saw what the same people now denied: Robin and Starfire were meant for each other.
He hated himself for allowing this relationship to go this far without really looking into the future: The future of the team, his future and her future. He had even come to divide the future of the team into one group and his and Starfire's future into another group. There was no him or her, there was only a them. He now started to believe that "them" was not what was supposed to be. Maybe there should have never being a "them", maybe the "them" was the reason all their problems started in the first place. Maybe it was time for a change. The true question being who was would have the courage to stand up and end the relationship.
The true question was which of the two of them would say "No more."
Robin shook his head. This was too much analyzing for just one night. His headache was getting worse. He had to rest. Up till now, one question still haunted his already consumed mind. A question that was getting more and more important as the day had progressed but that had not being answered yet. Or perhaps, the answer he had come up with was not the one he had wanted to hear.
"Does she love Red X?"
Robin sighed deeply and decided it was time to leave all this behind. He was probably not thinking straight and hoped the new day would clear his mind. He knew what he had to do but he did not want to do it. He always thought the worse thing that could happen to anyone was to have a problem and had no idea how to solve it. He now knew that the real challenge was to use the answer when found, especially when the solution was worse than the actual problem.
Robin got to this bed and quickly fell asleep. Nightmares would haunt them tonight more than ever but his nightmares tonight would not be able to overcome the true horror of his real life.
Starfire opened her eyes. She knew Robin had been there with her but she did not want to talk to him about the events of today. He needed to clear his mind and she needed to clean her soul.
Starfire stood on her bed and reached the crunket. She put it on and opened the drawer of the nightstand next to her. She reached inside and pulled a small object out of it and placed it in her pocket. She got outside her room and arrived at the entrance of the Evidence Room.
"This is it"
She carefully opened the door and walked inside, locking the door from the inside. She began flying towards the most known and cared for item in the entire room. Hands in her pockets she stopped in front of the giant glass case at the corner of the room. She stared at its content for a while and then opened the glass door.
The uniform was intact, kept exactly as the day it was brought to the room. She felt her stomach twisting and her throat closing from the melancholic feeling that invaded her body but she managed to overcome it. She had made a decision and there was no turning back now. She reached for her pocket and got the small object in her hand. It was Red X's communicator.
She looked at it for small seconds and slowly put it at the inside bottom part of the glass case. While still looking at it, she carefully closed the door and locked it, leaving the communicator inside. She closed her eyes as to keep a mental picture of the moment. She did not plan to come to this room again. Not any time soon.
"It is time to let go…of everything and everyone"
She gave her back to the case and flew outside the room and quickly made her way to her own room. She never looked back. She did not stop until she reached her room. She got on her bed, tossing the crunket to the side. She closed her eyes and welcomed the nightmares that could not be worse than the reality she was living in today.
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A/N: More to come. Much, much more.