Author's Notes: I hope everyone had a fun and restful holiday break! I know I sure did.
Anyway, here is a very interesting chapter, I can tell you that. A lot of people have asked me to include more BB/R. Certainly, the level of it shall rise dramatically, but probably the most after this chapter. This chapter will be a turning point. Look for a huge amount BB/R coming up. Maybe here, maybe a little after. But don't worry, there will be a ton!
Also, this chapter's Slade scene comes from a couple different places. I was originally going to do something else, but then I thought of an idea which (I hope) is better. At first, starrobin4eva sent a review in about an idea similar, but not as an official "Slade plan." Now recently, M.E. Pal left a review about the same thing as an idea for Slade. So I feel both of them deserve credit. Thank you both! I hope everyone enjoys this!
Again, I encourage all you guys out there to send in your own Slade ideas! Slade needs you! Hehe, seriously, I'd love to hear some ideas of yours, and if you think of something, send it in!
Anyway, I won't bore you with a long author's note. Review replies are at the bottom, and here is the chapter!
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Chapter 10: Finally Found You
Stomping through the halls, Robin let out a string of curses. He cracked his knuckles as he rounded the corner, still fuming.
"Hey, Robin!" Beast Boy said, passing the Boy Wonder. As Robin brushed by him, Beast Boy caught snatches of what he was mumbling, and was shocked that there were such words in the English language. "Well, my vocabulary has been… enhanced," Beast Boy said light-heartedly, but Robin appeared not to have heard.
Robin continued to growl swears and other obscene words as Beast Boy waved at him. "Nice talking to you too!" he called down the hall at Robin's retreating back.
Robin stormed into the kitchen where Raven sat reading, enjoying a mug of herbal tea. She twirled her finger lazily over the spoon in the tea, and, encased in black energy, the spoon stirred her drink. Robin ignored Raven completely, and reached the refrigerator with a huff. He swung the door open with a little more force than necessary, and reached in to grab a leg of chicken leftover from dinner a few nights ago. Sitting himself down at the table, he began to gnaw of the still-cold chicken.
"Um… what are you doing?"
Robin turned slowly to look at the dark girl, his face plastered with a look of annoyance. He ripped off a large chunk of the leg, chewing slowly and thoroughly. Raven wrinkled her nose in disgust and got up, taking her book and mug with her.
Robin ate steadily, his temper rising with it. If Cyborg hadn't come in…
A new thought struck Robin. Maybe Cyborg saved him. Maybe he would have gone along with what he'd been about to do and kissed Starfire, and she would have hated him for it. He could just picture her angry eyes, glaring at him as she pushed him away forcefully.
Robin suddenly felt the chicken catch in his throat. He didn't want to even consider that possibility. He really wanted to know what Starfire would have said or done had he actually gone through with what he was planning to do.
Robin put his face in his hands and kneaded his temples with his knuckles. What he could really use was a nice big book on the inner workings of the female mind.
He looked up, an idea forming in his brain. Maybe there was one. He would ask Raven. He got up and scampered from the kitchen, following after the dark girl.
Just as the door slid closed behind him, another door on the opposite side of the room opened. Starfire entered, looking downcast. She eyed the leg of half-eaten chicken on the table, then moved on to get herself a glass of water. She sipped it slowly, contemplating what had just occurred.
Robin had entered her room. He said he had something to talk about, but they hadn't really gotten to it. They seemed to keep getting sidetracked. Starfire let a small smile grace her features as she realized that it was a very good thing that she and Robin could talk for so long.
He had always been such a help to her ever since her arrival on Earth. Robin had never let her become lost or confused throughout her entire stay. She owed him so much. She had always felt she had been unable to properly show her gratitude.
'Would it be so wrong of me to ask one more thing of him?' she thought to herself, placing her cup in the sink. 'Would it be so wrong of me to ask him to love me?'
Finding no answers to her questions in the sink, Starfire turned to leave the room. But at that same moment, Cyborg burst through the door, squawking like mad. Starfire was surprised, but quickly regained her composure.
"Get it off!" Cyborg screeched, waving his arms over his head. "Bad Foamy!" The squirrel was scrambling up and down Cyborg's face, scratching at him.
Starfire immediately flew to her friend's rescue. She grabbed the squirrel, and before it could bite her, dropped it. It squeaked as it hit the ground, then flew off down the hall.
"Argh!" cried Cyborg, as he ran after the beast.
---
"What do you mean, 'you don't have one?'" Robin demanded.
"Just what I said. I don't have a book on the female brain."
"But you have everything in a book!"
Raven rolled her eyes from behind her door, open a crack. "You sound like Beast Boy. So naïve." Robin frowned. Raven continued, "If you want to understand how a girl's mind works -- like Starfire's, for example -- you're gonna have to actually work at it."
"Well, obviously-"
"So even if I did have a book like that, I wouldn't give it to you."
Robin turned and leaned against the wall. "So what am I supposed to do?"
"Try talking to her," Raven said sarcastically. "Like I said before." She slid the door open fully to stare at the Boy Wonder.
"That… didn't quite work." Robin sighed. "It… almost did… kind of… I don't know."
Raven watched her leader's face, trying to discern his meaning. He was obviously lost in thought, but he wasn't saying enough for her to figure out what actually happened.
Raven felt a small rush of pity for her leader. His predicament was something every teenager went through, yes, but it was especially hard for him. If he were to mess anything up, he would be reminded of it every day, since he lived with Starfire. The tiny pang of sympathy caused Raven to sigh and Robin to look up.
"What?" he asked. A hint of sadness came through in his voice.
The shimmer of pity grew, much to Raven's annoyance. "OK, OK, what do you want?"
"Can you talk to her? You could tell her… let her know… um…" Robin's voice faded. "It's hopeless, isn't it?"
"No, it's not hopeless. Don't say that. I'll talk to her," Raven said quickly. She was desperate for Robin not to lose hope. If he did, it might never happen, and where would the both of them be? Neither of them realized it, but they needed each other. Raven, as much she hated to admit it, didn't want two of her friends to suffer unnecessarily. She was pleased to see a smile finally stretch across her leader's face.
"Really? Thanks." Then he stopped, and looked at the ground again. "Not that it'll make a difference anyway."
He turned and began to walk down the hall, shuffling his feet as he went. "It will work!" Raven called after him, but Robin appeared not to notice.
Raven watched him go, then swore under her breath. This was going to be harder than she thought.
'How am I supposed to help them when I don't know what I'm doing?' she though to herself, massaging her temples. She shook her head slightly, as if to clear her thoughts. She decided to meditate before she tried to accomplish anything.
Raven closed her door behind her, then started walking down the hall to the main room again. If no one was in there, she would meditate there. If not, she would seek peace and quiet elsewhere.
'How can I help them?' Raven thought. 'What do you need to do to make something like that happen? I have no idea. Why did he have to come to me? What do I know about love?'
"Watch out!" a voice cried from in front of her. Raven snapped back to reality just in time to avoid a collision with a huge box. Beast Boy, on the other hand, was not so lucky, and fell as flat on his face as possible for someone who fell on top of a box.
"Ow," he mumbled, getting up. He then examined his box and clapped his hands to his head. "Ahh! No! I needed that!" The cardboard fiend had a large dent in it, and what seemed like compact discs were spilling out everywhere.
"What are you doing?" Raven asked in a bored tone.
"I was going to go through all these games that don't have cases anymore. I was gonna put the ones we want to keep in spare ones, and give away the rest, but now I can't!" Beast Boy explained, all in one breath.
Raven rolled her eyes as Beast Boy fell to his knees, mourning the loss of the box. "Give me that," she said impatiently. She knelt down beside her teammate and grabbed the box, spilling the rest of its contents on the ground, with a gasp of protest from Beast Boy.
Raven began to pick at the masking tape on the box from when it was previously packaged shut. Finally, she was able to lift a corner with her nail, and peeled the entire strip off carefully. It was still slightly sticky, and she managed to patch up the side that had burst. Beast Boy watched her in awe.
"There," she said, setting the box down. "That should hold as long as you need it."
"You are a genius," Beast Boy said, his eyes shining and his voice hushed. Raven rolled her eyes again, but couldn't help the slight tinge of red that came to her face.
"Whatever," muttered Raven, and she began tossing the discs back into the newly repaired box. Beast Boy scrambled to help. As they both reached for a small pile, their hands brushed, and they both pulled back quickly. Beast Boy laughed sheepishly and Raven only nodded.
"What is this?" Raven asked, holding up a gray cartridge and reading the label. "'A Boy And His Blob?'"
"Ah, a classic!" Beast Boy said, carefully taking it from the dark girl's hands. "You feed the blob a different flavored jelly bean and he does something… different each time."
"So what's the point of it?" inquired Raven. Beast Boy shrugged. "Well, didn't you beat it?" Beast Boy shook his head.
"You can't save the game, so I was never able to sit long enough to figure it all out. And besides, it wasn't exactly the most high-tech game, so you can only play it for so long-"
"Whatever," Raven interrupted, but she was smiling slightly. "I get it. You couldn't beat it. It was too hard for you."
"Hey, wait a-"
"I guess you'll just have to give it to Cyborg for him to beat."
"Hey, time out! I'm a way better gamer than he is! I'll show you, I'll beat this stupid thing in five hours, you just watch me." Beast Boy savagely threw the last handful of games into the box and precariously balanced it in his arms once more. He stumbled down the hallway until he was out of sight, his insane mumblings drifting down the hall towards Raven, who still knelt on the floor, grinning. She stood up and dusted herself off.
She stood still for a moment, recollecting her thoughts. 'Oh, yeah. What do I know about love…'
---
Robin grunted as he continued to pummel the punching bag. Each muffled thump seemed to tease him, as if mocking him and his failure. The punching bag swayed tauntingly, laughing at the Boy Wonder. And he hated being laughed at.
'Why couldn't I just tell her?' he demanded in his own mind. 'Was is really that hard?'
He landed another good hit on the beaten bag, and it swung wildly. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, staining his mask.
'You're weak,' he told himself. 'I can't believe it. I've tried so hard my entire life not to be afraid of anything, and it turns out I can't even muster up enough courage to talk to a girl. Wow. That's pathetic. I'm pathetic. I can't believe this.'
The hinges groaned dangerously above Robin's head. The bag was becoming weak and unstable, but the teen didn't even notice.
'You've fought tons of villains and you're still scared,' Robin berated himself. 'You try so hard to beat the bad guy, to save the day, to stay in control, yet you can't even control your love life. How sad is that?'
Robin swung around and kicked the bag with all his might. It flew backwards and came hurtling forward again to meet a flurry of Robin's fists.
Starfire carefully peered around the edge of the doorway. Robin was in the weight room, beating a punching bag to a pulp. She coughed, but the object of her affections didn't hear. He did, however, swing around again to get a better angle at the bag, and Starfire whipped her head out of sight. A sudden wave of nerves had washed over the girl. She stared at her feet again, then clenched her fists, steeling her will.
'Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid,' Robin chanted in his head. His mental criticism fell into rhythm with the hammering beat of his heart, the panting of his breath as his lungs screamed for air. He was working harder than he had in a long time, frustration and self-loathing fueling his muscles.
The punching bag had given up. At one more good kick from Robin, it flew off its hinges and crashed into the opposite wall, spewing saw dust everywhere. Robin coughed once, then stormed out of the room in the opposite direction of Starfire. He still hadn't noticed her.
Starfire waited for the dust to settle, staring at the lump of a punching bag on the floor, looking dejected. The alien girl felt tears well up in her eyes. Robin had built his walls up so high, they were nearly impossible to breach. She had been so close to causing them to fall, she could taste it. But the opportunity was lost before she could get in. She didn't hold any resentment towards Cyborg; it wasn't in Starfire's nature to hold grudges. She knew that the blame could only lie partially on her teammate. He had interrupted them then, but Starfire had had many other chances to tell Robin, and she had not taken advantage of them. She knew she was to blame for that.
Suddenly, crashes from behind her alerted Starfire that she was not alone. She turned towards the door. She could hear cries, but couldn't understand them. But as the source of the noise grew closer, Starfire was able to interpret the sounds, and a feeling of dread filled her stomach.
"I've got you now!"
"Cyborg, stop!"
"It's not even here!"
"I know he's somewhere, gotta find, gotta find, gotta find-"
"No! Stop!"
Cyborg burst through the door, causing Starfire to jump back. She hesitated, however, when she saw the extremely strange sight before her. Cyborg had a crazed look in his eyes, and was staring around the room with the intensity of a dog on the trail of a rabbit. But even more curiously, he had somehow strung up Beast Boy and Raven and was toting them on his back in a sort of sling. They both looked dazed and windswept, which would explain why neither of them had used their powers to remove themselves from their current position.
"Hey Star! Guess what! We're following the squirrel! Isn't that great?" Cyborg said, turning his mad look towards Starfire.
"Oh…"
"Get out while you can!" Beast Boy called.
"You can help!" Cyborg cried cheerfully. He swung his two friends in front of him, knocking their heads together and causing them to both let out a cry of, "Oof!" He loosened the rope binding them together, but before either of them could escape, he swung the length of rope around Starfire's waist and tightened it. She was pulled towards her friends in an unceremonious clump.
Starfire had shown from very early on in her stay with the Titans that she was extremely emotional. She was often trying to get everyone to open up more, to be able to express themselves to the world. While the Titans didn't often agree to her complies, they still greatly appreciated her concern. Whenever they happened to open up and smile a bit more, Starfire was exuberant. She was also extremely happy when they agreed to her famous "group hugs." But at the moment, Starfire was definitely not thrilled to be crushed between two teammates who could barely see straight, strapped to the back of a third friend.
"C'mon guys, we eat tonight!" Cyborg cried, whipping out a spatula from who-knows-where.
"Ew!" moaned Beast Boy, and Cyborg whirled around again, speeding backwards, carrying Starfire even farther and farther away from where she wanted to be.
"We can't eat a squirrel!" Beast Boy said, bumping along, his feet dragging on the ground. Were he not a changeling, his face would have appeared quite green. Not that it wasn't already, obviously. "That's just sick. Squirrels are our friends."
"Speak for yourself," Raven said scathingly. "This one has caused more trouble in a few days than you have in your whole stay here. And that's really saying something."
"But I have to get back to my game!" Beast Boy protested. "I left it on 'pause' and I have to beat it!"
"That's all you're concerned about?" Raven demanded, trying to ignore the fact that she had just become pressed up against Beast Boy's front, her hair covering his face. Starfire was crammed on the other side of her, the Tameranian girl's eyes wide.
Beast Boy tried to blow Raven's hair out of his face, but it didn't work. "Hey, you started about that game!"
"I was just teasing you!" said Raven exasperatedly. She paused. "Wait, I was what? What is wrong with me?"
'He is a moron, you do not tease morons, it isn't nice…' Raven commanded herself.
"Hey Raven, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did."
Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Like I've never heard that one before."
"I've never heard you be sarcastic before," Raven said thoughtfully.
"Really? Um… I guess I'm not that sarcastic… am I?"
"Whatever. What's your question?"
Beast Boy paused. "Is this your real hair color?"
Before Raven could retort, Cyborg came to a screeching halt, causing his baggage to go flying. At first, his friends were confused at his sudden stop, but they soon discovered the cause of Cyborg's distraction.
The phone was ringing.
"The phone never rings!" Beast Boy cried. However, the green Titan was wrong, and Cyborg picked it up as if everything were completely casual.
"Heyo."
"Hey!" came a voice through the wire. Cyborg recognized it as the voice of Alanna, the tall girl he had met in the museum. "This is Alanna!"
"Oh, I figured that out!" Cyborg laughed. He leaned against the counter, looking completely nonchalant. He seemed to have forgotten about his teammates, sprawled on the ground, tangled up in rope.
"So how exactly did you get this number?" questioned Cyborg. Alanna giggled.
"It's not exactly a secret where you live, so it's not that hard to look it up in the phone book."
"We're in the phone book? I didn't know that."
"Yup, they've got you right here!" Alanna said happily.
"Well, I'm surprised we don't get more calls then!" Cyborg said, laughing. Meanwhile, his friends were beginning to regain their footing. Raven stood up slowly, her head spinning. She gritted her teeth, clutching her forehead.
"I'm going to make some more tea," she groaned, shuffling towards the kitchen area slowly, so as not to worsen her headache. Beast Boy got up too, and shook his head, but it didn't seem to help.
"I want some too," he murmured, staggering after her.
Starfire quickly took to he air, nursing her head as well. She watched Cyborg carefully, edging towards the door, then as he turned, she flew off as quickly as possible.
Cyborg twisted his finger around the cord, weaving into the loops. "So, what's up?"
"Nothing really," Alanna said. "We're just hanging out, and we thought we'd give you a call."
"How's Ivy?" asked Cyborg.
"She's good. She's… walking our dog right now."
"What's the pooch's name?"
"Um… Oliver," Alanna said quickly.
"Oliver?" came a voice from the background, but it was quickly muffled. Alanna coughed.
"They just got back," Alanna explained. "And, well…"
"OK, this isn't really our dog," Cyborg heard Ivy pick up another phone. "We… found him."
"Hey, I'm not gonna ask. You don't have to worry," Cyborg assured them.
"Thanks." He could hear the relief in Alanna's voice.
"Anyway, there is something you ought to know," Ivy said. "You know how we said that scientist discovered the Sangrian Crystal?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he died. About a year ago."
"Wow. That's not good."
"Well, obviously not good that he's dead," Alanna added. "But… this sounds mean, but it might not matter, you know?"
"He might have left his research behind somewhere. It's possible he kept it in a personal lab, or sold it elsewhere. We're not really sure, but we're trying our best to find out."
"Well, that's good to-"
Suddenly, Cyborg heard a loud crash in the background. There was the tinkling of shattering glass, then a grunt of surprise from Ivy. "Crap, the dog broke something, gotta go, bye!" Alanna cried and Cyborg heard a click. He winced, hoping whatever it was the dog had broken wasn't too valuable.
Cyborg hung up the phone, then turned around, ready to resume the squirrel chase. But as he prepared to scoop his friends up again, he noticed them all missing.
"Hey, where'd everybody go?"
---
"Oh no!" cried Slade, his one visible eye wide with shock. "Is he going to make it!?"
He peered closer at the huge screen in front of him. His hands shook as he grabbed a clump popcorn from the bowl perched on the arm of his chair. He shoved the popcorn onto his mouth, but since he had his mask on, all that he accomplished was crushing tiny bits of popcorn into the slits, giving him a very messy look.
"Um, sir?" Someone tapped Slade on the shoulder. The villain turned to see a pimply teenager with buck teeth.
"Isn't this exciting?" Slade asked excitedly, motioning to the screen he sat in front of.
Slade was sitting in a huge electronics display at the local "everything" store. Slade had eagerly ran through the watch, beach equipment, and women's underwear departments to get to the furniture section. There, he had moved a huge recliner into the electronics place and sat it in front of the display of a wide screen TV. All the monitors in the area played and replayed a commercial for a faster Internet connection. To represent the unreliability of other programs, the commercial depicted a man jumping off the edge of a cliff. The image froze in mid-fall and the question, "Do you know that your Internet connection is reliable all of the time?" came across the screen. The commercial then cut to scenes of constantly smiling people using their computers with the particular brand of program being advertised. Finally, the man who had leapt from the cliff was shown to be a bungee jumper, who smiled as he approached the camera, bringing forth a cheer from Slade.
"Oh look! He did it!" Slade said happily.
"But sir, I don't think you're allowed to have this stuff here. This chair belongs in our other department, and you didn't pay for the popcorn. And where'd you cook the it anyway?" the boy questioned. Slade turned around.
"Well," Slade said conversationally. He sat up and turned around on the chair. He carefully read the boy's pin: 'Stan.' "Well, Rich, I am Slade."
"My name's not-"
"Because I am Slade, I have the power to do as I please! I am like liquid water, slipping through the cracks of society!"
"But water already is-"
"I have the strength of a wild boar, and looks to match!"
"Well, that's not-"
"I am the master of all you see before you! This is my world, and you just live in it! You must obey my every command! And if you try to stop me, I shall send down my wrath upon you like a crocodile on a cactus!"
"That doesn't even make-"
"A cactus!" Slade screeched. He raised his fist and Stan ducked, throwing his arms over his head. "Ooh!" cried Slade, and he slid back down, his eye one the screen again. "Will he make it?" Slade asked anxiously, as the man dropped again.
"That's it, I'm calling the cops," the employee said. Slade leapt to his feet, clutching the bucket of popcorn.
"You'll never take me alive!" he screamed. Slade reached into his belt and pulled out a small grenade. He threw it to the ground, and a huge cloud of white smoke billowed out everywhere. Stan coughed, waving his hand in front of his face in an attempt to clear the air. Finally, the dust settled. Stan looked up, his eyes watering. Slade still stood there, munching on popcorn, though Stan was unsure how he had managed to get it into his mouth.
Slade watched the boy with a bemused look for a minute, then seemed to remember he was in the middle of a grand escape. Slade peered around frantically, then finally spotted a way out. He bolted over to the fire exit, spraying bits of popcorn everywhere. He threw open the door and ran into the street, cackling over his shoulder. The sprinkler system kicked in and jets of water sprayed down onto the shoppers below. They ran screaming for cover as Stan just stood there, gazing at the door through which Slade had just escaped from.
---
Starfire sighed. She had been looking for Robin for the past half an hour. She had knocked on the door to his room and received no answer, but was pretty sure he wasn't there. She had gone to the weight room again, but he had abandoned it and not returned. The punching bag still lay there, limp and forgotten. She had traveled throughout the entire Tower, even daring to enter the basement, but had no luck. Starfire had decided to give up.
She carefully opened the door to the roof, her usual sanctuary from the hassles of life. To her immense surprise, Robin sat there right on the edge, dangling one leg off the Tower. Starfire felt a leap of nerves, disliking the close proximity of Robin and nothing but air, but she repressed the urge to call out. She slowly closed the door behind her.
The only sounds that reached Starfire's ears were the calm splashing of waves on the rocks below and the occasional calls of gulls as the circled overhead, trying to find one more meal before the sun set and they would need to sleep. The receding light threw everything into a dull glow. Starfire was irresistibly reminded of that evening, so long ago, when she had confided in Robin her fears of being replaced by her sister.
She just stood there, watching her leader. He was her best friend, aside from Raven, and yet he was still a mystery to her. She barely knew anything about his past. It seemed to her he wanted to forget, to ignore the pain he had left behind. She agreed that the best thing would be to let go, but part of her still wished to understand the boy she had come to care about so much. She wanted to be able to comfort him, to scare away the demons that haunted him at night. Starfire could always tell when Robin had had a restless night; his movements the next day were slower than usual, his reflexes slightly off. Starfire wanted nothing more than to help him through his fears. She just didn't know how.
She didn't even know his name. It could be anything. She didn't know the color of his eyes. She often found herself daydreaming, imagining what color they could be. She had many different theories. She had even played around with the idea that Robin was blind, but realized that that couldn't be true, since he was able to play video games and fight bad guys very successfully. She had eventually decided that she would ask to see his eyes someday, but she had never figured out how.
Gathering her courage, Starfire cleared her throat. Robin turned his head. He seemed surprised, then allowed a small smile to pass over his lips.
"Hey, Star. What can I do for you?"
"Hello Robin. I am here to make sure that you are OK."
He laughed slightly, but it was a sad, breathy laugh. "Not quite, but whatever."
"No, not whatever. Robin-"
"Starfire, I'm so sorry. What happened back there… I didn't mean for it to… spiral out of control like that. I want you to know, though, that I'm always here for you. No matter where you are or what you're doing or… who you love, I'm here."
"Robin…" Starfire was at a loss for words. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. It also broke her heart to see Robin sitting there, resigning himself to a life of standing behind her, watching her from the sidelines.
She looked up to meet his eyes but found she could not. "I don't know what to say," she murmured finally.
"You don't have to say anything," Robin said, and he turned to look back out over the water.
Starfire suddenly felt a sort of electricity run through her body. She looked up, as if expecting to see something there, but only the empty sky filled her view. Starfire again turned to Robin and knew she couldn't let Robin slip into this sort of calm depression. Her will strengthened, but tears still sprang to her eyes.
She walked towards the Boy Wonder, who still gazed out at the waves. "Robin," she said firmly, and he looked up at her.
"Star!" he said with a slight alarm. "Don't cry… there's nothing to cry about."
Starfire wiped her eyes slowly, then fixed her gaze on Robin. "Robin, did you want what… almost happened back there to occur?" He hesitated. "No lies."
Robin held her gaze. "Yes."
"And you did not know if it would be all right with me, yet you proceeded anyway, correct?"
"Yes."
"You realize that it was a risk, not knowing what my reaction would be, correct?"
"Yes."
"You also realize that it is also a risk not doing anything at all, for the benefits would be… far better than the repercussions?"
"Yes."
Starfire stepped closer, her stare never leaving his face. "Are you willing to take that risk?" she asked softly.
Robin stared back. Slowly, slowly, he shook his head. He reached out very carefully and took her hand. He leaned in closer. Starfire felt her breath catch in her throat. She felt his other arm snake around her small waist. She lifted her arm up and rested it on his shoulder. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The sun was setting even further below the horizon, bathing them in a soft glow of yellow and orange. Starfire smiled and Robin mirrored it, genuine this time.
Robin closed the gap between their faces, finally, and slowly shut his eyes. Starfire's were already closed. Their lips brushed gently. Starfire was surprised at how close their heights were.
Robin stepped in closer and closed the miniscule gap. He had finally gotten over his worries and fears and just kissed her. The moment seemed to stretch into eternity for the two. They had made it to their own world where no one could touch them. They were safe from everything else. Robin interlaced their fingers as he deepened the kiss. Starfire felt the urge to take to the air in sheer joy, but repressed it quickly. If she did that, she would be forced to break away, and at the moment, that was the last thing she ever wanted.
Robin undid their fingers and put his hand on her waist, joining the other one. He pulled her in closer, which seemed impossible, but he managed. Starfire pulled her arms tighter around the Boy Wonder's neck.
Suddenly, an earsplitting alarm went off throughout the Tower. They broke away reluctantly. Robin took out his communicator, his grip loosening but not released. Starfire moved her hands to his chest.
"Police chief's calling us," Robin explained, snapping the device shut. They looked at one another, then immediately dashed towards the door.
---
Cyborg was rapidly typing in codes to the main computer as Robin and Starfire burst into the main room. "Report," Robin said, reaching Cyborg's side. Raven and Beast Boy were already in the room. Raven glanced at Starfire and noticed how she was out of breath, which was odd.
"The chief of police has a bank robbery downtown. Says it's a bunch of guys, all with strong body armor their weapons can't pierce. He needs us to take 'em down," Cyborg reiterated.
"Titans, go!" Robin cried, and they all headed towards the door. Raven caught Robin's arm.
"I'll talk to her later tonight, OK?"
But as the Titans passed out into the hall leading towards the door, Raven saw a glance shared between Robin and Starfire and realized she wouldn't have to.
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Author's Notes: Wow, I feel like a sap. Kill me quickly. Anyway, I'm really sorry that this took so long to get out! But all next week, we have orientation for the high school and get out at, like, eleven every day. See, we used to be a junior high with grades 7-9 at one school in the next town over, who I dub "B," sharing with those kids. Then there's the high school, which combines us and yet another junior high school , aptly named "O." We're still ninth graders, we're still freshmen, we're just in the junior high building… but there's a slight problem with the junior high. See, it's infested with mold. Lots of mold. People get sick off our mold. You can't see the mold, but it's there. The water was also unfit to drink and we had to leave school for a day. This is all "B's" fault because it's a hick town. No offense, Elisa. Anyway, the high school is in my town, which is good, 'cause that means I have a very short way to get there if I ever forget my books or something. Anyway, the whole point of that is to show you that I have plenty of time to write next week, so the next chapter should be up pretty soon. Hopefully I can stick to that.
Also, I would like to thank M.E. Pal for the kind-of idea for this chapter ending… thing, hehe. I liked the idea of the two of them being forced to go about normal things right away and the like.
OK, let's see, review replies!
Change-Of-Heart2- Thank you for reading! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! Also, great to hear the squirrel has his fans. I hope you liked this most recent chapter!
Slayergirl1362- Thanks for reviewing! Haha, this is awesome, we have our very own cheerleader for the awesomeness of supporting BB/R! Yes! Hehe, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
warprince2000- Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this latest chapter!
Whisper from Hell- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you found the story so hilarious! I hope that I am fulfilling the "humor" portion of the summary, hehe. I hope you found this chapter as funny, and enjoyed it!
Regrem Erutaerc- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you like the story so far. I did check out the joint story you mentioned, and I really liked it! I love idea and think you guys handled it great. Can't wait for more! (Sadly, I've been low on time recently with midterms and all, but I'm getting back into the swing of things!) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
pollywag93- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you have enjoyed the story so far! Well, I know there was a ton of R/S in this chapter, but from here on out, it's going to be PILES and PILES of R/BB. Well, hopefully piles and piles, but that depends on my ability to write well or not. If I stink, it will sound bad and I'll be forced to become a hermit. And yes, Slade's antics are always out there! I'm not even sure myself what he'll do next! Anyway, I hope you liked the latest installment!
Dark Amaya- Thanks for reading! Also, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying this story! I am trying hard not to sound too cliché or run-of-the-mill. Hehe, and don't worry, if you have any constructive criticism, I would love to hear it! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!
wetg- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you find Slade funny, that is certainly my intention! But please don't die laughing because, while it may be the best way to go, I would miss your input! Hehe, I hope you enjoyed this recent chapter!
disappearer/Syani- Thanks for reading! Hmm, I do seem to jump around with the subject matter of each chapter, you're right. Hehe, originally, this story wasn't even going to have a plot and just be jump-around ideas, but I threw one into the works almost last minute! Anyway, Slade is very strange, but for a very good reason! You shall see later, however… I won't reveal anything yet! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!
heX- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! Unfortunately, this wasn't such a quick update, and for that, I apologize. But it's here now, and the next one shall be out very soon as well! Expect a ton of BB/R in the upcoming chapters! I hope you had a great holiday break, and hopefully you liked this chapter!
starrobin4eva- Thank you for reading! I'm happy to hear you liked the last chapter! Hehe, I hope that this chapter was also to your enjoyment, if that makes any sense. Sorry this wasn't up too quick, but keep an eye out for the next chapter soon!
yukigata- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story thus far! I am also a huge R/S fan, as well as a huge R/BB fan. I can't decide which I like better, so I say that I like them both equally! Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked this recent chapter!
StarfireRobin4ever- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Always happy to hear I made someone laugh. I've always thought my sense of humor was strange, but I'm glad that people are enjoying it! And I do believe I complied to your request! Hehe! And thank you, I had a great Christmas and hope that you did too! Or whatever else you may have celebrated! Anyway, I hope you liked the latest chapter!
MirandaOtto- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and found Slade amusing! I'm happy to hear Slade is funny enough to make you want to read him! I often find myself skimming over some parts in stories that I read if they're too focused on someone/something I don't have a real interest in. But shh, I don't think we're supposed to say that. Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!
samuraistar- Thank you for reading! Hehe, my friend threatened Cyborg and myself with death over the last chapter. Hehe, but you put in much more nicely and funny…ly? Hehe, anyway, I hope you liked this recent chapter!
SushiChica- Thank you for your comments, they were so nice! I'm glad you enjoyed the speech, I was in a strange mood but I thought it would work. Hehe, that was my sappy-romance side coming through. And thank you so much for your wonderful review! I try to be as philosophical as possible, hehe. I like to try to delve deeper into things, which I hope is a good thing. Don't worry, I get very emotional too! And yes, your idea was very good, I just had to use it! Yeah, my friends think I'm crazy too, but oh well. But I loved your other idea, and I am definitely using! It reminded me of something I saw in "Get Fuzzy," the most awesome comic strip in the world. Anyway, thanks for the idea and the totally awesome review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
ScarletAngel68- Another long review from the Review Goddess! You are way too nice to me. Haha, my money would be on Starfire's food too. The blue furry food is going down. Hehe, I actually watched a Spanish soap opera once. It was for extra credit in my class, and it was the WORST display of acting I have ever seen. But it was so funny to watch. I had to tape it for the project and I also got part of this Judge Spanish-Someone show and I swear, if there's a Satan, this was his sister. So scary. She even had a neon orange jacket. Anyway, the back of boy's necks are very attractive… I find myself doing that too… I can't help it, hehe. My friends always look for "signs" in things for assurance that their relationships will work and such, so that's where the quiz came from. Haha, I liked writing the scene with Rocky a little too much… maybe he'll come back… hmm. Ahh, please don't suffocate! Hehe, yes, I think the squirrel has evil tendencies. Haha, I used the staring contest as a sort of connection/Raven-lost-and-has-to-admit-she-likes-him/Beast-Boy-acting-like-a-moron thing. Hehe, and "Da Squirrel" was too funny not use. And you're quite right, they couldn't deny that it almost happened! I hope this chapter qualifies as having done something about it, 'cause I don't want the curtains. Hehe, yes, enjoy the brownies! Actually, since this took me so long, you probably finished them. Have more! throws brownies I hope you had a good Christmas and I'm sorry you needed some cheering up, but I'm glad I was able to provide it!
M.E. Pal- Thank you for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Hehe, I liked your thought of them not being able to interact right afterwards, so I put that in. Thanks for the idea! Anyway, I hope you liked this recent chapter!
somestar- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you liked this most recent chapter!
thechickenlittle2000- Thank you for reading! Hehe, yes, I stopped it short last chapter, much to the dismay of my friend who edited this chapter. I'm a big R/S shipper myself, and a fellow fan enjoyed this chapter!
Goth-Girl04- Thanks for your comments! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story so far. Glad that it's making you laugh! Thank you for such a great review, and I'm glad to hear you're a BB/R fan as well! I hope you liked this latest chapter!
Punky munkey- Thank you for reading! I'm glad to hear no grammar errors, those are my pet peeves. I have such trouble editing my own work, it's very annoying. I'm too fast of a reader to edit my own writing. Ah well, my friend has volunteered to edit from now on, so hopefully no more mistakes! Yes, the friendship between Cyborg and Raven is just that - a friendship. And yes, I am answering all of you reviews in one thing… hope you don't mind! Glad to hear you enjoyed the ice cream scene, that was fun to write and made me hungry. Also, yay for a gold star! Yes, the girls are meant to be a little fishy, but I'm not really sure why. They are a mystery even to me. Now that I think about it, I suppose a museum shouldn't just hand over anything in their vaults, but I also took into account that it was the Teen Titans asking for it. I think the city puts them in such a high status, they might be liable to forget their own rules. Anyway, thanks very much for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
me- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying this story thus far! Hopefully this next chapter was up to par!
The Mad shoe- Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the BB/R scenes, and expect to see more in future chapters! I like them as a couple a LOT, so I love to write their scenes! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this recent chapter!
Whew, that was a lot. But anyway, IMPORTANT NEWS! If you go to postopia .c o m (I know you can't have links in here) you can enter in the code "punk25" by clicking that big coin on the top, hehe. Anyway, enter the code and you'll be able to witness the Teen Titans lost episode! It's about 12 minutes long, but it's by the same people who create the regular show, and it's TOTALLY worth the 12 minutes it takes to see it! If anyone figures out a way to save it onto the computer, please pass it along!
Also, don't forget to watch the new episode on TODAY, Monday, Martin Luther King Day. (He was a great man and his actual birthday was the 15th, which is my dad's, so I like MLK. We almost have the same initials, and I think he did more for America than a lot of people. Moment of silence…) Anyway, the episode is on at 7:30 eastern, I think… stupid time zones, NO clue what they are… that's what it says on the website for Cartoon Network, and I'm eastern, so it doesn't matter anyway. But yeah, basically, there's a new one on today, so don't miss it!
Anyway, as you may already know, there should be a new chapter on its way very soon. Also, if anyone has the time, I have a few oneshots up that you might enjoy. If you do check them out, thanks very much!
OK, I'll let you guys go now. Please drop me a little review though!