Author's Note: Thursday is here which means you guys get an update! Sorry it's on the later side. I had a busy day!
To (Guest - Vi): Look, you don't need to apologise. And I am thrilled that you love my story so much but you don't need to keep posting update messages or saying sorry. I get it if you're impatient but it gets a little grating for a writer to keep seeing. As stated, I will be updating on Mondays and Thursdays so just expect them on those days, alright? Thank you.
If you follow me on Tumblr, requests are now closed... dun dun dun. For the time being anyway. I've gotta focus on some real life stuff and requests kinda build up and I feel like I just have to answer every single one buuut, I'm writing this little message to say I'm not. So, I may do the ones that have been in my inbox for a while but any sent through yesterday and onwards will not be done for a long while. Sorry, but gotta keep real life priorities in check. Thanks m'lovelies!
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
The corridors were shrouded in darkness and almost silent, with only the sound of hurried footsteps and heavy breathing filling it.
His gloved fingers tightened against her dull skin, usually brimming with life.
He could feel his heart rattling around in his chest, desperate to burst out. His stomach was a mess, swirling and churning with concern to guilt, and everything else in between.
Robin panted as he sped down the hall, clutching Starfire to his chest. He carried her bridal style, secure enough to keep her safe. Her head was of the upmost importance at the moment what with the injuries she may have sustained. He kept her head tilted into his chest, cradling her as best he could.
He could barely tear his eyes away from her wounded body. She had been unconscious for at least 30 minutes now. Every second she wasn't awake was agony for him. He didn't know if it was something big or something small but the concern was growing the longer she didn't blink back at him.
Looking ahead for a second, he noted Raven's cloak swishing back and forth as she made her way towards the infirmary.
Robin swallowed the lump in his throat.
It wasn't often that he abandoned a mission but when a teammate or his girlfriend in this case, had been injured this badly or without knowing what part of her exactly had gotten hurt, it wasn't up for discussion.
Deep down, he knew Cyborg and Beast Boy could handle Cinderblock. Cyborg had once taken down the criminal by himself, after all. After Starfire's little show of power, he had gotten considerably tired so Robin supposed that was a small upside to the mission.
Although he realised his two teammates were capable of taking him down, he couldn't help but feel guilty. The minute the dust had cleared from the debris, he had sprinted over and dug Starfire out from beneath all of the rocks, before shouting for Raven.
After the empath sensed Starfire's state, she advised their leader it would be best to get her to the infirmary and to do it soon. So, with that in mind, Robin deferred to Cyborg and got swept into the sorceress' cloak, with Starfire in tow.
He shook his head, trying to relieve himself of the remorse. They would be fine. That was what he needed to keep telling himself.
Glancing down at Starfire again, he shook his head. What had she been thinking? Why hadn't she responded to their orders?
Robin briefly pressed his cheek to her forehead and noted Raven stepping through the infirmary door.
She was already prepping the IV's and monitors, as well as the bed so that they could get Starfire under watch immediately.
Robin stood there, feeling a little useless whilst he simply held an unconscious Starfire whose hair was now pooling around her face like a scarf.
Raven's dark eyes flashed to him, "Put her down here." She told him,
The boy wonder jolted a little, realising she was talking to him. Robin gulped and hurried over, taking careful and gentle movements to ensure he didn't worsen her condition in any way.
He was slow as he laid her head against the pillow. Considering that was their main priority for the moment, he wanted to make sure he didn't damage anything further than it may already be.
"Okay, now move back." Raven muttered, tucking down the bedding over the edges of the mattress for the time being.
Robin blinked behind his mask, eyes still not leaving Starfire's face. Somewhere deep inside of him, he hoped she would just open her eyes and give him one of her sunshine smiles.
But the realistic part of his brain knew that wasn't going to happen.
Not yet anyway.
In a completely innocent gesture, Robin pushed some of her hair away from her face and behind her ear. He desperately tried to ignore the blood that smeared across her cheek in doing the action.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. He needed something to do. He needed to help in some way. He felt irritable and worried as he just continued to stand there and stare at her whilst Raven was running around, hooking her up and injecting all sorts of things to stabilise her before she began to physically check and heal her.
With the heart monitor, the drip and the vital systems all active and beeping, Raven breathed a sigh of relief.
Robin looked at her, wanting information, "Is she okay?"
Raven eyed him, feeling sympathy for him, "I don't know yet. But, her heartbeat is there which is always a better sign than hearing nothing."
He eyed the monitor, "But it... it's so faint."
"She's weak and was hit with a lot of rubble from that building. I need to do a thorough check to have a better understanding of what's going on."
Raven's blue eyes swept over Starfire's form before hesitating on the sight of her boots. Without further delay, she reached for the thigh high, purple boots and began to tug them off of her best friend's feet.
Robin blushed. He couldn't help it.
He raised his eyebrows at her, "Wh-whoa... what are you doing?"
Raven sighed and rolled her eyes, "If I'm going to clean her wounds and heal them, I need to remove her clothes and put her into a gown. You know that."
Robin's blush deepened and he rubbed the back of his neck, "Right... I've just never seen... I didn't know you... uh-"
She shook her head as she dropped the torn boots to the floor. She reached and unbuckled Starfire's belt, pausing long enough to look at a flushed Robin.
Puffing out a breath, she tilted her head at her leader, "Why don't you go and get a fresh uniform for her?" She paused, "Looking at her wounds... I'm thinking she isn't going to be out for too long... especially if I start healing her soon."
Robin nodded quickly, feeling incredibly awkward with Raven undressing his girlfriend. He turned on his heel and strode from the infirmary, keeping his eyes on Starfire's face until he was completely out of the room.
He sighed as he walked down the hallway towards Starfire's room.
Emotions were his enemy right now and he was feeling pretty bombarded by them all. He was angry; angry at her for blatantly ignoring each and every one of them like that. It really gave a new meaning to her Princess status if she had been doing it on purpose to prove something to him.
He softened, knowing Starfire wouldn't do that. She would never disobey him or the others out of spite. It just wasn't in her, especially knowing that people could get hurt. She was the most caring person he had ever met. There must have been a reason for her haze of fury. He'd just have to wait to speak to her to find out what that reason was.
Robin was more so confused about that little display she had shown. It was just so out of character for her. He knew she could be destructive and that she held back a lot on her powers normally, but this was as if that was all she was feeling. He couldn't help but wonder at it.
Mainly, however, Robin felt remorse concerning their fight. He didn't like arguing with her. It never sat right with him on account of them being so very close. He knew it wasn't either of their faults really and that they both had their reasons. He just hoped Starfire would wake up soon so that they could talk things through rationally like they should have done in the first place.
Approaching her door, Robin found himself running his fingertips over the embossed letters spelling out, 'STARFIRE'.
He typed in the override code and wandered inside, feeling an eerie tingle at the utter silence inside.
Robin was suddenly taking notice of the inside of his girlfriend's dwelling. He couldn't help but smirk. It was just so her.
Although having been a frequent visitor to her bedroom, even before they started dating and hung out together as friends, he had never truly studied her room.
It was pink; very, very pink with some streaks of purple. The walls were a lighter shade whilst the floor was darker, creating a fuchsia contrast.
Another thing that hit him instantly was her familiar strawberry scent. Whether it was perfume or her natural fragrance, he still couldn't be sure but it was heavenly, regardless. It was refreshing and sweet with a tropical tinge; a little bit like Starfire herself.
He eyed her round bed with the heavily indented pillow sitting at the head of it, noting the indents down to Starfire still taking to resting her feet on them every now and then. Her quirks were so strange and yet, he thought they were adorable.
All around the room, there were scattered items. There were fluffy, colourful plushies all sat up at the top of her bed whilst Tamaranian artefacts were perched on some of the shelves, which he made a mental note to ask about when she woke.
There was a selection of bedroom furniture too; a bedside table, an ottoman at the end of her bed and a light coloured vanity desk; one that he knew she sat at to brush her long, auburn hair before bed.
He sighed and walked around her bed, eyeing the surface of her vanity table a little more. He quirked an eyebrow at all the makeup products settled on the table. There was a vast amount which left him bewildered, especially at how many bottles of foundation there were.
Robin smirked; he couldn't understand why she had so much of the stuff. From his knowledge, she barely used makeup, especially for her skin. He shook his head. He guessed that she must be exceptional at applying it in order to give herself a natural kind of appearance.
Continuing towards her wardrobe, he opened it and quickly scanned the inside, grabbing a fresh new uniform.
As Robin turned, he caught a glimpse of images pinned up by her bed which he had never truly taken notice of.
Stepping closer to her bed, he peered closer. A small, affectionate smile began to form across his lips.
Pinned up on the wall were several photos. There were group photos of the Titans at holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween; times of year the team always spent together.
He gently touched the edge of a very old looking photo. It was discoloured and ripped in multiple corners and even had a scorch mark up near the top. It appeared to be Starfire as a child, with people who looked remarkably alike stood around her.
Robin smiled, assuming this group were most likely Starfire's family.
He found it strange that he had never really looked at these before. With a sigh, he wondered if he was only taking notice now because of how badly things had gone down between them before their mission.
Shaking his head and straightening up, Robin inhaled a deep breath and made his way back out of the Princess' room.
As he stood before the door to the infirmary, he suddenly had the bright idea to knock... just in case.
"It's fine. She's dressed." Raven's voice floated through.
Exhaling and fighting a new blush from arising, Robin made his way inside and slowed his footsteps before reaching the end of her bed and placing the uniform by her feet.
"Whoa..." Robin breathed,
Raven nodded, pressing a few buttons on the machines, "Yep... looks better than before, hm?"
"I mean... she still looks really hurt... the dust made it look worse?"
"Yes... and the dried blood. The dirt and dust all made it look more serious."
Robin found himself standing on Starfire's bedside, opposite Raven. He slipped his hand beneath hers and entangled their fingers.
He did a sweep of her with his eyes, inwardly grimacing. She had several scratches across her face and body whilst some ran a little deeper. She had a particular slash on her temple that Robin couldn't help but worry about. It looked harsh and very bloody. He prayed that it was nothing more than a cut.
As his eyes slid over her, he frowned. Her leg seemed twisted and there was bruising around her eye and forehead. Robin swallowed the lump in his throat and squeezed her hand.
"So... how is she?" Robin croaked, anxious for Raven's reply.
"Well, a lot better than we first thought, actually."
Robin breathed out, "Really?"
She nodded, "She's got quite a few nasty cuts but they'll soon start to disappear once I begin healing her. Her ankle is twisted where Cinderblock used her as a doll against the ground... again, bruising obviously around her eye... bruising on the back of her shoulders and a good portion of her back."
His frown deepened, "The bruising doesn't seem so bad, yet."
"It's not. I'm only going to heal her ankle and her head for now and this cut on her temple. They're the important parts I want to get fixed to prevent issues later. The bruising can be brought out in a traditional, ice kind of way."
Robin nodded, his eyes lingering on her head, "Concussion?"
Raven tilted her head, "Doesn't seem to be. I mean, I've ran diagnostics and everything seems fine. We won't know for sure until she wakes up but I'm not seeing any signs of a concussion. She's quite a trooper."
He quirked a smile, "She is."
"I will heal the bruising but later... I'll need to rest up to regain energy. So, she'll be a little battered and bruised and not as pretty for a little while."
Robin's smile broadened and he carefully brushed her bangs out of her eyes, "She's gorgeous; bruises and cuts or not."
Raven gave into a warm smile, tapping into the emotions that Robin was radiating right now; the most sincere emotion being affection for the girl lying unconscious between them.
Cracking her knuckles, her hands began to glow a light, periwinkle. She quietly chanted her mantra a few times before lowering her hands to Starfire's forehead, starting the healing process and letting her power flow through the alien.
Robin reluctantly let go of Starfire's hand and flopped back into the chair beside the bed, running a hand through his ebony spikes.
"So..." Raven began, "what happened?"
He looked up, "What?"
"Clearly, there was a reason she was acting somewhat different... would I be right in assuming it had something to do with you or your relationship at least?"
Robin sighed, folding his arms over his chest.
"Did you want to talk about it?"
He was silent for a long time before he mumbled, "It was so stupid... I-I don't know why it escalated so quickly..."
"Start at the beginning."
"We argued about sharing a bed."
Raven's hands froze before she shook her head and raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Well... the other night... we slept together and-"
Something in the atmosphere suddenly darkened and Raven glared at him, her demon eyes almost burning through, "What?" She hissed,
Robin's eyes widened and he lifted his hands in defence, "No, wait-"
Her expression thundered even more, "Tell me you didn't have sex with her and then dump her, you son of a-"
"Raven! Stop! Look, we didn't have sex! God, neither of us is even close to that yet. I meant we platonically slept together. As in, side by side. Just sleeping."
The empath narrowed her daggers at him a moment longer before backing off and softening her facial expression.
"Oh." She stated,
"You know she hates storms and she asked me to stay with her so I did."
"I'm failing to see what the issue is here."
"I-I distanced myself from her today... like a lot. She thought she had done something wrong when of course, she hadn't. It... was just me being stupid... like usual."
"That's why she was all nervous about going to talk to you."
Robin nodded and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "I didn't mean to... I just... It-"
Raven moved her hands down towards Starfire's twisted ankle and continued to heal her,
"Robin?"
"Yeah?"
"Would I be right in guessing this has nothing to do with sharing a bed?"
"H-huh?"
She rolled her eyes, "Empath, remember?"
Robin looked away, "I tend to forget that."
"You've got some deeper emotions going on there. I can feel it. This isn't something as insignificant as sharing a bed with your girlfriend. God knows, you did it when you weren't dating."
Robin felt his ears burn, "H-how did you know that?"
Raven smirked, keeping her eyes downcast, "Starfire and I have a lot more 'girl talks' than you're aware of."
The boy wonder cleared his throat, "Right... well, yeah... we did and... it didn't feel as weird as it did the other night."
"Was it nice?"
His eyes widened, "Wh-what?"
"I thought you had good hearing."
He shifted, "Well... yeah... it was nice and... affectionate and stuff..."
"So, you share a bed with your girlfriend and you both like it. What's the problem?"
"You're one to talk like it's so simple, Raven."
She eyed him, "I'm not the one having issues about it."
Robin exhaled noisily and shook his head, "You won't understand."
She gave him a look, "Try me."
"Well... I know it's stupid... but a part of me feels like it is rushing into something. I don't know how to explain it... I know it's not exactly something to freak out over... but I guess I'm... I-I think-"
She cleared her throat, "Do you know what I think?" She paused, "I think you're scared. I think you're scared of crossing the boundary between friendship and romance with Starfire, whereas she's kinda overtaken you with that. She's ready to be more and I think you are too... you just need to realise it."
He looked up at, asking her to continue with his expression,
"I think you're scared that it'll be different and I think you're scared of the unknown between the two of you. This relationship... it's not something you can control and that scares you a little. You want it to work but you're afraid to fall in case you crash rather than getting caught."
She lifted a hand back up to Starfire's head, resting her fingers near her temple.
Raven eyed him carefully, "And amongst all of that... I think you're scared because she's the closest anyone has ever gotten. You and I are close but it's nothing compared to the two of you. She's important to you; very important. You don't want her to get hurt but you don't want to keep her close enough for you to get hurt either."
Robin looked down at his lap, lacing his fingers together, "Heh... you know... I think you should start charging us for your psychoanalysis."
Raven snorted, "Believe me, I know."
He sat up, "I-I think you're right though..."
"Of course, I'm right."
Robin smirked before shaking his head, "How do I get past this?"
Raven sighed and watched him, "Robin, you need to be honest with Starfire. You have to tell her when you're feeling unsure or scared. How else will she know? It's easy to talk about it with me but she isn't a mind reader." She paused, "I'm not saying become a big open book of emotions but... it will really help to talk about it with Starfire. She'll understand. This is Starfire we're talking about."
Robin nodded slowly, a reassured smile forming on his face, "I think I can give that a try..."
"And I know it's not easy for you... but if your gut is telling you it's okay, then go with it."
"What'd you mean?"
"When you're opening up and trying more with Starfire, then go with it if it feels okay. Otherwise, you guys will never learn and never be able to form a deeper relationship."
He nodded before chuckling, "Who knew you'd be such a good love expert, huh?"
Raven smirked, "Apparently my skills are endless."
She retracted her hands and stretched her arms out in front of her, the glow of her power dissipating.
"There. Head and ankle are all healed up for now. We'll look into the bruising a little later, maybe when she's woken up."
"So, she'll be alright?"
Raven nodded, "Mhm. For now, she just needs to rest. She still took a hell of a hit... or hits in her case. She should wake up later this evening."
"Got it."
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Raven pulled her hood up, "I'm going to go back and help Cyborg and Beast Boy finish up with Cinderblock."
Feeling the need to offer, Robin got to his feet, "Should I-"
She rolled her eyes and made a face to which Robin responded by slowly sliding back down into his seat.
"We can handle it, Robin. The last thing we need is you spacing out in concern and ending up in the infirmary bed next to her."
Robin chuckled nervously, "Right..."
"If she wakes up and complains of pain or anything, her reinforced tablets are up in the cabinet. Only give her one for now though or she'll get drowsy."
The boy wonder nodded, "Understood, mom."
She scowled at him but he merely grinned.
Raven shook her head and started walking towards the exit, stopping just shy to place a hand on Robin's shoulder.
"And Robin?"
He meekly looked up at her, "Yeah?"
"Don't worry. She'll understand where you're coming from. Just because she's a little more open, doesn't mean she's any less scared."
Robin blinked, "Really?"
Raven nodded, "Of course. She cares about you a lot too, you know. She doesn't want to mess up either."
He blushed but smiled and lifted a hand to pat hers that was still on his shoulder, "Thanks Raven."
The empath nodded, slipping her hand off of his shoulder and taking her leave.
Robin exhaled loudly and pulled his chair forward a little more in order to take Starfire's hand again. He brought it up and softly kissed the back of it.
Raven had well and truly patient profiled him. He was scared. He was terrified about whether the relationship would work, whether it wouldn't. This wasn't common territory and he hoped she was right. He hoped talking to Starfire about it would ease how he felt and they would be able to approach this in a better way.
"Wake up soon for me, Star... we've gotta talk through some things." He whispered,
He remained like that for a while, merely sitting within the silence with the exception of the faint beeping of the monitors and infirmary equipment.
Author's Note: There we go. We've hit the nail on the head. It's not about bed sharing and it's not about little things or this and that. Robin is scared and worried about how to proceed. It's only partially covered in this chapter.
Next chapter will see it being completely covered and things will click into place more. As for this chapter though, I give you RobRae friendship. N'awh.
