"Jason..."
Her voice wrapped around him, ringing in a smooth melody, one that he could call his national anthem. He could feel the scarlet fire burning in his veins and he could feel himself relaxing. She was coming closer, he could sense it.
"Jason..." the sweet tongue repeated, drawing near, just like he wanted it to.
He just wanted this Heaven to stay in his grasp, and he begged himself to not ruin this amazing moment, for someone was here, someone cared.
His princess, his dear red-head, his happiness.
She was coming back.
His girl, she was coming back.
He felt fingertips brush against his arms and his face and his hands, all the while keeping his ground. It was not easy to hold back from the touches that would rid him of depletion, but he couldn't fuck this up, not again.
He wouldn't let himself, the stubborn little bird.
He refused to move.
The soft hands had grown cold, but he didn't mind; if he did not react, he would be requited. He would be allowed to feel her touch again, and he wouldn't feel so alone, wouldn't feel so lovesick, and that was something he just might admit to her. He felt her fingernails ever so slightly grazed his skin, and he froze.
The rhythm of his name hummed in his ears, the same ears that felt the breath of someone that felt so... fake. But could he just pass it off as better than nothing? A shiver ran up his spine as the cold breath puffed onto his neck, and he did not want to believe this moment was a real fake.
She couldn't merely be an archetype of her. She couldn't.
As his heart began to fill with misery of nostalgia, the gentle tune of her voice cracked, now changing, now transforming to the opposite of honey. This was an image, an illusion, and he lost his identity in the artificial woes embedded in his mind. The voice sent a painful shock, stinging all around, right down to the bone.
If only she knew what she did to him, even in his sleep.
The plastic huffed onto his skin, increasing the discomfort that had just started to settle, and as the black stars started to rouse him from the depths of his insecurities, he could hear his name, calling him, calling him, until everything shut out except the venom looping inside his head.
He was covered in a layer of cold sweat, set in a trance, a moment of depersonalization as he drank in his surrondings.
Perhaps this was as fake as the imaginary crimson gold?
A hand ran through his dampened hair, and he almost didn't recognize his own skin, nearly mistaking it as fake, fake, fake.
His tired eyes became frantic, looking from side to side, only because for a second, he thought he saw purple.
Suddenly, he was a kid again, clutching his head in his hands and knees, rocking back and forth, wishing for the yelling to go away, waiting for the voices and hurt to fade. He couldn't help the heat that began to bore behind his eyes, stinging him, threatening to spill vulnerability.
And he let it.
Because out of the many things he learned from the perfect alien girl, it was to let it all out.
And when he was done, he put on a mask of stone and walked out the door to commit impurity.
"Hey, Star," a slightly raspy yet gentle voiced called, a content smile on the face of its owner. She drank in every detail, from the way his dark hair swayed in the chill of the October wind to his eager yet calm footsteps. A sincere grin filled her features as he sat next to her, leaning in for a kiss before staring into her shimmering eyes and grabbing a golden hand.
"Hello, Robin," she greeted in return as she stringed their fingers together, the rising sun reflecting off of her armor and his glove. His thumb began to rub soothing patterns into her skin as she plopped her head down on his shoulder, trying her best to savour it.
"How did you sleep last night?" he inquired softly. His tone was kind with light curiousity, and even though it was just small talk, it set her in a trance.
"Lovely. And I assume you have slept in the same condition," the princess noted, listening to his slow and smooth breaths. She found herself following the rise and fall of his chest. Two hearts, one game.
He gave a small chuckle before pressing his lips against her forehead, lingering for a few seconds before breaking it off and resting his own on hers.
"Only because I saw you in my sleep," he said, genuine honesty making him look young, making him look happy.
She couldn't tell if her heart skipped a beat or if it raced.
Without a response to his confession, she felt a blood-red blush stain her cheeks with a smile as its companion. She couldn't help put look down at their tangled fingers, wondering where this boy learned the spell he put on her.
When he lifted her chin up, she quickly found the confidence to connect her lips with his, which made the heat in her stomach and her chest pool to her arms and her legs. She tasted her name as he sighed it into her mouth. It did not taste of tea and smoke.
She found herself taking his bottom lip into her mouth, sucking briefly before kissing him harder until they needed to breathe.
When they parted, the red-head noticed the faint blush that crept on her boyfriend's cheeks and the surprised smile that gave her a spark of satisfaction.
"You better kiss me like that more often," the masked boy ordered playfully when his panting began to subside, eyes wide behind the domino. She didn't even bother to stifle her giggles at his adorable reaction, which gained her a pout out of the other, but she then kissed it away, knowing her unspoken apology was accepted.
"Star?"
"Yes?"
"Do you wanna... do you want to go to the carnival with me? On a date?"
The girl's face instantly brightened up, her mouth stretched into a wide smile and her green eyes glistening with joy.
"Of course!" she agreed, bouncing in her seat. She heard a sweet laugh before a pair of lips planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Will our friends be accompanying us?" she thought aloud, her head tilting to the side.
"Well, I was hoping we could be alone. You know, since its a date and all. Plus, we don't exactly want Beast Boy there..." he trailed off, a small smile gracing his face. The girl flashed her signature grin before grabbing her team mate by the shoulders and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.
"I shall go to prepare, then!" she spoke gleefully, floating a few inches above the ground.
The boy wonder rolled his eyes underneath his mask. "You've got plenty of time for that," he said before grabbing her steel-plated arms and pulling her down, placing his mouth on top of hers.
"Hello, friend Raven!" Starfire cheerfully greeted her beautiful friend, who was more than happy to see her smile.
"Hey, Starfire," the empath spoke in her usual monotone, her lips slightly tugged at the corners. "How are you?"
Although the Tameranean insisted for the grey-skinned girl to stop asking her how she was, she continued to do it; she knows she is getting back to her old self, but she did not believe she is completely fine after three months. She had sensed more emotion than Starfire told her.
"Raven, I have told you that you cannot ask me that question!" she scolded jokingly, joining her friend on top of her dark purple sheets.
The violet-eyed girl rolled her eyes and supressed a smile. "I'm going to ask it anyways."
Starfire ignored her remark and reduced her wide grin to a closed-mouth smile. She tugged at her red locks before looking at the girl before her.
"Robin has asked me out on 'the date!'" she laughed, rolling onto her back and clenching her fists in excitement.
"It's about time," a deadpan voice replied, yet humor laced at the ends. She knew this wasn't their first date, but she knew it would finally be an actual date.
The other ones had started and ended on a bad note. At first it had been the couple's awkwardness and anxiety, but the blame had been passed onto none other than Beast Boy.
"I hope this outing will go was desired!" the princess exclaimed, her hands clasped together against her cheek.
"I'll keep Beast Boy locked somewhere far, far away. I promise," the half-demon offered.
Starfire just looked at her, placed a soft hand on her shoulder, and said "Thank X'hal for you."
They both ended up laughing, and of course, the empath had hers under control. The golden-skinned warrior continued her giggling until it died down. She then closed her eyes, a peaceful smile on her face.
"I truly thank you, Raven. You are an amazing friend," the alien spoke softly, opening her eyes to look at her team mate's. "You have done so much for me. I can never thank you enough."
Raven returned the smile and gave Starfire's hand a squeeze. "Don't mention it."
The red-head merely nodded, closing her eyes again.
"Koriand'r..." Raven began, unsure and maybe even afraid of the reaction her friend might muster.
"Yes?" she responded calmly.
"You're still hurting."
The dark beauty knew it wasn't exactly the best time, but she had to confront Starfire on the topic. She knew that she was trying to cover up her sadness with distractions. She knew she was forcing herself to forget. She knew she couldn't.
Raven is able to feel the heavy weight on her chest, now added onto her own, and she feels terrible that her friend finds it hard to breathe.
After a few minutes of dead silence, Kori broke it.
"Yes, I am. And I know that it is wrong that I am trying to forget. I know that memories are what make me who I am, but this, I cannot help. But Raven, please promise you will let me solve this conflict on my own."
"I won't make any. I don't think I can keep them."
The princess gave Raven one last nod and smile before standing up on her feet and walking to the door.
"I do not blame you."
Even she was surprised at her own calm.
Maybe it was that she understood where her polar opposite was coming from. Plus, she did not want to flip out, not again.
"What's up, Star?" she heard the team leader's voice call from the Ops room as she exited the bedroom. She followed it with a smile.
You guys have no idea how sorry I am! First, I don't update in nearly five months and then I update with this! I would have made it longer, but I was very excited to finally post it. I would like to thank all of you for following this story, favoriting this story, reviewing this story (especially you, Jasmine-.-Momo-chan), and just reading this story in general! I greatly appreciate all of you guys. I'm also not exactly proud of this chapter, but at least I updated I guess. Thank you guys again!
