(A/N)- Aaaaand here I am again, fresh back from my weeklong cruise around the Caribbean. With a SERIOUS chapter this time. (shrugs) I was overdue for some Rob/Star angst.

This hearkens back to my chapter "Worry". Feel free to go back and read that if you wish. Rated T.

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, this would be canon. Because Robin and Starfire could always use more moments showing off the SERIOUS side of their relationship.

Weakness

Robin stumbled into the front hallway of the Tower, leaning weakly on his bo staff for support, hand clutched tightly against his left side, beneath which, even against the red of his shirt, an even darker patch of red was spreading. He grit his teeth tightly, cringing. Through dizzied, hazy, pain-filled vision he looked up towards the end of the hall where the elevator was.

In his current state it looked eons away.

He shook his head, trying to clear the dizziness. He could make it. He had to. He had to reach the medical bay and patch himself up before checking in with Starfire. She couldn't see him like this. He couldn't let her. She would freak out. She would become hysterical and anxious and afraid for him.

He didn't want her to be afraid for him. She shouldn't have to be. Someone like Starfire should never have to feel fear or pain or grief. She should be always happy and smiling, without a care in the world.

He needed her happy and smiling.

His teeth clenched even more. His grasp tightened firmly on his staff. He lifted his foot and took a single tentative, ginger step forward. It hurt like heck and he swayed a little uneasily for a moment, before taking another step, more to steady himself than to make any progress towards the door. The pain in his side subsided. He paused and took in a deep breath. He let it out slowly as he looked back up towards the far end of the hall. The elevator door stood mocking him in the distance. He glared at it before summoning his strength and moving a few paces down the hall.

The pain flared up, his head swum, and he stopped again.

He repeated this process several times. Plant bo staff a foot or so in front. Step forward with the right foot. Step forward quickly with the left before the right starts hurting. Stop and breathe and wait for the dizziness to die down. He lost count of how many times it was taking him. Slowly, slowly, he inched closer and closer to the elevator, keeping a firm hand on his staff and making sure not to put too much weight on his right foot. Aside from the nasty slice in his abdomen, he had also managed to twist his ankle.

He was still cursing himself for that and wondering how exactly that had happened.

As he gradually made progress crossing the room, his mind wandered. He wondered how he was going to hide this from Starfire when he returned to the common room to say goodnight and escort her back to her room. It wasn't like you could disguise the fact that you couldn't walk properly because your ankle was twisted and your head kept spinning like it was on a merry-go-round. He stopped abruptly, eyes widening at a sudden scenario that was all too likely.

Oh crud, what if she hugs me?

He didn't think he could take one of Starfire's characteristic bone-crushing hugs in his condition.

His head rolled down towards the floor and hung limply as he stared at the carpet.

Maybe he could play it off. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to ask her to ease up on her affection because he was being crushed and couldn't breathe.

He'd have to, he decided. He roused himself and continued his slow limping towards the door. He'd figure it out later. As for the other Titans, it wouldn't be too hard to keep this from them. Raven would be suspicious, no doubt, but she wouldn't pry. Cyborg and Beast Boy wouldn't bat an eyelash at him becoming reclusive for a few days. But Starfire would know something was up, and immediately start worrying about him like she always did and he didn't know if he could-

Stop thinking about it, he scolded himself. Focus. Right now all that matters is getting to the infirmary. He settled his gaze on his feet and concentrated on their movement for a few steps. Counting the steady thump of his staff against the floor kept his mind occupied. Three… four… five… He lifted his head again and his heart leapt to see that the elevator was just a few paces away now. He quickened his movements and covered the short distance. In his haste he tripped on the last step and nearly fell into the wall. His hand left his side and braced against the cool metal and he managed to right himself. He stayed there breathing a minute before shifting his weight onto his staff and punching the button that would open the door. It swished open and he staggered in. As the door closed behind him he let out a sigh of relief.

Made it.

The elevator lurched and Robin lost his balance and fell back, banging his head on the wall with a sickening crack! He dropped his bo staff as he landed painfully on his rear. His vision filled with funny black spots. The elevator rushed upwards towards its destination, filling the insides of his ears with wind and making his stomach drop out. He held a hand on the back of his head, dazed. The blood pounded behind his eyes. The spot that he'd hit pulsed with sharp knife-like stabs. He nearly blacked out.

It took a while for the spots to fade and his vision to clear. When it finally did he glanced up and was surprised to see that the elevator door was open. He stared at the opening uncomprehendingly for a moment before realizing the elevator must have reached his floor already. He shifted to get his legs underneath him and then rose shakily to his feet, picking up his dropped staff. He wobbled uncertainly for a few terrifying seconds before regaining some semblance of balance and striking out again, once again using his staff as a crutch.

A few steps into the hallway a wave of dizziness overcame him. Robin tried his hardest to remain upright but his inner ear refused to stabilize. The staff fell from his hand. The room rocked chaotically. He pitched forward.

The last thing he saw was the floor rushing upwards towards him.

-TT-

Starfire sat quietly slumped against the plush cushions of the couch, her hands lying softly in her lap. A soft, dull thud! met her ears and she immediately straightened up and looked over the back of the couch.

"Robin?" she called.

Had he returned? It seemed a little early. She stood and curiously approached the door, hands held to her chest in a child-like manner. There had been no response to her query and that was beginning to unnerve her.

"Robin?" she called again, slightly louder.

When there was still no answer, she covered the remaining distance to the door, which swished open automatically. She stepped out into the hall. Her eyes danced uncertainly around the dim corridor, searching the darkness. She took a few more steps then stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted a crumpled form lying on the floor in front of her. She gasped.

"Robin!" she cried, and descended upon him in an instant. He stirred and groaned at her touch, his face grimacing in obvious pain. Her hands floated around him, unsure of what to grab for fear of causing him hurt. "What has happened?" she asked. Her frightened wide eyes searched him up and down looking for the source of his distress. She spotted the darker patch of red at the bottom left of his tunic. "Oh!" she wailed. "You are injured!"

Robin silently berated himself for his collapse, all his desperate plans for hiding this from her dissipating into the wind. "It's not bad." he lied, even as a sharp pang from his side caused him to clench his teeth.

Who was he kidding? Of course it was bad. Through the black haze that still pressed down on his consciousness, threatening to snatch it away from him, his stubborn heroic side insisted he could handle it.

His human side merely replied by lifting the fog and reminding him exactly what kind of mess he was in.

That did it. His heroic side grudgingly relented and allowed Starfire to gently tug him up. She hadn't heard him, apparently, for she grasped his arm and slung it over her shoulder, her other hand going to his chest to steady him. "We must get you to the infirmary." she mumbled softly. Very carefully, biting her lip in concentration and watching her friend's face closely, she straightened, lifting them both to their feet. She maneuvered them around towards the elevator. His face registered confusion and she turned her gaze towards him worriedly. Did he not remember the hospital wing was not on this floor? She clung tightly to him with the arm around his shoulders as her free hand pushed the button to send them mid-Tower where the med bay was. He leaned weakly against her as they descended. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck; feel the shudders that went through him with every inhale and exhale. She cast an anxious glance at the wound in his side. It didn't look like it was bleeding anymore but it was still pretty deep and it obviously hurt. She was glad it wasn't fatal but she'd need a closer look at it once they got to the infirmary before she'd allow herself to relax. They reached the floor and she put her hand on Robin's chest again, feeling the steady beat beneath her fingers. Slowly they stepped out into the hallway and made their way to the infirmary.

His breath came in a sudden harsh hiss through his teeth and for an instant her heart stopped. Her wide eyes darted towards their feet, noticing that Robin's right ankle was tilted at a funny angle.

"Are you…?" She couldn't finish.

He shook his head. "No, I'm… just… just keep going." he told her, barely able to lift his eyes towards her.

She wondered briefly if she should try flying the rest of the way but the possibility of hurting him further and her current lack of unbridled joy put it out of mind. She merely gripped him tighter and continued on.

Agonizing seconds later, they were both in the medical bay. Starfire brought him over to a bed and he gratefully slumped down onto it. He leaned back on his hands and stared up at the ceiling as Starfire's soft strong arms hesitantly left him.

Reassured for the moment that he was 'the okay', Starfire headed off towards the cabinets. As she set about gathering antiseptic and bandages Robin wearily tugged off his gloves.

He shouldn't have to be here. He should have seen the third thug coming, should have caught the glint of the knife in his clenched fist. That one moment of distraction caught him off guard. He'd already had his hands full with the other two and by the time he'd seen the strike coming, it was already too late.

He sighed and reached around behind him, tugging off his tunic and the green shirt underneath.

And then on top of that he'd landed the wrong way on his ankle and twisted it.

How could I be so stupid?!

He yanked his uniform off a little too forcefully and flinched at the sharp stab in his side. Starfire turned at his soft grunt, and cringed as she saw the crimson red line running from just below his waistline almost to his hip. As Robin slowly lowered his arms with a heavy exhale and set the bloodied garments to the side, she hurried over with the supplies neatly laid out on a medical cart.

Robin's face reddened as she came towards him with a handful of antiseptic-soaked cotton balls and he shifted weakly away in protest.

No. He didn't want her to do that. He was Robin, the Boy Wonder. He wasn't weak. He could handle giving himself a little first aid. He pushed her hands away.

She grabbed hold of his wrist to stop him. "Please be still," she begged, "so I may-"

He wrenched his wrist from her grasp. "I'm fine." he snapped. "I can do this myself."

Starfire frowned, stepping back with the cotton balls still clutched tightly in her fist. "You are not fine." she contended hotly. Her gaze softened as she looked over his injury again.

It is most unpleasant. I wonder if it has caused any damage to his organs…

"Perhaps I should get Raven." she murmured aloud.

Robin's stubborn and willful pride reared its ugly head. "I can handle it!" he insisted loudly, reaching out for the cotton balls in her hand.

She placed them on the cart, out of his reach, whirled back around, and did something completely unexpected.

She slapped him.

Not very hard, granted, and with only the very tips of her fingers. It still stung and Robin's hand shot to the place where she'd made contact, his jaw dropping, staring at the irate Tamaranian princess in shock.

"Do not give me that!" Starfire growled, her eyes flashing angrily. "You are injured! And if you do not allow me to assist you, I am going to get Raven!" She turned and began to stalk towards the door.

His shock turned to panic. "Wait!" he cried. Her head snapped towards him. "Star…" he called plaintively. "…please…" he pleaded, his desperate eyes begging her not to leave, not to tell the others. "…please… I…" He trailed off weakly, looking at her in hopelessness.

Her hard glare lost its edge. The tension in her shoulders faded. Her hands drifted upwards and curled into loose fists against her heart. Concern filled her emerald eyes. She stepped over to him and gently touched her palm to his cheek.

"Robin…" she said softly, caressing his skin lightly with her fingertips. "Why did you not call for aid?" she whispered, the hurt in her voice stabbing into him worse than the crook's knife had. He dropped his gaze, hanging his head in shame. The heat crept across his cheeks as he looked down at his toes.

"I didn't… want you to know…" he murmured. "I…" He glanced up and then down again, still unable to meet her gaze. His mouth kept going. His voice dropped lower, barely above a whisper. "…wanted to be strong for you." His mind panicked at the admission, but the rest of him felt strangely relieved to have said it.

Starfire continued to brush against his cheek. "On Tamaran," she told him, "it is the mark of a true warrior not only to show great strength in battle, but also to acknowledge when he is not strong, to admit his weakness … and to allow others to be his strength for him."

"Yeah." he acknowledged. His hand drifted up to rest lightly on her wrist. "You're right. I just…"

He raised his eyes to meet her gaze at last.

"I didn't want you to be afraid for me." he said.

She sighed.

"Robin…" she said, slight undercurrent of exasperation in her tone. Her expression turned somber.

"I have already seen you at your weakest." she said quietly. Her fingers crept behind his ear as she cupped the edge of his jaw. Her gaze became unfocused and distant, reminiscing. "The night that Slade's dust infiltrated your mind, and you saw things that were not there, after you collapsed into my arms… I was the one who carried you back here."

He shouldn't have been surprised at that, but he was. Somehow it had just never occurred to him how he'd made it back up to the infirmary from the basement that night. He'd assumed someone had carried him but still…

Starfire's gaze focusing back on him brought an end to his musing. Her glassy green pools were deep with sorrow. "And I was afraid for you." she admitted. "But Robin…"

Her lips pressed together.

"I care very much for you." she mumbled. "And no amount of fear could keep me from your side when you have the need of help."

No amount of fear…

He could feel his cheeks warming against her palm, even as his insides gave a dizzy leap. His heart thudded for a reason that was entirely unrelated to his current physical condition. His hand moved higher. He placed it over hers and let himself be lost in the green depths of Starfire's eyes.

"Star…" he breathed. He didn't know what else to say. He pulled her hand down from his face so he could hold it properly, squeezing her slender orange fingers in his. For a minute or so he caressed her delicate digits between his knuckles.

"What would I do without you?" he finally wondered aloud, and though she couldn't see it, his eyes were shining at her behind his mask.

"Suffer silently through your pain like a stubborn boy." she replied, her face contorted into a stern frown but the glint in her eyes giving away her mirth.

He chuckled.

"Probably." he agreed.

She smiled and leaned in to plant a gentle peck on his cheek. "Now," she said, eyes sparkling, "will you allow me to assist you?"

He nodded.

She gave his hand a final affectionate clasp, then picked up the bandages from the cart.

-TT-

Starfire worked in silence, with only an occasional inquiry as to his condition. He responded with brief murmured reassurances. She didn't ask him how he'd gotten stabbed, but eventually he found himself telling her anyway, relaying the details of the fight, the injury, and his long walk home. The anecdote was punctuated with a few phrases beating up on himself to which Starfire quickly objected and turned into encouragement. (Except for the part where he berated himself for trying to limp five miles back to the Tower with a knife wound in his side, which she forcefully agreed had been stupid of him.) Finally the wound was cleaned and bandaged. Starfire stood to her feet from where she's been kneeling on the floor and began to pack away the first aid supplies.

She cast an anxious glance at him as she finished putting things away. "Will you be okay?" she asked.

"Think so." he said, leaning back on his hands again. "I'll stay here for the night though." he told her. "Don't feel much like limping back to my room." Actually Starfire was probably more than willing to carry him but Robin thought he'd put her through enough tonight. He was relieved when she made a noise of acceptance and didn't protest his decision.

"You will need to 'take it easy' for the while." she admonished, gently shoving away the cart.

"I know."

Man, he hated that. It made him feel so useless, having to sit out and recover while the rest of the Titans fought without him. But he was human, and he was going to need to learn to deal with that before his reckless heroics got him killed.

He stared off into space, thinking about what Starfire had said, that a true warrior found strength from others in the midst of his own weakness. His gaze drifted over to her, to the shape of her figure and the way her red hair cascaded down her back. He felt the tickle of uneasy and unmistakable nervous heat rising up his spine and sneaking across his face.

He drew the most strength from her, he realized. She was the one he looked to the most often when he was in over his head and needed help. She had saved him from his obsessions, from the apprenticeship, from countless other darknesses including even his own mind. In his darkest moments, she had always played a key role in bringing him through.

And tonight…

She had been the one he leaned on when he couldn't stand on his own.

She's like my angel or something, he thought. I don't have to be superhuman around her.

A warm smile touched his lips.

Guess that's why I'm in love with her.

"Starfire?"

She faced him, eyes anxious, expression uncertain.

He touched her elbow softly. "Thanks." He reached around her and took her by the waist, and pulled her into him for a hug. She melted against him. Her arms draped around his bare shoulders. A few strands of her hair fell forward to tickle his skin. He buried his face in her neck and felt her heart beat against his. He held her like this for as long as he dared-breathing her scent, feeling her cool skin beneath his arms-before gently letting her go.

"You are welcome." Starfire said, quietly glowing with relief. She spun around and drifted out of the room, floating a few inches above the floor. She paused at the door and called back to him, "Good night Robin."

"'night, Star."

She glided out the doorway. He sighed and stretched himself out onto the bed, still mad at himself for getting hurt, but grateful to have her as his source of strength in weakness.

(A/N)- I really really... like insanely wrestled with myself on whether or not to put a kiss at the end there. My inner Rob/Star shipper was all like, "OHMYGOSH IT'S SO SWEET!" and my writer's side was like, "Must... resist..." Settled for a hug (with gratituous shirtless Robin), and decided to write another one later following up on this mini-arc and having them kiss THEN. So... there ya go fellow shippers, something to look forward to from me.

Dude... has anyone else noticed like how in practicaly all my angtsy serious stories Robin gets hurt? First I dropped a rock on him. Then I took him through his brutal beating in Haunted. Then I had Slade smack him around the Haunt and half-strangle him. And now this. (shakes head) I'm just MEAN to that kid aren't I?