(A/N)- 2019 baby! Let's get this year rolling!
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
RobStar Week 2019, Day 1 -Wayne Manor
Dick rubbed his eyes blearily as he wandered down the carpeted halls. Early morning sunlight was just beginning to filter in through the tall, curtain-lined windows. He drifted down the large central staircase, one hand sliding idly on the wooden rail, heading for the kitchen.
The faint fragrance of breakfast was already wafting through the manor. Fresh toast, frying bacon, probably eggs and hashbrowns too. And he thought he could detect a faint sugary whiff of Alfred's famous citrus scones.
The smell stirred hunger in the pit of his stomach. Dick yawned, stretching his arms over his head, walking resolutely for the slant of yellow light from the kitchen spilling into the hallway.
His steps slowed a moment. His eyes wrinkled, puzzled. Alfred's voice was coming from the doorway, conversing lightly with someone. The other person was younger-sounding, their voice soft and lilting. And... familiar.
In confusion he crept the last few paces to the door, rounding it and stepping inside the kitchen.
He froze, his eyes widening.
Alfred glanced up from where he was elbow deep in dough, white powder coating his arms. And sitting on a wooden stool by the counter watching, as though it was perfectly natural for her to be there, was Starfire, whose expression brightened when she saw him.
His mouth dropped open. "Star!" he exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise and delight.
She giggled, popping off the stool and beelining to him. Their arms wrapped around each other's, the firm squeezing pressure of her embrace assuring him that yes, this was real, this wasn't a dream.
She was really there.
Starfire drew back, beaming from cheek to cheek. "Surprised?" she said.
Dick stumbled over his words, befuddled. "I... how... when..." He shook his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked, gazing at her in wonder.
"Last night, when you called, you expressed the feelings of loneliness," she explained, clasping her hands behind her back. "I determined that I would come see you."
"So you..." He remembered the conversation; it had taken place shortly before he'd turned in for the night. He gaped at her. "Did you fly all the way here from Jump? In five hours?"
"Robin, I am capable of faster than light travel on my own power," she reminded him, her tone slightly weary.
"Star, that's not the point," he said in a rush, on the tail end of her sentence. "I just..." He shook his head again, then waved off his confusion and grinned broadly. "I can't believe you're here, it's so good to see you!" he cried, lunging forward and wrapping her up again. His arms clenched tighter around her, her familiar smell and the soft feel of her warm skin sinking into him. "I missed you," he whispered reverently.
She threaded her fingers through his hair, murmuring into his ear. "I know. That is why I came."
He held her a moment or two longer, lingering in the embrace. "When did you get in?" he asked when he finally pulled back.
It was Alfred who answered. "She arrived at about six o'clock this morning," he reported crisply, plopping a glob of dough onto a cutting board. "I was just freshening up the gallery when she knocked."
Starfire brightened at the memory. "Oh! Robin, there are such beautiful paintings in there! You never told me the Batman was interested in fine art."
"He's not, not really." Dick rubbed his neck as he followed Starfire back to the kitchen counter, taking a stool next to hers. "I think most of them are family heirlooms, actually."
"Indeed," Alfred confirmed, starting to separate the dough into smaller segments. "The Valencio you were admiring in the foyer is nearly two hundred years old," he told the girl, a small, proud smile coming to his face. Dick could tell he was delighted at finally having an attentive audience for his stories.
"Fascinating!" Starfire gasped. She turned back to him. "Robin? Would it be too much to ask for a tour once we have finished our meal?"
Dick looked in turn to Alfred. "Would that be okay?"
Alfred's expression was unflappable, his concentration firmly on his work as he replied, "You would have to ask Master Bruce's permission first. But I would certainly not be opposed." He leaned back with a smile. "Miss Starfire, if you would please, fetch me the milk and two oranges from the refrigerator."
She rushed eagerly to oblige, fetching the items shortly.
The three of them chatted while the scones baked, plating the bacon and hashbrowns and cutting up chunks of ruby red grapefruit. Dick poured Starfire a tall glass of orange juice and was getting one for himself when Bruce wandered in, mussy-haired and yawning.
"Mornin' Alfred," he mumbled, going straight for the coffee maker on the other side of the kitchen.
"Master Bruce," Alfred said, stepping back to assume a clipped, formal posture. "Breakfast will be on in eight minutes. Will you be eating here or in the dining hall?"
"Here's fine," the man replied absently, shaking out the coffee grounds. He didn't seem fully awake yet, at least, not enough to have noticed Starfire's presence.
When a long minute passed with Bruce's attention firmly on his brewing coffee, Alfred cleared his throat.
"Sir? We have a guest this morning," he pointed out, a bit stiffly.
"What?" Bruce blurted, finally turning around.
Dick chuckled and Starfire waved politely from her seat on the stool.
Bruce blinked several times, smearing a hand under his eye and finally acknowledging the alien princess.
"Starfire... right?" he asked.
"Yes sir."
He payed a squinted-eyed look at Dick. "What's she doing here?"
Dick crossed his arms a little smugly. "She flew in to see me," he answered.
Bruce processed that, reaching for his freshly-brewed cup and stirring the contents with a spoon. "Overnight?" he said, incredulous.
Starfire smiled and nodded. "Mm-hmm!" she confirmed. Remembering something she straightened. "Oh! And I have almost forgotten!" She reached down for something by the feet of the stool, pulling up a crinkling brown bag with a red and green logo emblazoned on the side. "I stopped by your favorite downtown bakery to get you some of the cinnamon-covered breadsticks you enjoy so much, Robin," she said. Her eyes turned worried as she checked with Bruce. "I hope it is okay that I am here. I do not wish to be a bother, k'norkfa Batman, but Robin told me he was feeling very homesick and..." She trailed off, blushing lightly. "...that he wished he could see me."
There was a moment or two when Dick didn't know how Bruce was going to respond. The man's face was blank, frozen for a minute with some undefinable expression as he watched Starfire pass over the breakfast treats.
Then he pointed his spoon at her, his face cracking a smile.
"She's a keeper, Dick," he told the boy.
Tension he hadn't realized he was holding seeped out, Dick putting a hand around her waist proudly. "Thanks," he said, grinning a little. "I think so too," he quipped.
Starfire giggled at the praise, floating an inch or two off her stool. She reached into the bag and broke off a piece of breadstick, holding it out towards Alfred and Bruce.
"Would you like any?" she asked.
"Thank you, I believe I would," Alfred said, plucking the piece from her hand.
Plates clinked and silverware rattled as the four of them settled down to eat, and Dick didn't take his hand from Starfire's the whole time.
