Author's Note: I've been toying with the idea of exploring some of the thoughts and conversations between the Titans, particularly my OTP, during and after episodes. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or anything affiliated with DC Comics.

1. Go

A young man with spiked ebony hair cracked his knuckles as he studied a man rounding his way toward an alleyway. Time to make an impression, he thought as he jumped to the pavement below. I can handle being on my own, no problem. The burglar inched backward against a building in the alleyway, holding up his hands in protest, "I don't want trouble, okay?"

The masked hero stealthily approached, clearly unimpressed and undeterred. "You should've thought of that before you committed the crime." He sprinted forward, lunged, and provided a swift kick to the man dressed in gray, who then fell back a few yards.

The man stood to confront the masked hero, running to offer several punches. Each attempt was blocked by the young, masked crusader. The two engaged in a brief scuffle until the burglar fell, and the teen threw him into a wall.

"Hey," the burglar heaved, slumped against crumpled brick. "This isn't your town! Aren't you supposed to be with-?"

"Just moved here. And from now on, I work alone."

Before either party could make another move, a deafening boom and flash of bright green cascaded overhead. An explosion blocks away echoed through the streets surrounding them. The burglar smirked, considering this would be his moment to jump back up and flee, but the caped teen turned his attention back his way before he could disappear. His masked eyes narrowed, regarding the thief.

Robin could hear yelling, but what was being shouted he couldn't quite determine. Great, an alien, he grunted as he got closer to the crash site, Welcome to Jump City. We hope you're cool with the Justice League coming in to clean up this mess for you before you really get started.

A ruby-haired woman was swinging her arms into the column of a pizza-shaped balcony. As she swung, she hissed, "Zop! Yark! Mesnef!" She was wearing a black-and-metal armored outfit. It looked as though she had some sort of metal frame setting her face, though Robin couldn't figure out what that was. He studied the environment quickly but carefully, noting the bystanders atop the pizza-shaped balcony losing their balance with each swing the orange-skinned alien took.

One shot, he pulled a birdarang from his belt as she paused to take a deep breath. She raised her arms to make another strike, but before she could land another blow, the weapon hit her squarely in the side of her crown, knocking her over. Her eyes glowed more in rage and confusion.

"Who are you?" Robin questioned from down the block as she glared at him. Even as far as he was from her, there was no mistaking the growl she was emitting.

Several weeks later, Robin sat atop the freshly built Tower, gazing at the orange and pink hues painting the sky as the sun began to descend below the sea. He breathed in the fresh ocean air, trying to piece together all that had happened since he left Gotham. It wasn't long after Cyborg suggested someone build a home on the tiny island before the band of heroes began the building process. After the cybernetic teen and the boy wonder created the communicators, they began plotting. Admittedly, Robin had been hesitant on teaming up more than once, but as he spent more time in the city, the other four were showing up to crime scenes too. They were not planning on leaving, and Robin did not mind having more than the occasional rendezvous with a certain emerald-eyed alien.

Cyborg had grabbed pizza with Robin and brought it back to his place on the east side of town late one evening after they had teamed up to take down a villain they began calling "Cinderblock." The apartments in the area were aged, but well-taken care of. There were two bedrooms: Cyborg's and his parents'. A tiny kitchen sat adjacent to the family room, which connected to a small hallway housing the bedrooms. Cyborg had offered Raven and Starfire his parents' room until the group could find a more permanent solution, which worked while his dad was abroad working on experiments. Beast Boy and Robin were offered the space in the family room to sleep. The rest of the team had gone to the movie theater, leaving Cyborg and Robin to plan for the future of the ragamuffin team.

Robin learned that night that Cyborg was basically alone. His mom passed away in the same accident at STAR Labs that made him a half-robot. Robin recalled reading about it in a national newspaper. His father was able to save him, but Cyborg wrestled with feeling gratitude toward the man he blamed for the incident. He was glad to be alive, but he missed his mom and he missed being human. At least, he missed what he believed being human meant. "He turned me into this to keep me alive, but it was too late for her. It was a week before my seventeenth birthday… I never finished high school. I haven't seen much of Dad since. He threw himself into work, but I occasionally see him on the weekends."

Robin wiped the pizza grease from his mouth with a crumpled napkin, and took a swig of coke. "I'm sorry to hear that," he paused, "my parents aren't around anymore, either." He was careful not to disclose too much; he had several identities to look out for. Robin briefly considered how Cyborg would never have a chance to share the same concerns; his accident was widely publicized. Victor Stone, or Cyborg as he would be referred to, would be hard to mistake with his built-in armor. His father was one of the most well-renowned scientists in the country, if not the world.

"Is that why the ol' Bat took you in?"

"Yes," Robin grimaced, not wanting to spend too much time talking about his old mentor.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Cyborg offered, "but I appreciate you sharing that much."

"Thanks, man," Robin grabbed another slice of pepperoni and bacon pizza, "and same to you."

"So what do you think about making the team a little bit more permanent?"

Robin swallowed hard, "Honestly, I was kind of hoping on going solo for awhile, but I've really enjoyed working together with everyone."

Cyborg smiled, "Including a certain red head…?"

Robin felt his cheeks flare up, "Uh…"

"Look, man," Cyborg chuckled, "I'm just teasing… mostly. Seriously, though. If you like her, you should really let her know."

"Wouldn't matter," Robin straightened and his tone became more guarded. "Even if there were feelings between us – and it is too soon to know – it would be too risky."

"Right," Cyborg smirked, "but I'm sure you wouldn't mind if she gave you another kiss."

Robin's cheeks somehow flushed a deeper crimson. "I… I, uh, don't even know if that was a kiss," he confessed. "She's not from here. I'm not sure if I completely have it pieced together, but she wasn't speaking our language before, and after the kiss –"

"Hold up," Cyborg interrupted, with an amused look playing across his features. "You think she somehow learned English from giving you a kiss?"

Robin shrugged, embarrassed. He knew it sounded absurd, but he wasn't sure how else to explain her sudden ability to communicate with them.

Cyborg squinted and shrugged, "Well, I guess I've heard of stranger things. Still, that doesn't change what that kiss meant for you."

Robin looked down at the rest of the pizza. He had replayed the moment several times since it occurred. He would recall the tingle he felt up and down his spine from her lips forcefully pressed against his. It felt soft, tender even, but not without desperation. It was like she needed to kiss him. He couldn't understand why. It happened so quickly and ended just as suddenly. As quickly as it began, she pushed him aside like last week's garbage.

"Regardless," Cyborg sighed, "if we're going to make the team permanent, I guess we'll need some funding." His mechanical shoulders sagged.

Robin put a hand to his chin, deep in thought, "Actually, I think I know where we can get some financial support, but we'll have to make a rock-solid argument."

Cyborg's human eye gleamed, "So the Bat has money?"

Robin's masked eyes narrowed as a drop of sweat ran down the back of his neck, "Uh, I can't exactly disclose that information, but let's just say he has connections. We might be able to coax him into an investment of sorts. Like I said, we'll have to make the case rock-solid, especially since I made a big deal about making it on my own."

"You think Batman will respect you for asking for money after all of that?" Cyborg questioned amicably.

Robin shrugged nonchalantly, considering his brooding mentor. "We ended things pretty brashly. It will be difficult for me to ask for it, but that's more evidence that I believe in what our team has." He paused, considering his next words, "It's an opportunity to prove myself, and it will provide him an opportunity to have a part in my life. That wasn't really on the table when I left."

Cyborg shrugged, "Well if you're able to secure funding, I might be able to talk my dad into working up some designs." If Robin could swallow his pride enough to ask for money from the Batman, Cyborg figured he could make an attempt with his dad, strained as their relationship was.

"Please," a sweet voice interrupted his memories, "do you wish to be alone?"

Robin glanced behind him at the alien who had been tormenting his thoughts from the moment they met. He scratched the back of his head, "Not at all; please, have a seat." The sun had settled just below the surface as twilight began to settle in.

"You were deep within your thoughts?" Starfire questioned, taking a leisurely seat next to him on the concrete roof.

"Just reflecting a little bit," Robin dismissed casually. "How are you liking your new room?"

"Oh, it is most comfortable," Starfire sighed contentedly, though wondering how much she should share with her newfound friend. "It is nice having a room to myself. Raven is nice, but…" Her voice trailed. She wanted to say something nice about Raven, but the girl kept so much to herself. She was certainly kind, like the others, but Starfire was having a hard time breaching past her fastidious demeanor. She felt like she couldn't quite say the right thing. She wanted very much to have another female with whom she could confide in, much like she had hoped for her relationship with her older sister. It seemed, at least for now, that dream would not be coming true in either case. "I suppose she prefers keeping to herself."

Robin nodded, understanding what she meant. He hardly knew any of the other Titans, but there were certain quirks about each of them: Cyborg was competitive; Beast Boy always made ill-time jokes; Raven kept to herself; and Starfire, somehow, could see the good in just about anyone.

They observed the changing color of the sky together, each trying to find the words to fill the silence, yet feeling oddly comfortable in the silence. "Your planet is most beautiful," Starfire finally uttered.

Robin turned to her, rest one of his palms behind him and leaning back, "I'm glad you like it here, and I'm glad you chose to stay."

Both teens' cheeks turned a shade of red until Starfire said, "Your people are most strange. There is… badness on your planet, but there is also such a strange kindness. I am not accustomed to such niceness."

Robin considered her words carefully. There certainly was badness, as she put it, on Earth; his own past reflected that. "You come from a warrior people," he finally guessed, hoping to press more information about her without being too forward. If he was going to lead this band of heroes, he needed to gain as much information about them as possible, he reasoned. How else would he be able to lead them well?

"How did you know?"

"Lucky guess?" Robin scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Starfire considered him carefully, "I believe I told you, only my k'norfka, Galfore, has shown me such kindness on my world."

"Is your k'norfka kind of like a parent?" Robin questioned, uncertain if he completely grasped her meaning. He made a mental note to at least attempt to learn her language at some point.

Starfire's eyes turned sad for a moment, "Not exactly, though similar. He cared for me as a parent, but I believe the most similar term to get across what he was to me on your world would be a caregiver or a nanny?"

Robin cocked his head, attempting to piece together what the societal makeup of her world must have been like in order for her to require a nanny. "Your parents a bit too preoccupied?"

Starfire winced, knowing her new friend did not mean damage by his word choice. "You could say that," she whispered, "but I am afraid they are no more regardless."

Robin's eyes widened, realizing he had crossed a line, "Whoa, Starfire, I'm sorry. I've lost my parents, too; I didn't mean to—"

"It is most fine, and I am most sorry for our shared loss," Starfire smiled softly at him. She believed, in spite of her training on Tamaran to not trust strangers, that Robin was somehow worthy of trust. He had come to her aid when she needed it most, without really knowing her, or all that she had gone through. "I do wish you to know this about me, Robin, but I do not know if I am quite ready for the rest of our friends to find this out. It is riddle with quite the, uh, complications."

Robin arched a brow, "Starfire, anything you say to me, I'm sure you can say to our friends as well—"

"No," Starfire shook her head. "There is much I have learned about your world in the past few weeks, what I have found out is that royalty is of a sensitive topic, at least among the people of your particular nation."

Robin's masked eyes widened, "Uh, er, uh… royalty?" He internally kicked himself. Way to go, Boy Wonder. Super intelligent.

Starfire giggled nervously, "I am, uh, second in line for the throne in Tamaran." Robin paled, mind racing to remember everything he had learned about the alien princess so far. Before he could say anything, Starfire added, "Please, you will not tell the others?"

Robin swallowed, feeling honored and slightly embarrassed she had trusted him with such a private piece of information. Still, he supposed she probably felt she had to tell him; the team had voted to make him the leader of the group due to his successful charge against the Gordanians. Cyborg seemed to be okay with the decision, and to settled with being second-in-command well. It wasn't without a few hiccups, though, with him being the oldest of the group and former captain of the football team. They were both natural-born leaders, and there ended up being a bit of conflict that occasionally arose.

As Robin reflected on it, he realized it was probably for the best Starfire informed him of her royal status; if he was supposed to lead the team well, he would have to know each of them well. Furtively he knew he had ulterior interests in knowing her better. "Of course not," he swore, "it isn't my place to tell them, anyway." He secretly wondered what her royal status would mean for the long-term status of their burgeoning team, but decided he shouldn't press her on the issue just yet.

As if reading his mind, Starfire interjected, "My sister is most likely to take the throne next, but I would defer my position to my younger brother, if the need should ever arise." Starfire wasn't sure if she should tell Robin her suspicions of her sister's betrayal of their family, or that her brother was missing-in-action. She particularly did not wish to tell him of the possibility of her being traded in marriage for peace on her world.

Truthfully, she was amazed with herself for sharing as much as she had. She could not quite place her finger on it, but Starfire felt almost as if she were connected to Robin. She certainly felt inclined toward him, in a way, though she could not explain why. She was not sure if it was because he was the first human she made lip contact with for the transfer of knowledge, his kindness toward her when they first met, or if there was something deeper that she did not quite understand. Regardless of the reason, she felt as if she could trust him. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but one she wanted to explore to its fullest extent.

Robin drew his knees close to his chest, "Sounds like you've got quite the back story."

Starfire mimicked his movements. He didn't even know the half of it. "It sounds like you do as well. I heard you and Cyborg discussing the Man of Bats?"

"Batman," Robin corrected with a kind smile. "He took me in after my parents passed away."

"Oh," Starfire shared a small, sad smile with the Boy Wonder, "I am sorry for you. It was most kind of him to be as a k'norfka to you."

"It was," Robin hated to confess it. "I would never tell him this, but Batman has been a great mentor."

"Please," Starfire pressed cautiously, "may I know why it is that you have left him?"

Robin grimaced, looking away from her. He probably should have anticipated she would have wanted to know the details behind his sudden appearance in Jump City. "I guess you could say it was time for me to leave the nest."

Starfire fixed her gaze on him carefully, "I see." She wanted to know more, to ask him more about his life, but could not find the words to say. She was certain she should not press him too much.

A cold breeze tickled the exposed parts of their skin. Robin shivered slightly, silently marveling at how Starfire was seemingly unfazed by the drop in temperature, given her choice in clothing. He did his best not to dwell on her appearance too much, though it was difficult; she was the most stunning creature he had ever come across.

"Robin?" Starfire questioned after a few moments of silence.

"Yes?" Robin refocused his gaze back on the tan alien girl.

"I am most grateful for your friendship."

Robin's face softened, "And I yours."

He wasn't sure what the future would hold, but one thing was certain: he was inclined toward this young woman, who was fiercely strong as she was kind. Truthfully, he would do anything for his ragtag team, but there was something about Starfire that felt special. He took a deep breath. We have time. You don't need to tell her your whole life story right off the bat. She's new here, so are you. Let the friendship develop naturally.

Author's Note: I always assumed, based on Betrothed that Robin actually knew Starfire was a princess. I could be wrong about that, but for the purposes of this story, that's how it's going to be. I'll probably be primarily focused on RobStar episodes and scenes, but I will still likely explore other conversations between Titans. Please let me know what you think so far.