Unexpected: X

Waiting for Starfire to show up was more nerve-wracking than taking an exam at the Hive Academy with the Headmaster stalking up and down the aisles.

Maybe showing up a half an hour early was a bad idea…

It wasn't like she was worried about being seen or getting arrested; for having pink hair Jinx could be incredibly hard to find in a crowd. Despite being well into the afternoon it was still summer, so the sun was still up and it was still pretty hot out. With her hair tied back in a loose bun and her Ray-Ban's hiding her eyes, she could have been any old scene kid chilling in the park.

Well, any old scene kid chilling in the park and checking her watch every five seconds. And tapping her foot impatiently. She'd really have to rein that in; it wouldn't do to have Starfire show up and see her tapping her foot like she wasn't perfectly content with waiting for her date to show up.

The word "date" brought a silly little grin to Jinx's face.

To think that just a few days ago she'd seen Starfire as just part of a whole (a very annoying crime-fighting goodie-two-shoes whole), never once stopping to look and realize how beautiful the other girl was. And not just beautiful; getting starbolt'd must have knocked a wire loose somewhere in her head, or rather re-connected it, because suddenly the notion that Starfire had been little more than a pretty face with a hard right hook seemed like utter blasphemy.

Starfire had quickly become one of the most interesting people Jinx knew. She was sweet, caring, kind, humble… and yet she was so brave, so strong. Yesterday was probably the first time the two had ever gotten a chance to speak civilly, with no plans, tricks, or ulterior motives, and Jinx couldn't wait to talk with her again. Starfire had certain intelligence, a certain refinement to her speech that most bubbly, happy valley girls didn't have.

Jinx checked her watch.

7:54. Okay. Six more minutes. She inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. An attempt to remain calm. I can do this.

Yester day she'd thanked her lucky stars that she'd been able to smoothly and successfully ask the other girl out for dinner; considering how she'd rambled in the minutes beforehand it had been quite the achievement. Hopefully Starfire didn't think she was an idiot, or that she had only agreed to this date because she was hoping to see Jinx struggle to form a coherent sentence.

While this was unlikely, there was always that chance…

She checked her watch again.

7:57. How has it only been three minutes? Oh god… alright, Jinx. Breathe. In and out. You can do this; you're the charmer here, not Starfire. Starfire's the sweetheart, she isn't supposed to get you all tongue-tied. Don't screw this up like you did yesterday.

Jinx cocked her head, curious.

But did I really screw up yesterday? I mean, even though I made a fool of myself she still agreed to go out with me. And I did to get to feel what it's like to be on top… if I hadn't been busy tripping over my tongue feeling her underneath me would have been a hell of a lot more distracting. Huh. Maybe rambling did me a lot more good than I originally thought!

"Jinx?"

The sorceress jumped to her feet, caught completely by surprise. Before her stood Starfire; there was curious light in her eyes and her hands were clasped behind her back.

"Starfire! I wasn't expecting you for…" Looking down at her watch one last time, Jinx frowned when she realized that Starfire was perfectly on time.

How can one set of three minutes take a millennium and then the next pass by like a car on the interstate?

"I have arrived at the appropriate time, yes? You did say eight, did you not?"

"Yeah, I did. My bad, I just wasn't expecting you to-" Jinx couldn't help herself; when she saw what the other girl was wearing she had to stop.

It wasn't like she was wearing anything risqué or even anything low-cut, but seeing Starfire out of uniform was just… wow. She hadn't taken Starfire for a skinny jeans kind of girl, but seeing those legs made her wonder how she could ever have been so stupid. The purple Roman-style sandals were cute, too. But the kicker was the tank-top; no, it wasn't low cut, but come on. Starfire's boobs would have looked good in any shirt, and this tank was just downright cute. It was a simple, loose racerback tank done in a pattern that almost looked like tie dye; the main color was a warm fuchsia but streaks of soft blues that faded to white gave the top a very nice contrast. It suited her.

"Hey! You look hot!"

Starfire blushed and Jinx smiled. So far so good. She took off her sunglasses, but when she tried to catch Starfire's eye she felt the heat rising in her own cheeks; Starfire was ogling.

And it felt so good.

It had taken about forty-five minutes for Jinx to pick out a suitable outfit. It had been too hot for that jacket she'd seen in that store the other day (Jinx had gone back the next day in her street clothes and bought one in her size), so she'd had to settle for simple black booty shorts and her favorite purple tank with the silver skull. Considering she'd torn her closet apart, it was a pretty simple outfit. But hey, she looked good in anything.

"Y-you look… ah, very nice as well, Jinx. I've never seen your hair submit to gravity before… you should wear it down more often."

"Only if you promise to wear those skinny jeans at least once a week."

Starfire giggled, and Jinx was proud of herself. This was much better than rambling. This was flirting, and flirting was always better than rambling.

"I do not think they'd do me any good in battle; though the material may be tight I fear they'd offer very little protection."

"Maybe not, but you'd look good. You think I wear those heels 'cuz they help me somersault?" Starfire laughed again and this time Jinx joined her. After a few moments she put her sunglasses back on and gestured for the other girl to follow her; she'd really wanted to take her hand but it was probably too soon. "Come on, we're gonna be late."

Looking at Starfire out of the corner of her eye, Jinx saw the other girl's face light up with curiosity and couldn't help but smile. She couldn't wait to sit down with her and talk, and the place she'd picked was perfect: quiet, out of the way, good atmosphere…

"Please, might you tell me where it is we are going? It's not that I don't trust you, but I-"

"Don't worry about it. I made reservations at this little place called Mark's. I've been going there for a while now, it's a nice place. I know the guy that runs it, he's nice enough. He's never given me trouble and I've always been sure to be a good girl and pay the check; I even leave pretty good tips when I'm in the mood."

In truth, Mark's was one of the few places in Jump City where she was welcome. Mark was an Italian-American guy in his late 50s that wanted nothing more out of life than pizza and happy customers. Admittedly he hadn't been too pleased the first time she'd walked into his place, but after her first few stops there went by without incident he treated her just as well as any of his other patrons.

The walk there went by quickly, though Jinx would often glance over and see Starfire looking curiously in shop windows and staring at the many neon signs that had begun to light up as the sun went down.

Guess she doesn't get out of the tower much…

When they finally arrived Jinx made sure to play the part of the gentleman and hold the door open for her date… okay well maybe she really wanted to catch a glimpse of Starfire's backside, but could she be blamed? Those jeans…

"Well look who's here! Jinx, you little devil. Whaddya think you're doin' draggin' a titan down here to my humble abode? Don't tell me you've fooled this poor girl into thinkin' you're some kinda sweetheart!"

"Ah, give it a rest, Mark. You're lucky you're pizza's so good, or I wouldn't bother coming here. And I'll have you know I am a sweetheart… when it suits me. Got a table for us?"

Mark was balding, and had a bit of belly, but for some reason he was pleasant to look at; it was probably the ever-present smile he sported, or the happy little twinkle in his dark eyes. His entire body shook when he laughed and as he waved them over to a small, out of the way table towards the back of the restaurant Jinx heard Starfire giggle.

Unfortunately when Jinx went to pull Starfire's chair out for her she found that Mark had already taken her place; as Starfire smiled and offered her thanks, Jinx crossed her arms and glared daggers at the man over the rim of her Ray-Bans. He grinned back at her.

"What's the matter, kiddo? Aren't ya gonna sit down?"

She did, with a huff. She heard Mark ask what they wanted to drink, and when Starfire asked for a soda she said, "Same" without bothering to look at him. She didn't move until she heard him walk away; when he was gone she sighed and took off her sunglasses, folding one side down then tucking the other into her top.

"Is something the matter, Jinx?"

"I wanted to get your chair for you. You know, be a gentleman and all that. Mark beat me to it."

Starfire stared at her curiously for a moment before laughing. Jinx blushed and made herself busy by taking her hair down from its bun and shaking it out. Running her fingers through it, the next time she glanced up she saw Starfire gazing at her, the remnants of a smile still lingering around her lips. Jinx felt a smile growing on her own face. She leaned forward in her seat, her elbows resting on the table.

"So Starfire, what's it like being a titan? I mean, aside from kicking our butts all day. What's it like, oh I don't know… going to the mall? Do the people attack you? Asking for autographs and pictures and all that?"

Starfire thought for a moment and made a musing kind of noise. "Well, I wouldn't say we get attacked… in fact the vast majority of people are too afraid to approach us. Only the most, I believe the word is hardcore, fans will ask for the autograph. This may be Raven's doing; though she is dear to me I must admit she can be a bit… intimidating."

"You and Raven are close?" Thank the gods she had her self-control back, otherwise Jinx wouldn't have been able to keep her voice neutral; jealousy and malice had bubbled up within her at the mention of Raven.

"Oh yes. She is my dear friend. All of the titans are my dear friends! Raven is special though, I suppose. We are quite similar."

Jinx couldn't contain her laughter. "Similar? You and Raven? You two are complete opposites!"

"Maybe in appearance and in demeanor I suppose… but both of our powers are controlled by emotion so we struggle with the same issues of focus. We've tread the mile in each other's shoes, as well. We've been through much together. She is my best friend."

Hah. Goth girl wants to be a whole lot more than friends, Starfire. It's good for me though that you haven't realized it yet… and here I was worrying they were already together!

"When you said your powers were controlled by emotion, what exactly does that mean?"

Mark eventually brought their sodas but they barely took notice, so engrossed in conversation were they. When he tried to take their order Jinx just waved him away. He took the hint, and sometime later came back with a plain cheese pizza. The two continued to talk as they ate, asking questions and answering in kind between bites. They actually found out a lot about each other.

Jinx found herself confessing things about her powers that her own teammates didn't even know, for example that her hexes were so powerful and yet so volatile that sometimes even she didn't know what they'd do. In turn, Jinx learned that flying and throwing starbolts, things the other girl seemed to do almost effortlessly, required the greatest concentration and emotional stability.

They learned meaningless little things about each other too. Jinx told Starfire that she was a Scorpio, and when the titan had stared at her blankly she'd spent ten minutes teaching her about the signs and Earth's constellations. Together they'd puzzled out that Starfire was a Virgo, and Jinx couldn't help but grin when she remembered reading somewhere that Scorpios and Virgos were highly compatible.

"…and that is why my favorite color has become blue. Though the skies of Tamaran were beautiful in their own right, flying over the ocean and looking up into the sky, being surrounded by such a calm, beautiful color… it is truly breathtaking." Starfire sighed dreamily, probably thinking fondly of the last time she'd flown out over the waters surrounding the tower. But after a moment her eyes snapped back into focus. "You have not told me your favorite color!"

Jinx chuckled and leaned back in her seat, her arms folding and hands locking together to cradle her head as she reclined. "Try and guess."

Starfire frowned but seemed to think for a moment, her eyes drifting over Jinx's figure.

She's definitely going to say pink.

"Is it purple?"

She almost fell out of her chair.

How'd she know?

"How did you know?"

Starfire giggled, surely amused by the look of utter shock on Jinx's face, the slump in her shoulders.

"Because! Though your hair and eyes may both be pink, we do not get to choose our features. My eyes may be green but green is not my favorite color, nor is red. But I've noticed that you always seem to be wearing purple- well, purple and black, but I did not think black would be your favorite color. And I did not have any other ideas, so purple was my guess. Judging from the look on your face I believe I guessed correctly."

Starfire grinned, and the mischievous little light in her eyes had Jinx grin back. Shaking her head and chuckling, Jinx got out her wallet and slapped two twenties down on the table. "And I thought Robin was the smart one. Come on, I'll walk you back to the park. I'd walk you to the tower, but I think we both know that wouldn't end well."

Saying goodbye to Mark on their way out, Jinx felt another blush rising in her cheeks when the older man winked at her. Hopefully Starfire hadn't seen. When Jinx went to open the door for her date, she found the door already held open by none other than her date herself.

"After you, Jinx."

"Stealing my job from me, huh?"

"I believe a proper lady is supposed to respond with a 'Thank you,' when a door is held open for them."

"Oh, I see." With a grin and an upturned nose, Jinx strolled through the doorway without a word. "Good thing I'm not a proper lady!"

The two laughed, and this time Jinx wasn't afraid to reach out and take Starfire's hand. The titan looked surprised for a moment and Jinx could see her blush despite the dark of the night, but the shy little smile that soon came told Jinx all she needed to know.

The walk back to the park passed in comfortable silence, each girl enjoying the warmth of the other's hand. Jinx glanced casually at her watch and was surprised to learn that they'd spent more than three hours talking at Mark's.

Tonight went... well. Like, really well.

When they arrived back at the park it was way too soon; Jinx didn't really want to leave. At least not without the knowledge that she'd be doing it again, and soon.

"Hey Starfire?"

"Hm?"

"Um… well, I was just thinking and… d'you think maybe we could… do this again?" When Starfire glanced at her with one brow raised, she continued on. "I really liked talking with you tonight… and I really liked seeing you out of uniform. But I thought that, since we're even now and everything… you wouldn't want to, well…"

Starfire stopped walking. When she let go of her hand, Jinx felt her heart leap up into her throat. Was this it? Was Starfire just gonna leave her there, forget this night ever happened, and go on like they'd always done? Was she-

And then Starfire kissed her. No, not on the lips, on the cheek. But did that stop Jinx's face from setting off fireworks in her cheeks? Hell no.

"I believe that now we are even. And I believe that I would very much like to do this again."

Starfire lifted off the ground and began to float away, but Jinx snapped out of her stupor and made a grab for the titan's hand. Starfire looked down at her in surprise but Jinx just flashed a dangerous, toothy smile, her eyes narrowing in a predatory gaze.

"Not so fast, babe. I have to save your life before we're even, but don't think it's against the rules for me to put it in danger, first. Even if it was, that'd just be a rule I'd have to break. You'll be seeing me again soon."

Starfire gazed fondly at her for a moment before she smiled.

"I look forward to it."

And with that, Jinx released her hand and the titan flew back home, looking back over her shoulder once to wave. Jinx waved back and watched the sky even after Starfire's figure could not be seen. A pale hand came up to caress the spot where she'd been kissed.

And Chapter 10. I love writing as Jinx :)

I did kinda make up the zodiac signs, but I chose signs that are actually compatible and that suited each character's personality.

Review!