15.

"Why Raven. Looking for me?"

Red X hid his proud smirk as he found Raven in his apartment yet again. She didn't turn around. She was looking out the window. Something about her felt different in a dangerous way. Red X smacked his lips, feeling hungry. He took a few steps closer to her.

"Bird brain again?"

She hummed. He saw the side of her face looking down on Earth. She turned her head and their eyes met. She looked like she was in pain. But the moment he blinked, her eyes flashed, then they were empty. She turned her head back to the sunset. He took a step closer to her.

"I have waited for this moment."

Her voice was raspier, in a whisper, but so clear and shrill, it was menacing. It gave him chills. She didn't seem like Raven at all.

"Sunshine?"

The end of her lips curled slightly.

"What a beautiful day."

Red X was wondering if he needed to tell her that the day practically almost ended. Or maybe for Raven the day starts as the sun sets, guessed Red X randomly. Normally he would smirk and comment something either sarcastic or flirty to that, but as Raven seemed unlike herself today, Red X decided to shut it and wait to see what all this was about. But then, Raven turned to him again, her velvet-like purple hair tickling her cheeks as her head tilted. Her eyes were red with fire, her smile so warm and wide as if she has never been so happy before. Call him crazy, but despite the smile and twinkling (burning) eyes, it felt so cold it made him shiver.

"The perfect day to end this world, don't you think?"

Call him crazy, but that was the most beautiful psychotic thing he has ever seen in his whole life.

Every day was a glorious day to Starfire. She loved this planet, she loved being a warrior on Earth and she especially loved every member of her team. She couldn't think of any other better people to be around with, and although quite strange their customs were, she was eager to get used to it. She also loved having small chats with the people in the city.

People she met always asked her if something was going on between her and Robin. Citizens on the street, the pizza guy, even reporters would always shoot her the same question. At first, she wasn't quite sure was that meant. What's it supposed to mean, something to go on between two people? Like a video game that goes on and off? She wasn't so sure.

As she entered her adulthood she noticed herself sometimes fantasizing of getting out of her routine. To be somewhere new, meet someone in the Earthly ways, 'romantic' they would call it, just like the strange and fascinating movies. As she first confessed to her most different but closest friend Raven, she expected an indifferent comment of how pointless her fantasy was. Unlike her expectation, Raven looked at her in a thoughtful way. It was her who suggested going beyond the cozy small Jump City to see new things. Also being from a different planet (or rather, dimension), Raven understood how small the world could feel for people like them who could travel through different planets. So taking her advice, Starfire started to explore and venture around this planet she now called her second home. Love never ended up perfectly, but she was always optimistic (a word Raven called her, which she liked very much) and kept dreaming.

It took her years to understand how it goes on this particular planet, and in the meanwhile, her new friends would bluntly tell her that her leader clearly had a 'crush' on her. 'Crush' as in crushing walnuts and the enemy's skull? She would always laugh and say that's impossible, for Robin would never 'crush' her. Even if he somehow would want to, just like when he became an apprentice for Slade, he would never be able to 'crush' her. Most Earthlings did not have the physical abilities of her people.

By the time she started to understand what this 'crush' meant, Robin seemed to have lost this certain 'crush' he had put on her. It seemed like as her leader outgrew his old self, he outgrew his crush altogether. Her disappointment did not last a day though, for she was only mildly surprised and glad that she has understood what 'having a crush' meant now, so perhaps next time it happens she will recognize it.

She wasn't particularly expecting her leader, who was now a full-grown man called Nightwing insisting to be called Robin again, to regrow his 'crush' on her again. How strange it was, how he would stare at her or take glimpses of her whenever he could. How even stranger it was, for him to think that she will never did she not know of this all those years ago? The strangest thing was that he sometimes was not able to process his words when he was in front of her. But it flattered her, and when they were together it reminded her of when she first came to Earth, the early days of their team when they were called the 'Teen' Titans. She excitedly dressed for the party, heading to Raven's room first. She knew Raven would not even bother to go through all the steps of 'getting ready for a party', and Starfire was determined to have one of those movie moments of dress over with her sisterly friend. Raven did not answer her knock and her coaxing persuasion 'Oh Raven! I have brought many of variations of colorful decorations for you. I promise it will be perceivably fun!'.

As she didn't answer for quite a time, Starfire gave up, telling her that she'd see her at the ball. And at the ball she did, but rather not the way she expected.

Sorry, I'm late! I am still trying to decide how to end the story, so that's why the story is getting dragged on..