Author's Notes: Hey guys, I'm back with the next chapter! I must say, I was really amazed with the response I got from my first chapter. Seven good reviews, and not even ten hours had passed since I posted it! Well, this is actually going to be a total surprise to everyone, except for one person that I told over the phone but he doesn't really count anyway (Sorry about that, Frank!) So, even though I normally thank Sage of Story for pre-reading, I can't really do that. So I'll thank her anyway. Because, as Toast said, she's like everyone's big sister around here. Or little sister, depending on your age. (That would be big sister for me, unfortunately. I hate being younger than everyone.) Oh, and for those of you who reviewed? Thank you so much! It really means a lot to me. But I do have a word for one."Zerin Emperess", was it? Well, I'm sorry that you find my writing to be "nice not very carturistic good writing and plot", I believe you said? Well, I would do something about that if I knew what "carturistic" was. I looked in the dictionary and couldn't find it. Now, I wonder why that was? If you're going to take time to criticize me, please, use full sentences, and words within the American English language? Not too much to ask, now is it? Soooooo.welcome to the next chapter of Payback, where you'll also find my newest feature, Quote of the Chapter! (Oh, come on. Some of those quotes are just too funny not to be posted somewhere around here) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. If I did, Terra would not exist, Cyborg would have a girlfriend, Robin wouldn't be so obsessive, Slade wouldn't act like a pedophile, Gizmo would know some good insults, and Raven and Beast Boy would have multiple episodes devoted to their relationship. With a few dedicated to Robin and Starfire, of course.
Quote of the Chapter: Robin- I've fought psychotic villains, robot commandos, and giant oozing monsters, but that is the scariest thing I have ever seen.
Payback: Chapter 2 - Complements, Conversation, and Confusion Without EndBy Mint Dragon
Starfire knocked on the door to the room where Raven was normally found meditating, and received a strong mental signal. Do not enter. The green-eyed girl smiled and walked towards the living room to spend time with Robin and Cyborg. Just a few months ago, she would have been worried about Raven, had the mysterious girl sent her away like that. By now, though, she understood that when Raven did not want Starfire to enter a room, it was because she and Beast Boy were expressing their feelings for each other, and desired privacy. A privacy that Starfire was perfectly willing to give them, content that Raven had finally found some happiness with Beast Boy. Perhaps later they could talk of these things, as Starfire was still slightly curious as to the nature of such a relationship.
The girl from Tamaran walked into the living room, and saw Robin and Cyborg playing a racing game on the Gamestation. She walked over to sit next to Robin on the couch, and to cheer them both on. It heartened her to see Robin talking time off. Their leader was industrious, perhaps too much so. He worked too hard, and needed to learn how to relax. A minute later, Cyborg stood up, the winner, and then went off to get a snack. Robin hung his head and dropped the controller.
"Do not be sad, Robin. Perhaps tomorrow you will be victorious!" she comforted him, putting her hand on his shoulder. The leader of the Teen Titans lifted his head, smiling.
"Yeah, you're right. So where are Raven and Beast Boy? I haven't seen them since the end of that movie."
"Beast Boy and Raven are upstairs," she paused to remember the term that Robin had taught her, "making out."
Robin chuckled.
"Way to go, Starfire!"
"I do not understand. Where did I go, and which way did I take?" she asked, puzzled. Robin sighed, still smiling.
"The phrase "way to go" is used to congratulate someone when they do something well. I was congratulating you because you used the phrase "making out"." he elaborated. Starfire smiled broadly.
"Thank you, Robin!" she said.
"Well, I'm going to go and work on some stuff in my room." he said, patting her on the back. She frowned as the masked boy stood and retreated to his room to continue his seemingly endless work on Slade. Starfire touched her chest and frowned. What was this.strange feeling. that she felt? She resolved to ask Raven about it later, when she was free.
Sure enough, around dinner time, Beast Boy and Raven appeared in the kitchen. Beast Boy had a slightly dazed look on his face, and nearly mistook real milk for his soy stuff. Raven had a satisfied smirk on her face, but it was kept hidden by her hood. After they had dinner, pizza (half-pepperoni, half plain, at Beast Boy's request) Starfire walked up to Raven.
"I wish for us to have a 'girl talk'." she said, an urgent tone in her voice. Raven was slightly taken aback, but curious as to what Starfire wanted to discuss.
"Uh.sure."
"Good. Come with me." Starfire grabbed Raven's wrist and nearly dragged her up to the window room where Raven and Beast Boy had been earlier.
Raven and Starfire sat near the window.
"Raven, I require assistance."
"O-kay. Why don't you start from the beginning."
"I am.confused." Starfire said, looking down at herself. "I have been experiencing some strange emotions lately, and I wish to know why."
"Where have you been experiencing these emotions?" Raven asked in a reasoning tone of voice. After all, even though she had a good suspicion as to what was bugging Starfire, it was generally a good idea to work things through logically anyway
"Well," Starfire said, thinking and looking out the window. "When I saw Robin playing the game videos with Cyborg, I was happy. I was.relieved.that Robin was taking time to relax. I have been very concerned about him lately. And then, when he smiled at me and gave me a compliment, I was very.I do not know how to describe it."
"Well." Raven said slowly. "How do you feel when you get this emotion?"
'Oh great, now I sound like a shrink.' she thought wryly.
"It is as if I have digested many tiny fluttering many-colored flies."
Raven sweatdropped. "You mean butterflies?"
"Yes, those are the ones." Starfire replied, nodding vigorously.
"Well." Raven started. She thought a moment about what to tell Starfire, and then turned to face the window. It was getting late, and the sun was setting. It had been at sunset that day a few months ago when Beast Boy had confessed his feelings for her.
"I don't really know what to tell you. There isn't anything wrong with you, Starfire. But it is clear that this is a matter between you and Robin, and I can't tell you which way to go on it."
"Why do you compliment me?"
"Huh?"
"Robin told me that one says "Way to go" when one wishes to give a compliment. I do not understand, then, why you have said it."
Raven facefaulted.
"Uh, Starfire, "Way to go" can be used as a congratulatory phrase such as, "Way to go, Starfire!", but it can also be used literally, such as, "This is the correct way to go.""
"Oh."
"Riiiight.well, anyway, I'm not quite sure what you should do on this one. It's." Raven paused to study their reflections in the window. "It's not really something anyone can tell you what to do with. You have to work it through yourself."
"But I do not know what to do, Raven. I am still very confused." Starfire looked down, a sad look on her face.
They were silent for a moment. Raven sighed, and then looked Starfire in the eye.
"I know it's cliché, but you'll know what to do when the time is right. Until then, that's about all that can be done."
Raven stood up and offered her hand to Starfire. She looked at Raven, framed against the window and the light from the setting sun, with curiosity and respect in her emerald eyes. This girl, this unbelievably controlled, intelligent, practical girl, had changed so much. Her eyes had softened, her face had become gentler and her heart of ice had melted. It was as if she was an entirely new person. She still held the old pain in her eyes, yes, but there was something else there, something that Starfire couldn't quite identify. But it was good to know that her friend had become so much happier.
"You coming or what?"
Starfire grasped Raven's hand and stood up. "Thank you," she said wholeheartedly.
"No problem. Come on, you wanna go get a snack?"
"Yes, that is a wonderful idea! Our blue furry food still resides in the back of the refrigerator. Or perhaps I could make some pudding!"
"Whatever."
The two left, Starfire reassured, to dine on tea, blue furry food, and pudding. The latter two of which Raven politely declined, on the grounds that she didn't feel like going to get her stomach pumped afterwards.
After Starfire and Raven left the room at Starfire's insistence Cyborg stood up, sighing.
"I'm on dishes tonight." he said, and then walked away to clean the huge pile of dishes. Robin walked out into the living area, where he found Beast Boy lying on the couch in a daze.
"Hey there, Beast Boy." he said morosely as he sat down next to the green-skinned changeling.
"Huh?" Beast Boy responded, half there and half somewhere.else.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing." he responded in a dazed voice.
Robin smirked. "Raven that good a kisser?"
"Hell yeah, and more."
It took a moment for Beast Boy to realize what he had just said. Then he bolted up and looked wildly from side to side. He saw Robin, snickering, and his face fell.
"I didn't just say.?"
"You did. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Beast Boy sighed in relief. "Thanks, Rob."
"No problem. But you know, it's not hard to guess. I mean, you were making out with her for about an hour before dinner. And even then Cyborg nearly had to set off the fire alarm to get you guys to come out."
"Yeah," Beast Boy said guiltily. Then he grinned. "But what can I say? She's beautiful, and she's all mine! I should've hooked up with her sooner."
Robin smiled sadly, and then sat back.
"What's wrong, dude?"
"Nothing."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Hey Beast Boy?"
"Yeah?"
"This is kind of an odd question, but when did you know that you were in love with Raven?"
"Well."
Beast Boy sat back as well and thought for a moment. Well, a couple of moments. Because thinking wasn't something that Beast Boy was accustomed to.
"I only really knew about a week or so before I told her. But.falling in love is a process. It takes time. It's like a videogame. You don't realize you've been defeated until it pops up on the screen. But when you do, there's nothing you can really do about it, you know?"
"So it wasn't one of those love at first sight things?"
"No! I mean," Beast Boy scratched his head, deep in thought. Well, deep for him. Which is most definitely a relative term.
"I don't think that love at first sight is really possible. Sure, you can have a crush on someone when you first meet them, but you can't fall in love with someone just like that. It takes a lot of time."
"That's pretty deep, Beast Boy."
"Whatever, dude."
"I know this is also kinda weird, but.what's it like, being in love?"
"Well.it's really hard to explain. It's happy, kind of. And it kinda feels like no matter what, you always have something to come back too. And when I'm not around her, sometimes I feel sorta empty, like part of me is missing. And then when I'm around her, it's like everything's alright. Like the world could be ending, and it would all be okay, as long as she was there with me."
"Sounds intense."
Beast Boy shrugged, smiling.
"Whatever. Anyway, I'm gonna go meet Raven. We're gonna go stargazing."
"Do you even know anything about astronomy?" Robin asked, surprised.
"Well.no. But Raven likes it, and if she likes it, and it makes her happy, then I guess I'm all for it."
Robin smiled as Beast Boy ran off to meet his girlfriend. He lay down and closed his eyes. Carefree, happy-go-lucky Beast Boy was so fortunate. Robin was so preoccupied by the Slade issue, and being the strong, courageous leader of the Teen Titans, that he forgot sometimes what it was to feel an emotion other than anger, or shock. Like contentment.and love.
He sighed and frowned. Beast Boy had found love, in a most unlikely place. With the cold, seemingly unfeeling Raven, Beast Boy had found contentment, and purpose. The two things that Robin sometimes wondered if he'd ever had. But recently.
Robin had been having some rather unfamiliar emotions in the last couple of weeks. A sudden nervousness or self-consciousness, a sudden feeling of happiness or joy without a real reason. And a sense of emptiness, too. Like, as Beast Boy had said, part of him was missing. But it all went away when he was with.
The Boy Wonder's eyes shot open as he realized what he had been looking for. Starfire. He was in love with Starfire. Holy crap, he was in love with Starfire.
Well, at least he wasn't so damned confused anymore.
Now all he had to do was find a way to tell her, and to get her to understand.
Oh, hell.
******************************************End Chapter 2*****************************************
I hope you liked that. I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but stick in a little bit of Starfire/Raven girl-talk in there. It's a very amusing concept. Well, now Robin has finally realized that he's in love with Starfire, but for the life of him can't figure out when and how to tell her. It's a good thing that Raven and Beast Boy have finally stepped in. I'll update in two days, so please, review!