Explanation and Confrontation
Ten points to whoever figures out what's going on when Robin gets in the living room… LOL. Please review! I'm sorry I took so long to post!
Confusion and Confession
What exactly is Raven planning? And how will Robin ever stand to see Starfire again after what he's done? I smell conflict, don't you?
Rated PG.
Disclaimer: Don't tell me you're THAT daft.
Confusion and Confession
Robin awoke the next day with his mouth dry and parched. He'd been tossing and turning all night, and he lay there in a mess of wrinkled blankets. Nightmares. He'd been having nightmares. He couldn't recall the dark, frightening dreams, but he could remember he'd had them. Robin headed to the bathroom and stuck his head under the sink faucet. The cold water rushed in his ears and down his cheeks, refreshing him in a way the shower could not. He shut off the tap and shook his head, splattering water everywhere. Grabbing a towel from the rack, he scrubbed his head dry.
He was SURE that at this point the pollen MUST have worn off. It was just ONE little flower. The effects couldn't be THIS strong, could they?
Robin carefully placed his mask back on his face and strode into the living room, only to stop dead in shock. Beast Boy sat brooding in the corner, and on the couch sat Raven – KNITTING. Beside her sat Cyborg, watching TV.
"Raven?" Robin asked cautiously, stepping into the room. "Why are you KNITTING?"
Raven looked up, and she grinned. This scared Robin even more. Starfire came into the room behind Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shivered.
"Oh, Robin! It's just WONDERFUL!" Raven exclaimed.
Robin backed up against the wall, squashing Starfire behind him. "What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"
"I'm PERFECT!" Raven cried, holding up her knitting.
A sock.
A tiny, pink sock…
"Raven, there's something terribly wrong with you," Robin stammered. He was scared. He was trapped in a room with a crazy woman. "Really."
"No, no. There's nothing wrong!" Raven assured. "It's just that… well…"
Cyborg smiled.
Raven giggled, sending chills up Robin's spine. This was just too scary for words… "Robin, it's so EXCITING!"
"More like scary."
"Robin, quit being so silly. This is GREAT news!"
"What is it?"
"Cyborg and I are getting MARRIED!"
Robin gagged, blanched, then gagged again. "W-WHAT!?"
"It's great, isn't it?"
Robin coughed uncontrollably, shocked. "Oh my God!" he shrieked.
"I know," Beast Boy muttered, folding his arms bitterly.
Robin shoved his way out of the room and ran down the hall. He slammed his back against the wall and stared at the ceiling, panting and trying to hold in the breakfast he hadn't eaten. He felt sick, and yet slightly disturbed…
Starfire zoomed past him, laughing long and loud.
Robin listened until her ringing voice faded away, then slumped to the floor. "What is going ON here!?" he cried, burying his face in his hands. He didn't know whether to laugh or to cry or to scream or to vomit or to just pack his bags and leave or to shake Raven until her brains oozed out her ears. Probably all of the above. Was she INSANE!? Yes. Judging by behavior that morning, she had DEFINITELY lost her mind. Was Cyborg insane? Probably yes.
Robin slammed his head against the wall, trying to jump-start his brain into understanding. That only gave him a headache, so he curled up in the hall and squeezed his eyes shut.
Apparently, the pollen had not worn off at all.
Robin didn't dare go into the living room for a while afterward, but instead stuck to his room. But after a while the hunger became unbearable, and he reluctantly made his way to the living room.
Cyborg and Raven lounged on the couch, chatting quietly, and Beast Boy watched them hatefully from his corner. Starfire was nowhere to be seen. Robin tip-toed to the fridge, gathered up his lunch, and sprinted to his room. In, out, gone. Just the way he'd hoped it'd go.
He found himself arriving at Starfire's bedroom door before he had time to realize where he was going. He stopped and looked at the cold steel door for a long time, before knocking.
The door whooshed open. Starfire grinned at him. Her face was red and she looked a little breathless. Like Robin had left her the other night…
He shook his head. "Uhm…"
"You brought food," Starfire pointed out.
"Yes. I'm hungry." Thinking fast, he added, "I thought you might like something to eat, so…"
"Come in," she said and stepped aside.
Robin ducked into the room and looked around. He realized he'd never been in Starfire's room before, and it was rather pretty. She took the food from him and dumped it all over the bed before he could marvel about it. She promptly sat down and began eating. Robin cautiously crawled onto the bed and sat cross-legged across from her. He watched her in silence a moment, then spoke.
"Uhm… Star… about last night…"
She stopped and looked up at him, eyes shining. Robin swallowed, feeling rather guilty and nervous yet again. "What?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"About last night… I'm really sorry. I don't know what came over me and… when this pollen wears off… I was hoping we could still be friends."
"No," she said.
Robin stared at her, shocked. "N-No?" he repeated, wounded. He recoiled slightly, preparing himself to jump off the bed and run.
"I do not want to be friends," she said, pushing the food aside. Her voice shook. "I do not want to be enemies. I want more than that…"
Robin was trembling. He shook his head. "I don't understand."
"Robin," she whispered, "I love you."
Robin squeezed his eyes shut, swallowing down the pain in his stomach. He slowly shook his head. "N-No. No you don't. You don't know what you're saying…"
"But I do. And even without the pollen I would have said this at some time." She reached out and brushed his bangs from his face.
Robin shook harder at the touch, and he refused to open his eyes. "No. No…"
"Robin…"
Robin jumped up and headed towards the door.
"ROBIN!" she shouted, and launched a starbolt right at his head. He dodged it and hit the floor with a thud. She slowly lifted herself into the air and came over to him. She hovered over him, her eyes glowing green.
"You don't understand!" Robin pleaded, alarmed. "You aren't thinking straight! Listen to me!"
"NO! YOU LISTEN TO ME!"
Robin shrunk back into the floor, eyes wide. This was the first fight between them, and by far the most awkward argument they'd ever had anyway. "NO! Starfire, you have to understand! This isn't –"
Starfire sank to the ground and straddled him, eyes still aglow. "Robin, I KNOW what I am doing!" she shouted at him.
Robin, after years of training, easily flipped her off of him and pinned her beneath him. She stared up at him, surprised.
"No," he repeated firmly, and sprung away. He sprinted for the door, but Starfire beat him to it. "Get out of the way, Starfire," he said slowly. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Robin, if you walk through that door, not only will you leave this room but you will leave me with it."
"What?"
"Robin, if you leave me, I leave. Forever."
"You mean… you'll leave for Tamaran?"
She nodded. "And I will not come back. I will have no reason to."
Robin knew he wouldn't be able to bear that. He slumped in defeat. "Fine."
Starfire smiled and hugged him, suddenly back to her usual self.
"But Starfire," he said, carefully pushing her away, "I won't believe you if you say you love me."
"You have no need to, just as long as you listen," Starfire said affectionately, and placed a tiny kiss on his cheek.
"I know everything there is to know about this ordeal," Starfire explained. "I have been listening. Raven and Cyborg are not really getting married."
"What a relief," Robin sighed. "I was totally freaked."
She looked puzzled a moment, then decided to dismiss his "Earthen Slang." She smiled at him and continued on. "They were just hoping to get me jealous, you see, so I would leave you for Cyborg. Raven, of course, knew that was not going to happen. She had seen us, Robin, last night."
Robin groaned and hid his face in his hands.
"But she made the deal with Cyborg anyway. She knew that after a while Cyborg would grow tired of me, and instead go for Raven. Poor Beast Boy got shoved out of the picture completely."
Robin nodded. "I think I understand now." He paused. "And you do know that your English has improved, don't you?"
She smiled.
"So… um… can I go without you leaving us forever?"
She nodded. "But I wish you would not."
"Starfire, I need to wait until this pollen wears off. I can't stand being around you. Not that you're bad company or anything, but it drives me insane. Starfire, I want you. But I can't have you. I'm not in my right mind. I wouldn't be right. Understand?" Robin explained firmly.
She nodded. "I understand." She looked up at him. "But you shall see, after this pollen wears off, that you have been lying to yourself."
"You can only hope, Star."
She shook her head. "I know."
Silence.
"Well…" Robin said uncomfortably. "I better leave. Bye." And with that, he swiftly slipped out the door.
"Jealous, Starfire?" cooed Raven, her hand on Cyborg's shoulder.
"No," Starfire said flatly, eyes narrowed. "I am very… happy for you. But I am not jealous."
"Why not?" Raven demanded, an edge in her voice.
"I am happy with my life," Starfire said.
Raven stared.
"But, Star, I…" Cyborg began.
Raven let out a shriek of anger and marched off to her room.
Cyborg stared after her.
"I know your little game, Cyborg, and I think it is very childish!" shouted Starfire, poking him in the chest. Cyborg, looking wounded, looked up at her through wide, doleful eyes.
"But, Starfire…" he began.
"No! You are letting yourselves get out of hand! And I have had enough!" Cyborg frowned as she continued. "Cyborg, do you not remember the pollen!?"
"I remember," Cyborg whispered. "But-"
"That is why you have been acting so strange, Cyborg! It is because you do not wish to think this isn't real!" She stopped, thinking of what Robin had told her. But he had been wrong – she'd loved him ever since they first met. She shook her head. "Cyborg, you need to stop this madness. Now."
Cyborg nodded. "I think I understand now…"
Robin stumbled across his room. He flopped down on the bed and buried his face in the blankets. The room was spinning and he felt light-headed, and he didn't feel so good. He groaned and tried to shut out the sound of crushing waves.
And then Starfire flashed before his eyes again.
Just like it had when he had first breathed in the pollen.
His eyes snapped open as millions of scene flickered before him, and, very slowly, he began to grin.
Raven stumbled into the room, closely followed by Beast Boy. "Guys," she breathed. "Guys, I think the pollen is wearing off." She sank to the floor.
Cyborg gasped and fell to his knees, and Starfire did the same…
To each one, someone was flashing before their eyes…
Someone special.
When it was over, Robin felt an intense weight lifted off of him. He grinned and danced about, hugging himself. "I'm free! I'm free!"
He flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, feeling as if his soul had been stripped free…
He jumped up. If he was cured, the other Titans must be too! He jumped up and raced to the living room.
The other Titans were just getting to their feet as he strode into the room. Robin paused in the doorway to watch what would happen.
The Titans stared at each other a long time, before Raven gave a high-pitched shriek. The lamp, which Cyborg had JUST patched back up, exploded.
"What did we DO to ourselves!?" she cried. She looked at Cyborg, and her face turned bright red. "I am SO sorry! This is insane!" she shook her head in amazement.
"We're free," Beast Boy sighed, grinning and looking at his hands.
There was an awkward silence.
"We acted like total idiots," said Cyborg flatly.
"Starfire, now I know why those flowers are illegal on your planet," said Beast Boy.
Starfire grinned.
"Promise me you'll never use them again," said Raven.
"Never again, friends, I promise," said Starfire. She looked up and saw Robin in the doorway. "Robin!"
Robin once again felt that strange pang in his stomach. His eyes widened and he blushed. Maybe the pollen DIDN'T wear off after all…?
"Hey, guys."
Mumbling, they replied, "Hey, Robin."
"I think we all wanna say something here," said Cyborg. "One… two… three…"
"SORRY!" they all burst out at once.
Starfire grinned. She jumped to her feat and enveloped Robin in the biggest hug she could muster.
Robin wheezed. "Oh. Ow. Star… fire… you're… crushing me…"
She jumped back, blushing. "Sorry."
Silence.
Robin strode into the living room later that day, feeling as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He was FREE!
He plopped down on the couch beside Starfire. She merely glanced at him, for she was intent on watching Cyborg and Beast Boy's game.
"Hey, there."
She looked up and smiled at him, then returned to watch the game.
"I WIN! YOU LOSE! HAHAHAHA!" Beast Boy shouted, punching the air. He danced around, waving his controller above his head. Cyborg frowned, narrowing his eyes.
Starfire laughed, clapping her hands. "Well done, friends!"
"What?" Beast Boy stumbled over the cords of his controller, and hit the floor with a thud. "OW!"
"Are you alright, Beast Boy?" Robin asked, leaning forward.
"Yeah." Beast Boy stood up, rubbing his arm. "I think I'm gonna get off video games for a little while." And he staggered out of the room.
"Wanna play, Robin?" Cyborg asked, lifting up Beast Boy's abandoned controller.
Robin glanced at Starfire. "No…"
Cyborg smiled knowingly. "Okay then. I guess there's nothing else to do. I think I'll go take a walk."
"You do that," Robin mumbled.
And Cyborg strode out, leaving Starfire and Robin alone.
There was a long, awkward silence as they stared at each other. What would they say? After that ordeal… after what they had said and done…
Starfire spoke first. "Robin…"
Author's Notes: Do you hate me or do you hate me. This is my first ever cliffhanger (I think). I promise to un-hang you soon, but for now. HA HA! :p
Also, I just wanna say, I cracked myself up writing the first part of this. I really did. I scared my parents, I laughed so hard. I was lucky I had another Word document up, or I would have had to delete it. Love me! HAHAHA!