Chapter 7: A Love Before Time
a/n: As hard as I cried writing the last chapter, I laughed twice as hard writing this one. Have fun girls and boys! You've earned it for coming this far with me! Cielita
Groggy consciousness returned to the Boy Wonder the morning of the fourth day. He awoke alone and sat up quickly in alarm. This proved to be a bad idea when dizziness forced him to lie back down on the bed. Several minutes later, he tried it again, this time going at it much more slowly. This time he made it. Standing uneasily on his feet, Robin made his way to his bedroom door and out into the hall. Glancing at the clock on the bathroom counter, he noted that it was only 5:30am, and surmised that his teammates would be asleep for another hour and a half at least.
Robin splashed water on his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He cocked an eyebrow as his reflection stared back at him. He looked as though he had been to hell and back.
"I have been to hell and back," Robin muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, Robin started the shower to give it time to warm up, peeled his uniform from his still aching body and stepped into the shower. Hot water had never felt so good in his life. For a few minutes, he relaxed against the cool tiles of the shower stall and let the water course over his body, rinsing away nearly a week of feeling like he had been hit by a truck...and an entertainment center. Robin snapped out of his daydream when he remembered that Beast Boy and Cyborg take their showers in the morning too and would need the hot water. Washing up, Robin extracted himself from the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist as he took his comb from the cabinet and combed his hair back. He wasn't going to bother styling it until after he had shaved.
Robin stood in front of his bedroom mirror again half an hour after he left it, replacing his mask over his eyes and fastening his cape over his shoulders. Standing up straight and squaring his shoulders, Robin decided that he looked once again like the Robin that his roommates remembered. As he thought about the others, a gurgle released itself from his insides: he was starving. It would have to wait a little longer. He wanted to eat breakfast with his friends. Walking out into the hallway refreshed, he grinned as an idea came to his mind.
Minutes later, Robin tiptoed back into the Tower with an armful of summer roses from a bush that Robin had been secretly nursing back to health in Starfire's garden. He decided he would divide them into four bunches and surprise the girls. Robin had to hand it to Starfire. She persisted in talking to him, even though the others told her not to count on him being able to hear her. He had indeed heard all of what Starfire told him, including the circumstances that brought Jinx and Torque into their lives. After penning short notes to attach to each bundle, Robin started with their guests, tiptoeing in, laying down the flowers and then sneaking back out. He managed not to wake Torque, but Jinx's room was empty. Deciding that she must already be awake, Robin left the flowers there anyway. They would be a welcome surprise when she returned. Very cautiously entering Raven's room, Robin smiled as he placed the flowers on her nightstand. Gently, he pulled her blanket back up over her shoulder and lightly kissed her temple. He might never have made it if she had not taken the initiative to take command of the Titans and go searching for him. Raven sighed in her sleep and rolled over but didn't wake up. Robin smiled again and then left the room.
Carrying the final bouquet, Robin let himself into Starfire's room. She had managed to fall asleep with her head at the wrong end of her bed again. Grinning, Robin sat down on the edge of the bed and took one of the roses from the bunch. Carefully, he touched Starfire's forehead with the bud and traced her features with it. He brushed sweetly down over her nose, stopping so that she might inhale the scent as she slept, and then over her lips, around the hollow of her throat, over her exposed collar bones. Starfire made a soft whimpering sound as she awakened, her delicate, green-tinted blue eyes almost glittering in the morning light.
"Robin!" she murmured as her vision adjusted to the light. She sat up and wound her arms around his neck, hugging him to her. Robin nearly cried with joy. What a relief to hold her in his arms again!
"I was certain that if I left your side you would surely die of fright!" Starfire said softly.
"With care like that, how could I do anything but get better?" Robin replied, smiling broadly as he stroked Starfire's cheek and held her face in his hand. She leaned into his touch smiled, her lustrous golden skin glowing in the morning sun. Robin could resist no longer. He gently pulled Starfire to him again and kissed her like he had never kissed her before. Both Robin and Starfire came up for air almost a minute later, gasping but still smiling.
"I can't wait to call you my wife," Robin murmured, kissing the end of her nose. Starfire giggled softly.
"Why would you wish to wait?" Starfire asked in genuine curiosity. Robin laughed out loud. He shook his head and then looked up at her again.
"Why should we?" Robin said suddenly, giving Starfire a look of excitement.
"What?"
"Will you marry me, Starfire?"
"But Robin, I have already said yes!" Starfire cried in disbelief.
"Will you marry me right now?" Robin said, his voice becoming more excited as the seconds passed.
"Right now?" Starfire repeated, getting up from her bed.
"Yeah! Wake up the others! Let's go!" Robin cried.
"But, Robin, do preparations not need to be made?" Starfire called after him as he went out into the hall.
"We'll do it on the way! We can all go out for breakfast. Then we'll go shopping and get whatever else we need. We can party here at the Tower with just us and our closest friends. What do you say?" Robin said, looking in her eyes.
"But, I wish to invite my parents!" Starfire cried.
"How fast can they get here?" Robin replied, raising an eyebrow.
"What's going on?" said a familiar voice behind them. Raven was yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes as she walked up to them there in the hall.
"What's all the commotion?" asked Cyborg as he and Jinx joined them. The others were only seconds behind them.
"Well, Star? What do you say? Will you marry me today?" Robin asked, his eyes shining with passion and joy.
Starfire took a deep breath and smiled. "Yes, Robin, I will marry you today!" she cried.
"What just got decided here?" asked Raven, still just a little confused.
"Didn't you hear him?" cried Beast Boy, "They aren't gonna wait for another disaster to come along. They're gonna tie the knot--today!"
The others cheered. Torque was tugging her black hooded sweatshirt on over her tee-shirt and shorts as she approached the knot of people in the hall.
"Um...somebody wanna fill me in?" she asked, scratching her head. Robin picked Starfire up and swung her in a circle as she laughed out loud.
"We're getting married!" Robin cried, "Wahooo!"
An hour later, the Teen Titans, new and old, were feasting on muffins, apples, strawberries, grapes, melon, and orange juice as they soaked up the summer sunshine sitting on a huge blanket in the park. Beast Boy had his head in Raven's lap and she was feeding him grapes one at a time. The others were all talking and laughing. Robin looked around at his friends and grinned broadly. Just as he was glancing over at them, Cyborg leaned over and surprised Jinx with a handful of wildflowers. Jinx's eyes were wide with joy as she turned around to face the hulking cybernetic man. She stood, took his face in her hands and lightly stroked his cheeks. Cyborg smiled and leaned into one of her hands, kissing her palm. Jinx leaned in closer and if Robin wasn't mistaken, she told Cyborg exactly what he wanted to hear.
"I'm glad we met, Cyborg. You've changed my life for the better."
Robin didn't need eyes to see the love that radiated from Starfire this day. Today they would take their time, have fun, and welcome Starfire's parents to earth. After breakfast, the day was planned. The team had it all settled before Robin or Starfire could say a word. Beast Boy and Cyborg were to take Robin and go shopping for wedding rings and then to the men's store for a new tuxedo. Robin insisted he couldn't afford a new one, but they had that covered too.
"Consider it our present to you," Cyborg said, happily observing Robin's look of pleased surprise.
"Besides, you gotta have something to wear to our wedding too!" Beast Boy added, patting Robin on the back. Robin laughed. How could he argue with that? They would also stop at a caterer to order food for that night's party, and pick out a gift for Starfire's parents.
The girls had a much more elaborate plan. Their shopping trip was to include not just Starfire's wedding gown, but a trip to the salon to get all of their hair and make up done, and choosing her bouquet. Torque found herself starting to get caught up in the wedding fever herself, even though she had only known these new friends a week. She insisted that Starfire needed something called a 'teddy' but poor Star had no idea why something that looked like that could be called a teddy. Raven and Jinx had a hard time standing up. They were laughing too hard.
"I like your style, Torque," giggled Jinx, offering Torque a high five.
"That was great!" laughed Raven, patting Torque on the back and wiping a tear of laughter from her eyes.
"Don't laugh, Rae, we have your wedding to shop for too!" Torque added. Raven choked on her laughter for a minute but continued to laugh with them. That is, until one of the garment racks turned black and began to melt. Raven gasped and reformed it quickly before anyone saw it. Still laughing too hard to speak, the girls paid for their things and left the store.
By that afternoon around four o'clock, a streak resembling a double comet entered earth's atmosphere and gradually slowed, coming to a stop above Titans Tower.
"Are you certain this is the correct planet? I am sure I saw another blue one nearer to the end of this system," said a woman dressed in elaborate purple robes. Her long red hair was twisted and curled into a very involved up-do and she was gazing at a star map as her husband, walked up and snatched the map out of her hand with an indignant look. This man was similarly dressed but was wearing a particularly dark shade of blue. He too had red hair and a full beard.
"Of course I am certain! Would you think that I do not know how to find my own daughter's home?" he replied with a huff.
"I am merely pointing out that you could have asked those nice Greeblians for directions. They are more familiar with this part of space," the woman replied.
"I am Myand'r of Tamaran. I do not need directions," the man retorted.
"But, my lord, if we are to arrive in time for our princess' nuptial celebrations we must be certain!" the woman pleaded, clasping her hands in her misgivings.
"Do not question me, Luand'r. You are my mate and I love you but now is not the time," Myand'r replied. Luand'r appeared to take minor offense to this, turning her back and folding her arms over her chest.
"Mother! Father! You have arrived!" Starfire cried, leaping into the air from where she and the other Titans stood unloading the T-Car below. She soared up to the roof of the Tower and threw her arms around her mother, who cried out in surprise and immediately hugged her in return.
"My darling one! Look how beautiful you are today! Your father and I have missed you so!" Luand'r cried.
"Oh, mother, father, I have missed you as well! Come! Meet my friends and my betrothed!" Starfire cried, leading the way down to the ground.
Before following her, Myand'r leaned over to his wife and gruffly commented, "I told you we were on the right planet!"
