AN: Um... a bit short, but should do for now. I finished it a few days ago and was intending to add to it, but I realized that that would take forever. My, I write slowly.
Starfire walked slowly down the hall and stopped in front of Raven's door. Hesitantly, she reached out to knock and paused with her knuckles inches from the smooth, metallic surface. She wanted to help Raven, she really did, but deep within she doubted whether she could. Starfire knew that, sometimes at least, Raven thought of her as a bit of an idiot, and she didn't know whether she could get the other girl to listen to her.
But then, there had been those few, rare instants when Raven had confided in Starfire, and she had sensed a special sort of bond between them. It was a trust entirely different from the kind Starfire shared with Cyborg or Beast Boy, or Blackfire before she turned into a betrayer, or that strange and confusing brand of faith she had in Robin. Raven, she reminded herself, didn't even have anyone to trust the way she trusted Robin. If she were to be helped in this confusing time, it would be up to Starfire to do the helping.
Taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes, she knocked.
"Go away Starfire," said Raven's even voice, muffled through the door.
"How did you know..."
"That it was you?" the muted voice interrupted. "I've been expecting you."
"Oh." There was a moment's silence, then Raven asked "Are you gone yet?"
"No, and I do not intend to leave."
"I suspected as much. Listen, I've already made my decision, so nothing you say is going to have any effect on what I do. Got it?"
Starfire turned and leaned her back against the door, her head turned sideways so that her ear was turned to the metal. "I know that, Raven. I know you think I am completely... unaware, but truly I am not. I simply wanted... wanted to remind you that you are not the only one who is away from home. You are not the only one who is scared that some of the things that you left behind will follow you here, and destroy the new home you are trying with all your might to create, but at the same time misses Allonian Barat and Chaklan poetry readings and... and never mind."
She hesitated and plucked at the skirt of her white nightgown before continuing.
"If my home planet were in danger, I do not know whether I would be able to leave, leave my new friends, my new family, to help it. I truly do not. Raven, you may go or you may stay, but you will not be alone."
Starfire fell silent and listened for an answer through the door. None came. A long moment passed in silence.
She stood straight and turned around, looking at the door. "Raven?"
As if answer, it slid open, and Raven stepped out. She was fully dressed, wearing her deep purple cloak with its cowl pulled up to throw a sharp shadow over the upper part of her face.
"Raven!" said Starfire again, this time in surprise.
"I told you I already made my decision, didn't I?" She turned and walked quickly down the hall, the her cloak streaming slightly behind her. At the head of the stairs she turned.
"And Starfire," she said, her eyes beneath the shadow of her hood looking away from the other girl, "I don't think you're unaware."
With that she turned and disappeared down the stairs. Starfire stood, silent, in front of the open door leading to Raven's bedroom for a long minute before coming to her senses and running
after her friend.
Starfire walked slowly down the hall and stopped in front of Raven's door. Hesitantly, she reached out to knock and paused with her knuckles inches from the smooth, metallic surface. She wanted to help Raven, she really did, but deep within she doubted whether she could. Starfire knew that, sometimes at least, Raven thought of her as a bit of an idiot, and she didn't know whether she could get the other girl to listen to her.
But then, there had been those few, rare instants when Raven had confided in Starfire, and she had sensed a special sort of bond between them. It was a trust entirely different from the kind Starfire shared with Cyborg or Beast Boy, or Blackfire before she turned into a betrayer, or that strange and confusing brand of faith she had in Robin. Raven, she reminded herself, didn't even have anyone to trust the way she trusted Robin. If she were to be helped in this confusing time, it would be up to Starfire to do the helping.
Taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes, she knocked.
"Go away Starfire," said Raven's even voice, muffled through the door.
"How did you know..."
"That it was you?" the muted voice interrupted. "I've been expecting you."
"Oh." There was a moment's silence, then Raven asked "Are you gone yet?"
"No, and I do not intend to leave."
"I suspected as much. Listen, I've already made my decision, so nothing you say is going to have any effect on what I do. Got it?"
Starfire turned and leaned her back against the door, her head turned sideways so that her ear was turned to the metal. "I know that, Raven. I know you think I am completely... unaware, but truly I am not. I simply wanted... wanted to remind you that you are not the only one who is away from home. You are not the only one who is scared that some of the things that you left behind will follow you here, and destroy the new home you are trying with all your might to create, but at the same time misses Allonian Barat and Chaklan poetry readings and... and never mind."
She hesitated and plucked at the skirt of her white nightgown before continuing.
"If my home planet were in danger, I do not know whether I would be able to leave, leave my new friends, my new family, to help it. I truly do not. Raven, you may go or you may stay, but you will not be alone."
Starfire fell silent and listened for an answer through the door. None came. A long moment passed in silence.
She stood straight and turned around, looking at the door. "Raven?"
As if answer, it slid open, and Raven stepped out. She was fully dressed, wearing her deep purple cloak with its cowl pulled up to throw a sharp shadow over the upper part of her face.
"Raven!" said Starfire again, this time in surprise.
"I told you I already made my decision, didn't I?" She turned and walked quickly down the hall, the her cloak streaming slightly behind her. At the head of the stairs she turned.
"And Starfire," she said, her eyes beneath the shadow of her hood looking away from the other girl, "I don't think you're unaware."
With that she turned and disappeared down the stairs. Starfire stood, silent, in front of the open door leading to Raven's bedroom for a long minute before coming to her senses and running
after her friend.