Hey, dudes. Another one of my one-shots. Enjoy.
I don't own the Teen Titans… yet. Oh yeah, contains lyrics form the song "Emotional" by Diana DeGarmo. I don't own it either, but maybe someday when I've taken over the world…
Now, you ignore my ramblings and go. Read. Now.
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"For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,
Who art black as hell, as dark as night."
William Shakespeare, Sonnet CXLVII
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Starfire looked at the rack of sports equipment, checking to see if anything was missing.
"Oh! We have left the volleyball on the tower rooftop!" She announced, though no one was listening. She flew over to the elevator and pressed the roof button.
The elevator arrived at the destination with a quiet "beep," and Starfire walked out quietly.
"Thank you, wonderful transportation device," She whispered just as the doors closed again. She was about to look around when she heard voices on the other side. She pressed her body against the wall to see who the voices belonged to. Of course, she already knew.
Robin and Raven were sitting close to each other, facing the starlit sky.
"It feels wonderful to just be able to sit back and talk to someone," Robin said, pulling a knee up to his chest and leaning back, resting his head on folded arms.
"I know," Raven replied, her tone the softest Starfire had ever heard her use.
"Thanks. You're a great conversationalist, you know that?" Robin had the tiniest hints of a jibe at the comment.
Raven turned to him, giving his leg a slight shove. "Oh yeah? Well, you too."
"I love stargazing. Don't you?" He changed the subject.
"Yes." Raven fell back too, both knees up, her hands on her chest.
"Look at that one. Looks like an archer, with the long line and the triangle at the tip. And the felt hat, just like…" She trailed off, laughing softly.
"What?" Robin slanted his head. Now their faces were only inches away.
Starfire saw Raven's cheeks redden slightly. "Robin Hood."
Robin chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard worse."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
There was a moment of silence between them. Starfire felt like in every breath she took they would find her out.
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"There's another one. Looks like a lion, no, two lions, fighting. Do you see it?" Robin broke the silence, pointing to a bunch of stars in the sky.
Raven nodded. "Yeah, I see it. That's a pretty grotesque picture you're seeing there."
He laughed again, the sound deep and thorough. Raven unknowingly smirked.
"Can you blame me? I've been in fighting in battlefields since I was, I dunno, ten?"
"Excuses. You're full of them."
"It's in my nature."
Starfire saw Raven sit up, hugging her knees. Robin sat up too, touching her arm.
"You okay?"
"Sure. Just a little cold." She pulled her cloak closer to her. Robin pulled her back down and wrapped an arm round her shoulders. She rolled over to her side, one hand hesitantly lying on his chest to absorb some of his body heat.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah." She mumbled. "We are in a very weird position." She whispered into his ear.
"I know. If Beast Boy comes in here and sees us like this, we'll never hear the end of it."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Who cares, right?"
Robin placed a gloved hand on the one on his chest, fingers closing over it. "Right."
Starfire covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the gasp that slipped from her lips. Robin had never enclosed her in an embrace like that before…
"That one's like a bear. A polar bear." Raven sighed, letting her words fall to nothing.
"What's the difference? Anyway, I can't see it."
"That's because you're looking at it wrong."
Robin tilted his head, eyes adjusting to see a group which suddenly resembled a bear, if barely.
"See?" She said in a "know-it-all" tone.
"See? That's what eyes are for."
The remark got him a slight whack on the forehead. Not that he really minded. His masked eyes traced the black sky for anything interesting.
"I think I'm seeing Mars. You see that red dot over there?"
Raven closed her eyes, not caring. "Yeah." She cuddled closer to him.
Starfire watched the scene with disbelieving eyes. She should have seen this a mile away. Still, she can't help but be a little jealous.
Why Raven? Why not her? Raven, who was dark, cold, secretive, guarded, and mysterious…
That was when it occurred to her. Those were traits that were also present in Robin, things she feared in him.
She could not relate to him in those things; he needed someone who was more like him, who could help him in the right way when he required it. Much as she hates to admit it, Robin and Raven needed each other.
Robin proceeded to kiss the top of Raven's forehead. Raven squeezed his hand tighter, wishing to prolong the moment. It was too breathtaking, a spell they were going to break by sheer accident.
"Raven, I…" His voice was thick and slow, threatening to break with emotion. He spoke like he was in a trance, enchanted by the beauty of this dark angel he was holding in his arms, her voice the equivalent of everything being right in the world.
Raven put a slender finger to his lips. "Don't say it. Just… just enjoy it."
Starfire could clearly see Raven smile –it was a perfect smile, perfect curve of lips, perfect balance between joy and affection- and couldn't help but be drawn to the rare sight. A smile that meant a thousand words. She could see that Raven was beautiful, pale skin bathed in moonlight, lilac hair fanning out, and deep amethyst eyes twinkling with something she could not place.
"Sometimes I feel like crying
Laying down and dying
That's when I need you…
"Laughing's always easy
But sometimes I'm just scared you'll leave me…
"That's when I feel…
"Emotional…"
The words of the song played on Raven's lips as she sang in a sweet, mellow voice, the melody something you could get lost in.
Robin breathed deeply as he smiled too. Her Robin. Her boy. But a voice in her head was telling her how wrong she was.
Starfire turned away, letting her eyes dart anywhere, rest on anything but the couple on the rooftop. The multitude of stars sparkled with feral delight, making her blink before they shone too brightly.
Did she interpret his actions incorrectly? All the dazzling grins, the encouraging words, the occasional comforting gesture of his hand…
She bit her lip. The pain helped her accept that he was not hers, never was, and never will be hers. And if it was much too late to pretend it didn't hurt, she could at least shove it down so deeply inside her that he, or anyone else, would ever know.
Her eyes burned fiercely with unshed tears. She simply felt overloaded.
Though accepting the cold, hard truth made her feel like someone was tearing her heart out with a jeweled dagger, she knew she could do nothing to change it. It was like seeing someone you cared about being pushed off a building, then as you watch them fall slowly, you think that you could have stopped it, amidst thoughts of grief and rage as you wait for them to hit the ground, while you are powerless to prevent it from happening.
She decided that she must become happy for her friends. It would be hard, but it would be the right thing to do. She blearily told herself that she would be happy to see Robin happy. And maybe, that was all that mattered.
The night almost lost its darkness as more stars emerged, burning brightly in the sky.
So, people, what do you think? I'm in one-shot madness as of the moment and nothing is stopping me. I dunno how I came up with this… weird… anyways, whatever you have to say…
REVIEW!