Gravis: Once again I apologize for my absence. My interests wane with the moon and I can never seem to finish a project once I've gotten off to a good start with it. Here's another go at it though. I do, however, start college soon, so bear with me if I don't update often. Also, I stay very busy with my Halo 2 movie making clan. Visit us at we've got a few funny movies and if you're a Halo fan, email me to find out about joining up with us.
Chapter 4:Twlight Talks
Robin awoke to the sound of soft breathing and the crystalline noises of snow softly colliding with glass. A warm presence was pressing against him the weight of its body limp against him but warm with life and comfort. Slowly he opened his eyes to view the room around him. He smiled. The main living room of Titan's Tower had been transformed into a strange hybrid of cultures. On every wall hung exotically colored furs with intricate designs speaking of something alien but beautiful. Accompanying the furs were oddly shaped bells and glittery ornaments of otherworldly craftsmanship. Robin smiled wider as the strange ornaments mingled seamlessly with the more familiar vestments of an earthling's Christmas. Artificial, but convincing, evergreen vines were draped alongside the bizarre pelts. These green vines were laden with red boas and silvery bells of an elfin variety. In the place of the large television monitor that often commanded attention in the living room, there was now a small conifer taking up residence. The tree, too, was false, being an assemblage of metal framing and fake evergreen needles, but it did provide a convincing replacement and mercifully spared some other, real tree the fate of being uprooted or worse, cleaved at its trunk. Glimmering lights were laced in a zigzagging pattern across the entirety of the tree. Some blinked and some shone brightly and constantly. They all varied in color from red to green to blue to yellow, all casting strange and shifting shadows of color across the walls of the gargantuan room.
Soon, though, Robin turned his attention to something he considered much more beautiful than all the decorations conjured by Humans, Elves, or Tamaranians. There, tightly wrapped in the shawl of slumber and leaning against him for support, slept Starfire, the Tamaranian girl who had skipped her way across the stars to Earth in search of adventure. The previous night had been filled with laughter and decorating as Robin and Starfire had covered the room with the many splendid decorations of two aged cultures. For the first time – in a long time – there had been a feeling of peace and happiness that had managed to creep its way into Robin's heart and fill him so completely that the glow of it still radiated outward from him.
"Star" he smiled and nudge her gently. She murmured softly and shifted position, finding a more comfortable place to rest her head on his shoulder. Robin couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he watched her sleep peacefully against him. They hadn't meant to stay up as late as they had decorating, but both had found that as time passed they were less willing to give into sleep, each energized by the other's playfulness and the excuse of excessive redecorating. Finally the wee hours of morning had begun to wear on them. Both had dozed off to sleep before they could think to go back to their rooms. Now the clock on Robin's communicator showed 11:30 AM in bright green symbols.
"I suppose a late breakfast is better than no breakfast at all," he said to himself as he carefully slid out from under Starfire, gently setting her head upon a nearby throw pillow before hoisting himself off the couch. Robin rubbed his head and yawned, walking to the coffee machine. Soon hot black coffee simmered in the pot below the brewer. He had already eaten a modest breakfast of toast and eggs as his coffee was being brewed. He filled a mug with the warm liquid and walked to the window, eager to observe the state of the city that stretched out before him. Under a vale of white Jump City seemed to sleep as peacefully as Starfire who was still curled up on the living room couch. A high wind outside whistled in quiet harmony with the soft tickling of the snow. Clouds still held dominion over the sky, the cold gray of their lining making Robin thankful of the roof over his head and the friendly company slumbering noiselessly behind him. Yet a slippery voice slid in and out of his hearing as he stood observing the world at his feet.
It's nothing, he thought, shaking his head to dispel the strange thoughts that wandered through it. I just need a shower to wake myself up, get a clear head, that's all. He set the coffee mug down on the kitchen counter, walking quickly and quietly towards the door that led to the hallway. The automatic door to his room slid open with a metallic clang and he entered, slipping out of his uniform and stepping inside the adjoined bathroom. He turned the knob of the shower to the "on" position and examined his chin n the mirror for signs of stubble, letting the water heat up before stepping in. He closed the door to the bathroom, locking it before taking off his mask and setting it on the sink. The room was now filled with steam and Robin let out a sigh of relief as he stepped into the shower, warm water washing over him.
"Maybe I have been working to hard," he said letting more water wash over him. He closed his eyes enjoying the heat of the steam. "Maybe they're right, I have a responsibility to the whole city, I can't be killing myself over one villain, despite my personal feelings." His mind flashed quickly to the night that so many years ago had started his long crusade against Slade. Memories of the fire burned behind his eyelids, the skeletal remains of the warehouse looming out of the smoke and crimson to haunt him. Damn it. If I had … just … been there, I might have been able to do … something, and maybe he would still be here. He thought his mind still replaying the events of that night over and over again.
But you weren't, were you Robin? A snake like hiss arose in his mind's ear, chilling him despite the hot water and steam that now enveloped him.
It wasn't my fault. He retorted angrily inside his head, slamming his own fist into the tiled surface of the shower stall.
Oh but it was Robin, you were never their to help. The voice loomed up from the anger swelling inside his head, intensifying it.
"IT WAS NOT!" Robin cried slamming his fist harder into the tile, fracturing some of the smooth white surfaces.
"Robin?" A muffled voice called to him from outside the bathroom. The voice was barely audible over the shower but Robin immediately identified it as Starfire's. He sighed finding little comfort in her worried voice.
I'm just going to worry her if I tell her. He thought turning the shower knob to the "off" position and grabbing a towel before stepping out of the shower. "I'm fine Star, I just slipped in the shower, I'll be out in a few minutes.
"Okay…" came Starfire's reply, even though he could not see her, Robin knew she was reluctant to leave after his outcry in the shower. He quickly dried himself replacing his mask on his face as he stepped into the cool air of his darkly lit room. As he dressed himself he searched for the bitter voice that kept arising in his mind, but was unable to conjure it from the depths again.
"I must be going crazy." He sighed now finished dressing. He made his way back to the kitchen finding Starfire sitting on a bar stool sipping the cup of coffee he had left, untouched on the counter.
"This hot chocolate is truly delicious Robin," Starfire said, smiling weakly at him and taking another sip of the now cooling coffee. Robin grinned, a feeling of warm relief sweeping through him as he watched Starfire drink "hot chocolate".
"Uh … Star … that's … coffee," he held back a chuckle as she took another long swig of black coffee. She gulped hard after hearing Robin, and sputtered slightly putting the mug down.
"Is coffee supposed to taste like a rumpnar's behind Robin?" She asked innocently looking up at him. This time Robin could not help himself and he let out a hearty laugh at her comment.
"I've never heard it expressed that way, but I'm sure that is an accurate description. I only ever drink that stuff when I've had a late night before." He sat down next to Starfire.
"Robin, I was wondering if we could participate in the Christmas custom of exchanging brightly colored boxes that contain gifts," she said tentatively not looking at him. Robin looked away from her to the tree, it did seem to him that it looked rather lonely and out of place with out presents underneath it.
"That's not a bad idea Star, we'd have to go out though. So what do you say are you up for…" he trailed off as he turned to look at Starfire who was no longer sitting on her bar stool. "Uh Star?" he called looking around the room.
"Yes Robin?" Starfire popped up beside him fully clad in winter apparel, a thickly stuffed coat of Earthly origin wrapped around her torso. A pair of insulated ski pants accompanied the coat and the outfit completely disguised the fact that a curvy young woman was wearing it. Robin could only smile at his friend's enthusiasm.
"I'll get my coat," Robin said, walking towards the closet he normally stored his winter clothing in. He rustled around in the closet eventually coming upon a heavy black wool trench coat, a relic from a rich old friend who had long since passed. He stood there staring at the coat taking time to remember its owner before he wrapped it around himself. It had been too large for him when he had first inherited it, but he had grown since then and the coat had not. Now it fit him perfectly, forming a warm barrier between him and the cold. He rummaged around more finding a black wool scarf and an old leather hat warn from years of use. Finally finished, he turned and stood for Starfire's inspection.
"How do I look?" he said raising his arms. Starfire merely giggled bending over slightly to get a better view of Robin's face, his scarf and hat obscuring it so greatly that it was hard to tell who was beneath the heavy coat he now wore.
"I think that Beast Boy would say that you look very much like 'one of those rich old dudes'." Starfire chimed smiling broadly up at him. Robin rolled his eyes but could not with hold the smile spreading across his face.
"Well, shall we then?" asked Robin offering his arm to Starfire and straightening himself and doing his best impersonation of a well-groomed English man. Starfire smiled and took Robin's arm following him to the elevator.
Hours later the odd pair found them selves overwhelmed with gifts for both their friends and each other. They had managed to pack the T-Car full to bursting with their many goodies. Both Robin and Starfire wore broad smiles on their face, each feeling a sense of accomplishment in the inventively sneaky ways they had found of buying gifts for the other. Robin could not have been happier with the events of the day. He and Starfire had had many conversations on the proper gifts for their homebound friends and even debated over which items would be more likely to please Raven, who, they had discovered, was an incredibly difficult person to shop for. There had been laughter and the occasional snowball fight in the street. No one had seen an odder pair, the foreboding and almost grim appearance of Robin was an extreme contrast to Starfire's light, jovial nature. Despite these contrasts, though, they had both felt a bond growing between them, augmenting their friendship and wrapping them together tightly. Warm feelings had swelled up inside each of them and by that evening the level of comfort and relaxation that they shared had grown substantially. After arriving home and unloading the plethora of presents they both settled down on the couch drinking hot chocolate, courtesy of Robin, and listening to old Christmas songs. The odd voice that had been plaguing Robin had not resurfaced since that morning and he began to believe that it might have faded entirely out of existence. Now with Starfire curled up against him and the sun falling low in the sky, his own sanity was the last thing on his mind. He felt as though he could never be more at ease in his life. Starfire slid an arm around him smiling up to him as a romantic Christmas melody played quietly. Her smile faded slightly as she looked at him.
"What's the matter Star?" he asked softly looking down into her wonderful green eyes. They seemed to be hiding something as if she did not want to worry Robin.
"I was wondering about this morning, before I drank the bad tasting coffee," she replied now looking away to at the Christmas tree. "Are you … 'OK' … Robin?" she asked now looking up at him. Robin smiled and pulled her into a tight hug, she seemed to melt against him her figure fitting tightly with his.
"I don't know what's been wrong with me, but what ever it is, it seems to be gone now. I think you had something to do with that." He pulled back from their embrace and looked into her eyes. "Thank you so very much Star, you've given me the first happy Christmas I've had in a long time." She looked back at him her eyes tearing slightly. She smiled back up at him.
"Thank you Robin for making my first Christmas wonderful." She said softly slowly relaxing against him shifting around before finally becoming comfortable. Robin continued to watch her as she feel prey to the sandman for another night. As she drifted off into silent slumber he stroked her hair and watched the colored patterns of Christmas lights dance across the wall. Finally as the night deepened and wind blew he drifted off to sleep warm, comfortable, safe, and most of all happy.
"In my end is my beginning" - TS Eliot, East Coker