The Young and the Hopeless
Chapter 9: Hop, Skip, Jump
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Starfire decided, scant minutes into her shower, that it would have been the best shower she had ever experienced had two things been different. Were the skin over her knuckles not cracked from fighting her sister's weak twin, she would not have had to spend several minutes watching her own blood mix with the hot water down the drain. Had Robin taken up her blatant offer to join her in the steaming spray, she would have been less inclined to hurry through the methodical bathing. As it stood, however, she sped through the bathing part and hurried out of the steaming bathing room.
And smacked directly into a very tired looking, very bare chested Robin. X'Hal was surly punishing her for some crime she was unaware of.
Her Robin had looked at her with wide eyes, spun her back around in the direction of his room, and muttered something confusing about covering up. Taking stock of her appearance, the red head decided that she was indeed covered, in a nice fluffy towel, and that it was Robin who should be following his own advice. With a small smile plastered on her lips, the princess of Tamaran grabbed a brush from her room before letting herself into her "boyfriend's" room. Sitting on the edge of his bed, noticing that he hadn't had time to meticulously straighten the cover she had unmade, Starfire began running her brush through her damp locks and waited.
There were many things she did not understand on Earth and her Boy of Wonder had a category all to himself. He tried, the alien mused, to explain "just friends" versus "boyfriend and girlfriend," not to mention how the Earth differed from Tamaran on matters of sex, courtship, and emotion. Starfire decided that he did a much better job of playing the Titan's detective. Even after she had brought him back to the Tower for Raven's prescribed "shower and a nap," Robin simply went all red and refused to speak to her.
After twenty four hours of not kissing him, the lack of contact was beginning to wear on her nerves, which was why she was tucked away in Robin's room, sitting on the edge of his bed in nothing but a towel. She would be Koriand'r, putting Starfire away for a moment, and try to do a better job of explaining than Robin had. If Raven, whose father was evil incarnate, and Beast Boy, who was a green shape shifter, could work out a solid bond than she was sure that all was not lost for her and her Robin. Hearing the water shut off down the hall, Kory tossed the brush gently across the room and waited.
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The leader of the Teen Titan's decided he was being unfairly punished for some crime he'd committed against the universe. Having not caught a good glimpse of Star for several days, the fact that she arrived in the middle of the city wearing only one of his shirts and her purple boots had managed to drain all of the coherent thought from his brain. And then she'd been panting and rather wild looking and he swore he'd kill Beast Boy and Cyborg if they ever happened to see her like that again. Just when he'd somehow managed to get his raging hormones in check, she'd wrapped her arms around him and took off with her body pressed firmly against his own.
Robin wasn't quite sure how he'd managed to touch down on the roof of the Tower and not rip her clothes off right there, but, he had and he'd done a very good job of it. He truly deserved his name of "Boy Wonder" for not taking up her shower invitation and taking the leggy, absolutely gorgeous red head right then and there. Surely even Batman didn't have that kind of personal fortitude. But, he had to remind himself that he was, in fact, the leader of the team and there was a dangerous villain to deal with.
He knew that if he started anything with Star now, they'd even up in bed all day and no force on Heaven or Earth would be strong enough to make him stop then. He was only human after all.
Toweling his hair dry and slipping his mask back on to his face, Robin decided to take Raven's advice and nap. Cyborg had promised to do some research while the other Titan's rested, in hopes that it would uncover something about the newest threat to Jump City, and he was in no mood to help out. Even if the information from S.T.A.R. labs had been helpful, it still didn't excuse the fact that Cyborg had gone behind his back after Robin had specifically told him not to. Squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose, he entered his room silently and it was all he could do to keep breathing.
Dick Grayson decided he was the luckiest bastard in the entire universe. Starfire was laying on the edge of the bed, still clad in the towel he had gruffly told her to change out of, and looking like an angel. Her green eyes were shut, her lips parted softly, and her chest rising and falling slowly. Sinking down on the mattress of his bed, careful not to wake his sleeping princess, Robin brushed a lock of hair out of Star's face and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Mmm…oh, my apologies, I was going to surprise…"
Even when she sat up and the towel dipped dangerously low, Starfire was still the picture of innocence. Chuckling softly and kissing her again, this time of the tip of her nose, he wondered how he could have taken so long to profess his feelings for her. The warm heat of her body against his was enough to bring all his thoughts, romantic and otherwise, to a crashing halt. When her lips claimed his and her hands sought to undo the white cotton around his waist, Robin simply gave up. For the first time in a long time he felt warm and safe and loved. And tracing his fingers along the smooth skin of her abdomen, he realized that she was the closest thing to love as he was ever going to get.
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Star, because that's what her Robin had called out so many hours before, woke to the feeling of strong, warm arms wrapped around her body. Careful not to disturb the figure beside her, she slipped out of his grasp and slowly ran her hands down her body. Perhaps Raven had been right when she had said that nothing changed after this mating; quite frankly, she didn't feel any different. Brushing her damp bangs away from her forehead, Star made to snuggle back against Robin and was startled to find his masked eyes open and watching her.
"Oh, it was not my intention to wake you. I simply wanted to check that no physical changes had resulted from our mating, Robin."
She watched him cringe ever so slightly and felt as if her heart had dropped out of her body. Body taut, bracing herself for whatever unpleasantness that was to follow, Starfire didn't realize she was holding her breath until Robin began running his thumb along the varied marks that marred her usually flawless skin.
"Well, I think I left a mark here…and there…and well, I'm sure you did some damage yourself. You're all right though…it's different from my side of things…you don't…hurt?"
His voice was so soft and full of concern that she couldn't help but shake her head. Granted, she felt a little sore, but, every Earthly source she'd ever encountered said that it was normal. Not that it mattered because she finally had her Robin and he was lying beside her and touching her face. A communicator went off moments later and when her bed partner made no move to answer it, Star reached her arm over his body to retrieve it. Stopped by his hand, she made an annoyed sound and frowned.
"But our friends…"
"I don't ever want you to feel like you have to call me Robin when we're in here…doing this…again. So, Kory…outside of this room I can be your Robin, but, I'm just normal, average Dick Grayson in here with you. How's that sound?"
"Wonderful…"
Answering the communicator moments later in a rather love-struck haze, Kory attempted to angle the view screen in such a way that Dick's nibbling on her earlobe wouldn't be apparent to Cyborg. Silence ticked by before the cybernetic man let out a triumphant whoop and whipped around to face Beast Boy.
"I told you they were doing it…that's five bucks, sucker, five easy bucks."
"Awww man, but, I was sure that…"
"Just remember, love, someone still has to eat his own leg."
A groan replaced Cyborg's beaming smile and every occupant in the Tower except the resident goth blushed at her use of "love" to refer to the green changeling. Clearing her throat in an attempt to get everyone's attention, the princess raised and eyebrow and ignored what her boyfriend was currently doing with his hidden hands.
"As pleased as I am that you have finally learned to not barge into the rooms of others, I still wish to know why you have interrupted."
"Oh, yeah, that…right! Seems like the computer's picked up some weird disturbance underneath the park that matches energy given off from earlier today and I thought ya'll would want to check it out."
The flashing red lights droned out Cyborg's smug tone and Star fumbled with the communicator in an attempt to shut it off. Untangling herself from her Robin, she made a hurried attempt to find her clothes. Stopping up short when she felt his hand on the small of her back, Starfire took the proffered towel and rushed down the hall. Even though that disturbance had made itself known, she couldn't help up giggle at Robin's words even as she raced to change into her uniform.
"I never, ever want to see you in something other than your uniform in the middle of Jump City…"
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Quick Note: Finally! Our favorite couple gets lucky. I'm hoping that you have as much fun reading this chapter as I did writing it. Although the opening scene of the first chapter was by far my favorite, this one runs a close second. If you're good, I might manage to finish this up within the next day or so.