My Strength, and Greatest Weakness
by Blue Ten
Summary:
Jump City has been quiet on the crime front for the past few months and the Titan's are starting to get restless. Starfire tries her best to raise the Titan's spirits, even after Slade meets a rather pointless death. A night at the fair brings Robin and Starfire closer than ever. But when a man calling himself Fear shows up, things start to go horribly wrong. RobinxStarfire.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Teen Titans. Teen Titans owns me!
Chapter 3: Our Silver Lining
Guilt weighed heavily on the Titans' shoulders, they had wanted the alarm to sound, in part, they felt responsible. It was the second time they had watched Slade die, but the first time was more of an accident, this was different. This, was murder. The fact that Slade had fought his way through hell to find his soul, and even aided the Titans in saving the world, only to die again shortly after, made it even worse.
The Titans sat in the main room as they had the day before, remorse in place of boredom. He was their greatest enemy, the utmost threat to the safety of the city, and yet they were saddened by his passing. Such an anticlimactic and meaningless death, they wouldn't wish it on anyone, even Slade. A death in which the mind is consumed by fear, the worst kind of death.
"Friends, we should not blame ourselves for what happened." Starfire suddenly broke the silence, everyone turned their attention to her.
"I know Star, it's just that--" Robin started.
"She's right Robin, no one could have stopped it from happening." Raven interrupted, she wanted to believe her own words, but still felt guilty. Robin looked at the floor. They were right, what could he have possibly done to prevent it, what could anyone have done?
"I cannot stand to see my friends this way... We should always hold on to what makes us happiest, even in the shadow of dark moments. Please friends, do not allow what has transpired to break your spirits." Starfire was holding back tears as she spoke. The Titans looked around at each other, after hearing Starfire's words they realized that although Slade's death seemed pointless, it is in the past, a memory, and it cannot be changed. They now understood that this experience was something to gain strength from, a reason to press on, and never let go of hope and happiness. The weight had been lifted. Everyone's face lit up with smiles, even Raven's.
"Thanks Star." they said in unison. Starfire giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes. It was amazing how a few simple words could mend the deepest wounds.
"Well what are we moping around here for? We should be doing something fun!" Cyborg exclaimed as he stood up from the couch, feeling rejuvenated.
"Yeah! Let's Go! ...Uh, where are we going?" Beastboy asked as he shot up from moping position. Raven rolled her eyes at this, but inwardly she was laughing.
"Actually, if you are feeling up to it, I thought we could go to the moving park of amusement. We have gone this time every year, and we should not break tradition." Starfire suggested, now back to her normal, cheery self. The rest of the Titans stared at each other, in their previous state they had forgotten all about it, even though they had gone every year. The room erupted in cheers and smiles. Starfire giggled and clapped her hands together. Robin could only gaze at her in amazement. She had always been the team's silver lining, the one to look to when trying to find the bright side of things. But she meant so much more to him.
"How 'bout some dinner before we go?" Cyborg proposed, walking to the kitchen.
"Great! I'll get the tofu!" Beastboy added and ran to the fridge.
"BB, we wanna fill our stomachs, not empty them out." Cyborg mocked. The tofu-meat debate continued. Robin, Starfire, and Raven could hardly contain their laughter. Things really had returned to normal.
- - - - - -
Situated in Jump City's main park, a central park of sorts, the fair lit up the starry night sky like, well, like a carnival. The ferris wheel, the food, all the games and attractions, so much to do, and all the time in the world. For once the Titans were glad the crime level had dropped, there would be no distractions this time, they could stay until the fair closed. Robin was especially thankful for this, as he wanted to ask Starfire to watch the fireworks with him on the ferris wheel.
All the Titans had separated, finding there own things to do. Beastboy was hanging around the snack stands, annoying the people behind the counters with his questions about tofu-alternatives, as well as trying to impress the ladies with his 'quick wit' and 'sense of humor'. Cyborg was busy winning every game and contest at every booth. Raven was having fun, watching Beastboy make a fool of himself. The fireworks would start in a few minutes, and Robin was searching for Starfire.
A crowd of people had gathered around Starfire who was holding a large wooden mallet. She raised it high in the air and swung it down fast. The crowd's collective jaw dropped as they watched the bell on the strength tester break in half and fall to the ground. At this point Starfire was unsure as to whether or not she had done something wrong, until the crowd issued a round of applause. Robin chuckled, "Hey Star!" he yelled above the crowd, waving her over. Consequently, all the young girls who had been in the crowd turned to see Robin, and with a collective gasp, began to swarm around him, asking for autographs, among other things. Robin was caught off guard and started looking a little nervous. Starfire noticed this and quickly pushed her way through the fangirls. Wrapping her arm around his, she managed to walk Robin out of the swarm, the majority of which was now crying. Relieved, Robin let out the breath he had been holding in, "Thanks Star." he said, noticing she hadn't unlocked their arms yet.
"It was, how you say, my pleasure." she replied, grinning innocently. Starfire looked back at the girls who were watching them walk away, some were now glaring at her, "You are quite popular, yes?" she asked.
"Well, we are the city's heroes. I guess were kinda like celebrities." he replied, trying to avoid the fact that most of the girls were attempting to steal kisses and/or ask for dates. Robin noticed that they were walking in the direction of the ferris wheel, 'Did she already want to go with me?' he wondered.
"Hey Star, I was wondering... Would you like to watch the fireworks with me on the ferris wheel?" Robin asked, trying hard not to let his voice crack.
Starfire's eyes widened, "Oh yes! That would be most wonderful!" she replied enthusiastically. Robin then let out another breath he had been holding in. The night had gone perfectly, so far.
Robin opened the half-door to the ferris wheel seat and Starfire sat down. Robin, attempting not to imply anything, tried not to sit too close to her, difficult as it was. The ferris wheel began turning as soon as the fireworks started. Starfire watched the fireworks intently, an open-mouthed smile on her face, with every new burst of color in the sky. She loved the fireworks ever since the first time she had seen them, on this very same ferris wheel, with Robin. The fireworks were spectacular as usual, but Robin couldn't take his eyes off her.
- - - - - -
Cyborg walked over to where Beastboy was still 'impressing' his fans.
"Hey BB, can I tear you away from your adoring public for a while?" Cyborg asked sarcastically.
"In a minute, I'm on a roll here." he replied, oblivious.
"Aw c'mon, I've got a plan, and it's a good one." Cyborg whispered his plan to Beastboy.
Beastboy fell over laughing, "That is a good one!" he said holding his sides.
Cyborg began pulling Beastboy away, who was still laughing hysterically on the ground. The girls who Beastboy had been talking to, turned to each other and giggled. Seeing Cyborg and Beastboy walk away, Raven followed them to make sure that they weren't going to stir up too much trouble, but when she saw what they were planning, she found herself suprisingly supportive of it.
"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!" Beastboy said.
- - - - - -
"Hey Star?" Robin asked. He hated to break her attention away from the sky, but he really wanted to talk to her.
"Yes?" Starfire responded as she turned to him, the same cute smile on her face. This relieved Robin quite a bit, he was afraid he would annoy her by interrupting.
Robin nervously scratched the back of his head, "I wanted to... thank you, for cheering us up, and reminding us about the fair. I'd hate to think about what we'd be doing right now if it hadn't been for you..." not quite what he was going for, but it worked.
"Robin, there is no need for--" she replied, being modest.
"No, no, it has to be said," he continued, giving her a smile, "I just want you to know... you're very important to m--the team." Robin mentally slapped himself for almost letting that slip.
"Oh, Robin." Starfire said, her eyes were shiny, she looked like she was about to cry. Suddenly, something went wrong, or... just right. The ferris wheel came to a stop, and Robin and Starfire were at the very top, with a perfect view of the fireworks.
"Stay calm, we should have this fixed in about an hour!" a man yelled from the ground. Robin and Starfire could hear the other passengers groaning about this, however, they couldn't be happier. As the fireworks wound their way up to the finale, Starfire moved closer to Robin, he swore he could hear his heart pounding in his chest. She wrapped both her arms around his left, and rested her head on his shoulder, "You are very important to me as well." she whispered, still watching the fireworks.
- - - - - -
Returning home, the Titans opened the door to the common room, dead tired. Beastboy, too tired to find his room, collapsed on the couch. Raven levitated to her room, falling asleep on the way, somehow she managed to make it to her bed.
Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg stood near the door, stretching and yawning. Cyborg turned his attention to Robin and Starfire, "So, you two have a nice time up there?" he asked with a sly tone, obviously referring to the ferris wheel. A quickly muffled laugh could be heard from where Beastboy was.
"Yes! It was most nice!" Starfire responded happily.
"Yeah, why?" Robin replied, in too good of a mood to let Cyborg mess with him.
"No reason," Cyborg said, another laugh was muffled from Beastboy's position. "Well, I better go recharge before I shutdown right here, 'night." he continued as he made his way to his room.
"Goodnight friend Cyborg. Goodnight Robin." She smiled as she yawned and flew off to her room. Robin caught her on her way in.
"Star... if you're not too tired, could you meet me on the roof tomorrow? There's something I've been wanting to tell you." Robin tried to keep his face from turning red while he spoke.
"Of course. I shall." She answered, wondering what it could be that he wanted to tell her. She knew what she wished it was. "Pleasant dreams." she said as she entered her room, a hopeful smile on her face.
Robin had thought about this for a long time. He knew he had feelings for her, but until tonight, he hadn't realized how strong those feelings were. 'I've made my decision,' he thought, 'I'll tell her tomorrow and hope she feels the same way'. He cringed at the thought of Starfire rejecting him and wiped it from his mind. Then, he thought about how she had held onto him on the ferris wheel. 'Maybe she does feel the same way.' a hopeful smile spread across his face.
Author's Note: This was my longest chapter yet and I'll try to keep future chapters at a similar length.
Also, I'd like to send a special thanks to the people who reviewed. You give me a reason to keep writing.
Next Chapter Preview: Robin wants to confess his feelings to Starfire. But after a strange dream, will his plans go off without a hitch? Find out in Chapter 4: Taken.