Author's note: This chapter has its roots in a song I had the pleasure of listening to: Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman to Me." This isn't a song-fic, though! I just realized that the woman in Billy Joel's song describes the Starfire I have here perfectly. You could just check out the lyrics on the internet considering fanfiction dot net has decided that copying popular song lyrics in story text is plagiarizing the work of others. So… in spite of my having mentioned most clearly that Billy Joel wrote the song and not me, I cannot post his lyrics here.
Summary: Space Cargo Guarding was getting old for Robin. He loved space, but surely there were better things to look forward to than getting to the other side of the stargate. Man-oh-man, was he right...
Standard disclaimers apply.
THE MIGHTY TITAN
Chapter Eight: I Heart Azarath
Robin had no recollection of anything between being told that Azarath was Raven's home and waking up in the supremely comfortable bed he was in, now.
He wasn't a boy who grew up on luxury, though he had known what it was to have a butler trying to instill some form of gentility in him. Alfred had, through the course of Robin's stay in the Mighty Gotham, seen to it that the "young master" would have just the right citrus-scented pillows and sheets, and that Robin would have a proper "gentleman's bedroom" rather than just a "chamber". The upbringing was lost on Robin, of course, but all the same, because of Alfred, he knew what it was like to be a gentleman, even if he couldn't be one to save his life.
Waking up in a strange, unfamiliar bedroom, Robin was surprised that he wasn't more alarmed.
Pushing himself off the pillows, he sat up, running his hand through his hair as he looked around him drowsily.
The room wasn't all that big. It was only a little bit larger than his chamber in the Mighty Titan. The floor was a pearly pink and the walls porcelain white. There were a few decorations here and there, perhaps a cabinet, and aside from the bed, the only other piece of furniture was a writing desk that could double as a dresser and his bedside table. But most distinct of all were the large, scenic windows; doors, really, that encompassed an entire wall, and beyond it was a balcony. Robin could immediately tell that his room was high up in some kind of building.
He looked at himself and saw that he was wearing…
What the hell am I wearing?
It was some kind of filmy cloth that looked like pajamas, but it was all white and practically seam free. He felt clean, too. Somebody had bathed him and put him in these clothes.
That in itself was disturbing.
The next thought that came to him was that he wouldn't be caught dead leaving the room wearing them. Looking at himself, he could see vaguely through the material.
He looked around a bit more and was glad to find his own clothes folded neatly at the foot of his bed. Beside it were his weapons and gadgets. Lethargically, he got out of bed to dress.
He explored his room and found a bathroom of sorts with old fashioned levers and mechanisms for running water. It wasn't that hard to figure out, and he washed off the remainders of sleep from him with the soap and the old-fashioned tube of toothpaste. He got into his clothes and headed out of the room.
The door slid to the side with mechanical efficiency after he gave it a slight push.
As he stood in the long pearly hallway, he couldn't help but notice an odd sensation from within him.
He felt light, like nothing could worry him, which was ridiculous, because he didn't even know where everyone was. And for all he knew, this serene little picture could suddenly turn into a hell-raising nightmare. Yet he was beyond anxiety. He could even say that he was in a pretty good mood.
He heard sounds, like quiet laughter, and he followed it, drawn by the melodic timbre. He wanted to hear it again.
The walk to the end of the hallway was long, but he finally came upon a threshold. He stood there a moment, taking in the tableaux.
There was a rectangular crystal table, large enough to accommodate ten persons; one on each end and four on each side. The table was picturesquely set with colorful ceramic plates and cups, intricate cutlery and crystal ewers. The food looked delicious.
At the head of the table sat Brina; as overwhelmingly beautiful and bright as the first time he saw her. To one side of her was Raven; all darkness and doom. To the other side of Brina sat Cyborg, entranced by their hostess. Their gazes shifted to him.
Beside Cyborg sat Starfire, laughing the laugh that had drawn him, and for the moment, she was oblivious to his presence.
Her laughter dwindled and she followed everyone's gaze. A bright smile spread across her lips. She looked like she was glad to see him.
"Well, hello sleepyhead! Finally, you are awake. We are in the middle of lunch. Come. Sit by me, won't you?"
She wasn't in her old purple clothes. She was dressed in white now, mercifully thicker in material than what he had been in, but for the life of him, he couldn't understand how there could be so much more cloth on her, yet so much more skin. He could see her arms and shoulders and midriff. Even the long skirt had some kind of slit.
He tried to be suspicious of her but he couldn't. Slowly, he replied. "Yeah… sure."
He couldn't really complain about her couture. She was nice to look at. In fact, he could barely take his eyes off her.
Sitting beside her, he wondered if he had always thought Starfire so attractive, or if she just did something… to her hair… maybe...
Starfire giggled softly, pushing some of her hair from off her shoulder. A mild, citrus basil scent wafted to his nose. It was somewhat hypnotizing and a bit disconcerting.
"I trust you slept well, Robin," said Brina, jolting him out of his haze. She spoke his name like it amused her.
Distracted, Robin replied. "Yeah. I did… what happened to me? I didn't realize it was so late. I can't remember anything from—"
"You passed out," said Starfire, piling food on his plate.
His brows knotted slightly, trying to comprehend it.
He never fainted. It was not something he did. He, Robin, called the Boy Wonder by Luna, brought up by Alfred and made tough by Bruce, the Batman, the Dark Knight, did not pass out like some pansy assed… "I did?"
Starfire smiled, shoving a sprig of celery in his mouth. "You did."
For a moment, the notion that he had fainted and the fact that Starfire was practically force-feeding him bothered him, then the feeling was gone, replaced by mild acceptance. He looked at his plate. The slab of roast beef and aromatic gravy was enticing; so were the fresh bread and mounds of mashed potatoes.
The tangy taste of celery in his mouth nudged him back to his senses. He took the stick and began to eat it.
"Chow down, captain," said Raven, stirring a steaming cup of something with a teaspoon. "I bet you're hungry. You didn't have dinner last night."
He stared at her across the table. There seemed to be nothing different about Raven.
"Try the grilled shrimp, champ," said Cyborg while Brina poured him some juice. "Delicious. They sure can cook around here."
Robin thought there was nothing different about Cyborg, either. "I guess I'm hungry…"
Starfire placed delicate fingers on a prettily decorated pot. "Tea?"
He blinked languorously, taking a moment to figure out this fascinating creature that was Starfire. She could have offered him anything at that moment: coffee, tea, death and he would have said yes. "Absolutely…"
She poured the tea and he watched her, half-warily, half-entranced.
He spoke through the mist of his thoughts. "I'm feel kinda weird…"
"It is the temple's doing," said Brina.
Was Brina talking to him? The temple's doing? That made little sense to him.
"The temple affects new arrivals in various ways," said Raven. "Gives them a dose of what they need, or want, or whatever. It's different for everyone. It's only a temporary effect, you understand, and it wears off in a few hours, so those of us who've been here a while don't get affected by it anymore when coming and going, but it's an excellent tool for newly initiated acolytes. The 'dose' tells them a thing or two about themselves, and often, it gives them a sense of what they should focus on, at least at the beginning, during their meditations. It's mostly harmless, really. The worse it could do is make a few overly-serious folks act a little crazy; a little silly. Nothing extreme."
Robin wasn't sure he understood. His attention was momentarily caught by the sliced poundcake on a nearby dessert plate. Poundcake would be delicious with some strawberry jam. He loved the damn things. And it was cut into perfect, bite-sized pieces, too.
He blinked, refocusing his thoughts on what Raven was saying. "What's it doing to me, then? Make it stop…"
Raven arched an eyebrow. "I can't make it stop. It has to stop itself. Anyway, I don't know what it's doing to you. You're the only one who could tell what it's doing to you. I can tap into your emotions if you want and I can find out—"
Just what he needed: More poking into his brain. "No! No… that's fine. Leave me alone. I could deal."
Robin frowned. He didn't like anything or anyone messing with his mind. Shit like that could make me do things…
His eyes caught a glimpse of Starfire's delicate fingers picking up the ornately decorated butterknife. His gaze traveled up her arm and the smoothness of her shoulder.
Shit like this.
He tore his gaze away, blinking rapidly.
"Robin?" said Starfire. "Are you alright?"
Since when had that voice carried such pure melody? He swallowed. "Yeah. I'm great."
Unable to help himself, he gave her another long look.
"Champ," said Cyborg over Starfire's shoulder. "You okay?"
Cyborg's voice snapped him out of his stupor. Caught, by Cyborg no less, he wanted to die right there. He snatched his gaze away from Starfire, refocusing them on the plate in front of him. "Yes! God!"
"Jeez! Chill! I was just asking."
There was a giggle, like music to his ears.
ArghHis hands fisted.
Starfire held a piece of cake to his face. Strawberry jam oozed from the top of it. "You know you want some. If I remember correctly, it's your favorite."
He watched as some of the jam dripped to the heel of her palm. What he would give to put his lips and tongue right there… "W-Whoa…"
She shoved the cake into his mouth without warning and he might have choked on the cake if he hadn't regained his senses and began to chew on it. Swallowing took some effort.
She licked the jam off herself with a shrug.
He pressed his fingers to his temple. He felt a slight moisture on his brow. He looked up and saw Raven eyeing him. He scowled at her. He tried getting some normal conversation going. "Where's Terra? Is Beast Boy alright?"
"Beast Boy will be fine," said Brina. "Terra is with him right now. She has not left his side since last night. Sweet girl."
Robin thought grimly that it could only mean Beast Boy wasn't awake yet. He had to go see Beast Boy. "I gotta go see him…"
"I will take you to see them," said Starfire. "But you must eat first."
For the life of him, he couldn't contradict her. "F-Fine. After eating then… Cy, how's the ship?"
"Had better days, but it'll pull through. A bunch of folks are helping me patch it up. It'll be as good as new when we dock out of here."
"Good to hear. I'll check up on the ship when I'm done seeing Beast Boy and Terra."
Cyborg chuckled. "If you want to, sure, but seriously, don't worry about it. I got it, bro."
"I'll go check up on it, anyway."
He caught Raven and Brina exchanging looks and he narrowed his gaze at them suspiciously.
"Robin," said Raven. "Don't make plans after dinner. There is a meeting we have to attend. I've asked the others to be there and they've said yes."
He arched an eyebrow. "I guess that means I have to go, too. But I'm curious, Raven. Where the hell else do you think I would go?"
She shrugged, her gaze shifting briefly to Starfire. "I didn't say you were going anywhere, I just said keep that slot free. You never know… if you suddenly find yourself preoccupied."
What's that supposed to mean, Raven? he wondered, glaring at her.
"After dinner," said Raven. "Also, it would be nice if you showed up for dinner on time. As per usual when we have outsiders in the temple, dinner will be held at the great dining hall for all the acolytes to sit in. It's 'casual dining', as they call it, so you do not have to worry about dressing up and making speeches or anything like that. "
"Fine," he muttered. He had other things to worry about besides Raven and her innuendos, after all.
He caught Starfire's gaze and she smiled.
It was awesome.
"Christ," he hissed under his breath. The sooner the temple stopped messing with his head, the better.
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Half-way to Beast Boy's room, a bit after lunch, Robin let Starfire lead him with the slightest pull of her hand. He watched her walk in her sexy white outfit and waited, with breathless anticipation, for her to look over her shoulder at him.
No amount of mental scolding had managed to get him to snap out of the strange haze that had settled on his brain.
He tried to rationalize it: He was a healthy guy who had… certain needs that hadn't been fulfilled for quite some time now. And here was a girl who had all the makings of helping him on that aspect. Yet, there was something drastically wrong about chucking the entire thing to hormones, because it was StarfireChildhood friend; sweet little princess; occasionally a thief…
And moocher…
He gritted his teeth.
"Robin, are you sure you are alright? You hadn't said a word to me since you agreed to meet with Raven. Was it something I said?"
"No. It's not—" Her? It's all her, Robin. She's driving you nuts! "Anything like that. It's the temple thing… making me weird…"
"Still? Well, do not worry. It will wear off in a while. But you know what, Robin? I somewhat like this feeling the temple has given me. I have not felt this safe in years. It is like nothing here could hurt me!"
"I could make you feel that way out there, you know." As soon as he said it, he reddened, instantly mortified. It was like his mouth spoke out of turn. "I mean, on the Mighty Titan… we could keep you safe—"
"Like you did with the Gothic?"
Ouch. "That was a fluke. They came out of nowhere, like—"
Her grip on his hand tightened.
She smiled, her cheeks tinting. "That was unkind. I am sorry. Not many people live through a siege conducted by Captain Lorix Harrison. Anybody would be lucky to get out of it alive."
Robin lifted an eyebrow. "Lucky us, then."
"Yes. Lucky us." She stopped in her tracks in front of a door. "We are here. Quietly now, Robin."
She slid the door open and led him into the room.
Sunlight poured in from the scenic windows and everything shimmered pink. There was an extra table beside the bed where a basin with water and a face towel were placed. There were bottles too, containing herbs, and pinned on the headboard was a dreamcatcher, the dyed hemp, feathers and stones laced into an intricately done web.
Beast Boy was asleep, laid out straight on a perfectly plumped pillow and a sheet drawn neatly up to his stomach. It looked like he hadn't moved at all. The cut on his brow had been sewn shut. The stitches were tiny. Whoever did it had cared about Beast Boy's appearance.
He looked cleaned up and he wore the same type of pajamas Robin had found himself in that morning. Beast Boy was attached to a drip, the administering device taped in place at the crook of his arm.
Terra sat beside him on a chair, her head lowered to the side of the bed with her arms serving as her pillow. She was asleep. She did not look well rested and she was still in her old clothes.
"Terra has been here all night," said Starfire softly. "She did not want to leave Beast Boy's side."
Robin tilted his gaze at Terra, smiling slightly. "Yeah. She could get that way."
"She really cares about Beast Boy."
"You know it; I know it; Cy knows it. But does she know it?"
Starfire gently nudged his shoulder with hers. "She does now."
Robin tried not to think about any double meanings he might derive from what she said.
Terra stirred, waking from her sleep with a bit of urgency. "I'm awake! I just—Starfire! Oh my gosh, Robin! You're alright! You fainted—"
"Yeah, I know," he said, placing a hand on Terra's shoulder. "How's Bee?"
Terra's eyes watered for a second before she blinked back her tears. "Everyone keeps saying he's going to be okay, but why isn't he awake yet? I'm just so afraid he won't—you know!" She swiped her tears away, stamping her foot. "And dammit! This stupid temple has been making me weepy and—"
Robin squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "It's alright. Don't cry. Doesn't fit you."
Terra laughed through her tears. "I know it doesn't."
Starfire sat herself on the edge of the bed. "You need a break, Terra. Get some rest."
"I'll get rest right here. I don't want Beast Boy waking up without a familiar face to see. He'll think we abandoned him or something…"
Robin didn't think Beast Boy was in danger of thinking nobody cared about him. Beast Boy's ego tended to delude him into thinking that everyone loved him. But then again, that may just be some kind of behavioral self-defense. "You getting anything to eat?"
Terra nodded. "The folks in this place have been really kind… hard to believe Raven was raised here. You'd think she'd be nicer for it."
Starfire placed a hand on Beast Boy's forehead absently. "Oh, I think Raven is as nice as she could get."
Terra cocked a smile. "Oh, you think so, eh? Jesus, I don't understand you at all."
Starfire arched a quizzical eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "What?"
"Dame like you; hustling your way through the galaxy… shouldn't you be suspicious and jaded and bitter?"
Starfire laughed softly. "And what makes you think I am not?"
Terra scoffed. "Yeah, right."
Starfire laughed again.
Robin watched Starfire; her eyes sparkling with mischief. He wondered about what she was thinking. He wanted to know. He wanted to know, badly.
He shook his head.
If he didn't stop having these weird thoughts, he was in dire danger of banging his head against the wall.
"Maybe when Beast Boy's vital signs remain consistent throughout the day—" said Robin "—we could run him through the Phys Chamber in the ship, just to make sure nothing's wrong. Alright?"
Terra nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah."
"And how's that hip, Terra? You banged it up pretty bad."
She looked up, surprised. Then she grinned. "It's fine, chief. Just a little bruised. How did you know I hurt it?"
He cocked a smile. "I pay attention."
"Should've known. It's what I like best about you, anyway. Always on top of things. Looking out for the rest of us..." She rose from her seat and threw her arms around him. "Thank you!"
He arched an eyebrow. Whatever the temple was doing, it was making Terra emotional.
Starfire bit back a smile and he shot her a warning glare as he returned Terra's embrace with a quick squeeze, patting her shoulder gently.
"Alright, squirt. It's going to be fine. Alright… you can let go now."
Terra sniffed, pulling away awkwardly and sitting herself back down. "O-Okay."
They stayed a long while to keep Terra company. Probably an hour; an hour and a half, and as they talked, Robin observed Terra as she idly adjusted Beast Boy's blanket and held his unresponsive hand.
Reluctant as Robin was to be driven by sentimental notions, he wondered if the subtle change in Terra's gaze as she looked at Beast Boy meant anything. Then again, it could just be the odd state of things.
Beast Boy was the sort of guy who laughed all day and partied all night. And underneath the clownish exterior was a fearless daring—bordering on blissful naiveté—that made him believe he was impervious to the "D" word. To have him unconscious, possibly gravely so, was bound to shake some perceptions, and perhaps none more so than Terra's. She thrived on Beast Boy's lust for life. The only thrill she knew before she met Beast Boy was hacking into planetary mainframes. To have someone show her and prove to her that fun and games wasn't always contained in a microchip did more for her than five years of incarceration. If anything, Terra needed Beast Boy to be alright.
Robin was turning these very thoughts in his head when his gaze fell on the door. He was mildly shocked to find Raven standing at the threshold.
Terra frowned, though she didn't react with her usual quick venom.
When the shock waned, it occurred to Robin that even Terra had the courtesy to acknowledge that the Temple of Azarath was Raven's home, and that Beast Boy was being taken cared of possibly on her behest.
Starfire spoke first with her usual, light cheer. "Raven! How nice of you to visit!"
Raven gave her a bland glance. "Yes. Nice."
She walked in, ignoring the rather hostile glare Terra followed her with. She went to the other side of Beast Boy's bed, staring down at the patient with an unreadable expression.
Robin didn't feel as suspicious about Raven as Terra was, though he had been wary of the dark witch on many occasions. Maybe it had to do with the environment, that Raven, at least when within the temple walls, would not inflict harm on anyone. "To what do we owe the honor of your presence, Raven?"
The witch arched her eyebrow at the overly courteous welcome but made no comment on it. "I came to see if I could do something for the boy."
Terra frowned. "We're fine. We don't—"
Starfire placed a hand on Terra's shoulder to quiet her. "What can you do for Beast Boy, Raven?"
Raven didn't even spare Terra a glance. "I have some healing powers. It's not my specialty, but I'm the only one here who could do it at all, and I could use what power I have competently enough. I won't hurt him."
Robin's brows knotted. "When you say healing powers…"
"I could heal by touch. I'm mostly handy for broken bones and bruises, but I've proven my worth for head injuries and the occasional demon possession."
She spoke it like she was in a job interview, which was slightly disconcerting.
"I'll need your permission, though," she continued. "I have to admit to a certain degree of invasion. With head injuries, I couldn't help seeing certain… things. Some people find that disturbing." She directed a stare at Robin and he flinched. He found that extremely disturbing. "And while ideally, Beast Boy's permission would be appropriate, he's not really in the position to be coherent. You know him best. Would he mind if I try to heal him knowing what my powers could do?"
Robin thought Beast Boy would be amenable, but Terra would know better in this case. He looked to his systems coordinator, waiting for her reply.
Terra frowned, but they could tell she was giving it serious thought. After a minute, she finally nodded. "Okay. Try to heal him. But no funny stuff, Raven."
"When have I ever been funny, Terra?"
Terra made no reply.
Raven said nothing more. She bent over Beast Boy's sleeping form and delicately placed a hand on his forehead. Her hand glowed and a slight heaviness came upon the room.
Robin felt a little uneasy about it and he noticed Terra fidgeting, expressing her own anxiety about the entire thing. It was difficult for her to let go of her mistrust of Raven, but she was willing to make allowances for Beast Boy's sake.
Starfire watched on, showing no hint of discomfort. Of course, she had only just met Beast Boy, and maybe it was only logical that her concern for him did not run so deep, but she had proven to have a great capacity to care for others. She had, after all, shown that she was willing to sacrifice herself to save not only Robin, but the rest of the Mighty Titan crew.
Robin knew then that Starfire was as eager to see Beast Boy better as the rest of them, and by some freak reason, she trusted Raven could help. In hindsight, Starfire was really the only person in the Mighty Titan who trusted Raven at all.
After several minutes, the hard lines on Raven's face eased and the heavy blanket that had befallen the room lifted.
Raven straightened, saying nothing, and for a moment, the silence in the room was distinct.
Then as if the collective uncertainty in the room made a difference, Beast Boy made a sound, his eyes slowly fluttering open.
Terra gasped. "Beast Boy!"
"Gently now…" Starfire crooned.
"I'll be damned," said Robin softly, watching in awe as Beast Boy's gaze gradually began to gain comprehension.
Beast Boy groaned, pressing a hand to his head. "Where is he?"
Terra immediately exchanged worried glances with Starfire. "Where's who, Beast Boy?"
"The fucking driver of the truck that hit me."
Terra released a breath of relief, laughing as she did so. "Oh God, BB! I'm so glad you're alright!" She took his hand, pressing it to her cheek. "I was so worried! And—"
"She stayed with you all night and all morning, Beast Boy," said Starfire. "You hit your head quite hard steering the ship to safety. You were in a coma and Terra took care of you."
Terra blushed.
Beast Boy arched an eyebrow. "Alright, who are you and what have you done to Terra?"
"BB!"
Robin chuckled. "Give the girl some credit, Bee. Cy and I would never have given you the time of day, green fuck that you are."
Beast Boy chuckled weakly. "Yeah, yeah… thanks Terra… really."
Terra smiled. "And… you can thank Raven, too. If it weren't for her, you'd still be out cold."
Beast Boy seemed surprised, and also a bit confused, his eyes roving to Raven who stood impassively to his side. "Wow… well, thanks… even if I don't completely understand what's going on right now…"
Raven showed no change of expression. "Yes, well, it was my fault you were injured, so there. Don't mention it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than watch this little sap fest. Good day to everyone."
She hovered out of the room, all eyes tuned to her with jaws agape.
"Goddamn," said Terra. "That's one tough nut to crack."
Robin couldn't have said it better himself.
Starfire took a deep breath and shrugged. "Well, that is her, I suppose. I still think it was wonderful of her to reach out this way."
"I guess so," said Terra.
Beast Boy was still a bit disoriented and Starfire hastened to call someone to give him a brief check-up. As it turned out, the physician who returned with Starfire also shooed Starfire and Robin out of the room, telling them that the patient needed time to recover before he could entertain guests.
Terra flashed them apologetic looks, but Robin waved it away.
"The doctor's right," he said. "There's plenty of time to see him tomorrow."
Starfire nodded.
Beast Boy waved to them as the doctor peered into his mouth. Only Terra was allowed to stay to keep him company.
When Robin and Starfire stepped back out in the hallway, Starfire took Robin by the hand again.
She smiled sheepishly, as if she was giving him no choice in the matter. "I will take you to the ship, yes?"
"Don't you have anything else better to do than escort me around?"
"Nope! The ort's fed and it is happily lazing around in my room. My day's duties are done."
"Well, that settles it, I guess."
And it did. When Robin thought about it, it wasn't a bad deal at all.
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The ship was situated on an elevated, wide open space, like a huge helipad, and it over-looked the strange, vast forest. Cyborg was welding some body plates on the side of the ship as he hung two stories up on ropes and belts. There were several people helping him make repairs, similarly strapped.
Starfire commented on how astonished she was at the swiftness of it all, telling Robin that the ship looked much worse the previous night.
They watched for several minutes before anyone noticed them.
Cyborg joined them shortly after their presence was hailed. Robin told Cyborg about Beast Boy's recovery and Cyborg seemed pleased, promising that he would check in on Beast Boy that evening before dinner.
Good news given, Robin asked Cyborg about the status of the ship.
Cyborg reported that the repairs were going very well. There was a surprising availability of parts and the only problem Cyborg saw was the need for more plasma cells.
"Obviously, the ones we had are totally shot to hell," said Cyborg.
Robin stifled a groan. "None of them made it?"
"None."
"Shit."
"But, things aren't so bad!" said Cyborg in a cheerful tone.
"How can it not be so bad?"
"Well, my recharging station has a few more hours left in it to work for me, we still have our fuel and we happen to have two plasma cells in availability! Two is enough to get the ship back in the air and run on ion drive for a bit until we could get more plasma cells to power our warp and hyper drives."
"I thought you said they were all shot to hell."
"Ours were shot to hell, but these temple dudes apparently had two in store. I swear these guys must be stashing stuff away for a rainy day, or something."
Robin arched an eyebrow. "That's… convenient."
"Hell yeah. I mean scrap metal, sure, we could get those anywhere in the galaxy, but there were some parts—you know—hard to come-by shit, that they just happened to have. I didn't ask where they got it. It don't matter to me."
"Yeah…" Robin had a feeling that it should matter. "How long are these repairs going to take?"
"A day; day and a half."
Robin hissed, shaking his head. "Christ… I suppose I could still work something out with our Linschoten contact. We're gonna be hella late on the deliveries."
Cyborg scoffed. "Tell them to give us a break. We were attacked by bounty-hunters and we sustained massive damage to the ship. Accidents happen. They'll understand. Worse comes to worse, we'll make a claim from the insurance company."
Robin wished he could always be as laid back as Cyborg. "So everything's fine here? You could give me something to do."
"Now that you mention it, I have a couple of things I'd like to consult with you. You got time?"
"Of course I've got time. What the hell do you think I'm doing here?"
Cyborg shrugged, gazing pointedly at Starfire.
Robin frowned and was about to make a retort when Starfire spoke. "Oh, do not trouble yourself about me, Cyborg! I took Robin here precisely because he wanted to know if there was something that needed doing."
Cyborg cocked a smile, looking to Robin for confirmation.
"You heard the lady," muttered Robin.
That settled things. Cyborg brought Robin to a desk that had the blueprints of the ship laid out flat on the surface. Cyborg had a lot of engineering questions and on several times, he brought out broken ship parts that he had Robin examine. Their discussions took up almost three hours.
Robin wondered if their progress had gone any faster if he wasn't so distracted by Starfire.
She didn't really call attention to herself. She was really just sitting around being undisruptive, and when she wasn't sitting pretty on one of the many crates of equipment, she was talking to an acolyte or two, helping them and engaging them in relaxing conversation as they worked. Not even once did she attempt to disturb Robin and Cyborg.
Finally, Cyborg wrapped up their discussion. "That's it, really. I've already kept you longer than I expected."
"That's fine, Cy. It's no problem. I mean, I ought to really help. It's my ship, you know."
Cyborg chuckled. "Yeah, but I'm your engineer. Leave everything to me, champ. Let Starfire show you around. Enjoy the scenery."
Robin frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Cyborg made a face. "Shees, nothing. What's the matter with you? You've been testy since lunch."
Robin reddened. "Sorry. I'm still a bit disoriented."
Cyborg gave him a pat on his shoulder. "S'okay."
"Look, I need to get a few things from the ship. Any chance I could get some light in there?"
"Sure!" said Cyborg. "Wait here." He left and headed to one of the tool tables.
Probably seeing that they were done talking, Starfire approached Robin. "All done?"
"Yeah. For today, at least. I just need to get a few things from the ship."
"Want company?"
"Nah. I'm fine. Unless you have some stuff to get…"
"Not really."
Cyborg returned, carrying a flashlight. "This is your light."
"Great. No elevators too, huh?" Robin took the flashlight and tested it. It worked fine.
"'Bout time someone used the stairs in that ship."
"Yeah." Robin sighed. "I'll just be a while. I'm just going to get some clothes and a couple of things to read, maybe."
Starfire smiled. "I am not going anywhere. I will wait for you right here."
Robin deferred from asking whether she had planned to wait on him the whole day.
Bracing himself, he went into the dark ship.
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After Robin emerged with his things, Starfire grabbed him by the hand and pulled him along, waving to Cyborg as they went.
"I'll see you at dinner, Cy!" said Robin over his shoulder. He barely caught Cyborg's wave back. He looked at Starfire. He hadn't planned on going with her anywhere, but he supposed he really didn't have anything better to do. "What's the rush, Star?"
"There is a concert! The acolytes… Raven said there is always a group of acolytes who meditate with song and instruments once a week, around this very time. Raven promises that the singing is good. Come, it is an outdoor sound stage."
Robin's lip twitched. Just the thought that he was going to sit through a bunch of songs, possibly sung by a bunch of boys that sound like girls… "I… don't know about this… it's so not my thing…"
She waved off his concerns. "We will leave if you get bored, yes? Besides, I asked the temple cook this morning if he could fix me a picnic basket—"
"You planned this?"
"Oh, I had not planned on taking you with me; I decided that during lunch. It is very seldom that I could be some place where I am not worried someone would try to kidnap me. This wonderful place is perfect! And I thought it would be nice to have you with me." She flashed him a pleading smile. "Please?"
"Umm…"
"Glorious! It is all set, then!"
He couldn't recall saying yes. "But—"
She suddenly stopped in her tracks and he almost crashed into her. She smiled up at him, pinching his chin affectionately as she leaned close. "Do give me a break, Robin. How many girls ask you out on a date that you would turn me down, hmm?"
Robin didn't know what to say, caught in her expectant gaze.
She chuckled. "I thought so. Besides, I dare say I am not bad company." She turned to continue on their way, keeping firm grasp of his hand.
Robin followed without another word of protest.
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The grass surrounding the outdoor soundstage was a peculiar shade of blue. Robin picked at it, curious if it actually felt like grass. It did, but he still couldn't get over the color. The white picnic blanket Starfire had brought was a bright contrast to it.
He looked up at the lavender sky, shading his eyes against the slowly dimming sun. The sun was the same color as any he'd seen, which made sense, really. In the background, the beautifully blending voices wafted in soothing tones. Very few instruments were being played, but it went nicely with the singers. There were a few in the group that were young boys with girlie voices, but as it turned out, it wasn't at all as bad as Robin thought it would be.
The trees ringed the section of the open field that would have held the performers' audience. There were very few walking across the lawn and there were none who had laid out a picnic blanket like they did.
All the same, they had set their blanket underneath the shade of a tree, towards one of the more private corners of the field.
"Bored?" Starfire's voice broke through his reverie.
He turned to her as she sat legs folded to the side and leaning on one arm.
Was he bored? No, not really. Considering they had sat around for an hour and a half and he wasn't feeling restless, it was safe to say he wasn't bored at all. The music was quite nice, and while he and Starfire had exchanged little on the matter of conversation, the silences in between were comfortable. Occasionally, she would say something mildly flirtatious, but instead of being bothered by it, he found it pleasant. Reluctant as he was to admit it, he liked this relaxing, musical picnic. Besides, the food was pretty good.
"No. I'm not bored."
She smiled and sipped daintily from the straw of her tumbler. He had one of his own. The juice was delicious. It tasted like some kind of tropical mix, sweet and tangy.
"You could lie down on my lap if you want."
He missed swallowing and coughed, barely managing to keep the juice from coming out of his nose. "What?"
"Put your head on my lap."
"That's alright—"
"Oh, come on, Robin."
"It's fine." He turned his back on her, red faced. He had only just gotten over the fact that she had called this a "date". He couldn't let her go around actually acting like it was.
"Honestly, Robin, you are so uptight."
She grabbed his collar from behind and yanked him backwards. He was barely able to form a protest before he found himself helplessly staring up at her. She giggled, holding something up in her hand.
He frowned and was about to say something unsavory when she shoved some grape-sized fruits into his mouth.
"Shut up, Robin, and do try to enjoy the moment," she said, laughing softly.
He eyed her suspiciously, chewing the food. The fruit, whatever it was, didn't taste bad at all.
She's kinda soft…
He sighed in resignation. He realized that he wasn't usually this compliant, so it must have been the temple: still messing with his head.
"There now," she said. "Isn't this nice?"
"I guess…"
"Juice?"
"Well—" He made a motion to get up but she held him down with a gentle push.
"I will get it. It is within reach." She reached and handed his tumbler to him. "And if you're good, I will let you have the surprise treat I packed."
"Surprise treat?"
"Yes. The cooks were making these tiny muffins and they're the cutest things. Delicious, too. I brought along some blueberry jam to put on them."
He had to admit; he was beginning to like this. He hadn't been treated this way by a girl in…
Well, I don't think I ever have been treated this way by a girl. They were all just one night stands who snuck out of my bedroom while I pretended to be asleep.
He stopped that line of thinking.
As it turned out, 'being good' meant he didn't kvetch and complain in the next few minutes. She began rewarding him with the muffins, which were as delicious as she claimed.
She giggled. "You have blueberry on your face."
"Where?"
She gently wiped it off with her thumb, just at the corner of his mouth. To rid her finger of the jelly, she delicately popped it in her mouth with a pretty little smack, winking as she did so.
Holy hell… he thought, staring. That was hot.
The laughter of children pealed through his haze. It caught her attention and she looked at them, a faint smile on her lips.
He could tell there were about three or four children, probably not as near as their voices seemed to carry. They sounded like they were playing. He was too lazy to check out the details. Besides, weren't they supposed to be with their mommies, or something?
It wasn't that he hated children. He supposed he liked them just fine. He only disliked them when they were being unruly and when they demanded attention. After his parents died, he learned how to keep out of the way of adults because it didn't do anybody any good pissing them off. He only sought attention from adults when it was important, like when Citadellians wanted to seize control of the ship, or when he needed to search for princesses… he expected to get the same courtesy from kids, now that he was an adult himself.
"What an odd game," she said.
He didn't bother to follow her distant gaze. "That's probably what Alfred said about us when he saw us playing back then."
She smiled briefly, perhaps remembering, before sighing wistfully. "I do miss playing. Odd games and all that."
"When did you stop?"
She laughed. "What, playing? I am not sure, and I could only assume from what you said that you are not quite done with your games. With whom did you share that imagination of yours when I was nowhere to be found?"
"I already told you. I don't have an imagination."
"Oh, you know what I mean, Robin."
Her assumption amused him; that he found a new playmate, but in retrospect, she was right. Sad as he was to have lost his bosom companion and however serious his nature may seem, he didn't quite stop playing. "I managed to keep myself occupied, most times, but then I met Cyborg. He was just Victor, then. He was paralyzed from the neck down, and the Mighty Gotham was hired to transport him to some far-off system where they gave him the body he has now. When I first met him, he had all these stories to tell, from before and during his paralysis. He was an awesome football player. Barely two years into middle-school varsity and colleges were already licking his boots. He's had a lot of playing time, so he got beaten up pretty badly and he knew pain. I thought all his horror stories about broken fingers and dislocated shoulders were awesome. You know how boys get…"
She laughed.
He shrugged. "Months on the ship with only me to bother him; by the time we dropped him off at S.T.A.R. Labs Alpha-Robus, I was familiar with his dreams of becoming an engineer on a space ship. Of course, I promised him that I would give him a call once I had my own ship."
"Then you were alone again."
"It wasn't so bad. I was always occupied trying to find you…" He couldn't believe he said it again. Like an idiot he said it again. He drank juice.
"I am glad I amused you."
He rolled his eyes. "It wasn't like that."
She grinned. "And when did you start playing grown-up games?"
"What grown-up games?"
She winked mischievously. "You know… when girls stopped having cooties."
He arched an eyebrow, trying to pretend he wasn't going to get baited, but he found himself chuckling, turning his eyes away with affected innocence. "Oh. Those games. I don't do that sort of thing."
She laughed, pretending to strangle him. "Liar. Come now. Tell me about those playmates…"
He laughed softly. "Don't say it like that. They didn't jump out of the centerfold."
"They didn't?" Her eyes sparkled.
"Well, I wouldn't call what I had with them games…"
"Oh? They were all serious?"
He grinned. "I wouldn't say that either."
"Explain this conundrum to me." She tried not to laugh as she said it.
He rolled his eyes. "Let's just get one thing straight. I'm no ladies man—"
"I believe you when you say that."
He shot her a sardonic grin. Ha ha. Very funny.
"My apologies. I will be quiet." She pursed her lips, batting her eyelashes at him.
He cocked a smile. "The girls just sort of… they like the silent, aloof, couldn't-care-less type sometimes."
"That is you?"
"They think I'm like that, because I don't go out of my way to flatter them and all that, but I gotta admit… I didn't mind playing the role. Heck, who the hell am I to say no to some overnight TLC?" He sipped some of his juice again. It was kind of embarrassing telling Starfire all this, but she was listening, and she seemed to be enjoying the conversation. "But there was this girl…"
"Ah. The girl."
"Name was Barbara, but everyone called her Babs. She was the daughter of one of Bruce's regular clients. We were docked on Earth and we were sticking around for six weeks. I was fifteen, ready to get me my spaceship—"
"Oh, is that what they called it those days?"
Robin shot her a warning look and continued, barely keeping the grin off his face. "She was seventeen. Let's… just say she taught me a thing or two. Naturally, I had to be smitten."
Starfire giggled. "Oh, Robin! She was your first? How interesting! Was parting such sweet sorrow?"
"Hardly. She dumped me three weeks later. Said I was too young."
"Tragic. But such is life. And you have never had a serious relationship since?"
He laughed. "Never had one, period. Well, except maybe that one with Kitty, if you want to call it a 'relationship'."
"Kitty?"
"Blonde chick I was dating a few months back. We were officially a 'couple' for a month and a half. Terra hated her like a bitch."
"A month and a half! Wow!"
"Yeah. I gave her flowers and everything… God, she was a brat."
"Brat? Why did you like her then?"
"Oh, she really sunk her teeth into my ego. She was all about making me feel like the best thing that ever happened to her." Now that he said it, his 'relationship' with Kitty sounded more absurd than ever. Oh well… bygones. "But she was just needy, after all. Man… I just wanted her to shut the fuck up with the whining! 'Robbie, pooh, don't you love me anymore?' Ugh."
"You told her you love her?"
He scowled. "Fuck me, never!"
Starfire laughed. "So you broke up with her."
"I wanted to, but I was afraid that if I did, she'd kill herself or something. I mean, I don't drive girls crazy or anything like that. She was kooky enough to begin with, and it was just the sort of thing she would do, no matter who her boyfriend was. Didn't have to be me, you understand."
"So what did you do? How did you break up with her?"
"I didn't. She broke up with me. It turns out she was cheating on me with some dork-ass disgusting tarantula headed… ugh. Think of it: After she kissed this guy she would kiss me. I traded spit with a tarantula through her. Gross."
"Ah, love!"
"It's an urban myth. Everyone talks about it but no one but your uncle's sister's cousin's neighbor's friend of a friend has proof it exists."
She pinched his arm affectionately. "That is not true!"
He wiggled a bit to avoid the pinch, grinning. "Well, have you ever been in love?"
She paused, as if to think about it. "Maybe not… but I once thought I was."
He arched an eyebrow feeling just a tiny bit queasy. "Oh, yeah? He alive?"
She laughed softly, giving him a quizzical look. "What an odd question."
Robin felt the blush creep up his cheeks. Odd question, indeed. It occurred to him that in some twisted, diabolical way, he was half wishing that this guy, whoever he was, would be completely out of the picture. He hastily asked another question. "Who was he?"
"Master's son. I was a slave at the time. The first day I was brought to my new master, his son sought to know my name. That same day, the handsome, soft-spoken son came to the slave-quarters to speak to me. Like a human being, he spoke to me. Slaves do not get that kind of treatment anywhere in the galaxy. He was intelligent and kind and somewhat—" she giggled "—mischievous. He would give me flowers and sweet things to eat. He wrote me poems, too."
"A regular Romeo," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Again, she smiled, turning her gaze to the distant choir. "He was so very romantic. So when he asked me to his chambers that one time… well, I did not think twice. I had never—you know… but I trusted him. I let him, and he knew exactly what he was doing. He was… very good at what he did."
Robin was already thinking up ways to make her stop. He didn't want to hear the details.
She sighed. "Well, details aside—"
He found that to be a tremendous relief.
"—I stayed in his room until the next morning. He woke me up and—" She blinked, cocking an awkward smile. "He told me to leave his room and never come back again. Of course I was very confused, but then he told me I should have known it was a game, that I was stupid to think that a slave could be loved by a slave owner. I suppose he was right. The other slaves were warning me about the entire thing beforehand, but I did not listen. I think… I think that was when I stopped playing." She gave him a plaintive smile.
His cheek twitched. "That sick son of a bitch…"
She sighed. "I do not know why I told you this, Robin. It is not something I am proud of."
"You have nothing to be ashamed of. He was a bastard. You were just—"
"A fool."
"In love. Or you thought you were."
She smiled again, but this time it was warm and grateful. "I suppose I told you because it answers your question that first day I set foot in your ship. About what made me what I am."
His eyebrow arched. "What you are?"
She nodded. "What I am: A girl who flashes legs and cleavage to rob a man blind. When you get kicked out of bed by someone you trust, you learn fast enough how you could use your… assets to your advantage."
It made him chuckle. "I wasn't looking at your legs and cleavage… much…"
She laughed, no trace of her earlier melancholy left. "Which was why I had to kiss you!"
He pulled his gaze from her, grinning and blushing. "I gotta hand it to you; that worked."
"I know."
He looked back at her, struck by a thought. "You could steal more than a trans-card, kissing a guy that way."
She stared back, as if to sift every word. "Could I?"
He swallowed. He couldn't believe he said that. He sat up to hide the look of panic on his face.
The inevitable uncomfortable silence fell between them.
"It's the temple," he stammered. "It's making me say weird things."
"You think so?" she asked softly. It was a cautious question, like the wrong answer could hurt her.
He turned to face her, hastily explaining. "I mean, it's still me but I wouldn't normally—" He sighed, at a loss. "Since I woke up it's been driving me crazy."
She smiled wanly. "But Raven said it only lasts a few hours. It has been more than a few hours. How do you know it is still the temple making you say these things?"
He really didn't know what to say.
She moved closer. Close enough to kiss. Close enough to increase the tempo of his heartbeat. Close enough to want the feel of her. But he resisted.
For a split second, he didn't know why. What was so bad about kissing this lovely, independent, sensual woman? And then the answers came as easily as he let them.
After this kiss; after everything, what was there for him? Would they be a couple? It felt a little strange to say they were. Everything, up to this point had been about how different she was from before; how different he was from before, and they had barely agreed on anything since she set foot on his ship. Basing anything other than a friendship on that seemed lame.
He didn't want "overnight TLC" from this one. They had a past he liked remembering. He had searched for her for ten years based on that past; though he wasn't even sure that meant anything to her.
And even if this kiss were to mean more than a one night fling, what would become of this "relationship" then? He didn't even know if she would be sticking around. He would be fantastically pissed if he let his feelings go and then find out the next morning that she was gone; skipped out on him. What a way to end a friendship idealized by ten years of reminiscence.
But then he was drawn to her. There was no denying it at that very moment, when he could feel her breath on his lips and he wasn't moving away. That he was attracted to her physically was an absolute no-brainer. He had turned his gaze away from her shape, her face and her touch simply because he knew he would be lost in all of it if he gave in. She was beautiful, after all. That he had a special concern for her was evident; the arguments that he could have cared less about; her unsavory habits that he could have just ignored; the way he had refused to give her up to bounty-hunters when she was more than willing to give herself up anyway…
However tumultuous his thoughts and emotions were, he managed a tiny half smile. "What are you doing, Starfire?" he asked in a soft, chiding tone only the two of them could hear. "What do you want from a foul-mouthed, grouch like me who gets an ulcer from stressing over the littlest things? Shouldn't you be out with—I don't know, a genteel planetary prince?"
She shrugged one shoulder and replied in the same tone. "I like you, Robin. I like what I remember of you and what you are now. Appalled as I could be of your foul-mouth, grouchy disposition and your constant over-dosing of Pepto-Bismol," she giggled at that "you worry about me and… you take care of other people, like Terra, and Beast Boy… and you keep your promises… "
"But how could you be sure of what I am? It's only been three days… you don't know me anymore than I know you."
She lowered her gaze, though she didn't move away. She looked a little hurt and he felt a twitch of regret at what he said. Then she looked up again and smiled. This time, she began to pull back. "I am sorry. I thought at least you could… like me that way. You were looking at me funny at lunch—I just assumed—I feel silly now. I am so sorry."
She was blushing and couldn't meet his gaze. His eyes widened when the distance between them began to widen.
He held her arm gently, keeping her from going any further. "Hey, wait a second. Just—you were—" he stammered "—you're right about… how I looked at you."
She wriggled a bit, gently trying to ease out of his grip. She still refused to meet his gaze, a wan smile on her lips. "But that was the temple. I know. Now I feel sillier."
Robin sighed, tightening his grip. "Look, Raven said it serves as an insight to one's self. Maybe there's something in it that I have to look into—"
"Please stop, Robin. It is bad enough you blame the temple, but to hear you analyzing your feelings towards me like it was some maintenance-check indicator on your ship is humiliating. Goodness… this is exactly why I never stay in one place for very long if I could help it. I knew I would mess it up if I gave in.I never learn, do I? This is my fault, really." She began to grab the scattered picnic containers and motioned to pack them away as she tried to get her arm out of his grasp.
He felt a sense of urgency from it. So she was just going to walk away and they'd be awkward about it forever? He hadn't meant to humiliate her. He hadn't meant to drive her away. He had asked her to stay in his ship, and he had meant it. He didn't want to lose her completely, one way or another. If he let her walk away right now, that was almost as bad as her jumping ship without telling him.
He kept his hold on her. "Starfire, don't—don't be that way. It's not that I couldn't think of you like that, it's just—I don't even know where you'll be in a couple of days! I mean, what the hell am I suppose to make out of—of any of this? I can't—I can't make myself be so caught up in you; thinking that I'll wake up one day and—what? You won't be there? No warning; no nothing? Because you'd do that, won't you? It's exactly the kind of thing you do. You said so yourself, you never stay in one place for very long. I pull my hair out worrying about Terra, for Christ's sake! What the hell makes you think I could deal with a girlfriend I really cared about, leaving without the slightest hint of where I could find her?" His outburst, however mild, surprised him. Now that he realized what he had said, he felt a little embarrassed, but he supposed everything about it was true.
That stopped her, her brows knotting. "I had not thought that far."
Her tone did not imply that she should have thought that far. Coming from her, it sounded like a mere statement of fact.
He frowned. "Yeah, well, I always think that far."
"I always live by the moment, because often, a moment is all we have."
He searched her gaze and found that she was deadly serious. It was amazing that anyone would think that way. Wasn't life built on plans and aspirations? People who didn't think one step ahead almost always ended up mopping up the mess. "How could you think that way?"
"It is the most enduring lesson I learned that day I left you at the Mighty Gotham. I hadn't wanted to be separated from you, but I was, and even then, I thought we would see each other again. We didn't, because I could not. I spent the last ten years thinking that if I had only told you how I cherished the times we had on that ship, maybe you would have wanted to find me again. And then… ten years later here you are, telling me that you have been looking." She laughed softly. "What is a girl to do?"
Her revelation shook him. So it had meant something to her after all, his finding her. The knowledge made him feel a bit light headed.
"I might be gone tomorrow," she continued. "You might be gone tomorrow. The future is most uncertain, but is this not all the more reason for making now matter?"
Maybe he was convinced; maybe what she said about the last ten years completely overwhelmed him, because he was suddenly utterly decided about what he wanted to do at that very moment.
He slid his hand down her arm, letting it rest on her wrist. Pulling gently, he guided her hand and arm over his shoulders, coaxing her into his embrace so he could engage her in a soft, lingering kiss.
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It was the bell, melodic and relatively non-invasive, that broke the spell.
Robin hadn't really heard it. He was too busy being amazed at how unbelievably soft Starfire's lips were, pressed on his, and how velvety her tongue was tangling with his own. He had been too caught up with how well Starfire fit within the circle of his arms and how warm her skin felt against the palm of his hands.
It was Starfire who heard it, speaking into the kiss coherently enough to disrupt the perfect harmony.
"What?" he had asked, more as a token gesture than a sincere willingness to know, after which he sought to find the rhythm once more.
But she pulled away completely, panting softly through her words. "The dinner bell. We must go. It would be impolite to Brina and the acolytes if we were late."
In his dazed and glassy-eyed state, still catching his breath from their kiss, he would have willingly dissed tea with the Queen of England and vaporized the damn bell, just to get the wonderful sensations back, but Starfire had already stood up, bustling about to gather the lunchboxes and tissue wrappers littering their picnic blanket.
As he helped her pack, it occurred to him that he had completely lost track of time.
If he counted it right, they had been making out for almost half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes. It was like a high-school dream, hormones raging, except they were completely free of naiveté and acne. And the only reason the kisses and mild-necking hadn't gone any further was because they were in a relatively public place. Even the choir had disappeared. He hadn't even noticed them leaving.
He grabbed the bag he had brought from the ship and hurried on after Starfire as she took off in a relatively quick pace.
As they rushed back through the temple halls, Starfire told him to go ahead. She had to drop off the picnic basket in the kitchen and clean the food containers. It seemed such an atrociously mundane thing to do.
Amidst their hurried steps, Robin said he could go with her. "At least to help you—"
"Oh, no, Robin. Please go on ahead. I will be by very shortly, alright? I shall see you at the table!" She rose in the air and zipped away, leaving him standing in the middle of a great hallway without the slightest clue of where he had to go.
Remembering Raven's words about dinner comprising all the acolytes in the temple, he figured he should be looking for a place big enough to accommodate everyone, so the lunch room he had been in earlier was most definitely not the place he was looking for.
He immediately sought someone who could direct him to dinner that evening. It was easy to find someone who knew, and even easier to follow the directions he was given. He made it to the dining room quicker than he thought.
The room was filled with acolytes, some seated on the table, others standing around in their own groups. Brina herself was occupied with three acolytes who had her laughing in her graceful, demure way. Robin recognized some of the acolytes as choir members, and he could have sworn a few of them had something behind their acknowledging nods of welcome.
Cyborg and Raven were already there and the two sat side by side, carrying on an involved conversation. Cyborg absently refilled Raven's glass of wine and Robin was struck by how casually Raven thanked him, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Robin approached them somewhat warily. "Hey there, you two. Um, this seat taken?" He gestured to the seat next to Raven's.
Raven looked up from her conversation with Cyborg. "Actually, it is. There are place settings. However, if you do not want to be too far from your darling right hand man, you'll be pleased to know you're placed right across from him. Starfire's set beside you, so call her over when she gets here."
Cyborg laughed and it earned him a glare from Robin.
Traitor. Blew me off for a chick who looks good in a cat suit, didn't he?
He went around the long table to his seat. To the other side of him was an acolyte male who quickly engaged him in easy conversation.
"Captain Robin, I presume?" said the acolyte in an easy lilt. The man was Aarhusyth. As with the rest of his race, he had an elongated face, large opaque eyes, a very narrow, barely visible nose and a tiny mouth. His body was more angular than a human's; his fingers four instead of five. He had no hair and the lavender tinge of his scalp gleamed bright against the overhead lights.
"Yeah…"
"I am Ethan. Senior acolyte."
Robin extended a hand to him and the acolyte took it.
"I met your engineer," said Ethan. "I spent some time with him working on your ship this afternoon. If you would, good sir, how do you know whether a ship is male or female? Because the good engineer Cyborg kept referring to it as 'she'."
If Starfire didn't show up, it was going to be a long night.
Stumbling through Ethan's strange questions, he was monumentally relieved when Starfire appeared at the door.
"Excuse me," said Robin, cutting into Ethan's monologue about the Mantra of Ogdarium. He waved at Starfire, trying to catch her eye. She saw him and smiled, making a motion to go to him. He was about to breathe easier when he saw her getting waylaid by some acolytes, most of them male. She looked as if she didn't mind their attention at all.
His lip twitched. He wondered if there was even a modicum of propriety in his getting jealous at this point of their spectacularly un-discussed relationship. They had talked some, sure, but it wasn't like they decided on anything. It had all been about "moments", and as moving as all of it had been when he was staring down the depths of her gorgeous green eyes, he had to wonder if that so-called moment was officially over.
"Oh, that is Starfire, is it not?" said Ethan. "Everyone has been abuzz about her. It is not everyday that we have an honest-to-goodness wanderer in our midst. My, she must be quite interesting… and nice to look at, as well. I'd imagine anything she says would seem like the answer to life and the universe, lovely woman that she is."
"Yeah," said Robin, pouring himself some wine. "Life and the universe."
It took a few more minutes of one-sided chatter with Ethan before someone came through the dining hall doors.
She was no one Robin had seen before, but from the looks of things, she was important. It wasn't in what she wore. Her cloak and clothes were the same cut as Raven's and Brina's, but there was an aura around her that made her even more magnificent than either of the two.
Everyone knew it to be so. Entering without need of announcing herself, the woman compelled the rest of the diners to scramble back to their seats. Starfire was beside Robin in an instant. The woman smiled as she took her seat and conversation resumed in subdued tones. Servers emerged from the doors behind her carrying trays of food.
"That is Azar," Starfire whispered.
Robin arched an eyebrow. "You've met her?"
"No, but the acolytes were quick to inform me. She must be important."
"No shit."
"She is the temple founder's grand-daughter," said the fellow behind Starfire.
Starfire looked over her shoulder. "Oh? Then she is quite important."
The fellow was quick to smile. "Indeed. I could introduce you to her, later. Would you like to know a bit about her before I do that?"
Robin frowned. Well, that didn't take long, did it?
Ethan began speaking to him again as the food arrived.
"It is so nice to have guests come to the temple," said Ethan. "You all have such interesting tales to tell! And of course, we get to eat good food. We could always depend on Raven to bring in outsiders. Azar likes it as well, but she prefers speaking with guests after dinner. Odd, but true. I think she likes it that way so she could watch you a while and see how you interact with the rest of us."
Robin's eyebrow arched, glancing briefly at the enigma that was Azar. She spoke intently with Brina, glancing up every once in a while to look at Raven. He noticed that they had, indeed, been placed among the acolytes instead of near the head of the table where Azar sat. Her odd disposition made him a bit curious, but it hardly mattered to him. He could respect another person's quirks. "Raven does this a lot? Bring in outsiders?"
Ethan nodded. "Quite. She had been in and out of the temple ever since I could remember, but this last time, after she left to gather you and your crew, we didn't expect her to return so quickly."
Robin remembered Brina saying something along those lines when they first arrived. He wasn't surprised to know she went looking for them. He had wondered, but she had given enough clues pointing to the fact that theirs was not a chance meeting. He was, however, intrigued about why she had sought them. "She must have been very young when she began her travels."
Ethan chuckled. "Raven is many things, but young? None of the acolytes know how old she is. She could be eighteen; she could be eighty. Of course, that isn't to say she is in any way eighteen now. She looks exactly like she did ten years ago. We think Brina and Azar might know her age, but we know better than to ask them such trivial questions."
That made the hair on Robin's neck rise the slightest bit. "Oh. Well, do you have any clue as to why she was out looking for us?"
Ethan began to eat his steak. "I know very little. I know about as much as the other acolytes, and that is only because in our free time, we entertain ourselves with speculation. Raven has always been a secretive woman. We know that she was born to Arella, a mysterious woman who was brought here by the Great Azar, the present Azar's grandmother. Arella gave birth to Raven here. The identity of Raven's father was never revealed, but it is quite obvious that Raven is different from all of us. Her aura is decidedly darker than any dark aura I have seen."
"Is that bad?"
"Not necessarily. Some of the most powerful men and women in the galaxy have dark auras, and while quite a few of them abuse the power they have, those who do not are role models in their own right. It is only natural that power tempts us in both directions, and often, the bad side is more enticing than the good."
"And Raven? What side is she on?"
Ethan looked affronted. "She grew up here. Of course she is on the side of good!"
Robin wasn't about to tell Ethan that he wasn't convinced.
Ethan's expression smoothened. "I am sorry. I—of course, your question was a valid one. Everyone does admit that there is a side to Raven that is… dangerous."
"You got that right."
"But that is what makes her so estimable in our eyes. She could be so much greater if she gave in to that part of her, but she hasn't. She makes no arguments for it. To her, she simply must not take that path."
Robin's eyebrow arched. "How do you know she hasn't?"
Ethan stiffened, clearing his throat as he drank some of his wine. "Ah, but isn't this wine just delicious?"
Robin stifled a sigh. That was Polite-society-ese for "That was most insulting." He leaned back on his seat, drinking his wine. He stared into his cup. The wine was a dark purple. Oddest thing.
"You do not like your steak, Robin?"
He looked up from his cup and met Starfire's gaze. You done talking to Mr. I Could Introduce You to Azar? But he bit the remark back. If he was going to act like an asshole, he should at least make sure she'd give a shit. "I'm not hungry. Too many muffins, I guess."
A blush tinted her cheeks, but she smiled, surprising him when she put her hand casually on his lap, caressing ever so slightly. "Perhaps later, after this meeting with Raven, we could grab a late snack for you. I know where they store the food. You must never go hungry when you can help it."
The thought that she wanted to be alone with him late at night stirred something in the pit of his stomach, but he repressed it. He still didn't know what all of it meant. "How come you know so much about this place?"
She chuckled. "There was nothing to do all morning, so I got one of the acolytes to show me around. He was very helpful."
Of course he would be, thought Robin somewhat bitterly. He vaguely remembered her mentioning the cook being male, too. It was like an ingrained habit in her; taking advantage of the fool men so she could get what she wanted. If, by some miracle, this little affair he had with Starfire got—well—serious, would she still keep doing that? Because, he'd hate that. He really would.
Once, Terra came to him saying, "Chief! Chief! There was this dirty old man in the ice-cream shop who so copped a feel from me! I told him he'd be sorry he did that! Ooh! What a pervert! I demand that one of you make him sorry!" Robin hadn't even asked for the whole story. He took Beast Boy and Cyborg with him, sought the dirty old man and let Beast Boy scare the crap out of the guy while he watched, warning the old man that if he ever tried to get his paws on helpless young girls again, the Mighty Titan would fly from halfway across the galaxy to find him and castrate him. Of course, Terra was anything but helpless, but that was a detail. No one laid a hand on his crew members and got away with it. And then of course there was that incident when he'd beaten ol' Fang to a pulp when he found out Kitty had cheated on him for spider-face, and that had been about pride. What would he do when it was about more than friendship and pride?
He stifled a sigh. There was little point in worrying about it now. "Maybe you could just show me around later. I don't think I could turn in early, anyway. I've had a lot of sleep."
"I would be glad to show you around if you—if you do not mind the dark…"
His stomach did another flip. Azarath help him. He drank his wine.
To be continued…
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Reflections of Robin: Azarath, metrion, zinthos…
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Author's Note: Just this chapter for now. This is very long, so I'll give you time to read it, and hopefully enjoy it, before I release the next chapter in a couple of days.
For those of you wondering: Nope, I have not been working on "Match". Lol. But don't worry. I'll get around to writing that. Inspiration for that story is weak, but it'll come to me, like it did for "Set", and like it did for "Darkfire". In the meantime, I'll just be inspired by "The Mighty Titan" and "Path to Tamaran".