Tears Are For Lovers
I : Starfire
. ( o ) .
The wind was black that night. It pelted the Tower endlessly, hovering and howling with rage and perhaps terror. The occupants of Titan's Tower, however, were soundly asleep, arrogantly assuming that nothing could knock down their stronghold. They did not fear the wind's cries. They had no reason to.
A dark shadow hoisted himself out of the water and onto the rocks surrounding the island. His hair, long and clamped to his head by the water, shielded his face from sight. He stood, lifting his head to the highest center window of the Tower and chuckled under his breath. The chuckle was lost in the warnings of the wind.
. ( o ) .
That morning, Starfire awoke with a scream. She rushed into the control room donning a white, empire-waisted, virginal dress. "I demand to know the meaning of this!" she said, gesturing to her clothing. "Who has changed me while I slept?"
The other four Titans looked among themselves, bewildered. "It wasn't me," offered up all four of them.
"What's the problem, Star?" asked Robin, frowning. "You can just take it off, can't you?"
"No, I cannot! I have tried!" Starfire pulled at the dress, at the laces, the ruffles, the translucent folds, but they did not loosen. "I suspect," she said in a quieter voice, "they will not come off even when I would take a shower."
"Beast Boy," growled Cyborg, "did you have anything to do with this?"
"No, I swear man. Do you think I'd sneak into Starfire's room and undress her while she slept?" Beast Boy's blush turned his skin a motley shade, all purple and green and splotchy.
"Beast Boy doesn't have the guts to do that," said Raven, sipping her tea with the most impassive of looks.
"You think some one snuck in here to do this to Starfire?" asked Cyborg.
"Maybe. Let's check the cameras." Robin and Cyborg, lugging Beast Boy along with them, grouped at the computers at the end of the room. Raven took a look at the confused and disconcerted Starfire and sighed.
"Come on, let's see if telekinesis can get that thing off," she said, leading Starfire out of the room.
Half an hour later, the boys had made a bit of progress.
"Over there," said Cyborg, pointing to an incongruent shadow standing over Starfire. "The wall is dark over here, in this corner, but all of a sudden you have this… it looks like a tall man."
Robin grunted in reply. "Why would anyone sneak into the Tower just to dress Star up?"
"Maybe he has a Barbie-doll complex."
They watched as Starfire stirred in her sleep, covering herself with the blankets. When they looked back at that spot, though, the shadow had gone, leaving the room silent and empty. The three exchanged glances, before noticing that Starfire had flipped over again and they could see a white top under the pink covers.
"How did he do that?" demanded Beast Boy. "He didn't even touch her!"
"…You know, we can't really be sure that was a man there, in the corner, that we saw."
"There was definitely something there." Cyborg frowned. "Something wants Starfire to wear that rather ridiculous looking dress and doesn't want her to take it off."
In the next room, they heard an "OOF!" and a spectacular crash.
Robin managed to look indignant. "Ridiculous-looking? I think she looks great!"
"The only reason you think she looks great is because you can see every curve she has through that cloth, and you're excited," sniggered Beast Boy.
Robin turned a furious glare upon him.
"Not that that's a bad thing," amended Beast Boy hastily, with a sheepish grin.
. ( o ) .
"Geeet off…" muttered Raven, pulling at the dress. For some reason, it just wouldn't rip. She tried telekinesis; it didn't work. She used scissors; it seemed the cloth just couldn't cut. She tried fire; it was flame-resistant. Starfire just stood there, horrified that Raven held a blowtorch so close to her feet. In the end, they both collapsed, both exhausted.
"Whichever prick put that dress on you, wanted it on you badly," said Raven unhappily.
"Perhaps items from my home world will ease the destruction of the garment," offered Starfire.
"I don't count on it."
"Oh." Starfire looked downcast.
Raven gave her a sidelong look, but said nothing. Sympathy wasn't her thing.
"I do not look so horrible, do I?" asked Star in a small voice. "I am 'ok,' correct?"
Raven sighed. She'll try that whole comforthing thing this time. "Yes, Star. You look great. No one will mind."
Starfire burst into a brilliant grin, once again happy. The strange alien always looked on the bright side of things, for some odd reason. When she held her arms out and turned to embrace Raven, however, the dark girl scooted away.
"Save your hugs for Robin. He'll be excited to receive them."
"Truly?" inquired Starfire, smiling.
"I'll bet on it," said Raven sardonically.
At that moment, as if called forth from the dark, Robin strode in.
"Robin!" Starfire captured him in a hug, unconsciously pressing her curvy, soft body to him. The blush that began to glow pink on his cheeks spread all over as she clung to him in her joy.
"I think we should leave them alone," said Cyborg tactfully. Raven followed him out of the room, Beast Boy in tow.
"Guys… Team…. Hey!" Robin panicked.
Laughter from the others was his only reply.
Outside the Tower, a man crouched in a shelter of stones. He saw the scene play before his eyes as he sung a song of Sight under his breath. He opened his eyes, however, and lost the vision when he saw all he needed to, and began to stride into the water. The time will come when he will awake all of them, and the era of the Titans will be over.
. ( o ) .
Disclaimer: TT is not mine. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: I'm beginning a new story, one that I hope I'll follow through with… the pairings are mixed, I'm not quite sure how I'll go on them, so I stayed R/S in the beginning… later on that might change though. Anyway, enjoy! (And, of course, I'd appreciate reviews.)