Konnichiwa. Just a lil Christmas one-shot that is dedicated to say Sorry and Thanxz to solodancer! Enjoy…

Effervescence…

That's what the whole Tower, City, Country... let's just say the world felt in the forthcoming days up to that very special day of the year… Christmas day! Even though most of the world only branches out to the commercial aspects of the season; forty percent of all Christians manage to stick to their roots and celebrate in a ceremonial and religious way.

Speaking of Titans Tower, the Titans were delivering their charity of a higher echelon in the justice system… Batman. He claims that he was being transported to the Wilds of a frozen asteroid to help with some war with some race and all that deep space trash… Alfred was going to be spending Christmas with his brother in England and had already left, while Batgirl was in Australia. The darling bud lefty had become a problem. Not willing to risk her life, he asked Robin for a favour. All of the other Titans agreed for Robin while Robin and the darling bud glared at each other.

"I'm totally gonna kick your ass, Lil Lari!" The hybrid cheerfully yelled as he was locked in a heated battle of Tekken Tag 4 with his little protégé. Through his guidance, Lil Lari could already thrash Beast boy at the game with one hand. Beast boy, however, was convinced that she some unheard of power that allows you to manipulate people in the game. Lil Lari just smirked every time.

On the other side of the sofa, the mysterious girl with her trademark hood was in a battle of the minds with her green toned companion. She always had the upper-hand. She smirked silently to herself as she telepathically moved her chess piece.

"Check mate." She claimed. Beast boy's eyes popped out of his sockets as he sighed for the umpteenth time. Raising his hands in the air, he bowed in defeat.

"Damn Raven, why do you have to rule at chess so much?" He quickly averted his attention to view the large LCD screen and laughed as he sped over to take a seat in between Cyborg and Lil Lari. "DUDE! You're so getting your ass whooped!" Raven's eyes bulged slightly as she walked calmly over and picked up her book. She too was surprised by Cyborg loosing a game to his protégé. The deed was done as the claxon on the game blew and the letters K.O appeared on the screen in red. Cyborg dropped the report as a little tear formed on the edge of his eye ball.

Abruptly he gathered his protégé in a tight hug and twirled her around. The three younger teens around him stared as he finally released her. "This is the best early Christmas present ever… A protégé beating its own teacher…" Lil Lari looked stunned and confused while Raven and Beast boy just nodded.

"But, if I had to beat the person who taught me how to play video games… I would have to play Robin…" Cyborg instantly looked crestfallen but soon recovered by chuckling faintly.

"Yo Larissa, how come you're related to Robin… but look nothing like him?" Beast boy asked. It had been on everyone's minds, but no one dared asked when Robin was present. Larissa shrugged and looked at her reflection through in the window. From her onyx, blue highlighted hair, her semi-dark complexion with brown undertones and her crystal mid-night eyes.

"I guess, blood was never really an issue… until now…" Instantly Beast boy felt bad for saying it but soon recovered as Larissa patted him on the head.

"Okay, where's Starfire? I really need to ask her something…" she asked after searching.

"You said that you could sense Robin where ever he was…" Raven clued in…

---

A flurry of neon blasts dazzled on the training room's walls, while a nimble caped leader dodged every blast, daring to move closer towards the alien princess. Whose idea was it to start a training session when they should be relaxing in the time before Christmas? No, wait, it was his. Or rather, he started out solo but ended up having company… much like how the Titans started out.

He had seen it all, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Over the past years they had confided in him… yet he hadn't fully returned the favour… His past had been publicised quite a lot.

Striking down with force, he pinned his Tamaranian companion to the floor, straddling her waist with his legs while holding her arms behind her back. He leant in lower to talk to her, but then stopped mid-way. The intimacy of the position was starting to get to him. Sure, they had become close friends after their love/hate relationship of trust and betrayal… but they weren't that close. Not yet anyways… He shook off the thought and proceeded. When he reached her ear he whispered, "You need to work on covering your side, that area gives a lot of advantage." The auburn haired girl nodded. As she was about to answer the doors swung open and revealed a dark slender figure. The figure let her head tilt to her side as she asked,

"Starfire and my… brother. Am I interrupting?" Robin seethed with realisation that she had tapped into his memories once again and was using it to her advantage. Larissa noticed the look and rolled her eyes. "What? Did I interrupt your make out session?" Starfire blushed instantly and pushed Robin off of her, dusting herself off.

"Not at all, Larissa, we were just training?"

"To get jiggy?" Starfire blushed even more as Robin held back a punch.

"No my little sister, now what do you want?" Robin growled.

"I would like to talk to my dear friend Starfire, if that is permitted by my dear older brother…" Her voice and words were so sweet that Starfire 'awed' and nodded her head walking off with the young girl. Once they were out of sight, Robin turned to the nearest wall and banged his head numerous times.

"Must… Invent... Torture… Device… Must… Torture… Little… Sister…!"

---

Twinkle. The stars and lights of the city twinkled in both of the teenagers eyes. Titans Tower had certainly been decorated inside and out. The roof and outline of the tower had had ten foot thick green and white tinsel attached to it. Complete with flashing lights.

Auburn and onyx hair fluttered in the night's sky. The alien turned towards her leader's sibling. "You wished to ask me something?"

"Yeah, I did… How did you meet Robin? I mean, he left after a pretty bad argument with someone who actually wasn't me." Larissa asked as she sat cross-legged on the roof. Starfire mimicked her actions and sighed.

"Larissa, why would you want to know now?"

"Just because it seems like I hate Robin's guts doesn't mean that I don't care about him…" Starfire looked intrigued.

"Do you love him?" Larissa looked as if she had been slapped and glared at Starfire for asking her what felt like the hardest question ever.

"How did you meet?"

"In Jump City, right in this town. Down by the point where you see those rocks is where we formulated the team. But I can only tell you how we both met, I do not know how her met Raven, Beast boy or Cyborg."

"When you first saw him was did you do?"

"I… well, I…"

"You kicked his ass didn't you?"

"Only because I was afraid that he would turn me over to the Gordanians, who wanted me as a prize for the Citadel."

"That's so coolio you kicking Robin's ass. What did you do next?"

"I guess, after Raven talked to him and I grew tired, he freed me. I was confused and I could not speak the language so I… kissed him…" Larissa's eyes went wide. How come she didn't find this in Robin's memories of the team?

"Really? What happened then?"

"I told him to leave me alone if he didn't want to be destroyed, but he came after me anyway and we started to trust each other while defeating the Gordanians in the process."

"Coolio, well, I'm going to call the ol' Bats and tell him how I'm doing."

"Wait, you didn't answer my question. Do you love Robin?" Larissa sighed heavily.

"Hey, sing this song when you next see him please. 'Where are you Richard, I can not find you now, I want to beat up Richard… RICHARD!'"

"What will he respond to when I tell him that?"

"Don't call me Richard… and then you say after that, 'Fine, DICK!'" Starfire nodded but gripped onto Larissa hand so that she couldn't get away so quickly.

"Do you love Robin, Larissa?" Larissa shook her head and sighed, covering her face with her onyx hair.

"Okay, you win. I love the little dickhead cos he's the best big brother I've ever had. Happy now!" Starfire nodded as she gave Larissa a hug, noticing the tiny tear trailing down her face. Larissa soon fazed off the tower – throwing a plant into the sky – as Robin, coincidentally, walked through the door. He walked up to Starfire with a grin on his face and asked,

"What did Larissa want?"

"She wanted to know how we met one another." Robin laughed at the memory.

"Heh, I've been meaning to ask you before. What were you saying to me before I freed you?" Starfire blushed heavily before turning towards him.

"You will not think any less of me if I say, will you Robin?" He shook his head no. "I was saying at first for you to die when we were fighting. Then I yelled, 'free me or die you damn bastard'. That is how it would be translated in your language. But you have to understand, I did not mean to say such mean words. I was scared and confused and-"

Robin silenced her by putting his gloved finger to her lips. Though he was surprised that she swore in Tamaranian, he was okay with it and pressed further into the matter.

"So, why did you kiss me?" Starfire sighed.

"Robin, I have been through this numerous times. I kissed you so that I could speak to you in your language."

"So how come it didn't work in reverse? Why couldn't you have kissed Beast boy or Cyborg or Raven if it was just simply to absorb the language?"

"It didn't work in reverse because I do not think you have that power. I kissed you because you were unprepared and really close."

"Is that all?" Starfire nodded nervously.

"Come one Star. I've known all this time to know when you're hiding something. You can tell me anything… You know that."

"… You freed me… Such an act would be rewarded as such… Besides, I would rather kiss you than the Citadel!" Starfire blushed at her sudden outburst while Robin blushed as well. Robin looked around at the city below while Starfire crept closer to him. She gently touched his shoulder; he touch gave him a fleeting feeling of effervescence. He smiled as Starfire repeatedly shook him, wanting his attention.

"Yes, Star?" Robin asked finally turning towards her.

"Tell me what do you think of this song?" Robin nodded his head. Starfire breathed in deeply. "Where are you Richard, I can not find you now, I want to beat up Richard… RICHARD!" Robin looked as if he had been slapped and seethed with shock and mild anger.

"If you're calling me Richard, DON'T" he shouted. Starfire looked at him a little before speaking.

"Fine… Dick?" Robin's masked eyes bulged. It took him a moment to realise that Starfire didn't know his true name, because he never told her before.

"You learnt today didn't you?"

"Yes, do you like?"

"I'm guessing a certain sibling of mine told you to say that?" Starfire nodded her head. Then I'll torture her later.

"Robin? Why has Larissa put a plant with white berries over our heads?" Robin almost screamed. Slowly he looked up and then stared at Starfire, he then realised that her hand was on his chest. He gulped slowly…

"Starfire… you said that you would prefer to kiss me than the Citadel?" She slowly nodded her head, not aware that Robin was coming closer. Robin shut his eyes as he leant forward and placed his slightly chapped lips on her soft luscious ones.

Starfire's eyes closed as she relived the moment, except this time she felt a lot more than she did before. She felt… delighted, but she knew that it wasn't pure love she was feeling… This is some kind of earthen ritual yes? His lips moved against her tenderly… a new word was transferred into her vocabulary… Effervescence…

Robin slowly pulled away and opened his masked eyes. He noticed that Starfire still had her eyes closed, lips slightly puckered. "I believe that I've learnt a new word Robin…" Robin smiled and drew closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders, Starfire putting both her hands on his chest.

"Would you like to learn another?" Starfire didn't have tome to respond as he kissed her again, the mistletoe above them seemed to fade away…

A flash of a Kodak camera alerted them that they were being watched. They turned to see Cyborg, Raven and Beast boy all looking at them slyly.

"Y'all should have seen that coming…" Cyborg yelled gleefully.

"Yeah, you two looked so flushed; we just had to have this moment." Beast boy commented.

"Congratulations… You finally taught her something that no one else can." Raven endeared.

"While proving my point… You just couldn't wait for that other kiss, could ya?" Robin and Starfire blushed even more; Robin was trying not to seethe with anger.

"Now, what would really make my day is if my dear little sister could be torture in s way that I could never think of." Robin pondered. A few seconds later, a trembling Larissa came forward from the roof door and collapsed on the floor in front of the Boy Wonder… "Hey little sister, what's the matter?"

Larissa turned to him and gave him an awkward hug. All the Titans 'awed' while Robin looked shocked…

"I think we're going to have a new mother figure… an Amazon…" The Boy Wonder's being so started to tremble with his sister's as images formulated in his head.

I know I asked for Larissa to be tortured, but not me as well!

All in all, they all felt the same spiritual feeling running through their flesh and blood – circuits in Cyborg's case –

Effervescence…

I hope you enjoyed! This is dedicated to solodancer because last year I dedicated a story to her and haven't updated since… so SORRY and THANXZ for always being there!

Have yourselves a very Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or if you're a Jehovah's Witness, have a peaceful holiday and rest.

Keep it real…

D-I-WaRrIa