Disclaimer: I own nadda.
Hey, did I say it was over? It's not over til I say so! (It's not over til I give you an epilogue, which I'm working on getting up, I swear)
Chapter 19
He stood on the roof of the tower as the sun set, enjoying the beauty of being outdoors. For the past month he had been in that medical ward, long after he would have preferred to leave, but apparenlty they were scared that he'd fall over or something, because they wouldn't let him leave until he was in perfect condition, able to walk upright and everything. Finally, he was able to come outside unsupervised to enjoy the beautiful sunsets that he had so missed during his time in that little cramped room.
A sudden wind picked up, causing his cape to billow around him. It felt good, really, to be wearing his old outfit again. He had visited his room for the first time in over a year earlier that morning. The first thing he did when he entered that room was to jump onto his bed and just lay there. Though the others did not understand why he wanted to do this, he did. After sleeping on a cot for a year, the bed felt like he was sleeping on clouds. And best of all, it was his own. He didn't recall exactly how long he had sat there, drinking in the glory that was so simple as his small room, but he had enjoyed every second of it.
During his time in the medical ward, he had gotten plenty of chances to talk to everyone; it seemed to be a regular activity for them lately, talking to him. They practically took turns, though Beast Boy was the one he talked to the most often, seeing as the two boys were stuck together for two weeks straight. Most of the time, he asked how the younger boy was feeling and asked his forgiveness for asking him to do something so hard on such short notice. Of course, the green joker smiled at these remarks and kind of just brushed them off, saying that it was no trouble at all and that it was what friends do anyway.
Terra seemed to be constantly talking to both boys, mostly Beast Boy, but she was always trying to talk to him as well. Always, though, it was "Are you sure you're okay?" or "I didn't hurt you too badly, did I, when I lost control?" or "I'm so sorry for letting Slade get away." Poor thing, she wanted so badly for everyone to accept her despite her flaws. He didn't blame her, either. He would always reply with a quick, "Don't worry about it." Originally, he had always replied with an apology of his own for everything he had been forced to say to her, but the time for apologies was over at this point, he felt, for they had been apologizing for a month now and it was starting to get old.
The sun dipped all the way into the horizon, leaving him in the soft light of the stars, for there was no moon that night. Everything was just so peaceful and he wanted to drink it all in, enjoy every second of this, the sensation that he was free and no longer cramped up in a small room anymore. He had missed his sunrises and sunsets, when the world seemed the most peaceful of all. It was times like these when he could really think.
And he did so, his thoughts wondering around as he recalled everything the others had told him. He had listened on as they told him of countless other villains and he had been very much interested when Starfire had told him how exactly she had found him and what they had done to rescue him. It felt strange, really, being able to talk again freely. At first the words had felt strange in his mouth, for he had been silent for quite some time now, and talking was almost foreign to him. He had eventually become comfortable again talking with everyone, and he had even become a bit more relaxed in his social life, letting his emotions take prevaillance every once in a while.
Cyborg had probably been the one to talk most about how Starfire had been behaving. It was from him that he learned how obsessed she really had been, and every once in a while, Cyborg would tell him something she had done during that long year, and he'd be utterly taken aback at how depressed she really had been. He hadn't known he would have had such a profound impact on her... But he had hoped he would, hadn't he?
He sighed, this was the part where his line of thought became all too confusing. She had gone to great lengths to save him, even though he had never expressed the same to her, and yet she still tried. Obviously there was something there, but he was too scared to see it. He didn't understand. He thought it would have been easier for him to talk about how he felt now that he was back, but there was still that wall there. Why was expressing his feelings for her so hard for him, even after the kiss?
The kiss. Aaaand this was where it got interesting. As he remembered what had occurred that day, time always stopped at that moment and he could recall nothing after that point before running to calm Terra down and finding out that he had been bleeding the whole time. It had been such a wonderful experience that day, but he still had yet to find the words to express it to her...
"Still quiet and secluded, I see. You haven't changed as much as the others think. You never could stand to be surrounded by people, could you?"
He laughed quietly to himself. He recognized that sarcastic voice: it was Raven. He turned to face his good friend. "I see you haven't changed while I was gone either. Still sarcastic and witty as ever,huh?"
She smiled that half-smile that she always had; she had never really truly smiled, not that he'd seen at least. Now if he had gotten the chance to see Starfire in this girl's body, he could have seen a bigger smile on her face than he ever really cared to see... Well, he didn't want to think about all that he had missed in their lives during his absense, so he dismissed the thought as she replied. "You really should come back inside. It's freezing out here."
He laughed dryly. "Why should I come back inside? I've been inside for over a year straight. I really don't feel like staying inside for the rest of my life as well."
She put her hands on her hips and took a step forward, her eyes level with his own, as she said, "You have changed, though, in that you seem to have developed a dry sense of humor. What happened to make you so sarcastic and witty? I thought that was my field of expertise." As she spoke, she cocked an eyebrow, showing him that this time she was asking not out of sarcasm but out of real curiosity.
"Not sure, really. I guess after being locked up with yourself for such a long time you kind of develop a wierd outlook on the world. Go figure," he replied, shrugging.
Suddenly, a quiet voice spoke up behind them. "Excuse me."
It was Starfire! His eyes lit up behind his mask and though he knew the girls couldn't see it, he had to hide his slight blush as she walked up onto the roof to join them. Casting him a sly glance, Raven left the two of them alone. He wanted to call her back, tell her to save him. Why was he so scared of talking about his feelings? It really shouldn't be so hard, but it was.
"Hey, Starfire." He finally settled on something to say. A shaky something, but something nonetheless.
"Hello Robin. I see you are enjoying your time outside. The stars are so beautiful, are they not?" At least she could come up with something to say.
He cleared his throat, trying to think of something to say and getting frustrated at himself. Why was this so hard to do? Had he not spent nights alone dreaming of what he'd say to them all when he returned? Why couldn't he say it? "Yeah. It's so peaceful and quiet up here. It gives you a chance to think, doesn't it? I just love sunrises and sunsets. It's like the whole world is at peace." Well, at least he had said something, and it was on topic, too!
He didn't notice her staring at him, nor did he notice the gleam in her eyes as she was enjoying his company. "Robin, I am very glad that you are back with us."
That voice, it was so enchanting. He turned to face her completely and finally noticed the look in her eyes. "You know, Star, I'm really glad to be back here too. Thanks again for coming to my rescue. I loved every second of it," he paused. "Every second." It was such a stupid thing to say, he knew, but his brain didn't seem to be functioning at the moment.
"I did too," she said.
He edged a little bit closer to her and she followed suit until finally their hands brushed against each other and they grabbed hold. For a moment he just gazed up into her eyes, those eyes that were now full of joy and happiness, replacing the fear and anger that he had caused to be there before. Before he even knew what was happening, they were getting closer and closer until they finally found each others lips.
This was easier than trying to express it in words, that was for sure, and he definitely liked this a lot better. The world continued around them, but they didn't notice. They were lost in each other's embrace, and neither wanted the moment to end. She was obviously enjoying it too, for she didn't try to end it very soon. In fact, they might have been locked together for an eternity if a blaring beeping sound below them had not interrupted them.
Neither wanting to, but both knowing that it was neccessary, they slowly broke away from each other and turned. Just in time, too, for no sooner had they stepped apart then Cyborg came up the stairs to announce that Mumbo Jumbo was up to some new tricks. "We'll be right down," he assured Cyborg, then, turned to her as soon as the older boy left them alone. "Shall we?" he asked.
She grasped his hand in her own and replied, "Let us go together to do the thing that we do best."
He laughed, a real, true laugh. Something he had not done since he was a small boy. She seemed a bit surprised at his happiness, but he didn't care. Everything was perfect now, and not even fighting a villain could bring him down today. Because now that he had her, everything was just as it should be.