A/N: This is an excerpt from a chapter of my fiction "Red Shadow." If you are one of my wonderful readers who are keeping up with this story, you already read this. If not, read and enjoy, and if you like it enough, I recommend you read the entire Trilogy; especially if you are an obsessed RS 'shipper and are a Red X fan :)

"In Her Arms Forever"

The night had turned cold and humid, not normal for a spring day. Driving around in his R-Cycle did not seem like a good idea after all. Robin felt like he had never felt before: a complete idiot. Tonight was Starfire and his first official date. He had been so nervous when asking her, but he felt even worse now that they were in the actual date.

Robin had surely changed clothes at least 10 times and Starfire had gone through the same dilemma. They had gone out before but it had been as friends only. Giving this night the title "date" and giving themselves the title "couple" made things more difficult to them. They had both waited so long for this and even though they had kissed in the past and had spent time alone, a date seemed like the most difficult thing to do.

"I wonder if dating is the same in her planet." Robin thought. He had made sure that Starfire understood that dating was NOT what he and Kitten did. "No, Star. I won't ignore you or look annoyed when we go out. I hated the idea of going out on a date with Kitten but I love the idea of going out with you," Robin had assured Starfire who was freaking out at the idea of what an earth date was. "I'll make sure to show you how good a date can be," Robin had told her.

Robin had told Starfire to wait for him in the living room. Once Starfire was ready, she did as told and waited on the couch for Robin to arrive. She was wearing a short sleeveless pink dress and white sandals. Her hair was in a ponytail and had made sure she used enough amount of make-up. "Not too little to look pale but not too much to look like a slut," Starfire remembered Raven telling her this.

With every second that passed, Starfire grew even more nervous to the point of doubting the idea of the date being a good one. Her thoughts were interrupted when the Tower's doorbell sounded. She walked to the elevator door and opened the doors to see someone inside it. He was wearing blue slacks, black shoes and a checked shirt with white background and blue and green lines. His eyes were covered by a black mask and his hands were occupied by a bouquet of red roses and a teddy bear. Starfire gasped at his presence.

Robin was not able to speak either. He looked at her up and down. Her pink dress remarked her curves and her ponytail gave her a fresh and different look he had never seen before. "She's so beautiful," Robin thought. He realized Starfire was looking at him with a big question mark on her face and he cleared his throat. "Robin, what are you doing out here?"

Robin smiled and walked closer to her. She eyed him strangely. "Usually, the guy comes to pick the girl up but since we live together I couldn't really do that so I decided to sneak outside the Tower and arrive for you at least at our door." Starfire smiled brightly. "Perhaps this idea was not so bad after all," Starfire thought.

"May I come in?" Robin asked and Starfire nodded while allowing Robin to walk in. Robin looked at the main room as if he had never seen it before and smiled at Starfire. "Nice place you have here, Star. I bet the person who decided the structure of this place is very smart," Robin said, not being able to hold a chuckle that came after his remark. Starfire rolled her eyes and smiled as well. "Well, he is very smart but he is also very serious sometimes. I sometimes wonder if he thinks of anything that is not related to work."

Robin smirked, "I think the real question is how is he able to think of anything else when he has you around." Starfire blushed. Robin remembered what he had brought her and stood closer to her. "This…is for you. I hope you like it," Robin said while extending his arms to give Starfire the bouquet and the stuffed animal. Starfire grabbed the presents and smelled the roses. Robin scratched his head with a finger and slightly blushed. "This is very thoughtful of you Robin. Thank you. Hopefully my other boyfriend will not see it," Starfire joked and Robin gaped.

Starfire giggled and then placed a kiss on Robin's cheek. "I am joking, Robin. Let me put these roses in water and leave the teddy bear at the counter so we can leave." Robin smiled and mentally slapped himself for being caught off-guard so easily. There was nothing he could really do; Starfire had the power to break his guard down. After she had finished her task and had joined Robin to leave, the main door slipped opened and Cyborg appeared behind it. "Hey, you stop right there!"

Both Robin and Starfire stopped and turned to face a serious looking Cyborg as he stood in front of them. He looked at Robin up and down and then crossed his arms, walking around him as if seeing him for the first time ever in his life. The couple's faces denoted their confusion at Cyborg's behavior but they only furrowed and stared at him until Cyborg spoke. "So, what exactly are your intentions with my sister, young boy?" Robin slapped his forehead and Starfire giggled. "You find this amusing? This is not a joke, kid! You better not hurt my sister or I'll hunt your ass and kicked it big time!"

Robin chuckled and cleared his throat before speaking. "Very funny, Cyborg. Can we leave now?" Robin asked. "Yo! I'm serious! Ya better bring her back safe and happy and before 10pm. This is a decent home!" Cyborg said in an exaggerated tone. Robin lifted his open hands up as a sign of innocence and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, sir. I will take care of your sister." Cyborg nodded and the couple made their way outside the Tower and to the garage to get on the R-Cycle. Cyborg saw them leave and sighed deeply. "You better take care of her Robin. Don't screw this up or I'll really hunt your ass down if you hurt little lady."

The rain had begun to fall on their way back to the Tower. Even though it had been a relatively good date, some things had not turned out the way Robin had wanted them to be. Firstly, their reservation at the fancy restaurant he had planned to take Starfire had been cancelled without notice. They ended up eating at a coffee shop, much less private and classier than Robin had wanted. "I do not care where we eat Robin. The important thing is to be together," Starfire had told him. She knew she meant it but he could not help to feel responsible for making the mistake of not confirming the reservation.

Secondly, they had gone to watch a movie but everything they wanted to watch was sold-out so they ended up watching a children's movie. Starfire seemed to have enjoyed it but Robin again felt stupid for not buying the tickets before hand. "I can't believe I made such a careless mistake," Robin thought. Lastly, he had decided to take Starfire to the amusement park at the docks but as soon as they arrived, the weather punished them and it had begun to rain. "It's official; I suck as a date planner!" Robin told himself as he led Starfire to the park's exit.

Starfire held Robin's waist tighter as they drove on the R-Cycle. They had waited for the rain to stop before deciding to go back home, but it had begun to rain again halfway to their destination. Suddenly, Robin stopped his bike and turned back to face Starfire. "What if we wait under that bus stop, it has a roof. We can go back home after the rain stops again. I don't want you to get sick." Starfire nodded and as soon as Robin left his R-Cycle out of way of the bus stop spot, he claimed his seat next to Starfire at the bench.

They silently watched the rain pour down and recalled all the things that had happened to them tonight. Starfire noticed that Robin did not look so happy about the entire situation and felt that it somehow was her fault. She took his hand in hers and caught Robin's attention. "I apologize for all the trouble I have caused to you. I will understand if you do not wish to go on a date with me ever again." Robin blinked several times and shook his head. "Don't say that Star. I should have been more careful when planning this; I am the one afraid that you would not want to go out with me again."

"Do not be silly, Robin. I had a wonderful time."

"Don't lie."

"I am not."

It took them a couple of seconds to figure out the closeness between them. Robin looked at Starfire's lips that screamed for him to kiss them. He listened and began closing the already small gap within their faces. That is until the bus rode over the water that had accumulated below the sidewalk and soaked them. The driver opened the door and did not even bother to ask them if they were going to board when he saw Robin's annoyed face. The driver closed the door back and left as fast as he could, causing the water to be splashed at them again.

Robin growled, kicked an invisible rock and crossed his arms. The water on his clothes made him feel even more stupid. "I can't believe what just happened!" He growled. He then looked at Starfire who was also soaking wet and saw she was smiling at him. "Is she enjoying this!" he thought.

"If I had even one piece of dry clothing with me I would have offered it you Star, but I am also soaked." Robin said in a defeated and disappointed tone. Starfire shook her head and took a few steps towards Robin. "It is ok. I find this rather hilarious."

"You do?"

"Indeed."

Robin sighed and held Starfire's hands in his. Starfire tilted her head.

"I'm sorry things turned out to be this way." Robin said, sadness spilling from his words. He did feel awful. He had tried to make Starfire's first date the best ever and nothing had turned out the way he had planned. Starfire smiled and kissed Robin's cheek.

"Are you joking? This is the best date I have ever had!"

Robin smirked. "Starfire, this is your only date."

"Who said so?"

Robin's eyes bugged out and Starfire smiled to denote her joke. "You are easy to fool, you know that?" Robin shook his head and moved the hair from her forehead. "That is because I believe everything that comes out of your mouth."

Starfire blushed and Robin smiled. "I may be easy to fool but you are easy to embarrass Starfire."

"I am not!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Try me!"

Robin thought about it a little and then decided what he had to do to win the bet. He stared at Starfire and even though she could not see his eyes, she could tell his eyes were looking deeply into hers. "I must no blush! I must no blush!" Starfire thought. Robin slowly cupped Starfire's face with his hands and made his way to her lips. Starfire froze. Robin smiled briefly before pressing his lips against hers and after a few seconds she kissed back.

The kiss lasted a little less than a minute and after they separated their lips they were both blushing. "Do you want to call it even?" Starfire asked.

"Why don't we call it even when neither of us blushes? Want to try it again?"

Starfire blushed again but nodded. At the end, their date had not been as bad as he had thought. Now that he thought about it, he would have done it all over again if this meant ending up in her arms like this forever.

THE END