Twentieth Chapter: "Robin?"

"Robin?"

My heart skipped a beat as I looked down at Starfire. She opened her eyes and groaned softly. Another beat missed.

"Hey! Star!" Beast Boy said cheerfully.

"Welcome back to reality, little lady!" Cyborg beamed.

She sat up gingerly. "How did I…" Her voice faded. She looked up at me with a surprised look on her face. "You were… in my mind?"

"Hunh?" Beast Boy said.

"Nothing, nothing." Raven interrupted. She pushed the two toward the door. "Leave them be." She whispered. Cyborg nodded and giggled, but Beast Boy just sort of glared at me while still trying to smile at Starfire. When the door closed behind them, I turned my attention back to her.

"Robin…"

I smiled weakly, suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of guilt and embarrassment.

"Sorry, Star, it's just that… well…" I sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed. "I… well… that is…you know… I just wanted to…uh…your emotions, they-"

"Robin," she said again, this time a little louder. "I am not angry with you."

I held my awkward smile. "Thanks, Star."

"But…"

I jerked my eyes to the floor. 'But…' what?

"Robin…"

I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again.

"I simply desire to know if your kiss was an attempt to save Innocence's –my life, or if…"

Or if it actually meant something? She didn't want to say it. I didn't want to say it, either. But one of us would have to, wouldn't we?

"Is it that you don't want to kiss her because you do not like her that way, or is it that you don't want to kiss her because you fear her learning the truth?" Chaos had said.

But it was so much harder to talk to the actual Starfire, not just pieces and parts of her feelings!

"Robin," she said for the fourth time. I braced myself. "I understand. If you do not wish to answer because you do not want to hurt my feelings, I understand."

My head snapped up. "Starfire, no, it's not that!"

She looked at me innocently, and I groaned inside my head. I was just sinking myself deeper and deeper into this pit of quicksand, wasn't I?

And I knew it was time to dig myself out.