Disclaimer: Characters herewithin do not belong to lil ole me.
Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for the kind feedback so far. I love to hear from fellow StarRob shippers! I hope you keep reading and enjoying!
Flying Home
by Kristen Elizabeth
I wish I could follow through
I know that your love is true
And deep
As the sea
But right now
Everything you want is wrong,
And right now
All your dreams are waking up,
And right now
I wish I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom,
Where no one lives.
-"Honey and the Moon," Joseph Arthur
Raven was one dead woman, Robin silently vowed. What had she been thinking, putting these sorts of ideas into Starfire's head? Not that they were necessarily all that bad, just completely out of character for his Star.
But isn't this what you've always wanted, a little voice in the back of his head asked.
"No," he said out loud, answering his own question.
"No?" Starfire slowly lifted her arms and crossed them over her breasts. "You will not?"
"No, I didn't mean…" Robin plunged his fingers into his hair, upsetting the carefully crafted spikes. "What I meant was that I…we…can't. Not like this."
Starfire shook her head. "Do you wish to do the intercourse with our clothes on?"
"Oh, I gotta sit down." Robin sank into his desk chair and stared at the floor. When his rising libido was back in check, he looked up, settling his gaze directly on her eyes and nowhere else. "Star…you're beautiful. And I…care about you. But this isn't a good idea."
"Why not? We are over the proper age, and we are friends."
Robin closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Star, this isn't how things like this progress. Yeah, we've known each other for a long time, but this stuff's gotta build up. Can you understand?"
Starfire turned her head as though suddenly embarrassed. "You do not desire me."
"Listen to what I'm saying. When two people do this…it's because they've taken their time and thought it out."
"Raven did not mention any of this."
He exhaled sharply. "Well, Raven wouldn't be my first choice of counselors if I needed sex advice."
"You do not need sex advice then…because you do not desire me."
"You're not listening, Star!"
"And you are not denying it!" She lowered her arms and walked towards him. "I do not want you to leave, Robin, because I care for you more than I have ever cared for anyone. There is no one besides you who I could ever imagine doing such things with."
Robin stood up. She was too close. He could reach out and touch her soft skin if he wanted to. And he really wanted to. But he had to be the strong one. It was his lot in life to play the good guy. Even if it meant hurting someone so dear to his heart.
"If we did this, if we made love, had intercourse, whatever you want to call it…I'd still leave, Star."
"But…we would be bonded. Would we not?"
"We'll always be bonded. We're friends."
"That is all?"
He turned away from her again. "That's all I have to give."
Minutes ticked by like hours. When Robin finally glanced back over his shoulder, Starfire had slipped her dress back on; she hovered at the door, a few inches off the ground, shivering slightly.
It broke his heart.
"Star…please try to understand…"
"It is all right, dear friend." Starfire put on a brave smile. "I am sorry if I have created awkwardness between us. I did not mean to. I hope you will not think badly of me in the future."
"I couldn't ever," he whispered.
"Will you think of me at all when you are gone, Robin?" A moment passed. "I will always think of you."
When he heard the door close behind her, Robin cursed under his breath. "It can't always be about what you want," he told himself. "It just can't."
Starfire reached her room and threw open her window as she desperately fought back her sorrow. By the time she was in the air shooting up as high into the clouds as possible, the tears caught up with her. The wind rushing past her cheeks dried them almost instantly, but fresh ones appeared just as quickly.
She flew until the sun began to set in the far off west.
The tears never stopped.
Restless and hating it, Raven made her way to the roof, her second favorite place to meditate. Once there, she walked to the very edge and gazed down at the dark water that lapped the rock edges of the island. Taking a deep breath of near contentment, she crossed her legs and levitated up. She settled into the proper position and closed her eyes.
"Azarath…metrion…zin…"
A tiny hiccup interrupted her before she even got started. She cracked one eye open and searched the darkness for the source of it. The muffled sobs seemed to be coming from a huddled mass of white material…and red hair on the far side of the flat concrete plain.
"Oh no."
Raven landed softly and approached the sobbing alien girl carefully. "Starfire?"
She lifted her head, but her hair hung in disarray and covered most of her face. What Raven could see of it was splotchy from hours of crying. "Robin will depart at the end of the week," Starfire said between hiccups.
Anger ticked in the back of Raven's mind. She effectively squashed it, but not before she let out a terse, "What an idiot." Looking back down at her friend, she sighed. "Let's go inside. It's getting cold out here. You could get sick."
"I do not care if I contract the dreaded sniffles."
"You will when your nose starts running like a faucet."
Starfire sat up. "What else could I have done, my friend?"
"Probably nothing," Raven replied honestly. "But listen…we're still here. Me and Cyborg and even Beast Boy. You won't be alone. The Titans aren't going anywhere."
"That should give me great comfort," Starfire said. "But it does not."
"It might not for awhile. But it's something."
A star shot across the black sky. "At home, we make wishes upon such dying stars," the Tamaranian informed her.
Raven's lips twitched into something resembling a smile. "We do that here, too."
"Shall we make a wish together, dear friend?"
The smile fell. "I don't depend on wishes." Raven paused. "Make one for me, please."
Starfire closed her eyes for a long time. When she opened them again, Raven held out her hand to her. "Come on. I'll make us some tea."
"With grape jelly?" Starfire asked, hopefully.
Fighting the urge to gag, Raven simply nodded. "Whatever."
Three days later, Robin found himself in the same spot at the very top of Titan Tower, surrounded by everything he owned in the world. Sadly, it all fit into two suitcases. At least he wouldn't have to worry about overloading Bruce's helicopter when it came to pick him up.
"So, this is it," he said to the emptiness around him. A small green bug crawled closer to him, but he didn't notice it. Robin sighed after a minute had passed and picked up his bags. "Everyone…take care of yourselves."
Catching him completely off guard, the bug he hadn't even seen suddenly morphed into Beast Boy. "You're really doing it.. "You're leaving."
When Robin heart stopped racing from the surprise, he set his things down. "Yeah."
"I don't suppose a funny joke or even the kitten eyes could convince you to stay." He chuckled almost bitterly. "Although I guess that if Star couldn't change your mind, nothing will."
"How do you know about…"
"Raven found her half-naked and crying up here a few days ago. You'd better be glad she's got control over those emotions of hers, or your butt might still be suspended upside down in mid-air."
Although it wasn't visible due to his mask, Robin lowered his eyes. "I didn't know." He continued to stare at the floor. "I have no right to ask this, but would you do me a favor?" He took his friend's silence as a cue to go on. "Watch out for Star. For me."
"I will. We all will. Just like she watches out for us. It's what we do here, remember?"
"Beast Boy…please don't make this any harder." Robin cleared his throat. "No one might believe it, but this is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life."
His green teammate considered him carefully. "Then why are you doing it?"
"I can't explain it any better than I already have. I made this promise a long time ago. I can't go back on it now." He looked up at the sky. "Thanks for seeing me off."
Beast Boy shrugged. "What are friends for?"
"That's a good question." He hesitated. "I guess everyone got busy and forgot to come say goodbye?"
"Do you want the truth?"
"Not really."
The wind picked up just then and the dull pounding throb of swirling blades signaled the helicopter's approach.
"That's my ride," Robin said, his voice dull.
Beast Boy squinted into the sun, checking out the sleek black chopper. "Not too shabby." With his hand extended, his friend approached him. "Don't be a stranger, Robin."
He took Beast Boy's hand and shook it. "I'll do my best." A second later, he pulled the shorter Titan into a quick hug. "Hold down the fort."
"You got it."
The helicopter landed several yards away making it very difficult to hear Robin's next words. "Keep her safe." Stepping back, he grabbed his bags, ducked and ran to it. As the chopper took off, he cast one final look at the T-shaped tower he'd called home for more than five years. "Until we meet again."
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for the kind feedback so far. I love to hear from fellow StarRob shippers! I hope you keep reading and enjoying!
Flying Home
by Kristen Elizabeth
I wish I could follow through
I know that your love is true
And deep
As the sea
But right now
Everything you want is wrong,
And right now
All your dreams are waking up,
And right now
I wish I could follow you
To the shores
Of freedom,
Where no one lives.
-"Honey and the Moon," Joseph Arthur
Raven was one dead woman, Robin silently vowed. What had she been thinking, putting these sorts of ideas into Starfire's head? Not that they were necessarily all that bad, just completely out of character for his Star.
But isn't this what you've always wanted, a little voice in the back of his head asked.
"No," he said out loud, answering his own question.
"No?" Starfire slowly lifted her arms and crossed them over her breasts. "You will not?"
"No, I didn't mean…" Robin plunged his fingers into his hair, upsetting the carefully crafted spikes. "What I meant was that I…we…can't. Not like this."
Starfire shook her head. "Do you wish to do the intercourse with our clothes on?"
"Oh, I gotta sit down." Robin sank into his desk chair and stared at the floor. When his rising libido was back in check, he looked up, settling his gaze directly on her eyes and nowhere else. "Star…you're beautiful. And I…care about you. But this isn't a good idea."
"Why not? We are over the proper age, and we are friends."
Robin closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Star, this isn't how things like this progress. Yeah, we've known each other for a long time, but this stuff's gotta build up. Can you understand?"
Starfire turned her head as though suddenly embarrassed. "You do not desire me."
"Listen to what I'm saying. When two people do this…it's because they've taken their time and thought it out."
"Raven did not mention any of this."
He exhaled sharply. "Well, Raven wouldn't be my first choice of counselors if I needed sex advice."
"You do not need sex advice then…because you do not desire me."
"You're not listening, Star!"
"And you are not denying it!" She lowered her arms and walked towards him. "I do not want you to leave, Robin, because I care for you more than I have ever cared for anyone. There is no one besides you who I could ever imagine doing such things with."
Robin stood up. She was too close. He could reach out and touch her soft skin if he wanted to. And he really wanted to. But he had to be the strong one. It was his lot in life to play the good guy. Even if it meant hurting someone so dear to his heart.
"If we did this, if we made love, had intercourse, whatever you want to call it…I'd still leave, Star."
"But…we would be bonded. Would we not?"
"We'll always be bonded. We're friends."
"That is all?"
He turned away from her again. "That's all I have to give."
Minutes ticked by like hours. When Robin finally glanced back over his shoulder, Starfire had slipped her dress back on; she hovered at the door, a few inches off the ground, shivering slightly.
It broke his heart.
"Star…please try to understand…"
"It is all right, dear friend." Starfire put on a brave smile. "I am sorry if I have created awkwardness between us. I did not mean to. I hope you will not think badly of me in the future."
"I couldn't ever," he whispered.
"Will you think of me at all when you are gone, Robin?" A moment passed. "I will always think of you."
When he heard the door close behind her, Robin cursed under his breath. "It can't always be about what you want," he told himself. "It just can't."
Starfire reached her room and threw open her window as she desperately fought back her sorrow. By the time she was in the air shooting up as high into the clouds as possible, the tears caught up with her. The wind rushing past her cheeks dried them almost instantly, but fresh ones appeared just as quickly.
She flew until the sun began to set in the far off west.
The tears never stopped.
Restless and hating it, Raven made her way to the roof, her second favorite place to meditate. Once there, she walked to the very edge and gazed down at the dark water that lapped the rock edges of the island. Taking a deep breath of near contentment, she crossed her legs and levitated up. She settled into the proper position and closed her eyes.
"Azarath…metrion…zin…"
A tiny hiccup interrupted her before she even got started. She cracked one eye open and searched the darkness for the source of it. The muffled sobs seemed to be coming from a huddled mass of white material…and red hair on the far side of the flat concrete plain.
"Oh no."
Raven landed softly and approached the sobbing alien girl carefully. "Starfire?"
She lifted her head, but her hair hung in disarray and covered most of her face. What Raven could see of it was splotchy from hours of crying. "Robin will depart at the end of the week," Starfire said between hiccups.
Anger ticked in the back of Raven's mind. She effectively squashed it, but not before she let out a terse, "What an idiot." Looking back down at her friend, she sighed. "Let's go inside. It's getting cold out here. You could get sick."
"I do not care if I contract the dreaded sniffles."
"You will when your nose starts running like a faucet."
Starfire sat up. "What else could I have done, my friend?"
"Probably nothing," Raven replied honestly. "But listen…we're still here. Me and Cyborg and even Beast Boy. You won't be alone. The Titans aren't going anywhere."
"That should give me great comfort," Starfire said. "But it does not."
"It might not for awhile. But it's something."
A star shot across the black sky. "At home, we make wishes upon such dying stars," the Tamaranian informed her.
Raven's lips twitched into something resembling a smile. "We do that here, too."
"Shall we make a wish together, dear friend?"
The smile fell. "I don't depend on wishes." Raven paused. "Make one for me, please."
Starfire closed her eyes for a long time. When she opened them again, Raven held out her hand to her. "Come on. I'll make us some tea."
"With grape jelly?" Starfire asked, hopefully.
Fighting the urge to gag, Raven simply nodded. "Whatever."
Three days later, Robin found himself in the same spot at the very top of Titan Tower, surrounded by everything he owned in the world. Sadly, it all fit into two suitcases. At least he wouldn't have to worry about overloading Bruce's helicopter when it came to pick him up.
"So, this is it," he said to the emptiness around him. A small green bug crawled closer to him, but he didn't notice it. Robin sighed after a minute had passed and picked up his bags. "Everyone…take care of yourselves."
Catching him completely off guard, the bug he hadn't even seen suddenly morphed into Beast Boy. "You're really doing it.. "You're leaving."
When Robin heart stopped racing from the surprise, he set his things down. "Yeah."
"I don't suppose a funny joke or even the kitten eyes could convince you to stay." He chuckled almost bitterly. "Although I guess that if Star couldn't change your mind, nothing will."
"How do you know about…"
"Raven found her half-naked and crying up here a few days ago. You'd better be glad she's got control over those emotions of hers, or your butt might still be suspended upside down in mid-air."
Although it wasn't visible due to his mask, Robin lowered his eyes. "I didn't know." He continued to stare at the floor. "I have no right to ask this, but would you do me a favor?" He took his friend's silence as a cue to go on. "Watch out for Star. For me."
"I will. We all will. Just like she watches out for us. It's what we do here, remember?"
"Beast Boy…please don't make this any harder." Robin cleared his throat. "No one might believe it, but this is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life."
His green teammate considered him carefully. "Then why are you doing it?"
"I can't explain it any better than I already have. I made this promise a long time ago. I can't go back on it now." He looked up at the sky. "Thanks for seeing me off."
Beast Boy shrugged. "What are friends for?"
"That's a good question." He hesitated. "I guess everyone got busy and forgot to come say goodbye?"
"Do you want the truth?"
"Not really."
The wind picked up just then and the dull pounding throb of swirling blades signaled the helicopter's approach.
"That's my ride," Robin said, his voice dull.
Beast Boy squinted into the sun, checking out the sleek black chopper. "Not too shabby." With his hand extended, his friend approached him. "Don't be a stranger, Robin."
He took Beast Boy's hand and shook it. "I'll do my best." A second later, he pulled the shorter Titan into a quick hug. "Hold down the fort."
"You got it."
The helicopter landed several yards away making it very difficult to hear Robin's next words. "Keep her safe." Stepping back, he grabbed his bags, ducked and ran to it. As the chopper took off, he cast one final look at the T-shaped tower he'd called home for more than five years. "Until we meet again."
To Be Continued
