10 Leisurely Days
by Blue Ten
Summary:
Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, Slight BBxRae
Disclaimer:
I do not own Teen Titans.
Credit:
Sayan-P provided much of the information regarding swords and sword technique in this and future chapters. Thank you, these chapters would have been very vague without you :P.
Day 6, Part One: Because I Met You
"We'll start with the basics, since you obviously know little about sword fighting." said Tyrus with a grunt as he tossed what appeared to be a large wooden stick over to Robin, "The bokken is the sword used for those in training." he said as Robin caught the wooden sword in his hands, nearly falling backward under its surprising weight.
"Bokken..." Robin looked down almost condescendingly at the sword in his hands; it wasn't a katana, how could he train properly with it? "I can't train with this, I need something similar to a real katana." he held out the sword in the air as if to return it.
Tyrus narrowed his eyes slightly at Robin, "That would be unwise; if I gave a real blade to someone with as little experience as you, you'd just wind up cutting yourself." he explained; Robin reluctantly lowered the sword, realizing this man knew better than he did, "The Bokken will do for now, in time you can graduate to an iaito, a blunt edged katana, if you really feel you need to." he said.
"I do." Robin stated simply, again implying the seriousness of his predicament.
Tyrus looked Robin over, "Why are you so intent on learning this quickly?" he asked, furrowing his brow.
Robin looked to his side, thinking about how he could put this without revealing too much, "There's someone I need to fight; he uses the katana." Robin explained vaguely.
"Ah, a rival." Tyrus said, as if understanding completely, "So this boy defeated you once, and now you're looking to fight him in a rematch." he deduced.
"Uh... yeah." Robin replied, though it wasn't a boy, it was a full grown man as far as he could tell; but Tyrus didn't need to know that, 'Speak of this to anyone, and your friends will meet their ends painfully...' Grey's cold voice resonated through his thoughts, he couldn't afford to give Tyrus any more than that vague explanation.
"I know you're the leader of the Titans, so I trust you're not gonna do too much damage to the guy once you get the chance right?" Tyrus asked, making note of Robin's serious attitude.
"No more than I have to." Robin replied, rotating his wrist, getting used to the weight of the bokken, "So, are we gonna start or what?" he asked with slight impatience.
Tyrus chuckled, "Okay." he said, "Set the bokken down by that wall." he pointed at the wall to Robin's left, "I just wanted you to get a feel for the weight."
Robin stepped over to the wall; reluctantly placing the sword on the floor; he turned back to face Tyrus, "But, what about--"
"There are two styles I can teach you for use with the katana; Iaido, the art of drawing and cutting with the sword in one motion, and Kenjutsu, which is where you'll learn to use the katana in a fight." Tyrus stated, interrupting Robin, "Learning all of this could take a while--"
"I want to learn as much as I can in five days." Robin interjected, figuring he should be ready before Starfire leaves... or doesn't leave; ironically, remaining on earth would put her in more danger if Grey decided to show up after those five days passed... Though Grey seemed like the kind of person who would hurt Starfire and the others whether or not Robin kept his end of the deal...
"What--Five days!" Tyrus exclaimed, clenching his fist in surprise, "How could you possibly expect to learn anything..." he trailed off to examine Robin's facial expression which had remained just as serious throughout their conversation, "...Fine. But you better be a fast learner... I've never taught anyone at the speed your asking... and honestly, it sounds impossible." he crossed his arms.
"Impossible or not, I have no choice."
'No choice?' Tyrus thought, sighing, "...You probably have several martial arts styles mastered, correct?" he asked, raising a bristly graying eyebrow.
"Yeah." Robin said, looking to his side, thinking back to his days training under Batman, "Kung Fu, Jujutsu, Ka--"
"Forget about them, 'cause they won't help with the first step." he grimaced, "I said we'd start with the basics, so before you can begin learning Iaido, you've gotta prepare yourself physically, using something I like to call... weight training."
- - - - - -
The sound of waves gently crashing against the shore, and the soft whispering breeze, carried in through an open window. Nearly an entire wall in Starfire's room was made up of windows which looked out upon the ocean; with the purple curtains slid entirely open, the bright morning sun, reflecting off of the ocean's shifting surface, cast its brilliance through the wall of glass. Curled up under the blanket, Starfire slept on her side, resting her head on her arms and breathing peacefully; as the sunlight progressively intensified, she found herself bathed in its warm glow. The energy which radiated from the morning star began to flow through her, warming her entire body, gently waking her from a restful slumber; protecting her eyes from the light with her hand, Starfire basked in its glow for a moment, letting it wake her fully before sitting up. Stretching out her arms, Starfire yawned extensively, thereafter moving her hands to her forehead in order to push away a few stray strands of hair. At the sight, and full realization of the glorious day that had emerged just outside of the tower, Starfire smiled widely; though she did not have a problem with the rainy weather of the day before, a sunny day was something that would agree with Robin much more.
Feeling refreshed and energetic after a long night's rest, Starfire stepped out from under her blanket, standing up off the bed to walk over to the window. Starfire watched in awe as the ocean sparkled and shone like the cleaved surface of a shimmering diamond; even in the early morning light, it was alive and intense. The wind was cool and fresh, carrying the salty sea air along its gentle whispering gusts; seagulls sung in the new morning as they flew about the docks in the distance, dancing playfully through the air. The water around the shore below was already bright and blue-green; waves crashed against the island, creating white seafoam around the rocks. It was all very peaceful and inviting; a day that was simply begging to be spent outside.
Stepping back from the window, Starfire wondered how she would get Robin to go along with her, but mostly, how she could keep the others out of it. At the thought of sneaking away with him before the others could notice, Starfire was suddenly struck by guilt; she wanted Robin all to herself, and it made her feel very selfish. However, she was sure that the others wouldn't mind; after all, was it such a bad thing that she would want to spend time with just one of her... friends? Taking one last look at the ocean, Starfire yawned away any lingering effects of sleep; turning around, she exited the room in a timely fashion.
- - - - - -
Robin's alarm clock shot his eyes open by sending its pulsing, repetitive beeps sharply through his ears; the bright light from outside the window immediately blinded him, causing him to squint as the luminance stung his retinas. Robin wasn't surprised that he needed the alarm to wake him up this morning; with all that training Tyrus had put him through, he was surprised he woke up at all. Reaching blindly across his bed, Robin carefully shut off the alarm with one hand, reveling in the peaceful silence thereafter; the gentle sound of the crashing ocean and whistling wind was carried softly through the open window. The harsh bright light still bleached his vision, so Robin moved his head under the dim shadow of the rustling curtains, letting his eyes adjust slowly to the blinding radiance. As his room faded into view, Robin sat up, stretching his arms and scratching the back of his head through his messy, pillow-pressed hair. His muscles ached, and his eyes fought to stay closed, but he was sure he had gotten stronger and learned a few things since before; he was now one step closer to beating that arrogant masked man at his own game.
Throwing the covers from himself, Robin looked across the room again; his movement had kicked up clouds of dust from the blanket, which traveled to the window and seemed to become pulled into a rushing current as they disappeared into the shadows beyond the bright light's reach. Lowering his sore legs over the side of his bed, Robin took a few preparatory breaths before he stood up fully, putting his tense muscles through some much needed stretching. As he walked over to his window, curiosity struck by the unbelievably bright morning, he stretched his right arm out again by rotating it like a windmill, repeating the action with his left before he stopped to rest his hands on the windowsill. Robin was brought out of his slight dream state by what he saw beyond the opening; it was relatively early in the morning, but the sun had already lit the ocean to a brilliant platinum sheen.
Perfect; it was a beautiful day outside, and Robin felt like he needed to seize this opportunity. Seeing as how the others liked to get in the way whether they knew what was going on or not, Robin hoped that Starfire was up early as well; perhaps then he could persuade her to go for a walk before the others decide to wake up. He figured he could use the time alone to tell her his story too. Looking to the side of the open window, Robin saw himself in the reflection; his hair had been completely flattened on one side by the pillow, and the rest was curled and knotted in strange places... he didn't look like himself at all. Before he would show his face to Starfire, Robin decided to at least make himself look normal. Eyeing his reflection one last time, Robin chuckled slightly and turned around; not wanting to waste any time, he rushed over to his closet, removed the usual items and quickly exited his room, heading in the direction of the shower. Whether or not he was fully awake for the day, Robin decided to make the best of it.
Walking down the hallway, Robin listened closely to the silence. Apparently, none of the others had awakened just yet, and it was still pretty early in the morning; he figured there was time left to take a quick shower, and then somehow convince Starfire to leave the tower without the others. Further down the hall, Robin found that the door to the bathroom was closed, inside he could hear the sound of the shower running. Only one other person would be up as early as him, and she took long baths; Robin sighed, it was still quite early in the morning, and everyone had stayed up late, perhaps this won't make a difference. Leaning his weight against the wall beside the door, Robin waited as patiently as he could for her to finish. Now closer to the door, he heard something amidst the sound of falling water; Starfire was humming a peculiar tune to herself; it was very different from the traditional Tamaranian songs, which sounded an awful lot like screaming... it was melodious, and in combination with Starfire's heavenly voice, quite pleasing to the ear. Surprisingly, the shower was shut off rather quickly; a lot sooner than Robin had expected, to say the least. As Robin stepped away from the wall, he heard a sound of surprise from Starfire.
"I forgot..." she said to herself on the other side of the door.
Wondering what she meant, Robin backed away as he heard the handle turning slowly; the door began to move outward ever so slightly as though Starfire was checking around the corner. Confused, Robin turned his head slightly to see what she was doing; as he shifted his view, Robin saw Starfire's face peering around the edge of the door; however, lower down, he saw her bare shoulder.
With a sudden jump in heart rate, Robin now realized what she forgot, quickly covering his eyes with his free hand before he saw anything else, "Sorry!" he blurted out, now asking himself why he didn't wait in the living room.
"Eep!" Starfire squeaked, immediately closing the door. A few seconds later, after both had steadied their heartbeats, Starfire spoke up again, "Robin?" she queried, hoping that it was him and not one of the other two boys; however, the voice had sounded so flustered that she could not tell.
"...Yeah." Robin responded, his face red with embarrassment, wondering if it was safe to open his eyes again.
Starfire sighed in relief, "I seem to have forgotten my towel, perhaps you could..." she trailed off, speaking through a slight crack in the door.
Robin opened his eyes and looked down at the towel in his hands, "Oh--Of course." he said quickly, attempting in vain to mask the slight cracking in his voice. Clearing his throat, Robin turned his head away from the door, "Here." he said, holding out the towel with one hand.
The slight creaking sound of the hinges alerted Robin that the door was opening; reaching her hand out through the small gap, Starfire took the towel, quickly shutting the door again afterward, "Thank you." she said. Unfortunately for his conscience, Robin was still close enough to the door that he could hear Starfire drying herself off with the towel on the other side; he shook his head at himself, asking once again why he was not waiting in the living room.
At the sound of the door opening, Robin backed away once again, no longer obstructing his view; however, he carried a rather guilty expression on his face, which he would have preferred to be covering from her view. As Starfire stepped out of the bathroom, Robin didn't know whether he should be relieved or abashed that she was now wearing the towel; no matter which he chose, neither could keep the red from rushing to his cheeks. Relief seemed to be his action of choice though as he saw her expression; Starfire was smiling fervently at something, and didn't seem embarrassed at all, which was more than he could say for himself.
Unable to hold it back any longer, Starfire covered her mouth and giggled, "Your hair is quite... interesting this morning." she remarked, trying as hard as she could to stifle her laughter.
"Huh?" puzzled, Robin looked upward as though he would be able to see his hair; suddenly, the memory of his reflection in the window came back. Chuckling nervously, Robin gave Starfire a playful glare as he ran his fingers through the mess of tangles, attempting to straighten it out, "Wasn't my idea." he said jokingly.
Both laughed at this for a moment before Starfire suddenly stopped, "Oh, I must be going." she said, realizing she was wasting time; she didn't want to keep Robin from getting ready, as she wanted to get him out of the tower before the others would wake up. "Thank you." said Starfire as she floated away down the hall. Robin shook his head; not at her, but at himself for watching as she left. Before he entered the bathroom, he stopped to wonder what Starfire had to leave in such a hurry for... if she had other things to do, then he couldn't convince her to go with him. As he shook the thought from his mind in favor of optimism, Robin looked down and realized he didn't have a towel anymore... Unwilling to sneak clothesless through the halls after a bath, Robin quickly returned to his room in order to retrieve another one.
- - - - - -
Dressed in her usual attire once again, Starfire stepped out of the hallway into the common room. She had not taken the time to dry her hair fully, which remained shiny and slightly weighted down; but it would dry out from the air soon enough. The magnificent light of the sun passed brightly through the windows of the living room, obstructed only by the large television screen that cast a long shadow across the floor in the morning light. The intense morning sun led Starfire to wonder why the others had not woken up yet... then again, Raven kept her curtains shut tight during the day, Beast Boy was a pretty heavy sleeper, and Cyborg had a power supply regulating his ability to stay awake; at this moment though, she was glad that the others were not the earliest of birds.
Careful not to make too much noise, Starfire lifted her feet from the ground, floating into the kitchen where she decided to wait for Robin as close to the door as possible. As she waited, Starfire examined the shelves and counters in the kitchen; the place was completely void of the usual human food. The only edible food left was her own Tamaranian cuisine, which had remained surprisingly uneaten, stashed away in the cupboards where anyone could find them. Starfire could hear the distant sound of the shower shutting off; knowing that Robin would emerge soon enough, she stopped worrying about wasted time and moved over to the dining room table where she sat down. Something else was on her mind this morning; Starfire wondered when Robin would decide to tell her about himself as promised, but mostly, she wondered what he was going to tell her, though she knew nothing he would say could make her feel any different about him... in fact, she was sure that anything she learned about him would only intensify these feelings of affection, if that was at all possible.
Robin's footsteps sounded hurried as Starfire heard them coming from the hall, which made her hope that he was not busy with something important; if so, then she would not be able to convince him to go anywhere. Robin walked out of the hall, dressed in his regular uniform; his hair was no longer messy and untamed, now spiked up and styled back to normality. To Starfire's surprise, he shot her a rather jovial smile as she came into his sight; this led her to believe that he was not busy with anything, and made her suggestion of going outside so early seem practical.
Upon seeing Starfire sitting at the table, seeming awake and energetic even this early in the morning, Robin knew that if he suggested going outside on a day like this, she would definitely go along; however, being the kind person that she is, she would want to include the others... Robin spent some time thinking about how to get around that little detail as he approached her.
"Good morning Robin, is it not a glorious day?" she asked with an elated smile, attempting to draw attention to the sun outside.
Robin looked at the main windows, squinting as the luminosity struck his eyes, "Oh, yeah. Speaking of that... since it's such a nice day and all, I was wondering if you wanna..." he trailed off, avoiding her eyes, scratching the back of his neck in order to relieve some self-induced stress. Even though Starfire's positive attitude was giving him plenty of confidence, Robin still felt a little nervous because it sounded an awful lot like he was asking her out on a date; he only hoped that she didn't know that.
Starfire gasped under her breath; Robin was asking her question for her. This made things much easier, and she couldn't help but finish his sentence, "Go to the park?" she asked ecstatically as she stood up from her seat, eyes glittering with enthusiasm.
Robin released the back of his neck from his grasp, letting his hand drop dead at his side, "...Yeah." he said, eyes wide with surprise, 'Did she already want to go?' he wondered.
Seeing the expression on Robin's face, Starfire panicked, trying to think up something she could say so she would not seem so obvious, "Um, perhaps we should inform the others?" she asked without thinking. Starfire felt like falling over; she had just suggested the exact thing she was trying to avoid.
"Oh..." Robin was severely disappointed, but he had planned for this, "How about you go tell Raven, and I'll see if Cyborg and Beast Boy want to come." he said; knowing that Raven wouldn't want to go anywhere, Robin knew all he had to do was just say that Cyborg and Beast Boy were too tired to go... it might be a lie, but...
"Um, yes." she responded. Both began walking to the hallway in slightly lessened spirits; out of Robin's view, Starfire hung her head below her shoulders, thinking that her idea would be ruined now, because of her own mistake. As she looked at Robin from behind, Starfire wanted desperately to retract her statement, but she knew how that would sound, 'Oh Robin, will you not go alone with me to the park? So we can be together, alone?' she mocked herself in thought. Without saying a word, the two gave each other fake smiles as they reached the point in the hall which split off into two opposite directions; Starfire took the right, heading off to Raven's room, and Robin went left, where Cyborg and Beast Boy's rooms were.
- - - - - -
Starfire simply stood outside of Raven's door, holding her hand up in the air as though she was about to knock; she had been keeping this position since she approached the door, nearly a minute ago. Suddenly, Starfire came to a realization; Robin couldn't see her from where he was, so she could just go back right now and say that Raven didn't want to come along... but she figured that would be very dishonest; after all, he had asked her to tell Raven. Sighing, Starfire brought her hand up closer to the door, pulling her wrist backward, reluctantly readying her hand to knock.
"No. Not this early in the morning." came Raven's monotone voice from the other side of the door before Starfire could do anything.
As an uncontrollable smile spread across Starfire's face, she felt herself beginning to float, "Thank you friend Raven." she said, letting herself burst into light giggles.
"Um... you're welcome?"
- - - - - -
Walking up to Cyborg's door, Robin sighed; Starfire wanted the others to come along, how could he deceive her by telling her they didn't want to come? Instead of knocking, Robin slowly slid open the door to a slight crack, looking through the small gap; inside, Cyborg was sleeping on that metal bed of his, hooked up to the recharger. As he scanned the room, something caught Robin's eye; on a monitor beside Cyborg's bed was the readout of his power cell's charge, which had apparently only been filled up to 60 percent. Seeing this, Robin figured it was as good an excuse as any; technically, Cyborg was too tired to go. Feeling slightly less guilty, Robin quietly closed the door. Stepping back, Robin looked further down the hallway to Beast Boy's room, wondering what excuse he could come up with as he made his way to the door.
As he stood in front of the changeling's room, Robin only wished that Beast Boy had a monitor that read out his energy levels as well, 'That'd make this a lot easier.' he thought, quietly pressing his hand against the door. Once again, instead of knocking, Robin carefully slid the door open, peering inside through the small opening. There was something peculiar; even though it was dark inside, Robin could tell something was missing; Beast Boy usually had a habit of talking in his sleep, or snoring rather loudly, but neither sound was present. Confused, Robin slid the door all the way open and reached inside to turn on the light. In the light, Robin could see that the room was empty and Beast Boy's bunk bed was vacant; strange... but it was reason enough to exclude him. Satisfied, Robin shut off the light and closed the door; turning around, he headed back up the hallway where he saw Starfire returning, without Raven as expected.
- - - - - -
"Raven did not want to go." said Starfire with an enormous smile as she floated down the hallway toward Robin.
"Cyborg and Beast Boy are still sleeping." said Robin, smiling as well, glad that he did not have to lie, "I... guess it's just us then." he added, meeting her eyes; to his surprise, Starfire seemed overjoyed at his comment.
"Well, I suppose they are the ones who are missing out." she said happily, "It is such a wonderful day outside. Come, we should make the haste." with that, Starfire grabbed Robin's hand and mirthfully led him into the common room without ever touching the ground. As he followed closely behind, gladly holding on to her hand, Robin was surprised to find Starfire so enthusiastic about going, even though the others weren't coming along; however, he decided not to question whatever fantastic stroke of luck brought this about.
Starfire let go of Robin's hand as they neared the main doors, "Oh, I have almost forgotten." she said, dropping to the ground and making her way to the kitchen. Robin merely watched from the doorway as Starfire searched through the cupboards, pulling out a small blue bag; a cooler with a carrying strap. Unzipping the bag, Starfire rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, placing various unrecognizable items into it; feeling as though she had filled it with enough, Starfire zipped the bag back up, threw the strap over her shoulder, and turned around to walk back to Robin at the door.
"What's in the bag?" Robin asked, eyeing it with curiosity.
Starfire turned to Robin and grinned, "Snacks." she said simply. Even though he thought that there was no food left in the kitchen, Robin found that he was too hungry to ask questions; instead, he simply walked along with Starfire into the elevator.
With a ping sound, the elevator reached the ground floor, opening its doors to the entrance hallway. Robin and Starfire walked to the main doors, in a slight hurry, both wanting to leave as soon as possible. As the enormous doors slid open, the fresh morning air rushed inward, meeting Robin and Starfire with a swift burst of wind before the pressure equalized. Even though the tower's entrance was facing away from the sunrise, the light could be seen clearly, sparkling brightly upon every wave that lapped up against the shore of the island in the distance. The sky, though not entirely clear, was lit up just as magnificently; bright orange and vivid white, the light and fluffy clouds scattered about the atmosphere seemed to have caught fire from the sunrise, in stark contrast to the deep blue sky. As soon as the wind died down, the air was revealed to be remarkably warm and inviting. Still standing in awe, Robin and Starfire stepped out into the sunlight.
"Well, Cyborg won't let anyone else take the T-Car so..." Robin trailed off, about to ask Starfire if she could fly them to the park; however, he didn't want to burden her.
Without warning, Starfire took hold of Robin's hand once again, "It would be my pleasure." she said, smiling as wide as ever.
- - - - - -
Rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes, Raven ventured from her room into the hallway, having been awakened by Starfire's prominent emotions which had penetrated through her sleep with supernatural force. Turning the corner into the common room, Raven decided to get a little meditation done by the window, figuring the light from the sun would help her relax. Something had been on her mind recently, and she couldn't figure out what it was. All she knew was that, though it was barely noticeable to the others, she was not quite acting like herself.
'Not acting like yourself?' a voice spoke up inside her head, 'Isn't the fact that you want to meditate, in the sun, a testament to that?' one of her many hidden emotions asked cynically. Raven simply shook her head, blocking out the voice as she continued on her way, passing by the couch. Before she could reach the window, something caught her eye. Sprawled out on the couch, sleeping with his mouth wide open and one arm hanging over the edge, was Beast Boy; in his hand, he held the remote control. Seeing this rather amusing scene, Raven felt a slight grin beginning to form on her face. Looking across the room to see if anyone else was around, Raven lifted up a pillow from one end of the couch with her mind; in one quick motion, she sent the pillow flying, right into Beast Boy's face.
"AAH!" screamed Beast Boy as he felt the blunt impact of the pillow against his face. Quickly sitting up, he took the remote in his hands and shut off the television which was displaying a black screen the DVD player switched to when it had been left on all night. Feeling relaxed, Beast Boy leaned back against the couch and let out a sigh, not questioning why a pillow had hit him. Turning his head to the right, Beast Boy found himself looking directly at Raven, who was leaning her weight against the arm of the couch, looking back down at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Chick flick, huh?" she asked, monotone as ever.
Beast Boy's eyes shifted around, trying to think up a comeback... or an excuse, "I--" he started.
"Don't worry, I won't tell Cyborg." said Raven plainly, smirking; stepping away from the couch, she finally walked over to the window. Sitting down and closing her eyes, Raven began to levitate and quietly recite her mantra. Beast Boy huffed and crossed his arms, for once unable to think of anything to say.
Attempting to act normal, Beast Boy straightened up as he saw Cyborg beginning to step out of the hallway. Yawning boisterously, Cyborg walked into the common room, suddenly surprised to see his friends up so early, "Whoa, you guys are up already?" he asked, still yawning slightly as he made his way over to the couch.
"Yeah I'm up, that's what I'm doing, but I'll tell you what I'm not doing, I'm not watching TV." Beast Boy spoke in a panic, now a victim of his own runaway mouth.
Cyborg stopped in his tracks beside the couch; his expression seemed very confused by Beast Boy's ranting. "...Huh?" he questioned; though his mind was part machine, the human half still found it hard to comprehend a sentence like that so early in the morning. Shaking his head as if to free the information from his mind, Cyborg continued walking to the front of the couch, "Where's Robin, and Star?" he asked, surprised most of all to find that the two early birds were not out and about at this hour.
Raven scanned the room with her mind, figuring out where Robin and Starfire had gone from the traces of their energy which remained in the tower, "They left, a few minutes ago." she said, still in meditation by the window.
"What? Where'd they go?" Beast Boy questioned, finally able to forget about his little movie night.
"To the park." Raven answered, attempting to concentrate on her thoughts.
"Eh, oh well. No one said we had to do something every day." Cyborg said, sitting down on the couch and picking up the remote from where it sat, "We've got our own lives, right?" he asked what he thought was a rhetorical question.
After a short silence, Beast Boy spoke up, "If there were crickets in here, this is where they'd start chirping." he commented.
- - - - - -
The sun remained near to the horizon, hardly given a chance to rise any further while Robin and Starfire arrived promptly at the park. Much darker than the ocean-side since the sun needed to pass through trees and tall buildings to bring in any light, the park was quiet and empty; even the sounds of traffic in the distance were soft and infrequent. What little light that did manage to penetrate through the obstructions, carried itself far across the park in bright, lengthy rays which flickered as the wind shifted through the treetops, creating an impressive light show. The quiet was fairly unusual for a busy city like this, but it was a welcome change; quite peaceful and refreshing.
Having made their landing in the park several minutes ago, Robin and Starfire decided they could finally slow down now that they had reached their destination; walking to the usual spot, they admired the scenery which the sunrise had breathed new life into. The streams flowed calmly, winding alongside the various cobblestone pathways which the two heroes followed to the Titans' favorite hangout in the park. Off the path and up a grassy hill was a single picnic table positioned under a large broad-trunked tree.
"If you are hungry, I have brought the breakfast." Starfire said with a smile as she moved to one side of the table and set her bag down.
"Yeah, I guess I could eat." Robin replied, trying not to let on that he felt like he was starving; with all the energy he had exerted during training, he was surprised he was able to make the climb up that hill. Sitting across from her, Robin watched as Starfire opened the bag she carried and set down various items of food onto the table; he now realized where she had acquired all this food, which he recognized as Tamaranian.
"Gorka berries, lempnas, krashnik root..." she said, pointing out several of the foods she had set on the table, "Where have I placed the glorg?" she asked herself, leaning down to check through the bag which she had placed on the ground. Robin examined the items on the table, most of which looked fairly appetizing to him when he thought about his hunger pains; seeing several red fruits which looked like tomatoes, Robin picked one up. Starfire was still searching through the bag, so he decided not to ask her about it, as the food looked harmless enough; Robin took a bite.
- - - - - -
"I am SO SORRY!" Starfire apologized for the umpteenth time as she watched Robin drinking frantically from the water fountain.
Having doused his mouth with water for several minutes, attempting to put out the fire that felt as though it had started on his tongue, Robin shut off the water fountain when he felt the burning finally subside. Looking dazed, Robin stood up fully and turned around to face Starfire; tear droplets had begun to form at the edges of his mask.
"I should have warned you... some people find that fruit to be quite... spicy." Starfire apologized once again, feeling guilty for not explaining each of the foods to him.
Robin sniffed and cleared his throat, wiping the tears away from his mask. Leaning his weight against the fountain and breathing fast to cool off his mouth, Robin hiccuped once; suddenly, a large smile spread across his face and he burst out laughing. Starfire was confused for a moment, but as she watched Robin in a rare instant of unhindered emotion, she couldn't help but join in.
- - - - - -
Back at the table, finishing off the rest of the food, Robin made sure to ask Starfire carefully about each individual thing he ate. He now understood one of the reasons she had so many questions about earth... she was not only curious, but cautious as well; something he now had a much greater respect for. Starfire was happy to see Robin enjoying the food, most of which she had prepared or grown herself, but she was also glad to return his many favors by sharing a part of her own culture with him; all this made her feel that much closer to him. Robin relaxed, his stomach finally stopping its relentless growls after he had eaten his fill of the safe food. Looking around, Robin saw that the park was still empty; seeing this, he decided now would be a good time to tell Starfire his story.
"Hey Star... Um, I should tell you about myself... you know, to return the favor." he said, wondering why he found it so hard to speak.
"Really?" Starfire asked, standing up. She hadn't expected him to say anything about it so quickly.
Robin smiled lightly at her reaction. Standing up, he walked around the table to her side, "Of course, but... not here. I know a better place." he said, absentmindedly taking her hand as he led her down the hill.
"Okay." Starfire agreed, never taking her eyes off of their interlocked hands; he had recently been showing her much more affection... and, whether or not it meant anything on his part, which she hoped it did, she was reveling in every moment of it. Forcing her eyes away from their hands, Starfire turned away for a moment to take a look at where they were going. The scenery made drastic changes from the regular paved pathways and lampposts, to dirt trails and thick trees as they continued onward. With every step they took, the city, though it surrounded them on all sides, seemed farther and farther away; this place was much like that forgotten trail they had come upon several days ago. Invaded by short grass and flowers, the stony pathway which stretched on under an archway of trees seemed worn and overgrown. Like something the city had simply lost track of over the years, it seemed as though no one had come to this place in a very long time. It was remarkably beautiful, and Starfire had little knowledge that such a place existed within the city limits.
Further ahead, light could be seen breaking through the fairly dim tunnel of trees as a path cut off to the left. Robin saw this and immediately recognized it, "It's right over here." he said, walking with Starfire to the opening. Stepping through, Starfire shielded her eyes from the intense light as they were now facing directly east. She could see that the path came to a stop just ahead; as they walked closer, Starfire realized that it was a slight drop-off on an outcropping which overlooked a large pond. The sun, now risen above the shorter buildings, reflected a vivid light across the surface of the still water, creating the likeness of a shimmering body of pure gold; an illusion that would perpetuate if not for the ducks which took flight from its surface.
Starfire let go of Robin's hand and walked up closer to the edge to look down, surprised at how high they had traveled, "Robin, it is... wondrous." she said, awe struck by what she saw. Starfire sat down on the edge, continuing to admire the scene, hoping that Robin would take the hint and sit beside her.
Admittedly, Robin had at first decided to come to this place because it was out of the way, and hardly anyone ever passed by. He had originally chosen it because he didn't want other people happening upon what he would say, but as he looked out over the drop-off, he saw that it was quite picturesque and aesthetic; one might even say... romantic. At the thought, Robin began to breathe quicker, knowing that if he let his mouth run off, he might say something he would regret. Calming down, Robin walked forward and sat down beside Starfire who smiled jubilantly as he did so. "Yeah, it's one of my favorite places in the city." Robin said, turning away to look out across the edge once more.
Starfire giggled lightly, "I can see why." she said, admiring that quality Robin had, that he was able to take notice of the beautiful things in life.
"Star..." Robin trailed off. Looking at the scenery, thinking that this wasn't quite the ideal setting for the grim details of his past; however, if this situation was any indication, his story would have a happy ending.
"Robin, you do not need to speak of your past to me, if you do not want to." Starfire consoled him, sensing the trouble in Robin's words.
"But, I do want to." Robin replied, truthfully there was no one else he would rather talk to about it, "It's just that... it's hard..." he said, losing his smile, thinking about the events that led him to Jump City.
"I know what you mean. At first, I was afraid of speaking about my memories, but I found that your words were all I needed." she said, smiling though she wondered if she had said too much; her intention was to be subtle.
Robin felt immensely relieved by her consolation, "Thanks." he said with a smile. Robin put his hands against the ground at his sides and rested his weight on them, "Well, I guess I should start at the beginning." he said, thinking back, though some memories were more vivid... and frightening than others, "In Gotham City, My mother, father, and I were an acrobatic troupe called the Flying Graysons... do you know what an acrobat is?" he asked, hoping he wasn't confusing her with his wording.
Starfire squinted, attempting to think of the meaning behind the word, "Oh, yes, it is a human who attempts flying." she answered as best she could.
Robin chuckled, "Yeah, that's it." he said, enthralled by her never-ending cuteness, "Anyway, we were part of a circus that traveled all around... I remember doing so many performances with them. They trained me as an acrobat since I was very young." he explained, seeming very proud as he talked about them.
"I see. It must be wonderful to have such a relationship with your parents..." Starfire said, sounding slightly saddened. Robin realized that Starfire's parents, being king and queen, must have been very distant, always busy with affairs of state.
"It was..." Robin looked down over the edge of the drop-off. Starfire greatly regretted saying what she did when she realized the past tense Robin had just used.
"What... happened?" she asked, weary of Robin's emotions. Robin looked to Starfire, attempting to keep a straight face, but she could see through that, knowing now that it was something terrible.
"One night, a man came to the circus before the show... a crime boss, his name was Anthony Zucco." he said. Robin seemed to clench his teeth at the mere mention of the man's name, "I overheard Zucco threatening the performers if the circus owner didn't pay him extortion money... When the owner refused, Zucco told him not to take his threats lightly... and he left." Robin looked back over the edge, staring off at nothing as he narrowed his eyes. "My mother and father were performing without me that night... I tried to get there in time... tried to warn them but... I was too late." Robin clenched his fist against the ground, "The moment I reached the tent, I saw the cables on the trapeze snap... my parents fell..." Robin closed his eyes almost resentfully and looked to his side.
Starfire felt her heart sink; she had no idea Robin was witness to such a terrible thing... it made her feel guilty for asking about it, "Robin..." she let her words trail off, feeling her eyes beginning to sting with sympathetic tears. Losing one's parents... she couldn't imagine the pain he must have felt.
Robin saw Starfire's eyes starting to well up; she was so sweet... but he didn't want her to cry because of him, so he figured he should lighten the mood... somehow. "Well, I was too young stay with the circus, so they put me in a kind of orphanage. It wasn't the best place around; the food was terrible." he joked, changing his tone of voice, hoping that it would cheer her up. Robin was put at ease when Starfire giggled at his comment.
Though she felt the sadness disappearing, Starfire knew that she could not keep the remaining tears from spilling over. Turning away, she wiped her eyes clean and looked back to Robin with a smile, "Please, continue." she said.
"One day, a man came to take custody of me. I guess he knew my parents, but I never knew about him. I shouldn't say his name, he... likes his privacy." he said, looking to Starfire for confirmation, knowing that he shouldn't reveal Bruce's identity here. Starfire nodded, not expecting Robin to talk about anyone else but himself. "He was... distant, and I never really got to know him back then... and I really didn't want to. There was only one thing on my mind. I knew Zucco had something to do with what happened to my parents so, one night, I snuck out and decided to find out on my own... I tried to track down Zucco." he continued, "But, I ran into someone else that night... Batman." Robin looked to Starfire again, wondering if she knew who this was; everyone else seemed to.
"This man... is also a bat?" Starfire asked, looking confused.
Robin laughed slightly, "No, he's like us. A crime fighter." he explained, still amused by her interpretation. "He stopped me before I could do anything stupid. But, I guess I reminded him of how he was when he was a kid. Turned out, Batman, was the same man who got me out of the orphanage." Robin stopped for a moment, thinking back to his days in training, "He gave me a chance, told me that one day I would be able to bring Zucco to justice. I took an oath, to always uphold the ways of truth and justice, and never sway from the path of righteousness..." Robin grimaced at his words, it sounded very strange; but that was nearly the exact thing he said when he took the oath. Robin shook the thoughts from his mind, seeing that Starfire didn't seem to mind how he sounded, "After months of training, and one final test, I was able to join Batman as a crime fighter." Robin paused, trying to think of how he could word the next part.
Starfire simply waited for him to continue. She had learned so much more about Robin; and as she expected, it only deepened her feelings toward him.
"After a while, I finally caught up with Zucco. He was the one who cut the wires on the trapeze... it was because of him that my parents died." Robin looked away for a moment, "I... was so angry with him... I had the chance to do something I would regret, but I let him go... let the police take care of him." he sighed under his breath.
"That is because you are a good person." Starfire tried to reassure him, sensing the distress in his voice.
"I wish I could believe that, Starfire..." Robin let his mind dwell on his thoughts for a moment. He was suddenly overwhelmed by fear and anxiety; he would have to tell her why he left Gotham City, but the events that led him to that point have haunted him even to this day... How would Starfire feel about him after he tells her what he had done? What would she think if she found out that someone lost their life... because of him...?
"Robin?" Starfire was becoming worried. Perhaps his past was far too painful to speak of; if so, she didn't want to make him feel obligated to continue.
"There were a lot of dangerous criminals in Gotham City... But Harvey Dent, Two-Face, was one of the worst." Robin breathed deeply, attempting to calm himself, "He managed to capture Batman and an important Gotham City official. I found out where he was keeping them, and immediately went to find the place... When I got there, Two-Face had them both in a trap; it was set up so that if one was saved, the other would die. They were both hanging by ropes; without thinking, I cut both ropes at once. Batman managed to save himself from what happened next, but..." Robin looked Starfire in the eyes, knowing that after he tells her what he did, those eyes would never look at him the same way again... but he owed it to her, to tell her the truth. "Two-Face had an obsession with the number two... so the trap had two parts to it. As soon as the ropes were cut, the floor opened up beneath them... and the other man fell to his death." Robin shut his eyes, not wanting to see her reaction, "It was my fault... someone died because of me."
"Robin." he felt Starfire's hand touch his shoulder. Opening his eyes, Robin saw that Starfire still had the same look in hers, only she seemed a little more concerned now, "You should not be so hard on yourself... what happened was not your fault at all." she said comfortingly. Robin looked on in astonishment; he didn't know that anyone could be so understanding... but if anyone could be, it was her.
"Thanks, Star." Robin finally relaxed; now that he had gotten the difficult part of his story out of the way, the rest would be simple thanks to Starfire, "Two-Face beat me up... badly. Batman freed himself and took care of Two-Face on his own." Robin straightened his expression, "While I recovered from my injuries, Batman forbid me from fighting anymore. But I wouldn't listen... I wanted to prove myself, so I left Gotham and came here. Then, I met you... and the others."
"Robin, we are the same." Starfire said, taking her hand off of his shoulder to look him in the eyes, "We have both been alone for much of our lives... but we have found true friends; we are no longer alone..." she said with a beautiful smile. Much to Robin's surprise, Starfire began to move closer to him, until their shoulders touched. He didn't know if it was by accident or not, but her hand found its way to his.
'Starfire?' Robin decided not to question what was happening as Starfire rested her weight against his shoulder and looked toward the still rising sun in the distance. Together, they watched as the star rose farther above horizon, raining its warm radiance down upon them. The hours passed by, but felt like fleeting seconds. Neither knew of the other's heart which had begun to beat faster, but both knew that together was the only place they ever wanted to be.
Author's Note: LoL, I can safely say I know a lot more about swords and sword fighting techniques because of the beginning of this chapter (did a lot of studying; wanted to be as accurate as possible. But a lot of what I learned will be used in the later chapters). Sorry for the delay... But winter break just started so, that's gonna give me A LOT of free time to work on the fic.
I'll explain next time why Starfire was so afraid of the monster at the movie theatre.
By the way, fanfiction dot net gave us FORUMS :). The official forum (I love saying that) for this fic is available on my profile page under the link My Forums.
Thanks for reviewing!
Next Chapter Preview: With the tower's kitchen completely empty of all edible food, the team decides it's time to refill the fridge, taking a much needed trip to the grocery store. However, on their return to the tower, the Titans discover they are being followed. And when Raven's mistake causes a shadow to fall, what secrets will be revealed through the eyes of this silent enemy? Day 6, Part Two: Shattered.
