(A/N: Last chapter was a glorious action fest, so here's some fluff. Enjoy!)
"I feel like I'm doing something wrong here. What am I doing wrong?"
"Robin, you're fine."
"Is the hair too spikey? Or does it need more spike?"
"Seriously, man, you look fine. Just tie your tie so we can get out of here to meet Kim and Starfire."
"Red or black? Or green? Starfire likes green. Do I really have to wear a tie?"
"Probably."
"Darn. Green it is. Hey, Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Green stripes or solid green?"
"Robin, we needed to leave five minutes ago. Just pick one."
"Sorry, just nervous. I have to do everything right. Starfire deserves a perfect first date."
"Well, we could start by, you know, actually leaving your room."
"Hm…I actually think the black tie goes better with…"
"Robin!"
"Okay, okay!"
Robin and Ron hurried out of Robin's room and into Titans Tower's common room. Shortly after they arrived, Kim Possible and Starfire appeared. Kim wore the strapless purple dress that somehow Wade had gotten to arrive at the Tower in under an hour, a feat Cyborg was still trying to understand. Starfire's dress was the long, pink one she had worn to Kitten's horrific junior prom so long ago. KP had also taken it upon herself to do both her and Starfire's hair and makeup, making both of them look stunning.
When the alien girl saw Robin, she smiled. "You look most handsome, Robin."
"So do you. I mean beautiful! You look beautiful, Star." He hoped his mask would hide how embarrassed he was certain he looked.
Kim and Ron shared a knowing glance. They remembered being in the exact same position with each other when they started dating. Ron was sure he hadn't been quite as awkward as Robin. Kim was sure he had been worse.
Robin took a small keychain out of his pocket and twirled it around in his hand. "Well," he said, trying to break the awkwardness, "Cyborg gave me the keys to the T-Car for the night. Titans…I mean…I guess we should…" His immediate thought was to say, "Titans, go!" However, he recognized that this phrase did not really fit the situation he was in. Instead he opted for, "Let's go."
The four of them piled into the T-Car, now fully repaired and including a few new gadgets. Robin drove, Starfire sat shotgun, and Ron and Kim sat in the back. The whole drive, Robin's mind raced through every possible thing that could go wrong. I could spill something on her dress. She could get food poisoning. She could try something new and not know she's allergic to it because it didn't exist on Tamaran. I could make a joke that sounds fine in my head but comes out inappropriately. We could all suddenly have heart attacks. Some supervillains could show up and start fighting us for no apparent reason. Shego could come back. Slade could come back. No, I am not thinking about Slade right now. No way. But a meteor could fall through the roof and crush us all. Or the restaurant could catch on fire. Or…He looked at Starfire, sitting silently beside him. Calm down, he told himself. Overthinking it will only make it worse. This is about Starfire. Just focus on Starfire.
Robin parked the T-Car in the Lucky Dragon's parking lot. He hopped out quickly, ran around the front of the vehicle, and opened the door for Starfire to step out.
"Thank you, Robin," she said sweetly as she exited the car.
Robin mentally high-fived himself. So far, he was doing a good job.
Kim rolled down the window and said, "Um…Robin? We're still locked in here."
Robin mentally face-palmed. Of course he'd forget something.
Flushed, he unlocked the other doors and let Kim and Ron climb out. Then, the four of them headed inside, where they were immediately seated. The Lucky Dragon had relatively plain surroundings, but it also had a very beautiful interior. The walls were covered with colorful Chinese tapestries and a golden chandelier hung from the ceiling. Outside, there was a balcony that overlooked the bay. The boys sat on one side of the table, and the girls sat on the other, each across from their respective dates. Appetizers were ordered, and Kim decided to make some conversation while they waited.
"It's been really great meeting you guys and saving the day with the Titans," she said. "You really have a good thing going here."
"Thanks, Kim," Robin replied, still nervous and still trying to hide it. "We do our best."
"Yeah, but you still don't have a Bueno Nacho out here," Ron pointed out. "No crime fighting team should be without one."
"Oh yes," Starfire nodded. "The Nacos were most enjoyable."
"I know some people who work for the company," Ron said. "I'll give them a call. They'll definitely have the down-low on the Naco, and when it'll be expected in Jump City."
"Sounds great, Ron," Robin said.
A long silence followed Robin's statement of approval. Fast food was a decent conversation topic, but it had its limits. Kim and Ron didn't want to do all the talking. After all, it was Robin's and Starfire's big first date. But Robin and Starfire were both terrified to open their mouths, for fear something regrettable would come out. When the appetizers came, they began eating them without a sound.
Across the room, but with a conveniently clear view, Cyborg's electronic eye stuck out from the side of the menu the rest of his face was hiding behind. It was zoomed in close enough to pick up on every bit of body language. "Uh-oh," he said. "We got a bad case of nerves at Table 6."
On the other side of Cy's table, Raven rolled her eyes and crossed her arms disapprovingly. "First of all, this isn't a spy movie. You don't need to hide behind your menu. Second, why don't you just let them have their date on their own?"
Cyborg raised an eyebrow at her. "If you feel that way, why did you come along?"
"I'm here to make sure you don't do something crazy," the empath countered. "And that goes for both of you."
Beast Boy stopped attempting to understand what the tapestry behind him was depicting, something he was so far having little success at, and turned to Raven. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Instead of answering, she continued, "Also, this place has the best herbal tea in Jump City, no contest. I'll put up with your shipping for that."
Cyborg again gave her a funny look. "My what?"
"You know, shipping. That's what it's called now when people really want other people to be together. Like, romantically together. Cyborg, you are the biggest shipper of Robin and Starfire on this planet, and probably even in the universe."
Beast Boy laughed. "Ooh, look who's been picking up on that teen lingo! You know, Rae, you're the last person I would have expected Kim to have an effect on. Starfire, sure, but not Miss I-hate-everyone-and-sit-in-the-dark-all-day."
"Well, maybe I am not as close minded as you thought, Beast Boy," she answered.
"Good," the green Titan replied, "because Kim taught me how to video chat on my phone and Tara's about to join us."
Raven groaned and slumped in her seat while BB called the blonde cheerleader.
Where Robin, Starfire, Kim, and Ron were seated, there was a desperate need for some decent conversation. Or any conversation, for that matter. Once again, Kim came to the rescue. "So, um, how did you guys first meet?"
"I crashed on the planet after escaping the ship of the evil Gordanians. Robin helped me to fight them away before the destruction of the city could occur."
"Oh. That's…cool."
More silence.
Starfire cleared her throat. "Friend Kim, would you like to accompany me to the room of the ladies?" she asked.
"Okay," replied the other redheaded teenager at the table.
The two females left the table, leaving Robin alone with Ron. "Well, it could be going worse," the blonde boy said with a shrug. "You had a pretty good conversation going for a bit."
"What are you talking about? This is a mess!" Robin threw his arms up in the air in frustration. "I can't think of anything more interesting to talk about than Nacos…"
"Hey, don't knock the Naco!"
"…and everything I try to say or do comes out awkward. Starfire's clearly not having a good time. This was such a bad idea."
Ron placed a firm hand on Robin's shoulder. "First of all, it was my idea, and I don't need that kind of negativity in my life. Second, Starfire's feeling just as awkward about it as you are."
"She is?" Robin struggled to believe that.
"Of course! Dude, I've been best friends with Kim since Pre-K and even I felt awkward when we first started dating. But trust me, all you have to do is realize that Starfire is going to like you no matter what. You're already best friends. Just talk to her like she's human."
Robin raised an eyebrow. "Not the best choice of words there, Ron."
"Sorry," Ron corrected himself. "Humanoid. Or alien. Whichever. You know what I mean."
In the ladies' room, Starfire let out a deep breath once she and Kim were alone. "Friend Kim," she said, "I do not believe I can do this."
"Why not?" Kim asked.
"I cannot think of the topics of conversation," Star explained, "and I fear that Robin will think that I am not the good date."
KP crossed her arms. "Okay, that is ridiculous," she said firmly. "This is Robin we're talking about. He's been into you, like, forever, at least so I'm told. And did you not just see him risk his life for you down in Slade's lair?"
"I am aware of that. I fear that he will feel the disappointment if this night is not perfect."
"Nope. I don't say this a lot, but that is actually impossible."
"But—"
"Starfire, listen to me," Kim said, her voice slightly gentler. "It's always awkward when you first start dating somebody. Ron went through this whole phase where he thought he was unworthy of me and that I was going to break up with him."
Starfire's green eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"
"Oh yeah. I felt kind of weird dating him too at first. The thing is, when you're best friends with somebody, it doesn't matter how weird it gets. You're already best friends."
Starfire looked down, still nervous. "I still do not know if I can do this."
"Just be yourself," Kim told her. "Robin loves you, and you love him. Just talk to him like you always do and it'll all be fine. He could never be disappointed in you. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's feeling just as awkward as you are. So how about we go back out there and give it another shot?"
The alien princess thought for a moment, the butterflies in her nine stomachs fluttering rapidly in anxiety. Finally, she straightened up, looked Kim in the eyes, and said. "Okay. I will give it the other shot."
"Perfect! I know you can do it!"
The door creaked open just as the two girls were preparing to exit. In walked Raven, draped in her usual cloak, scowling.
"Raven? What are you doing here?" Kim asked.
"The guys were giving me a headache," the empath replied emotionlessly. "I need a short interval of solitude to prevent myself from exploding something on Beast Boy."
"But friend Raven," Starfire asked, "what is it that you are doing at the restaurant?"
Raven sighed. "Long story short, Cyborg really wants you and Robin to be a couple, which we've all known since the dawn of time, so he decided to keep an eye on your date to make sure everything goes well. Or something like that. It sounds kind of creepy to me, but whatever. Beast Boy went with him for partially the same reason, but mostly because he wants Chinese food and a video chat date with new Tara. I'm here to keep both of them from doing something stupid that ruins your date. I also did not want you to know any of us were here, so clearly I'm doing a stellar job."
"Oh."
"You want me to kick them out?" Raven offered, sounding almost like she wanted to.
Starfire thought for a moment. "No, it is okay. We can still continue the date. I will give it the try."
Kim and Starfire walked out the door. Just before it closed, Raven stopped it with her hand. "Hey," she said, looking at Starfire, "I'm sensing a lot of negative emotions. Take it from someone who's literally been in Robin's mind: you have nothing to worry about."
"Thank you, Raven," Starfire smiled warmly. For all her aloofness, no one could deny that the cloaked girl knew how to be a good friend when it mattered.
The two girls finally returned to the booth and sat across from their dates once again. The timing worked out that almost as soon as they sat down, the waiter came to take their orders. Once he left, the two couples were alone again. It was time to give this date its second shot.
After receiving an encouraging look from Ron, Robin struck up a new conversation. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Starfire," he said. Quickly, he added, "I mean, you always do, but…um…"
Darn it, he thought, frustrated. I'm trapped now. Why did I have to open my mouth?
Contrary to his expectations, Starfire giggled, then replied, "Thank you, Robin, I know what you meant. You also have the handsome appearance." She took a look at her elegant surroundings. "This place is very nice," she said. "I have not eaten the food here before. Do you believe that the beverages available include the mustard?"
"Probably not," Robin answered, shaking his head. "Sorry about that."
"Oh, it is fine," she assured him. She dug into her purse and pulled out several small packets of mustard. "I have brought my own."
"All right then." He nodded approvingly, but still glanced out of the booth briefly, hoping no one would question why the orange-skinned girl had brought mustard packets to a fancy Chinese restaurant.
"You know, Robin," Starfire said, noticing his gaze, "I am aware now that the majority of the earth's population does not drink the mustard. I still find this very strange. It is the most delicious beverage I have ever partaken of."
Robin answered, "Well, I guess people have different tastes."
"Yes, they do. But you also taught me that the mustard is the condiment, to go on top of things. Why then do all restaurants not serve it in that way?"
"Well," he replied, "some foods just don't go with mustard. Like, you can put it on a hot dog, but not on a pizza. I mean, I guess you could, but it's not normal."
"Oh, I see." A scheming smile took over Starfire's face. "Then, since I am always so very much normal, I shall only eat it discretely." She opened one packet and squeezed it slowly onto the empty portions of her appetizer plate until she had made a smiley face. Still smiling mischievously, she placed her finger to her lips for silence and hid the rest of the mustard packets in her purse.
Robin couldn't help laughing a little bit. "I see you've picked up some of Raven's sarcasm," he said.
"As the matter of fact," Starfire returned, "the Tamaranian language uses a great deal of the sarcasm."
"Oh really?" he asked, intrigued by this new information.
"Oh yes. On my home planet, I can be quite sarcastic."
"More than Raven?"
"Hm…that I cannot be certain of." She picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and swirled it around the plate until it was coated in mustard. "But that was not the sarcasm," she told her boyfriend. "I really am the most normal Titan. That is the reason for why I am about to fill my second stomach with the mustard dumplings!"
She ate the dumpling in one gulp. Both of them laughed. The ice was broken, and the young couple continued talking like the best friends that they were. Kim and Ron high-fived under the table.
Across the room, Cyborg peeked out from behind his menu. "Yes!" he said, pumping his fist in the air. "This date is a success!"
"No thanks to anybody currently at this table," Raven grumbled.
"I'm having a pretty successful date too," Beast Boy pointed out. "Tara, did you say hi to Raven yet?"
"Not yet," a cheerful voice said from BB's phone. "Hi, Raven!"
"Hello." Raven had no intention of continuing the conversation any further than necessary, and her tone made that clear. Tara turned her attention back to Beast Boy.
"So are you coming to the football game on Friday?" she asked. "It's a home game, so same place as last time."
"Sounds great!" Beast Boy answered. "You're cheering, right?"
"Totally! So is Kim. And Bonnie, but, well, you'll get used to her I guess. Oh, and is that, like, alien girl with you?"
Beast Boy peered across the room to the other table, where Robin and Starfire were apparently still having a great time. "Kinda. Why?"
"Well, the squad talked it over, and we thought, since she kinda didn't get to do the whole routine with us last time when she was going to, she could try doing it again this Friday if she wants. It was Kim's idea. She texted me, and then I talked to the squad. Like, I don't know if she told your friend yet, but if she didn't, you totally can. And all of you can come watch!"
"Sweet!" Beast Boy nodded enthusiastically. "You hear that, Cy? We're going to another football game!"
"Sounds great, grass stain," Cyborg replied, still analyzing Starfire and Robin from behind his menu.
"Grass stain?" Tara asked. "Is that, like, your nickname?"
"No!" Beast Boy insisted. "No way! I'd never answer to that."
"Yes you do," Raven commented.
"All the time," Cyborg agreed.
BB placed his hand over the speaker. "Dudes," he whispered, "not in front of Tara. I'm trying to be cool!"
Raven raised one eyebrow. "Emphasis on 'trying', I assume?"
"Sh!" He uncovered the speaker and started talking to Tara again. "Sorry about that. So, what's your favorite way to eat tofu?"
As his conversation progressed, so did the date going on across the room. By now, it was Robin who was sharing stories. "And that's how I found out what the big red button in the Batmobile does," he concluded. "Never touching that one again. But cut me some slack, I was only nine at the time."
Starfire laughed. She was glad Robin was comfortable enough to talk about his past at all, even though he had yet to mention anything about Batman. She didn't need him to. Right now, he was not Batman's assistant, or a tough vigilante. He was just an ordinary teenager having fun. That alone was enough to make her smile.
She looked away from Robin briefly and was suddenly captivated by the largest full moon she had ever seen, glowing bright white above the bay. Robin turned around to see what she was looking at. "Wow," he said, seeing the moon. "That's amazing. Hey, Star, do you want to go out on the balcony and get a better look?"
"That would be magnificent!" she answered.
The two of them got up, left the booth, and walked outside to the balcony. "Aw," Kim said once they were gone, "this is going all kinds of adorable."
"Yup," Ron agreed, "and you can thank the Ronster for giving Robin a fantastic pep talk."
"Oh really?" Kim said, leaning forward toward her boyfriend. "Because I was going to tell you to thank me for doing the same thing to Starfire."
"Heh, I guess it's a stalemate then." Ron picked up his glass of water and held it above the table. "To first dates, and many future ones," he said. Kim lifted her glass and touched it to his before they both took a sip. "So KP," Ron asked once they were done, "how soon do you think Hego can get on that Bueno Nacho in Jump City thing?"
"Well, since he's just a manager of one Bueno Nacho and also has a very busy side job saving Go City," Kim answered, "I'm going to say not immediately."
"Darn. We'd better talk to him ASAP. Of course, not until after tonight." His serious face changed into a grinning one. "For now, let's just enjoy this date."
Kim raised her water glass a second time. "I'll toast to that," she said.
Meanwhile, Robin and Starfire reached the balcony. Star placed her arms on the railing and looked up in awe. There was the moon, as clear and bright as ever. "Beautiful," she whispered. "Not even on Tamaran have I seen such a magnificent moon, and it had seven."
Robin walked over until he too was leaning on the railing, only inches away from Starfire. "It's perfect, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes. Perfect for a perfect first date."
Robin was surprised. "You really think so?"
Starfire shifted her gaze from the moon to her boyfriend. "Yes. At least, I believe so. You know that this is the first experience I have had of the earthly 'date'."
"I know," the Teen Wonder replied. "I'm just sorry you had to wait so long for your first one." He reached toward her hand. She hesitated for a moment, then gave it to him, blushing. The two stood there holding hands, staring at the moon.
Back inside, Cyborg put down his menu and said grumpily, "Oh, great. Now how am I supposed to make sure everything goes smoothly? I can't see outside from here!"
"Just let them have their date in peace," Raven suggested. "They deserve it. They've been waiting forever for this." She nodded toward the entrance to the balcony, then returned to nonchalantly sipping her herbal tea.
Slowly, a scheming smile spread across Cyborg's face. "So you too?"
Raven stopped and put down her tea. "Me too what?"
"I saw that look. Don't you deny that look."
"What look?"
"What's that word again? Ship? You ship them just as much as I do."
Raven looked away from Cyborg. "I do not ship real people. That is an invasion of privacy and…"
"Oh really, miss they've-been-waiting-forever-for-this? C'mon, admit it." He elbowed her gently in the side. "You could get herbal tea anywhere."
"Cyborg," she pointed out, "you have to keep in mind that I've been inside Robin's brain, and I've been sensing everyone on this team's emotions since day one, so it's really not the same thing as…"
"Uh-huh, sure. Shipper."
Finally, Raven sighed. "Okay, okay, you're right. I ship it."
"Booyah! Knew it!"
Raven took another sip of her tea, then added, "Hey, no one can deny that they're cute together. Pretty sure even my father would think so, and he's basically hate itself. Not that I've asked, of course."
Cyborg folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, proud of himself for unmasking Raven. "Spoken like a true shipper."
His menu suddenly turned black and slapped his face before landing back on the table. "Don't rub it in," Raven told him as she drank some more tea.
Out on the balcony, Robin got an idea. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not, but it might be worth a shot. He looked at Starfire, admiring how unbelievably gorgeous she looked. Yes, it was worth a shot.
He slid just a bit closer to her and said, "You know, since this is your first real date and everything, maybe…that is, you…no, wait…" Robin struggled to find the right words. "Well, I thought, and it's okay if you don't want to, but…this is the perfect spot for…sorry, I'm ruining the moment, aren't I?"
"You would like to have the kiss?" Starfire guessed.
Robin nearly jumped. "Um, actually, yes. Only if you're okay with it, of course. It's fine if you'd rather wait for the second or third date, or even later if that's what you're comfortable with. I mean, I know it means something different on your planet, but it's a pretty common date thing here, and with the moon and the balcony and everything, I don't think we could find a more romantic place. Unless that's moving too fast! Gosh, I'm talking too much."
Starfire thought for a moment, then said, "It does mean something different on Tamaran. Perhaps I shall give you the kiss when you have learned a new language to teach me. Let us see…how soon can you learn the French?"
Robin tried to hide his disappointment. "I don't know about that. Maybe a year or…"
Suddenly, Star's arms were around his neck. "It was the joke, Robin," she said. "This is the perfect time and place for it."
"Are you sure?"
"Robin, stop talking."
And there, under the moonlight, on a balcony overlooking the water, for the first time in far too long, they kissed.
(A/N: Awwww...wasn't that adorable? But wait, what about Shego? What happened to her? How did Wade crack Slade's code? Is the team going to the football game? Will Jump City ever get Nacos? And does Terra have anything to do with anything? Well, lucky for you all, there's still one chapter left...)
