Author's Note: These are a few snapshot scenes, there could be days or weeks between the scenes.

Chapter 11

The soral clattered away.

"Again." Starfire placed the butt of her weapon on the ground and waited for Robin to pick up his weapon.

He grunted at her as he rubbed his wrist. When he didn't move toward his weapon, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Robin-"

"Enough, Star," he snapped angrily. "I'm not going to get this one. I'm exhausted. It's too fucking heavy and I've had enough."

She pressed her lips together to bite back the angry words. He was just getting frustrated that was all. They'd been trying to perfect this move for the last few training sessions and he was constantly losing his grip on the soral at a critical moment. She tried to be reasonable and keep her voice calm. "Robin, this is a very important move, you must be able to defend against a charging opponent."

He scowled at her. "I'll defend against a charging opponent in my own way, not this screwed up version of it."

She frowned. "If you do not perfect this move, how can you expect to defend yourself when it is used against you."

"Who created this fucked up version of a technique anyway? It doesn't make any sense."

Starfire's patience was wearing thin. "Please do not speak to me like that."

He growled and began to move around the room restlessly, muttering under his breath.

"Fine," she snapped, her patience finally breaking. She stalked across the room and picked up his discarded soral and headed back to the weapon cabinet. She quickly wiped down the sweat and grime from the handles and shoved them into the holders.

As she closed the cabinet door she felt his arms encircle her stomach and his sweaty chin rest on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Star," he said apologetically. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I shouldn't take my frustrations out on you. You're trying so hard to teach me all this, to be patient with me. I know that sometimes I'm not a very good student and I'm sorry."

She sighed and patted the hand on her stomach. "I understand, Robin. You are very tired and the soral is a very heavy weapon for you. I know that some of the techniques do not make any sense, I discovered the same thing when I was learning to use the soral. But you must understand that there are those that will use these moves against you and you must know them in order to defend correctly."

He kissed her lightly below the ear. "I know, Star, I know. I'm sorry. I'll try harder."

She nodded. "We will try again tomorrow. Go and have a shower and take the break."

"Thanks, Star," he mumbled and pulled away from her, heading toward the door.

TTTTT

Robin fought to catch his breath.

Beast Boy loped along side of him in wolf form, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he panted. Robin cast him a scathing glance. Damn shapeshifter. Had to damn well make this look easy. And he thought he'd had it bad when he'd been running with Starfire.

It was taking all his concentration to keep placing one foot in front of the other, to continue pumping his legs. His feet made a rhythmic thumping on the ground while his breath hitched raggedly in his chest. Sweat dripped from his damp hair and pooled in his ears and his beater was soaked in it.

At least he could see the damn finish line.

Beast Boy yipped at him and increased his speed.

"I'm… not… going… any… faster…" Robin panted between gasps of breath.

Beast Boy shifted back to normal. "C'mon dude! You're nearly there! You're gonna break fifty minutes this time for sure!"

Oh god, he hoped so. The world record for the 10-mile run was just above forty-four minutes. If Robin could get to fifty he'd be very happy. If he could get there. He just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

"Star's already waiting," Beast Boy said with a sly smile before shifting back into a wolf and bolting off.

Robin gritted his teeth. If he arrived at the end and she was rubbing Beast Boy's wolfy belly again, so help him, that changeling was going to pay. He dug deep and found some untapped reserve of energy and quickened his pace.

TTTTT

"Starfire, I want you to meditate," Raven said quietly as she floated just off the ground in the middle of the common room. "Go to that desert of yours."

Starfire made a small noise of agreement and closed her eyes.

"Robin, see if you can follow her."

Robin sighed and shifted on the sofa so he was sitting cross-legged. He closed his eyes and watched the blackness of the space behind his eyelids.

"Sense Starfire's mind," Raven said softly. "Know how it feels, know the sensation of the link between you, know the bond that the two of you share."

"Know the power of the dark side," Robin muttered. "Cut it out. This is hard enough without the Yoda crap."

Raven made a small noise of annoyance.

He bowed his head in concentration as he tried to follow the link between him and Starfire. A small white light begun to dip and sway before his eyes and he felt as though his body was beginning to float. He imagined his mind following the golden cord that connected them and into her mind.

The light flickered to orange and became still and suddenly he was rushing toward it, the circle of light becoming brighter and brighter.

He slammed against something hard, a barrier of sorts. He placed the hand of his mind against it, probing gently. Let me in, Star. The barrier disintegrated beneath his hands and he was rushing forward once more. Blackness zipped past him as the orange light began to take on shapes. A blue sky, an orange desert, a sun that hung from the sky. A pillar of rock. A cliff top.

There was a whooshing sound before rocks crunched beneath his feet. He grinned as Starfire turned toward him. She clapped her hands gleefully. "Well done!"

The desert swirled and vanished and Robin opened his eyes.

Raven raised an eyebrow at him.

"I did it," he blurted in excitement.

Starfire's eyes opened and she beamed happily.

"Good," Raven said in even tones. "Now do it again and hold it for as long as you can. And Robin, if you liken me to Yoda again I will make you think you're a chicken for a week."

Robin smirked and closed his eyes.

TTTTT

Robin leapt backward, planting one palm on the ground as he flipped his body over his head. His other hand kept a tight grip on the soral, ensuring that the blade remained away from his body as he flipped. He heaved the weapon back into a balanced stance and awaited Starfire's next strike.

She swung the bladed edge at his legs and he jumped into the air to dodge it. She twisted her hands, bringing the butt of the weapon up toward his head and Robin brought his own soral down to block the strike, snagging the handle of Starfire's soral between the blades of his. He flicked his wrists, wrenching the soral from her grasp and was hit in the stomach by an eye beam.

As the green beam from her eyes forced him backward, Starfire flipped across the room and retrieved her weapon. She charged him, swinging the soral high. He planted his weapon in the ground and spun around it, using the momentum to kick her in the stomach, before pulling it out and leveling it at her once more.

She nodded, tossed her sweaty mop of hair over her shoulder and flew toward him, aiming a cleaving hit at his head. He dropped to one knee, holding the soral above his head to block the shot. The weapons clanged together and shock waves roll down their arms. He threw his arms back over his head, sliding his blade up so that it hooked under the blade of hers before twisting his arms. Her soral clattered away and he followed through, sweeping her legs out from under her.

She landed on her back and he scrambled across the room to snatch up her soral. She rocked up onto her shoulders, throwing her legs into the air and using the momentum to leap to her feet.

She found both sorals leveled at her throat. She blinked in surprise and looked at him. He was covered in sweat; his hair slicked flat on his head. His chest heaved in breath and his arms shook from the effort to keep both sorals raised.

She knocked one away from her throat before she grabbed the other blade between her palms and pulled it upward, forcing his arm forward. She then kicked the handle out of his grip. The blade flipped in the air and she deftly caught it before spinning it around her back and sweeping his feet out from under him with the handle. His remaining soral clattered away as he landed on the ground with a thump.

She stepped up beside him and placed a foot on his elbow, pinning his arm. Now it was her turn to point the soral at his throat. He grabbed the handle just beneath the blade with his free hand, shoving it away from his throat and into the ground beside him. He kicked out with his legs in a scissor fashion catching the back of her knees, kicking her legs out from under her. He caught her foot as she fell, forcing it upward so she landed on her shoulders. Yanking the soral from the ground, he lunged for her. He planted his knees on either side of her neck and pinned her upper arms to her ribs by his feet and sat on her chest. Using the flat part of the soral blade he forced her face sideways so she couldn't hit him with her eye beams.

Starfire froze and Robin panted harshly above her.

"I yield," she called.

Robin removed the soral from her face and tossed it away before sliding off her. He collapsed on his back on the ground beside her, gulping in breath, his eyes closed, his arms spread wide. She sat up and crawled across the floor to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, curling up against his sweaty body. She splayed one hand on his heaving chest and listen to the rapid thumping of his heart.

Gradually his breathing and heartbeat slowed and he was able to pick his arm off the floor to drape it on her shoulder.

"I did it," he said, still panting slightly.

"Yes," she replied into his chest with a smile. "You did it. Well done."

"Oh god, that was hard," he murmured. He opened one eye and looked at her. "I really did do it right? You didn't give that one to me?"

"Have I ever allowed you to win when you did not deserve it?" she replied tartly, lifting her head from his chest and tossing her sweaty hair back over her shoulder.

"No," he replied, a grin spreading across his face. "And it only took me two weeks!"

She lay her head back on his chest and reached up to pat him tiredly on the cheek before dropping her hand back on his chest. "You did well, d'anthe l'ani. I am very proud of you."

"That's good to hear," he replied, squeezing her gently. "Did I hurt you?"

"I am undamaged."

"Great, now if you could just carry me to our room, I can die a happy man."

"Aww man, are you two makin' out in here again?" Cyborg's voice called from the door.

Robin raised an arm straight up in the air. "Cyborg! I beat her!"

"Well done, Rob," he replied. "And you're still a-lyin' on the floor because?"

The arm thumped back onto the floor. "I can't move."

Cyborg guffawed with laughter.

"Can you give us a hand here please?" Robin called, feebly wiggling a hand toward the door.

"No way, man. I can smell you both from here."

Starfire lifted her head off Robin's chest and forced herself to sit up before getting to her feet. She went to retrieve both the sorals.

"Leave them, Star," Cyborg called. "I'll clean them for ya. Just get to the shower before the contaminant alarm goes off."

"I think our friend Cyborg needs a hug," Robin replied as Starfire pulled him to his feet. He slung an arm around her shoulder and she wrapped her hands around his waist to help support him and they both staggered to the door.

"Don't you dare," he replied, keeping a safe distance between them.

Starfire chuckled and blew Cyborg a kiss before helping Robin out the door. The pair of them stumbled over to the lift and then slouched against the wall as they waited for it to take them to the level their room was on. The lift opened to reveal Raven subtly holding her breath. Starfire smiled in greeting and Robin managed to give her thumbs up before they lumbered past her and into their room.

TTTTT

Robin awoke to singing.

He sighed and rolled onto his back staring up at the ceiling. Silkie warbled at him from Starfire's side of the bed and Robin reached down to scratch its head. Silkie gave a little rumble that would have passed for a purr if it were a cat before curling up into a ball and returned to sleep.

Robin turned his head, gazing absently at the steam wafting from the crack caused by the slightly open bathroom door. He surged into a sitting position, gazing at the bathroom door in shock. She'd left the door open. Or maybe it just hadn't latched properly and she hadn't noticed. Its not like Starfire would have deliberately left it open… right?

Her soft voice wafted from beyond the crack in the door, merging with the sound of pounding water.

Robin threw the blankets off, intending to close the door to give her privacy. As he reached for the handle of the door he saw movement in the room beyond. His eyes flicked up automatically. He froze, his mouth dropping open. He could see her back, the curve of her hip, the roundness of her bottom and those lovely long legs through the shroud of steam. Water speckled upon that exquisite orange skin. She had lifted her hair to her neck, as she lathering shampoo through it and as she moved her arms, he thought he caught a glimpse of the curve of her breast.

She dropped her hair, it falling flatly against her back, ruining his view. She ducked her head under the spray and shuffled as though she was about to turn around.

Robin bolted back to bed, diving under the covers. Silkie warbled at him in protest as his flying leap disturbed the worm. He lay red-faced in bed, desperately trying to think of something else. He hadn't meant to spy on her. It was an accident. But, damn, she was so sexy. He knew that the image of her naked back would haunt his dreams, but she'd seen him naked, it was only fair… right? Robin shook his head; he needed to think of something else.

He heard the shower being shut off and he rolled onto his side, curling up into a tight ball to hide his obvious arousal. He shut his eyes, desperately conjuring disgusting images. Cyborg devouring pizza, Beast Boy cutting his toenails… Slade in a tutu… dancing to the tune of the sugarplum fairy?

It didn't take long for her to settle on the bed beside him. "Robin," she called, running her fingers along his back before she shook his shoulder. "D'anthe l'ani, it is time to wake. Beast Boy will be here shortly for your stamina training."

He mumbled something to the effect that he was awake and would be up soon, glad that he'd managed to control his emotions enough to appear normal. When she didn't remove her hand, he rolled onto his back to look at her.

"Good morning, Robin," she said cheerfully, her hair still damp.

"Morning Star."

"It is time for you to remove yourself from bed."

He pouted. "Don't wanna."

She smiled mischievously and straddled him, grabbed her pillow and whacked him on the head.

"Hey!" he protested as he blocked the pillow assault with his arms. "That's not fair."

She giggled and continued to belt him. He snatched the pillow and pulled it from her grasp, tossing it away. He grabbed onto her wrists and pulled her down to him, arching his mouth up to meet hers. She sighed in delight, melting against him and he slid his hands onto her waist, before slipping them up the back of her top.

She moaned softly, her hands splaying on his chest, before she slipped them up to his neck. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue access. He inched one hand around to the front of her shirt cupping her breast, feeling the soft lace of her bra beneath his fingers. She purred as their tongues danced together and he felt himself hardening beneath her.

She shifted her hips, brushing against him and he groaned into her mouth, his hands clenching slightly. He lifted his head off the pillow to kiss her harder, hungrily, bruising his mouth against hers. He let his other hand trail down her back and over her bottom to that patch of bare skin on her outer thigh between her skirt and her boot before inching it under, kneading her warm skin.

She shifted her hips again, almost deliberately as her skin twitched beneath his seeking fingers and he moaned, releasing her lips and dropping his head back on the pillow, his eyes rolling back in his head. He was breathless from her kisses. She followed him down, attaching their mouths together once more and he dared to slip his hand up her leg higher.

Someone banged on the door. "Robin? You awake yet? Come on, get a move on!" Beast Boy bellowed. "If I have to be out of bed this early in the morning, so do you!"

Robin groaned and thumped the bed in annoyance as Starfire pulled away and floated off him. "Okay, okay I'm up!"

TTTTT

The door to the common room slid open and Beast Boy walked through. His eyes scanned the room and he smiled to himself as he spotted Raven sitting on the sofa quietly reading a book.

Feeling playful, Beast Boy shifted into a kitten and pranced across the room before leaping up onto the back of the sofa by Raven's shoulder.

She jumped in surprise as he butted her head with his, before looking at him as though he'd gone insane.

"What are you doing?" she asked with an alarmed look on her face.

He meowed at her and jumped down onto her lap. She stared at him as he began to purr, her face pale with shock. He kneaded her legs before curling up into a ball on her lap.

"Oh no, you don't," she muttered, pushing him off her legs and onto the sofa beside her. "I don't want your fur all over me."

He stared at her, hurt, his cat ears going back.

She blinked at him, her brow furrowing. "Fine, you can sit next to me if you want."

He huffed at her before flopping down by her side and rolling onto his back, presenting his belly to her.

"I am not rubbing your stomach," she muttered, returning to her book.

Beast Boy fought the urge to scratch her, his tail lashing as he rolled over. Why was she always this difficult? She did like him, didn't she? She laughed occasionally and allowed him to hold her hand when they were alone. She'd played games with him and let him meditate with her. She just didn't seem to make any other sort of effort into this relationship. He'd been making all the effort, asking her on dates, not that she'd accepted yet, watching all the kinds of movies she liked to watch, offering to go to a depressing poetry reading with her, seeking her out to spend time with her. It was never the other way around.

He lay his head on his paws. He knew she had difficulty expressing her emotions, but why did it have to be so hard? Why couldn't she at least try? Even if she fell flat on her face, it was just him. He knew her and they were friends first, right? He wasn't about to laugh at any of her attempts to be close.

The door to the common room hissed open again and Beast Boy shut his eyes.

"Hi Raven," Robin called from behind the sofa somewhere. "Would you mind if we watched the news?"

"Knock yourself out," she muttered in reply.

The sofa shifted as a sudden weight landed on it and Beast Boy opened an eye to look at Robin reproachfully.

"Ooh, hey Beast Boy, sorry, didn't see you there," Robin said, spotting him as he reached for the remote control. "What are you doing?"

"Shedding," Raven muttered quietly and Beast Boy's ears went back in annoyance.

Starfire's hand reached down over the back of the sofa and scratched his ears lightly. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, wishing that just once it would be Raven. Starfire, at least, knew his need for physical contact when he was an animal; she had no qualms about petting him. He gave her a rumble of a purr before she removed her hand. He opened his eyes and saw her sit down beside Robin as he flicked through the channels looking for the News.

Beast Boy placed his head back on his paws and watched Robin and Starfire through slatted eyes.

Robin grinned at Starfire, before lying on the sofa and resting his head on her lap while he watched the News. She absently ran her fingers through his hair, her other hand resting on his side.

That's what Beast Boy wanted. Some sort of recognition from Raven that they were a couple. That she liked him. A small touch, a little giving, anything.

Everything Robin and Starfire did screamed out their affection for one another. He would prepare her meals; she would have the newspaper and an energy drink ready for Robin when he and Beast Boy got back from the morning run, mind you, Beast Boy wasn't sure the energy drink counted as she also had one for him. But they touched each other all the time. It wasn't anything sexual between them; a hand on the shoulder; a touch on the back and it wasn't like they were deliberately doing anything to make the other occupants of the Tower uncomfortable, like making out in the middle of the common room. Hell, they didn't usually kiss when the others were around.

But when Robin looked at Starfire and she smiled at him it was like they existed in their own little world. And Beast Boy wanted a little part of that with Raven. Not the constant touching, obviously, because that just wouldn't be Raven, but some acknowledgment would be nice.

He just didn't think she was ever going to open up enough to let it happen.

TTTTT

Dick Grayson walked down the sidewalk of the main shopping district in Jump City. He wrapped his leather jacket around himself tighter against the chill of the November wind. He kept his head down as he pushed through the hustle of shoppers laden with bags. Christmas decorations already adorned the windows and hung from street lamps. He brushed his hair from his eyes and itched the back of his neck where it fell loosely, untamed by hair gel.

It had taken them four of the five weeks before he was able to comfortably beat Starfire most time they sparred with the soral. The past week had been spent refining technique and improving his speed. She had been delighted at his progress and her confidence in him boosted his own. And now, a day before they left for Tamaran, he was on the prowl.

Starfire had been confusing him lately and frustrating the hell out of him. She'd started wearing this very skimpy silk slip to bed at night instead of her usual tank top and long pants and he'd caught her having a shower with the bathroom door slightly open on a number of occasions. He hadn't spied on her in the shower after that first accidental time, after all, she hadn't said she was ready for anything else. But it was so frustrating! In all the time they'd been together, they had never progressed further than making out and the occasional upper body and over the clothes groping. They'd just never had time alone for much more than that, thanks to Cyborg's timely interruptions and then the impending xhandal, even with him sleeping in her room now. He'd flopped into bed at night completely exhausted and was usually asleep within minutes and on the nights where he wasn't; they'd usually only kissed for a while before he forced himself away from her. He wanted her and the wait for her to be ready was becoming unbearable. He let out a sigh and continued on.

Raven and Beast Boy seemed to be taking their relationship at a snail's pace. Dick thought it was for the best, seeing as Raven was very new to expressing her emotions. He knew they had been on a date at least once, to the movies he believed. Beast Boy had been often seen meditating with Raven and Raven had been observed playing games. They had been seen holding hands several times but they had never been caught kissing. They may not have even begun kissing at all as Dick had heard Cyborg muttering on more than a few occasions after being sprung by either himself or Starfire spying. Beast Boy had been seen a number of times sporting a black band of power over his mouth, his face red with either anger or embarrassment and Dick was unsure as too why.

Titans East had arrived yesterday to look after Jump City for them once more, not that they'd actually told them why they needed it. Bumblebee, Raven and Starfire had instantly shut themselves up in Raven's room, presumably for girl talk. He knew what they had been discussing when they emerged some time later, nails painted and hair done, as Bumblebee had thrown her arms around him in congratulations. He also knew that Starfire hadn't told Bumblebee of the a'tiyk valm. There was no reason for anyone else to know, he hadn't even told Batman the real reason they were heading to Tamaran, besides the fact that he was entering a tournament that would prove he was eligible to marry Starfire when the time came.

He and the guys had commandeered the common room for a game marathon, although the twins seemed to have it in for him. He'd lost count of the times he'd been poked and prodded, or had soda 'accidentally' dumped on him by them. He didn't really blame them; they did consider themselves in love with Starfire. Didn't mean he couldn't be pissed off with the pair.

Dick paused outside a shop, glancing through the window at the merchandise within. Nothing leapt from the shelves, so he moved on.

The guys had planned another game and movie marathon today, but he had begged them off, claiming he had a few last minute preparations to make before they left tomorrow. As it was, he still had to pick up a dozen pizzas for dinner tonight before he left the city.

He had already spoken to Bumblebee about her team remaining in Titans Tower until after Christmas, assuming the xhandal would be done by then. She had been delighted to help, saying that they enjoyed the extra responsibility of running the Titans Network, but that they didn't want to do it full time. It also allowed the team replacing Titans East more time to work on their teamwork. It was a strange team, Argent, Wildebeest, Hotspot and the most surprising of all, Kid Flash and Jinx. He'd had a moment pause over Jinx, but seeing that she had helped during the battle with the Brotherhood of Evil, he'd allowed it. Besides, Kid Flash promised he was keeping an extra special eye on her and Dick didn't doubt that for a moment, nor was he particularly interested in why Kid Flash's eye was fixed on the pink haired girl.

He was planning to take his team back to Wayne Manor for Christmas and was actually looking forward to seeing his father and Alfred again. He'd briefly visited Gotham five months ago for a charity ball, doing his part to play a dutiful son, but had barely spent time with Bruce then.

He passed another shop, barely glancing at the display in the window. He stopped, backtracked, his eyes landing on the name of the shop. This was it. He paused outside the door, scanning his trained eyes around the crowd of people that surged past. Cyborg and Beast Boy had given him a strange and somewhat knowing look when he'd left and he was almost sure one of them would be following.

Robin, will you be returning soon? Starfire's soft voice whispered in his mind. He and Starfire rarely spoke to each other now, out loud at least unless they were in their own room. It was quicker and easier to speak mind to mind, plus there was no chance of the others overhearing them. He loved the way she thought his name; it sounded just as delicious in his mind as it did when she spoke it. Raven claims the 'horde' is getting hungry. Cyborg and Beast Boy continue to argue about which pizzas they wish to order.

Well, that answered that question. I'll be back soon Star, I'm nearly done. Tell them to stop badgering you.

Last time I said that, Beast Boy became a badger and would not stop pestering me for a week.

Dick gave her the equivalent of a mind chuckle. Just have Speedy order. I'll pick it up in half an hour.

She smiled into his mind and then was gone. Dick suppressed a smile, steeled himself and entered the shop.