Chapter 5 – The Rest Of Chapter 4

After Cyborg's exclamation, Robin said, "Its about time. We can finally leave them alone in the Tower and not have to worry about coming back to a war zone for a change."

Cyborg and Bumblebee looked at Robin and rolled their eyes.

Robin looked at the pair with narrowed eyes and said, "What?"

Bumblebee grabbed her head with her hands. Cyborg's human eye widened and he glanced between Robin and Starfire. Starfire never noticed this exchange. She was smiling, sitting very still and holding Robin as tightly as she could without hurting him.

Robin turned his head and stared at the wall. He remembered he had something to tell Starfire; he just didn't want to say it in front of them. Robin wanted only Starfire to hear what he had struggled for so long to say.

However, Landon and Marsha had noticed. Marsha had awakened sometime during the middle of the conversation between Beast Boy and Raven, and was spending her time healing Landon as much as he would allow.

The pair smiled at each other and nodded. They stood and moved toward Robin and Starfire. Marsha offered to heal Robin as much as she could. Landon offered to show Starfire some of the exercises that he used to help maintain his fighting skills.

At first, both Starfire and Robin…resisted the idea of leaving their comfort zones, but eventually decided it would be a good thing. They could always return to that spot, after all.

While Marsha was healing Robin and Landon was teaching Starfire, two separate conversations started at the same time, using the same questions.

As Marsha ran her hands over Robin's chest, she said, "You and your team mates are very accomplished warriors to be so young."

Landon, while demonstrating the first part of his ritual to Starfire, paused and awaited her reaction to his statement.

Starfire beamed a smile at her exercise partner, saying, "Thank you, friend Landon! But we would be no where near as accomplished without…." Her voice trailed off and her eyes flashed a bright green when she noticed Marsha…caressing… her Robin. She knew that Marsha was healing him, and she was grateful, but…still.

Landon placed his hand on Starfire's shoulder to turn her attention back to their training session.

Robin seethed, thinking, "That sonofa…how dare he touch her. He can teach her exercises without touching her!"

Marsha asked Robin another question to tear his flinty gaze from Landon and Starfire.

"Do you feel more for that team mate than you do for the others?"

Robin, wide eyed, stammered, "No…Yes…I…yes, I do."

Landon asked Starfire, "How long have you felt this way?"

"…. I do not know…. It seems as though I have always felt this way."

Only Cyborg realized that the strange pair were eerily in sync with their questions, but decided to say nothing, for the moment.

Marsha, nodding, smiled and asked, "You and your team look so different from each other. Do you all come from different planets?"

Robin chuckled and replied, "No the only one from a different planet is Starfire."

Landon asked Starfire, "A warrior race?"

Starfire said, "Yes!"

Marsha looked at Robin, saying, "I can see why you are attracted to each other, then. What I don't understand is why you don't act on that attraction."

Starfire, cheeks burning from embarrassment, said, "I never thought the attraction was mutual, friend Landon. Robin likes me as a friend, as a member of the team, but I do not believe he looks on me as a potential mate."

Landon looked at Starfire for a long time before saying; "One thing I have learned as a warrior is to be ready for the time you or one of your team does not make it back."

Robin squinted his eyes, remembering how he felt when he thought about Starfire dying.

Before he could completely banish the thought, Marsha continued, "It would be a shame, a terrible tragedy, to regret not having said or did something when you had the chance. You are a warrior. You know that sometimes, boldness is a good thing. Be bold."

Landon looked back and saw that Marsha had returned to her sitting position against the wall. He looked at Starfire and said, "I am a little tired and need to rest a bit before moving into the next room. Thank you for exercising with me."

Starfire nodded and went to sit next to Robin, thinking about being bold.

Robin and Starfire's arms circled each other's waists. Their eyes were closed. Each taking a deep breath, they said, "I am yours, if you will have me."

Eyes wide with surprise, blushing furiously, they looked at each other, and started to laugh. They lay on the ground, still holding each other, as the laughter slowly trailed away into silence. After a short while, they fell asleep.

Cyborg stood and walked over to Landon and Marsha, grinning. "That was pretty smooth. You two linked together somehow?"

The pair looked at each other, blinked, then looked at Cyborg. Both grinning, they said, at the same time, "Whatever do you mean, my friend?"

Cyborg rolled his eyes and said, "Cute." He then walked over to Robin and removed his cape. Strolling over to the sleeping Raven, he removed her cloak. He rolled the cape and the cloak into a tube, while moving back to Bumblebee.

Bumblebee watched in amazement, squeaking, "Those two are going to destroy you, Sparky! What do you think you're doing?"

Cyborg sat next to Bumblebee, put the tube on his shoulder, drew her head down onto the makeshift pillow and said, "You're worth it, Bee."

Smiling broadly, Bumblebee managed to get comfortable enough to take a nap.

Cyborg then powered down all non-essential systems and waited for the others to wake up.

Martha, frowning, said, "I wish we could do something for Cyborg. It must hurt him greatly to not be able to offer his mate anything other than metal to snuggle up to."

Landon waved this away, saying, "Don't worry, Father will be able to help him. All we have to do is get Cyborg to him. Now, rest. I believe the next door is the last. It can only get worse from here."