-
-
Friends, Love
-
-
-
-
So it was that the six founding members (because Batman wasn't present) were sitting at the Titans abode. Eating pizza with the not-so-teen Titans in their Ops Room. It was predictable that there was an uncomfortable silence reining in the room. When the basic introductions had ended, there really wasn't much more to say, so every single person in the room were just concentrating on finishing the four boxes of pizza in front of them.
"Hey guys," Beastboy piped up after his third piece of pizza, "Listen to this; Batman and Robin are camping in the desert, right?"
"Oh no, not again," Nightwing groaned quietly so no one could hear him.
Beastboy continued with a silly grin on his face. "They were sleeping in a tent when Batman woke up and woke Robin too. He says, 'Look up and tell me what you see.' So Robin looks up and says, 'I see millions of stars,' right? Then Batman asks, 'What does that tell you?'"
Beastboy looked eagerly at his audience. "So Robin thinks for a sec and then says,"
He took a deep breath before going on.
"'Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.
Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo.
Chronologically, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three.
Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What does it tell you, Batman?'
Batman is silent for a moment, then says, 'Robin, you idiot, someone has stolen our tent.'"
The Justice League burst out laughing. Flash had snorted cola out of his nose, and was laughing and coughing at the same time. Bumblebee thumped him on the back while laughing herself. Even Nightwing laughed, though he looked like he had something unpleasant stuck between his teeth. Starfire had looked unsure whether to laugh or not, for Nightwing's sake, but when he began to laugh, she did too. Cyborg's booming laugh echoed around the room.
Beastboy looked around expectantly at Raven, who only looked doubtfully surprised.
"You memorized all that?" she asked disbelievingly in her monotone when the group's first bout of laughter had passed.
Now everyone's laughter was genuine. Cyborg was actually thumping the seat of the sofa with his fist while Bumblebee was almost rolling on the floor out of mirth.
"Dudes, that's not funny," Beastboy protested, but soon he was laughing along with everyone else.
"What I want to know is if that story has basis on fact," Superman said. "Nightwing?"
Nightwing scowled. "Of course it doesn't. I'm not that slow on the uptake."
"Because," Superman continued with a smile, "I think I've heard this before from Batgirl, but she said it was true."
"Nightwing?" Flash asked with an annoying smirk.
"C'mon, dude, who's telling the truth?" Beastboy said interestedly.
Nightwing's frown got deeper and deeper before he sighed resignedly. "It's not true exactly," he started.
"But?" Green Lantern asked.
"I didn't say all those long winded things about astronomy, astrology and everything."
"But?" J'onn J'onzz asked.
"Oh, fine," Nightwing said, throwing up his hands in defeat. "I didn't know the tent disappeared at first and said something about the stars and such," he muttered.
Starfire patted Nightwing consolingly on the arm, but even she was grinning.
"I can't believe our obsessed, sharp, Mr. Detective leader could be so thick!!" Beastboy crowed.
"I was only ten!" Nightwing protested helplessly, but it was in vain. Everyone looked way too entertained for Nightwing's comfort. So he pulled out the only hidden card he had left. "Training at six in the morning, tomorrow!" he ordered. Nightwing wore a triumphant smile at the resulting groans.
--
"I am so glad it is just the five of us now," Starfire murmured, leaning on Nightwing's shoulder as she gazed out to the horizon.
The sky was a brilliant shade of pastel pink gently staining the milky clouds as the sun hung between night and day. The getaway at sunrise and sunset were safe havens for Nightwing and Starfire, a sort of ritual where they could lay bare their heart without fear.
"Me too," Nightwing replied, shrugging closer to Starfire. "Brings back old times, doesn't it?"
Starfire nodded. "Yes, it does." She sighed contentedly. "When was the last time we sat together like this?"
"Approximately 378 days and 15 hours ago."
Starfire turned and looked disbelievingly at Nightwing. "Must you do the showing off like that?"
Nightwing smirked. "It's what I do," he told her smugly. Then his face softened and sorrow flitted across it. "Whatever it is, it's been too long. Much too long."
Starfire leaned consolingly close. "Yes, it has…" she whispered, "But I am thankful that I am back."
Starfire's face was oddly emotionless as the setting rays illuminated it. "I thought I would never sit with you as now, ever again," she added simply.
"Me too. Except in dreams."
The sun was now quickly slipping beneath the waves, allowing the sea to quench it's fiery self. The sky was quickly darkening, stars starting to peep out on the west side.
"Bumblebee called to say that she got home safely to Steel City," Nightwing said.
Starfire smiled. "I am sure that Titans East were happy to get their leader back."
"They were," Nightwing agreed, "And Flash was really glad too. What was it he said? 'Running for two's too much, even for the fastest man alive.' Seems he had to sprint between missions a lot of the time."
"I am joyful that everything has worked out."
Nightwing looked slyly at Starfire. "I know a certain someone who isn't too happy to see Bumblebee go," he said.
"Who?"
"Cyborg. He looked so disappointed."
"Nightwing!" Starfire cried reproachfully, "Sometimes I wonder who is the 'girl' in our relationship. From when have you been so much of the gossip?"
Nightwing shrugged. "Don't scold. I've been brought up to notice things, so how could I help but notice? His body language gave him away far too much."
"And yet," she teased with a roguish glint in her eyes, "That same person took three years to correctly read the heart of his own."
Nightwing glared, but his cheeks were coloring fast. Starfire began to giggle until Nightwing caved in and joined her. Soon it escalated into uncontrollable laughter that rang all about the rooftop.
Unknown to them, two other lovebirds were perched down by the seashore, except there was no Sally selling seashells in sight. Instead, there was a certain changeling and an empath "sucking face" with each other, oblivious to the world around them. Even to the lights of the city flickering madly on the other shore.
--
On the thirteenth of September, Kid Flash and Jinx got married. It was a sight to behold; all the Titans, including all the honorary Titans, were dressed in semi-formal clothes, but with their masks firmly in place. What did Flash do? He ditched the cowl and went for a red domino that allowed his blue, blue eyes to show.
Oceans of drool had to be continually mopped up as the male Titans lost control of their oral cavity functions every time they caught sight of their respective dates. If ever they lost it while staring at someone else, they knew they'd not live to see the morning.
"Why the thirteenth?" Nightwing asked Flash.
"Because nothing in the world can take away our luck when we're together," he answered and sped to Jinx, sweeping her off her feet in a fast dance. Jinx's surprised but delighted laugh rang pleasantly about the room.
It was a breathtaking night of dancing, singing and laughter. As apt to do when friends get together once in a while, it was also a night of swapping rumors and gossip. Which is why that night, Nightwing's and Starfire's marriage became a well-known fact in the Titans community. However, Starfire's story was remained a secret, as Nightwing had made the all the six Titans who knew swear themselves to secrecy beforehand, and no one wanted to get on the wrong side of Nightwing. Just because he changed his name did not mean that he became any more lenient then during his Robin days. If it was possible, he was even more uptight ever since that fateful day on Tamaran, especially in any matter that involved Starfire.
Many more events passed in the months leading to Christmas, like the Dakota Big Bang, but none of them were deeply concerned with any Titan. Unless you count one episode where Beastboy accidentally spilt a potful of Raven's hot tea onto the mainframe computer ("Why where you even down there?" shouted an irate Cyborg,) and security systems were down for a week before Cyborg could fix it.
No one yet knew why Beastboy had been down there.
Okay! So there we are. Thank you all for the five wonderful reviews that made this very early update possible!! (Well, early for me, anyway.)
I'm going to try and finish everything in a few chapters, just so you know. If you have anything you want put in the future chapters to come, things that you want to make happen before this all ends, tell me in a review, and I'll see what I can do.
Seeya soon!! (I hope.)
And for everyone with any kind of SATs in October - Good luck!!
Want to know why BB was down there? Review!! XD