"Titans!" Robin cried that familiar way that made my heart soar with purpose.
"Stand down!" Batman cut across him. "Joker is mine. You have all been through enough."
Beside me, Robin tensed, but I was close enough to hear his indrawn breath of pain. He was still healing. Accelerated healing leaves the body sore, as if you had endured an intense workout for days without rest. Despite his capacity to compartmentalize pain, Robin could not pretend he did not still feel the effects. Truly, I was grateful that he would not do the rushing out again so soon. I do not believe I could bear it if he was hurt again.
"Perhaps I can arrange some refreshments upstairs," Alfred offered. Cyborg and Beast Boy shrugged while Raven acknowledged that she would like some jasmine tea. Despite the break-out, Batman waited beside the cot on which Robin and I reclined. I do not know how I came to be there, but I had the feeling I had transgressed somehow, judging by the formidable scowl on Batman's face.
"You think just because I nearly watched you die I'm going to let this go?" he growled at Robin.
"I don't know-"
"Yes you do. Dick, we've talked about this." The use of his civilian name was jarring, highlighting everything I had not known about him until only days ago. Robin's fingers curled against me.
"Starfire and I are just friends."
"Right, and Selina only comes to the Manor to play checkers." Robin grimaced as though he had tasted something unpleasant. Batman looked between us and sighed. "You're eighteen. I can't control how you live your life, not that I ever did. Just know the risks you're taking by getting involved."
"You mean that I might actually be happy?"
"That one day your enemies will use her against you the way Joker used you against me." And with that he glided away to his monitors, leaving Robin and I to the small glass room. I could tell Batman's final words had struck the cord, because Robin sat up to watch him leave, looking past me as if he'd forgotten I was there. I didn't mind. It gave me the chance to look at him. His face was still badly bruised, but he was recognizable once more.
"What?" he asked without turning to look at me. I had forgotten how keen his peripheral vision was.
"I am merely looking at you."
"Like what you see?" The corner of his mouth lifted in a grin. Keeping a straight face I shook my head.
"No. I do not believe that purple suits you." He lifted a hand to the livid bruise on his right cheek which had been broken badly only yesterday. His expression faded.
"Yea, you're probably right. Purple definitely looks better on you." I blushed. I had never known Robin to be openly flirtatious. It would fade soon, but I would enjoy it while it lasted.
"So, about that night...how did I get out? I remember the timer running out and then..."
"I got to you just in time. Batman made us stay behind and we saw Joker arming the explosives. I had promised the Titans would not intervene, but I could not..." I buried my nose in his chest, ashamed of myself for betraying my weakness. He did something he had never done before and kissed the top of my head.
"Hey, you'll get no complaints from me."
I sniffled and burrowed closer.
"I thought I was too late."
"Starfire." He breathed my name as if the sound of it caused him pain. "Bruce is right. I shouldn't be doing this." My head came up so sharply I clipped the bottom of his chin with an audible click.
"Ow!" we said in unison, though it was not actually painful.
"You should not be doing what?"
"This. Us. When you love someone you give your enemies a weakness to exploit. I'm not saying I think think you're weak, but I think I am. If it had been the other way around and Joker had had you instead..." A violent shudder went through him. "But I can't help it. Lying here with you like this is the happiest I've been in a long time."
"But Joker has escaped and you are still not yourself," I babbled because I did not know how to respond to his open declaration. It was so unlike him. I could not be sure that he would not take back the words, and if I admitted my feelings as well it would be devastating. And yet, he just stared down at me.
"Joker is Batman's problem."
"What?" It was most unlike him, and yet it filled me with such joy that I began to float. He grinned again.
"You liked that! Let's see if I can make you fly." His head dipped down and his lips pressed against mine. I froze, unsure of how to respond. In a language transfer, the recipient does nothing. But this was different. His mouth clung and tasted mine with such glorious tenderness. His hand rose up to cup my shoulder and turn me against him. I moved eagerly, entranced by what he was doing.
"Come on, Star," he breathed. His eyes were closed and the words were soft like a plea. I closed my eyes and felt the sensations sweep through me. He shifted so that he was half over me and his mouth moved over mine gently and our noses brushed together.
"You have a room. Use it," called Batman irritably. We broke apart, and Robin laughed. It was such a carefree sound that even Batman turned around to look.
"I thought I wasn't allowed to get up."
"Apparently there's no controlling that." Robin flinched and the color drained from his face as his eyes flew to mine. At first I was confused by the fear I saw, and then I realized that Batman had done the playing on words and Robin was worried that I would catch it and he would have to explain it to me. I giggled.
"Your 'girlfriend' has super strength and flight. You'll be fine. Now get out."
"Consider this payback for all the times I walked up on you and Catwoman making out while we were on patrol." His mouth fastened to mine again, but this time it was only for show. I giggled again at his antics. We were still laughing when we heard the soft clink of metal on the ground. Black smoke filled the glass room. Robin choked on his laughter, and wrapping my arms around him I flew us out of the medical bay to the elevator that would take us to the Manor.
"So what room did Alfred put you in?" Robin asked as we rode up in the elevator. He insisted that I set him on the ground. His ego could only stand so much, and being borne to his bedroom by his alien girlfriend was simply too much for him. The moment his feet took his weight he winced, but a couple of deep breaths later and there was no sign that he was in pain. One day I would ask him to show me how he managed to deal with it so effortlessly. Such a skill would have served me well years ago.
"Actually, he put me in your room," I said a little shyly. Robin went still as stone.
"Seriously?"
"Mmhmm. Now that you are awake and will be needing it yourself, I will ask that I be moved elsewhere."
"Don't worry about it. That room's more than big enough for the both of us. I'll sleep on the couch. It's bigger than my bed back at the Tower was anyway."
"But is that not inappropriate?"
"Alfred is the granddaddy of protocol and decorum. He knew exactly what he was doing when he put you in there. Besides, I think he gets a kick out of torturing me. Might as well humor him a little. I doubt he gets many chances to have his fun with cranky pants back there." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to signify the Bat Cave.
"I believe he finds ways to keep himself amused when you are not around," I said thoughtfully. Alfred, I had noticed, did enjoy making the digs at Batman whenever possible. He seemed immensely pleased to have the Titans visiting the Manor, which was in complete contrast to Batman's disapproving demeanor.
"He'd have to. He's been with him since the beginning. He basically raised Bruce after his parents were killed."
"HIs parents were killed?" I repeated, a rush of sympathy sweeping through me. Robin ran a hand through his hair.
"Oh yea, I guess you wouldn't know about that. "When he was twelve his parents were shot coming out of a movie theater. He was there and saw it happen. It changed him. It made him the guy you just saw downstairs. Bruce Wayne, the suave charming billionaire, is just a front he puts on to hide who he really is. He was there the night my parents died. i don't know if you know who the Flying Graysons are, but we were acrobats. One night someone cut their ropes while we were performing and they fell to their deaths. Bruce was in the audience. I guess he saw a lot of himself in me that night and he decided to take me in."
"I am sorry for both of your losses. That must have been very difficult for you." By now we had emerged from the elevator and were walking down the hallway toward his room. Robin shrugged.
"We're alike in a lot of ways. If you ask Babs the only differences between us are our opinions." He winced as soon as he said her name. I did not react.
"I take it you met Babs?"
"She is the ex, yes?" He pushed open his door and held it open so I could walk through first. he made sure to shut it firmly before he continued. Old habits died hard, and one could never be sure where a cybernetic hearing device or a green fly could be lurking.
"Kind of. I guess. Not really. Babs was older than me. She used to tease me about it all the time and I guess because she was older I wanted to prove myself to her. She'd go out with regular Joes and after a few weeks they'd bore her because they'd never lived life the way we did. Heck, half the guys she used to go out with used to talk her to death about the latest stories about Batman and Robin in the paper. It used to drive her crazy that they wished they could be me, and it used to drive me nuts that she looked at me like I was just a little kid. But that's all it was really. We never went out. For a long time I thought that's what I wanted, but when I left, I realized that I didn't miss her as much as I'd thought I was going to. And then you fell out of the sky." A warm smile touched his face at the memory. "At first I thought it was because you were beautiful that I couldn't think straight around you, so I hung around you all the time thinking I would get used to it. Then I thought I liked being with you because you made me feel useful and important every time you came to ask me to explain Earth and its ways to you. Somewhere in there I think I fell for you because you made me see a different world than I was used to. You live and thrive on sunlight, and Batman...well he's called the Dark Knight for a reason. You made me realize that I preferred the sun."
"Robin..." Tears were welling in my eyes at his sweet words. He blushed and ducked his head.
"I know, I pushed you away and pretended that we were just friends because for a long time I thought that was all we could be. Batman used to drill into our heads that teammates couldn't date because it would mess up the team's dynamic. But as time went on I realized that whether we went out or not, I was still going to worry about whether or not you were safe in battle. I was still going to get jealous every time another guy looked at you the wrong way. And I still die to kiss you every time you look at me the way you're looking at me right now."
"Robin, these words I have longed to hear from you for so long, but I must warn you. On my planet once a heart is given it can never be taken back. A Tamaranean's love is eternal. On Earth I have seen that sometimes this is not so. I could not face it if you were to grow tired of me." He nodded, absorbing that in his serious way.
"Starfire, when I wake up in the morning you're the first person I think about. I wonder whether you had pleasant dreams, I wonder what I can say to make you laugh, I wonder whether I'll get the chance to impress you during a mission. I've never felt like that before. These past few weeks have really hit home just how much I rely on you more than I've ever relied on anyone. I can't promise that this will last forever the way I know you want me to, but for this moment in time you are the only person I could ever picture in my future." He walked forward and cupped my hands in his. I was shaking, and yet the only thing tethering me to the ground were his two hands wrapped around mine.
There was a sharp knock on the door. Robin grimaced.
"Yes?"
"Urgent news," said Alfred in the most anxious tone I had heard him use yet. Robin released me to yank open the door. "It's Miss Gordon. She's in the hospital. She's been shot."
"What?" I gasped. Robin's expression grew grim.
"How bad?" he asked softly. Alfred swallowed with some difficulty.
"It's hard to say Sir. Shall I have a car brought around?"
"Not yet," said Robin, and I looked at him in shock. His face was gray. "Dick Grayson's supposed to be at some boarding school in Switzerland. I can't be seen in Gotham for at least another twelve hours." It pained him. Even behind the mask I saw how wide his eyes were with fear for his friend's life. I was afraid as well. We all knew who had done this.
"Where is he?" Robin asked quietly.
"He's gone to see Gordon. Apparently there was a message."
A/N: it's been a while since my last author's note. I've been playing a little fast and loose with some well-known comic arcs. Thought I should mention that I don't own anything. I figured there needed to be just a little bit of lightheartedness for these two before I threw them back into the ring. They needed a chance to reconnect. In my head, Robin becomes less serious whenever he's at the Manor and he and Bruce aren't butting heads. He doesn't have to worry about being the leader since Batman's the one calling the shots and right now they're in agreement, so he's kicking back and relaxing like a kid home from college for the weekend. Too bad that lasted all of a couple of hours...