A/N: So, the idea for this "story" came from the fact that I had to cut so much out of Chapter 29 to keep the story rated T. I'm really proud of what I wrote, and I really didn't want it just on my hard drive with nobody but me reading it. I've cut a few other things out of some other chapters for the same reason, and I thought I'd post that stuff too, as long as I was doing this.
There's a bunch of stuff in this chapter about Robin describing what condoms are to Starfire. It might have squeaked in under the line, but it wasn't necessary, so I cut it just to be safe. Here it is, back in all its glory! Enjoy Robin's squirming!
BIG NOTE: This chapter is not complete. Only the scene with the restored dialogue is included. You have to read the version that's posted with the main story to get all the plot points.
Chapter 15: Decisions
Starfire awoke, rather disoriented, unsure of what had woken her. Before she even got to the point of opening her eyes, she realized it was Robin. He was kissing her. What had woken her was the fact that he had pushed her over onto her back. His kisses were eager, and Starfire, still mostly asleep, responded in kind, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her fingers in his hair.
Robin moaned into her mouth at her touch, and shifted his weight to be more fully on top of her. He pushed a hand into the neckline of her sleepshirt to grasp her bare shoulder. The top two buttons popped open from his rough ministrations.
Starfire felt several sighs slip from her throat as Robin's lips slid over her chin and down her neck to leave a trail across her collarbone. He continued to push her neckline even farther aside to kiss her shoulder and her chest, daring to graze a bit lower to where the swell of her breast began. It was not until her shirt pulled taught against her ribs that Starfire awoke from the mixed reverie of sleep and passion to question her would-be revoleth.
"Robin? Robin, stop. I believe you are damaging my sleepshirt."
"Huh, what?" Robin snapped his head up. He was breathless, his eyes dark with desire.
"I said I believe you are damaging my sleepshirt."
Robin pulled his hand from under her shirt where it still gripped her shoulder, reacting as though he'd been stung. "I…I'm sorry, I…" he fumbled, attempting to pull Starfire's sleepshirt back to where it should be.
"What are you doing, Robin? I thought you did not wish to mrvlomh in the bed."
"I didn't…I don't…I…" He groaned and rolled away from her, falling onto his back to lie next to her. "I dreamt about you tonight, Star," he said after a moment. She rolled up onto her side to look at him while he spoke. "We were…floating. I don't even know where we were. But we were both, um, naked." The word seemed to catch in his throat. He cleared it before going on. "And…I don't know how to describe it. You were touching me everywhere all at once. It was like we were melding into one being…It was...the most wonderful feeling..." He turned his eyes toward her in the dim light. "And when I woke up, I saw you lying there, and, I don't know, I guess I was still half-asleep, but it seemed that there had to be a way to re-capture that feeling..." He trailed off. "I don't know. It's stupid. I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"I am unharmed. I rather enjoyed it, actually." She giggled.
Robin smiled with relief. The two regarded each other in the dim light for a few moments before the thoughts swimming around in Robin's head bubbled their way to the surface. "Is that...what it's like? Being revoleths, that is? Feeling like... you don't know where you end and the other person begins?"
Starfire shook her head. "I do not know. I have never had a revoleth."
Robin rolled up onto his side to face her, reaching up to cup her cheek with a hand. "Maybe...maybe it's time we both found out."
Starfire blinked several times, uncertain she had heard what she did. "You...wish to...xiokryw...with me?"
Robin blinked too, somewhat flustered. "Yeah, I think so...I..." He heaved a breath in an attempt to calm himself. "I love you. And whenever I touch you, or kiss you, or hold you, I have this overwhelming urge to crawl inside of you or swallow you or..." He shook his head. "I can't ever be close enough to you. And if being revoleths is like my dream - not knowing where I end and you begin - then..." he began nodding, as if to punctuate his point, "then I can't think of anything I want more."
"Oh, Robin!" Starfire threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly before springing into a sitting position on the bed. "We must begin the planning. When shall we perform the frpertomh? Where should it happen? What should we be wearing? Should we bring refreshments? What about vmytsvryopm?"
"Wait wait wait," Robin sat up as well. "Slow down. What are these words you're using? I've not heard them before."
"Oh!" Starfire placed a hand over her lips. "I am sorry. I was so excited I did not bother to try to remember the Earth words. Frpertomh is the first act of xiokryw performed by impending revolethen." She paused, biting her lip. "I do not believe I know the Earth term for it."
"I don't know that there is one. I think we just say 'the first time.'"
"Oh. How very unimaginative."
"Yeah, well..." Robin turned back to the subject at hand. "What about that other one: vmy...vyts..."
"Vmytsvryopm?" Starfire finished. "It is a means of preventing conception."
"Yeah, let's talk about that," Robin said, pulling his legs up under him to sit more comfortably.
"I love you, and I'm pretty sure I want to do this, but not unless we can be fairly sure that you won't get pregnant. We're too young, and with the kind of life we lead, we'd only be putting a baby in danger."
"I concur," Starfire said, nodding.
"Good. So, um..." Robin was suddenly at a loss. "How do they take care of this on Tameran?"
"Well, there are many forms of vmytsvryopm..."
"Contraception," Robin broke in.
"Oh, is that the Earth word? I was uncertain."
"That, or 'birth control.'"
Starfire's brow creased. "Birth control?"
"Yeah, you control whether or not you give birth."
Starfire's brow remained creased. "I see. Let us use 'contraception.' It seems more apt."
Robin's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Okay."
"As I was saying," Starfire went on, "If my bumgorph is to be believed, Tamaran has many forms of contraception. It is usually the male's responsibility to make sure that they are utilized."
"Really? It's kind of the other way around here."
"Oh? Is fatherhood not taken seriously here?"
Robin scratched the back of his head. "In general yes, but there is still kind of this attitude that if a girl gets pregnant, it's her problem to deal with."
"How irresponsible! On Tameran, a father may not be able to carry a child or give birth or produce nourishment, but he is totally responsible for his child's economical and educational well-being. If a father does not fulfill these duties, he is looked upon very poorly by society."
"Maybe things would be better if it was that way here." Robin paused. "Well, since we've been doing a lot of this the Tameranian way, why don't I take care of the uh, contraception?"
"Very well," Starfire nodded. "What Earthly method will you choose?"
Robin cleared his throat, forcing the self-consciousness from it. "Probably...condoms. They're easy to get, and if I understand correctly from what I've heard, fairly easy to use."
"Very well," Starfire folded her hands in her lap. "What are these 'condoms?'"
Robin had to cough several times before he could speak this time. "They're uh, rubber...sheaths that fit over the uh...man's...genitalia. It prevents the uh, male and female DNA from mixing."
"Simple, yet effective," Starfire observed. "We have several such methods on Tameran." She cocked her head, thinking. "But would a sheath not diminish sensation?"
Robin shrugged, his discomfort beginning to be evident even in the dim light. "I don't know. Maybe. But since neither of us has done it before, does it really make a difference?"
Starfire chewed her lip for a moment. "Perhaps not. Very well, these 'condoms' of yours are acceptable. Now, what of the other details? When shall we do this? And where? And..."
"Star, Star, Star," Robin broke in, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We have time. I'd really like to get some more sleep before training starts at 6:00, so can we talk about this later?"
Starfire glanced at the clock. It read 2:47. Her shoulders fell, but she agreed. "Oh, all right. I agree that more sleep is prudent. But we shall revisit this topic soon, yes?"
Robin smiled with relief. "Yes. Now, come back to bed." He gathered her up in his arms and pulled her back down onto the pillows, allowing himself a brief chuckle as she giggled into his ear.