Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, just playing with the characters.

Author's Note:

General disclaimer's/explanation of the story:

This is a collected work of one-shots and drabbles. It will not be updated regularly. Truly this is just an exercise piece.

The shorts featured are all "unexpected" or rare plots/pairings/scenarios. They aren't going to appeal to everyone.

My comfort-zone is X-Men Evolution, so this is a bit of a change. If you want to see me write where I know more, please check out my profile and other stories.

This chapter takes place between "Things Change" and Tokyo.

Enjoy. Read. Review.

The Kiss

Red and blue flashing lights pierced the darkness of the night. Police sirens wailed, and officers gathered around their vehicles in small groups. Some scurried into the warehouse their cars were surrounding, guns drawn, while others stood tensely at the sides of vehicles, hands resting on their weapons.

Robin stood off to the side, speaking to the officer in charge. As always, he was stiff and serious, laying out the facts.

"Whatever the creature was, it doesn't seem to be from Earth. We are going to work with our galactic contacts to get some better equipped authorities to take the body." Robin stated.

The officer he was speaking to look up from his notepad and glanced at his partner quickly before turning to Robin. "So the monster is—?"

"…Dead." Robin answered plainly, the shifting lights making his face angular in the shadows.

The officer frowned, shifting his weight forward. "That isn't how the Teen Titans normally operate."

Robin did not even blink at the accusatory comment. "We didn't have much choice, officer. If we didn't act like we did, it would have killed one of us. It was some sort of element absorption shape-shifter, incredibly dangerous and hard to subdue." Robin replied swiftly.

"I'll need the full details." The officer commanded gruffly.

"Of course, officer." The teen replied.

As he spoke, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire passed by.

"Ow, Cyborg! Let go of me, I can walk just fine!"

"No, you can't Rae." Cyborg said seriously.

"Please, friend Raven, let us help!"

The trio hobbled to the side of the street. Cyborg had an arm underneath Raven's shoulders, trying to support her. The girl was in no way pleased, a foul frown planted on her face. But she seemed in pain, her eyes tight, and she winced every few paces. Cyborg forced her to sit down on a low wall and took a step back.

Starfire glided up behind, and gasped as the glow of the street lights fell on Raven.

In the fight with the mysterious creature, Raven had been hit the hardest. She crashed through a wall near the end, right before Beast Boy finished it. The Titans were not used to this severe of injuries.

Raven's left arm was slashed all the way up from her wrist to her shoulder, blood coating her bare arm, the fabric of her uniform torn jaggedly off at her elbow. Her left leg was the worst; debris was embedded in her shin, with blood trickling down from the wood splinters and iron nails. The rest of her body was covered in nasty, but shallow scrapes.

"Oh Raven…" Starfire whispered.

The girl sighed, feeling her friends' worry mixing with her own pain. She drew a quick breath, pinning down her own emotions of fear and anger. It had been quite some time since she, or anyone on her team, had suffered an injury this severe.

If Beast Boy hadn't gotten there when he did… She shook the thought off. Well, Robin made it clear it could've been a lot worse.

She squeezed her eyes shut and felt someone sit next to her.

"Starfire…"

"Raven, you are hurt. We must get you back home. You will be most safe in the infirmary."

The concern in her voice cut Raven, and she grit her teeth against the pain and emotions swirling around her.

"I'm fine."

"That is a lie and you know it."

Raven opened her eyes to glare at whoever –probably Cyborg- had said that, but the moment she did, she found her head swimming in the flashing lights and noise. She felt her consciousness slip for a moment and her body started slumping to the side against her will.

"That's it. Star, get her home. Do what you can. I'll make sure Robin and BB's got it here, then I'll be straight over."

Raven protested feebly as Starfire gently picked her up. Despite the Tamaranian's care, the movement jolted Raven and caused her to groan with the pain.

"Sincerest apologizes, Raven. I did not mean to—"

"It's fine." Raven interrupted her. "Just warn me when you—" The alien shot straight up in the air, surprising Raven and causing her to wrap her right arm around the alien's neck and press herself into Starfire's body. "-are about to take off."

Starfire giggled. "I will alert you in the future." She adjusted Raven's grip, removing her hood in the process.

The wind whipped Raven's hair into her eyes, but concerned as she was about remaining latched onto Starfire, she was unable to sweep it back. The cold air bit into her skin, stinging her open wounds. She grit her teeth against the pain. It was incredible how fast the pain took over her senses. The heat from Starfire's body grew cold, and suddenly, everything faded out of focus.

Raven's arm slipped from around Starfire's neck, and her body went slack.

Startled, Starfire dropped a few feet. "Raven!"

"Uhhnn." The hafling groaned.

"Raven!" Starfire glided to the nearest rooftop. Reaching down, she pushed the hair from Raven's face. Her skin was nearly white. "Glorknob." Starfire swore. "Friend Raven, please awaken." She urged, slightly shaking Raven.

The girl groaned in response, her eyes moving rapidly under her eyelids.

Starfire bit her lip and set Raven down carefully. She lifted Raven's cape and checked the gash on her arm. Raven's arm was dripping in blood. With a gasp, Starfire hurriedly covered Raven's arm again, pressing the fabric tightly against her friend's arm.

This is not good.

Scooping Raven up, she pressed the girl's injured arm into her own stomach. The blood was already soaking through Raven's cloak when Starfire took off from the rooftop. The liquid was sticky and warm on her skin, an urgent reminder to get Raven back to the Tower.

The lights of the city danced beneath her feet. On any other night, Starfire would stop and admire the sight. The Earth lights were so different than the ones at home. They sparkled and swam with only electrics and mechanics… no hint of biological elements.

Starfire looked down at Raven, and her worry caused her to drop a few feet again. Taking a deep breath, she brought to mind the happiest memory she could… and sped as fast as she could to the Tower.

She could not worry about being gentle anymore, Raven's comfort would matter little if she did not recover.

"Hey BB, how ya holdin' up?" Cyborg asked, sitting next to his friend. Beast Boy sat on the edge of the open back of a police van, a blanket around his shoulders.

Beast Boy shrugged.

Cyborg didn't even try to smile or crack a joke. It was a tough call for the kid to make. He didn't want to pretend to understand.

"Are they gonna charge me?" Beast Boy asked, his voice deadpan, his eyes staring ahead blankly. Cyborg followed his gaze to see Robin still talking with the police officer.

"I doubt it. You did what you had to. We all did."

Beast Boy shook his head and put his head in his hands. Cyborg clapped him on the shoulder and stood up. Walking over to Robin, Cyborg glanced back at the green bean every few feet. Beast Boy didn't improve any, but he did pick his head up and turn his ear toward Robin and the police officer.

As Cyborg came to a stop beside Robin, he entered into the midst of an argument.

"We were justified, acting on behalf of the law!" Robin growled.

"Not on our permission." The officer grit his teeth and crossed his arms. "You're only teenagers."

Cyborg scoffed. "Hardly." The officer glared at him. Cyborg quickly scanned the man, and his facial recognition software declared that the officer was, in fact, the police chief. The newly minted police chief. He'll be wanting to make a show of strength. Swallowing hard, Cyborg continued his argument. "We've grown up right in front of your eyes, Chief Raymos."

The police chief's lip curled up and he shot a deadly look at Cyborg.

"The only teenagers on our team are Raven and Beast Boy." Robin continued. "But the city has put its faith in us regardless. This was an alien threat from a creature that the police couldn't subdue… we did what you couldn't." Robin crossed his arms, his tone defiant and dangerous. "You would've killed it if you could have."

Chief Raymos stuck his finger in Robin's face, but the Boy Wonder didn't flinch. "You're all free to go, but this isn't over. Don't pull a stunt like this again."

"Yes, sir." Robin growled through clenched teeth.

As Raymos walked away, Cyborg's communicator went off. He unclipped it from his belt and held it up. It was Starfire. Robin leaned over to get a glimpse of the video screen.

"Go Star." Cyborg answered. The screen wavered. Blue and purple fabric flapped on the screen, as if Starfire's communicator was still clipped on her belt. Wind roared into the speaker. "Yo Star, are you butt-dialin' us?"

"No! I am not dialing with my butt!" Starfire yelled, her voice far-away. "We are flying to the Tower now, but…"

"Star, what's wrong?" Robin interrupted.

"Raven is most unwell!"

Cyborg and Robin exchanged looks. "Raven? The girl who-"

"This is no time for jokes!" Starfire yelled, her voice shrill. "She has lost much of the blood and passed out…"

Cyborg felt his processors grind to a halt. He hadn't thought Raven's injuries had been that bad. But when Raven passed out, it was that bad. His mind flashed back to the beast incident, and just how scary her injuries had been then. Torn clothes, blood, gashes, teeth and claw marks, and a nasty bump on her head… Raven was tough, but she could only take so much of a beating.

"Star, I'm on my way. When you get to the Tower, take Raven straight to the infirmary and see if you can stop the bleeding." Cyborg said. "If she goes into her healing trance, uh, well we'll deal with that if that happens."

"And Star?" Robin leaned over Cyborg's arm to speak into the communicator. "Just remember to breathe."

"Raven's tough, she'll be okay." Cyborg added.

"We have reached the Tower. I must go."

Click.

Cyborg folded the communicator and clipped it to his waist again. He looked down at Robin. "We good here?"

Robin nodded. "Go. Beast Boy and I will catch up."

Glancing over his shoulder, Cyborg looked at Beast Boy, who was still wrapped up in a blanket. "Keep an eye on him. BB needs his friends."

Robin followed his gaze. "After this, I think we all need a vacation. I'll start contacting the other Titans and the Justice League to see who can cover for us for a few weeks."

"You serious?" Cyborg asked, unconvinced, and raising an eyebrow. "You ain't one to want a vacation." He laughed, the tension spilling out.

Shrugging, Robin started toward Beast Boy. "We just beat the Brotherhood of Evil, Raven barely had time to recover from beating her father before that battle started, and Beast Boy just killed some alien… we aren't Batman."

Cyborg smiled. "Glad to hear you say that."

Starfire bit her lip and looked down at her handiwork. She didn't have as much experience as Cyborg or Robin, or even Beast Boy, in patching people up, but Cyborg insisted they all know how. Raven's arm was tightly wrapped with cloth and cotton padding, so hopefully that would be enough to stop the blood flow. Starfire had set the girl down on one of the infirmary slates and had propped up the leg embedded with debris. At this point, she didn't know what to do.

Raven's eyes snapped open, startling Starfire and causing her to jump back with an "eek!". When Raven started to sit up, Starfire rushed over and gently pressed Raven's shoulders back onto the slab. For a few moments, Raven wrestled against Starfire, but the alien was stronger and kept up consistent pressure.

"Starfire…" Raven croaked out once she had stopped fighting and allowed herself to be pressed down onto the metal surface. "What…? Is that my blood?"

Starfire glanced down at her middle, which was painted red at this point. She picked up some of the extra cloth and scrubbed quickly at Raven's blood. Finishing, she turned her attention back to Raven, who looked like she was about to pass out again. "Shh, you need to rest." Starfire urged softly, brushing a lock of hair that had fallen out of place during Raven's struggle out of the girl's face. "We are back at the Tower. You lost consciousness on the way back."

"On the way back?" Raven looked confused for a moment, and Starfire went around to Raven's right side (where she had an uninjured arm) and sat down on the edge of the slate. Realization dawned on Raven's face and she groaned. "That's right, I went through a wall."

"Several walls." Starfire chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood a bit. She didn't want her worry to leak into Raven.

Raven lifted her head to look down at her leg. "Did you get the—" her eyes widened and her head thudded back.

Starfire looked back at Raven's leg and flinched. "I had hoped Cyborg would be able to…" Her voice trailed off. With an apologetic smile, she turned back to Raven. "Apologies Raven, I do not think I have the skill for that."

Raven grit her teeth and propped herself up on her good arm, ignoring Starfire's frown. Looking up at Starfire, Raven calmly met her eyes. "All you need to do is pull the debris out, my body will handle the rest." She laid back down with a groan.

Biting her lip again, Starfire examined Raven's leg. Perhaps she could do that, but still-

Raven's hand suddenly wrapped around Starfire's fingers. Heat rose to her cheeks and she turned back to Raven, but avoiding her eyes. Starfire's heart flipped in her chest, and her throat became too dry to speak. She flinched inwardly, surprised at her reaction.

What is this strange affliction?

"Starfire… I need you to do this for me. Don't worry about hurting me, I've dealt with worse…" Raven squeezed Starfire's hand and succeeded in getting Starfire to look her in the eyes. Raven gave a little smile, "…obviously."

Swallowing desperately to try and wet her throat, Starfire stood hastily, ripping her hand free from Raven's fingers. A disappointed look flashed across Raven's face, but it quickly vanished and was replaced by her usual stoicism. Starfire didn't leave herself time to think about it as she whisked a pair of forceps, a metal bowl, and some gauze out of the supply cabinet. Cyborg would be there soon anyway, she wouldn't have to handle Raven alone then.

Starfire set down her medical supplies and let out a heavy sigh, turning to look out the window. Inky blackness surrounded the brightly lit buildings of Jump City, which now felt like a million miles away. In that far-off city, a monster almost took her best friend away from her. Her best friend who was now sending quivers through her heart.

I am just worried about her… that is all.

Taking one more deep breath, Starfire picked up the forceps.

Raven groaned. "Just get it over with."

Starfire started pulling a nail out of Raven's leg, keeping her free hand on Raven's knee, trying to keep her still. Unfortunately, staying still was not an option. She didn't cry out, but Raven arched her back with the pain. As Starfire quickly set the nail down into the bowl, a gasp escaped Raven's lungs.

"Forgot how much that uhh-!"

Starfire didn't allow her to finish before she started plucking other debris out of her teammate's leg. The sound of screeching metal a few minutes later caused her to pause. She glanced at Raven and saw the infirmary slab crumpled under Raven's fingers.

"Friend Raven-"

Raven growled. "Unh, just finish." Sweat beaded her forehead and her eyes were squeezed shut.

"I am almost done." Starfire said quickly.

She pulled the last piece of shrapnel out of Raven's leg and the girl collapsed flat on the slab. Starfire pressed the gauze onto Raven's leg to staunch the flow of blood.

"Done." Starfire stated, weary but cheerful. She turned to Raven, the corners of her lips curling up.

Raven was drenched with sweat, her breathing shallow. Raven caught Starfire's eye and gave a faint smile before her eyes flickered shut.

"Raven!" Starfire cried. Every muscle in her body tensed and released. Suddenly, she found herself bending over Raven on the girl's uninjured side, squeezing her hand. "Please Raven, I did what was required…" She put her ear close to Raven's mouth to check for breathing.

She was.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Starfire turned her head slightly, intending on standing up straight once more. But the proximity to Raven struck her and for a moment she was frozen. Starfire found herself biting her lip once more as she studied Raven's face, uncertain of what she was searching for. Her heart hammered in her chest and she slowly tucked a strand of Raven's hair behind her ear and in doing so, brushed the side of Raven's pale face.

Raven's eyes opened and a strange sort of hunger flashed in them. Before she knew it, Starfire was kissing her and Raven was kissing her back. She wasn't sure who started it, but in an instant it didn't really matter. Raven lifted her head up, propping herself up with her uninjured arm, her hand still wrapped in Starfire's.

Starfire used her free hand to help support Raven as well as pull her closer. Raven's lips moved beneath hers, feverishly warm but soft. A few seconds later, Starfire was the only thing holding Raven up because her hand closed around the fabric of Starfire's top, pulling her torso down almost into Raven's.

Encouraged by Raven's actions, Starfire tugged at Raven's lip with her teeth. Raven reacted with a quick intake of breath and Starfire suddenly found herself thrown across the room. She landed hard on the plastic chair in the corner and managed to knock down a few of the empty cardboard boxes stashed in the corner too.

Groggily, Starfire picked herself up into a sitting position and swatted the boxes away. Looking up, she saw Raven sitting rigidly upright on the infirmary slate, her uninjured hand clenched in front of her. Her eyes were wide, and she perfectly fit the earth saying "a deer in headlights".

Starfire's heart dropped (practically crashing into her topmost stomach) seeing Raven look so mortified. She swallowed hard and looked down, noticing that the collar of her top was torn. A small chunk of purple fabric was missing. Glancing up, an apology on her lips, she found where it ended up: in Raven's fist.

And with all the tension in the room, she couldn't take it. Starfire burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…" Raven awkwardly said to Starfire's laughter. Her voice stiff, she attempted to explain herself further. "I didn't realize it was… I didn't mean to throw you across the room." Raven managed to blurt finally as the alien stopped laughing.

Starfire smiled, her apprehension dissolving. "That was…"

"Unexpected."

A/N: Thanks for reading!

The next short will be Beast Boy centric. Until then, please drop a review and let me know what you thought. Starfire is hard for me to write, so any suggestions from those who know better than me (which is probably a lot of you) are welcome.

Also, take a look at some stories of people who TOTALLY know more than I (SepticMind is a favorite of mine, and "What Grows In Deception" by Soulfulbard is quite enjoyable), and suggest any of your (whether they're yours or others') favorite TT stories to me. I need new reading.

~Keep writing strong.

Stormplains