Jump City Sonata
Teen Titans Fan-Fiction by Jake McDonald
Opening Notes: This is my very first Teen-Titan fan-fiction, though I'm no stranger to the world of FanFics. Most of my previous work was Tenchi Muyo and Harry Potter. I've been away from the Fandom comunity for some time now, but now that school has slowed down and I've got a new job (more pay, fewer hours!) I've got a bit more time, so I figured why the hell not.
A little about me. Age 23, cartoon and anime fanatic, not married but I do have a lifemate, no kids, Buisness Major (going for that MBA!) been writing for ten or so years now.
A note on this story: There will be some of you who ignore the fact that I slapped this fic with an R rating and read it any way. I said right in the summery sexual situations. If you're offended that I have seventeen year old kids having sex, talking about sex, and getting freaky, please, stop reading. I don't want any flames from people that think you need to be married to have sex, or that seventeen is too young. I started when I was fifteen, I fell in love with my girlfriend when I was seventeen, and it's been seven years, and we're still in love. And having sex. So no flames. Are we clear?
This fic might be considered AU. I'm just making this up, but for this fic, Starfire came to Jump City when she was fifteen. It's been two years, so now she's seventeen. This fic deals with the here and now of the situations, not what happened in the past, so don't jump on me if you find a descepincy with the cartoon series or the comic book. Raven has grown up A LOT in this fic. I'm making her 18. She'll be REALLY OOC, so don't be suprised at that either.
Enough with the chatter. Standard Disclaimers apply and all that. I don't own Teen Titans, never will, don't care. Enjoy the fic.
Starfire sat on the roof of Titan Tower looking out at the city with a dreamy look in her eyes. The team had just returned from a long night of patrol in the city; a patrol that had yielded nothing. No major crimes, no super villains... she was starting to think Robin would explode if someone didn't try to destroy Jump City soon.
Star for one really enjoyed the patrols, as it was a chance to get out and see the city, experience Earth culture, and spend time with her friends. She worked closely with Robin on these outings, mainly because they complemented each other's abilities well, but also because she had started to develop deeper feelings for the Boy Wonder.
When they had returned to the tower just an hour ago, Robin had declared that he was making a decision as team leader. He announced that patrols would be done in groups of two, with him taking on two patrol groups. The teams would go every third night, so that the rest of the team could have a few days off from doing anything. With things as slow as they had been, Robin figured it would be better for the team to have some time off, and get some well deserved R and R while they still could.
Star had been ecstatic when Robin had announced that she would take patrols with him. Of course he would also take patrols with Raven, but Star had very little concern about the other girl on the team trying to move in on Robin. Raven was, to say the least, withdrawn.
So it was that she sat on the roof, staring up at the stars, and out across the city, wondering about how to take the next step in her relationship with Robin. She was distracted from her musings by the sound of the door opening behind her. Glancing back, she saw Raven walking over to her. The psion took a seat next to the alien girl and pushed back her hood, letting the breeze blow in off the bay and ruffle her hair.
She had such a contented look on her face that Starfire didn't dare interrupt the moment. It was so rare that Raven looked anything but annoyed or dispassionate that she always felt bad about talking while the other girl was enjoying herself.
Oddly, it was Raven who broke the silence, speaking without opening her eyes, "You were thinking about Robin."
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Empath remember? I can generally detect your surface thoughts. You seem to be... growing quite fond of him." Raven opened her eyes and made eye contact for a moment before laying back and folding her arms behind her head, kicking one leg over the other, to let it bounce in the air. It was a pose she would never take if any of the boys were around, but something she did often when she and Star were just having 'girl talk' as she liked to put it.
"Robin... no... Richard is very close to my heart. He has always been kind and understanding of me, and has helped me to adjust to Earth quite well. The more time I spend with him, the more I've been developing certain... feelings." Starfire blushed.
Raven frowned, "What kind of feelings?"
"I think.... friend Raven, I think he may be 'the one' for me. The one I wish too..." she trailed off, blushing madly, giggling, and burying he face in her hands.
Raven sat up quickly and turned to her friend with a serious expression, "The one you wish to what, Star?"
Starfire was quite for a few moments, and when she looked up, she was wearing a shy smile, "The one I wish to share my ultimate gift with."
Raven's mouth dropped open, "You wanna' boff Robin?" she grabbed Starfire by the shoulders and shook her gently, "Are you telling me you want to make the Boy Wonder a Man?"
"Just as he would make me a woman." Starfire smiled at her friend.
Raven was not smiling, "Listen to me Star, I'm only gonna say this once; you must be absolutely sure he is the one you want to do this with before you do it. I mean, one hundred and twenty percent sure."
"Friend Raven, what has you so upset? And why do you seem to speak as though you have experience in these matters?" Starfire's smile suddenly turned from shy, to sly.
Star had rarely seen Raven blush, so it was a delightful shock to see that she had ruffled the usually calm and collected psion. The flush in her cheeks seemed to be from embarrassment more then anything, and that made the alien girl even more curious.
"Oh, you've done something naughty, haven't you Little Raven?" Now Raven frowned. She hated that nickname, "You must perform the spilling of your guts to me!" Star grabbed her friend and tickled he a little, electing a small 'eep!' from Raven.
"Well.... it's not really... too much of a story... it's just...." Raven at a loss for words was worth millions. Raven actually stuttering... that was priceless, "Aw, what the hell..." she muttered, "Not much to tell really. I hooked up with this guy I met down at this club I go to, we went back to his place, and... well... we had sex."
Starfire gasped at the word. It was one thing to have your suspicions, but Raven had a way of being so brutally blunt and honest that Star couldn't help but be taken by surprise sometimes.
"So you... just like that?"
"Oh, there was foreplay if that's what you mean..."
"No! I mean..." Starfire searched for the words, "Did you have a connection with him?"
Raven shrugged, "Not really. I wanted to get it out of the way. The... repression... was hindering my meditations. I experienced it, and it was.... good. But it was just sex, Star. Remember, I can't let my emotions get too carried away. I could level a building if I let myself feel something as strong as... love... and not be able to control my outburst during such an intimate act. I needed someone who I didn't love to be the one to do it. That way no one was in danger."
"You make it sound so clinical."
"It was. We both got off, yeah, but I didn't really feel any emotion. It was just physical pleasure."
"So why do you lecture me on being so certain?"
"Because you're different then me, Star." Raven's eyes softened, "Your powers are closely tied to your emotions. If something bad happened between you and Robin, and every time you looked at him you felt sadness because he was your first, and you wished he hadn't been... you could drop right out of the sky in a fight."
"I see your point...." Starfire hadn't considered that. She would have to be sure. But how? "How should I go about determining if he is truly the one for me?"
"Well..." Raven thought for a moment, "I guess the only way to be sure is to date around for awhile. Go out with some other boys, see if you like them. If you go on a few dates and can't find anyone who compares to Robin still, I say go for it."
Starfire nodded happily, "Thank you for having this talk with me, Raven. You are a true friend."
"Just looking out for my little sister." Raven touched Star's arm briefly.
Touched by her friends act of kindness and kinship, Star couldn't quite control herself. She flung her arms about Raven and hugged her for all she was worth.
After a shocked moment, Raven returned the hug, but after a few minutes, she choked out, "Star! You're crushing me!"
"Oh! I'm sorry Raven!" Star let go of her, but she wore a huge grin. "I will go out tonight! I must try this 'dating around' you spoke of. It sounds.... exciting. Meeting new people..."
"Just remember that... well, you're hot, Star. Most boys will want just one thing from you.""My bodily warmth?" Starfire asked quizzically.
"Uh... no, Star I meant that you have a very desirable body. Guys are going to want to get you in bed." Raven chuckled.
"Oh, I see. Well, I will simply dress in a more conservative manner. Maybe then they will not notice me so much."
"Good idea." Raven stood, "Stop by my room before you head out and let me know where you're going and what time you'll be back."
"I think I can take care of myself, Big Sister." Starfire said as she too stood.
"Oh, I know. I just want to be able to cover for you when Robin comes looking for you. If he goes haring out after you in a jealous rage, it wont help you any." Raven smirked as Starfire blushed yet again.
Robin smirked as Cyborg tossed his controller down for the fifth time in a row, "You can't be me, Cy. It's just not gonna' happen."
"How are you so damn good at this? Street Fighter is my forte. I kick BB all over the place usually..." Cyborg scowled at the Boy Wonder, "Batman liked to play this didn't he?"
"Batman? Are you stupid or crazy?" Robin knocked on Cyborgs mettle cranium, "Batman hated video games with a passion. He'd sooner die then play Street Fighter with me."
"Then who are you playing against to get this good?""Raven."
"What? Are you kidding me?"
"Yes."
Cyborg glared harder, "You're not gonna tell me are you?"
"Hell no." Robin smirked. If he told his friend that a seventy year old butler could wipe the floor with him in Street Fighter, he'd never live it down.
"Have you guys seen my soy milk?" Beast Boy called from the kitchen.
"All the milk went bad again!" Robin called back, "Star threw it all out when she cleaned."
Coming back into the recreation room, Beast Boy scratched his head, "I was wondering why it looked so different. No pizza stains on everything."
"I think she spent four hours in there this afternoon." Cyborg said with a fair amount of sympathy in his voice, "We should do something to thank her."
"I've already thought of that. She should have a nice surprise when she gets back to her room."
"What'd you get her when you snuck off?" Beast Boy asked, "Sexy Lingerie?"
After Beast Boy picked himself up from where Robin had knocked him flat, the Boy Wonder cleared his throat, "No, you twisted little monkey, I got her a locket. It has a small group picture of all of us in it."
"Really?" Cyborg asked with a quirked eyebrow.
Robin glared. He couldn't knock Cyborg senseless without a bit of a fight, and he was feeling lazy, "Yes, really. I wanted it to be a present from all of us, and I knew she'd like it. Oh, you guys both owe me fifteen bucks for it by the way."
"What? Couldn't you have at least consulted us first about the cost?"
"I already covered more then half of it, Cy, don't worry. Being the ward of a multi-billionaire has it's advantages, one of which is a healthy allowance. I blew most of this month's on it, so I'd like a little cash if it's okay with you guys."
"You collecting from Raven too?" Beast Boy asked as he fished in-between the couch cushions for his wallet.
"Already did. She put down fifteen, just like you guys."
"Well, at least you're fair." Cyborg pulled a wad of bills out of a small compartment in his right thigh, and forked over the cash. After Beast Boy had found his Velcro wallet, he handed over a few bills as well. Robin stashed it all in his utility belt.
"Well guys, I think I'll go see how she likes he new necklace." he stood and started walking to the elevator, but stopped half way there. Turning back he saw that Beast Boy had already taken his spot and the two of them were setting up another match in Street Fighter.
"What's this?" Robin asked, and they turned to look at him, "No cracks about me going to see Star? No ribbing me about having a crush on her? No kissy-face gags?"
"Hey man, you just said you have a crush on her!" Beast Boy pointed at him, "You finally admitted it!"
"I did not! I-" Robin stopped. He had, hadn't he? Damn. "Yeah, well... so what?" Real smooth. Great. He was getting flustered. By himself.
"Look Rob, just go do your thing." Cyborg said with a smile, "Star's been crushin' on you for awhile now, and it'd be great to see you two hook up."
Cyborg was genuine, and Beast Boy was nodding emphatically to back up his friend, "Just don't screw this up and make her cry or something, or I'll have to beat your ass."
"What are you, her big brother?" Robin smirked at Cyborg, "I'll be good... and... thanks guys. I wouldn't want to pursue her if would cause pressure in the team... I guess all I need now is Raven's blessing..."
"Good luck!" Beast Boy called out cheerfully as Robin stepped into the elevator, "Hope Rea doesn't just naff off your balls outright!"
"Thanks BB." Robin muttered as the doors slid shut.
Raven looked up from her meditation as the door slid open. Starfire walked in and twirled around for her friend to see. "How do you like my new conservative outfit, friend Raven?"
"Uh..." Raven was at a loss. Starfire wore a black knee length skirt, a purple tank top with spaghetti straps, and black calf high boots. a thin chain of white gold hung around her neck, supporting a round pendent that hung down just above her highly visible cleavage. Her hair was swept back from her face and held up in a long ponytail. "You look.... great! The guys definitely wont notice you too much in that get up!" Raven decided it was best to let her friend live and learn in this case. "Is that the locket?"
"Yes..." Star blushed, "Thank you for thinking of me enough to buy a gift. All I did was clean the kitchen..."
"You cleaned OUR kitchen Star. That's almost as dangerous as fighting super-villains."
"That is true..."
"Besides, we all pitched in. I suppose Robin left some sappy note to go with it?"
"Not sappy, but very nice. It seemed quite sincere." Star blushed even deeper. Raven didn't believe her for a second.
"Well, don't dwell too much on lover boy tonight. Go meet some hot boy and dance the night away. Where are you going?"
"I am going to try the club we passed on our rounds earlier."
"Club Cityspot? Good choice. Upbeat, preppy crowd, decent dance music, and pleanty of nice boys who wont cross the line unless you let them. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and try to be back before Robin gets up in the morning, which is around-"
"Six-thirty." Star cut her off with a smile, "He then trains for an hour before we sit down and eat breakfast together."
"You really do like him don't you?" Raven shook her head.
"That is what I'm going to find out." Star smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow, Raven."
"Latter." Raven watched as Star left the room, and she sighed. "Hope I gave the right advise.." Looking around her room, Raven decided to get ready for bed.
Robin stood in front of Starfire's door and ran down a mental checklist. Breath? Check. Hair messed up properly? Check. Uniform fitting in all the right places? Check. Cape swept back in dramatic and sexy pose? Check.
Robin didn't usually go to these lengths to ensure he looked good. But then, Robin wasn't usually trying to impress a girl.
He punched the button that opened the door and grinned as he stepped in.
"Hey Star! I-" he stopped and glanced around. The light was on, but Starfire was no where to be seen. Stepping into the room a bit further, he looked around, inspecting every detail like the expert investigator he was.
The mirror in the bath room was still slightly steamed. She had taken a shower. Closet door was wide open, and various outfits were scattered on the floor. She was messy, or in a hurry. Since Star always picked up after herself, Robin was guessing the later. He uniform was thrown haphazardly on the bed, crumpled as if she didn't care for it. The box that he had placed on her desk was open, and the necklace was gone. So she'd opened it. Striding across the room, he poked at her uniform for a second and came up with he T-Comp. So she probably hadn't left the tower.
Either on the roof or with Raven then. Raven's room was on the way to the roof, so he decided to stop there first. Leaving Star's room, he walked down the hall a little ways and knocked on the next door before hitting the open button and stepping in, "Hey, Raven? Have you seen-" he stopped suddenly and his eyes got wide behind his mask as he took in the sight before him.
Raven stood next to her vanity, with her hands up behind her head. She was wearing nothing but a thong and a white tank top that was currently screaming 'I'm not wearing a bra!' Her hair was pulled back and up into two short pigtails, the second of which she was just finishing putting up.
She didn't seem at all worried that she was standing in front of her team leader wearing almost nothing, in an embarrassing situation. With a flick of her hand the door slid shut behind Robin and she arched an eyebrow, "Have I seen what?"
"Wha... I... uh.... you.... uh..." Robin couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. He had never figured Raven for a thong kind of girl. In hindsight, he supposed she would have to, considering her uniform was just a leotard, but still... And he was seeing parts of Raven he never thought he'd see. Raven had a belly button. (It was priced.) Raven had toes.
Raven put her hair up in pig tails to go to bed?
"What's with the pig tails?" he blurted out, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"It helps my hair to stay straight and parted." She shrugged, "I'm a psion, not a magician."
"Oh." Robin was silent for a beat before he blushed beet red, "Sorry for just walking in like that... uh... I'll just be going then..."
"Oh for crying out loud Robin." Raven walked across the room and crossed her arms over her chest, "What did you come in here for? What are you looking for?"
"Starfire." he managed to choke out. She was standing less then five feet from him, and it was doing bad things to his self control.
"She's not in here, obviously. Is that all?"
"You know where she is?" Robin was slowly regaining control.
"No, sorry."
Even with his body rebelling against his control, he still saw it. The tiny hint that gave away everyone, "You're lying." His eyes narrowed and his body language changed from embarrassed to defensive in a flash.
Raven had hoped that her state of undress would keep him from noticing that she wasn't being truthful with him, but apparently he wasn't called the Boy Wonder for nothing. "How would you know if I'm lying?"
"My mask has optic sensors in it. It registers when someone's blood capillaries around their eyes shrink. Nine times out of ten, that means you're lying.""Damn. What toys don't you have?"
"A rubix cube. And I've never been able to beat one either."
"You're kidding." Raven actually cracked a slight grin.
"You're getting off subject." He was using that no-nonsense tone. The one that told her he was in full combat mode. Time to come clean.
"She went into town. To a club." Raven shrugged, "I'm not her keeper, I wasn't about to stop her."
"She left her T-Comp!" Robin growled.
"So she forgot it. Who cares? We did a patrol not more then three hours ago, and everything was fine. She's not exactly helpless you know."
"I know, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't have it with her!" Robin was getting agitated. Scanning his thoughts she found he was worried for Star, and angry at her for letting their friend leave at all.
"You have to let this go Robin." Raven used her calmest, most soothing voice, "She's seventeen, just like you, and more then capable of taking care of herself. Hell, she takes care of the rest of US half the time. No use getting all worked up about it."
"I'm not getting-" he stopped in time to realize it was pointless to argue with someone who could read your emotions like a book. "I'm just worried." he amended.
Raven made a decision right there. She usually thought things through, but this time, something told her to follow her heart. "Alright, as long as we're having this talk, I might as well tell you that it was my idea for her to go."
Robin frowned, "Why?"
"Because..." Raven took a deep breath, calmed herself, and monitored Robin's thought for any unusual fluctuations, "Because she really likes you. I told her that to find out if you were really the one for her, she needed to get out and see some other boys for awhile, just to see how they compare to you."
Robin opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off, "I'm not saying that you're not perfect for each other Robin, just that she should be a hundred percent sure. With her powers tied so closely to her emotions, it'd be bad if they started jumping all over if things didn't work out between you two."
Robin was in full control of himself by now, and calmly replied, "I guess that makes sense. That doesn't mean I'm not going to go find her tonight and tell her exactly how I feel, but that does make sense."
"Wow. You really do love her don't you?" Raven stepped closer, "It's written all over your aura how badly you want her..." her voice was suddenly very low and husky, purring out of her throat like a sex kitten.
"What are you-" he was cut off as Raven pressed her lips to his.
Fireworks exploded in his head and Robin's body immediately took control once again, urging him to deepen the kiss, to grab hold of her, to reach for those two points of pressure that he could feel through his suit and her shirt, to throw her back on the bed and crawl on top of her, to-
"No." he took hold of her shoulders and gently pushed her back. "Raven, I'm flattered, but-" he stopped as he looked down at her and saw her smiling.
"Just a test to see if you were talking with your heart or your hormones." Raven placed a hand on the side of his face, "We don't all have optic scanners to fall back on."
"You're evil, you know that?" Robin asked.
"Yes. It's why you keep me around. Someone around here needs to think evil."
"So are you going to tell me what club she went to?"
"Cityspot, almost a half hour ago."
"Thanks Raven. You know why I have to do this right?"
"Yes." she reached out with her other hand and traced the outline of his mask. Robin tensed up as she did. He wasn't used to so much intimate contact, but Raven seemed to almost not notice he was there. "Masks..."
"What?"
"So many lovers hide behind masks, and can't get past what they think they need to be, to actually be what they should be." she gently pulled the mask from his face, and tucked it away in his utility belt, "No mask tonight, Richard."
Robin nodded his head, and smiled gently, "You're a true friend, Raven. To me and to Starfi-" he stopped and his smile grew a millimeter, "To Kori and I both"
"Find her and tell her how you feel, Boy Wonder. Be romantic about it... she loves that stuff."
"Don't you?"
"I don't have the luxury of feeling like that. Concern for my friends is about as close as I get to come to love."
"That's too bad." Robin grinned widely, just before he grabbed her around the waist and by the back of her head, and crushed his mouth to hers once again. She tried to pull away at first, but after a moment, she melted into the kiss, and her tongue swept the inside of his mouth. Her hands tangled in his hair and pressed him closer to her.
After almost a full thirty seconds, Robin decided it was time for the killing blow. He moved his right hand from the small of her back to her bottom, pulling her hips into him. That final gesture was too much for Raven, and a vase holding dried roses on the far side of the room exploded.
Raven jerked back from him and took in his wildly grinning visage, "You did that on purpose."
"Just showing you that you can feel more then what you think you can."
"Not that it wasn't nice or anything, but if you ever try a stunt like that again, I'll wrap your head in a pile of Beast Boy's socks."
Robin shuttered, "I have to get ready to go. Thanks for everything Raven."
"You're quite welcome. Now get out of my room."
Robin bowed slightly as he backed out of the room. Once the door had shut, he walked back to his own room, opened the door, and took of his utility belt as he headed for the shower. He wouldn't be needing any of his gadgets tonight.
Tonight, he was just Dick Grayson.
Starfire looked up at the neon sign hanging over the door of Club Cityspot. Such bright lights and flashy things blinking all the time on this planet... it never ceased to fill her with joy and wonder. These humans really knew how to liven a place up. Her people were a warrior race, and were always so serious about everything.
As she walked in the door and was assaulted by the booming thump of the base line of whatever song was playing, she grinned wildly. This club was fantastic! Bright, colorful lights sweeping the packed dance floor, numerous young men and woman hanging out in the corners and along the sides of the floor, and a bar serving an assortment of drinks (with and without alcohol.)
As she went to step down the short flight of steps that led to the floor, a rough hand grabbed her by the upper arm. She turned to see a large, burley looking man sitting a stool next to the door.
"It's five bucks to get in, girly, and I need to see ID."
"Oh! I am very sorry! I did not know!" Star dug around in her purse and pulled out a wad of cash that Robin had given her as a gift some months back to spend on 'whatever', "Will this be enough?"
The man eyed the roll of twenties, pulled one out, counted out her change, and handed it back to her. Star nodded gratefully, and beamed at him.
"Uh..." he prompted her, "ID?"
"What is an eye-dee?"
"Drivers license? State Identification Card? Passport?"
"Oh! Yes, here..." she dug in her purse again and came up with a leather folio. She flipped it open and showed him her official Justice League ID. All of the Titans had them, just incase they needed access to a prison or government building.
The bouncers eyes got wide and he seemed to stutter for a moment before composing himself and taking it from her. Finding her date of birth on it, he noted she was only seventeen and nodded. "Hand please."
She held out her hand to him and he stamped it with a rubber stamp. Star looked down at her hand and read the word. F-U-C-T.
Starfire giggled.
"May I go in now?"
"Yeah, go right ahead Miss Starfire."
"Please, just call me Kori."
"Alright Kori. And hey, thanks for looking after the city. You and the rest of the Titans do a good job."
"You are very welcome." Star bounced a little as she nodded, then skipped off down the steps to find a nice boy to 'dance the night away' with, as Raven had instructed.
The door of the elevator slid open and Robin stepped into the rec-room. Cyborg and Beast Boy both turned from where they were watching 'Killer Clowns From Outer Space' to see who had come down, and both of their jaws dropped.
"Dude! What's with the new look?" Beast Boy was first to recover his voice.
Robin looked down at his clothes. White button down dress shirt, un-tucked, cargo pant khaki's, and his usual combat style mettle rimmed boots. A hemp necklace with a tribal bead in the center was the only accessory he used to enhance the look.
"It doesn't look THAT stupid does it?" he asked in an annoyed tone as he looked back up at his friends.
"I don't think that's what BB meant man." Cyborg nudged Beast Boy perhaps a bit too hard to be a friendly gesture, "You look fine and all, it's just... where's your mask?"
"And your cape? And your belt?" Beast Boy jumped the couch and walked over to Robin, "You're hiding it all somewhere right?"
"No, I'm not. I'm headed in to town tonight."
"Things not go well with Starfire?" Cyborg asked.
"Things haven't gone at all yet. She went in to town to sample the local club scene. I just have to follow her there to tell her how I feel."
"So you're really gonna do this right then?" Beast Boy asked with a huge grin.
"Yeah..." Robin sighed, "I'm going to try any way."
"Good luck then." Cyborg said with a shrug, "Oh, hey! Did you talk to Raven?"
Robin smirked, "Oh yeah. She gave her blessing." With that, he walked out of the room, to the hallway that led to the garage.
Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged a look. There was more to that smirk then what Robin was letting on.
Starfire was sipping on her bottled water and observing the strange new dance moves of the writhing mass of young people on the floor. If she wanted to dance the night away, she'd have to learn how to dance first. Since she was nothing if not a quick study, she was picking it up rather quickly.
A voice to her left startled her from her study of the dancers, "Hey girl! You come her often?"
Star turned to see a large man in his mid twenties maybe, short brown hair, blue eyes, dressed much like the rest of the crowd in the club... something Raven would call preppy.
"No, I do not! This is my first time here, and I find it quite exciting!" Starfire stepped closer to him so they wouldn't have to yell quite as much.
"That's cool. You looking for a dance partner?"
"I do not know. I may wish to attempt dance by myself to start. I've never danced such Earth dances before."
"Earth dances? Are you from another planet or something?" the young man smirked.
Star was confused by the question for a moment. Didn't she imply that when she spoke of the Earth as if it was not her home? Then it dawned on her that this man probably thought she was just another ordinary Earthling, and would have no idea that she was an alien princess.
"Of course not, silly! My name is Kori. Kori Anders." Robin had come up with the more 'Earth-Like' version of her Tamaran name, Koriand'r.
"I'm Chad Larkston. You been living in Jump City very long?"
Star nodded, "Almost two years now."
"And I've never seen you around? I know it's a big city and all, but I think someone as pretty as you would stand out more."
"You are flattering me." Star giggled and playfully pushed him back a step. "Do you still wish to dance? I think I would like to give it a try now."
"You bet!" Chad took her hand and led her on to the dance floor.
Robin decided he needed a little time to sort out his thoughts, and decide exactly what it was he wanted to say to Starfire when he met her, so he had walked up the long ramp under the water that separated Titan Tower from the rest of the city. Once he was on the main land, he walked a few blocks to a more populated part of town, and hailed a cab. "Where to lad?" the driver asked as Robin climbed in the back seat.
"Club Cityspot. It's downtown, 5th and Main." Robin replied.
"I know just the place. Be about ten minutes." and the cab took off, zipping through traffic at a quick pace.
Robin ran over his thoughts again while the car carried him closer to his destination. He liked Starfire. A lot. Maybe.... maybe he even loved her. It seemed so strange that a seventeen year old kid could feel something as complex and mature as love, but he wasn't exactly your average seventeen year old, and neither was Star.
His problem was more how to tell her then anything else. He couldn't just walk up to her in the middle of a crowded club and start bellowing about how much he loved her over the din of the crowd and the loud music. No, he'd have to get her out of the club, take her somewhere romantic, and come up with a decent speech.
Robin frowned. He was no good at making decent speeches.
Raven stared up at the ceiling from her bed. She couldn't sleep. She'd tried getting up and meditating, she'd tried lying down and meditating, she'd even tried to count sheep. Still, sleep eluded her because her brain wouldn't stop working over time.
This was of course, all Robin's fault.
And he would pay for it once she saw him again.
That kiss... he had forced her to feel something... something she shouldn't have allowed herself to feel. She had felt for a brief moment.... that Robin had cared for her deeply, and she had returned that feeling.
He had forced her to love him, even for just a moment. Granted, he pissed her off royally just moment latter, so she was well over that by now, but still... she had actually loved. The thing keeping her awake however, wasn't that she had felt a new emotion.
The thing keeping her awake was that she had liked feeling that new emotion. Her mind kept telling her that she needed to get up, go out, and find someone to love. Not just another fuck-buddy like Brandon had been, but someone who cared for her, who she could care for in return...
"I'd level half the city if that happened." she growled to herself as she got up out of bed. Sighing, she resigned herself to another night of no sleep.
"Might as well get something useful done." she said to no one as she stood up. Star had cleaned out all the bad food in the kitchen, which meant they now had NO food. Raven decided to go out to the twenty-four-hour grocery store and buy them some more food. And she was running low on her tea as well... she'd need to pick up some more of that while she was out.
Picking up her leotard, she stared at it for a moment before tossing it aside. Opening her closet, she pulled out a pair of tight black jeans, and a gray t-shirt. Throwing those on, she then had to do the one thing that all girls, regardless of age, attitude, or disposition have to do when completing an out-fit; she had to pick out shoes.
Raven had very few vices. Of those two or three things she couldn't help but do however, buying new shoes was chief amongst them. Now she was debating between the gray flip-flops, the black cross trainers, or the motorcycle boots.
With a half grin, she went for the boots. Taking her hair down, she flipped it back out of her face and completed her ensemble with her gold belt that she wore with her uniform. Dressed to do some shopping, she grabbed a black leather bomber jacket out of her closet and walked to the elevator.
For the second time that night, Cyborg and Beast Boy found their jaws almost hitting the floor. Raven stared at them with an annoyed look, "What?"
"Damn girl!" was all Cyborg could manage to say.
"Raven!" Beast Boy waved his arms about like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, "Rea! You look.... hot! Dude! Where did this come from?"
"I'm just going to pick up some food. I didn't think my uniform was necessary." she arched an eyebrow and gave a questioning look, "And how is it that I can wear nothing but a freakin' leotard and a cape and you just pass it off, but I put on some real clothes and you can't shut up about how good I look?"
"Well, you know..." Beast Boy glanced back at Cyborg for support, but the mettle Titan just shrugged, "Well, I'm always kind of intimidated I guess... this look just makes you more... approachable." Raven frowned, so Beast Boy tried again, "You look good all the time, but seeing that little bit of your mid-drift, and that belly button ring... well, that just pushed me right over the edge!"
"Good try anyway." Raven smiled a bit and poked Beast Boy in the shoulder, "You want anything other then what you normally order?"
"Naw, just the regular." Beast Boy was relived to see Raven wasn't angry with him.
"Alright then. I'll see you two latter." and Raven left the room the same way Robin had gone a half hour before.
"Dude." Beast Boy turned back to Cyborg, "I think I might be..." he trailed off.
"You might be what?" Cyborg arched his own eyebrow.
"I think I'm falling for Raven. Dude." Beast Boy's eyes grew large, "DUDE!"
"Maybe you should lie down for a bit, hmm?" Cyborg chuckled.
Down in the garage, Raven was surprised to see Robin's bike still there. She was sure he would have taken it to go in to town. She looked around at the car, then over to the bike again.
Well, it was there, and she hadn't ridden in so long...
Raven grabbed A black helmet as she straddled the motorcycle and kicked the engine over.
Next Chapter: Starfire get's her groove on, Robin get's mad, Raven shops for food, and Cyborg and Beast Boy feel left out.