Fireflies
By CidGregor
Rated K+
This fic is Dedicated to RandiRogue, for your birthday.
"HELP! VAMPIRE BEES! THEY'RE AFTER MY BLOOD!.!.!"
Starfire's ears perked as she turned and watched Beast Boy bolt across the center of the campground, leaping clear over the fire pit, and speed as fast he could down the sloped hillside. Trailing him by a mere foot was an angry swarm of bees, buzzing en masse.
The alien girl turned to the caped figure beside her curiously. "Friend Robin, are the bees truly of a vampiric nature like in the movies of horror?"
"I'm sure they're not, Star," Robin chuckled. "You know how Beast Boy over-exaggerates things."
"Then why do they pursue him so intently?"
"Probably because he was poking their hive with a stick, despite warnings as to the stupidity of it," Raven chimed in, morbidly amused as she watched the shape-shifter trip over a loose root and fall face-first into an overgrowth of weeds.
"You gotta get to the water, BB!" Cyborg shouted down to him. "Bees hate water!"
Beast Boy dragged himself up and ran the rest of the way down the hill, at the bottom of which was the edge of the water. He leapt in full-bodied, and the bees, denied of their prey, scattered immediately. A second later Beast Boy bobbed to the surface, blue-faced. "D-d-d-dude! It's f-f-f-freezing!"
Starfire couldn't help but giggle. Every once in a while, Beast Boy really was funny.
A loud chirping drew her attention upward to the many shades of green in the thick trees around her. Above her head, a handful of birds sang to one another, dancing from branch to branch, and Starfire had to resist the urge to fly up there herself and admire them up close…but Raven had told her that the birds didn't usually like such attention. So she resigned herself to watch from afar.
It really was quite beautiful here. When her friends had suggested a vacation to celebrate the start of the summer season, Starfire had readily agreed, especially if it meant getting away from the thick, big-city humidity for a while. The team had argued over the vacation guide for a while, but nothing they managed to settle on seemed to work out. The beaches were all either just as hot, or miserably rainy. The amusement parks were surely crammed full, and probably wouldn't be very 'low-profile.' And all the cruise lines were booked solid. It seemed they were at a stalemate…until Starfire found something in the vacation guide that caught her interest.
It was a place called Ocala National Forest. It was a long trip – all the way across the country, really – and it certainly seemed small, overlooked and out of the way…but it also looked comfortable, peaceful…and positively beautiful. And the campground hadn't disappointed. The sweltering humidity of Jump City gave way to pleasantly warm skies and occasional cool breezes, the nature around them was luscious and colorful, the lake was crystal clear, and there wasn't a single other person around for what felt like miles. It was, as Starfire had heard the saying go, 'a little slice of heaven.'
"And here I was hoping to get some peace and quiet away from the city," Raven said with a frown in Beast Boy's direction. "Silly me."
Starfire giggled. "Beast Boy does indeed seem to bring loudness wherever he goes," she commented, watching him thrash about trying to escape the icy water. "Still, it is most pleasant here. What is this portion of your planet called again?"
"Florida," Robin answered. "I've always wanted to come here. Thanks for finding me an excuse, Star," he added with a chuckle.
"Hee…I welcome you," she responded.
"HEY! What do you think you're doing?.!"
Starfire and the others looked in Cyborg's direction, but he didn't appear to have been addressing them. In fact, from the way he was twisting his body and craning his neck, it looked like her was talking to his backside.
"Uhh…Cyborg? Who were you--"
"DAH! Get 'em off me!" he shouted, spinning around. Robin and Beast Boy let out a laugh and Raven didn't react at all, but Starfire's eyes and smile lit up. Crawling up Cyborg's back were a pair of squirrels, one chasing the other. They looked so caught up in their game they didn't realize exactly what they were scaling.
"Ohh, they are adorable!" Starfire cooed.
"Hey, get outta there!" Cyborg grunted as one of them somehow triggered open a panel on his shoulder and disappeared inside, the chaser hot on its tail.
"This should be amusing," Raven said.
"It's not funny, Rae, those things could seriouuuusly meeeSSS with mYYyyy ciruiiiits!"
His voiced grew warped as he finished his sentence, and at the same time his arms suddenly began to flail wildly. He stomped randomly around the campground in jerks and starts, much to the amusement of the others.
"Hahaha, Cy's being remote-controlled by rodents! Oh the humanity!" Beast Boy laughed.
"You come over here and say that!"
Cyborg's body, however, decided to do the opposite. His legs suddenly steered themselves straight at Beast Boy, arms still swinging in wide, aimless arcs.
"Wah! Run away--OUCH!" the changeling cried as the gyrating limbs smacked him across the face.
"Yeah, serves ya right!" Cyborg said. "Hey--whoa!"
His body suddenly lurched away from Beast Boy and back toward the fire pit where the rest of the team sat, the roaming squirrels steering him straight at Raven.
"Gang-way!" he cried out in warning, but the girl couldn't move fast enough. Cyborg's hands clamped around the sides of her head, and before she could do any more than look surprised, he yanked her forward and planted a wet, sloppy kiss on her lips.
"MMMPH!.!.!" a wide-eyed Raven grunted for a moment before wriggling free, coughing and spitting.
Robin smirked quietly, while Starfire fell into a fit of giggles. This, however, proved to be her downfall. The moment her giggle sounded Cyborg's head spun around to stare at her, but she was too busy laughing to notice.
"Hey Star, look out!" Beast Boy shouted, drawing her attention back to Cyborg, who was suddenly looming over her.
"Eh…heh-heh-heh…" she smiled nervously. "Cyborg, are you quite alrigh--MMPPH!"
Abruptly she received the same treatment as Raven, causing her to blush horribly and Robin to snarl under his breath.
"Whooa-oah!.!" Cyborg wailed and he stumbled back and away. "I'm really sorry about this-YAH!.!.!"
He lurched forward again, and this time in was Robin's turn to be pinned and slobbered on by Cyborg, looks of sheer horror on both their faces. And at that moment the squirrels finally found their way back out, scurrying away into the forest again and leaving Cyborg frozen against Robin's mouth. Starfire could barely contain her laughter as Robin hurled the robotic Titan off him with a grunt, and he crashed instead into Beast Boy, who seemed about to die of laughter.
"Yo Cyborg, when's the wedding?.!" he cackled, rolling on the dirt in hysteria.
"Hey, I didn't do any of that, it was the squirrels!" he insisted, half-glaring at Beast Boy and half-pleading for forgiveness from the other three. And while Starfire was perfectly willing, Raven looked like she was about to implode and Robin like he wanted to drop off the face of the Earth.
Beast Boy, in classic fashion, chose that moment to slink up beside Raven, still giggling. "Aww, I think he left a bad taste in your mouth. Maybe the luv-meister BB can fix that…"
"Those lips get anywhere near me and they'll be super-glued to your backside in the morning," she droned.
"Ah, c'mon, Raven, I--" he froze, listening. "Uh-oh…"
A loud buzzing suddenly filled Starfire's ears again, clearly the sound Beast Boy had abruptly stopped to listen to. A second later, from seemingly nowhere, a cloud of bees swarmed out into the open.
Beast Boy went bug-eyed. "THEY'RE AFTER ME AGAIN! RUN AWAY!.!.!"
And he bolted for the lake once more, much to the amusement of the rest of his teammates.
For all the other beautiful natural wonders around her out in the wilderness, it wasn't until long after Beast Boy had gotten tired of complaining about frostbite and bee stings and dusk had fallen, that Starfire saw the most incredible sight that Ocala had to offer. She gazed longingly at them, countless little insects hovering over the lake, glowing brightly.
"De X'Hal…they are beautiful…" she whispered from her place at the very edge of the lake, stretching her hand out toward one, but to her dismay it flew just out of her reach. It joined a small cluster of its fellows for a moment before they spread out again among hundreds more, their tiny bodies shining with a pale gold light that illuminated the entire lake with an absolutely mesmerizing glow.
"Star? What are you doing up still?"
Starfire turned to see the concerned face of the Boy Wonder standing behind her, and smiled broadly. "Oh, Robin, I was merely admiring these wonderful tiny creatures of the night…are they not beautiful?"
Robin smiled a bit. "Yeah…I suppose they are."
Starfire looked back at them, holding out her hand to them, and to her delight, one landed in her palm, filling it with a warm glow. "Glorious…what are they called, Robin?"
"They're fireflies, Star," he said, extending his own hand and allowing one to land in it.
Starfire cooed cutely. "Such beauty in such a tiny form…oh, Robin, may I keep one?"
Robin chuckled a bit. "You know it'd just fly away."
Starfire pouted. "Ohh, but I so wish to keep just one…"
"Hmm…" Robin thought for a moment. "…stay right here."
"Robin?" she asked as he suddenly jogged back to the campground. What was he doing?
Her answer came a minute later when he jogged back, holding a clear glass jar in his hands, topped with a flimsy lid riddled with tiny holes. She stared at it curiously.
"Here," he offered it to her. "You can catch a few in this."
Her eyes lit up. "Oooh, thank you, Robin!" she said, and took the jar. She turned eagerly to the tiny insects flying around and darted her hands out, trying to swing the jar over them, but to her dismay they always flew out of her reach. "Ohh…it is more difficult than it would appear…"
Robin chuckled again. "You have to have a lighter touch. Here, let me show you…"
Gently he took the jar from her in one hand and the lid in the other. He extended his arms toward the nearest firefly, moving inch by inch. Slowly, ever so slowly, he closed his hands together, and this time the firefly didn't zoom away, but remained peacefully in place as the jar closed around it and the lid sealed it inside.
"See? You have to move slow, so you don't scare them away," Robin instructed.
"Yes, Robin," she nodded. "May I try again?"
Robin handed her the jar. "Keep the lid close," he said. "That way, if the one inside starts flying out, you can close it again quickly."
She nodded again, and did just as Robin showed her, reaching her hands slowly toward a pair of fireflies hovering side by side. She patiently drew within reach and closed the jar around them, adding both to her collection as the lid locked into place and she squealed with delight.
"I am successful!" she giggled.
"Good job, Star," Robin said. "See if you can get more."
Starfire nodded and went on with the game; a couple would escape now and then, but she remained undaunted, and by the time the sun had set completely and the fireflies were the only source of light left, she had almost a dozen inside the jar, glowing brightly.
"Thank you, Robin, they are wonderful," she said.
"No problem, Star. C'mon, it's late and cold…we better get some sleep."
"Yes, you are right," she agreed, and trekked back up the hill with him toward their campground, the fireflies lighting their path. In a matter of minutes they had reached the three tents they had set up: one for the girls, one for Cyborg and Beast Boy, and one for Robin. They stopped first at the girls' tent, and Starfire smiled thankfully at Robin as she reached for the zipper, but found it stuck.
"Hmm?" she murmured, pulling harder, but it wouldn't budge. She didn't want to rip it with her alien strength, so she did not try again, but she did draw the light of the fireflies closer, and saw a black glow shielding the zipper.
"I guess Raven doesn't want to be disturbed," Robin said. "Probably wanted to keep us boys out."
"But what about me…?" she pouted. "How am I to enter?"
"Somehow I don't think Raven would like being woken up to let you in," Robin observed.
"Ohh…but then where shall I sleep…?" she wondered aloud, turning to Robin, and to his dismay he managed to turn beet red at that exact moment.
"Well, ah…you…um…" he stuttered, fumbling with his words.
Starfire's eyes lit up suddenly, the answer coming to her and clasped his hands between hers hopefully. "You possess extra room in your tent, yes? Would it be a terrible burden upon you if I were to join you?"
Robin flushed deeper. "Ah…well…I guess…I mean, I don't…see why not…"
She grinned and bear-hugged him. "Oh thank you friend, I promise I shall try not to be too much of an inconvenience!"
"Ah-heh…you're…not an inconvenience, Star," he assured her.
"You are too kind, Robin. Come, let us retire."
Robin cleared his throat and nodded, and Starfire followed him into the tent, where he had his sleeping bag neatly set up on one side of the tent, while the other side stood empty.
He gestured toward the sleeping bag. "You go ahead, I'll be fine."
Starfire, however, huffed and shook her head. "Do not be silly, Robin." She bent down, set the jar of fireflies on the ground, and grabbed the side of the sleeping bag. Robin watched as, in one quick motion, she unzipped it all the way down until it opened up completely, and flipped it upside-down so it looked instead like a thick blanket, more than large enough for two people to fit comfortably under it. "There. Now neither of us will be made to be cold."
Robin had to clear his throat again. "Um…yeah…that's good…"
Starfire hardly noticed as she climbed under the sleeping bag, and turned to look at him, patting the other side with her palm. Robin coughed quietly and lay down beside her after a moment's hesitation…on top of the blanket.
"Robin, you will be cold like that," Starfire insisted, frowning.
"Oh, it's alright…" Robin assured her. "I-I…um…probably couldn't sleep on the hard ground…this way it's kind of a cushion."
Starfire didn't entirely believe that, but didn't feel the urge to argue with him, so she simply sighed and placed the fireflies between them near her head, watching them.
"So…you like them?" Robin asked after a handful of silent moments.
"Oh yes…I could gaze upon them for ages," Starfire said. "…They almost remind me of…"
She trailed off then, and Robin looked curiously over at her. "Star?"
"……"
Robin looked closer at her, and in the faint light of the fireflies dancing around in the jar, he saw a strangely sad gaze in her eyes as she watched the tiny creatures.
"Star, what is it? What's wrong?"
"It is…nothing," she murmured. "I am simply…remembering."
"Remembering what?" Robin pressed.
Starfire continued to stare at the jar, and spoke in nearly a whisper. "The fireflies…their glow, the way they dance about…it reminds me of a great battle, once upon a time, growing up on Tamaran…"
Robin subconsciously leaned closer. "A battle…?"
She nodded. "I was…young, then. A child, truly. I had many aids to care for and play with me, but they were all summoned to battle one day, during a Gordanian raid…and I was left behind."
The fireflies flickered, and the light reflected upon Starfire's eyes, casting strange shadows over them as she went on. "I remember not knowing what was happening…why all my aids…my friends…had left me. I would look up into the night sky and see so many lights…flashing overhead in so many brilliant colors…it was mesmerizing. I remember feeling sad when it was over…until my parents came for me and told me the truth of what had happened, and why….why none of my friends were coming back."
Robin's breath caught in his throat as he listened. "Star, I….I'm sorry. If I'd known…"
"There is nothing to be sorry for," Starfire assured him. "It is good to be reminded…not of the lost friends, but of the continued peace that their sacrifice preserved. …Still…"
Her eyes lowered, the memory starting to affect her despite her words. But she didn't have the chance to feel much worse before Robin was there, no longer lying outside the blanket, but within it, with her, hugging her softly from behind.
"Believe me…I know what it's like…" he told her.
Starfire half-smiled and laid her hands over his, squeezing gently. Somehow…that was all she needed to hear.
THE END