The Past and the Present
Author's Note: This is my first fanfic, and this is the first story of many in this universe. I'm going to be posting a collaboration with Rraz45 soon! Look for it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or Batman. If I did, Red X would be mine!
The bright day had died. Robin was originally going to show her his favorite spot in the city. Unfortunately, that was before she showed up. That was before his past caught up with him. Starfire scolded herself for being so naïve. She should have known she had not been his only girlfriend ever. She remembered the hour well…
A girl in black had appeared at the Titans doorstep. Starfire had answered the door. "I'm looking for Robin," the girl stated. She seemed to have an urgency about her. As if to confirm the alien's guess, she continued, "It's important."
Starfire nodded and led her inside. The girl was dressed in a form-fitting, bat costume. Could this be the friend he had at home before the Teen Titans had formed? She must be. What did he call her? Batgirl.
"Are you…Batgirl?" she inquired, just to make sure.
The girl nodded. "Yeah."
Starfire knocked lightly on Robin's workroom door. He had been in there to see if he could track Dr. Light's movements before taking his girlfriend out for a date. The man had been so scared the last time they faced him, Dr. Light practically fainted before leaving the money and racing off for places unknown.
The grumpy Robin groaned in his crime room. Not now, he thought. He assumed it was Beast Boy. The green Titan tended to interrupt him when he was busy, although lately he had been a great help. Placing a calm expression on his face, he opened the door.
His eyes were greeted with his girlfriend, Starfire. He smiled. "What's up?" he asked. Starfire stepped out of the way. Robin's mouth dropped. "B-Batgirl?"
"The boss needs you," the girl stated cryptically…
Starfire saw the surprise in this eyes. It was more than just the message, but the girl. Something bothered him about the girl. It was a pleasant, bewildered look, but also held fear. It floored Starfire when Robin asked her to give them some privacy. She was his girlfriend! What could they not talk about in front of her? Unable to subdue her curiosity, Starfire listened to them through the door…
"It's a surprise to see you here," Robin stated.
Batgirl smiled. "Well, I didn't just come here for Batman's sake."
Starfire's eyes widened. How dare she! Didn't she know better than to flirt with someone else's man!
"B, we had a thing once," Robin reasoned. "And if I remember correctly, you broke up with me."
Again, Starfire was shocked. This girl had dated her Robin? He never spoke bad about her, but Starfire had always detected a brief look of sadness in his eyes. She had been afraid of something like this.
"I was stupid to break up with you."
"It was still your choice. And then I left. I thought I had left that life behind."
"Are you talking about me or Batman?"
"Both, in all honesty. Batman joined the Justice League, I left, and ended up forming the Teen Titans." Robin left out the fact that Bruce checked up and caught up with him every once in a while.
"Come on, Dick, what's wrong with coming back to Gotham? What's stopping you?"
"My team, Barbara. I can't leave them, just like I've never forgotten Gotham. It will always be a home to me, a place I'll love and never forget."
"You left Gotham," Batgirl snapped. "What does this place have that makes you want to stay and not return to your home in Gotham?"
Robin glanced towards the door and back at Batgirl. "I love this place. And Starfire. I just got her, Barb. I'm not giving her up, not even to go back to Gotham. This is my home now." He paused. Starfire smiled. That was her Robin. She knew he loved her, and now he was admitting it to his friend, his ex-girlfriend. Beast Boy would say, "In your face!" Robin drew in a breath and changed the subject to the reason Batgirl had come in the first place. "So, what's this urgency about going to Gotham?"
Batgirl sighed. "Two Face escaped."
Robin blanched. The same determination that he felt with catching Slade rose from within towards the man. He couldn't believe it. "Two Face what?"
"Escaped. He broke out last night. We couldn't get a hold of you, so the boss sent me while he gathered information. He wanted to come himself, but you know how he is."
"Did he know the second message you intended to give me?" Robin disgustedly asked.
"No, but I think he assumed I would anyway."
Robin glared at her. "I'll go back."
Starfire gasped and fled. She could not believe it. Did he still have feelings for her? Did he love her more than Starfire? She couldn't stay to find out…
Starfire now watched Robin leave with the girl. She had avoided him all day. When he finally cornered her, he told her he would be back as soon as possible. Starfire desperately wanted to believe him. He had gone and come back before. But that was before Batgirl had arrived, before his ex-girlfriend wanted him back. Starfire had been jealous of Kitten, but that paled in comparison to this. She had never understood the word "heartbroken," but she now knew the feeling.
The alien cried. A knock on her door made her jump. To her surprise and relief, it was Raven. Shock settled in her expression when she was Starfire's tearstained face. "What's wrong?" she uncharacteristically asked.
"Robin. I am worried and sad. My heart feels as if it is being torn out by a pack of gglordiclorks," sniffled the alien girl.
To her surprise, Raven came in and put her arm around her friend. Sitting on the bed with her, she said, "I know exactly how you feel."
"You do?"
"This guy I liked was enraptured by another girl. She was the complete opposite of me: all bright and happy, and her hair was blonde like sunshine. My jealousy drove me so crazy, I couldn't bring myself to let go of my suspicions for the longest time."
"Was this on Azarath?"
Raven hesitated. Instead of answering, she changed the subject back to Starfire's problem. Raven knew why Robin was going to Gotham. The problem that Starfire was not privy to weighed heavy on them. The goth girl felt Robin had to be the one to tell her. She would make sure he did when he returned.
"The point is I don't believe he would leave unless absolutely necessary. After all you went through in Tokyo, he would never give you up. You have nothing to worry about," Raven assured her. "But if you need to cry, do it. It's a good thing for you to let out your emotions. It helps you rationalize later."
Starfire cried for an hour. Raven had never seen her cry so much. Like a big sister, Raven sat with her, assuring her of her strengths. She had made fun or Robin a couple times, making the alien laugh a little. Raven knew she would brighten when Robin returned. He would get a stern talking to from the goth, however.
A few days later, Robin returned. He expected to see a bubbly, excited Starfire awaiting his, but was instead greeted with Raven's scowl. Surprised, Robin asked where Starfire was.
"I'll tell you when we have a little chat," the goth replied, a stern tone dripping from her tongue.
Robin had never seen this side of the girl, which signaled to him that is it was bad news. "O-okay?"
Raven took him to the roof. "You broke her heart."
"I what? How?"
Raven glared at him. "Wait until I finish, Bird Boy. You're in trouble." Robin shut up. "You have to tell her the truth."
"I haven't lied to her. Is that what she thinks?"
"You know what I mean. You have to tell her about your past, about Batman and Batgirl. She's been depressed since she saw you and Batgirl. She heard you through the door, knows you guys had dated once. You have to tell her everything, even who you are, if you're going to regain her trust."
Robin knew she was right. He had known all along that Starfire had to know the truth-all the truth-about him. This day had finally come. The former sidekick sighed loudly. This would be one of the hardest things he would do. He hadn't trusted his identity to anyone in the Titans except Raven, only because she had been inside his mind. However, Starfire was his girlfriend, and therefore deserved to know the truth.
"Where is she?"
"In her room. I'll tell her that you're back and send her up here to give you two some privacy. I'll keep Cyborg and Beast Boy busy. Or just set them up in front of the Game Station."
A few minutes later, Starfire nervously emerged from the stairs. She fidgeted, twiddling her thumbs. It was then that Robin fully understood what Raven was talking about. He had broken her heart, very badly.
He greeted her with a broad, but timid, smile. "Hey."
Nervously, she smiled back. "Welcome home, Friend Robin."
That hurt. She usually called him "Boyfriend Robin" or just Robin. "Star, I have something to tell you."
"So Raven told me."
"Oh." Robin bit his lip. "It's about my past, why Batgirl came here." Taking a deep breath, Robin continued. It was painful. "I was in the circus. My parents and I were acrobats. One night, when the circus was in Gotham, a bad man named Two Face appeared and killed my parents. They fell from very high in the air and my world shattered. My mother had recently dubbed me 'Robin,' as an unofficial stage name."
"You mean 'Robin' is not your real name?" the confused alien questioned. Why was he telling her all this?
"No. My real name is Richard Grayson, Dick for short." Robin reached for her hand. She allowed him to lead her towards the edge and sit down. He did not let go of her hand. "Batman adopted me. Later, I learned who he was and became his sidekick, using my mother's unofficial stage name for me as my official hero name. Later, Batgirl entered our lives. Even later, Batgirl and I began to have feelings for each other and ended up going out. She broke up with me and I moved on. I came here, and you know the rest." He reached for her other hand and held them together. "I want you to know that Batgirl doesn't mean what she used to mean to me. You are the only girl I have ever known that makes me feel this way. Before I left Gotham this time, I made sure she knew exactly what I feel about her: just friendship. With you, it's more complicated. My heart rips when you're hurt, my mind can't disregard your image, my body doesn't know what to do when you aren't around me. You're everything to me."
Starfire's eyes widened. "Then, you are not going to stay in the city of Gotham? Is the Two Face defeated?"
"Of course, he's defeated," Robin answered. "And what could possibly keep me in Gotham City? You're here. The Titans are here. It's my favorite place in the world."
Before Starfire could squeal in joy, Robin leaned over and kissed her cheek. A gasp escaped her instead, followed by the pleasant curve of her mouth. Robin relished it before he pulled her close and planted a kiss on those beautiful lips. It was tender, full of sweet promises and pure bliss. He deepened it, thrusting his tongue. She welcomed it with a pure glow in her heart and drank his scent and taste in. She knew then she had no reason to be jealous of anyone ever again. Her boyfriend was hers and her alone.
Author's note: That's it! Please review! Keep in mind, this is my first fanfic.