Trapeze

Okay, this has light RobStar at the end. Sorry, I just think it's totally adorable and I love them! Normally I like good/bad forbidden love pairings, like Lancitty or Flinx, but Robin and Starfire just totally fit together amazingly! One of my favourite pairings – ever. I actually gave a fangirl squeal in 'Trouble in Tokyo'.

This story was a request from Emarie. I just kept thinking about the idea until I finally wrote it. Sorry it took me so long!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Teen Titans Characters. None whatsoever.

By the way, this story won't make any sense if you have no idea about Robin's past. It doesn't have to be a big idea, you just need to know about the circus thing. Nothing else (Although knowing his name would help some bits make sense).

Robin set up the two trapezes on the roof in the training room, screwing the tops in with practised hands.

It was just past midnight. Everyone else was either asleep or immersed in something (Robin was pretty sure Cyborg was working on something on the computer). As long as he didn't make much noise…

Silently, Robin climbed up the ladder and grabbed hold of the first bar. He hesitated for just a second.

Then he pushed off into the air, his only life-line between the ground and him was the ropes and bar.

With a thrill of delight, he leaped off the first trapeze and for a second flew through the air with nothing supporting him.

His training wanted him to grab the grappling hook – which was waiting in his utility belt on the ground. Instead he extended his hands and caught the other trapeze, hanging steady.

Momentum carried the second trapeze forwards.

Using the muscles in his arms, Robin pulled himself up and twirled around the bar in a circle.

Finally his foot touched the other platform and he stopped, holding onto the trapeze as he balanced lightly.

A flicker of a smile crossed his face as he touched the platform.

About a month after the tower had finished being built, Robin had wanted to swing on a trapeze again. So he had simply bought some materials and built two platforms in the training room.

His team-mates had asked about them, and Robin had answered that they were for a training exercise. Later, when they actually had the exercise, Robin just didn't use it. Nobody questioned it.

Whenever the place was destroyed, no-one seemed to be surprised that Robin always rebuilt the platforms. Eventually it just became part of the décor, and used whenever needed in training.

And whenever Robin needed to be just an acrobat for a night.

The Teen Wonder pulled on the trapeze tightly, checking it was still tight. After the 'accident' with acid that had killed – no, don't think about that. Robin forced the thought aside.

Still…

Robin ran forwards with the trapeze and leaped off. He flew through the air for a full second once he had let go.

His fingers wrapped around the rope of the trapeze as he soared up too high. He could almost hear the crowd gasp as he missed the bar.

Instead he fell straight towards the platform.

Placing his arms out, he caught the platform and dangled below for a second. Then, in one lithe motion, he pulled himself up onto the platform and jumped up, bowing automatically.

The applause seemed to echo.

Robin scanned the training room. No-one was there but his own memories.

Memories of a time before training, before martial arts, before masks and before Robin entirely…

Robin looked out over the room. The trapeze was now hanging in the middle of the room with no way to reach it.

No way for an ordinary teen. Even the Teen Wonder may have possibly had difficulty – with no gadgets, anyway. But a Flying Grayson would live up to his name easy.

Robin took a step back, touching the wall. He put his foot against the wall and looked at the trapeze, a slight smile crossing his face, almost as if he were challenging it like the villains he fought daily.

Then Robin pushed off hard and his foot connected with the end of the platform. A hard kick and he powered into the air.

His hands gripped around the familiar wood and he flew around, momentum swinging him.

"Yes!"

For a split second as he navigated the ropes, he wasn't Robin, the Teen Wonder. He was Dick, a Flying Grayson.

He landed again, delighted with himself. The rush of flying though the air wasn't something that he had forgotten. It wasn't even something that hadn't happened lately.

But somehow, Dick always seemed to enjoy it more than Robin did.

Maybe it was because Dick still had a sense of boyish innocence and believed in the magic that Robin had long since been forced to admit was just adrenalin and physics. Maybe it was because Dick didn't get to do it anywhere near as often and the thrill hadn't dulled. Or maybe it was because Dick Grayson did it for pleasure.

"And the crowd goes wild." Robin narrated to himself. "As the youngest Flying Grayson goes for the final swing."

He grabbed the trapeze and leaped off, grinning as he swung around. Suddenly he was standing on the thin piece of wood.

He swung backwards, and then forwards. At the height of his swing he leaped up again and grabbed hold of the other trapeze by his knees.

Now he was hanging upside down.

He reached forwards as he came closer to the platform. Pushing his hands forwards, Robin caught the platform and swiftly unhooked his legs, somersaulting onto the platform.

One hand reached out and caught the trapeze tightly before it sped away again. "And with that climax, the Flying Graysons pack up their act for the day." He said softly, continuing with the commentary.

"Is the word we should be calling out for a longer performance 'encore'?" A soft female voice inquired.

Robin jumped and looked around.

The other Titans were standing on the ground, looking up at him. Beast Boy was looking pleased, Raven had the slightest hint of a smile on her (unhooded) face, Cyborg grinned and Starfire…

Well, Starfire looked absolutely delighted.

"What… how long have you been there?" Robin demanded, jumping. He grabbed hold of the ladder on the way down, and then pounced off again, landing easily on the floor.

"About five minutes." Raven admitted, still smiling. "We woke up when we heard you yelling so we came and looked and found… well, this."

"Dude, is that what the platforms were there for?" Beast Boy grinned. "Acrobatics? Those were so cool! How long have you been doing those?"

"Uh, acrobatics? Always." Robin shifted.

"Not that. I mean like trapeze and circus stuff. Since when…?"

"I guess it's just something that's pretty easy when you're already an acrobat." Robin said, trying to sound casual.

"Why do you have a trapeze set then?" Raven asked curiously.

"Uh…" This might be a slightly harder question to answer. "To train using different techniques?"

"Might we see more? You looked like those who I often see on the television while doing professional acts. Did you have that already planned?" Starfire asked.

This one was harder.

"W-what?" Robin stuttered.

"Might we see more of those acts?"

"It's… it's just pretty much the same acrobatics I do all the time only with a trapeze, not a grappling hook. You've seen me do much harder things." Robin said, biting his lip.

"Not when you're trying to have a style." Beast Boy said.

"What?"

"You know. Normally you're just doing it to beat the bad-guys or the training simulation or whatever. This was when you're actually trying to make it look good. You totally succeeded, by the way."

"I – uh…"

It was actually pretty flattering.

"So man, what were you talkin' about when you said 'the Flying Graysons pack up their act for the day'?" Cyborg asked.

This was probably the hardest.

"Well, that was… you see… uh…"

"What's a 'Flying Grayson'? Is that like some sorta acrobat group?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin flinched. "Sorta."

"Ah. Okay." Beast Boy said, not wanting to pry. It was sort of an unspoken rule between them that the past would only be disturbed if someone wanted to talk about it or if someone/thing from the past came.

For a second there was silence.

"You're very good at it." Starfire told him.

"I'm sorry?"

"You are most excellent at this 'trapeze'."

"Thanks." Robin blinked, slightly taken aback and a little more flattered. "But really, it's just the same sort of stuff I do everyday…"

"No, as friend Beast Boy said, you were doing this with a style, purposely trying to be good at it."

"Yeah. This isn't like whenever you show off or anything, this was just doing it well." Cyborg agreed.

"Uh, thank you?" He was trying to keep a straight face.

"How often do you do that?" Raven asked.

"Well… not that often." Robin admitted. He glanced out the window to see that it was still late at night. He'd be surprised if it was one am. "Just… whenever I feel like it…"

"Do you have more of the routine that you could show us?" Starfire asked curiously, floating above the ground.

Robin blinked. "Uh… no! No, no, no, no, no!"

Starfire looked let down. "None?"

"None." Robin shook his head firmly.

This was more that he didn't want to rather than he couldn't.

"Oh." Starfire looked down, disappointed.

Some part of him – a part that had long been hidden – suddenly had the urge to show them. Dick Grayson was an acrobat – an entertainer. And what's an entertainer if no-one saw their art?

Quickly Robin pushed the thought down. Dick Grayson was an entertainer – once upon a time. Robin was a hero. Robin was not Dick Grayson.

Raven yawned. "Well, if no-one's getting attacked, I'm going back to bed." She said calmly, pulling her hood up over her head as she left the room.

"Night." Beast Boy called out behind her. He himself yawned. "You know, Rae's got a point. It's way too early for this. And although that stuff is really cool Rob – I'm going back to bed. Night all." He left.

"You going to bed too?" Cyborg asked.

"Aren't you?" Robin shot back.

"Nah. Only need so long to recharge. I'm off to work on the T-Car but – Grass Stain half wrecked it on our last call." The half-robot left.

Finally it was just Robin and Starfire in the room.

"I do wish I could see more of that performance." Starfire sighed.

The bit of Robin that still missed the circus was running around his mind, begging for a chance to show off.

"Well, actually…" Robin hesitated. Should he...? Could he...?

"Is there?" Starfire looked at him, a faint smile tugging on her lips. "Please, if there is more could you show me? Encore, encore! Is that the correct word?" She added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, it's the right word." Robin hesitated again, unsure whether he wanted to show her. But there was definitely that part of him wanting to show off… and he wanted to make Starfire happy…

"If you really want to see it, then…" Robin stepped backwards, his hand on the ladder. In an instant he had scaled it until he reached the top.

Starfire floated next to him as Robin automatically judged the distance between himself and the trapeze. Then, without hesitation, he pushed off again.

Starfire watched, floating behind, as Robin caught hold of the trapeze with one hand. He easily flipped up so that his foot was holding himself there, using momentum to keep swinging upside down.

His cape fell down beside him as he swung forwards. His hands gripped the other trapeze and he pulled his feet off. In one fluid motion he swung from the trapeze onto the other platform.

Robin glanced at Starfire for a second before jumping off again. This time he let go halfway through and flew through the air, curling up and somersaulting in mid-air.

The Teen Wonder then straightened and a hand slashed out, catching at the other trapeze. He caught it and flew forwards, still holding on as the trapeze tightened and pulled him up into the air. His feet landed easy on the platform.

Starfire applauded. Robin grinned at her.

"So, what do you think?" Robin gave a phony bow.

"I believe it was most wondrous." Starfire answered, beaming at him. "I truly enjoyed it."

On impulse she flew forwards and kissed him on the lips. Robin blinked as she pulled back, and then watched her fly down and leave, still smiling.

Robin glanced at the trapeze, one hand against his lips. "Maybe I should go on this more often, then…" He said dazedly to himself.

So whatcha think?

I was aiming for sweet (and I think I managed to get it), but if it's too clichéd or corny then let me know.

Review!