Just letting you guys know, I might not be updating this weekend because I have my graduation and I'll be very busy.

Enjoy! It's a long one!

Year Three: Raven, Beast Boy: Age 17 Starfire: Age 18 Robin: Age 18 Cyborg: Age 19

Titan Party

Music bumped through the common room of the Tower, though it could probably be heard off of our island. The room was filled with heroes dressed as regular teenagers, donned in civilian clothes and more relaxed behavior than the way they act when patrolling. Tonight, for Cyborg's birthday party, they aren't just Titans. They are just average seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen year olds trying to "chill out", as Cyborg put it. I can't even believe that I let them have alcohol. My only rules were: no one leaves the Tower unless they can prove that they're sober, I will not participate in the clean-up, I will not be told how the alcohol was obtained, and if the cops show up, I don't know them. So here I am, just sitting on the arm of the couch, watching everything going on around me.

That is, until I overhear a certain conversation.

"Hello friends," says Starfire's voice. My eyes dart around until I find her, standing in the kitchen in front of Cyborg, Beast Boy, Kid Flash, Jinx, and Bumblebee.

"Whaddup, Star!" cheers a drunken Cyborg. I shake my head, taking a sip of my water. Yes, water. I'm the babysitter tonight.

"Hey girl, why don't you come on over here," says Bee. She takes Starfire's hand and guides her to sit next to her. I narrow my eyes… what are they up to?

They're conversation dies down in volume, but I watch as Cyborg and Beast Boy seem to be questioning Starfire. She continues to shake her head after they speak. That's when I see a mischievous smile spread across Kid Flash's face.

Cyborg holds up a bottle of clear liquid in his hand, speaking as he does so. Starfire leans toward him, and he lifts the bottle up to her nose. After a moment she leans away with a big smile on her face.

Next thing I know, she takes the bottle from his hand and places it to her lips.

I guess I should've known someone would try to get Starfire to drink. She's the innocent little alien. And this is the first alcoholic earth party she's ever been to.

I get up as I watch her take a drink. My heart pounds faster and faster the longer she drinks, putting the bottle down when it is empty. The others are obviously surprised; their mouths a slack and their eyes are wide.

"That is quite delicious!" exclaims Starfire.

"Uhh, Starfire? Most people just take little sips at a time. Doesn't that, like, burn?" asks Kid Flash.

"No?" she says, confused. "It is quite a wonderful feeling and taste. Is there more?"

"Sure girl, here you go," says Cyborg, passing her another tall bottle. I walk up behind him and Beast Boy and cross my arms.

I see Jinx's eyes grow wide once again as she points in my direction, and then erupts in a serious fit of giggles. I raise my eyebrow. Yep, she's pretty gone. Cyborg and Beast Boy slowly turn around, and Beast Boy lets out a high pitched scream when he sees me. I almost laugh.

"Uhh, hey Rob," says Beast Boy nervously.

"Who thought it would be a good idea to let her drink?" I ask.

"Not me!" slurs Kid Flash, a little too loudly. I just shake my head. I look over at Starfire and already she's downed that bottle too. I go over and snatch the empty bottle from her hands.

"Star, no more, okay?"

"Why do you never want anyone to have the fun?" she whines, her voice sounding particularly little-girlish. I groan inwardly as she fights to take the empty bottle from my hand.

"There's nothing in here!" I shout as I look back to glare at Cyborg. She snatches it from my hand tips it back into her mouth. She grimaces, and flies over to Cyborg.

"Can I have more?"

"Of course you-"

"CYBORG!"

"Uhh, I gotta go…" He grabs Bumblebee's wrist and pulls her away with him. I see Jinx wink at her as they leave. I sigh.

"Star," I say, trying to get her attention. I pull her down to the ground; it seems she can't keep her feet to the floor. "That stuff's not good for you."

"But it makes me feel so wonderful, Robin, surely you are mistaken."

"You won't feel so wonderful tomorrow if you keep drinking."

"I assure you, I will be fine." She pulls away from my grasp on her shoulders. "My people process things different than you humans. We are a resilient race," she insisted.

"Okay, but don't come crying to me when you get sick," I snapped, and even I was surprised at my rudeness. She practically recoils from my words, a frown settling on her face.

"I do the promising that I will not bother you so long as you do not bother me," she says quietly as she flies away.

"Dude, that's no way to get the girl," slurs Kid Flash. Without looking, I punch him in the arm.

"I dunno if this is me or the Captain talking, but Kid is right," Beast Boy interjects. Kid Flash smiles brightly and reaches his hand out to high-five Jinx. But she shakes her head and walks away, heading over to meet with the other girls.

"I'm not trying to- I don't like-"

"Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before," says Kid Flash. "You really blew it after Tokyo. I mean, c'mon! You kissed her and, like, stopped talking to her."

"What?!" I look at Beast Boy who is making wide eyes at Kid Flash. "Who have you been talking to?"

"He he, just friends, you know. But they all saw it too!" he shouts defensively. "You totally blew her off. She cried to Raven for weeks!"

"Dude, you made her cry?" asks Kid. "You're so fucked."

"Look, I didn't know-"

"You told her you guys could be 'more'," says Beast Boy.

"I really see no benefits to yours and Raven's relationship," I say glumly. Raven and Beast Boy had been dating for a few months now. And apparently, Raven likes to share information. Didn't see that coming.

"Don't be jealous 'cause I got a girl," he retorts. Kid practically giggles.

"And that's my cue to leave," I say, walking over to Raven. I can't help but laugh at her. Starfire made her stay out in the common room with the others, and she agreed on two conditions: she can sit in her favorite recliner in the far corner of the room and read her book, and she is allowed to ignore anyone she wants. I hope I'm not one of those people.

I stand in front of her until she realizes I'm there. She looks up from her book and nearly smiles, but it's very difficult to tell. She pats on the arm of the recliner and so I perch on it.

"Welcome to the club," she says in her trademark monotone voice. I chuckle.

"I've got a bone to pick with you," I say. She snorts.

"Same here. You should have intervened before she got drunk," she says. I shake my head. "I have a bad feeling."

"I know. But maybe this is the only way she'll learn."

"Ah, tough love," she says pointedly.

"Er- No," I say, trying to erase the word "love" from the conversation. Raven actually laughs. I think. "But speaking of, you really need to stop talking to Beast Boy."

"Yeah, because that will lead to a successful relationship."

"You're causing trouble for me."

"No you're causing trouble for yourself," she snaps. "It's been eight months since we got back from Tokyo. Why the hell are you not holding Star's handing, acting all giggly and lovey dovey with her?"

"Okay, one: I'm not giggly. Two: It's not smart."

"No, what's not smart is pissing off an alien. And a half-demon." Right on cue, she grows an extra pair of red eyes.

"Rae, you know what I mean."

"Look, you basically lied to her in Tokyo. You got her hopes up and then smashed them with a sledgehammer."

"I didn't mean for that to happen. It's like when I got home, I came to my senses."

"No, you came to your senses in Tokyo, and returned back to your stupid ways when we got home.

"It's more complicated than you realize. Batman always said-"

"Batman isn't here, is he? And you left him for a reason. You are your own person, Robin. Make your own decisions." I sigh.

"Seriously though, Beast Boy needs to shut his mouth." She practically growls at me.

…..

An hour passed as I spent time chit chatting with Raven. Which, after I pissed her off, just involved me talking and her nodding or grunting. But there was a loud banging sound, and I searched for the noise to find Cyborg banging his fist against the kitchen countertop. When he got everyone's attention he spoke.

"Yo! Who want's to go swimming'?" There was a chorus of "whoops" and "yeah's" as just about everyone filed out of the room and out of the Tower itself. I sigh and look at Raven.

"I'm going to have to go out there. I can't let anyone escape home." She just nods as I leave and follow behind Argent and Hotspot, not too surprised to see that they are holding hands. Kid Flash flies by, picking up Jinx and tossing her onto his back before running out the door. I really hope no one drowns.

I groan as I watch everyone run off of our little patch of beach and into the ocean, holding beer cans high above their heads. I take a seat at a little picnic table that Starfire begged us to get. She and Beast Boy are the only ones who ever really come down here. She enjoys flying high above the water and dropping in. It's quite entertaining to watch.

There is a loud shriek as Kid Flash blurs his way into the water, and a splash as Jinx is tossed in. Argent and Hotspot sit on the sand with their legs in the water, both with beers in their hands. Aqualad and Beast Boy are racing, and Cyborg and Bumblebee seems to have made bets, cheering on each of their teammates.

Starfire runs toward the water but pushes of the ground just before she reaches it. She flies up and up and up at such a fast pace before suddenly stopping. She does a somersault in the air before outstretching her arms and diving downward. I honestly didn't realize how upset she had been for those couple of weeks after Tokyo. I never wanted to hurt her, I mean, it's not like we were actually together so she couldn't have gotten too attached.

Who am I kidding? It definitely wasn't easy for me to just walk away. For a few days in Tokyo, I was happy. I was excited to finally be with Starfire. But we never defined what we were, if she was my girlfriend or whatever. So when we got home and I started to doubt what we were doing, there were no strings attached. But every time I looked at her, my heart ached. I had to fight to remind myself why I couldn't be with her. I'm a hero, I have priorities, and I can't date a teammate.

But maybe Raven is right. That was Bruce's way of thinking. And despite our similarities when it comes to work ethic, I am not him. I should be able to think for myself, right?

Then again, I understand why it is unwise to date a teammate. My mind will be centered on her in battle, wondering if she's safe, if she needs help. I'll get distracted and compromise my own life, and my teammates. I can't have that.

She finally hit's the water with a large splash and the rest of the Titan's cheer for her. I keep my eyes on her as she swims towards the others, and I almost don't notice Beast Boy came back onto shore. He sees me on the picnic table and comes over, slumping against the bench. He's always green, but he really doesn't look so good.

"You alright there?" I ask, and all I get in response is a groan. "Want me to call Raven?" This time I get a groan and a thumbs up. I chuckle as I grab my communicator.

"What?" asks Raven grouchily.

"Your boy toy's not feeling so good," I tease. She narrows her eyes.

"Shut. Up." I laugh.

"Seriously though, wanna come down and get him? I'm sure that if you're taking care of BB, Starfire will let you leave the party." Her eyes light up. Suddenly her black raven appears before me, grabbing up Beast Boy and disappearing again.

I sigh. Alone again. I look down at my watch; it reads 11:48. Jeez, some of them are so far gone and its not even midnight yet. I place my elbows on my knees and rest my chin in my hands as I babysit. Kid Flash and Jinx are making out in the water, Argent and Hotspot are cuddling on the sand, Jericho and Kole and politely holding hands- wait, when did that happen?

It seems as though the Titans have really begun to pair off, with members of my team included. Bee and Cyborg have been dating for a few months on and off. I'm not really a fan of that relationship. I don't know if Bee is too trustworthy when it comes to guys. But Raven and Beast Boy have been, for the most part, approvable together. I've seen Raven smile more often than she used to.

"Yo Rob!" shouts Cyborg as he waves spastically at me. I wave back with less enthusiasm. He says something to Bumblebee before he jogs over to me. "How you doin'?" he asks as he takes a seat beside me on the picnic table. I sigh loudly. "Guess that answers my question. What's the problem?"

"No problem here."

"I was only asking to see if you'd give me a straight answer. I know what the problem is. What's going on with Star?" he asks.

"She's mad at me I guess," I grumble.

"Of course she is."

"But w-"

"If you ask why, I'll punch you."

"Okay, okay," I say, "I guess I know why. But I didn't do anything wrong."

"You hurt her. I'd consider that pretty damn wrong."

"But she has to know that I didn't mean to hurt her. I was doing what I thought was best for the team."

"For the team?!" he exclaims, eyes wide. "Man, you two finally getting together is what's best for this team. Starfire avoids you at all costs in battle. And we can't all just hang out together anymore 'cause its too damn awkward. I hope you didn't think that everything would just go back to normal after you dumped her."

"I didn't dump her, we weren't even actually dating!"

"You kissed her, dude. It was her first glimpse at what a relationship is like on earth, and what you did was show her that guys will just kiss ya and ditch ya." I raise my eyebrow at his choice of words, but I get what he's saying.

"But it wasn't like that," I say. I actually care about Starfire, and that's why I had to end it. I care too much. It's not good.

"Does she know that?"

"I told her why we couldn't be together."

"What exactly did you say?" he asks.

"Heroes can't have relationships," I reply.

"Do you see the problem with that yet?" He forcibly turns me head back towards the crowd of heroes in the water. "Everyone has someone." And as I look in the water, I realize that he's right. Everyone here but Starfire and I had somebody; even Pantha and Gnaark got together. "So she probably thinks you were lying to her."

"Why would I lie?"

"To protect her feelings." Oh shit, no wonder she hates me. She thinks there is some hidden reason why I thought we shouldn't be together. Damn it!

"Oh this is not good," I say.

"Don't worry man, I got this." I jerk my head over to look at him and he winks at me. "Yo! Everybody back in the Tower!" There is a chorus of whining. "C'mon, it's time for the Titan Beer Pong Championship!"

"Fuck yeah!" shouts Kid Flash as he scoops up Jinx once again and races into the Tower. I shake my head and get up from the picnic table to follow the crowd back inside. Cyborg walks up beside me with Bumblebee on his arm.

"How is beer pong going to help me out?" I ask him.

"Well, now everyone is back inside and all in the same place. You can figure if out from here, bird boy." I grimace. This isn't gonna be easy.

…..

"Girls against guys! Round one, Bee and Star vs. Kid and Aqualad," says Cyborg as he sets up the red solo cups on our ping pong table. I plop down on the couch to watch the action. Normally I wouldn't care to watch, but Starfire is taking part in the game.

Cyborg takes time to explain the game to Star before they take their places at either side of the table. Just before Bee is about to take her turn, Kid Flash stops her and decides on a new rule; before each round, every player must take three shots. I smack my hand against my forehead. Why did Starfire have to play this damn game?

I watch with a frown on my face as Star takes the shots like a champ. It's almost funny how everyone else in the room shudders as they watch her as well. It is very strange how alcohol doesn't taste the same way to her. Then again, she does drink mustard.

The game begins and -long story short- Starfire ends up having poor aim, drinks the majority of the beers in front of her, then gets angry and blasts Cyborg and Kid Flash's cups. She then claims that since they no longer have any beers left in front of them, she and Bumblebee win. That's when they create a new rule; Starfire isn't allowed to play when she's already drunk.

At this point she's starting to lose her balance, and she practically falls into the arm chair across the living room area from me. I get up from the couch to go talk to her, but she's whisked away by Bumblebee, Argent, and Wonder Girl. When I see the bottle of vodka in Bee's hand, I groan.

Starfire open's the common room door and leads the girls toward the elevator. Shit, they're not supposed to leave the common room. I follow after them but they get onto the elevator before I can stop them. I run up the stairs to the bedroom level; I'm assuming Star's taking them to her room. Sure enough, just as the elevator door opens, I look down the hall to see Starfire's bedroom door closing.

I'm just about to knock on the door when I hear my name through the door. They're talking about me? I lean closer and place my ear against the metal.

"So what's going on with him, Starfire?" asks Bee. "Here, take a drink."

"Thank you," says Star. "Nothing is going on."

"Oh you know we can keep a secret."

"No truly, there is absolutely nothing happening between us. He does not want me."

"Wait, then what was that whole thing in Tokyo?" It is silent for a moment. Starfire must be surprised the Bee knows anything about that. "What? Cy tells me everything."

"Let me have another drink, please." More silence. "He told me that we could be more than just friends. Than just heroes."

"Meaning like boyfriend and girlfriend?" asks Argent.

"He never asked me to be his girlfriend, but he kissed me."

"Oh my Gods!" exclaims Wonder Girl. "What was it like?"

"He looks like a good kisser," stated Argent.

"I don't know," says Bee, "he seems a little awkward sometimes, doesn't he?"

"But he's just so powerful and strong," says Wonder Girl wistfully. I raise an eyebrow. The room is silent for a moment. "Sorry," she murmurs.

"Right… Anyway, how was your first earth kiss?" questions Bee impatiently.

"Not a single chick flick could have prepared me for how wonderful it was," Starfire whispers, her voice catching at the end. I hear her sniffle.

"Star, don't cry. Here, let the vodka wash away your sorrows." It goes quiet again as Starfire takes a drink.

"Why does he not like me?" Star cries. My shoulders slump. I like her so much more than I should. I don't want her to cry.

"'Cause he's an idiot. Simple as that," says Wonder Girl.

"He told me that heroes do not have time to do the dating. But you have Cyborg, and you have Hot Spot, and you have begun dating Aqualad. Surely there must be some other reason."

"Maybe he just realized that you're too good for him," offers Bee.

"But I do not believe that I am."

"So maybe he's just scared. I mean, as far as we know, he's never been in a relationship. And you're just so goddamn beautiful that you're intimidating."

"Yeah! So you just gotta make him not scared anymore," says Argent, slurring. I bet they almost have that bottle finished off.

"Seduce him," Bee purrs. "Jump in the shower with him naked. At that point he'll be thinking with his boner and all fear will be thrown out the window."

"What is a boner?" asks Starfire innocently. Okay, that's it. Knock, knock, knock.

"Who is it?" sings Argent. I roll my eyes. She's so tiny, I'm sure she gets drunk pretty quickly.

"It's Robin," I grumble. I hear muffled whispers, then suddenly the door slides open, revealing Bee. She has a peculiarly amused expression on her face.

"What's up, Rob?" she asks playfully.

"Everyone's supposed to stay in the common room. Time to come back down," I reply.

"He really is no fun, huh Star?" Bee turns to ask Starfire, who is sitting on her bed with the other two girls. She waves them over and they make their way to the door. "Alright, we're coming."

"Actually, I need to talk to Starfire." The other three girls release "ooo's" as a drunken Star leans against little Argent with a blush on her cheeks. She probably won't remember what I talk to her about anyway.

"Here Star," says Wonder Girl, handing her the nearly-empty bottle. "Liquid courage." Starfire takes it, but keeps her eyes glued to the floor. I watch the girls go down the hall to make sure they head to the elevator. When I look back at Star, I see that she's finished off the bottle.

"Do you promise no more?" I ask as I take the bottle from her hands.

"I do not have to promise you anything," she mutters angrily.

"Okay…" I walk over to her dresser and set the bottle down. I hear Starfire sniffling behind me. I quickly turn around and look back at her and she jumps in surprise. She angles herself away from my gaze, but I can see that she is wiping tears from her eyes.

"Starfire…" I go to her, placing my hand on her shoulder

"No," she says, jerking away from my touch. "You do not get to do that."

"Do what?" I plead.

"Comfort me like you are my friend."

"Star, I am your friend. You're my best friend-"

"No!" she shouts, and she turns around sharply to glare at me with glowing green eyes. But she loses her balance and stumbles into me. I reach out and catch her, pulling her into my chest. "Let go of me!"

"Just calm down!" I walk over to her bed, practically dragging her with me. If she really wanted me to let go, she could easily break my hold. I just about drop her onto the bed. She bounces on the mattresses with a pout set onto her face. "Can we please just talk about all of this?"

"There is nothing to talk about. Do not worry, I completely understand," she mutters. She sits up on the bed and I move to stand in front of her. But she refuses to look at me.

"I don't think you do-"

"Yes, it is not that we cannot be together, it is that you do not want me. You could have just said that and saved yourself all of this trouble."

"Oh come on, Star, you know that's not it-"

"Please, do not put me through this again." Her voice breaks, and I think my heart does too.

"Just-just listen to me, okay?" I ask, kneeling in front of her and grabbing her hands. "Star, look at me." She peeks out at me from beneath her eyelashes. "I swear to you that if I could be with you, I would."

"Stop it, you-"

"Listen!" She makes an "eep" noise when I raise my voice. "I like you. I do. So much more than I should. And that's one of the reasons why we can't be together."

"But why?" she whines. "I do not understand. All of other Titans are dating one another. Raven and Beast Boy have been together for months and everything is just fine."

"I know, but it's not just that. In battle, I'll be worrying about you all the time and I'll get distracted."

"Do you not already worry about me?" Her question throws me off. Yes, of course I do. I'm always looking for her out of the corner of my eye to make sure she's alright.

"Uhh, yeah."

"Well then that is not a reason."

"It's still way more complicated-"

"How is it so complicated? If everyone else can be together and be happy, why can't we be happy, Robin?" She grips my hands and looks me directly in my masked eyes. Tears begin to run down her cheeks. Every time I see her cry, I swear I die a little inside. Especially when I cause it.

"I can't think of myself, I can't just do what I want," I say softly. "I'm a hero."

"And that is all you are," she says, mirroring my tone, but hers holds conviction.

"Please, I don't want to lose you."

"You told me we could be more," she whispers. Her voice trembles as she speaks. "You lied to me."

"No, it's not like that-"

"I don't want to talk to you anymore," she says, losing her grip on her emotions. I watch as she breaks down in front of me, sobs ripping from her chest.

"Star, no…" I sit down on the bed next to her and wrap my arms around her. Her cries become more forceful until she begins hiccupping. I stroke her back, trying to calm her down. But there's just too much alcohol in her system, even for an alien, and she's just too worked up.

She leans away from me and vomits onto her bedroom floor.

I jump up and grab her long hair, but I was too late. I wrap her hair around my arm, not paying attention to the substance along the red strands, and I pat her back until she gets it all out. Damn, that will probably be hard to clean.

She sits back up on the bed, her face covered in a sheen of sweat and a dribble of bile down her chin and onto her tank top. I tried not to pay attention to her cleavage at a time like this.

"Star? Hey, hey, just lay down, okay?" She slumps against me, eyes half-lidded. When I can't get her to budge, I get up from the bed and cradle her in my arms. I lay her on her back, tell her that I'll be right back, and then head down to the elevator.

I go down the common room hoping to find a half-sober girl who can help clean Starfire up. Instead, I find a room full of passed-out-drunk teenagers and a bunch of air mattresses. I try to wake up Bee and Jinx, but I don't get a response from either. Argent, Wonder Girl, and Kole are no help either. I call Raven on my communicator, but the sound of Beast Boy heaving in the background was enough to tell me that she couldn't help.

When I head back up to Starfire's room, I find her lying in a puddle of her own vomit. God damn. I stare at her for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. She'll definitely need a shower, but none of the girls would come to help me. Ughh, this is not going to help my resolve.

I go to her dresser and pull open one drawer after another. When I open her "delicates" drawer, I think I stop breathing. But I decide that she can just deal with going commando for a night. I pull out a pair of shorts that I think are actually for training and a t-shirt that looks way too big for her slender frame. I go back down the hall to the bathroom across from my bedroom. I place the clothes on the counter and head back to Star's room to get her. I cradle her once again, ignoring the vomit that is now on my clothes as well, and carry her down the hall to the bathroom.

"Starfire? Do you think you could wake up just a bit?"

"Want…sleep…" Her head lulls against my shoulder.

"You can't sleep until you're all clean." I set her down on her feet and she leans heavily on me. She looks up at me, her green eyes clouded.

"Please, let's just…go to bed…" Her eyes flutter shut. I sigh and sling her arm over my shoulders. Pulling her along with me, I go to the shower and turn it on.

"Star, can you do this?"

"So tired, Robin."

"I know, but if you can shower, you can go to bed."

"Need help," she says louder now, a whinier tone in her voice. I can tell she's waking up more.

"C'mon, Star, you don't want me to see you like that."

"What if… I do?" She giggles, then hiccups, and I can feel her body heave as she gags. Just in time, I lean her over the toilet as she spews once again. She braces herself against it and I kneel beside her holding her hair back. Once she's done, I settle her down to sit against the wall. I remain kneeling in front of her, watching and waiting, the bathroom slowly filling up with steam from the warm shower.

"Help," she says once again.

"Fine, but you're keeping your underwear on." She nods weakly, her eyelids drooping. I can tell she's not going to do much, so I crawl over to her to help her undress. I reach forward, but yank my hands back. God, this is so weird. I spend half of my time focusing on not thinking about Starfire in any way that isn't platonic. But now as I focus on not getting too excited, I unbutton her jeans and peel them down her long legs. I gulp and take a deep breath before I pull her tank top up over her head. Damn it, why did she have to wear black. And everything matches. Oh God, breathe.

I snake my arm around her waist and stand her up, moving her into the shower. I grip her upper arms tightly, holding her under the water.

"Can you hold yourself up?" I ask her. She shakes her head. I get into the shower behind her and hold her against my chest. "Well, can you hold onto me so I can wash your hair?" She grumbles a response, but I feel her arms wrap around my waist, and she leans her head into the crook of my neck.

I run shampoo through her hair, making sure to really scrub the ends. After that, I very carefully wash her face, and then every other affected area. That also, unfortunately, included her chest. It helped to pretend that she was Beast Boy… that was definitely a turn off.

I shut off the water, grab a towel off the rack, and pat her dry. As I'm drying her off, I notice that she's smiling. I raise an eyebrow.

"Does something amuse you?" I inquire, scooping her up again so I can lift her out of the shower. I set her back on her feet, but she stays close to me. When she wraps her arms around my waist again, I begin to panic.

"Was that seductive enough for you?" she asks teasingly. I feel her breath against my neck and a shiver runs through me.

"Okay, get dressed and then you can go to bed." She sighs.

"I get you in the shower with me, and yet you still do not want me." She leans away from me and walks toward the counter. But she stumbles, so I catch her by her elbow and lower her to the ground.

"Here," I say, tossing her clothes beside her. "Don't try to get back up. I'll be right back." I'm hoping she actually does get dressed, and I have my doubts, but I leave the room anyway. I wait outside the door, tapping my foot impatiently. Minutes go by and I get suspicious, so I knock on the door. When she doesn't answer, I go back inside, hoping that she's dressed.

She's slumped against the wall where I left her, obviously asleep, and thankfully dressed. Even passed out drunk she's beautiful. I bend down to pick her up and I carry her across the hall into my bedroom. There will be a lot of explaining to do in the morning if anyone sees her walking out of here. I'm sure Raven would jump to conclusions and send me straight to hell.

I stumble through the dark room and to my bed, then I balance Starfire on my hip as I try to find the light switch on my bedside lamp. I pull the blankets aside and get her settled in. I brush her damp hair out of her face and she sighs. For a second I think she's woken up, but after waiting a moment, I know she's still asleep.

Now that she's finally taken care of, I go over to the bathroom to drop dirty clothes and used towel into the laundry shoot. After that I go back to Starfire's bedroom. I pull the dirtied covers off of her bed and take them over to the laundry shoot. I check the time… just after 2:00. Well, it's never too late to clean vomit off the floor.

Once everything is all clean, I head back to my bedroom. First, I go to my closet to retrieve a couple of spare blankets and create a makeshift bed on my floor. Then I take off my wet clothes and put on a pair of shorts. It wasn't until now that I realized how tired I am. My eyes grow heavy as I sit down on the floor and lay back onto the blankets. Shit, forgot a pillow. I grudgingly get back up and quietly walk over to the bedside opposite of Starfire. I reach for the pillow beside her bed and am startled when she grabs my wrist.

Without opening her eyes, she says "Stay with me." And for some selfish reason, I do.

…..

I wake up very early in the morning; my internal clock tells me to. My neck hurts… why am I sleeping sitting up? Damn, this is so uncomfortable. I move to sit up, but stop when I hear a groan. I almost would've forgotten about last night if it weren't for the red head with her arms wrapped around my stomach. I feel my heart begin to race as I realize that my one arm is draped over her back and my hand is holding hers securely. We slept like this? It just seems so… intimate.

And that's when I finally come to my senses. Even unconsciously, I'm drawn to her. I need her. And she's made it clear that she needs me too. I run my fingers through her hair, gently combing out the tangles that last nights shower caused. The fingers of her free hand curl against my bare chest. I can practically feel her wake up.

She slowly angles her head to look up at me. Her eyes grow wide when they meet mine and she quickly sits up, obviously regretting it soon after. She places a hand against her head and I watch as her eyes go to our joined hands on my stomach. Her gaze flickers up to mine. I wonder if she remembers anything that happened last night.

"Um… Robin? Why am I in your bed?" she asks shyly.

"Well, you puked all over yours." Her eyes widen again.

"I do feel quite nauseated. And my head hurts."

"Did I tell you this would happen? Alcohol only makes you feel good for a little while."

"I have learned my lesson. But I also have many more questions." Her fingers tighten around mine.

"Yeah, uhh I don't really know where to begin with that. You asked me to stay with you last night and-"

"Oh Robin, I am sorry," she says, pulling her hand away. I feel myself deflate.

"No, it's okay. I-I wanted to." I feel my cheeks grow warm. Fuck, I better not blush. "Star, look, I really want to talk to you about that whole thing in Tokyo, and what's been going on lately-"

"We do not need to talk about it, I understand."

"Could you stop interrupting for a second? I'm trying to tell you that I was an idiot." She stares at me for a moment, possibly registering what I'm saying. "Starfire, I'm sorry for hurting you. I've been hurting myself at the same time. I wanna be with you. Can you forgive me?"

A slow smile spreads across her face and her eyes fill up with tears. Before I can say another word, she throws her arms around my neck and holds me in one of her signature bone crushing hugs. I choke out a laugh as I pry at her arms, trying to get her to loosen her hold. Finally she releases me, and then suddenly looks embarrassed.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Excuse me; I must go brush my teeth." She rises up from my bed and flies out of my room. Suddenly I'm just sitting in my room, all alone, but completely happy. I get up from my bed and walk out of my room.

"Dude, why was Starfire just coming out of your bedroom?" asks Beast Boy. I look down the hall to see him and Raven standing outside of her bedroom door. I just wave them off and walk over to the bathroom.

I feel like I'm waiting for forever until finally the bathroom door opens, and she's standing there, her beautiful green eyes all wide and surprised. Her lips curl up in a smile, but before she can speak, I pounce. My hands slide over her hips and around her back, pulling her close to me. I can hear her breath catch as I lean just inches away from her face, and press my lips against hers.

And I don't think I've ever been so happy in my entire life.

How are you liking it? Just a couple more chapters of drabbles and then I'm starting the full on story.

Reviews please! :)