The digital clock blinked 2:00am.

Starfire lay still, sighing sigh after sigh she could not withhold. Beside her, Robin slept soundly, his steady breathing the only sound audible, unaware of her troubles.

Starfire sighed again. It was stupid, really. She was so caught up with such useless things. This did not matter.

She knew this, and yet, she can't help but trace the words on Robin's back.

"I love you," she wrote with her fingertips, tracing and retracing the letters across his spine.

Robin had never told her that he loved her. Why this bothered her, she does not know. She cannot believe she would stay up all night pondering this.

Starfire knew that Robin loved her. He shows this to her every day in many ways. The kisses proved them well. His hugs and gestures too. He had told her multiple times that she makes him "so happy" and how she is "the best thing that ever happened" to his life.

And he sometimes comes close too, with his 'love ya see you later' before he leaves for a mission.

But still, never did he once say a full "I love you."

Ever.

It bothered her immensely.

Of course, she did not want to be the type of terran girl that obsesses over these sort of things. Those are just words after all. Three words. A bunch of letters thrown together.

Perhaps it was just her upbringing. In Tamaran, everyone was very vocal about their feelings. They honor their emotions. Respect them. Flaunt them. Terran people seem to be ashamed of it. They hide and mask and suppress their feelings in any way they could. And yet they still wonder why Earth is filled with sorrow.

Humans are such odd creatures.

Starfire yawned. She wrote another "I love you" on Robin's back. As an afterthought, she traced a question mark.

Starfire bit her lip. It really was stupid, and perhaps she was overreacting. By tomorrow, she was sure, that she would be over it.

Well, she hoped.

She turned the other way, her back to him, and slid her eyes shut.

As she felt sleep tug at the edges of her vision, she felt strong arms circle her waist.

Robin nuzzled her neck, his warmth tickling her skin.

"I love you too," he whispered in her ear.

A/N: Message me for requests, and I'll do them if I feel like it :3

—kimqwin