Konnichiwa… this may sound familiar, but hey, this is my favourite one-shot that I have written… There will be a sequel... Important message at the end…

A typical martial arts expert splashed ice water over his face. His mind was in turmoil and his body was still recovering from the escapade that happened hours before. He winced as he touched his shoulder but didn't make a verbal sound. He stared at his reflection; a rush of faces took its place. One being the mentor of his existence, one being his father, one being his polar opposite, one being his enemy and the last one to fade away being his un-sung love interest. His faint smile slowly descended into a frown as the worst case scenarios plagued his mind. He didn't want anyone to get into trouble or go through the pain he endured when he was a child. His past waltzed through his mind as he splashed more ice water on his face, sighing and letting out a breath his didn't realised he'd been holding. Obviously to some people, he hadn't been put through enough suffering. Wasn't losing his parents wasn't enough?

Countless weeks he had spent on the streets starving, his deceased parents had always told him to stay on the right side of the law and justice. Just as he was ready to through in the latter and join them… a person who represented justice took him in and blessed him with a good life… he didn't think that getting revenge in evil-doers could be a curse in his young mind. He never realised that loving someone other than your own blood could become a reality; he thought they only belonged in fairy-tales and in the lives of normal people. But then again, what was the meaning of normal anyway? Nobody on his team was 'normal', no body he knew lead a normal life except for those who he carried the burden along with the rest of his team to protect. But would he be able to protect them any longer? Would be able to carry the strain of protecting the innocent, punishing the malice, while living up to the high expectations and caring for those who cared for him? Could he handle it?

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A slender well-tanned girl leaned on her stone cold window. Her breathe fogs up the glass pail making the glistening bay view more sinister and spooky. The reflection of dancing lights glitter in her emerald eyes as her fingertips reach out into the night through an open space. She sighs heavily, thinking back towards her dream, or rather nightmare. From the day's current events came the haunting thought of her subconscious. Could it be true? Could the person she loved be enticed by another? She shook her head to shake off the thought, her long auburn locks flowing down her back and sides. A star twinkles out towards her; she futilely reaches out to grasp it while remaining firm on the ground. Her past had certainly had its downs… she couldn't remember once smiling about it… unless she saw her mothers smiling face.

Her planet had been attacked by Psion's; her parents had been slaughtered in front of her eyes, her sister and herself being kidnapped and enslaved by the opposing race, her younger brother fleeing for his life, her sister supposedly dying during slavery… but somehow miraculously comes back from the dead and appears on earth and tried to steal her life away from her. A silent tear slid down the perfectly tanned girl's face. She admitted it to herself a long time ago… she was an alien. An outsider. But somehow, she had managed to find people who would look out for her no matter what. Put even then, she only remember the high times when she saw his smiling face… that face hadn't been smiling in a long time. It was also possible that he cared more for another… her fears were confirmed. She was truly an outsider… and all she craved was for somewhere… she belonged.

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Could he handle it?

He glanced around his bathroom and glared at his reflection. He saw the same face that haunted his very existence and punched the mirror violently. Glass shattered everywhere and mixed in with the running water. He growled low as he heard the noise of nails drumming against a window pail. Silently, he turned off the water and made his way out of the bathroom into his bedroom. His covers had been untouched and his nightclothes scattered to the far side of the room. But what use were they? He hardly slept anyway. But nevertheless he tried. He laid down on his bed and closed his masked eyes. Within moments of finding peace, a thousand screaming voices came to his ear and the same face haunting his mind. He bolted upright with beads of sweat dripping from his head. He groaned in frustration and jumped off the bed. He barged through the doors of his closet and put on a crimson sweat shirt, black tracksuits on with black trainers and dark sunglasses.

He stomped back out towards his door and marched his way back towards the kitchen. On his way he kept on recollecting on his two-minute nightmare. It had been short and intense; he had felt like his while being was being ripped apart by the screaming of a thousand frightened voices. Feeling the urge to be refreshed, he pushed himself towards the Rec. Room door and walked along towards the kitchen. He stopped slowly outside the fridge and opened the silver plated door. He reached his bare hand inside feeling out for his precious white liquid; milk. He tipped the blue stripped carton to his mouth and sighed inwardly as the cool liquid calmed his body but not his raging mind. His heart was still pounding hard against his rib cage. He had lost her in two minutes, which felt more like two seconds. He could put his life on the line… but could he put his loves?
She was truly an outsider… and all she craved was for somewhere… she belonged.

Another blind tear trickled down her well-tanned cheek; it dripped down onto her shoulder and continued its journey down her body. Not bothering to wipe them away she drifted over toward her bathroom. She planted her bare feet onto the tiled floor. The cooling sensation radiated through her legs, making her feeling weak in the knees. Gradually, she stripped down and emerged herself into the warm running water that came out of the shower system. She swayed herself leisurely around in her confined space, making sure that the droplets of water made contact with all parts of her body. The humid water drained through her flaming hair, cooling its fiery nature into smooth, wavy locks. Her mind had become a blur compared to the chaotic turmoil it was previously in. His face kept on appearing… and so did hers. An uninvited vision came into her mind. She gasped at the power of it and was blown back to the end of her shower. It left a stinging pain in her upper back as well as her mind. She shook her head violently and jumped out of the shower while reaching for her purple towel with pearly white embroidery. Wrapping it around herself, she breathed heavily.

The image had disturbed her calming shower and calm mind, also sending a thousand buzzing words that made her feel sick to her heart. She zoomed out of the shower as she saw her reflection grin at her maniacally with scars filled with blood on her left cheek. On her way to her closet she blew over a picture frame, which snapped in two length ways. But she didn't worry about that. She quickly put on her underclothes, tight pair of burgundy jeans with a light almost see-through black sparkly mid-drift top with no sleeves or straps. To finish off the outfit, she pulled on a pair of thin black socks and a pair of low heeled boots. She stepped tentatively out towards to middle of her room, her hair still damp and wavy. She levitated of the ground and started to spin quickly, her locks rising in all directions. An object floated off the ground into her soft hands. She stopped spinning as she realised that it was the photo of her and her leader who she happened to be in love with. She had put it in a heart shaped frame, but it had now split down the middle, like she was heart broken… and she was.

She dropped the photo onto her hurricane shocked bed and made her way out of her bedroom. To refresh her mind, she journeyed towards the Rec. Room, on her way she heard the roof door open and close twice. Thinking it was Robin; she sighed and carried on through the dark halls of the tower. She had to avoid him; even if it did mean only seeing him when they had to go on a mission. She didn't care; if it saved heart break, it would save a lot more. A soft light emitted from the kitchen, while a shadow with a cape blocked some of the lights path. Thinking it was only Raven she walked past the kitchen without looking back. She floated slowly towards the large windows that guarded the Living Room from the outside world. A purple glow seemed to haze the night's sky, making it more spooky than usual. Moaning softly, she started to drum her nails against the glass. She was so tired, but didn't feel like sleeping, it didn't occur to her that the person she was trying to avoid was spying on her every action, while thinking to himself.

The masked titan steadily put his milk carton down. His eyes still transfixed on her beauty. He had never seen her out of uniform before, well, except for the prom that he was forced to go to, but to see her now like this was heaven. Without noticing that he had left the fridge door open, he backed up into in and tripped over; letting out a surprised yelp in the process. The auburn haired titan whipped her head around and scanned her surroundings. Was anybody there? She noticed that there was a carton of milk on the counter. Her eyes lit up in recognition; it belonged to her leader. Without much on her mind, except for the thought that he might be spying on her, she ran. The images of him and her best friend together were becoming unbearable. She soon realised that her pure heart wasn't able to conjure up the feeling of joy she needed to fly. With the bitter taste of doubt in her mouth she sprinted back into the dark hallways, taking random twists and turns. The leader, realising that she was running away, sprang up from his painful stupor and began to chase after her, taking note of all her twist and turns. Her mind had been thrown into chaos. Random disturbing thoughts were plaguing her innocent mind. What was she to do? She couldn't belong here… her heart was breaking. Surely, somewhere she belonged was where her heart wasn't breaking. In the dusk she realised that there was a shadowy door way. Without a moment of through, she lunged through the door, only to be met with an impending painful fall as the ground had left her feet in a steep descent.

Cautiously, he crept towards the opening and leant against the door way. He shone a flash light down the stairway and saw her moving figure at the bottom. The light illuminated a single tear that was falling down her face. He blinked in shock and ran down the stairs after her. She noticed at shadow being cast and the recent lack of brightness in the area. He was coming after her. Why couldn't he just give up? He's supposed to be sleeping anyway. So was she; but she couldn't sleep, not with all the visions that invaded her personal space. She could sense his cool shadow over her as his footsteps slowed down and grew louder. She felt his covered hand reach out for her shoulder, in a split second she moved from her position, leaving him stunned, and ran over to the other side of the basement. He looked at her, puzzled; she has never behaved like this before. Something was wrong, he could sense it, but he didn't know what. He dropped his hand from its previous point and took six steps towards her. From his point of view, she seemed to tremble at his appearance. Without much warning, an amethyst light radiated throughout the vicinity, blinding them both. After the phase, they both heard a faint crumbling. Two pairs of eyes flittered from one corner to another, trying to locate the source. The masked pair of eyes won that prize; to his relief it was nowhere near him… to his dismay, the source was right above his former love's and was about to crush her un-expectantly. With great speed and determination, he charged towards her, franticly screaming…

"STAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRFFFFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRREE!"

The girl in question 'eeped' as she saw a flash of crimson and black sped towards her and knocked her out of the way.
Coughs echoed throughout the subterranean vault as the couple rose from a rather intimate/awkward position. The Tamaranian girl rose up quickly, while hiding a rebelling blush with deep anger and sorrow. The human adolescent soon rose up as well, while dusting himself off he asked, "Are you alright?" He tried to touch her, but she wouldn't have any of it. So she pushed he away.

"No thanks to you Robin!" she retorted angrily.

"What? I just saved your life! You could have been crushed!" he shouted back.

"Its better to be crushed physically than mentally!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh yes. Act as if you don't know that cause! When you and her are the damn centre!" She walked over a bit, only to trip over a loose boulder. In a split second, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her preventing her fall. Once on her feet, she pushed away his arms and leant against the stone cold wall. "Get away from me!" she growled. Robin walked up to her and trapped her against the cobweb covered wall.

"No! Not until you tell me what's up with you!" he demanded.

"Bite me!" Star hissed as she pushed him away and began to run towards the stairs. Her attempt was unsuccessful as Robin tackled her from the side and landed on top of her. She struggled and squirmed underneath him, but didn't have the strength to fight him.

"Starfire… why won't you talk to me anymore? What did I ever do to you? Is someone after you? Is there something your not telling me? Star, I'm your best friend and you are mine… why can't you just tell me what's bothering you?" These questions left his mouth in a rope so thick that it wrapped Starfire mind and held it captive. A few more tears leaked from her emerald eyes. She choked on a sob and started to hit Robin gently on the chest in a weak protest to let up go. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me Star!" She sighed in semi-defeat…

"I was just reminded… on how I… lost my… parents."

"How did you loose your parents Star? You've never spoken about them before," Robin asked whilst releasing his tough grip on her but not letting her go.

"They were… slaughtered… right in front of my eyes. It has… scared me for life you could say. I did not know what to do, so I stayed frozen… I had no idea what was to befall in my future at that moment… it never crossed my mind. I didn't belong… anywhere."

"You belong here Star… with friends who care about you… you'll never have to feel pain again." Starfire's emerald eyes narrowed with rage. He did know pain… even if he did, she shouldn't have put he through so much.

"And what would you know about pain? You haven't experienced anything of what I have witnessed!" The sudden outburst caused Robin's face to turn red as he lightly slapped her around the face.

"You should get your facts right before you make accusations! I watched my parents die too!" She reached up and touched her cheek gently; the sting of hurt and betrayal was clear on the area and on her face.

"And I think you need to follow your own advice!" she murmured angrily. In her words she flipped Robin over so that he was underneath her. She then screamed at him, "You always take all your anger out on me! Every time I calm you down after battle, you yell at me; and after I did not see Slade, when he was not even present in the first place, you grab me and pinch my arm, leaving a mark! You do not care about me… you only care about your team and how well its doing!" Robin stared wide eyed at her. He had never felt so frightened and insecure in his life. Was this real Starfire? Did he really put her through all of this pain? He had only meant to protect her.

"I- I'm sorry Starfire. I really am. I had no idea my actions affected you in that way. I only meant to protect you!" He replied with an equal tone of voice while he rolled them over so that he was on top.

"Well, a lot of good that did! I swear if I wasn't so-,"
Robin couldn't take anymore. Seeing the love of his life squirm and scream at him with anger. Did he really love her? He took one more look at her luscious lips, silky fiery auburn hair, glistening emerald eyes and the smooth curves that waved throughout her well-tanned body. Of course he loved her! He had loved her from day one. He made his decision and put his lips to hers.

An explosion of positive emotions blasted into her mind as the sensation on her lips escalated through her body, sending shivers up and down her spine. Armies of tingling pricks erupted towards her fingertips. She felt his arms curl around her abdomen and bring her closer.

Instinctively, she pulled her arms up his back and around his neck. She hated to admit it; but it felt good being in his arms, his soft caress sending a silent plea to her, as if saying not to move. For a few moments, she was spell-bounded by his kisses and lingering touch. She gasped softly as she felt his tongue beg an entrance at her lips. She obliged without a second thought. The long awaited kiss soon turned into a passionate fiasco, both of them putting in as much as they were taking out. After a few minutes the kiss was still growing strong, but Starfire began to feel half hearted about it. As much as she wanted to enjoy the full extent of the kiss, she couldn't. Her negative conscience wouldn't let her. She had read in books and seen on TV how devious men can be when it came to emotions as strong as love. What if she was the next victim to fall into such a trap? And didn't her 'love' seem to be tempted by her polar opposite?

She stopped moving her mouth and pulled away from him, turning her head away so that he couldn't see the tears that threatened to erupt from her bright green eyes. However, they didn't go unnoticed as he wiped them away. "Star?" he whispered. She shook her head violently trying to get that image out of her mind, her attempts failed as she broke down with tears. All the memories that she hated, raided her mind in a torrent of swirls and flashes. "NO!" she creamed as she pushed Robin off her with al the strength that she had left. "I don't belong here," she whispered before sprinting toward the murky stairway and out into the silent city. Robin, who was still recovering from their kiss sat dumbfounded until he heard a door slam. Her words: 'I don't belong here' rang through his mind. He had to find her before she did something she would regret. Without another thought, he dashed out after her.

Heyo people! Heh, I hope you enjoyed that… the very important message is that I'll be going to Miami and Jamaica this summer and I won't be able to access a computer. This also means that I won't be able to write for three weeks. Very sorry to people who were expecting How Can I Trust You to be updated. Hopefully, before I go I'll be able to update that and write the next chapter to the story that I've dedicated to Rose/Jackalobe… she deserves it. And everyone else who has supported me! I love you all!

Anywayz, God Bless…

Keep it real…

D-I-WaRrIa