18Disclaimer: I don't own the Titans. If I did, no one would be watching it. Trust me. XD
Starfire woke up one Christmas Eve, excited and optimistic as usual. She hopped out of bed, slipped on her gloves, boots, arm band, and breast plate, before inching out into the hallway. She looked around, smiling. No one was there. She ran down the hall, grinning with anticipation. She floated into the living room, spreading her arms out wide, and called out for attention.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to greet her. All for Raven, who didn't look up from her book when she muttered a quick hello. But Beast Boy and Robin both waved enthusiastically and motioned for her to sit with them. She obeyed.
"Here you go, Star," Robin said, sliding the toast and milk over to her. Beast Boy smiled and flicked a knife over to Starfire as well.
She grinned at them both. "Thank you, boys."
Robin blinked at her. "You've never called us 'boys' before," he said interestedly, watching her butter her toast.
She looked up and tilted her head to one side. "I have not?"
Beast Boy shook his head.
"Oh." She looked at her hands a moment, before looking up again. "Should I have?"
Robin chuckled and smiled. "No, Star, it's okay. Forget about it."
"Alright then." She resumed buttering.
There was a thick silence. It was a comfortable silence, considering that it was Christmas Eve and that silence was common on such a day.
Finally Starfire finished her breakfast and looked up at everyone else. "Why are we so quiet?"
Everyone exchanged glances and, in unison, shrugged.
"I don't know, Star," Robin admitted. "It's just that… today's Christmas Eve."
"Christmas Eve?" Starfire asked, looking puzzled. "I have heard of that somewhere. What is this 'Christmas Eve' that you speak of? Is it to be feared?"
Everyone smiled, even Raven, at her confusion. The biggest holiday of the year was coming up, and she didn't understand what it was. Robin would have to tell her – it was now his official duty to explain anything and everything to her. The other Titans were free of the responsibility now; it was his job.
"What?"
Robin shook his head. "Nothing, Star." He paused when all the Titans looked at him. He sighed. "It's the day before Christmas. Christmas is a holiday."
"Oooh! A holiday?" she asked eagerly, scooting forward so that she was leaning forward onto the table. Beast Boy winced as her elbow went into the butter, but he didn't say anything. "Tell me!"
Robin avoided her gaze, thinking of how to describe it. The kitchen was filled with a heavy silence, everyone was hanging on his every word. It made him nervous.
"Will you all stop STARING at me!?" he cried suddenly, covering his head. "You're making me nervous!"
Instantly all the other Titans turned away.
"Let's go up and talk about it," Robin muttered, standing up. Starfire put their dishes in the washer and followed him to the roof.
No one in the kitchen said a word.
Robin walked out onto the roof. It was cold out, a chilly winter breeze blowing about his face. He helped Starfire out, and led her to the edge of the roof where they sat down on the snow. They instantly regretted it. The snow was ice cold, and soaked their pants (or rather, Robin's pants and Starfire's skirt) through. Robin jumped up and shivered.
"Brrr…" he said.
"Brrr?" Starfire repeated. She looked down at herself. She looked back up at Robin. "This slick surface is not cold to me, Robin."
Robin nodded, his teeth chattering. "L-Lucky y-you."
Starfire smiled.
"Okay…" Robin breathed after rubbing his arms a while. Starfire had aided him by letting him huddle close to her for warmth. "Christmas… how to explain it…" His breath rose up in a wintry plum before his face. "Hmm…"
"It is a holiday starting tomorrow," Starfire said. She bit her lip.
"R-right. Uhm…" Robin thought a moment, before nodding and looking down at her smiling face. "Christmas is…"
A half-hour later they came down, still talking. Cyborg was watching TV, Beast Boy had gone back to bed, and Raven was still reading. She looked up when the two returned, eyebrow raised. She listened, hanging on their every word.
"But, Robin, what are the machines for?" Starfire asked.
"To move the tree," he said wearily. "I told you ten times already."
"But how?"
"It has these things that can hold the tree. I don't know! Why ask me!?" he cried, and stomped over to where Cyborg sat. He threw himself down on the couch and stared moodily at the screen.
Starfire sighed and plopped down beside Raven. "This 'Christmas' sounds rather pointless to me," she told her friend.
Raven looked appreciatively at her out of the corner of her eye. "That makes two of us, Star. That makes two of us."
The rest of the day went busily. They brought in a tree (Beast Boy and Starfire went on a rant about how cruel and inappropriate it was to cut down trees until they returned it and got a plastic one), they hung a wreath on the door, and spruced up the living room to fit their liking. The tower was very Christmasy indeed. Starfire checked out books on Christmas and, after reading them and finally understanding the spirit in Christmas, perked up a lot. She starting singing carols (off-tune but actually quite well) and running off to by presents for everyone. When she came back she was clutching everything protectively and wouldn't let anyone see.
Beast Boy had run out and bought a bunch of Christmas-themed cupcakes, Raven had went out and bought ornaments to hang on their tree, and Cyborg had built a singing Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Robin set up a hand-made fireworks display as well. They had never been this spirited about a holiday before, and, as much as they hated to admit it, it was fun being so peppy.
That night
Everyone was busy putting the finishing touches on their tree. Raven, no matter how much she denied it, was, so far, the most cheerful and helpful out of all of them. Starfire, after breaking five bobbles in a row, was no longer allowed to hang ornaments. She sat down on the couch and watched eagerly as Raven carefully placed the shining gold star on the top of the tree with her powers. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy worked to fold pictures and lights in between the branches. When that was done, they wrapped strung popcorn around and around.
"Why are you hanging food on the tree?" Starfire asked, resting her chin in her hands. "Is the Santa going to come and eat them?"
Robin looked at her and smiled. "No. It's just a kind of decoration. Like the star and the lights." He nodded, looking thoughtful. Finally he looked her right in the eye, his face serious. "You don't believe in Santa, do you?"
Starfire looked confused. "Should I not?"
"Santa isn't real," Raven said flatly, not looking away from what she was doing.
Starfire frowned. "Really? But in all the books he…"
"Star, they're books. The kind of books you read were children's books. They're not real."
"Oh." Starfire hung her head. "I feel foolish."
Robin smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't. We all believed in Santa at one point, when we were little. Right, guys?"
Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven muttered an embarrassed yes.
Starfire smiled very softly. "That is a comforting thought. Thank you."
Robin nodded and stepped back. "Any time."
Early that morning
Robin was the first to come out that morning. The living room was chilly, the window was foggy and covered with frost, and the room smelled of pine and something else. He left his hair down, instead of spiky like he normally had it, and walked around without his shoes, cape, and gloves. He almost considered taking off his mask, but decided against it. He sat down and poured four equal glasses of milk, and one other of soy milk. The last one was a green cup instead of clear like everyone else's. He set them on the counter where each Titan usually sits and waited for everyone to come. He watched a realized that there were presents under the tree. It seems that it wasn't just him that came down last night and stashed presents there.
Footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw Beast Boy and Cyborg coming down, too groggy and good-natured to argue with each other. Robin handed Cyborg and Beast Boy their glasses and smiled warmly. "Merry Christmas, Titans."
The smiled too. "Merry Christmas, dude," they said together.
They sat and talked for a while, until they heard more footsteps. Looking up, they watched for whoever was coming. It was Raven. She smiled briefly, and picked up a glass off the counter. She sat down, crossed her legs, and gazed at each of them in turn.
"Good morning," she said. She paused, glanced at her knee, and then added, "Merry Christmas."
They grinned and responded unanimously. "Merry Christmas."
They didn't dare take a drink of their milk until Starfire came down. It took her a while, about a half an hour after Raven, before she appeared. And she came with a surprise.
She strode in with her arms thrown out, grinning. She wore a sleeveless "Santa" dress. It was deep crimson, with white, fluffy stuff along the top and hem. It was tight-fitting, and came with matching knee-high boots, gloves, and hat. To put it simply, she was dead sexy.
Everyone gaped, and Robin fell off of his chair.
"Merry Christmas, friends!" she bellowed, looking utterly cheerful.
Raven shook her head, trying hard not to laugh.
Starfire sat next to Robin, who avoided her gaze, and took a sip of her milk. After breakfast, which consisted of nothing more than milk and cupcakes, they sat and opened presents. It was Cyborg first. Then Beast Boy, then Raven. Then it came to Robin, who opened Starfire's present last. She got him a new mask (he laughed), and a hand-made picture frame with a photo of them playfully fighting over the remote with Cyborg and Beast Boy masks on. He grinned at her and thanked her. Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy, remembering that they had not thanked their friends for their presents yet, thanked everyone profusely. It was rather funny.
Then it was Starfire's turn. She opened Beast Boy's gift first. It was a puzzle book full of riddles, jokes, mazes, connect-the-dots, and more. She thanked him. Then she opened Raven's. Books. Books. More books. And a teddy bear. Starfire grinned at Raven, then opened Cyborg's. A CD player with three CD's. He explained that he'd heard her talk about her recent fascination with music, so he made it for her. She thanked him and turned to Robin's. It was small, wrapped in bright purple with an orange bow. She put the bow on her head and opened the present. It was a beautiful necklace, one that made rainbows when you held it out in the sun. She picked it up and held it gingerly in her hands, staring in awe.
"Wow," said Raven, glancing at her gift from Robin, which was a poem book and a new cloak.
Beast Boy grinned and hugged himself. Cyborg gaped.
Starfire smiled and looked at Robin, who was staring at his hands as if they were the most interesting things on earth.
"Thank you, Robin," she said softly.
He stood up and walked out without a word.
Everyone watched him go in silence.
After a long, long time, Starfire spoke. "I think I should go talk to him," she said, and stood. She still clutched the necklace in her hands. She strode out, her face determined.
Robin sat on the roof, thinking bitterly about nothing. He didn't know what his problem was, he just felt suddenly very, very rejected. The cold wind blew against his face, the snow burned at his legs, but he didn't care. He just stared at the sky, thinking to himself.
And then, out of nowhere, Starfire was there.
She knelt at his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What is the matter, Robin?"
"I don't know," he admitted.
"Then why do you sit out here all alone?"
"Starfire, I… I just feel like it, okay?" He looked away again, narrowing his eyes.
"Robin?"
"What now?"
"I need help getting this necklace on."
He looked at her, astonished. "Uh… oh. Um… o-okay. Turn around."
She turned her back to him, handing him her new necklace. With shaking hands, he gingerly slipped the necklace over her head and fitted the clasp on the back of her neck. She shivered, then turned to look him in the eye.
"Thank you."
"Will you quit saying that?" he asked uncomfortably, looking away.
"What?"
"Never mind…"
"Robin?"
"What?"
He looked up, eyes narrowed. He jumped when she reached out and grabbed his hand. She hugged him gently, nuzzling her face in his neck. He blushed and patted her on the back. "Uhm…"
"Merry Christmas, Robin."
He was silent for a moment, then said, very softly, "Merry Christmas, Star."
THE END