Hikaru could hear the sound of heartbeats thundering in his ears. He wasn't sure if it was hers or his, but decided to chalk it up to the rush of adrenaline. Still as they descended the last few feet, touching down on the rooftop together. Neither of them moved. Neither broke eye contact.
Around them, the Titans began to approach, but their voices seemed distant, muted.
All Hikaru could focus on was the alien girl in his arms and the way she smiled at him.
The dimensional portal collapsed with a final crackle of energy, leaving the street cleared of Gordanians. Hikaru's wings folded against his back as stepped back towards his awaiting teammates.
Starfire began to speak but looked increasingly frustrated at confusion her words illicted, her green eyes darting between the Titans as she spoke rapidly in a language I felt certain was Tamaranean
"Does anyone understand—?" Robin started.
The girl's gaze swept the group desperately, her hands gesturing as she continued her incomprehensible plea. Then her eyes locked onto something—or someone—and she floated forward quickly.
Donna took a step back, raising her hands. "Whoa, whoa! Don't get me wrong, you're gorgeous, but I'm not into—"
The alien girl passed right by her, drawn instead to Hikaru standing close behind. She stopped inches from his face, close enough that his line of sight was comprised only her emerald eyes.
"Oh. OH. Right." Donna's face flushed. "That makes more sense."
"Does it have to be—"
She cupped his face with both hands and kissed him.
His eyes widened briefly before closing. Warmth flooded through him—not uncomfortable, but intense, like standing in direct sunlight. Energy hummed between them, as if something resonated with his own light-based powers.
She pulled back, her expression shifting from determined to amazed. She touched her lips with delicate fingers.
"—a kiss," Hikaru finished his sentence as they seperated. "Yeah. Okay."
"Oh!" Her voice came out perfectly clear now, accented but understandable. "You are warm, like home sun!"
Hikaru blinked, recovering his composure. "Thanks? You can call me Seraph, and your name is…?"
Her face lit up. "I am Koriand'r of Tamaran. Our kind can learn language from the act of kissing."
"Lucky," Kid Flash muttered to Beast Boy.
"Focus," Raven said flatly.
Hikaru cleared his throat, very aware that his teammates were watching. "Well... Welcome to Earth, Koriand'r. Are you, uh, alright?"
"Yes, for now." She floated half a step back, giving him space. "I was taken captive after my homeworld of Tamaran was attacked by the Gordanians. I managed to escape, but I ended up crashing here on...?"
"Earth."
Her expression fell. "The Gordanians may come back. I am sorry for bringing danger to your world."
Donna stepped forward. "You didn't bring danger. You brought yourself. And you're welcome here."
Hikaru glanced at the team. Kid Flash nodded enthusiastically. Cyborg crossed his arms but smiled. Even Raven gave a slight tilt of her head—approval, in her language. Robin met his eyes and nodded once.
"You're free to stay with us," Hikaru said. "We can help out if they decide to come back."
Koriand'r's eyes widened. "You would do this? For a stranger?"
"We help people," Raven said simply. "That's what we do."
Robin moved closer. "If you want to stay, you're welcome."
Hikaru gestured to the group. "These are my friends: Robin, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, and Kid Flash."
Beast Boy waved. "Oh, by the way, I speak some Spanish if you wanna learn that."
"Second-year high school French," Kid Flash added before getting elbowed by Donna.
Hikaru smiled. "Welcome to the Teen Titans."
Koriand'r looked at each of them, her gaze lingering longest on Hikaru. "Thank you, Seraph. Thank you all."
They headed back to the Tower together, the team spreading out in their usual travel formation. Koriand'r flew beside Hikaru, matching his pace easily.
"The light you emit..." she said her voice soft. "It is like the sun of my homeworld."
Hikaru glanced at her. "Really? What was it like?"
A sad smile crossed her face. "Beautiful. Before the war."
Something tightened in his chest. "I'm sorry."
"But now..." She looked at him, hope flickering in her expression. "Perhaps I can find new beautiful things here."
Hikaru smiled. "Yeah. Maybe you can."
They landed on the Tower's rooftop together, the rest of the team gathering around as Robin deactivated the security system.
"We'll set up a room for you," Robin said.
Cyborg nodded. "And get you some Earth clothes. You can't wear that armor twenty-four seven."
Koriand'r tilted her head. "Earth clothes?"
Beast Boy grinned. "Oh boy, this is gonna be fun."
Koriand'r turned to Hikaru, her expression earnest. "Will you help me learn more about your world?"
He met her eyes—bright, hopeful, genuine—and felt warmth settle in his chest again.
"Of course."
Her smile could've powered the entire Tower.
My memories don't do her justice, Hikaru thought as they walked inside together. She's got quite the sunny personality. It's like standing next to the sun. He glanced at the chaos already brewing as Beast Boy started explaining Earth culture to their newest member. I guess things will be a bit more lively around here.