The Batcave was quiet, only the soft hum of computers breaking the silence. Nightwing stood at the main console, scanning Gotham’s crime patterns. He worked efficiently but without Bruce’s edge; years of responsibility had hardened him, and solitude had become familiar.

Then the security alert chimed.

His eyes flicked to the monitor—and froze.

The camera feed showed a figure at the manor doors. Her.

Starfire.

Five years had passed since he’d last seen her. Back when they were Titans—young, reckless, and in love but too inexperienced to know what to do with it. When the team disbanded, she returned to Tamaran to reconnect with her family and reclaim her heritage. She’d promised to visit soon, but what had been months for her became five years on Earth.

He’d buried himself in Gotham’s darkness, convincing himself he’d moved on. Seeing her now, radiant as ever, proved he hadn’t.

He stepped away from the console, boots striking the metal floor. His hand flexed, restless, as the elevator engaged, lowering her into the cave.

As the platform descended, Starfire came into view—taller, more grounded, carrying herself with the calm strength of someone who had grown. She wore no armor, just her presence, warm and commanding in a way that reminded him painfully of when she’d been his whole world.

His breath stilled. His eyes locked on hers, and for a moment, it was like no time had passed at all. The years apart evaporated, leaving only the sharp memory of what they’d shared and never resolved.

When the platform touched down, she stepped forward, boots soft against the cave floor. Her hair caught the overhead light, glowing like it once had in battle, and for a moment, he almost smiled. Almost.

“Starfire…” His voice came quieter than he meant, edged with something heavy he couldn’t mask. “You’re here.”

He didn’t move closer. He stood still, locked in place, watching as she crossed the threshold into the Batcave—a piece of his past stepping back into his life after half a decade of silence.