AN: This is a continuation of a one-shot I wrote called Return To You. Please read that first or you will find yourself very confused!
It was an unusually rainy day in Echo Creek.
The steady tapping of Marco's fingertips across his knees matched the pattern of rainfall hitting the window pane.
"I didn't know you drank tea," Marco turned to face the blonde princess lounging comfortably in the chair beside him.
She inhaled deeply, her top lip barely touching the rim of her mug.
"It's a habit I picked up from my mom a few years ago."
A comfortable silence fell over them and 20 minutes had passed before Star finally sighed, "I guess we should get up. You wouldn't want to be late to your own welcome party, would you?"
The duo had decided to spend one more week in Marco's childhood town before leaving for Mewni. This gave Star a chance to go home and talk to her parents about the situation, seeing how they would react and if it was even possible for Marco to live with them. She wasn't expecting the full welcome wagon and party plans after divulging her idea, but the King and Queen were full of surprises these days. They reacted even more excitedly when Star confessed that she and Marco had decided to be with each other.
Not much would be changing from when they were 14 and living together. They would still have separate rooms, much to the dismay of Star. One of the benefits she was looking forward to after getting with Marco was expanding their Friendship Thursdays into big cuddle sessions. She was an adult now, couldn't she have a say in what bedroom she slept in?
A big smile crept over her face as she felt Marco's fingers intertwine with hers.
"Shall we get dressed, my princess?" He smirked, swinging his arm back and forth between them.
If Marco was being truthful, his relationship with Star was almost the complete opposite of his time with other girls. Just thinking about his failed past relationships brought back heartache and embarrassment. For example, if he had grabbed Jackie's hand so suddenly back then, he could only imagine how sweaty and shaky they would be. Now, there was nothing that felt more natural than taking Star in his arms.
Before they could swing their way up the stairs, Angie and Rafael stepped out into the living room. Star's eyes sparkled as she looked over them from head to toe. They were dressed beautifully for the welcome dinner her parents were planning at the castle.
"We have dressed appropriately, I hope!" Rafael grinned, holding an arm outstretched to twirl his wife around. Angie's floor length dress glimmered even in the low incandescent light.
"You look amazing!" Star replied eagerly, "You two will put me and Marco to shame!"
"Absolutely not!" Angie gushed, "Quickly, go get ready so we can leave."
Marco was expecting a small buffet type meal when they reached Mewni, but he should have known to expect something huge from the royals. With almost as much fanfare as the last Mewni-related event he attended, banners hung from every corner of the banquet hall. No chair or pedestal was left undecorated. Castle staff dressed in stuffy suits ran chaotically around them, offering samples and drinks to all of the guests.
"There's, like, so many people here." Marco leaned over and muttered to Star.
Her eyes were wide as she looked around the room and nodded, "I didn't think mom would invite this many guests. Look, grandparents!"
Both sides of Star's extended family were mingling around the tables of food, chatting to one another and smiling.
"I don't want to freak you out, but have you seen that giant, creepy picture of you on the wall?" Marco gently took Star's shoulders and turned her around.
With one glance, Star gasped and elbowed Marco in the ribs, "How dare you! I do not look creepy!"
Contemplatively, she tapped her chin with a finger and questioned, "Do I?"
"Nah, you know I'm kidding. It's probably just because the painting is so huge it makes you look like a giant." He took another elbow to the ribs. "Ow! Star!"
Marco was still rubbing his sore abdomen a few minutes later when a screech came from the main entrance.
"Star Butterfly!" The high-pitched voice called out, and before she could respond, Star was knocked to the ground by a levitating unicorn head.
"It's been too long since I have seen your beautiful face!" Pony Head openly wept all over Star.
"Pony...It's been like, 24 hours since I saw you last." She giggled, brushing off her dress and hugging her friend.
"I know, but girl! That's a whole year to me!"
Star had already met with Janna and the rest of her former crew in the week they stayed on Earth. The girls cried tears of joy as they all reunited, clutching each other in one big group hug. They shared stories of happiness and heartbreak, but Star was mostly surprised by StarFan13's metamorphosis. She was a completely changed girl! Star felt guilty by how much this disappointed her. Although she was always flattered by StarFan13's...obsession, she should have known it would end one day. Especially when the object of her fangirling disappeared for 4 years.
"Where are the others?" Star curiously peered at the doors Pony Head had busted through.
"Psh, girl, I don't know. Janna's probably stuffing her face right now." She nodded towards the line forming at the longest of the food tables. "Can we eat now too? I'm starving."
The main meal went smoother than Star or Marco expected. When it looked as if everyone was finishing off their last plate, Moon stood up and quickly tapped on a crystal glass in her hand.
"Excuse me, everyone!" She raised her voice over the crowd.
"Thank you all for coming, we appreciate it immensely. As you all are aware, we have had a very difficult past few years. I believe no one has felt the emotional strain of our war more so than my daughter, Star Butterfly. That is why we are here celebrating her first big step into adulthood!"
Moon held out her hand to Star, motioning for her to stand.
"Star has made the decision to begin the process of becoming your next Queen. With her, she brings her suitor, Marco Diaz. Please welcome him with open arms as he is part of the Butterfly family."
Angie and Rafael smiled ear-to-ear as tears trailed down their cheeks. Star could only imagine how proud they were of their son in this moment. After all, how many parents get to see their child become royalty?
"Would you like to say a few words?" River spoke up, smiling at the boy across the table.
Marco rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Hello, everyone. I just wanted to say thank you for letting me be here. I've, uh, met tons of you before at other fancy events but today feels different. I hope I don't let you down."
The day ended with Star and Marco meeting almost every single member of the party, one by one. Curious people from town were even invited to the castle to talk with the future queen. They weren't expecting presents from anyone, so the couple was surprised by the multitude of nicely wrapped boxes placed at their feet.
"I could get used to this," Marco marveled.
When the guests were long gone and a peaceful silence washed over the kingdom, Star and Marco were finally able to retreat to their rooms. Marco sat at the edge of Star's bed and watched the princess take out her pinned curls one by one. He wanted to prolong the amount of time together as much as possible before saying goodnight.
"I feel bad for not saying this earlier, but you looked gorgeous tonight."
"It's okay," Star replied. "I forgive you. I didn't get the chance to tell you how handsome you looked either."
"Only a week has passed and we're slacking on the couple responsibilities already," Marco smirked, shrugging his shoulders at her.
"Just because I didn't say it, doesn't mean I didn't think it. It's the thought that counts anyway, right?"
Star hiked her blue evening gown up higher on her hips and plopped down on the bed beside him. Almost as quickly as she relaxed, her head shot up with an idea.
Star's eyes sparkled in the moonlight as she asked, "Do you want to go somewhere nice with me?"
Half of Marco wanted to reply with how late it was and how tired he was feeling, but the other half of him couldn't turn down the possibility of being with her longer.
"Absolutely," He breathed.
With a simple cut of dimensional scissors, the duo found themselves at the edge of a shimmering lake. Small waves lit up by the reflection of the moon rippled across the water's surface. Tip-toeing across the rocky beach, Star patted the space on the giant boulder next to where she finally sat.
"This is my secret spot," Star whispered. "I found this place a little while after I had to leave Earth. I would come here to think about you even when I didn't know it was one hundred percent safe to be alone. You were worth that risk."
"Star, that was dangero-" Marco began.
"I know, but everything was so crazy. I couldn't think about you when I was battling monsters. The water made me think of our beach trips." She sighed.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you," Marco replied. "I tried my best, I really did."
Star interrupted Marco again, but this time with a kiss.
"That's more than I could have ever asked for back then. Thanks for not forgetting me."
AN: Thank you for reading! Just a heads up, this story won't have much monster fighting in it. Rather, it will have more of a "growing up" theme. Starco will still go on adventures and have some drama, as well as some mature themes. This is why I decided to start a brand new fic instead of continuing the one-shot. Thanks to everyone who asked for a continuation, I'm excited about this story! I'll try to update every week, at the very least every Friday.