First off: AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! "Booth Buddies!" Consider this piece a "I Can't Believe Starco is 99.9% Canon" celebration story and my predictions for Week 5. I hope you enjoy and let me know how you think "Bam Ui Pati" will go down.
"Heya, B-fly, pass the popcorn and the tissues—it's getting good here." Star Butterfly, sitting on her bestie's fluffy bed, passed the tasty, buttered snack, and a half-empty box of tissues Pony Head's way. She had been called to the Cloud Kingdom to stage an intervention for her friend who, while in a deep depression over losing her horn to Meteora, was vegging out on a Korean drama to console herself. When Star first saw Pony in her low state, she did not think it was so bad that Pony Head had a favorite show to obsess over. Everyone needed a distraction to help get them over bad situations. The only problem was that Pony was a bit too into her show. So much so that she ran away when they tried to get her to put the dang laptop down long enough to tell about what happened at St. Olga's. This event led to a hijacked van, an epic chase, and overall destruction until Star able to wrestle the truth out of Pony Head—literally too in the mud. As an apology for the near destruction of the kingdom and for getting mud on Star's clothes, the horse head threw a giant finale viewing party.
This was one of the few times the Pony Head sisters were not fighting and plotting to steal the throne from the eldest princess. They all sat in a circle around their sister, who was beside herself crying rainbows over shipping. Everyone's eyes were glued to the laptop screen, reading the often poorly rendered subtitles that served as their only means of understanding the drama unfolding.
"Oooh, girl," Pony Head dabbed the corners of her eyes, "Why did you wait so late to tell him you love him!"
On the screen, a pretty, brown-haired girl was weeping over the male lead's confession. They had been best friends for years even though he was a magical vampire prince from Transylvania—wherever that was—and the fact that he tried to suck her blood at least once an episode. The two did everything together: battle evil monsters, start a book club, file taxes….and so forth. It was obvious that they wanted to be more than just friends from their actions. They hugged a lot, called each other by cutesy pet names, and almost died to save one another. Maybe they would have confessed if the prince did not have to return home to lead his kingdom when the king died.
The second part of the three-part finale picked up years later when the lead girl was engaged to a normal businessman from her country. Their romance was decent enough until the vampire prince returned to her life randomly. After an hour of tension between the two, prince and girl were trapped in a closet at a Night Party, finally talking about the feelings they had kept to themselves after all these years.
"This is so overly dramatic," grumbled second-born Azniss Pony Head, munching on a mouthful of popcorn, watching the characters hug. "If they were such good friends, they would have said this stuff last season." The other sisters grumbled in agreement, but Pony silenced them with a pointed glare then went back to sobbing because she insisted that the scene was beautiful.
Jan Jan nodded in agreement, "Not only is it dramatic, she's cheating on her fiancé."
"And like she wasn't when she and the prince went to a demon ball and ended up with their souls bound forever in season one?" said Hornanne. "This is a long time coming."
"Love is a complex and difficult emotion, but what would you losers know?" Pony jeered while blowing her nose. "No one will ever love you!"
They said nothing after that rebuke, their eyes looking somber at the stinging words. In the show, the girl and vampire prince shared a moment that seemed ripped out of the cheesiest chick flick: their faces moved together in a passionate kiss and the show faded to black for commercial.
"NO!" an impassioned groan broke the silence of the room, not from Pony Head but from Tom who began to tear up at Star's side. Who knew that the hotheaded demon prince would gush over a romantic drama? Then again, he had an obsession with Love Sentence and loved to sing their songs to Star when trying to woo her. His level of success was up to the eye of the beholder. "Stupid commercial! I have to know how it ends: does she run off with her best friend or marry that other boring guy!"
"You see, I would marry the business guy," Pamanda shifted the glasses on her face. "What's the point of love without financial stability?"
Pony Head glared at her, "You're lucky my horn is gone. Like, my girl obviously doesn't really love the boring guy. She needs her magical adventure prince!" As they argued over which guy in the love triangle the lead girl should marry, Star hugged her knees tighter in odd silence. Her eyes never left the screen and she felt tears threaten to form because the show hit a little too close to home. A hand landed gently on her shoulder, but she could not receive the tender affection of the touch.
"So, Starship? If you were the girl, who would you choose?" Tom asked, trying to include her in the general debate. She glanced at him but could not find herself able to answer the universe's most ironic question. There was no real choice—not when the heart had made its decision long ago. Not for the girl in the drama nor for the princess who sat watching the show secretly condemn her. Seriously, it almost felt like someone had followed Star around for the past year and a half and changed names around to avoid a lawsuit. There was only one boy that she would choose. The one who had been by her side through thick and thin; the one who knew all of her secrets; the one that helped her become a better person. Marco Diaz. The answer made Star shiver out of excitement and deep shame.
When he did not get an answer, Tom prodded her again with his eyes brimming with concern, "Something bugging you, Star?" It was rare for him to not call her by her nickname. The prince knew something was up. "You've been kinda quiet since the wedding."
She turned her head just slightly but could not bring herself to look him in the eye. He really had no idea about anything? He was standing by the photo booth when she and Marco emerged from it after their trip to Awkward Feels Land. And how did he not see the damning pictures dangling from the slot? The ones that weighed in her pocket like stones.
She patted said pocket with a sigh, mulling over her thoughts and memories from that night…
What. Just. Happened? Her eyes widened when Marco pulled away, his eyes mirroring her shock as they let go of each other. Well, that went from zero to a million really fast. One moment Star was dragging Marco to a photo booth to relive some of their old Bounce Lounge adventures. Harmless, silly fun—the kind she loved having with her squire. Then the next moment they were staring wordlessly at each other, lips tingling from a kiss that just happened. Well, there was other stuff in the middle like being trapped by a creepy goblin who lied about the booth having magical, truth-seeking abilities, and Marco being a poor sport, but all of that paled in comparison to this moment.
Her mind whirled with a million emotions, but none of them included what she should feel after kissing someone she wasn't dating: anger, guilt, disgust. She felt equal parts giddy and extremely happy, and deeply and profoundly confused. I kissed a squire and I liked it... A lot. The moment was setup like something her mind had imagined for the longest time. In her deep fantasies, the first kiss never came from a big moment like how it happened in movies. No explosions or danger or destruction. Just a quiet, simple, yet poignant moment between friends who were really close. Maybe while watching a movie on Friendship Thursday or getting sugaritos in Echo Creek. Perhaps on a silly adventure to Quest Buy, at the most. The photo booth worked well too. Too well, in fact, she had gotten caught up in a moment that should not have happened. But it's not like I regret it….
The next few minutes went by in a haze of the goblin's cheering over their smooch to Marco's constant apology for overstepping a serious boundary. Her mind was only half paying attention while she sorted out her tangled web of feelings. Actually, they were not all that tangled. She did not really feel guilty about the kiss—but she knew that she should.
"We kissed…" she said almost deadpanned from shock. Which I let happened and was rather into.
"You are my squire…" she muttered after a second. Not that her excuse could really stop her. Sure, it was an improper breach of their working relationship, but that could not really prevent Star from pursuing him. Also, she was not really a princess anymore anyways.
"I have a boyfriend…." But did "boyfriend" and "best friend" have to be two separate people? Marco was someone who she could have fun with but also fight beside and let him in on her darkest secrets. Wasn't that what she wanted?
"His name is Tom…" There lay the issue and now Star felt bad. Since Marco became her squire, she treated him more like her boyfriend than Tom. When she had issues controlling her sleep portalling magic, it was Marco she called on to sit with her all night. When she got stuck in the Realm of Magic, it was Marco who was her lifeline. She even called on him to go with her to track down Buff Frog over Tom, for corn's sake.
The kiss had been the wake-up call she needed…She had been so afraid of Marco never loving her that she latched onto Tom. But Marco did like her, and she liked him—always had….
Star could swear that the pictures were burning holes in her very soul. She snuck the bottommost one out her pocket on the sly, smiling at the kiss it portrayed. For a split second, she could have sworn she had her cheekmarks glow as if she was dipping down…and did Marco have them? When she blinked her eyes, letting the paper go for a second, they vanished. It was probably an illusion from looking at the laptop too long, Marco always warned her about that. Slipping the pictures back in their secret place, she sighed and turned her gaze to Tom who was still arguing over ships.
She had to let him go—not just so she could be with Marco but because Tom deserved better. If Star were honest with herself, she was not the best girlfriend to him. They fought, she rebuffed his affection, she did not make a lot of time for him. A lot of that came from prioritizing her squire, but their relationship also lacked a deeper dimension. That was why she could not dip down to save Tom from the Demoncism but was able to do so for Marco when he was trapped in her closet. This was gonna hurt Tom. There was no way around that, especially since she kissed another guy behind his back. It had to be done though.
"Hey, Pony?" Star piped up and everyone's eyes turned on her. Don't make a scene, let's not become a drama, the princess breathed before she asked, "Mind if we take a break before the last part? I need to stretch."
"Good idea, B-fly," Pony nodded, "Gotta get more snacks and get ready for some more DRAMA! Brb in ten!" The group split up over using the restroom, finding more snacks, and stretching their legs—or floating heads rather. Star headed for the stairs outside of the castle wordlessly, knowing that Tom would follow her. When she sat on the stoop, her boyfriend sat down next to her with a half-smile.
He scratched his head, "I had no idea that I would be this into the show. I must say the characters seem very realistic—like I would know them in real life." You mean like the two of us and Marco, she bit her lip to keep her response a secret. Star stared at her shoes, feeling the weight of fifteen castles on her shoulders. I have to go through with this. She took his hand and the demon shot her a questioning look.
"Starship?" he eyed her, "I know you too well. Something happened, didn't it…something with Marco." His accusation stung as it always did. Lately, Tom had become fixated on being better than her squire. At first, it was funny, but it got annoying fast. She never understood his obsession until now. When she thought about what he must have seen, it made her feel worse. She put him in the tough spot of being her second boyfriend than her one-and-only. It was time to come clean.
Fishing in her pocket, she slowly revealed the photos, placing them in his hand. She said nothing and could scarcely bear to look at him. The shock and utter hurt on his face made her hang her head in shame. She should have been honest about her feelings earlier before hurting both boys.
Tom set the pictures on her lap, blinking for a moment then sighing bitterly, "Can't say I didn't see this coming, Star." She was surprised not to see him get angry. Star had known Tom and his hair-trigger temper for years. He was known for bursting into flames over waiting in line for too long and to see him this calm unnerved her. She had prepared for a fight.
Instead, Tom removed his hand from hers, "You always chose him over me. At the Blood Moon Ball, on the day he crawled through your window when he came back…" Star wanted to chime in but decided to let him finish. "I thought maybe you would grow to see me like you do Marco. I'm not blind, y'know. I have three eyes. I've seen the way you look at him, how you are so touchy with him, how your face lights up when he walks in the room. I just thought…"
His voice choked up there and Star patted his back. She began to shed a few tears, "I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just…when Marco left after I beat Toffee, I thought he was never coming back."
"He has scissors," Tom interrupted bluntly, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I have no idea where you would get an idea like that from."
"Marco was still dating Jackie, okay!" Star glared at him but instantly regretted blowing up at Tom. She let herself calm down before adding, "I thought he would choose her and would never love me. So, I—"
"You asked me out because I was the next best thing, I'm really flattered," Tom rolled his eyes. Okay, be like that! I'm trying to help you! Star stood right in front of him, eyes blazing with anger she could not keep in, "I was hurt, Tom! I didn't mean for this to happen."
"How do you think I feel?" he growled. "To know that you would never love me like you do Marco. That I was the silver medal and you would always long for more. Did I mean anything to you? You meant the world to me." His last question stung from the anguish in his voice. Don't make this about you, Star reminded herself, sitting down beside him.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, "I had fun hanging out with you and I think we can still a meaningful friendship." Star emphasized the last point by adding, "I don't think I ever became your friend, Tom."
The demon let the tension rolled away though the pain lingered in his eyes. That was understandable considering that this was their second breakup and that his worst fears of losing her to Marco came true. He flashed her a weak smile, "I think it's best that we be friends. Also, I won't kill Diaz—I just want to talk to him. He better be really nice to you after all of this. And if he breaks your heart…"
"Oh, Tom," she shook her head and the two hugged though it was bittersweet. They were at least on good terms, but their relationship was over. At least Tom didn't set fire to anything, she giggled slightly. "So…uh, what do we do now?"
Her ex shrugged, "After breaking the news to Pony, who I know will cheer because she never liked me being with you, I guess we find out who that girl marries." The offer was tempting but Star knew she had unfinished business with a certain best friend, and if she had learned anything through this love crap was that waiting was a bad idea.
Tom, guessing her thoughts, exhaled, "You don't even have to say it. Go make it official with your boyfriend down there. It's been a long time coming."
"Thanks, Tom," she smiled at him. "You're a good friend." She summonedCloudy and hopped aboard to fly back to Mewni, leaving Tom watching her. Star did not need to see the third part of the finale to know what would happen anyways.
Back in the Butterfly Castle, Marco Diaz lay sprawled on his back, staring at the ceiling as if it bore the secrets to finding love and happiness in the universe. It was not that he needed the cosmos and all the dimensions in it to tell him the answer. There was only one that he always knew but was afraid to admit, especially after the beach incident. Star Butterfly. The girl he loved even though he had acted way too slow and let her slip away. The boy flipped on his back and groaned into his pillow. Why didn't he say something at that end-of-the-year party on Earth? Or in the dungeon when they reunited? Or after she came back to life after Toffee killed her? He punched a hole through the evil lizard, for goodness sake, because he took her away from him! Marco was probably the densest idiot in the entire universe—even more so than black holes.
He could swear that his lips tingled still from the electricity of what he dubbed the "Booth Incident." He had told Star that they were going to give the booth the picture it was waiting for, but he had no clue that he would kiss her. It kinda just…happened. The way he looked at her and how her beautiful eyes locked onto his gave him the courage. In a split second, the Safe Kid took the biggest risk he had ever taken in his life, bigger than leaving Earth forever to become a squire. He kissed his best friend…and she reciprocated, her hand gripped him when she leaned in. In the aftermath, Marco could only wordlessly stare at her, his brain forgetting how to function. This was a moment out of his secret dreams.
But he should not be so…happy over that moment. Star was dating Tom—his own friend. That was a crappy thing to do to both of them. Why did he give in? It did not help that Star wasn't mad at him. She could have shoved him or, heck, blasted him with a spell. She had a right to. Then again, Star was the queen of mixed messages. On the one hand, Tom was her boyfriend, but on the other, she treated Marco like one. She made him swear to stay by her side, let him on her personal adventures and secrets, chose him over Tom to solve mysteries… Wait, were those squire vows wedding vows? Star sure was something else, he chuckled at that. He loved that about her—she did things her way no matter how strange.
Then he felt the familiar ache in his heart because he shouldn't be this hung up on her. The kiss was wrong…or it was supposed to feel that way. He regretted the timing of the act but not the act itself. Should he tell her that? She kept telling him that she appreciated his honesty. Marco turned to the window and sighed. Star was gone with Tom to help Pony Head, so it did not matter anyway. I do miss our adventures, he mused to himself.
Suddenly there was the sound of a tentative knock on the door which made Marco sit up. He had not been expecting anyone at this hour, and the relaxed nature of the laser puppies puzzled him further. They usually freaked out over knocking. Marco opened the door and his heart skipped a beat to see Star standing on the other side, looking rather pensive. Something must have happened with Pony and she wanted to vent to her squire—that was a normal occurrence. However, things were different now with their feelings out in the open and Marco was unsure if letting her sit in his room was a good idea.
"Hey," he said simply, and Star responded in kind. Odd, she usually was more excited to see him.
She sighed, her eyes looking pleadingly into his, "Can we talk for a bit?" Nodding in reply, he opened the door wider and they sat on the edge of his bed in silence for a moment. Marco made sure to give her plenty of space because he was not crossing that line again. Star shot him a look at how far away he was from her but said nothing.
"So," she looked at him, clearing her voice, "How are your guts feeling after the photo booth thing?" Oh, no…she brought that up. Run, Marco run! He sighed, forcing down the panic because there was no reason to stop being honest with her.
He slouched in his reply, "Still kinda bluuuuuuurgh." They both giggled a bit, then Star said, "Mine are feeling…okay for once."
"What changed?" Marco watched Star's facial expression become more serious while she mused over something. I hope Pony Head is okay, he rubbed his chin in worry. In fact, why was she home so early? She told him that after helping her friend that she was going to hang with Tom.
His mind ceased to function when Star grabbed his hand, but he did not pull away even though he should have. He watched Star dig out the pictures from the photo booth and handed them over, resting them in his palm.
"You kept them?" his eyes went down each frame, drinking in how happy and perfect that moment had been, which made him feel really guilty. "Look, Star, I—"
She shushed him with a look, "Don't. That doesn't matter because…I—Tom and I broke up." The news stunned the boy. So soon too…and he knew without her saying that the photos were the cause of it. Marco made fists with his hands. He made them break up. This was all him and that stupid chance he took…now both of his friends were hurt.
Star gripped his hand tighter, pulling him out of his self-loathing. She shook her head, guessing his thoughts because she knew his so well. "You didn't do this," she said firmly. "I did. This is my fault. I started dating Tom because I thought you would never love me."
Marco gave her a look. So, this whole time, she had liked him yet was with Tom. Why didn't' she just tell him…then again Marco did the same thing to her and Jackie back on Earth. And not bringing up the confession did not help. The two friends stared at each other, letting the words fully sink in. She and Tom were done, that made Marco feel a million pounds lighter for a reason—one he thought would never happen. There was hope. What are you doing? That's way too soon, he reminded himself to keep his enthusiasm under control. They had to take baby steps and the first one came with his question. "Do you…like me?"
Star bit her lip and her cheekmarks glowed in a deep blush which made her look really cute. It took a couple of attempts at opening her mouth wordlessly before she managed to squeak, "Yes. What about you?"
Thank goodness Marco did not immediately go into cardiac arrest at that moment or Star would have never known the secret he had carried for so long. This is it. The moment he had been waiting for. Marco Diaz was going to tell his best friend and girl of his dreams how he truly and deeply felt. This was a speech he had on standby and practiced often when he felt lonely. He met her gaze head-on and said, "Star, I…I…luuurvee, you."
Star's brows knit together in deep puzzlement while Marco was busy sweating bullets. How did he botch that so badly? I. Like. You. Three simple words were all that was needed. Nevermind, he would get it right the next time. Exhaling, he put himself on reset and squeezed her hand in preparation to confess the right way. "Star," he smiled at her warmly, melting at how her eyes lovingly looked at him. "I laaaa…I liiiike, nachos!" No! Not that!
Star began to snicker a bit while Marco wished he could just say it already. Third time is the charm then, he sighed, "Star, I…laaiiiiiike karate!" No.
"I…like puppies!" Nope.
"I…think it's a bit hot in here!" Not even close.
"I…liiiiiiike…I laaaaava. I lava volcanoes!" Ugh! Meanwhile, Star was beside herself laughing hysterically, wiping away happy tears, "Everything okay in there, buddy?"
Marco gritted his teeth in annoyance at himself—not Star. He had to get the feeling out somehow since basic words failed him. Time to be bold again, he cupped her cheeks and smashed his lips into hers. When he tried to pull away, Star's arms wrapped around him, bringing him in closer for a second. If he ever still doubted her feelings in the slightest, that was now gone. They separated, still reeling from the raw power of their first real kiss as a couple. Marco found himself lost in her sky-blue eyes—the ones he dreamed of staring into forever. For the first time since he had arrived the Mewni, he felt completely content. Sure, he had been happy before this moment, but being in Star's arms like this was…magical. For her too apparently, since even her cheekmarks were glowing.
"Marco? MARCO?!" Star's surprised gasped shook him out of his fantasy. "Your cheeks…are moons!"
Huh? He could see light radiating from his own skin, just like that one time when he used the All-Seeing Eye spell to find her in the Realm of Magic. He thought that they had been a side effect of using the wand, but he somehow made them appear without it. That was new and odd. Star just stared in awe which made him swoon a bit. Her expression reminded him of the Blood Moon Ball and how smitten she looked during their dance in the Underworld. When he said that she looked amazing, he really meant it. No one was more beautiful under the ruby light of the Blood Moon than Star.
"I really like you, Star," he sighed lovingly. I did it! I said the words! He was greeted by a crushing hug from his new…girlfriend? No, it was way too soon to use that label, but he chose to melt into her embrace than worry about it too much.
They pulled away, their cheeks returning to normal. For a moment, neither of them said anything, treasuring the moment they shared. It all happened so fast. "So…" Marco rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, making Star giggle a bit. Her laugh was so precious. "So, what do we do know that we are…together?" His voice cracked on the last word because it was so surreal that it made him a bit dizzy.
Star smiled at him, "Don't worry too much about it. Love is whatever we want it to be. I mean…we'll see where it goes." She made a good point. They had plenty of time to figure themselves out in the future. He grinned at her, feeling like he could fly to the highest cloud in Pony Head's kingdom right now. Star kissed his cheek, nearly reducing him into a puddle of mush.
"You know what tonight is?" Star's eyes got really wide as she bounced excitedly on the bed. Marco tapped his chin, trying to figure out what was so important about another Thursday…oh! Oh! They haven't had a proper Friendship Thursday in a long time. Wait, wouldn't it be Relationship Thursday now?
He had no time to ponder semantics because Star nearly dislocated his shoulder when she dragged him off of the bed. She flashed a wide grin at him, "C'mon, boyfriend! We gotta make nachos!"
Marco felt like he was floating, following behind her to the castle's kitchen. She called me her boyfriend, he nearly blacked out for a moment.
Nearly nine hours and five empty bowls of nachos later, Star and Marco reclined on his bed watching the third part of the dramatic season finale of a Korean Drama—the same one Pony Head had been obsessed with, as Star told him. While Star was deeply engrossed in finding out how the love triangle ended, Marco was transfixed on her. The way the laptop screen shed bluish light on her golden hair in the dark, feeling her heart beating from her body pressed firmly against his, the softness of her hands…all such new sensations. He stroked her hair causing Star to snuggle in closer, her head leaning on his chest. While they had spent many Friendship Thursdays cuddling under blankets and watching TV shows, this was entirely new. They held each other closer and sprinkled in a few quick pecks here and there. Between them was a sense of joy beyond words: this was how it should be.
Marco took a sip of his third corn malt, careful not to slurp too loud because the lead girl was about to make her choice. The second part had ended right after a powerful confession between here and a vampire prince, which made Star and Marco tear up a bit. Now, the girl was dressed in a white wedding dress, clutching her bouquet in front of two oak, church doors. This is it, Marco shifted forward a bit in anticipation.
"They better not cut to commercial or I will blow up this laptop!" Star huffed, gripping his hand tighter. And owe me six hundred and fifty dollars, he was going to playfully add but the doors swung open to reveal…the businessman standing at the altar.
"WHAT?!" Star screamed, tugging her hair in anguish. "WHAT IS THIS?!" The girl walked up the aisle to a cheerful organ serenade, past her best friend who even waved at her. With a huge smile, she took the hand of the businessman in front of the priest. Star sniffled in Marco's arms, reaching for the last nacho chip in the bowl while her eyes never left the screen. Trying his best to comfort her, Marco held her tighter. "I mean, they totally threw away a good, well-developed romance, but don't get that upset, Star."
The blonde turned away from the show with disgust and nestled in his arms. "You don't get it," she wiped away tears with a tissue Marco handed her, "This show resonated with me, doesn't it remind you of something?"
He thought about it for a bit. The love triangle seemed very familiar, but Marco couldn't quite put his finger on why. The girl liked her best friend who happened to be a magical prince and his arch rival…but no, nothing jumped out in particular about the story.
Star made a face, "It's us, Marco. This show is basically my love life!"
Oooh, he chuckled at how serious she had gotten, "You really think this show is about you? It's made in a foreign country and nothing about it relates to us. You're with me."
"But what about the love triangle?" she asked him.
"A common feature to dramas—we've watched telenovelas, Star."
"And the how the prince and the girl were friends and fell in love?"
"Happens to a lot of people."
"Marco, c'mon, there's magic involved."
"Okay, you got me there," he admitted. "I will say it does kinda maybe sorta fit our lives and I am sad she didn't get with the prince." They turned back to the show, seeing the end credits flash on the screen with showed a montage of all the happy moments between the prince and the girl. Hardcore shippers were going to really love this, and it seemed jarringly out of place. Star complained to him about how Pony was going to weep for the next bazillion years. Then they saw the reason for the montage, clips of the fourth season rolled on the screen. It showed the girl in the hospital arguing with her husband who was pointing harshly at a newborn baby in her arms. The blanket was yanked back sharply to reveal a little boy with large fangs and red eyes…yikes. On the now sobbing mother's pinky finger, a red string appeared.
"IT LIVES!" Poor Marco almost got whiplash from Star shaking him with glee. "They are going to get together after all, and the Red String from the demon ball…AHHHHH!"
Marco shrugged, "Who knew that a dance from season one would be so important. Well, we'll see when the show returns in a few months." He shut off the laptop, which was burning hot to the touch and turned on the light. The clock on the nightstand told him that it was five in the morning—way past his bedtime. When he told Star it was bedtime, she pouted and clung to him.
"I don't wanna leave," she groaned, "Can't we have a sleepover? We used to when we stayed up this late on Earth." But we're together now and that's super awkward, he wanted to tell her that, but he knew that no one could make Star change her mind. He got up to find his sleeping bag since Marco was always relegated to sleeping on the floor. There was one detail in the show that weighed on his mind: the part about the demon ball where two protagonists had their souls bonded for eternity. It reminded him of the Blood Moon Ball, but that couldn't be right.
Star had already flopped over on his bed and arranged the blanket around her. He blushed when he noticed her sniffing his hoodie which she held close to her. I thought only I did that with her scent. Before she got into deep asleep, Marco asked, "Hey, Star? Is it normal to for cheekmarks to appear on someone after touching the wand?"
She peeked at him from the blanket, "I don't know, Marco. Wouldn't worry about it and you look cute with them anyways." Star let out a mighty yawn and rolled over, signaling the end of the conversation for tonight. He would have to bug her about it in the morning. It wasn't like that Blood Moon actually bound their souls together or anything. Right? Settling in the sleeping bag, Marco reflected on how surreal the day was as sleep washed over him.
Little did the lovebirds know but amidst the stars high above the castle, the Blood Moon glowed deep red, ever watching.