Disclaimer: I do not own SVTFOE or any of the other characters mentioned in this story.
It was a normal day in the Underworld, just like any other day. Or so that was what Tom thought. The pink haired prince of darkness was busy plotting the demise of the unworthy souls of his domain when he heard a soft, almost shy knock on his bedroom door. He suspected it to be one of his annoying servants, begging for freedom they will never receive. Honestly, he thought, when will these chumps read the fine print of their contracts? Infinite servitude is called Infinite for a reason, goddammit.
The knocks seemed to grow a bit more frantic as he slowly took his sweet time answering the door.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming, you flaming idiot." Finally opening the door, he opened his mouth about to tell the unwanted demon off when he noticed that what stood before his was much more alarming, and much more important that some needy ghoul. Sure, she had horns but also tears streaming down her face. A face he could never say no to, he found.
"Star..?"
Her smile lacked her usual bubbly spark and instead felt sad and almost embarrassed. She fiddled with her hair nervously, her thoughts seem to process and contemplate in that usually crazy head of hers. He stood there, completely shocked and concerned for his mess of a friend in front of him.
"Hey, Tom!-" Her voice freighting excitement, sadly attempting to sound happy. "-Um..I-Im sorry for showing up so suddenly and I know, I uh- I should…have called or something, now that I think about it…Its just, I have th-this thing and I, He- I mean, Um no. Y-You were the first person I thought abo-about, Not like- in a weird way but like in a, never mind. I just, um are you busy? I just wondered, I mean if you want t-to just hang out coz I'm haha really lonely because Marco…He's- He's on a date, actually. He's been on a lot of dates and I'm… just, I really mis- I mean I feel left out a bit, like the…the concert thing a few weeks ago and the k-kis- Ehm I'm sorry, I'm rambling and um No, I just, He-"
She closed her eyes in frustration, causing a few stray tears to spill unintentionally along with a strained chuckle. Without another word, he opened his arms and upon seeing this, flung herself in his embrace and sobbed. His shirt was now wet and, normally he would be royally pissed about that but right now…right now he has a Starship to take care of.
"Hey, hey, shhhhh…it's ok, Starship. Everything's Ok, you just me everything later but right now you just let it out ok? Sound good?" He tried to soothe the sobbing Star in his arms, carefully combing his clawed fingers in her tangled, golden hair. She weakly nodded and followed his feet to the red couch she used to be so familiar with. A voice in the back of her silently questioned if the rips and magical burns she had left there were still present, back when they used to hang out more often than they do now. She gripped his ripped red shirt harder as she remembered why they don't hang out as much anymore, and that she was too often busy with another friend of hers. The same friend causing her all these stupid emotions.
After holding her for a while, the prince realized his guest was actually drenched and shivering. Looking behind her, he stared at the trail of wet footprints that lead to her and how his claws seemed to catch on her tangled locks a lot more than it normally would. If you count running his hands through her hair normal that is, at least anymore.
Sensing that she'd calmed down a bit, he grasps her shoulders gently to pry her off him, just a bit for him to take a good look at her face. Her hair was wet and sticking to cheeks. The hearts that once looked pink and bright and glowing were now dull, almost pale and…Were those cracks?
He moved some of her hair away from her face and searched a bit more. Her blue orbs were close to grey. Tom then realized how expressive Mewmen are with their emotions, especially strong negative emotions, as he recalls.
"Before anything else, mind telling me why you're soaking wet? Asides from the waterworks, that is." He joked and he let out a breath of relief when she laughed at it. Then, a series of emotions flashed on her face. Starting off with confusion, surprise, realization, embarrassment then finally, worry.
"Tom, sweet mewni, I'm…so sorry about the carpet and-" She was cut off by laughter. Not evil or maniacal laughter but genuine, kind laughter. Not the response she expected, if she was being honest.
"It's fine. I was thinking about installing a pool in here anyways, you're just helping me get things started." He smiled flashing her his sharp fangs. She chuckled, somewhat amazed at how her friend) seemed to control his temper remarkably. He's better at, a whole lot better than before, that's for sure.
"I don't have dimensional scissors anymore, well I mean they're not mine anymore to be exact. Long story short, they're Marco's now and he must have accidentally, o-or maybe…maybe not so accidentally brought it with him on his date with…Jackie." He could see the sadness enveloping her upon remembering but quickly shook her head, as if to forget the thought momentarily. She continued.
"And so, I tried calling Pony head to ask for her scissors but then she tells me King Pony Head confiscated them and long story short, I tried enchanting a pair of earth scissors and it worked! Um…kind of. I took a few detours and the magic in the scissors didn't stick around for too long so I had to walk, or rather swim the rest of the way." The soggy princess couldn't help but laugh when the demon in front of her failed to contain his amusement as well.
"Now that I think about it, just calling you would have been so much easier. Honestly, you're stupid lucky you can make portals all on your own." She punched his chest playfully. He was amazed and, truth be told, a bit scared. Creating dimensional scissors that actually work required immense skill and magic, granted the scissors didn't exactly get her to where she wanted to go but still. She had grown much more powerful compared to when they were just kids.
Now, to figure out why his Starship was desperate enough to come to him for comfort.
"Alright, Starship. What's got you crying? Do I have to burn then to a crisp?" Her laughter was slowly regaining its bubbliness. It didn't last long.
"There will be no crispy Marcos anything soon, thank you very much." She started off that sentence with a smile that soon morphed into something sullen. A half smile that harboured more sadness than it did joy.
He patiently waited for her to continue.
"He had a girlfriend now, I think he's told you that? Her name's Jackie Lynn Thomas as she's just…so cool and fun. She's amazing at skateboarding and Marco's been inlove with her long before I came to earth…and yeah, she finally saw what a sweet guy Marco is and gave him a shot and bam!" She exclaimed with her palms outstretched, sparkles emerging from them that quickly dimmed as fast as they came.
"They've been going on dates an-and that's great! Really, but lately I've umm…I've come to terms with the fact that I…do like Marco. I really really like him but, well…you know."
"He's happy with someone else?" She hugged him tighter, a new string of tears emerging and wetting his shirt once more.
"Yeah. B-But I'm happy for them! Honest. It's just that he…he started forgetting about our movie nights and the concert…I didn't know what came over me."
He looked at her in confusion. She sees this and starts over.
"We went to a Love Sentence concert-" He gasped with a hand on his chest for dramatic effect.
"Without me?" Her laugh was starting to sound like music to his hellish ears.
"Gosh, looking back, I really wish I invited you. You might have even kept me in check…or helped me destroy the stadium…" His fangs retreated silently, questioning , a quiet urge for her to continue her story.
"I uh, yeah. Destroyed the stadium."
"I'm so proud of you." Smacking him in the chest, she replies.
"Wh-No! I didn't know until I heard the billboard collapsed. I mean- I knew, I was aware that I was using magic but, it was like…Like I was watching myself do it. I didn't feel like I was in control and…my magic. It was, green? I don't know, I just…yeah."
"Green? I swear I've read about green butterfly magic s omewhere…Remind me about it later." His face contorted softly in thought. The blonde on his lap however, finally realized the peculiar position they were in. He had thoughtfully draped a fluffy towel on her shoulders yet his arms still encased her in an embrace. Oddly enough, she did not mind. She felt the good intentions behind his actions
"So Marco and I were lipsyncing and you know, having fun. The whole day, he thought he was just third wheeling because Jackie and I got along so well. I figured we were all having fun at the actual concert then he- she, um… They started kissing and I…didn't know what to do. I let go of Marco's hand a-and I made my way down the stairs."
"That's…not ok."
"They were having a moment. In their defense, everybody in the stadium was kissing too."
"Not everyone had a friend along with them. I don't care if he's my friend or if it was just a spur of the moment thing, you don't single out a friend like that. From what you said earlier, the idiot felt singled out too."
She fell silent and thought it through before letting out a soft giggle.
A demon lecturing a human about being a good friend. How ironic, she thought but then shook her head lightly. Tom's a great friend. A friend she really needs right now, honestly. Underneath all those horns and pointy teeth and (occasionally) uncontrollable festering brimstone rage is a big ol' softie she's known since she was 10.
Tom, on the other hand felt a bit annoyed with his mortal friend and how stupid he could possibly be. Who brings a friend to a concert then proceeds to make out with his girlfriend in front of said friend? Even if Star didn't like Marco, that still would have been weird and wrong! His thoughts seem to reflect in his demonic state as he soon unknowingly gave off otherworldly, or rather underworld-ly heat.
After soon realizing this, he immediately stopped, fearing that he might burn his heartbroken friend but as soon as he did, He saw the blonde frown and look up at him.
"Bring it back."
Apparently the heat from the wrath of a thousand damned souls feels cozy to crazy rebel mewman princesses.
"Bring what back?" he teased, know full well what she meant.
"Turn up the heat, Lucitor I'm freezing my magical butt over here." She complained, seriously. The smile that played on her lips told otherwise.
"Alright, alright. Continue." Once she felt the familiar warmth return, she did, hesitantly she admits.
"All that happened a few weeks ago. He's apologized for it and but um...lately he's been with Jackie an awful lot b-but I mean he can't-can't help that he's been going on a lot of dates! He's been really happy and... And I'm happy for him but he tends to um... forget a lot more? Like the t-things we normally do and our friendship anniversaries and movie nights... He's been forgetting a lot about..."
"You?" She remains silent. He could see her fiddling with a stray lock of blond hair. Heavy didn't even begin to describe what she felt in her chest. Sadness, self-pity, guilt, hurt and dare she say it, love stirred and bubbled inside her like, to what she could barely describe as a thick, dark, tear stained cocktail of just bad, if that made any sense at all.
Honestly, he doesn't really know what to do next other than to just…be there. Just an ear to listen to and a shoulder to cry on. Someone to talk to.
A friend.
Safe lilac arms encase her with warmth and reassurance once again and she gladly accepts the comfort it provides. Her breathing goes ragged and uneven from all the sobbing she's been doing and s hand on the small of her back rubs her in concern. She's a mess, she knows this but she couldn't care less. He's seen her at her worst a few other times and right now isn't any different. He doesn't care and she's thankful for that. They remain in a steady silence for a few more minutes, letting the heaviness in her chest subside, even just slightly so for her to at least breathe a bit easier.
"You kept it." Looking up, she could see he was referring to her magenta horns that were now sat awkwardly on her rats nest-y hair.
" 'Course I did." She sniffled and whipped the salty water from her raw, red heart printed cheeks. They're still my favorite too. Makes me look even more like a demon, as how my mother and teachers see me." Breaking into a smile himself, he scooches gently away from her and heads to the kitchen, leaving the princess still bundled up on the couch burrito'd up in a fluffy blood red towel.
"Hot chocolate?" Star practically bounces, nodding vigorously like a child. He laughs then proceeds to prepare the drink.
"Are all your things red?" She asks, gesturing to the towel, the couch, the walls, the carpet- basically his entire room.
"No." He replies, heating the mugs he had prepared in his hands like a gas stove. "The chains I use on my enemies next to the TV are silver." She turns her head towards the chains.
"They're covered in blood."
"They were silver when I bought them. That counts." Snorting unimpressed, she laughs and accepts the (red) mug handed to her by her hellish companion. They sip and just talk about whatever. Their conversation started off small, catching up on how the other was doing ( minus the whole "Liking Marco" situation, of course. ) then soon eventually stemmed into weirder, more ridiculous territory.
"Then this kid and his grandpa or something summons me while I'm butt naked in my bathtub and obviously I'm furious, right? He's freaking out, the old man's pointing a gun at me while the kid's sister just drools in the corner with a camera and a pig just sitting there! After a while, I've calmed down a little but he's still mortified and starts yelling latin junk at me, splashing this weird smelling water on me -"
"Rude."
"Right? - and this old man whom I just realized has six fingers, go figure, is jotting down notes in his journal or something like his life depended on it all while the girl with the pig then casually just tapes her phone number onto my horn, leans in and whispers call me."
Star could hardly breathe from laughing so hard. The craziness this family seemed to exude, sweet Mewni how she wished she was there to meet them. Tears were starting to form as the prince laughed with her.
"Who were they anyways?" The blonde calmed, still softly giggling.
"I heard they were friends of Bill."
"Weird. Where is Bill anyways?"
"Planning some end of the world thing again, probably. I heard he's into someone though."
"No way, who?"
"Remember that kid from my story?"
"Bill, no."
"Bill, yes."
They sit in a comfortable silence, their mugs long empty and strewn somewhere unattended. They had taken refuge on the carpeted floor, a box with half a pizza left in between them as they talked for hours.
"What do you think I should do?" She didn't meet his eyes but he knew instantly what she was talking about and paused, thinking for a bit before replying with his answer.
"Tell him."
"Why?" She faced him now, her voice quiet but curious.
"He deserves to know, he is your best friend after all. And I mean, you still do have a chance you know, even if you tell yourself otherwise. There's always a chance, however small. What did you think pushed me to keep chasing after you before?" He smiled, she returned it but only to a small, semi-apologetic extent.
"The chance is always there, but there's still his decision in the end. If the feeling is mutual then that's amazing and you might feel like you're flying even if your wings haven't fully grown yet." He hears a mumble of "Big Softie." And he may have 'accidentally' kicked her foot in response.
"But if he really doesn't, and if he's really your best friend? He'd understand. He wouldn't avoid you entirely or leave you because it's just too weird or something…He'd be sensitive enough to just let you and not shame you for it. And you, I guess you'd just have to move on and maybe find someone new if you feel like it." She hung her head in thought, slowly absorbing and possibly accepting all the things she's just heard before smiling at him sweetly.
"You're grown awfully wise, haven't you?" She teased. He shrugged smugly.
"My coach Brian taught me well." He smiled back. She hummed in agreement before ultimately deciding to tackle the unsuspecting demon to the ground with a sudden hug. She buried herself in his shoulder and settled her arms to encircle themselves around his waist. Slightly taken aback, he returned a hug, squeezing her as tight as she was doing to him.
"Thank you, Tom."
"Anytime, Starship."
AU: Backkk and still as shit as ever lmao. Their relationship in this story is up for interpretation, if you see them leaning more on romantic, sorta developing something as he comforts her kinda thing or just good friends. Honestly, I ship them romantically bcs their too damn cute but hey maybe that's just me. sO Yeah. Since Marco's being an idiot right now, seriously choosing the skater girl over interdimentional magical princess ( hOW BASIC DO YOU HAVE TO BE smh) , i figured Hey, why not some cute, Tomstar while we wait for S3? Thank you for reading and please review if you can 3
