Hey guys, so I've been watching SVTFOE and I really enjoyed it. I'm currently on season 4. I did kind of prefer seasons 1 + 2 (still loved s3 + 4 so far tho) and I almost instantly shipped Starco as soon as I saw it. This is sort of an AU around the time of season 2, where Star actually tells Marco how she feels about him. I hope you like it! The cover art is also by me.

I haven't written anything romantic for awhile, so I hope this doesn't stink lol

There is one thing all humans (and mewmans) desire more than anything else, including wealth: acceptance.

Star Butterfly was no exception. Even when she was on Mewni, she had just wanted acceptance. Naturally, it was hard to come across when she tended to get caught up in trouble all the time. Danger followed her around like her shadow.

Her parents had moved her to Earth, believing it would help her. Star would admit, she preferred going to Earth over St. Olga's. On the other hand, it was going to be even harder to find acceptance on Earth - after all, she had never been there before. How different was it going to be from Mewni? Star tried to stay optimistic. Surely it couldn't be too bad?

Star really had no idea.

She soon realised Earth was nothing like Mewni. The schools, the buildings, the people. Heck, they didn't even have any giant invisible goats! What was with this place?

The only thing that kept the princess stable was an Earthen boy named Marco Diaz.

Sure, at first, Marco didn't like her. Could she blame him? She'd destroyed his bedroom, after all. He'd even tried to live outside a store. But soon, they became close. Best friends, in fact. Marco seemed to give Star the primal desire that was acceptance.

Right?

Maybe he gave her too much acceptance, being overprotective at times, feeling he had to defend her from life's cruelties.

It was annoying, especially when she'd wanted to get away from the over-protectiveness of others. She was almost a queen, for goodness sake. She could take care of herself!

...

And then, she fell in love with Marco.

How could she not? She didn't have Tom anymore - he was just too angry. And besides, Marco seemed to care about her more than Tom ever did. He was kind, helpful, smart…

And he was in love with Jackie Lynn Thomas.

What was Star supposed to do? She couldn't tell him the truth. He'd reject her, would he not?

Star was miserable, angry at herself. The truth was, Marco wouldn't accept her true feelings. To think that anyone would accept her at all was what made her angry. Even Pony Head found her weird from time to time. What was Star supposed to do? She didn't want to be rejected, to be hurt…

But living with these feelings wouldn't help her either. She'd just spend most of her time brooding, or glaring at Jackie in secret.

Star decided, no matter how much it hurt, she had to do it: she had to tell Marco the truth. As The Box of Truth once said, the truth had to be found.

To say Star was nervous was an understatement. She told herself over and over to calm down. It was just Marco, not a monster. Yet she couldn't help feeling more nervous about this compared to any other monster battle she'd been in.

She got the courage to walk out of her room and go to Marco's bedroom door. Then all her courage evaporated like steam. She argued with herself, lifting her hand to meet the front of the bedroom door then instantly bringing it down again.

Turns out, she didn't need to worry about that, as Marco opened the door and appeared right before her.

"Star!" he shouted. "What are you doing there?"

"Nothing!" Star said, hastily. "I was- I was…. I was… going to knock on your door!"

"Alright then," Marco said, raising his brow. "So, anyway, I was thinking-"

"MarcoIneedtotalktoyourightnow," Star spat out.

"What?" Marco asked.

"Um," Star felt her cheeks go red. "I need to… um…"

"Star, are you okay?" Marco asked, with that concern that made her heart flutter.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Star said. She began sweating. "But. Um! I wanna… talk to you!"

"Uh, sure," Marco said. "We can talk."

The two best friends sat in Marco's room. On his bed, specifically. Star tapped her fingers against her thigh in a nervous pattern.

"So," Marco turned to her with his brown eyes, "what did you want to talk about?"

Star's nervous tapping got faster.

"Well," she said. "Um… I just… wanted to say…"

Her voice got stuck in her throat, acting even more stubborn than its master. It came out in a bunch of incoherent squeaks, not unlike those of a mouse.

"Are you okay, Star?" Marco asked, still sounding concerned.

Star sighed. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

"I…" she said, her voice changing pitch. "I need to be… frank with you, Marco."

"About what?" he asked.

"You see…" she said. "I kind of… have a crush on-"

She was interrupted by Marco's phone ringing.

"Hold on," Marco held up a finger. He answered the phone. "Oh, hey, Jackie. Yeah. Um. That's cool. Wait, really? I'd love to! Yeah! I'll see you there."

"What did she say?" Star asked, getting a bad feeling.

"She invited me on a date," Marco said, eyes shining. "Isn't that so cool? I'm going on a date with Jackie Lynn Thomas!"

"Yeah…" Star said, her smile forced. "That's great…!"

"Gotta get ready," Marco said, scanning his room for attractive clothing. "I can't go there and look like some weirdo!"

"Yeah, heh," Star said, fiddling with her hair. "Of course not."

Star sighed. There was no point now. He was too focused looking for an outfit for his date, and besides, he loved her more than Star. The feeling put a hole in Star's heart. She forced it to stay behind a smile.

"Here we go!" Marco said, slipping on a nice tuxedo jacket. He turned to Star. "How do I look?"

Handsome... for her.

"You look great," Star said, still smiling.

"Thanks," Marco said. He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it out. He dusted off his shoulders. "Well, wish me luck. See ya, Star."

"Wait!" Star held up a hand. Marco faced her. "Marco, I… I…"

"What is it?" Marco asked, a small frown on his face. "Star, I can't be late for-"

He was interrupted by Star kissing him on the lips. The whole world seemed to freeze for a few moments.

...

It was finished by Star pulling away, covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just- I just couldn't take it anymore. I love you, Marco!"

Marco just stared at her, completely flabbergasted.

"I've had a crush on you for a long time," Star said. She sounded guilty. "You probably hate me now... I'm… I'm sorry. I should go." She turned away.

"Wait, Star," Marco grabbed her shoulder. "I… I didn't know you felt that way. About me."

"It's the truth," Star said. She sighed. "Just... go on your date with Jackie. She's obviously the one for you."

"After you kissed me?" Marco asked. "How will I focus on the date after that?"

Star didn't say anything.

"How long have you had this crush on me?" Marco asked. He frowned. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I don't even know anymore," Star whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you would understand… I thought you'd hate me."

"I'd never hate you, Star," Marco said, grabbing her shoulder. "No matter what, I'll always be your best friend."

Star stared into his eyes. "I love you."

Marco smiled. Something clicked between them: an unspoken bond. The truth was out, and it connected them like a glue. They kissed, once more. But that wasn't what made Star happy.

She had finally found acceptance.