Two and a half years earlier
Stars and red moons.
Marco glanced at his shirt cuffs as he fastened his belt, lapsing into a reverie. It had all happened so quickly, or maybe it was slow but just felt like a freight train, and Marco wasn't sure which was scarier. His almost-year living on Mewni had been the most intense of his young life, but he welcomed the insanity as he always did when it came to Star. He had left his family, home, and entire dimension behind to rappel up to Star's window and pledged himself to her, and since then so many things were different – some bad, some good.
"Oh Maaarcooooo, are you reeeaady yeeeet?" Star lilted through his door, breaking the introspective contemplation of his wrists.
"Just a sec, Star." Marco finished buttoning his shirt, looped and knotted his plain black tie, and reached over for his jacket – a black tuxedo with gold trim, a sleeker rendition of his Día de Muertos attire – and his mind drifted off once again.
"Some bad, some good." He glanced at his cuffs for the second time – stars and red moons. "Even some great," he wistfully pondered to himself, eyes downcast, with a genuine smile as he made his way across his bedroom and opened the door.
His gaze slowly ascended from the exposed toes of white heels, up the crimson of a floor-length gown, across the hearts ornamenting the cinched waist, and past the bare shoulders framed in blonde, settling on the sky-blue eyes appraising him much the same.
"Marco, you… you look so incredible!" Star hummed, finally meeting his eyes.
"You're beautiful," he breathed out, the pieces of his mind still picking themselves up off the floor.
Mr. and Mrs. Diaz had called two weeks ago to inform him of his official invitation to the Echo Creek Academy End-of-the-Year Formal - despite not currently being an enrolled student - and he was reticent, to say the least. His personal history with formal events was riddled with misfortune – from Ludo's attack that fateful night with Jackie, to the havoc wreaked on his and Star's relationship by Song Day, to the unleashing of Meteora at Star's own party. Even the Blood Moon Ball had been bittersweet at the time. Above all this, though, was the anxiety from the tone of his initial departure from Earth. He had abandoned his friends, his parents, and even the girlfriend he'd crushed on for a decade for the promise of adventure by Star's side. Rationally, he knew that most of them forgave him, but did that mean they would welcome him back with open arms?
Perhaps those lingering fears hadn't entirely vanished, but in that moment, they faded into background noise compared to the girl opposite him.
She looked away and sheepishly rubbed her arm, carefully asking, "You're OK with this, right? I know you have that whole thing with parties, and I know you feel kinda weird about seeing everyone… If you want to just hang out here and-"
"No, no, Star, it's fine. It's still a little weird, yeah, but this is our first big event and I want to have fun together. Shall we?" He extended his left hand to her as he cut a portal with his right, and together they crossed over to the threshold of their old school.
As they made their way to the gymnasium, Marco's focus darted to-and-fro, nervously scanning for familiar faces he might want to avoid. More than a few heads turned towards the pair buzzing with shock, confusion, or even giddiness at their joint arrival.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here…" a voice suddenly purred from behind. "Do my eyes deceive me, or do I detect a pair of paramours?" Marco saw an olive beanie in his peripheral vision as Janna appeared in between them, draping her arms across their shoulders. "If you ever need a marriage counselor-"
"JANNA BANANA!" Star's excitement cut off Janna's tease as she let go of Marco and wheeled around to wrap her arms around her friend. "It's been so long! How's Earth been?"
"Oh, you know, same as usual. No zombie apocalypse, no eldritch horrors, and the spirit world hasn't even invaded the material plane! Overall, pretty lame. Now say cheese!"
"Wait wha-" Marco shrieked as Janna shoved the duo together, pulling out an instant camera and snapping a photo of the two of them.
"Aww, look at the dorky couple," the wily girl said as she showed them the result: Star with a surprising reaction time had managed to get her arm around Marco with a bright smile on her face, but the boy wore an absurd grimace as his eyes had snapped shut from the flash. Janna pulled a Prussian-blue wallet from her sleeve, bypassing the lock to insert the photo as well as a few of herself with various sultry looks on her face. "There you go, now you've made some special memories of this night."
"JANNA!" Marco bellowed exasperatedly as he snatched his own wallet back, shooing her away. Star waved goodbye as she took his hand, giggling at the familiar antics. When he remained distraught after a few seconds, she bit her lip and rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. Marco knew this night was important to Star as a way to make up for the time they lost to awkwardness, confused feelings, and heartbreak, but he still couldn't shake his unease. He took a deep breath and smiled wearily back at her, and they entered the gymnasium.
Compared to the dance that Marco had ditched with Jackie, this one looked like a dream. Ornate decorations, an expensive-looking DJ setup, and catered appetizers surrounded the main dance floor, where there was a sizable crowd grooving to the upbeat music blasting from the surround sound system. Marco stared in awe and whispered to Star, "If they could afford this, you'd think they'd be able to hire a teacher who likes their job," jabbing a thumb in the direction of Miss Skullnick, who was yelling at anyone who appeared to be having too much fun. The juxtaposition of the beauty around them and his snide comment made her snort with laughter, seizing the attention of most of the gathered crowd as those in the back skirted around the sides to get a better view. Marco's grip on Star tightened as beads of sweat formed on his face; after a seemingly eternal silence, a few hoots and hollers began and shortly evolved into full-on cheering.
Marco shot Star a worried expression and she immediately nestled into his side reassuringly as the crowd began to envelop them. "Go Marco!" "They're so adorable!" "Is he a prince now or something?" "Are they married?" "I thought they died!" and many other exclamations all blended together into a haze, disorienting Marco as he leaned on Star for support. His remaining stability was obliterated when a massive boy tackled him to the ground; when Marco attempted to catch his breath after the impact, a much lankier body added to the dogpile.
"We missed you so much Marco!" Ferguson and Alfonzo shouted in unison, glad to finally have their only other friend back. Their string of questions multiplied the din, and Marco shoved them away and bolted to his feet in a panic, the crowd's attention overwhelming him. Star put her hand on his shoulder out of concern, but he couldn't find it in him to meet her eyes.
"I'm gonna go… get some punch. I'll be right back," he stammered with a feeble smile, and shuffled away towards an empty bleacher in the corner of the room. Why did this have to be so difficult? Marco couldn't figure out exactly why the care and consideration for his return was eating at him, but he could barely stand to be around it. He heard a body plop down next to him as a cup of punch was placed in his hands.
"Sup, Marco?" His eyes comically widened at the sound of her voice, so familiar and yet so distant in his memory. She was wearing the same sea-green dress from their first date, right down to the telltale impression of a hidden skateboard under her skirt that he had learned to recognize in their months together.
"Jackie?" he uttered incredulously, almost spilling his drink. "What are you doing here? I mean I know it's your school and all but for some reason I didn't think about you being here and I thought even if you were you'd be avoiding me and-"
She gripped his shoulders, stymying his rambling. "Marco. Dude. Breeeeeathe. Why would I avoid you? We're chill, right? I mean, you've been busy with Mewni, and I've been grinding some rails here, but that doesn't mean I don't like you or anything, kay?"
He took a deep breath to steady himself before venturing to speak again. "Sorry, it's just- I don't think I should be here. I left everyone, and I just kept screwing things up on Earth and… ugh, I feel so stupid, I don't deserve all this celebration." He buried his head in his hands and mumbled, "Mewni is the place where I feel like I actually did something right."
Jackie violently grabbed his knees and spun him to face her, taking his hands in hers as he glumly raised his head to meet her firm gaze. "Marco, stop. We all make mistakes, but you don't deserve Earth's hate, OK? You're Marco Diaz, who falls off the skateboard of life and gets right back on. Who breaks out of his shell to connect with people he cares about. Who saved a poor lobster from captivity at an evil fancy restaurant. If there even is anyone here who hates you for any of those things you did on Earth, they'll have to answer to me, kay?"
"That... sounds dangerous, are you sure you could handle it?"
"I'll try and find some help if that makes you feel any better, dude."
"If we freed more of the lobsters, maybe we could raise an army for protection?"
"But we can't keep them in captivity for ourselves, that's unethical!"
"What if we only recruit volunteers?"
His demeanor, gradually improving throughout the back-and-forth, finally cracked into a wide grin as they both began to chuckle at their silly repartee.
"Thanks, Jackie. I really needed this. I… I was scared of seeing everyone - of seeing you here again because it reminded me of all the hurt feelings, my indecision, my stupid 'cwoissant' phase… and that led to a lot more bad stuff on Mewni…" He paused to sigh and looked over to his girlfriend, who was too distraught from his disappearance to even hold a conversation, sipping her drink somberly.
"At the end of last summer, I told you to stay amazing, right? I look out there and see that girl who's missing her best friend right now, and y'know what I think? If she's the center of attention like she is and she's still sad without him, he's got to be pretty amazing. Now I don't know all the details of what went down between you two this year, but I do know the things I saw when I followed you into the school." Marco began to squirm a bit; Jackie had promised him that there were no hard feelings, but with their final parting words on the pier in mind, he couldn't help but wonder if she was harboring some type of resentment deep down. His motion to interject was curbed by her finger to his lips and her knowing gaze boring into his soul.
Jackie continued, unrelenting, "I noticed how you kept sneaking glances at each other, how she comforted you with all those little signs of affection, and how you walked into a dance that scared you to death with your head held high just for her. Maybe I was kind of bummed when we split up, but I knew it was best for both of us then, and seeing you with Star proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. It doesn't matter if you believe me when I tell you you're not a screw-up, or that you're worthy of kindness, or that you're the best friend someone could ask for, because I know that girl out there can make you see that for yourself whether you're here or on Mewni. And she's a pretty cool chick herself, but I don't think you needed me to spell that one out."
Marco's hands balled up into fists as he fought back tears, turning to see those compassionate minty-green eyes that were still dear to his heart. He launched forward to wrap her in a bear hug, and she patted him gently on the back.
"Jackie, you're a great friend, you're the best, really. You don't know how much this means to me."
"You're a good guy, Marco, and I think you can figure it out from here. But I do have one last piece of advice for you." She broke the embrace and stood, pulling him up with her, and he followed her line of sight into the crowd to see Star looking at the two of them, eyes glistening. "Don't keep her waiting." Marco gave a wobbly smile back and began to walk across the stage as Jackie flashed her a double thumbs-up.
The crowd parted as he sauntered over to Star, his formerly timid and fearful attitude replaced by a firm resolve. Star's teary eyes widened, unsure of what he would do, when he wrapped her in a fierce hold as she went limp in his arms.
"Star, this is all my fault. You were so eager to be here and I ruined it and just tried to hide. I… I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about all this, but I care about you more than whatever reservations I have here."
Star finally gathered her bearings and wriggled her way out of his bear hug, taking his hands and staring into his chocolate eyes. "Marco, I… I didn't know you were this worked up about it. I saw the invitation and got so excited and you probably felt like you didn't have a choice and – ugh, it's all my fault that I made you do something that made you so uncomf-" She stopped mid-sentence as he cupped her cheek, wiping away the lone tear flowing onto her heart emblem, causing her breath to hitch.
"Star, it's okay. What happened is behind us, and we're here now."
She took a deep breath to regain her composure and set her jaw. "But do you, Marco Diaz, want to be here right now? Please answer me honestly, I don't want you to feel like you have to sacrifice your own happiness for me, not ever again."
He traced circles on her hands with his thumbs as he tried to respond, to push down his insecurities and say he wanted to be here and mean it, but the nervous gulp and brief stammer betrayed him before he could get a word out. She nodded in understanding.
"Don't worry about it, Marco. Besides, honestly? I don't think this would have been all that fun anyway. Everyone here's just kinda been paying attention to us this whole time and not really dancing since we got here. C'mon, let's get out of here and go find a real party." She started to pull away, but Marco tugged her back in, their foreheads gently coming together.
"Thanks, Star, I really do appreciate it. Buuuut if you're right that all these people care about us more than the dance, we should at least give them something, right?" She smirked at him and angled her head as he did the same, meeting him halfway. Her cheeks lit up and he felt her grin into his lips as the whistles and cheers reached their ears. Janna's yelling "CAN I BE A BRIDESMAID?" topped off the commotion, causing Star and Marco's moment of affection to dissolve into giggling.
The pair broke apart, sheepishly grinning at their very public display, before Star grabbed Marco's hand once again and led him outside the cafeteria to the front door of the school.
"The night's still young, Diaz, where do you wanna go?"
"I've got just the place. Close your eyes, and no peeking until I say so, okay?" She giggled and did as he said, following him as he opened a portal and guided them through it. "Now stay right there, I'll be back in a moment."
Upon their first return to Earth as a pair months ago, Star had reinstated her old tower on the side of the Diaz household. It was here that he brought them, and Marco left Star on the balcony as he tiptoed away to his room, trying not to give away any clues as to where they were. He rummaged through boxes while thumbing through music playlists on his phone, but right as he found his portable speakers he received a text message from Tom, of all people. His brow furrowed as he opened the communication.
"Hey Marco. Janna told me where u and Star are. Said u needed some help so I pulled some strings 2 get this made quick. U owe me one." Marco saw the name of the attached music file and felt a few errant teardrops stain his cheeks. After wiping them away and responding with his thanks, he hustled out of the room with the audio equipment in tow.
"Marco, I've been waiting for like five whole minutes!" Star whined, rocking back and forth on her feet with her eyes still sealed shut, unknowingly inching dangerously close to the balcony's edge.
"Almost!" He pulled her into the center of the area, set down the speaker and connected it to his phone, readying himself for what was to come. A tiny voice in the back of his mind warned him that Tom might have been pranking him, as he hadn't exactly been delighted by the shifts in the romance situation, but any true bad blood between them had already dissipated and Marco knew Tom would have his back when it mattered most.
"Alright, Star, you can look now!" She glanced around, blinking heavily and taking in her surroundings as her face scrunched up in annoyance at the reveal.
"This is just my room! Marco, what's the big ide-"
"Star Butterfly, may I have this dance?" He extended his arm, awaiting her reply expectantly. Her lips parted in surprise as she clasped his hand and was guided towards him, cooing softly when his other hand landed on her waist as she put her free hand on his shoulder. Marco briefly leaned back to reach his phone and start the music, resuming their position as the opening organ tones of the Blood Moon Waltz began playing, the very one that accompanied the bonding of their souls early in their friendship. He began to sway them back and forth, her body following along instinctively with the dance steps while she stared at him, her eyes glazing over in shock. As the dramatic flourish of the keyboards signaled the end of the first section where their original dance under the Blood Moon had come to an abrupt halt, Marco twirled Star under his arm and dipped her down.
"Marco, how-" He cut her off with a quick peck on the lips and pulled her back up as the strings took over the melody.
"Less talking, more dancing," he whispered with a smirk as they continued to step in time with the music. His focus locked on to her face, her features framed in a red hue. It struck him that her cheeks were not the source of the glow, and he tentatively angled his gaze upwards as if he were afraid of what he expected to find. In truth, he almost was; the Blood Moon had only appeared a handful of times since that fateful dance that supposedly intertwined their spirits for eternity, and all of them had been ephemeral portents of danger. But in this moment, this perfect moment, the crescent he found in the night sky was there only to signify with a crimson aura that the heavens themselves were celebrating the romance beneath them. Their dancing broke from a formal ballroom waltz as they passionately swung each other around, letting their hearts guide them.
Before him was Star Butterfly, the princess whose fiery spirit drew him unerringly to her side even across a dimensional divide, the girl who saw value in him that he himself hadn't perceived, the object of his unyielding devotion who gave him a reason to strive higher and higher each day. Yet of all the pivotal moments in his life, it was this tender one, where their bodies moved as one, when he felt like he was truly soaring. Tears were streaming down both of their faces as the strings died down, their bodies settling into an intimate hold as the final piano coda faded out gently.
"Marco, I don't know what to say," she choked out through her sobs of elation and awe at what had just occurred.
"Well, I think I do," he stated softly, detaching himself from her to wipe the glittering tracks of water from her face. "I love you."
"Wha – M-Marco? You… you… me..." Her mouth hung open as she withdrew slightly and pointed a visibly quaking finger at him in disbelief.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me on Earth or on Mewni. I did a lot of thinking tonight about a lot of things and somewhere along the way I realized what I felt. And every time we see this moon it seems like it's trying to tell us something that we should already know, so I guess that was just the final push I needed. But now it doesn't matter whether the moon is blood-red, neon green, or even made of nacho cheese. I don't need to look for anything shining in the night sky when the Star I love most is right here."
Her waterworks began anew as she tried and failed to produce any intelligible sounds; Marco grew concerned and began to approach when she leaped into him, initiating the most ardent kiss they'd yet shared. He stepped back and grappled her to maintain his balance. In a fit of passion she wrapped her legs around him, his hands shifting to keep her from falling and hoisting her up above him. He eventually broke for air and she took it in stride, resting her forehead on his as they basked in the dual red glows from the sky and her face.
"I love you too, Marco."
He spun them until he caught the outline of the Blood Moon framing her face like a halo, the spectacle distorted and multiplied by the tears of joy in his eyes. A fractal array of his shining light in the darkness and the vibrant heavenly body adorning her. She dove in for another taste of his lips, and as his eyes snapped shut, that final vision remained etched into his mind.
Stars and red moons.
"Sweetie, is everything okay?"
Marco snapped to attention, eyes wide as though he had been rudely awakened from a deep slumber. Where was he again? What was he doing? He didn't know how long he'd been daydreaming, but a quick glance down showed it was clearly enough time to finish an entire second helping on autopilot. Definitely too long.
"Uhh, yeah I'm, uh… fine," he slurred, mind racing with the phantoms of emotions. Rafael glanced over at Angie, who slowly nodded. Taking a deep breath, he stood up from the table, striding with purpose towards their distraught son.
"Marco, would you come join us in the living room?"
"Uh, dad, aren't you gonna finish your meals?" Marco looked across the table, spotting both of their half-full bowls, and it was only then he noticed the distress in his mother's eyes - a clear enough sign she had lost her appetite.
"Do not worry about that, mijo. We can clean up later, this… is more important, I think." Rafael gestured for Marco to stand up, taking his chair and following him and Angie into the living room. He hefted the coffee table to the side as Marco grew increasingly alarmed.. Rafael and Angie settled on the couch, beckoning Marco to sit on the chair opposite them.
"Please sit down, Marco. We need to talk." Angie said sternly. Marco shriveled into the seat, both out of fear he messed something up and residual disorientation from his own internal unease.
"Mom, dad, what's going on? Did… did I mess up your anniversary? I'm so, so sor-"
"No Marco, never, dear. We just… wanted to make sure everything was OK with you," Angie responded, taking Rafael's hand in her own. "You've seemed off lately, and tonight at dinner you zoned out for ten minutes! Is… is there something going on between you and Star? Please, honey, we're worried about you."
"What, no! Star's great, we're great..." Marco had no trouble speaking these words honestly; he and Star had never been better than in the past half-year. He'd been gaining more and more respect as a valiant knight of the kingdom in recent months, Star's progression as a future queen had made even Moon express sincere pride, and he and Star had... definitely made advances in their relationship as well. Marco cut off that train of thought quickly as he searched for the proper words to continue, but found none.
"You're great, but?" Rafael inquired as he leaned in curiously.
Running his hands through his hair, Marco let out a deep sigh and sunk farther into his chair, his head tilting back. A framed photo on the wall above him caught his eye: he and Star, in incredibly decadent formalwear, from the Silver Bell Ball only three months ago. After Marco had progressed to knighthood, he had been allowed to attend the annual event alongside her - much to Marco's surprise, as nothing he'd read about Mewnian royal traditions mentioned such an allowance. Star's primary role at the event was still dancing with all the other royals, of course (which Tom had teased him about for weeks until the day Janna overheard and dragged Marco into an impromptu, rather sensuous rumba right in from of his three outraged eyes). He knew it was only a formality, but nonetheless that dichotomy between himself and royalty planted the seed that had blossomed into his current distress.
"It's- it's just that stuff is changing, you know? Star's a princess, and I'm her knight, and it's peaceful. At least as much as anything ever is with us. But it can't stay like that forever, and it's just got me thinking, and I don't know what to do! I love her so, so much, you know that, but I-" his voice cracked as his composure gave out, a harsh sob choking out the rest of his sentence.
Angie pulled him into a tight hug, her own eyes starting to water as well. "Marco, honey, please don't cry. I had no idea…"
"Do you… are you thinking about… asking her to-" Rafael chose his words slowly and deliberately while leaning in to join Marco and Angie's embrace.
"WHAT?" Marco recoiled hard enough that his parents both let go, leaning back to meet his panicked eyes. "No, I couldn't! I mean, I don't even know if I'd be allowed, there's technically nothing in the rules preventing it, but even… even if I tried, there are still so many other hurdles… this is exactly what I'm afraid of! Everything is so different, and so hard, and no matter how good of a knight I am, I'm still a dumb Earth kid in a powerful magic kingdom."
Rafael gripped his shoulders firmly, but his visage was soft and comforting as he chuckled. "Marco, son, I've only heard about it secondhand and I'm still sure you've done more for Mewni than most of the people who have lived their whole lifetime there!"
"I know, dad, but… I don't feel like I really belong there, and I'm scared because I don't know what's going to happen," Marco whispered as if each word caused him physical pain. Angie grabbed his face and forced him to meet her maternal gaze.
"What's going to happen is that Star will keep loving you, Marco. I won't lie to you; all these things you're talking about, with royal traditions, and princess… I can't help you there, and it breaks my heart. But I've watched the two of you grow so much, and I can at least promise you that what you have isn't going to be broken apart by some by some silly rules and regulations. Star would make sure of that."
The corners of Marco's mouth rose in a slight smile as he got out of his chair to give hug both of his parents. "Yeah, you're right, we… we can handle this. I love you guys. I'll go clean up the kitchen, I don't want you spending your entire anniversary doting on me."
Marco's nerves finally began to calm as he approached the sink and meditatively focused on rinsing and drying the large assortment of cookware used for the elaborate feast, having finally drawn the connection that had escaped him since dinner. Jackie was right at the dance, of course. Sure, his insecurities that night didn't disappear, but choosing Star over his own crippling fears then had been one of the best decisions he'd ever made, and his parents' talk tonight struck that same chord. All the obstacles might still be there, but if they tackled them together, nothing could stand in their way.
He was beginning to make his way to his room, leaving his parents to enjoy their quality time curled up on the couch with a movie, when the doorbell rang.
"Seriously? At this hour?" Marco opened the door, ready to give a piece of his mind, but he was greeted by a blunt object smacking him in the face. After being stunned momentarily, he prepared to lash out at the unknown attacker, but stopped short when he saw what it was: a winged barrel, meowing as it flew away into the night. Marco chuckled as he picked up the projectile that he now knew was a delivery from Star. Taking it up to his room, he momentarily set it aside as he got ready for an early slumber, having been emotionally drained by the evening's events.
"Alright, Star, let's see what you got me." He pulled out a note, written in energetic, neon blue cursive.
"Hey Marco,
Found your bunny! It took me a while, I did not understand your organizational system at all. Why was it in the S-Z drawer! It's a bunny named Bunnyfly for crying out loud!"
"Oh my god, I filed her under 'wubbie.'" Marco muttered as he slapped his forehead in frustration at his blunder before continuing.
"Don't eat anything big for lunch tomorrow because I have something special planned for dinner. See you then!
Love,
Star
P.S.
Check the bottom of the box."
Marco raised an eyebrow at the dinner plans as he pulled out Bunnyfly and found what was beneath. He warily picked up the item - a light blue, Kabuki-style wooden fan. He opened it up to find the words "Miss you!" with a very un-princess-like picture of Star underneath. Marco's eyes widened as he absorbed the view, but his ears picked up a pattern that dashed any fledgling fantasies. He snapped the fan shut and groaned discontentedly as his head hit the pillow. His substitute cuddle buddy would normally do in a pinch (especially with the extra gift providing pleasant dreams), but he had a feeling he'd be at a loss for quality sleep anyway tonight.
A feeling that was consistently reinforced by the steady thumping sound coming from his parents' room down the hall.
It was going to be a long night.
Author's Note: This was a doozy to write, both on my emotions and on my free time - never been great at writing quickly. This is likely on the longer end of individual chapters, but updates might still slow a bit (once per week or so) once the semester begins. Hope you enjoyed it!