Chapter 10

Between hanging out with Tom casually and official business for Star, Marco had seen quite a bit of the underworld. It no longer held the same aura of intimidation it had that first time he'd been there- back at the Blood Moon Ball.

Back then, Tom had been nothing more than Star's evil ex-boyfriend. It was before Marco was able to convince Tom to give up on forcing Star to like him, before bonding over Love Sentence, before facing down Meteora side by side. He never could have predicted back then that Tom would eventually become one of his closest friends.

"We spiraled high on a gust of love. And I knew right from the start." Tom's voice wafted through the door. "Nothing could tear us apart. 'Till the day you broke my heart." Tom was singing 'Too Little Too Late'. It was worse than he thought.

Marco knocked "Tom, it's me."

The singing stopped, though when Tom opened the door, Marco realized that the song was also playing on speaker. "Hey man. Thanks for… for coming."

Marco clapped a hand to Tom's shoulder "Your welcome. Err, so, you wanna talk about it?" He still wasn't sure what it was, but well, Tom had called him here for something, right?

"Star hasn't told you?" Tom asked.

"Star?" Marco parroted "Tom, Star and I haven't talked at all since I left, why would she tell me anything?"

"I just figured…" Tom trailed off "I'm screwing this up."

"Well, I am very confused, if that's what you mean. Tom… what happened?"

"Star and I had a fight."

Marco took a moment to process the information. An irrational part of himself leapt with hope that maybe… no. He quashed the thought.

"I'm sorry, Tom."

"It was about you."

"Oh." Marco was beginning to feel uncomfortable. If they were fighting about him… what did that even mean? Did that mean Tom blamed him? What could Marco even say to him, without coming off as patronizing or fake?

Fortunately, Tom seemed fine with forging ahead himself. "I didn't even mean for things to go that far. I just wanted to get a straight answer out of her, and… everything just spiraled out of control."

"I really am sorry, Tom. If this is my fault…"

"I know, Marco. I really do." Tom told him, now looking him right in the eye "And it's not your fault… not really. You can't control how you feel for her… or how she feels for you." Despite his assurances, his words were laced with bitterness.

"Tom…" How she felt about him? There was no way. No way that Star felt like that for him. It must be Tom's jealousy rearing its head again. And if he had a fight with Star, that meant…

Despite himself, he'd made sure to keep up with Star- at first through Kelly, and then Hekapoo. He'd just wanted to make sure she was okay, and well, he was worried. He wondered if she should have warned her… given her time for a transition, maybe even help train a replacement. It was easy to think that way now, with the emotional distance their separation had provided. At the time, though, he doubted he could have handled it- drawing the process out like that. He didn't think it would have been good for Star either.

"She loves you, Marco. She really does." Tom said sadly "I was such an idiot. I tried so hard to be good enough- to be like you! But I can't!"

"You tried to be like me?"

"You know, trustworthy, kind, friendly, supportive, clever, a great friend." Tom listed off "But…"

Marco couldn't believe it. "When you threw yourself between me and Meteora, were you just trying to be like me?"

"No..."

"What about when you put all those racist Mewman nobles in their place? Or the time you got us backstage passes to Love Sentence?"

"It's not like that, Marco. It's just, for Star… I guess sometimes I ask myself what you'd do, because Star seems to react better to that, but I always seem to screw it up… because I'm not you."

"You shouldn't try to be me. I'm not perfect, Tom. And you, you are awesome." Tom scoffed at that, but Marco persisted, putting hand on his shoulder "Do you really think I'd be friends with you if you weren't? You're a good person and a good friend. So please, don't try to be like me. Just be the best version of yourself you can be."

"You're not bullshitting me, are you?"

"I'm not. I promise."

Without any further warning, Tom lunged and pulled Marco into a hug. Stunned, Marco hesitated just a moment before returning it.

"Sir Higgs! I mean, err, Lady Higgs!" Steven stammered "Something's happened with Queen Star!"

Higgs was beginning to regret pushing Marco to leave Mewni. It had seemed like a no-brainer at the moment. He'd always been a frustration- annoyingly well connected and reaping the rewards of it, irritatingly talented, vexingly likable, and infuriatingly cute. What's worse, his crush on the Queen and growing depression over it had become ever more grating. Higgs had to put a stop to it- for her own sake, definitely not because she hated seeing Marco miserable.

Yet, she couldn't have predicted just how badly Queen Star would react, or the cascade of events that would follow his departure. And now, Steven, Marco's promising yet woefully unprepared replacement, was running to her (Why had he latched onto her again? She had teased him when he first came for the interview- apparently he took that as an invitation.).

"What is it now?" Higgs asked testily.

"Well, I might have overheard a conversation between Star and Prince Tom, and…"

"And?"

"Well, I think they broke up."

"Oh corn."

It was at that moment that Manfred chose to enter the hall, blaring his horn, and startling them both. "A representative of the Ponyhead kingdom has arrived at the castle."

"Oh no. No way is Queen Star prepared for a diplomatic meeting." Steven worried "What are we going to do!"

Wait a minute… the Ponyhead Kingdom? That could only mean one, impossibly annoying person. "Actually, this might be exactly what we need right now…"

"Whaaat? It's been forever since I've been here and you lot haven't even redecorated even a little?"

"Er um, greetings, uh, my lady-" Steven was silenced by Higgs clamping a hand over his mouth. He was just going to dig himself into a hole.

"Star's in her room." She said simply, hoping that would be enough to get rid of the Ponyhead princess. "Pretty sure she'd like to talk with you."

"Oh, right. Yeah, it's crazy isn't it? Apparently she and Tom are-"

"Please just find her."

"What are you doing?" Tom asked.

"Texting Ponyhead."

"Why?"

"Because it occurs to me that Star probably needs a friend right now, since both of us have abandoned her." His words came out harsher then he intended, but Marco had begun to second guess some of his decisions, particularly since Tom had left Star too.

Tom winced, apparently realizing that he… they, had left Star in a bad situation. "You could go to her, you know. You could…"

"No."

"She misses you." It was tempting, so very tempting, to follow Tom's suggestion. To go to Star, promise her he'd never leave her again. To take her in his arms and never let go.

But he couldn't.

"I know, but… Tom. Even if she does want to be with me now, I don't want to be with her if it's just because I'm the second option. How would I know that it's real, and not just because she's lonely and heartbroken?"

"I wish I'd thought like that three years ago."

"Well we were both stupid teenagers back then. I mean, I was pretty stupid too. Pining after Jackie when Star was in front of me the whole time. I could have saved us all a lot of pain if I hadn't been so blind." Marco had spent years beating himself up over that mistake, but somehow knowing how it all turned out made the blunder feel fresh all over again.

"Yeah, we've all been pretty stupid." Tom sighed "But… at least we're still friends… somehow."

Marco chuckled. They were still friends. No matter what happened between them and Star, Marco was certain that'd be true. "You know what this calls for?" Tom asked, pulling out his phone.

"What?"

Tom smirked as Awesome Feeling began playing from the stereo. They sang the song together half a dozen times, their voices becoming more off key with each repetition. Finally, they gave it up as a bad job and turned to their old standby of gaming.

They were in the middle of a rather intense match of Hellrace 4 when Marco got a text. He wasn't in a hurry to answer it; it was probably just Ponyhead chatting about Star. When the round was over (Tom won, of course) Marco leisurely checked his phone.

Almost instantly, Marco's demeanor shifted. The smile slid off his face and his entire body tensed, ready for action. "Marco, what's wrong?" Tom asked, noticing the shift in his friend.

"It's from Talon." Marco answered "He wants to meet with me. He says he knows about an attack."

"W-wait, Marco told you to find me?" Star couldn't believe it. How could Marco have known? Why would he even care?

"Yeah, totally. He texted me all like worried about you and stuff. And I was like- I gotta be there for my bestie! I've gotten all the girls together. Me. You. Kelly. Janna. We're gonna watch Korean dramas and eat our feelings. Come on. We haven't hung out in ages, girl!"

"I know." Star acknowledged. When Ponyhead had come careening into her room- Star had been adamant that she needed to stay focused. Her kingdom couldn't afford her having a girl's night in. But truthfully… she needed it, she really needed it.

She was tired, and heartbroken, and just feeling more than a bit hopeless. Maybe a night hanging out with her friends was just the break she needed.

… and at first it was. Kelly and Janna had welcomed her with reassuring smiles and hugs- followed by collecting snacks, drinks, and gathering in comfy chairs in from of the TV.

It was perfectly mindless, and it was easy for Star to pretend that nothing was wrong. For a little while, she could pretend she hadn't been deserted by the two closest people to her and her kingdom wasn't in danger.

That was, until Kelly said Marco's name. "I don't get it, why did Marco text you about Star?" She asked Ponyhead. Star jerked from her almost trancelike state. That was actually a good question. And honestly, Star couldn't help the flare of hope when she contemplated it. It meant he still cared for her, that he wanted her to be happy, that maybe… just maybe whatever was between them wasn't completely broken. That maybe they could find each other again.

She knew how that sounded, even to herself. But it wasn't like that. Tom was wrong! Yeah, her friendship with Marco was unique and intimate. She trusted him above everyone else. She had relied on him like no one else. She loved him completely…. but not like that!

That was what she'd told herself time and time again. That was the truth. But why then, did her heart insist otherwise, why did it yearn for more?

Star was beginning to doubt herself. But she couldn't feel that way for Marco. Because if she did, it would mean… it would mean that Tom was right, that she'd been lying to him for years and stringing him along. It would mean she had hurt the two people closest to her just because she couldn't handle her own feelings. That couldn't be the truth.

"Why wouldn't he?" Janna asked rhetorically "C'mon Kelly, you know he still cares about her."

Star's heart swelled. "He does?"

"Oh, I sure know." Kelly said snidely. "It's not good for him, how hung up he is on you."

Janna snickered. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kelly demanded.

"Oh yeah, you gotta tell us now!" Ponyhead seconed.

"Well…" Janna's eyes flickered to Star "You don't have feelings for him, right?"

All eyes were on Star, and she suddenly felt the urge to flee under the pressure. "Of course not!" She said automatically, repeating what she'd ingrained in herself time and time again.

"Good." Janna smirked "'Cause he and I have been getting a little weird and a little wild."

"Daaaaamn."

"You WHAT?"

Ponyhead and Kelly's reactions faded into background noise, because at Janna's words… Star knew. She was a fool. She'd been lying to herself ever since she started dating Tom. She'd hurt the love of her life, and she had hurt Tom too.

Because she loved Marco. She was in love with him. She loved everything about him- his eyes, his smile, his cute little mole. Seeing him happy made her heart sing. He was the balm to her troubles. The shoulder she leaned on. And she was too late. He had moved on. He still cared for her as a friend, but he wouldn't… didn't.

Without a word, Star rushed out of the room. Whatever argument Kelly and Janna had gotten in didn't even register with her. Her heart felt like it had been shattered into splinters, each one lodging deep into her chest with a sharp prick of pain. Her eyes stung as tears came, and she couldn't stop herself. She cried.

Star was stumbling down the hallway, trying to find a bathroom, when she collided with something warm and soft. "Star?" The person asked, and a pair of arms wrapped around her. "Hey, c'mon. It'll be alright. Just let it out."

Whoever it was led her to a couch, and Star let herself be led. She didn't know, or care, who it was in that moment. She just latched onto them and did as instructed, let it all out.

Eventually, when the tears had abated somewhat, Star began talking. "I… really love him, you know?" She admitted wetly, and the words were bittersweet on her lips.

"You do?"

"Y-yeah. I love everything about him. I love his smile- it makes the entire room seem brighter. I love his cute little mole. I love his hugs. How he'd look at me when no one else was watching." She could go on.

"That sounds wonderful."

"It is… was." That was the truth. Even now, finally admitting the truth, letting her feelings free, it was wonderful. Even if it was accompanied by the bitter regret of how much time she'd wasted, and how she was too late. The mystery person was still hugging her, but Star had collected herself enough to feel curious about who had come to her aid. Star pulled back, and her jaw dropped. "Jackie?"

"Hey Star." The blonde returned playfully "Long time, no see?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked, before realizing just who she'd spilled her heart out too. "I'm so sorry!"

Jackie waved her off. "It's okay. Janna texted me like ten minutes ago to meet her at her place. Apparently I'm her go to person to deal with feelings."

"But, aren't you upset with me?"

"It's not like tears are gonna ruin this shirt."

"No… I mean aren't I kinda the reason you and Marco broke up. Aren't you mad?"

Jackie chuckled "I guess Marco didn't really tell you how we broke up, did he?"

Now that Star thought about it, he'd been pretty vague about it. "He just said that he screwed up."

"Well, that's not too bad of a summary. It wasn't really your fault. I'll admit, I was a little miffed when you confessed your crush to him right in front of me." Yeah, that hadn't been her finest moment. "But look, Marco's problem, it was actually a lot like yours."

"What do you mean? The two of you were really happy, until..."

"Until the person Marco actually loved confessed their feelings to him and stepped out of his life. Sound familiar?"

Yeah, that hit uncomfortably close to home. "But I do care a lot about Tom."

"And Marco cared a lot about me, too. But Star, what Marco and I had… it was only half of what a relationship should be."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we did have fun together, hang out a lot. Hold hands, snuggle, kiss. It was really awesome. But it wasn't anything more than that. Marco and I only had half of what a relationship should be. The other half he shared with you. Whenever Marco was feeling down, or hurt, or had a problem, he went to you. All of his hopes and dreams, he shared with you. When it came down to it, he would always choose you."

Tears welled up in Star's eyes as she realized what Jackie was getting at. "And when I dated Tom… Marco and I, we kept that half. And Tom…" Oh god, it was all her fault. She was the reason Tom was so insecure. She was responsible for how miserable Marco had been. "I'm a horrible friend."

"Star, look at me." Jackie said warmly "Everyone makes mistakes. And yeah, this was a big one. But you're only a horrible friend if you don't learn from it. So, what are you going to do now?"

"I need to apologize to both of them, for real." Because now it wouldn't be an empty apology for something she didn't fully understand "And I need to tell them the truth, and listen to them. I can't be with Tom anymore… and I don't think Marco wants to be with me, but as long as he can still be happy…"

"Why would you think that Marco doesn't want to be with you?"

"Well, he and Janna are together now, so I figured."

"Uhh…"

Jackie would never get to finish that thought, because at that moment a portal opened up in front of them. Surprise gave way to confusion, shock, hope, guilt and a whole host of other emotions as none other than Marco Diaz and Tom Lucitor stepped into Janna's living room.

"Marco?" Star gasped, her heart lurching. She couldn't help it, just seeing him again, even that much relit the fire of hope in her chest. By magic, she loved him.

"Star! Its Mina!" Marco shouted "There's going to be another attack! We need to get there, now!"

A/N: What happened between Kelly and Janna? What did Talon say to Tom and Marco? How will Star and Marco handle seeing each other again and what exactly is Mina planning? Tune in next week to find out!

Tbh, I was really hoping to fit Kelly and Janna's talk in this chapter, but while it fits thematically very well with Tom/Marco and Star/Jackie, structurally I just couldn't make it work. I really didn't want to split up Star's section, so it'll just have to wait.