Hello again! Thank you for tuning into the 25th installment of Life on Earthni! Hope you have enjoyed these chapters as much as I have loved writing them. Can you believe we are already at the second to last chapter? I can't! Anyway, hope you enjoy this story. I don't own Star vs the Forces of Evil.
Chapter 25: Yes
Taking in a deep breath, Marco held both sides of the sink as he stared into the bathroom mirror. "Okay, Diaz. You can do this." He pointed to his reflection, narrowing his eyes. "Don't sweat. Seriously…don't sweat." Marco looked himself in the eye and took a deep breath. Someone walked past him to wash his hands and gave him a strange look.
"Do you need a laxative or something?" He asked Marco as he turned on the water.
With a groan, Marco just gave the guy a blank look. "Nope. I'm good."
The man shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the bathroom door, muttering, "Humans are so weird." Ignoring the jab, Marco looked back into the mirror again. "No pressure. Just the most important night of your life at one of the fanciest restaurants on Earthni. Everything will go according to plan." Giving himself one more nod, Marco patted his pocket to see if- "OH NO! WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT?!" He frantically began patting himself down, checking every pocket in his pants and jacket when suddenly he felt the tiny little box. With a sigh of relief, Marco pulled out the little box to check to make sure it was still there and put it back in his jacket pocket.
Shaking out his hands, Marco realized he was sweaty again. "Uhhh…" Pulling out a roll of deodorant from his other jacket pocket, he popped the lid and reached under his shirt to put it on. "One wipe, two wipe, three wipe, four. Five wipe, six wipe-swipe no more." Putting back the deodorant, he gave himself one more nod in the mirror. "Let's do this."
Marco left the bathroom, seeing the man from before eyeing him at a table near the kitchen. Avoiding his gaze, Marco made his way back to the table where Star was waiting. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he saw her in a fancy dress, giggling behind a menu as a human waitress stalked away. As she past Marco, he heard her grumble, "Stupid high schoolers." As she disappeared into the kitchen, Marco looked back at his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.
"Marco! This place is too funny. So she listed all the specials and when I asked for her to say them again she did-then I told her that all sounded kind of gross and asked for chicken fingers-which, chickens don't have fingers, right? Anyway, she gave me a children's menu and asked why I came here without my parents. She totally thinks we are in high school!" Marco smiled at Star as he sat down, unconsciously patting his jacket pocket. Star looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You were in the bathroom a long time-you okay?"
Waving his hand, Marco tugged at his collar with the other. "Yeah, just talked with some guy in there…anyway, what were the specials?"
"I dunno. I wasn't really listening."
"And I wonder why she thought you were a high schooler…" Marco smiled at her despite himself. "She just thinks you're young-but we're here to celebrate! My beautiful girlfriend got into law school!"
"Yeah I did!" Star thrust her hands into the air, her dinosaur bracelets clacking together. "Celebration time-Star Butterfly, Attorney of Law. Making Earthni a better place for you and me."
"You made your own catchphrase?" Marco glanced down at his watch and gulped. "Oh no-they are running late taking our order!"
Star raised her eyebrow, scrunching her face in confusion. "What are you talking about, we just got here. We are at this fancy-schmancy place to celebrate me getting into law school!"
"Hehe, yep! Celebrate you getting into law school! AND THAT IS IT-NOTHING ELSE!"
Cocking her head to the side, Star looked at her boyfriend in confusion. "Uhh…okay, Diaz. Maybe tone it down a little. You're being kind of weird." Both looked at one another, Marco feeling a bead of sweat trail down his back. Forcing a laugh, he pointed at the lady drinking tea with her pinky out. Star joined in and the night began to flow. After ordering chicken fingers and every other item on the children's menu, the couple continued to talk throughout the night. Star and Marco pretended to be other couples at the restaurant, making up conversations about their missing jewels or frustrations with butlers and silver spoons-which Marco had to explain that one to Star.
As Marco checked his watch for the twentieth time that evening (which Star quit asking about after the fifth time, thank goodness) he looked back up at Star licking her spoon to get the last of the chocolate ice cream off of it. As she raised the bowl up to her mouth, she caught Marco's eye and smiled at him awkwardly. "On Mewni, licking plates clean was a sign of respect to the cooks."
"Star, I lived on Mewni with you. I'm pretty sure your mom would kill you for that."
Grinning sheepishly, Star put down her bowl and shrugged her shoulders. "Hey-I'm 23. I can make my own rules now."
"Here." A piece of paper was thrust down in front of Marco's face. Blinking rapidly, he looked up to see the waitress standing over him, a haggard look on her face. "It that FINALLY everything I can do for you?" She groaned at him, eyes narrowed.
Marco looked back down at the check. He rolled his eyes when he saw the price. "$650. Sounds about right." Sighing, he took out his wallet and put down the amount plus a what little extra he had for a tip. "Thanks. Sorry for…" Marco looked down at the trashed table with every food imaginable and the impromptu remains of the tic-tac-toe game he and Star had written on every napkin and children's menu. He looked back up at the waitress who gave him an annoyed look. "Anyway, thanks!" Taking Star's hand, he dashed out of the restaurant as fast as he could.
As they made their way down to the park, Marco checked his watch again. Okay…they were still on time if they cut the firework show a bit short-"Why are you acting so 'Marcoish' tonight?" Star's voice cut through his thoughts. Whirling to look at her, a blonde curl escaped from her bun as she cocked her head to look at him.
Grinning at her (and feeling sweat pour out of his armpits profusely), he tucked the hair back behind her ear. "I'm just excited! You're gonna be a lawyer! And I'm gonna be a cop…hopefully. Whenever I finish my second bachelor's degree."
"I can't believe you would willingly go back to school for cooking."
"Hey, the culinary arts have been passed down for generations-OH MY GOSH! We gotta go!" Checking his watch, Marco yelped and grabbed her hand, dragging her further into the park. Star looked around herself, confused as to why he was acting so strangely. As the Mewni moons began to set in the distance and the Earth moon rose to the east, Star smiled as they walked in the dark. With a tug of her hand, she stopped Marco in his tracks, almost pulling him down. "Look, Marco! Isn't that amazing? It's so beautiful!" Slipping off her shoes, she sighed in relief, her grin growing. "Man, if I had never destroyed magic, I would have made a spell that makes me feel as good as taking off high heels but for my whole body!"
Marco smiled at her, resisting the urge to look at his watch. Feeling a tug at his hand, Marco felt Star pull him to the grass. "Do you hear that music from that restaurant over there? Let's dance!"
"Star, we don't have time-"
"Where do we have to go in such a hurry? Come on, Safe Kid!"
Huffing in defeat, Marco began to calculate what else could be shortened as he joined Star. Holding each other by one hand, Star gave an exaggerated curtsey and Marco smiled, bowing at her with a flourish. Though it was faint, Marco heard the music and began to lead once he got the rhythm. The two couldn't help but giggle as they swayed to the music. "Why do you hide these dance moves, Diaz?"
Shrugging as he twirled Star, he fringed modesty. "I don't hide them-I just don't want Ponyhead to be jealous."
Star snorted, letting go of Marco as she laughed. "Yeah, Pony would try to spear you with her new horn. Oh, corn! My hair is driving me nuts! I'll be right back, Marco! Gotta go fix my do!" Grabbing her shoes, Star dashed toward the closest bathroom. The moment she had closed the door, Marco whipped out his phone.
"Ponyhead! Tell me you have everything in order. Uhh, Ponyhead?" The sight that greeted Marco on the video call was not the preparations he had been expecting, but flashing lights and a close up of Ponyhead's snout. The background music was so loud, he couldn't hear her response. "WHAT?" He yelled into the phone. The flying princess snorted and the screen began shifting rapidly as she floated around wherever she was…Finally she stopped at glared at him through narrowed eyes.
"What? I was just getting' my groove on at the club and you up and call me for no reason whatsoever. What do you want, Earth Turd?"
Marco shook his head in disbelief. "What? No! You promised you would be making sure everything was in order for tonight. Are Janna, Tom, and Jackie all in place? What about Star and my parents? And did you invite Eclipsa and Globgor?"
Ponyhead stared blankly at the screen as the music grew louder behind her. "Oh, you know what-I totally forgot to do all those things. But it's whatever. Even you can't mess this up-OHH!" As the song changed, Ponyhead looked behind her. Marco could make out two of her sisters flying to the dance floor. "I love this song!"
"Seriously? Ponyhead! You were supposed to get the hot air balloon ready with the fireworks timed to Love Sentence songs!"
"Chill, Marco! I just-like-forgot to do all those things because it was, like, a lot. Well, gotta go. Good luck or whatever!" Ponyhead huffed into the screen and suddenly hung up.
"Wait-no-ugh. I never should have relied on her." Marco growled as he flipped through his contacts. Pressing the button, the phone dialed. Marco impatiently tapped his foot, glancing at the bathroom in case Star came back. "JANNA! Oh man, Janna, Pony bailed on us but give me some good news-you did all the stuff she promised to do and-"
"Sorry, I'm busy."
The line went dead and Marco growled in frustration. "UGH! Why is no one reliable anymore. I swear, if everything is ruined-"
"What's ruined?"
With a jolt, Marco whipped around to see Star behind him, her hair completely down like normal. She looked absolutely beautiful in the moonlight. Gulping, Marco thrust his phone deep into his pocket. "Uh, nothing! Nothing! Just…world politics…"
"Okay…" Star gave him a funny look. Suddenly, a strange look Marco couldn't quite identify flashed across her face and before he could ask her what was up, she exploded. "UGH! Marco-I'm sorry, I know that tonight was supposed to be special but you are acting so…Marcoish! I don't know why you are having a Marco moment, but I can't hold it in any longer. I got to talk to you about something and it can't wait anymore!"
Blinking once, Marco looked at his girlfriend, assessing how serious she was being. Glancing at his watch, his heart leapt in panic. "Umm, can we talk about it as we walk, because we really need to go…" Star crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes. Marco gulped, realizing how strikingly similar Star looked to her mom when she was angry. "Or we can talk about it right here."
Taking a deep breath, Star rub her arms as if to warm herself. "I'm sorry, Marco. I shouldn't have blown up on you with this but I've been thinking about this a lot lately and just couldn't let it go." As if steeling herself, Star closed her eyes for a brief second before gazing into Marco's eyes. "Why don't we just get married already?"
Marco's jaw dropped. His heart sped up rapidly. He tried to form words but Star interrupted him. "Look, I know we are still super young but we have been together since we were kids and we love each other. It just makes sense. Why not just make it official? Is it…" Star paused, nervously tugging at some hair. "Is it because you don't want to commit just yet? Or that you want to finish school or what?"
Her eyes glistened in the moonlight. Marco wordlessly shook his head, trying to decide how to respond. "Star…Of course I want to marry you! It's just…I want everything to be perfect! Look, we probably should go or we'll miss-"
"No moment will ever be perfect, Marco!" Star thrust her hands on her hips. Sighing, she shook her head. "Look, it's just been something I've been thinking a lot about lately and-I dunno-it seems like the right next step. It doesn't have to be anything super special! It's special if it's just you and me. You've been acting so weird tonight I wasn't sure if I should bring this up or not but then…" Star stopped, realizing she was spiraling. Marco realized she must have been thinking about this a long time-probably as long as he had been. "I'm sorry, Marco. I just…I'm a bit overwhelmed. I think I should go home. Maybe we could celebrate tomorrow."
As she began to turn away, Marco frantically reached inside his coat pocket and whipped out the box. He stared at it for a fraction of a second before looking back up to see Star beginning to walk away. "Star-wait!"
"Marco, look, I know you have something planned-HOLY HORSE FEATHERS!" Star gasped, pulling her hand to her mouth in shock. "Marco, what are you-"
Marco was on one knee, holding up the ring. Sweat gushed down his back like a river as he gazed up at her hopefully. A million emotions flashed across her face as she gazed wordlessly at the ring. "Star, I realize that this may not have been what I planned but you're right. There isn't the perfect moment-every moment with you is perfect."
Fanning herself, a grin grew across her face. "Oh my gosh, Marco! I am so sorry-I am so dumb! I thought you didn't care or that you weren't that interested in getting married or something but this is amazing and I have no idea what to say and now I can't stop talking-this is why you were acting more Marcoish than usual!"
With a nervous grin, Marco shakily held up the ring. The moonlight caught on the ring and reflected onto Star's face. Star put a hand over her mouth to quiet herself as she wordlessly nodded for Marco to continue.
"Star, will you-"
"OF COURSE I WILL, SAFETY KID!"
Suddenly, Marco was tackled to the ground as Star threw her arms around him in a hug. Before he could respond, her lips were on his. After a few seconds, Star released him and pulled away to look him in the eye. Placing one hand on his check, she smiled at him with tears in her eyes. Marco pulled her hand away from his check and slipped the ring onto her finger. Giving him one more kiss, Star pulled them both into a sitting position. "Okay, maybe you were right. You just had to wait for the perfect moment-I can't wait to tell EVERYBODY!" She sang the last word happily as she threw her arms around him again before quickly pulling away with a sickly smile. "Ehh, let's get some paper towels for your sweaty back…"
As if in a daydream, Marco nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah…perfect."
Star helped Marco up and held up her hand in front of them to admire the ring. "You really do have the moves, Diaz. The perfect moment. No distractions. Simple. Just you and me. This is exactly what I always wanted." She kissed him on the check as she jumped up and down in excitement. "Holy corn! I got to go tell mom and dad! And Janna! AND PONY! She's going to freak! Come on, Marco! We got to go!" She pulled at his hand and Marco nodded his head quickly, squeezing it once before letting go.
"Yeah, yeah! Of course. Just…one moment. You go ahead."
Star beamed at him before grabbing her shoes and dashing toward the car, admiring her ring as she went. Marco watched after her for a few seconds with a goofy smile before whipping out a walkie talkie from his front pants pocket. "Tom! Cancel the fire jugglers and the parade. Star wants something simple! I repeat-cancel the fire jugglers and the parade. Do you copy?"
The walkie talkie cackled to life as Tom's voice came through. "What? No jugglers? Ahh, man! I just got a new suit for this!"
Man, even in just one sentence, the bromance is strong with those two-I love it! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. These stories started with their wedding and now ending with their engagement. And Marco would try to plan an over the top engagement because that's what Star would normally like but with how close and sweet their relationship is, it seemed like Star would like something that is intimate and just the two of them. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Can you believe there is only one chapter left after this? These have been such a blast to write. Thank you for reading my stories-I appreciate each and every one of you. Until the next (and last) time!
Starco4everr: Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed that chapter. You are so kind to continue to encourage me throughout this story! Thank you!
Lord of the Storm: Thank you so much for your encouragement! We have that in common with doing both music and sports in high school! So glad you have been enjoying this series-and don't we all wish we still owned our souls, lol!
SugarQueen97: Lol, true! The nefarious side of ice cream vendors-diabetes and cholesterol. And if Meteora was rejected by Rasticore AGAIN-poor thing! No worries, she ends up with someone so much better than Rasticore!