Here we go again.
Also, if your picking this story up again, be sure to back track the last two chapters. I switched somethings around, and you might be a wee bit confused if you don't.
Marco had returned sometime later in the night. But while he was walking, doing the best to sort through the strange arrangement of feelings, he came across a startling revelation: he had developed feelings for Star. Somewhere down the road, and in the midst of all of their adventures Marco had begun to fall in love with the blond beauty from Mewni. The only problem was that the same girl he fell in love with, just shot him down hours earlier.
He could still remember the shocked, almost repulsed way she looked at him.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. Okay, maybe it was the worst thing that he had ever felt before. But just because she didn't love him, didn't meant that he could forget her all together. He still wanted to be her friend.
And so, the next morning he stood in front of the mirror, fully dressed and ready for another day of school.
"Okay, so you might have a tiny, eensie, weensie, little crush on Star. But hey, that's alright. I bet a lot of people get crushes on their best friend. But nothing's going to happen, she doesn't have feelings for you, but you got this. Just give it a month or two and everything will be just fine. Crushes go away all the time. Remember when you had that crush on the lunch lady? No your finest hour, but you got over it. So just be cool, you're her best friend, now go and act like it."
Marco took a deep breath. And opened the door to his room, upon walking down the steps he found Star waiting for him.
She perked up the second she saw him.
"Hey Marco, ready for school?"
He decided to respond coolly.
"Of, course it's Taco Tuesday."
And so they set off on the journey they had taken a thousands times before...
The rest of the day was uneventful. He had to stay behind to help Ferguson with his Spanish homework, so he would be walking home alone today. It's for the best, he thought I really gotta get Star out of my head.
Marco was packing up his things from his locker, when he heard a slight knock on the metal door. It was Jackie.
"Hey Marco. How's it hanging?" Something was different about her.
"Not too shabby." He stuffed his English book in his backpack and shut the door.
"So hey, I was thinking. It's kind of a long shot, but do think maybe you'd wanna hang out sometime? You know, maybe Netflix and chill?"
Her request caught him off guard. He confessed his feelings toward her during freshman year, but nothing else really came of it. They exchanged pleasantries as usual, but that was it. Why all of sudden would she ask him out?
Marco wanted to say no, in fact he had opened his mouth to say just that, but the skater girl interrupted him before he could begin.
"I mean, you and Star aren't like a thing, right?" She asked.
There's no way that would happen! Star's words rang out in Marco's mind. He shook his head, and put on a brave smile.
"No, not at all."
"Great. I was thinking. My parents will be gone this weekend. And I'll have the house to myself. So you could come over and stay as long as you'd like." There sure wasn't anything subtle in her request. He didn't feel as strongly for Jackie as he once did, but she might be what he needed to get Star off his brain.
"Sure." He agreed, but then Marco felt a strange sensation on his neck.
"Uhmm…" Jackie looked disgusted, "I think there might be something wrong with your tattoo. It looks a little… infected."
"What?" He pulled open his locker violently and looked at the tiny mirror inside. Jackie was right, something was definitely wrong. The mark was no longer pink and vibrant, but had turned a noxious shade of deep purple, and it oozed just a bit. When he went to touch it, he could feel the sludge sliding against his finger. "That's not good." He summarized.
"So, I'll see you around." Jackie backed away and left without another word.
Marco zipped up his bag, and bolted out of school. He had to get a hold of Star.
It didn't take long to make it back home, Marco ran at an incredible speed. He marched up the stairs and opened her door, calling out her name.
He practically ripped the door off of it's hinges.
"Star-" He stopped. He should have knocked first. Instead he had to barge in like a fool and catch her in a bath towel. She must've just gotten out of the shower.
"Marco get out!" she hissed, throwing a pillow at him.
"St-Star." His brain hadn't rebooted yet. He was fixated on her form. She may not have been naked, but the towel was small hugged her body like a second pair of skin.
"Don't you know how to knock? Get out!" It took a second pillow to get him moving.
"I'm sorry." He hid behind the door. "But something weird is happening with the mark and…"
"I'm not going to help you if I'm naked!" She hollered back. Marco's face only grew redder.
"Sorry," he apologized again, "Take your time."
He leaned up against the wall, and after a moment of shuffling.
"You can come in now." Star called out.
"I didn't mean for that to happen." Marco started.
"Let's just forget it. You didn't see anything, right?" Marco shook his head to keep his mind clear and clean. He may not have seen her naked exactly, but the towel stopped well above her knees.
"Good, because if you did, I can think of an army of Mewnians ready to defend their princess's honor." He shook his head in agreement and fear. "Now let me get a good look at it." Marco obliged and tilted his head to the side.
He may have been right to react the way he did. The mark was a dark sickly color, and it swelled 3 times it's size. She should've taken Glossaryk's warning more seriously.
Star placed a hand on his shoulder, while another pressed softly against his chin. She could feel his stubble slightly, but she ignored it. Now was not the time for that. She ran her index finger over the mark, and Marco tensed up.
"Does it hurt?" She asked.
"No, you're fine. It just tickles a little."
She scratched at it, and just like the same hearts that she experienced during her first Mewberty escapade, it came off revealing the same bright heart from before. Just beneath his collar, she cold see another pair poking through.
"Take off your shirt."
"Do what now?" He questioned.
"I think you've got more. They'll come right off, just give me a sec." Marco thought about her request before making any moves. He wasn't ashamed of his body. Years of Karate and monster attacks had shaped his form well.
...And he would be lying if he said that he had never flexed in front of the mirror before. But taking off his shirt would put them in an even more awkward position.
"We can call it even." Star offered.
The young man relented. He lifted his shirt up over his head, but didn't look at Star directly. His face was growing hotter by the second.
Yup, Star was a big fan of puberty's work. Marco's shoulders and chest were sculpted quite well, not obnoxiously overdone, but lean, toned, and alluring.
Cool it girl! Star demanded of herself, Don't do anything weird. You're here to help, not make it worse.
Then a certain little blue man jumped in her mind. All you gotta do is consummate your relationship. Star bit her lip. Consummate...Consummate...
"Stupid Glossaryk." She cursed beneath her breath.
"Ah what'd you say?"
"Nothing! Just you got some here on your shoulder blades." She ran her fingers across his back, giving Marco goosebumps as she traced along his skin. She used her fingernails to loosen up the dark hearts, before plucking them off.
Then, she moved in front of him, though not as pronounced, she could see a few hearts sprawled across his chest. Without saying a word, her fingertips grazed his skin once more, feeling the little hearts and much as she did his muscle. Marco could feel her breath against him. She smelled like fresh strawberries. Her touch was so inviting, and he couldn't seem to push away the picture of her in her fluffy bath towel.
And then he became completely away of how tight his pants were getting.
Not now! Oh no, anything else but that. Think of something else.
Star, on the other hand, was having an equally tough time keeping things under control. Pulling the hearts off of Marco must've been the greatest test ever devised by the infinite number of universes. She just about considered herself to be successful, when she noticed the strange look on his face. He was concentrating on something by the looks of it. So she asked.
"What are you doing?"
"Thinking of Ms. Skullnick." Marco responded. Averting her questioning gaze.
"Why?" She asked as she pulled off the last one.
"It's the only thing that helps." He answered without thinking. With any luck Star wouldn't know what he meant by that. "Are we done here?" He had to get of her room.
"Oh, hold on it looks like there's a new one just under your belly button." She moved her hand to remove it, but Marco jumped away from her touch.
"Nope! I think I got that one." His voice cracked, "Uh, Star, I really gotta go, there's a test in Spanish and…"
"You speak Spanish."
"Do I? I think I'm forgetting most of it. Anyways thanks for the help" He cleared his throat, "I'll see you around." He dashed toward the door.
"Marco, wait!" Star called out.
He stopped at the frame, but he didn't dare look back.
"I'm sorry. For all of this, Marco I'm doing my best to take care of it."
"I know Star. I trust you."
She felt a small tug at her heart. He did trust her after all, even when she lied to his face, he still believed her.
"Don't worry I've got a plan, we'll get this under control." I'll get this under control.
He nodded, then left.
Alright, that's it for today. Thanks for reading.
Attila The Fun!