Author's Note: Hello readers. Thank you for considering my story. This isn't the first one that I have ever published, but it is the first original story that I have ever come up with. I wanted this to be from the heart, and I hope that you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

For those who enjoy listening to music to accompany stories like this, consider searching "Most Emotional Music Collection - Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso". I listened to this for a while as I wrote and edited parts of this story.

Please enjoy the story!

I Will Always Be There For You

Dusk began to fall over the small town of Echo Creek on a brisk spring evening. Light gusts of wind could be heard and felt whirling through the evening air; branches on trees rustled ever so slightly. Activity on the roads had slowed in a number of places. Traffic began to dwindle and cars disappeared from the roads almost completely in most residential areas.

Somewhere in a certain neighborhood the stillness outside was shattered by the creaking of a front door and the sound of a girl's enthusiastic laughter. Two teens stepped outside the house and away from a third teen, turning after to bid their host farewell. The first, Star Butterfly, continued to chortle as she looked back and forth between her two friends.

In between barely contained laughter, she gave a light wave toward the girl staying behind by the doorframe and called out "Bye Janna! Thanks for hanging out!"

Her friend next to her, Marco Diaz, did not look quite as amused. He was still irritated at Janna regarding her playful taunting prior to walking out the door. With both hands in the pockets of his hoodie he wore a deadpan expression as he simply remarked "I'll be looking for you if you snatched anything else while I wasn't looking." Janna wore a devious yet dismissive smirk as she waved back at her company before closing the door.

The two friends began to walk home, talking about their interdimensional plans for the weekend and about the afternoon at Janna's house that Star dragged Marco into. Marco wasn't exactly thrilled about spending the better portion of his Friday over at Janna's, even if he really did consider her a friend. One failed voodoo ritual, a game of tag for his wallet, and a creepy movie later, he could at least admit the day was eventful, albeit stressful. Star, on the other hand, always had a blast with Janna. Innocent as Star was, Janna always managed to rope her into some shenanigans when they were together. She could have fun doing practically anything given the freedom to choose it.

The two friends walked on. They shared some idle chatter which had the tendency to devolve into Star gushing about one of her ideas for a spell or even some stories about her antics in some of the places she wants to show Marco. Once she was wound up she could just keep going.

Marco smirked at the thought of a wind-up Star toy, imagining how hilarious it would be. Star was gung ho by definition and he has come to really enjoy that about her. Marco, nonetheless worried about his best friend sometimes. It wasn't so much that Star was a troublemaker herself. It was more so that she was impatient when it came to having fun. Her chronic boredom in class has gotten her thrown in detention a few more times than he would care to recount and it eats away at their free time when he has to wait for Miss Skullnick to finally turn her loose.

Marco wondered if there was a way that he could help Star see the fun in learning a little bit more like he could. Perhaps it was possible but, even if he could, he probably wouldn't like the cost that came with it. Star was not someone to be reeled in and her imagination is not something to be limited to conventional 'in the box' thinking. If nothing else, his experience at Saint Olga's definitely taught him the consequences of trying to cage a free bird. Star was crazy, she was quirky; she was just Star. He sighed, realizing that he wouldn't want to press her to do or be anything she isn't, so long as she's alright.

"MARCO! MARCO!"

Marco snapped to attention as his thoughts were violently disrupted by Star's unabating excitement.

"What is it, Star?"

He looked around and took in his surroundings. Trees were present all along the side of the road they were walking along. Across the street was a small park which they had each walked past many times. A sand lot with a faded white baseball diamond could be seen over yonder. It served as the backdrop for the rest of the park, sporting a number of amenities: A small jungle gym with tube slides and spinnable X's and O's panels, a metal swing set, worn from use, small ponds, and its inviting yet antiquated benches. He felt the wind; the air retained its cool breeze and occasional rolling winds, and the sun had practically disappeared over the horizon, bringing nighttime over the scene. It was starting to get pretty dark outside.

"What is that L thingy up in the tree?" Star chirped warmly.

Marco glanced back over toward Star and took note of her attention fixated above them. He followed her arm and saw that she was pointing up at the leaves of an old tree.

He stared at it for a few moments before noticing a small boomerang caught in the crook of its branches.

"That's called a boomerang, Star." he said. "It's a toy that you're supposed to throw into the air. If you throw it the right way, it will come back to you."

Giving the abandoned object a second glance, he surmised that its previous owner clearly didn't throw it the right way this time. Star's face lit up even more as she considered the interesting quirk about this foreign object, holding back none of her interest at the thing.

"You keep telling me there is NOT magic on Earth, but then you show me cool stuff that is clearly magical!"

Star smiled and continued to look up at the boomerang. She was brimming with excitement now. This strange booma?… boomy?… broomer thing looked so simple, but it was actually hiding a cool secret. Star had already decided that she had to see this thing in action. Marco, seeming as though he has fought this battle a multitude of times, tried to explain that sometimes normal stuff can do really cool things. He tried but, before he could finish the thought, Star was already off the ground and hugging the trunk of the tree.

"Star! Get down from there, what are you thinking?"

Marco attempted to prevent her from continuing up the tree, but he was unable to stop her from ascending the first few feet into the leaves of the tree and out of his grasp.

"Relaaaax, Marco, I just want to get the boomy thang and then I'll come right back down" Star cheerfully replied.

Marco wracked his brain for a moment, trying to think of something he could say to persuade her to stop climbing.

"Couldn't you just use your wand to get it out?"

Star paused for a moment to think about it.

"...Mhmm, nah. I never did learn the Levita-ta-tomato spell that Glossaryck has been nagging me about, and I don't wanna blow up the tree. Besides, it is more fun this way." she declared.

Star continued climbing with a now more determined expression. Marco stopped holding his breath and simply relented. The best he could do now was hope she would be up and down without trouble.

"Just try to be careful up there, Star." he said as he watched helplessly from the grass below.

Star continued shuffling around in the tree, keeping track of which spots had the best footholds while locking her eyes on the little wooden object calling out to her from the edge of the branch. She started moving out onto the branch and noticed something else. There were two more objects hiding up in the tree, a football and a soccer ball. Being that they were in the park, it was not too surprising to find them up here also, although they were surprisingly well hidden up in the tree's foliage.

Star did not climb this tree to get either of those two, however, and turned her attention back to the boomerang. She shimmied out onto the branch, getting closer and closer to it as the sound of bending twigs and rustling leaves grew louder. While she crawled the last little bit, she could feel the bottom her foot skidding across the soccer ball, unsticking it from the tree.

"Heads up!" she said before continuing forward.

The ball came into view for Marco and he placed his hands up, catching the ball firmly. "Huh, didn't even notice this up there" he thought aloud. He didn't have more than a moment to ponder it as the other ball fell out of the tree. Unaware and unprepared, Marco was spooked by the football which came down right in front of him and collided with the ball already in his hands. He was completely caught off guard and the shock sent him staggering backward. Marco yelped as he tried but failed to maintain his balance and fell back, crashing into the grass beneath him.

Star heard her friend's outburst just as she finally took hold of the boomerang. She unlodged the little magic Earth toy and held it up victoriously. Having finally accomplished her task, Star looked down to witness her best friend toppling over into the grass.

"Ya alright down there bud?" She asked playfully.

"Yeah, never better" he deadpanned, looking blankly up at the tree as he lay there.

Star started to snicker at her friend's antics but was quickly interrupted. A series of loud cracks and snaps could be heard coming from the tree branch as it started to give under the pressure leveraged against it. Star let out a squeal as gravity took over and she plunged toward the ground. Marco struggled to get to his feet but was unable to raise himself in time. A thud resounded into the air as the motion came to an abrupt stop.

"Star!? Star! Are you alright? I knew it was a bad idea to let you go up there, I should have tried harder to stop you, I should have-"

Marco's ramblings were cut off by the sound of a whimper escaping Star's mouth when she tried to get up. Marco immediately closed the gap between then and put a hand on her shoulder as he crouched down next to her. Star brushed his concern off and held the boomerang up.

"I got the boomy-rang, Marco!"

Star wore a goofy smirk as she waved her hard-fought prize around like it was clearly worth the effort.

"You hurt yourself getting it, Star. We need to worry about that right now" he reprimanded.

Star wanted to waste no time worrying him further.

"Don't freak out, Marco! I'm fine see? Let's go!"

Star started to get up, but as she put weight on her right foot she felt a shooting pain and collapsed on it, groaning lightly in response. She attempted once more and winced as she tried but failed to right herself.

Marco let himself down on one knee and placed a hand over her shin, getting her attention.

"Star, you're not fine, let me take a look at your leg."

"But Marco I-"

"Star, please."

Star's eyes shifted up toward his own which were staring back at her with concern. She recognized the look, or at least she thought she did. It was the same worried look everyone gave her when she got herself into a mess. But something was… different about it this time. Marco didn't look frustrated; he didn't seem disappointed. He looked sad, pained, almost like he was staring down at his own hurt leg instead of hers. Star couldn't respond, she didn't know what to say. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her want to comply, possibly more for his sake than her own. Instead of speaking, she nodded her head and relaxed her leg.

Marco gingerly removed the boot on Star's right foot and began to feel around the base of her calf.

"Let me know if you feel any pain when I touch, alright?"

Once again, she nodded. Marco applied the slightest pressure in a few places, moving his hands around her shin and foot. Eventually, Marco noticed the swelling in Star's ankle and moved his hands over toward it. When he pressed lightly, Star felt a dull pain as and shook slightly, confirming to him that he found the injury.

"I can't be sure, but I think your ankle is sprained, Star."

She looked like she was about to deflect that statement and try to get up again but Marco continued

"It could have been much worse, but you absolutely can't walk on this leg right now. The more you stress your ankle, the longer it will take to heal. You should be fine in no time, but let's just get you home so you can rest" he said.

Star smiled at the mostly good news and felt around for her… dimensional… scissors…? They were nowhere to be found.

"We must have forgotten them at home today" Star muttered as the gravity of their situation intensified.

The silence settled in around them while they took stock of their situation. It was mostly dark already and there were no cars to flag for a ride. Marco looked down the street contemplating. They were hardly halfway home but it was only perhaps another fifteen to twenty minutes away.

"I can just try to fix my leg with magic" Star said, digging into the string bag she brought to school that day for her wand.

"Star, you and I both know that's out of the question. Those healing spells are dangerous and you never learned how to fix a leg."

Star wanted to protest

"But what else can we do? We can't stay out here."

Marco turned his back to Star, planting one foot firmly on the ground while remaining on the other knee.

"Get on." he said quietly.

"Marco?"

He spoke up again "Star, climb on my back, I'll get you home."

She was taken aback at this request.

"Marco, no, I can't let you go through that, just let me-"

"Just leave this to me Star."

Marco twisted around and his eyes met hers once again. Star bore a conflicted expression. She didn't want to be someone that needed rescuing; she was not a damsel in distress, she was a cool, awesome, independent rebel princess, Star Butterfly. She said nothing, though; words escaped her once again. Something about his gaze was piercing through the "rebel" spirit in her own. It was like his very soul wouldn't take no for answer.

"I need you to let me do this. I'll get us both home." Star hesitated for a moment longer, silently wishing she wasn't so helpless right now. This was one of those moments where she knew he wasn't going to budge. She finally gave in and agreed. She threw the boomerang into her string bag and placed her arms over his shoulders, linking them around his chest. After pushing herself up just a little, Marco was able to get a grip on her legs and hoisted her up securely as he rose completely to his feet.

He began walking.

He carried her as he walked slowly; it was a calm, deliberate stride. Each step he took was taken gently and carefully. She could only see the back of Marco as they moved forward, but she could feel that his attention was on her.

Bump, bump, bump

Star adjusted to the rhythm of his shoulders rising and falling as he took each step. She could hear his quiet breathing; she could sense his pulse; she could feel his heart pumping. There was something surreal about this experience, something absolutely soothing to her about this. She always has so much energy coursing through her, but, right now, she wanted to just be.

Her thoughts wandered, of course, back to the predicament that she was in and she became a bit more uncomfortable at the realization that she had to be helplessly carried home by her best friend. She had already agreed to let him do this, but she couldn't stand the idea of someone being forced to treat her like she was made of glass.

"Marco, you shouldn't be stuck doing this right now; I'm sorry. I can handle myself, and I really want you to respect that, but now here I am just laying on your back like a child." Star sighed.

Marco thought about what Star said and took a few more steps forward before finding his answer.

"Star, there is nothing wrong with depending on me to help you out when you're in trouble."

"And why is that?" Star replied

Marco was silent for a few moments. His footsteps could be heard as they continued down the stretch of sidewalk that lay ahead of them. He wanted her to understand. He really wanted her to understand why he felt so strongly about this.

He found his voice again.

"Remember when Toffee kidnapped me? When that happened, we had just had a big fight with one another. You were, no doubt, still upset with me by the time you found out that I was gone. So why did you come?"

"Isn't that obvious" Star said. "If I hadn't come you may have been killed. I wasn't going to sit around and let that happen."

Although Star couldn't see it Marco's expression lightened up as he continued.

He retorted "But he was just using me as bait to get to you. What if he had just let me go after a while. Or maybe I could have gotten the jump on him whenever he decided to open the glass again."

"But how do you know that you'd be alright? What if he just killed you, or hurt you instead? What if he never let you go? How do you know you could have freed yourself?"

Star wasn't sure where he was going with this quite yet, but she found herself confused as to why Marco would refuse the importance of everything she did to save him. She blew up her own wand for him. What was he thinking right now?

"Well, I don't know for sure, Star. But I am a karate master, and I hold my own against the same monsters you do all the time. Do you just not trust me to take care of myself? Was I nothing but a helpless, magicless human to you in that moment?"

Star could not believe what she was hearing. She didn't waste a second wondering about the answer to his question as the words practically poured out of her.

"Marco, you're one of the strongest people I know. Of course I don't think you are helpless! I just- I didn't… I had to be there to help and make sure you were okay. How much I trust you wasn't important, my best friend was gone and…"

Star's eyes widened as her own words seemed to evoke a response that she simply hadn't considered before. She imagined Marco saying these words to her as she, herself, proceeded to finish the statement.

"... I couldn't forgive myself if you had been hurt and I hadn't done everything I could to help."

Marco smiled, knowing that Star already felt exactly the same as he did about the matter.

"That's exactly how I feel whenever you're in trouble. It isn't about anything else; I want you to be okay. Even the most independent people need help sometimes. Everyone needs someone to pick them up when they fall down. I know as well as anyone that nobody can get by alone forever. I tried for a very long time. It is hard when nobody is there for you, and it doesn't feel good either. I've learned how important it is to rely on the people who are there for you when you really need them."

Marco paused for a moment before adding "And I will always be there for you. I promise I will, even if you don't really want me to be and even if it means doing something I'd normally not want to."

Something about this seemed a little too intimate for him to say casually. Marco may normally have thought better before saying something so cheesy, but something in Star's voice gave him a firm resolve to reassure his best friend. This was nothing, really. He's nearly gotten himself killed in the past. A little extra weight on his back wasn't about to cause him grief. He cared about Star way more than any inconvenience that she could ever put him through. There wasn't a single moment of thought required for him to reach that conclusion.

"Thank you, Marco. I'd do the same for you, and I mean that."

Star also felt the cheesiness of what Marco had just said. She knew he was serious, though, and a comfortable warmth filled her chest. She still felt helpless, but she didn't feel so much like a sandbag around her friend's neck. She felt the care in his voice, and it helped a lot.

As silly as the thought was, the way Marco feigned offense to her saving him reminded her of their talk on the balcony right after the Blood Moon Ball. She remembered how harshly she had reacted to his actions. Now, looking back, she can better understand what drove him to do what he did. Then again, it wasn't like she was in any real danger. Why… was he so concerned about Tom?

Her memories drifted toward the few moments earlier in the night in which she saw herself dancing under the red light of the Blood Moon. She remembered the moment differently now. She was imagining the sways, the spins, the steps. The mysterious stranger in a mask was so focused on her, so attuned to her existence, and something about that moment seemed so much more comfortable now as she imagine Marco's face behind the mask. He'd be there regardless of what crazy circumstances lead to their situation. She really believed him when he said that.

"Marco?"

"Yes, Star?"

"I know this is kinda weird, but I wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened a long time ago when you followed me to that Blood Moon Ball thing."

Marco's eyebrows raised as he wondered what she meant.

"What are you sorry for?"

"Well, I was really upset about you following me down there, but now I realize you were just keeping an eye on Tom. I might have been okay without you, but I am really glad now that I wasn't stuck hanging out with Tom all night. You are the best, even when I'm being a butt."

Marco couldn't contain a snorted laugh at that last remark. Star joined in soon after and they shared a much needed laugh together. They settled down after a few seconds, and Marco took a moment to catch his breath before realizing that he may have been overexerting himself a bit. Catching sight of a nearby bench, he asked Star if they could sit down and take a quick break. She agreed and they made their way toward the bench.

A few moments passed and the two were sitting back on the bench, each just kind of staring up at the sky. Marco pondered what Star had just said a few moments earlier. He found himself fixated on a detail that he was genuinely curious about.

"Star, what happened between you and Tom?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you had to have been close at one point, right? He is your ex-boyfriend. I have a few ideas as to what he did wrong, but I'm just kind of curious what really happened."

Star wasn't sure where to begin when it came to Tom. She spent so much time over the past year or so just trying to ignore him, but, thinking about it now, she could definitely see the bigger picture.

"Tom was someone I could really relate to. We were both about the same age, we were both heirs to a kingdom, and we both kind of didn't care about all of the boring stuff that our parents tried to force on us. Our parents were basically nudging us together, and that pressure alone made both of us hate each other at first. It wasn't until this one time when we had to dance together for this fancy shmancy 'Silver Bell Ball' that we started to see one another as sort of kindred spirits. I also maybe, kind of got caught up in his whole rebel, bad boy, demon prince image and thought that was really cool.

We were friends for a little bit before we started going out, and I figured he would make life on Mewni a lot less boring and take a little bit of the pressure off from the whole 'princess' thing. It didn't take too long for me to realize I was wrong about that. Somewhere along the way, after we became a couple, he kind of stopped being my 'friend'. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it just kind of felt like I lost someone cool for someone not so cool. He didn't see me like a friend anymore. Instead I was 'his girl'. Eventually I'm sure he started to see me as just an object, like a possession of his. He would just get really angry at me whenever I didn't want to do something or didn't agree with him. I should have called things off by then, but it wasn't until he almost hurt me that I realized the friend I thought I had in Tom was long gone.

I think he does regret the way he acted. Even if he hasn't changed and probably won't ever change, I can tell he wants to. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to the way things used to be with him, but I do kind of hope so. I'll certainly never want to date him ever again."

Marco honestly was surprised by some of what Star said. He knew the demon had a temper, but he never considered how much he tarnished what was once a good relationship. He could never imagine forsaking a bond like that. It actually made him feel sympathy for Tom. Perhaps he understood him a little better now too.

"I'm sorry that things were so rough. I had no idea that that was what had happened.

Star looked back up to Marco smiling sheepishly at him.

"No, really, don't worry about it. Here I am blabbering on about boring personal stuff and you're the one apologizing? You don't have to bother yourself with all of this."

"It's alright, I really want to know" Marco responded in a low voice. "I meant what I said, Star. I will always be there for you, and sometimes friends need to be there for each other when they have to vent a little. How can I help if I don't listen?"

There were so many things Star could have thought of to say, but Star usually just blurted out the first thing that she came up with.

"I appreciate you so much right now, Marco."

Her eyes widened for a moment at the intensity of her words, but she calmed down as soon as she realized that she entirely meant it. They looked at one another, each holding the other's eyes captive for a moment. Star had a genuine smile on her face, still a bit bewildered by the serious turn their conversation had taken. Marco just looked a bit confused, his mouth making a small 'o' as he considered her words. Something about that look of surprise just made her smile all the more. It was… cute. He looked so caring and so innocent. His eyes had this bright, umber sheen in the moonlight, and they seemed to emanate warmth and comfort. This feeling was… different; it was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

Suddenly, that warmth was invaded by another gust of wind. Star couldn't deny that the air had gotten a little colder since the moon began to shine in the sky. Instinctively she closed her eyes and shivered a bit, moving her arms closer together. A few moments later she felt something over her back and arms and opened her eyes again. She looked at Marco and saw him in his grey t-shirt. Then she looked down at herself and realized that it was a red hoodie around her. Marco had caught on immediately. Without saying a word, he relinquished his hoodie for her. It felt so… warm. Star wrapped herself tighter in the hoodie. She'd just stay like this forever if she had to. She didn't care about anything else right now.

"I guess it is getting a little too cold out, I guess we should get moving again."

Star knew they would have to go soon, but she didn't want to just yet. She had other plans.

"If you don't mind, Marco, I'd actually like to stay just a little bit longer." she said quietly with a smile on her face.

"If you're sure, we can stay a few more minut-"

Before Marco had finished speaking Star scooted right next to him and laid her head against his shoulder, leaning into him. Her eyes were closed and she wore the tiniest smile as she let out a contented sigh. Marco was silent through all of this. He wasn't sure what to do, he hadn't been quite prepared for Star to do that. Eventually he settled on lightly placing his arm on her shoulder to provide more... warmth? comfort? He wasn't entirely sure. It just seemed like the blatantly correct thing to do.

He really thought he should have felt colder without his hoodie on tonight. For some reason, though, he felt heat circulating through him. His heart was pumping so quickly, his stomach seemed to float up, but he wasn't entirely sure what it meant. One thing was certain for Marco, however, and it was the fact that this warmth was strongest on his left side where his best friend simply lay up against him.

Star had been thinking a lot since they sat down. She wasn't sure what was going on in her head, but something about the pressure in her chest gave her an idea as to what it might have been.

"Marco?"

"W-What is it, Star?"

"I want to try something. Please promise you won't get mad?"

Marco cocked his head to the side in confusion. He was a bit nervous, but he was also thoroughly confused. He continued, nevertheless.

"Of course I won't, Star. What did you want to try…?"

Star lifted her head from Marco's shoulder slowly. Marco noticed this and glanced over at her with a bit of uneasiness. She was shaking, but this time it wasn't from the evening air. She kept telling herself that she might be about to do something stupid, that she was going to make another mistake tonight. Those thoughts managed to slow her down, but they could not stop her. Deep down, she heard a voice that seemed to cry out from her very core, telling her to let go and do this one, single, thing.

Star reached up and placed her palms on Marco's cheeks, ever so gently guiding him to look directly at her. Marco's stomach filled with knots; a lump formed in his throat as he was once again face to face with his best friend, his best friend who happened to be wearing both the most vulnerable and most adorable look on her face that he had ever seen. Despite how dark it was outside, it seemed to Marco as though the moon had been shining its light directly on Star. Her cheeks were emitting a dull, mesmerizing glow. A few strands of silky golden hair decorated the sides of her face. Her eyes were… hypnotic. They shimmered and practically twinkled in the moonlight she was bathed in. Her eyes were bright, crystalline blue gems which he couldn't look away from. His mind seemed to be completely blank, as though he were in a trance but, somehow, seemed to be going a million miles per hour at the same time.

A timid determination coursed through Star's expression and her face was flushed. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Marco's expression matched hers, but Star wasn't about to give herself enough time to back out now. She leaned in and closed the gap between them, swearing that he seemed to do the same, even if just a little.

This was happening. Their lips connected in a fragile, soundless moment.

Neither of them knew where this came from and they both felt a sort of adrenaline rush at the realization of what they were doing, but instantly those feelings of shock and self-consciousness melted away as they became filled with a single focus: their desire to keep kissing one another. Star let a hand slip away from his cheek and land on his shoulder which she clutched tightly. Marco brought an arm around Star and gently pulled her closer to him while his other hand came up to catch her own hand still cradling his cheek.

There was no easy way to explain what was going on. If either one of them had had to answer that question, both of them would have given the same response: magic. Star and Marco each felt a roaring fire burning in their stomachs and, what could only be described as the feeling of their hearts doing backflips right in their chests. There was no doubt that this would be a moment that the pair would never forget.

After a fleeting moment that had felt like it lasted a lifetime, the two separated slowly and carefully. Star found exactly what she was looking for in that kiss. She could not have been more certain now about the thoughts buzzing around in her head, the ones which led to this exchange. Nervousness, however, soon began to settle back in for Star as she feared what her best friend might do next.

"Marco I-"

Star stumbled over her words, unable to read Marco's expression as he listened intently, his hand still covering her own.

"I'm s-sorry. I know that you already have a crush on someone. I wasn't in control of my emotions, and I… I kinda really needed to know what these feelings were trying to tell me."

"W-what were they trying to tell you?"

Marco felt as light as a feather as he urged Star to continue.

"I care about you. I love your friendship more than anything, and I feel like… like I want more than just that. Marco, I-I-I... I think I... love you, Marco."

Star bit her lip as she realized yet again just how much she was putting her heart on the line by saying this. But she didn't care anymore about hiding these feelings. She needed to know if this could be different. She needed to know if Marco was the one she could spend forever with. She quivered with anticipation and anxiety.

To say that Marco was dumbfounded would have been the understatement of the century. Even after that kiss, Star's words were impossible for him to expect. His head was spinning and he had a certain feeling permeating his soul that he knew he'd never experienced before. He believed he had Star's answer.

"Star, since I was a kid I've always had this strange feeling whenever I saw Jackie. I choked up, I became nervous, I started sweating like crazy. I couldn't talk, I couldn't think straight. All my life I just thought that crushing on someone like this was how I knew I'd found the one."

Marco paused and the silence was so palpable that it was practically nauseating. He took a deep breath and continued.

"But just now, I felt something completely different from anything I thought I knew. I wasn't sweaty, or scared, or anxious at all. Instead, I felt warmth. My chest is still on fire, my entire body is tingling with goosebumps, and it is like these feelings are speaking directly to me. They're saying "I need this. I can't function without this. This is right. This is perfect."

Marco's gaze intensified and his grip on Star's hand tightened as it all finally became clear.

"I have had a crush on someone I've barely known for my entire life. But now I realize that I feel so much more than some silly crush when I look at you. I think that I… love… you too."

A gasp escaped as Star brought a hand to cover her mouth. She didn't realize it, but she had been holding her breath all this time. She had also been holding back tears. They began to run down her cheeks, but Marco brought a finger up to her and caught one, wiping it away.

"Are you sure, Marco?"

"...Are you?"

All Star could say in response was "I… think so…"

"Well... I think so too... and you know what, Star?"

"What?"

"I want us to find out for sure together. I'll always be there for you, Star. I really, really mean that. I want to be there for you all the way to the end, until we know exactly what our hearts are trying to tell us."

More tears trickled down Star's face, her teary eyes glimmering from the light of the moon once again. She smiled deeply and wrapped her arms around her best friend as she rested her head against his chest. She heard the soothing sound of a heart beating against her. Feelings of peace and bliss surrounded her as the beat of his heart reminded her that she could actually, maybe, fall in love with her best friend in the whole universe. Marco wrapped his arms around her, resting his forehead against the top of her head and slowing stroking her hair as he felt tears of his own threatening to fall.

Just a couple more minutes went by.

"Star, I think it is time for us to get going again. I'll never forgive myself if I don't get you home to rest on that ankle."

If Star responded in English, Marco didn't understand it. All he could hear was the sound of her speaking vibrations against his chest before she sat up and allowed Marco to rise from the bench.

"Alright, Marco. Let's go home" she cooed.

Marco crouched down in front of Star and allowed her to get up onto his back again, just as they had done before. It wasn't long until they were on the move again, heading down the sidewalk just a few more minutes away from home. The two exchanged a few more comments which included Marco agreeing to teach Star how to throw the boomerang correctly once her ankle was better. Eventually, the discussion died down again and a comforting quiet took its place. Marco smiled as he continued to take his gentle, calculated steps, nothing but the wonderful girl on his back piercing into the deep recesses of his mind.

Star looked up at the night sky, staring into the glowing crescent shaped light above them. She felt so many things right now, perhaps too many to really think straight. She wondered if she'd even be able to get any rest after the shock to her system that she had just received. The silence between them, however, was long and comforting. It felt real, and it felt complete. Star brought her head down and relaxed against Marco's back. Her arms tightened ever so slightly around the boy she felt so much love toward, and everything in her world felt so right as she snuggled between him and the soft, lulling fabric of his hoodie around her. Everything began to relax and her eyes began to droop. They got heavier and heavier still until she was met with the embrace of a deep slumber, welcoming her to the cadence of Marco's heartbeat and of Marco's footsteps.

Her lips still tingled.

Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for reading. I know it may have been a little drawn out, slow paced, and perhaps a bit sappy, but I kind of wanted it to be. I just did what seemed right.

Please consider leaving a review and let me know what you thought of the story or say anything at all that is on your mind. I look forward to hearing from you and I will cherish your feedback. ^_^