Work Text:
August 18, 2019
1 year, 11 months, and 22 days before Star and Marco’s two-year anniversary
“Do either of you know what happened to the Butterfly library?” asked Star.
Both Eclipsa and Globgor shook their heads.
"What about the Demon Dogs stand?" said Marco. "Have you seen that thing anywhere?"
“Honestly dearies,” Eclipsa began, “it hasn’t crossed my mind.”
“And even if it had,” said Glogbor, “we wouldn’t tell you anyways. Today is supposed to be about getting the two of you to relax, remember?”
This much was true. Star and Marco had been a proverbial blur after The Cleave took place nine days prior. After spending a few hours at their respective homes in the immediate aftermath, the new couple bounced from place to place and community to community in an effort to help everyone get used to their newly-merged world. They had done much to unite people already, but there was still much more to do. But at the insistence of their parents, Star and Marco reluctantly agreed to the day's backyard barbecue, or what Angie called 'Mandatory Fun Day.'
Rafael was on the far side of the yard cleaning up the grill after a delicious meal. Angie, Moon, and River stood a few feet away from him, all watching Mariposa and Meteora play in the grass. And on the opposite side, Star and Marco held court with Eclipsa and Globgor while trying to break the day's only rule: Don't think about The Cleave.
"I know, I know," Star conceded. "It's just hard to turn that part of my brain off. There's so much out there that I don't know about, and… and so much that I want to learn about our world."
Globgor gave Star a nod. "Well there will be plenty of time to find out all of that and more. I'm sure you two will be back out there as soon as this party ends."
"Besides, what we want to learn is when that happened!" cried Eclipsa as she pointed at the intertwined hands of Star and Marco.
Star’s cheeks took on a slight blush. “I dunno… I think he grabbed my hand like, a minute or two ago?”
"Oh, I wasn't talking about that," Eclipsa countered. "I was talking about…" She waved her arms around the younger pair. "This whole thing. The two of you. Star and Marco officially became Starco ."
Marco rolled his eyes. "Ugh, why does everyone call it that?"
Globgor gently elbowed Marco in the ribs. "Oh come on. You have to admit it's got a nice ring to it."
"I don't have to admit it," Marco grumbled.
Star jumped in to rub Marco's upper arm in an attempt to soothe him. "Don't mind him," she told the older couple. "He just found out that Tom trademarked Starc- err, that word a while ago, and he's having a liiiiittle bit of fun with it."
"He's making commemorative snow globes! " whined Marco.
Globgor smiled. “I know! Aren’t they adorable?”
Marco let out a long, heavy sigh. “ Et tu , Globgor? Et tu ?”
Eclipsa waved her hands dismissively in Marco’s direction. “Oh, snow globes, no globes, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you haven’t answered my question yet.”
Marco immediately snapped out of his mini-funk. “Oh, um… Well, you guys were there. It was in the middle of the whole…” He stopped himself from completing the sentence, not wanting to bring up any bad memories. “You know.”
Eclipsa shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t know, dearie.”
Marco scratched the back of his neck. “You know! The whole… thing with you… and Moon… and Mina…”
“That whole thing went on for a while,” said Globgor. “Can you be more specific? If, say... you had to put an exact date on when the two of you got together, what would it be?"
“It was the ninth,” said Star matter-of-factly. “Same time that Mom betrayed you
Marco winced instantly upon hearing Star bring up the topic he was so desperate to avoid. He felt a slight bit of relief that he didn’t have to tiptoe around it anymore, but whatever good feelings he had went away when he saw hints of sadness in the faces of Eclipsa and Globgor.
“I see..." Eclipsa said before turning to Marco. “Are you sure it wasn't any earlier than that?" asked Eclipsa.
Marco blushed ever so slightly. "I mean... even though it took me a long time to admit it to myself, I knew how I felt months ago. I just... couldn't say it out loud until that day."
Eclipsa's face dropped even further. "Are you absolutely sure?
Marco nodded. "It was literally 2 minutes before you and Moon..." He cut himself off again before venturing into uncomfortable territory. "...I'm pretty sure it was the ninth."
"Let me double-check," Star interjected. She quickly turned towards her mother across the lawn. "HEY MOM!"
Moon turned towards the unmistakable voice of her daughter. "Yes, dear?"
"Do you remember the day you betrayed Eclipsa?" Star spoke of Moon's treachery with no malice or anger. She asked the question of Moon's most heinous act the same way one would ask about a missing television remote.
"It's kind of hard to forget that day," Moon replied dryly.
"Good," the younger Butterfly said with a slight nod. "It was the ninth, wasn't it?"
Moon gave her daughter's question a moment's thought, counting the days off on her fingers. "It was," she finally responded as she began to make her way towards the group. "Why do you ask?"
Eclipsa began to speak before either Star or Marco had the chance. "The date was the ninth."
"...yyyyeeesss..." replied a slightly-confused Moon. "I just said that."
"No, no, no," cried Eclipsa. "I mean..." She paused and glanced at Marco and Star to see if they were looking her way, which they were not. She turned back to Moon and subtly pointed at the couple. "It. Was. The. Ninth," Eclipsa repeated. She emphasized each of her words with a point in the direction of the young couple.
“Yes, I heard what-” Moon suddenly caught herself as she finally understood what Eclipsa was saying. “Ooooh, the ninth .”
Star was thoroughly confused. “Uhhhh... Mom?”
Moon ignored her daughter’s query. She turned back towards her husband, who was talking with Marco’s parents. She caught the attention of all three and motioned for them to join the conversation.
“What’s going on over here?” asked Angie as the two groups merged to surround the young couple.
"That's what we'd like to know," cried Marco. His comment went ignored as all of the adults focused on Moon.
Moon took a serious tone. “Apparently, Mrs. Diaz… Mr. Diaz... your son and our daughter… got together on the ninth .”
“The ninth , you say…” Rafael said as he placed a finger on his chin. He turned to his son and gave him a serious look. “ Mijo , is this true?”
Marco was exacerbated. “Yes, dad, the ninth. There was Mina and pig-goats and a kiss. It was a whole thing. Now can somebody tell us what’s going on here?”
River cleared her throat. “Marco… Star… we want you to know that we all love you very much.”
Marco and Star gave each other puzzled looks. “Ooooh-kaaaay…” they both said simultaneously.
“It’s just that…” River tried to gather his thoughts. “Well, it’s just…”
“It just that right now,” interjected Angie with a smirk, “I happen to love you juuuuust a little more than everyone else does.” She turned her attention to the rest of the parents. “Now pay up!”
Angie’s smirk became a beaming smile. She held out a hand, as if she was waiting for something to fall into it. The rest of the parents began mumbling to themselves as they reached into their pockets and purses. One by one, they each pulled various amounts of cash out and slapped them into Angie's hand.
Marco and Star shot each other confused looks, then came to the same realization.
“Did you guys BET ON US GETTING TOGETHER?” yelled Marco.
“Oh, no, no no no!” countered River. “All we did was predict what date the two of you would become a couple and agree to give a certain amount of money to whomever’s prediction came the closest to the actual date.”
“Dad, that’s betting!” cried Star. “That’s like… the definition of betting!”
“Star,” Rafael began. “Don’t think of it as betting. Think of it as... a wager among friends. One that could have won me enough to get that brand new guitar I had my eye on if my son had said something to you two days earlier … ” He took a cleansing breath. “But it’s no big deal.”
“Look,” began Angie, “Parents notice things. A long time ago I could see how special the bond between the two of you was.”
“We all could,” said Moon.
Angie nodded. “And I could tell that it was stronger than just friendship. It wasn’t really a matter of if you two would figure it out, it was more a matter of when . And when we talked to your parents, they felt the same way, so we… decided to have a little fun with it.”
Star’s jaw dropped. “So that makes it okay to bet on us ?!?”
“Well,” began Rafael, “it’s not like we were betting on you. I mean… sure, we were betting on you, but it’s more like… we were betting on you ! We believed in you!”
Marco pointed at his father. “That… doesn’t sound any better.”
Angie sighed. "Okay, I can see you two are mad, and I understand. Maybe I can explain things better over a bowl of that S’more Sensation ice cream from that place you two told me about. My treat ,” she sang as she fanned the young couple with her winnings.
Marco pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mom, you can’t bribe us with ice cream.”
“Uh huh,” said Star in agreement.
Marco made a fist and smacked it down upon the upturned palm of his other hand. “We’re not going with you!”
“Uh huh.”
“This whole thing feels like a betrayal. A betrayal of trust between parent and child!”
“Uh huh.”
“This is something that we can not and will not-” Marco turned towards Star mid-tirade and realized she was lost in thought.
“Uh huh,” she repeated.
“Ummm… Star?”
“Uh huh.”
Marco sighed again. “Star, what was I talking about just now?”
“Uh huh.”
Marco grabbed Star’s shoulders, which finally brought her out of her stupor. “Star, you were thinking about S’more Sensation, weren’t you?”
Star rolled her eyes. “Pssh! Marco, give me some credit! I wasn’t thinking about a large bowl of chocolate ice cream… covered with hot chocolate sauce… and marshmallow fluff…”
“Don’t forget the toasted graham crackers!” chimed in Angie.
Marco turned towards his mother. “Not helping, mom!” he cried before returning his attention back to his girlfriend. “Star, we can’t be tempted by the ice cream. We need answers!”
Star shook herself back to her senses and put an arm around his neck to pull him in close. “Look, Marco, we both want answers, and we’re going to get them. I promise you that. But this way, we get answers and S’more Sensation.”
“Star…”
“ Pleeeeeeease? ”
Marco looked as his pleading girlfriend and instantly felt his resistance drain from his body. “Okay, we’ll go.”
“Yaaaay!” cried Star. She grabbed Marco’s arm and dragged him towards the Diaz family vehicle. When the couple passed Angie, Star stopped on a dime and pointed at her. The look on the young woman’s face was a serious one. “We are getting answers,” she stated firmly. “And a large bowl. With extra chocolate sauce.”
“Of course,” Angie conceded with a nod.