Spellbound in the Stacks

by K. Iwancio

I lived for reading. It was the least expensive and easiest way to escape my completely fucked up life.

“Guess school sucked for you then.” He laughed as he tossed back the rest of his cocktail. He had no fucking idea.

If I didn’t find true love by the thirteenth year after the first transfiguration, I was doomed to be that animal forever. If it wasn’t for that itty bitty fact, I wouldn’t bother with this mess of dating. Or feel desperate enough to use cursed dating apps. Sure, they made it easier for antisocial people like me, but hell, there was little to no vetting process. Any sort of self-centered jerk could smile pretty for his selfie and make a half-decent profile.

I went to school for literary science with a minor in business and marketing.

“How about a romcom? I have a brand new steamy one with a HEA.” His brow arched in question. “H-E-A?” “It means happily ever after. Book lingo.”

“You’re a lovely girl, Faelene. There’s hope for you yet.”

I was supporting a local small business and the shop owner just happened to be stunning.

How dare this person disturb me. I wasn’t bothering anyone. I was just minding- Holy hell. Aidan?!

I was bound and determined to go home with Aidan. Forget the fact that I hadn’t yet figured out how to get back to the bookshop in order to open it on time tomorrow.

Could he be any more of a softie? I desperately wanted to transform and just give the sweet man a hug.

Whoa. Hold up. Showering meant this man was going to get naked in front of me.

“Probably best to close you in the bathroom with me.” Jackpot.

It wasn’t until recently that it was now considered kosher for women to like “guy” stuff.

quirk master fr

But little did I know that I would end up in the bathroom of the apartment, of the very man I’d been crushing on since I opened up my shop, watching him shower.

oh come on, wording is icky. come on context gurl

Now don’t go falling in love with the thing. You don’t even know who it belongs to. Right.

An unexpected night at my place meant that I could finally dive into that book Faelene recommended.

The eyes were unnerving. They looked almost…human.

The poor thing seemed outrageously hungry. The dry food in the bowl was untouched.

“Even though she’s a super-hot nerd, she’d probably think that I’m a complete dork and laugh in my face.” I couldn’t help but sigh. “Just like every other woman.”

if i've read enough of this book, i know quirky pants would say something like "well i'm not like other women" and shes not because shes literally a cat rn

But for now, I was going to enjoy the fact that I finally had pussy in my bed for the night.

oh? thats not....

“I’m not sure if I trust you around my cosplay stuff. But I’ll leave you a plate of lunch meat since I know you like it.”

However, there was this small voice inside of me that taunted me, If you date her, you can visit the cat whenever you want. I mean, fair point. But I needed to take this one step at a time.

“H-Holy shit. Y-You know…Star Wars?”

oh no, she's not like other girl! please put me down

How did this beautiful woman know books and Star Wars and just accepted my dinner invitation? Did I really just hit the proverbial jackpot? She had to be fucking with me and yet maybe…

But no, I had to be a pathetic, worried loser who couldn’t manage to say more than five words to her at any given time.

I couldn’t wait to see it after a romp in the sheets. We were going in that direction, weren’t we? Gods, I hoped so.

ummmmmm

“I’ve been waiting for this for two years.” “What?!” The shock that hit his face was almost comical. “Y-You…me…we…”

The man was an incredible kisser, but hell, his oral game was completely out of the galaxy.

He was so hard and…big. Well, not porn star big, but big enough that I’d be having dreams about his cock later. Hell, for eternity.

This woman wanted me. All of me. Even the nerdy part of me. Even the part of me that dressed up as a fictional person. Faelene found me desirable. Me.

i love that we have not one, but TWO quirk masters in the room with us

I needed to feel her succumb to everything that my body was doing to her. This ethereal beauty was mine. She wanted to be mine.

I wanted to burn the sight of her body climaxing into the deepest recesses of my memory. She looked like a goddess. The shimmer of her countertop gave her an ethereal throne for her naked body.

It was at that moment that all of my dreams were confirmed. Faelene was perfection. I could only hope that she felt the same way after that life-altering experience.

What sort of man actually goes out of his way to study books that a woman recommended to see if there was any worthwhile information beneath the covers to woo her? Or well, in my case, seduce her. The man didn’t exactly have to try very hard. I’d been having wet dreams about him for ages.

One eye cautiously popped back open after a second or so. The look on her face was embarrassed but hopeful. I honestly felt like she told me I just won $20 million dollars. My grin lit up my face. A whole day with her? Technically our first date hadn’t even ended. Well, was it a date? Had it been a date? Was it still the same date so many hours later? “I’d fucking love to.”

Now I had the entire day to be in the same room as that delicious specimen of a man.

I don’t know, chemistry, between us was unnerving at times. She was just so easy to be around. The more time I spent with her, the more entranced I became.

Aidan looked refreshed and ready to return the favor. As soon as I finished my second piece of pizza, he was on me, even with garlic breath.

Thank the gods we hadn’t gotten into anything more risqué than a heated make out session or else I would have given my aunt an eye full.

where are we? smut city?

Perhaps I would have packed something nicer to wear along with what little makeup I owned.

forever residents in "not like the other girls" city

I had the most beautiful girlfriend on the planet. The most amazing and wonderful girlfriend.

when does she tell him she'll turn into a cat if she doesn't find true love?

Unless someone fell in love with me in the next week, I was just days away from being a cat for the rest of my life. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right.

“Girl, now you’re talkin’!” “And I’m getting the biggest fucking cinnamon roll they have here. Who the hell cares about a fat cat!”

Turning into a cat forever was going to fucking suck.

Immediately her hands shot up to clutch at my tunics.

please, anything but the clutching of the tunics

“Is it…terminal…?”

its about to be

“This is weird. Even for me. I-I need to get out of here…”

“I’m going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. D-Do you live…like cat years? Dog years? Human years…?” I did my best to nod at the last one, but he was too far gone in his emotional rant. “Whatever it is, you’ll be a spoiled cat. I’ll take care of you. I’ll give you all the lunch meat you could want. I’ll-I’ll even leave the Star Wars movies on repeat when I go to work, so you won't have to be alone.”

“I-I love you, Faelene…”

“I promise to take care of you always…”