Page 80 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

“Dunno. That’s why it’s a mystery.”

I kiss him again. Apparently, I’m dating a fucking genius. We take pictures with the mosasaurus first because of course we do. I make Sparkle pose like he’s about to be eaten, and he’s such a perfect little actor I almost want to beat up the mosasaurus! This might be my favorite picture of him.

Inside the one shop, because there are two, I immediately understand why Sparkle brought me here. Rocks, minerals, fossils, and crystals fill the place, catching the light from every direction. There are polished stones beside rough ones that look like someone dug them out of the ground five minutes ago. Fossils sit among strange little treasures, and I wander from one display to another while Sparkle stays beside me. He never rushes me, even when I stop for far too long. The few people milling around us, give us strange looks.

Neither one of us hides our true features. I’d convinced Sparkle weeks ago he never has to change his appearance around me. I’m confident enough in my body that I can convince humans they’re not seeing what they really are. It’s an art and one I’ve taught Sparkle. Okay, it’s not really an art. It’s usually me glaring at people until they leave me alone. Usually I do try to keep my tail calm so people don’t get suspicious. Most of the time, people just think I’m really into cosplaying and ask me who I’m supposed to be.

I take in every inch of the place and grab a few souvenir t-shirts. One for me, Sparkle, and, of course, Lars and Ryan.

Then we reach Big Mo.

I slow as the mosasaurus skull comes into view. There’s something strange about looking at the remains of a creature that lived millions of years before either of us existed. I bend closer, studying the massive fossilized skull while Sparkle stands at my shoulder.

Sparkle leans closer too, his shoulder pressing against my arm. “Pretty cool.” A moment later, his fingers slip between mine. I squeeze his hand without looking away from Big Mo.

I’ve seen things humans would call impossible. Real monsters. Other realms. Magic powerful enough to tear holes between worlds. Creatures that most humans only know through stories. But there’s something different about this. Humans found the bones of something that vanished millions of years ago and decided to put them somewhere people could come stare at them.

I like that. I like a lot of things humans do. They’re ridiculous and creative and self-destructive and hopeful. They build entire businesses around rocks because rocks are fucking cool. They make giant prehistoric creatures beside roads. They collect pieces of the earth and polish them until they shine.

We wander through the rest of the shop, and I find enough ridiculous souvenirs to make Lars regret telling Sparkle about my collection. Sparkle stops me from buying a truly magnificent shirt, because he claims I’ll never wear it. That is not the point of souvenir shirts.

By the time we finish shopping both stores and head toward the Mystery House, Sparkle carries a couple of bags with geodes and several other things we absolutely needed.

The Mystery House looks harmless. I know immediately that it’s not. There’s no magic here. I check twice, stretching my senses out around us until I’m certain. Whatever happens inside is entirely human nonsense. Which makes it so much better.

The floor fucks with my balance almost immediately. The room seems to tilt in a direction it absolutely should not, and Sparkle grabs my arm as his body sways. His ears flatten while he looks around, trying to make sense of what his eyes are telling him.

“What the fuck?” He tightens his grip on me as we move farther inside. “The room is wrong.”

I start laughing. Sparkle glares at me, but that only makes it worse. “It’s wonderful.”

He takes another careful step before grabbing my shirt when his balance shifts again. “You can literally teleport. You can create illusions. You’re a demon from another realm. And this impresses you?”

“Humans did this without magic.” I gesture around the room, grinning as I lean into the strange angle. “That’s what makes it impressive.”

Sparkle opens his mouth, closes it, and looks around again. By the time we finish, Sparkle is laughing almost as much as I am. His tail has puffed slightly from the disorientation, though I am intelligent enough not to mention it after the fireworks incident. I am capable of learning. Eventually.

Outside, Sparkle takes a deep breath and looks up at the sky like he needs confirmation that gravity works again. I stand beside him with our bags hanging from my wrist, still grinning as I glance back toward the Mystery House.

“This was an amazing date.”

Sparkle looks at me immediately. “Yeah?”

There’s something underneath the question. I didn’t notice it before, but now I see the tension in his shoulders and the way his tail has gone still.

“Absolutely.” I catch his hand before he can start walking and tug him closer. “Were you worried I wouldn’t like it?”

“A little.” Sparkle shrugs, but his ears angle outward. “You tried really hard with all my dates. Even when they went wrong, they were perfect. So perfect. I wanted to get yours right.”

“Darling.”

“I know it’s not romantic romantic.” He gestures back toward the building, his gaze briefly following his hand. “But Lars said you liked weird human stuff, and then I found this place, and it had a giant mosasaurus and a Mystery House and rocks and everything. I thought of you.”

Four little words that almost fucking kill me. I thought of you.

I’ve spent weeks trying to follow a Guide written by a teenage Sparkle because I wanted to prove I could give him everything he thought he wanted. Sparkle didn’t have a Guide. He just learned me. I step closer and cup his face between my hands. His ears flick against my fingers, and his bright green eyes search mine.

“It was perfect.”