"Hey! Come on Sophie hurry up! I'm going to go out soon!" Sophie heard Calcifer shouting from the kitchen.
She groaned, burrowing further into her warm sheets. Why did getting out of bed always seem so difficult? Opening her eyes and blinking several times, she eyed the piecing sunlight coming in through the windows, as if glaring at it would make it go away.
"Sophie!" Came Calcifer's voice again. Sophie groaned, recalling that last night she had forgotten to pile up the wood for Calcifer to keep going.
"Sophie!" Calcifer shouted, his voice arrowing through the door as if it wasn't there. Sophie sighed into her pillow, deciding that she needed to drag herself out of bed to go and save her hot-headed friend. Groaning, she sat up in bed, ignoring her bed-head and disheveled night-gown she walked into the next room, her bare feet slapping on the floor.
"About damn time!" Said Calcifer as she appeared in the kitchen. "I'm almost smothered! Hurry get me some more wood!" He said. Sophie squinted, rubbing her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, ok," She said. "Just quiet down will you." She walked gingerly over to the wood pile on the opposite room, gathering an armful of wood before bringing them over to Calcifer.
"Yeah sure!" Says Calcifer immediately reaching for one. "You almost let me die and expect me to keep my voice down, well let me tell you. I DON'T THINK SO!"
Sophie scurried from the room, covering her ears as Calcifer continued to rant. When she got back to her own room, she closed the blinds, savouring the darkness. Flopping back into her bed and burrowing under the covers with a satisfied smile on her face, she began to snooze.
Unfortunately her continued rest was interrupted by the door opening. She squinted as light poured into her room, then blinked as the door closed again suddenly, trying to get back her night vision.
"Who-" She said, rubbing her eyes "What-".
"I would appreciate it." Came Howl's voice, as he opened the blinds "If you didn't try to smother my friend."
"Wha- Howl!" Sophie jumped, then covered herself with her blankets, eyes still trying to adjust to the light changes.
"What are you doing here?! And get out! I'm only in my night clothes!" She said, flushing bright red. She felt the mattress sink under Howl's weight as he sat next to her, and flushed even more. He chuckled.
"I'm here because my good friend Calcifer had asked me to ensure that you never forgot to give him enough wood to get through the night. His yelling woke me up. And I don't mind that you're only in night clothes." He said, reaching towards her and running his fingers through her hair. Sophie could practically hear the smirk in his voice. She sunk lower into the blankets, flustered.
"Yes-well, I was distracted last night and I am tired this morning. I already gave him more wood so can I get back to sleep now?!" She said, turning her back to him. Howl chuckled, leaning over her with his hands on either side, essentially preventing any escape on her part. Sophie burrowed even deeper into her covers.
"What made you forget to feed our hot-tempered friend?" He asked. She flipped the blankets over her head, trying to keep both him and the light out at the same time.
"I was reading late." She said, her voice muffled by the blankets. Howl promptly pulled the blankets off of her, making her shiver in despite her face feeling warm.
"What were you doing again?" Howl asked, leaning back over her. Her hand groped, and found the blankets, and she tried to pull them back. Unfortunately Howl still had the other end, and a short tug of war soon ensued, with him eventually winning out. He pushed the blankets off of her completely, and she sat up, shivering.
"Howl!" She cried. "Give that back!" She tried to get around him to where the blankets were piled on the floor, but he stayed in front of her, his eyes sparkling with mirth. She sat back against her pillows, crossing her arms to both conserve body heat and cover herself, ever aware that she was still only in her night clothes. She flushed a deep red colour.
"Howl!" She said. He smiled
"You still haven't answered my question!" He said. Sophie frowned, then remembered. Rubbing her eyes she replied,
"I was reading my book. Can I have my blankets back now!? I'm tired and I want to go back to sleep." She also wanted to cover herself, but she wasn't about to tell him that.
"Yes and no," Said Howl. The blankets rose from the floor and covered Sophie again who sighed contentedly and sunk into them.
"You can't go back to sleep Soph," Howl said, sitting back down. Sophie groaned.
"Why?!"
"Cause, we were supposed to go into town today remember?!" He said, smiling. Sophie groaned again, turning face-down into the covers and wrapping them about her.
"Howl, can't we go out later? I'm tired right now, and I'm not even dressed! I don't want to go!"
"Come on, you promised, and you can just get changed. Come on now!" He pulled the blankets from her again, exposing her shoulders and back to the cold air. She shivered, gripping tightly to the blanket.
"Howl, give them back!" She said.
"Come on, get up, get dressed!" He said. Then he was suddenly very close to her, wrapping his arms around her and whispering in her ear.
"Or we might just have to spend the rest of the day here." Sophie let out a yelp, and burrowed deeper into her covers, trying unsuccessfully to escape his arms.
"I- all of my clothes are dirty!" She lied, still squirming. "Howl! let me go!" He chuckled, leaning in to try to kiss her neck.
"Then let me wash your clothes! Since you always wash mine..." His hand found her shoulder, and began to pull back her nightclothes, exposing her skin to the cold air. She yelped and squirmed even more.
"Howl! Stop it!" She said. He kissed her neck, knowing that she was tickling there and she unwillingly giggled before she managed to flip onto her back. She tried to push him off and scramble back at the same time but he grabbed her shoulders, still pinning her down.
"Howl! Let me go right now!" She gasped, desperately trying to escape when she saw how close he was. Howl leaned in and kissed her, his black hair brushing her face.
"Or else what?" He murmured in her ear. Sophie spluttered and tried to push him off unsuccessfully, trying not to giggle as his hair tickled her neck and shoulders. She finally cried,
"Alright fine! I'll come to town with you just let me go!" She pushed his hands off of her shoulders, only to have them rest around her waist.
"I thought your clothes were still dirty." Howl said softly, smiling. Sophie tried unsuccessfully to pry his hands off of her waist.
"I- I was lying! I'll get up now, just let me go!" Sophie cried. Howl chuckled, gave her one more kiss, then smoothly rolled off of the bed, standing up then turning to her.
"Good then. I'll expect you in the kitchen in around five minutes. If you're not up by then, than I'll come back here and we really will be spending the rest of the day here." With that, he winked at her, then swept out of the room. Sophie, red in the face, adjusted her even more disheveled nightclothes, pulling them back up onto her shoulders, before jumping out of bed and getting dressed with as much speed as possible.