AN: hello! this is my first Howl's Moving fanifc. Surprising, right? I am like a total Howl's Moving Castle fan for like two years. I love it so much that I have the whole movie memorized and even their lines! I've read the book by Dianna Wynne Jones and I read the manga (which is the movie only a little different: some lines were changed). But anyway, the reason that I never wrote a fanfic (well, that's incorrect. I have rewritten some, but haven't finished the first chapter or in one case, someone took my idea. It was movie-fan92. movie-fan92 didn't do it on purpose. They didn't even know that I had the same idea (well, something close to it). So please do read their story. It's called Howl's Flying Castle. (that's what I was going to name that fanficas well TT-TT)) for Howl's Moving Castle was because I never got a really good idea for it. But when I rewatch Howl's Movinng Castle (for like the millionth time) I was finally inspired to write something! So here it is! ENJOY:3

Raindrops On Roses

Come In With The Rain

It was a warm, summer afternoon. A year had passed since the war. Howl and Sophie were now happily married and the flying castle was very well known in Ingary along with the other countries and kingdoms.

Sophie lay in the arms of warm, green grass and colorful flowers. The sun beat down on her skin and the warm wind made her white hair dance around her face. There was not a cloud in the sky, that is, when Sophie had fallen asleep. Now there were many clouds. They were dark and enormous. They covered the sun and stopped its rays from reaching her. Shadows merged into one over her body. The once bright and sunny day turned as dark as night.

A raindrop fell from the sky… and another one… and another one until there were multitudes of droplets falling. Thunder and lightning sounded and struck in the dark sky. Sophie immediately woke up as the rain descended on her body and completly soaked her red violet dress. She picked up her skirts and climbed up to her feet. She ran. With much to her ill fortune, she ran with the storm. "Curses! Why does this always happen to me?" She murmured. Thunder clapped again as lightning struck, lighting up the dark sky.

Sophie ran to the little outhouse on the hill next to the cottage. By now, she was cold and wet. Thunder rang through the meadows as she ran. She came to the door and opened it with much force. She walked inside and the door closed with a "bam."

"Sophie!" Markel called as he looked over from the couch by the fireplace where Calcifer sat, protected by the rain.

"Where's Howl?" She asked as climbed the steps and made her way over to them.

"Don't drip on me." Calcifer told her.

"He was in his room. He was working on a new spell from the king: thousand league boots. He should be down any second." Markel explained.

"Oh, all right." She said blankly as she looked out the window. It seemed that in Market Chipping it wasn't raining yet, but the wind was starting to pick up there too. "Markel, could you make me some tea."

"Sure." Markel told her as he hoped off the couch and over to the kitchen area. He had grown some since last year. He was probably two or three inches taller, which meant that Sophie had to make him a new outfit: the red shirt and brown overalls that he was now wearing.

He took the black kettle out of the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink. He placed it on top of Calcifer, in which Calcifer sighed, "Oh, what I do for you people."

"Thanks, Markel." Sophie told him. She had now a spot on the couch. "A-A-Achoo!" She sneezed.

Markel nodded and got the rest of the tea prepared: the teacups, the teapot, and the herbs in the teapot. The water was soon ready and with a small rag, Markel took the kettle off of Calcifer (much to Calcifer's relief) and poured the water into the teapot. After stirring it for quote a while, he poured the tea into the teacups, using a metal strainer to catch the floating herbs. He added a bit of sugar to each teacup. He picked it up and walked over to Sophie.

Sophie had stood to walk over to the table. She met Markel half way. She took the teacup and saucer from him. "Thanks."

"Sophie!" A voice gasped from the stairway. It was Howl's. Sophie was sure of it. "You're drenched!"

Sophie quickly spun around on her heels. This was not good. The room spun around her too fast and suddenly the room went completely black.

Two voices screamed her name as a thud and crash were heard. Sophie had just fainted.

O

Sophie slowly opened her eyes to seen the ceiling of her and Howl's room. The place seemed blurry at first, but soon she adjusted. Her head throbbed. She was changed out of her drenched red violet dress and into her nightgown. Around her body was the Victorian flower print blanket and propped behind her head was two pillows that both had the same style of Victorian flowers on their pillowcases.

Sophie looked around the familiar room. To her dismay, Howl was not there at the moment. She saw his desk. It was a mess: papers, pens, ink, and books scattered the desk top while some papers stuck out of the drawers. "He must have been working really hard." She thought.

Suddenly, the door was opened slowly, with a long creak. Howl stood there at the doorway with a glass filled with warm milk. "Oh, you're up." He noted as he walked. He shut the door with a simple spell.

"What happened?" She asked. "My head hurts so much."

He walked over to her and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "You caught a cold. Running around in the rain, just what were you thinking? That's worse than me."

"I wasn't 'running around in the rain.' I just got caught up in it. That's all." She explained, annoyed at his attitude.

He sighed. "Would you like some warm milk?"

"Sure." She sat up a bit better and took the glass.

"This reminds me of that time when you turned my hair black." He told her with a teasing smile.

She looked up around her glass after taking a sip of the hot milk. "You know I didn't do it on purpose."

"I know."

"Besides, don't you like it?" She asked him as she looked up at him.

All he could do was look into her eyes. "Yes, I do. But only because you like it."

She smiled. "Oh, don't give me that. I know that you like it deep down in your heart and not because I like it." She told him with such passion and playfulness. She had finished her milk. The empty glass now sat on the nightstand.

"Oh, all right. Whatever you say!"

"That's better." She told him with a nod of her head.

She heard a big sigh escape his lips. She looked down at him. His head was now in his hands and his elbows were resting on his knees. His face was pointed to the ground. "I… I was so worried about you, Sophie." He took a breath and let it go. "I thought that something seriously was wrong with you. You had such a horrible fever and…"

"How long was I asleep?" She asked.

"Six hours." He replied.

"Six hours!" She gasped. "It's must be seven by now! Oh, I must make dinner!" She went to climb out of bed.

Howl stopped her. "I made dinner." He told her. "Uh, would you like some?"

She relaxed. "No, I'm not really hungry. That milk sure did hit the spot. Thanks, Howl." She looked up into his eyes. She blinked.

Howl leaned down. He didn't even realized what he was doing. It was like a natural habit. He kissed her gently. He removed his lips and whispered, "Get well soon. All right?"

She nodded.

"I have a few more things to do for the king's spell, so rest up." He explained as he walked over to his desk and pulled out some of the important pieces of paper. "I'll continue my work down stairs."

"Howl?"

He looked over his shoulder. "Hm?"

"Won't you join me in bed?" She asked. She felt sleepy again. Her eyelids became so heavy.

He smiled at her and walked over to her again. He kissed her forehead. "Later. Right now, I have some work to finish up. But once it's done, I'll come straight to you. All right?"

"Hmm…" She nodded slowly and soon the room became dark again. She had closed her eyes. "He must have put some sleeping powder or something in that milk." She thought before she drifted off to sleep.

oOo
I'll leave my window open
Cause I'm too tired tonight
To call your name
Just know I'm right here hoping
You'll come in with the rain

Taylor Swift, Come In With The Rain

AN: there you have it! my first Howl's Moving Castle fanfic! I hoped you liked it! Please review! I love reviews!