Sophie is sleeping quietly on the left side of the bed when the front door shuts with a loud thud as footsteps enter the castle. Sophie sits up with a start and listens for any noise coming from Morgan's room. Once her son is up it is impossible for him to get back to sleep within an hour, and Sophie quietly listens, but only hears continuing footsteps below. Relieved that Morgan didn't hear a thing, thanks to her enchanted walls that she made sound-proof, she lies back down and closes her eyes. The footsteps downstairs stop as Calcifer mumbles, but she cannot make out what he says or the response. She lies on her side in her bed facing the wall opposite the door trying to make out the words downstairs. A familiar laugh sounds after a few minutes then the footsteps continue up the stairs. After entering into the toddler's room for almost a minute, the footsteps then arrive in her bedroom and onto the bed. Howl sighs dramatically.
He kicks his shoes onto the floor and without even trying take the rest of his clothes off he swings himself around and moves towards her so Sophie's back is pressed against him. He wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her neck. Sophie scrunches her neck and presses her hand to his cheek and turns to face him, opening her eyes. Piercing blue eyes greet her and then Howl kisses her again, this time on the lips, pulling her closer.
"What" Sophie whispers in a dull tone, after breaking the kiss. Howl loosens his hug and pulls back to see into Sophie's eyes.
They look at each other for a while, Sophie stares into Howls eyes, waiting for an answer while Howl examines her face pretending to be clueless and innocent. Sophie's eyebrows shoot up signifying a response and a conformation to Howl that she isn't letting this go. Howl gives in.
"I was just talking to Calcifer about a letter that came from High Norland." Howl says quietly, breaking eye contact with Sophie. " Its downstairs on the table, addressed for you." He finished.
Sophie stares at Howl, who is looking around his bedroom like he's never seen it. She watches his eyes until they reconnect ey contact and she continues, "And?"
"Well, I did take the time to read that letter. With Calcifer telling me about it the moment I walked in and you leaving it out for the world to see, I decided to take a look at it and I noticed that I wasn't invited to help."
Sophie laughs.
"Well how are you going to help the king without my help?" Sophie muses with a smirk on her face. Howl looked so hurt by this and being unwanted that Sophie stopped laughing and decided to turn this conversation back into something serious.
"Howl. You know very well I can do this on my own and I already accepted their request, so you can just stay home with Morgan."
Howl's eyes seemed to grow at this. "I thought Calcifer was."
Sophie smiled, "Have a fire demon change a baby's diaper?"
Howl smiled back at her at the thought, then turned onto his back and folded his arms across his chest as he went deep into concentration.
Sophie pulled her covers up further to her neck and closed her eyes again trying to get back to sleep. She hears Howl get up and take his clothes off, then walk into the bathroom.
Sophie is just about to fall back to sleep when he comes back into the room a little later. "What about the apprentices that live here?" Sophie opens her eyes at his beaming face as if he had just come up with the best new idea in the world."
"No. Way. Howl, you can stay home and take care of your baby, for once." She says tiredly and stern.
He walks out of the doorway and Sophie yells, quietly enough for Morgan to stay asleep,"And don't get any more ideas."
And Sophie turns on her side to go back into her slumber.