Hello everyone! First story here on this account. I hope you like it.

I actually wrote this as a gift to a dear friend of mine: DragonLacrima. Go check her out, her stuff is great. 3

Enjoy.

"Sophie."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to say your name."

Sophie sighs and turns her eyes back to her book, making herself comfortable against Howl's chest.

Large calloused hands play with her hair, lulling her in the comfortable silence.

Minutes pass quietly before…

"Sophie."

She doesn't respond.

"Sophie."

Howl tugs a bit on her hair and she smacks her head back against his collarbone.

"Ack!"

"Howl."

He pouts.

She looks up and he looks down. They make eye contact.

Sophie can see the light amusement in his eyes and she huffs out a breath through her nose. He smiles and smacks a kiss to the tip of her nose and laughs aloud at the way her eyes cross.

"Ugh, if you wanted to play, Howl, just tell me."

"You'd be willing to play with me?" Howl's eyes take on a shine of something she doesn't really feel like indulging.

"No, I'd send for Michael. I'm trying to read this book a certain person was kind enough to get me."

Howl mutters, "Maybe I shouldn't have…"

"What was that?"

He puffs up in cheeks. While she hides a smile by lifting up her book, Howl sighs, "No, I could never deprive you of anything you wanted."

"You've made a lot of progress, though. I still remember how you started out trying to give me such extravagancies…" Sophie smiles ruefully.

"Yes, well, how was I supposed to know at first? I'd never met a girl who didn't want… well, extravagancies."

"Indeed," she glances around for her bookmark. "It just goes to show the type of people you spent with, back then."

Howl frees one hand to give her the pretty slip of paper, then wraps it around Sophie's waist again.

"Please don't start again," the grown man-child pouts, "I've apologized for that incident already."

Sophie shifts in his arms until she's facing him more comfortably, "No, I wasn't going to bring it up again. I was just commenting on your progress, like I said."

Noticing her actions, he helps her sit fully on his lap, "I try."

She kisses the corner of his lips, "I know."

Howl smiles brightly and cuddles her close, proceeding to take advantage of the opportunity by intimately reacquainting their mouths.

Their mouths barely part from each other, and only for a moment's breath and readjustment.

In their heated exchange, they lose sense of the outside world.

Until-

CLANK

They jolt apart and turn to see Michael hopping up and down on one foot and hissing, "Ow, ow, ow!"

"That's what you get for not paying attention, brat!" Where had Calcifer come from?

Michael whines back at the fire demon, "But you were staring, too!"

Sophie blushes at that while Howl chuckles, "Michael, are you alright?"

The boy looks at them, blushes, and looks away, "Y-Yeah, I'll be fine. I just stubbed my toe."

The only woman in the room lets out a big sigh. Michael takes that as his cue to leave and hops to his room.

"You really should do that in your rooms if you don't want anyone to see," Cal winks.

"Not that it would stop you," Howl raises an eyebrow, making Sophie stare fiercely at the spirit.

"Aha… I'll leave you to it, then," and with that, Cal vanishes.

"Ugh. How troublesome."

"Hm," Sophie curls up against Howl's chest and wraps her arms around him. "No more kissing for now, then."

"Aw."

"How about some cuddling instead?" she tightens her hold and places her forehead against his neck.

"I think I'll manage with that."

"Good, because that's all you're getting until we get a lock for all the doors."

"Aww…"

Fin.