Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize from the book or movie.
Proposing
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It had been a few months after everyone's curses had been lifted, and everyone was pretty much happy. Everyone but Howl that is, he had been preparing for a special occasion, he was going to ask Sophie to marry him, so he was pretty stressed out. It took him forever but he finally found the perfect ring for Sophie, then he had it inscribed, it said 'To the one who returned my heart, I love you' and he meant it. He had never felt this way before, Sophie was just so special to him, he didn't know how he ever survived all this time without her. He was going to give her a beautiful bouquet of flowers, make her a special dinner, and then after he would propose. He wasn't sure if this was going to work though, because Sophie hadn't been all that cheerful or happy these past couple of days.
What is he up to? Where is he always dissapearing to? Sophie thought. "It's not fair, my curse is finally lifted, I've found someone I love with all my heart, but he's never here." Sophie said to no-one in particular. "If you ask me, he's probably found a girl that's caught his atention." Calcifer said. "You really think so?" Sophie asked dreading the answer. "Yeah, it's just like it used to be, he'd go out for long periods of time, then come home all confident and happy." Calcifer replied. "Calcifer, stop that, you know Master Howl loves Sophie, he wouldn't do that, plus he's probably going to punish you somehow when he finds out that," Markl said to the fire demon. "FInd out what? Who's going to find out what? Has someone been bad today?" Howl asked curiously as he came in the door. As soon as Sophie saw him she ran upstairs. "Calcifer was putting bad thoughts about you in Sophie's head, he was telling her that you had gone back to your womanizing ways and is always out with some girl. Cuz' she was wondering where you've been dissapearing to." Markl answered him. "WHAT!" Howl shouted. "Calcifer you are so dead! I'm gonna kill you for telling her that! You know that I'm not doing that!" Howl shouted.
Howl went upstairs and found Sophie in his room softly crying. "Sophie, he was lying, you do know that don't you? You know I wouldn't do that to you, I love you too much for that." He said to her quietly. "Well, here, this is for you, when you love me again." Howl said as he put a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers on the dresser, and he quietly left with a sigh. "I really shouldn't have believed Calcifer, but no, I doubted Howl, and his love for me. Why was I being so stupid! I should have trusted him. I had better go apologize to him." Sophie said to herself.
"Calcifer I am going to dump this water on you! You should've known better than to tell her that!" Howl threatened. "You know I can leave whenever I want right?" Calcifer replied with a smirk. "Not if it's raining" Howl said to him and suddenly it started to rain. "You did that on purpose! You are just so irritating!" Calcifer said in exasperation. "Oh really, then what're you?" Howl said in retort. "Talkative, but at least I'm not as vain and self-centered as you are!" Calcifer replied. "I'm going to dump this water on you if you don't apologize to Sophie and tell her that you were lying." Howl said as calmly as he could. "Fine, fine, I'll apologize. Just go get her," Calcifer said grudgingly. "No need to get me I'm right here. You don't have to apologize to me, maybe to Howl but not to me. I shouldn't have believed you anyway, I shouldn't have doubted him. So Howl I'm sorry." Sophie said to the both of them. "Alright, I'm sorry I can't tell you where I'm going Sophie, but I have to keep this a secret love, okay?" Howl said to her. She gave him a smile and then a hug,"And you didn't need to say that the bouquet was for when I love you again, I will always love you, no matter what. You got that?" she said with mock anger. Howl laughed, "Yes ma'm, I understand that my Sophie will always love me." he said with a laugh. "I'm hungry, can we eat now?" Markl said as he appeared out of nowhere. "Alright, what would you like?" Sophie asked him. "Breakfast." he replied. "Breakfast for dinner? I wish I had thought of that, so bacon, eggs, toast, and tea. Does that sound good?" Howl said to him. "Yup, just hurry up, I'm starving!" Markl whined. "I swear, sometimes you act just like Howl," Sophie said while trying to stifle a giggle.
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Later that day...
"Sophie, are you there?" Howl asked hopefully. "Yes, I'll be out in a minute. Just hold on." she said in reply. "Now what is it that you wanted me to get dressed up for?" she said curiously. "Well, we've never actually been on a real date, so I'm going to take you to dinner, if that's alright with you?" Howl said. "Alright, where will we be going?" she asked. "We're going to have a picnic in the garden, and then we can go for a walk. Does that sound alright to you?" Howl said in reply. "Yes, that sounds nice, but I didn't have to get dressed up for it." she said.
In the garden...
"Did you like it?" Howl asked her. "Yes, thank you." she said in reply. "Sophie, theres something I've been meaning to ask you, it's why I've been going out so much lately, I don't know if I'm going about it in the right way though," he said nervously. "Just get on with it, I'm sure it isn't anything I can't answer." she said with a smile. "Sophie Hatter, I've known you for quite a while now, you've gone from being my cleaning lady, to friend, to girlfriend. I know that I wasn't really you're true love to begin with, that was Turnip Head," he said, "You mean Prince Justin," Sophie corrected. "Uh, yeah, Prince Justin, yet you're still here with me, when I didn't have my heart I was certain that you would leave, but now I know, that you won't leave me. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Sophie Hatter, will you marry me?" he said a little less confidently than he had hoped. "Yes, of course! What made you so nervous? Did you honestly think that I was going to say no, that's simply silly." she exclaimed. "Well at least that parts over, now we just have to plan the wedding, and complete the ceremony and that's it, no more wedding business, at least for now." Howl said in relief. "You act like such a child, you know that?" she said with a smile. "Yes, but you still love me." he replied with a smirk. "Yes, sadly, it's true." she said. "Very funny, I thought I was the drama queen around here, I mean drama king." he said in mock anger. "Yes, you are a drama queen." she said with a giggle, then Howl stuck his tongue out at her.
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That's it for now, I can make it into a chapter story if you want, but it originally is supposed to be a one-shot. Give me some ideas please, I don't respond well to flames.
L8a,
Howl's Sophie