"Howl Jenkins stop being a childish dope!" Sophie screamed.
"Well Sophie I do have the heart of child-" Howl was interrupted before he could finish.
"I don't care-" Sophie took a deep breath and fixed her eyes on Howls, "Then if you're so childish, because of your heart maybe I should leave until you grow up more."
"No Sophie please don't" Howl said.
Sophie could see the hurt in his eyes, "I must leave-"
"No1 I don't want you to leave," Howl whined.
"Well one of the first lessons a child must learn is that they can't always get what they want." Sophie emphasized the want as she grabbed a few things and headed for the door.
Howl grabbed Sophie's wrist and pulled her in for a kiss, and when he broke away he whispered in her ear something sweet and maybe true.
"I love you Sophie," he whispered.
"Sophie mimicked his tone and whispered, "I am not falling for your sweet talk that makes me weak at the knees."
Howl moved down to Sophie's neck, "Sophie…you know you can't resist me." He said. Howl had pulled her in close to hold her up from her failing knees.
"Damn," Sophie cursed and pulled herself away from him
"Sophie I am sorry!" he yelled.
"No Howl…no," Sophie said and then she was gone.
Howl was expecting Sophie to return in a day or two, but that turned into a week or two. Then a month, until two years had passed by, but Howl never lost hope that his Sophie would return to him.
"Master Howl I'm going to the market now." Markl said.
"…" Howl did not answer, he just continued to clean the dishes made from breakfast.
Over the space of Sophie's disappearance Howl had gotten into the habit of cleaning, just to remind him if Sophie. He thought the more he cleaned the sooner Sophie would come back.
Markl was walking through the market but he ran into a woman with short silver hair…
"Sophie?" Markl asked.
"Markl," Sophie whispered.
Markl dropped everything he was holding and hugged Sophie.
"Sophie you have to come back, Howl gone crazy he never talks and all he does is clean!" Markl cried.
"Clean?" Sophie asked
"Yes the whole place has remained spotless and he still cleans and he cries then cleans more," Markl said.
"I think it is time," Sophie whispered.
"Time for what,"
"Time I came back 'home'"
Howl finished putting the dishes away and swept the floor and was now mopping the floor, as tears trickled own his face and splattered on the floor. The do opened but Howl just fell to knees.
"Howl?" Sophie asked tears forming in her eyes. Howl still did not move. Sophie walked over and placed her arms around Howl. "Howl," she whispered again.
"S-S-Sophie?" Howl choked.
"Yes Howl I'm here," Sophie said.
"No your just a dream…just like all the other dreams," Howl said.
"No Howl I promise," Sophie said.
"No…if I look at you, you'll be gone just like all the other times."
Sophie forced Howl to look at her, and when he did, he cried more. He placed his head in the crook of her neck and cried. Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck and let him cry, and he pulled her closer and held her tighter.
"Please don't ever leave me again," he cried.
"Howl?" Sophie said and pulled away slightly, "I'm sorry but-"
"I know I had to learn a lesson, but did it have to be that bad?" he asked with a little smile on his face.
"I didn't mean to hurt you so bad, but what have you learned from this?" she asked in a motherly tone.
"That I can never take advantage of my love." Howl said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Sophie shook her head yes and pulled him into another hug, "I'm so sorry."
"Your back Sophie and that is all that I care about, I have missed so many things about you…" Howl began and then trailed of into his own little happy world.
"Like what?" Sophie asked bringing him back from his trance.
"Your perfect pillow like lips," Howl said and gently pressed his lips to hers then pulled away to see her reaction.
"Well I can say that I missed your perfect lips as well but most of all I missed you and your strong arms wrapped around me." She said and pulled him into another passion filled kiss. The kiss started out gentle and passionate but they both new they wanted more so they deepened it. The kiss got rougher as if they would both die if they pulled apart. They broke to breath and Howl began to trail sweet wet butterfly kisses down Sophie's throat and along her jaw line.
"Howl," she whispered.
"What?" Howl shivered at the way she said his name.
She leaned into him and stopped so her lips hovered above his, "I love you," she whispered.
Howl felt the warmness of her breath splash onto his face and he moaned in pleasure he moved to her neck, "I (kiss) love (kiss) too (kiss)," he whispered into her skin.
"I know," Sophie giggled and stood up, grabbing his hand and pulling him up with her, "It's getting late we should bet Markl to bed.'
Howl moaned, "Let him get himself to bed." He grabbed her and dragged to Sophie to his room.
"Love you Markl sleep well," Sophie managed to say before the door closed to Howl's room.
Howl removed his shirt and then hopped into bed, and Sophie slipped of the outer layer of her dress and jumped in bed next to him.
Howl turned on his side to face Sophie and kissed the tip of Sophie's nose, "Goodnight my love." He said and held her close while closing his eyes to sleep.
Sophie placed a soft kiss on howls lips and said, "Goodnight Howl." She whispered.
The morning sun shined on Sophie's starlight hair and beamed in Howl's blue eyes. Howl groaned at the annoyance of the light and clutched the body next to him and with a flick of a wrist the curtains closed drowning the room in darkness once again.
Sophie yawned and opened her eyes to see a content Howl sleeping next to her, Sophie kissed howls nose and snuggled closer to him. She felt Howl running his fingers the strands of her hair and she moaned and smiled.
"Good morning Howl," Sophie whispered.
Howl groaned and Sophie say the smile he was trying to hide. "You are still here, you weren't another dream." Howl said pulling her as close to himself as he could and kissed the top of her head.
"I will never leave you ever, ever again that would be to hard for me, and you." Sophie said nuzzling Howls neck and closing her eyes. Howl went back to playing with her hair.
"You are so beautiful Sophie, I missed you so much, and I thought I was going to die." Howl said tightening his grip on her afraid he would loose her again. Sophie opened her yes and looked into his. Howl tucked a stray hair behind her ear and whispered in her ear, " I love you so much Sophie "
Sophie sat up and stared out into nothing, while Howl stayed laying down still messing with her silver hair.
"Sophie you hair is so much longer," Howl commented, "it is beautiful just like you."
Sophie pulled her knees to her chest, still staring at nothing. "It's been two years Howl," She said, "Since I left."
"It felt like a lot longer than that," Howl said sitting up next to her. He draped his arms around her fragile body and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Howl…why do you love me?" She asked, "I am not pretty, and I have never did anything worthy for you, so why?"
Because you never try to be someone else to try to impress me." He said.
"You deserve better…I hurt you Howl…and I feel so bad," she said.
"Sophie stop…it hurts me to see you like this…your scaring me…Sophie please don't leave me again," Howl said. He held Sophie tighter as if she would disappear.
"Howl" Sophie cried as turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Howl I ma so sorry."
"Sophie, you did what needed to be done, you did what no one else would do, and I needed that. No matter what you do I will always love you," Howl whispered.
"I love you so much Howl," she said.
"Really…why?" howl asked with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Because you are you and don't try to be anyone else!" Sophie said hoping he would catch on to what she said.
Howl smiled and then realized," hey that is what-"
Sophie silenced him with a kiss on the lips she had missed and longed to kiss for two long years or as Howl said what felt like forever.
The End