A/N:

ALRIGHT! I just found the movie on YouTube! It's split in two, and it's got some pretty crappy subbing (seriously...whoever did that needs to learn how to type.) but it's still Howl's Moving Castle!

I found that I made a height misjudgement...but I can fix that. And apparently the bathroom is UP stairs, not down.

Gimme a break people! I only read the book!

♥Raven

Chapter Two: In Which Howl Punishes Calcifer

The rest of the evening was very awkward for poor little Michael. Having found that her assumption was wrong, Sophie wanted to make up for it in any way possible. She let Howl wrap his arms around her waist. She let Howl kiss her when he wanted. She basically let him do anything. And poor Michael, the impressionable child that he is, found this more agonizing than the silence. So, he finally gave up and went upstairs to bed.

"Howl?" Sophie asked, sewing away on the couch. She planned to make Howl a new suit...if he behaved.

"Yes?" He asked, looking at himself in the mirror. He ran his fingers slowly through his red hair, leaving a trail of raven-blue locks behind.

"Why did you go out?" There was a silence, and Sophie glared toward the wizard, picking up her scissors and holding them menacingly at the suit.

"I will tell you when things become more clear." Howl said, moving to the couch to sit next to Sophie and hopefully save his new suit. He rather liked the combination of green and yellow Sophie was using...

"You mean you don't know if you love her yet?" Sophie asked sarcastically.

"We've been through this..." Howl said through a kiss on Sophie's forehead. "I love you, and only you."

"How can I be sure, Howl?" Sophie asked, setting her project in her lap and looking sadly at the wizard. "You were such a womanizer before, what should make me think you've stopped now?"

Howl said nothing.

Finally, he broke the silence. "I told you. I've finally found someone I want to protect no matter what. To love forever without condition."

"Prove your--" Sophie couldn't finish. Howl had taken that liberty from her by catching her in a passionate kiss, no doubt proving he loved her without condition. Tears welled in her eyes again and she pulled away, resting her head on Howl's shoulder.

"Now now, Sophie. You're much more beautiful when you're smiling." Sophie laughed through her tears. "That's better. Now stop the tears..." She wiped them away, leaving her head to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Howl. I should never have doubted you."

Howl petted her shoulder lightly. "It's alright. I don't blame you. I was rather indecisive before." Howl felt a punch to his arm. "Well? I was looking for you!"

It was true. The moment she'd yelled to Howl and Calcifer after going back in time, the young boy swore to himself he'd find the girl with the star-light colored hair. And for this, Sophie was grateful.

---

The following morning, the same odd feeling of one's mind waking up disturbed Sophie yet again. Though this time she was pleased to find Howl's back turned to her on the other side of the bed, rising and falling slowly with the smooth breathing of sleep.

She felt bad for leaving Michael to manage the flower shop yesterday, so she devoted today to it, promising herself she'd be in a good mood.

She slowly climbed out of the bed, freezing when she saw Howl adjust to the motion of the bed. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw him calmly fall back asleep, his breathing smoothing out once again. She moved slowly out in the hall, holding her breath as she clicked the door shut. She listened...another adjustment inside...a sigh...then slow breathing. She moved down the stairs and into the room that had once been her bedroom and was used as the clothing washroom, and slipped into a fine white dress, scooping the hat that went along with it off the table.

"Good morning, Sophie. How stunning we look this morning." Calcifer said, rising out of the hearth.

Sophie grumbled.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"No, you shouldn't have." Sophie said, opening the door to the field of flowers, picking up two baskets and disappearing outside. She returned with full baskets of lilies and irises and all the flowers anyone could think of. What she didn't expect was to see Howl awake, frowning down on Calcifer. He was angry, so it was likely they hadn't heard Sophie come in.

"I don't believe you sometimes, Calcifer! I go out to check on things and I come back to a depressed Sophie! Why would you tell her such things!"

"I'm an evil! It's what I do!"

"You could have some decency about it! Don't go telling her I'm womanizing when you know full well that I plan to--"

"Sophie!" Calcifer said happily, hoping for refuge from this argument. Howl spun around quickly, obviously glad he'd been cut off before the sentence was made too revealing.

"Plan to what?" Sophie asked, suspicious yet still somehow excited.

"Nothing!" Howl said quickly, glaring at a now grinning Calcifer.

"Oh, what he's planning! He plans to--" Howl slammed a glass of water, which had appeared apparently from no where, onto the hearth in front of Calcifer.

"You will say nothing." Three more glasses appeared. "Or I'll dump these out on you."

"I could leave, you know." Calcifer said slyly.

"Not if it's raining outside." Howl mumbled something. Immediately after he mumbled...whatever it was he said, thunder rumbled outside and rain began pouring down. Sophie turned the knob around to every color, and still found rain on the other side. Except on the other side of the black door, of course. She couldn't see through the nothing-ness to tell if it was raining in Wales or not.

"Damn you, Howl."

"I'm glad we've come to terms, Calcifer. Now, let's get to arranging these flowers, hm?"

Sophie was glad that Michael wasn't awake yet. He'd been tortured enough, he didn't need to get caught in the middle of the fight Calcifer and Howl were having.

She pushed the last flower into an overstuffed vase and walked it into the shop, placing it neatly on a shelf.

"Good day, Ms. Jenkins. How are we today?" Asked a tall, fine man. He could be no older than Howl, and had a mass of wavy golden hair atop his head.

"I'm doing fine, sir. Thank you for asking." Sophie liked the idea of having Jenkins or Pendragon sewn to the end of her name. But that thought would come later. Business now.

"I'm glad to hear it. Say, I'm looking for a bouquet that says 'I'll love you no matter what'. Have you one of those?" Sophie immediately thought of the one Howl had brought her the day before, but didn't want to sell it. Not for the world. She hummed lightly in thought, walking from behind the counter to all around the shelves, looking for one that even slightly resembled the one Howl gave her.

She found one. Yes, it was small, but it was the closest thing she could find, and she could just feel 'I love you' pouring off the pedals of the flowers. "Does this one suit the occasion?"

"Why yes! It's perfect!" The man checked the price, dropped the money in Sophie's hand, and smiled. "Thank you so much, Ms. Jenkins. You're a life saver." Then the man disappeared out the front door.

"Yes. What a life saver you are." Came Howl's voice from behind, causing Sophie to nearly jump through the roof. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and could feel him bend his head down to kiss her on the neck softly. "A lovely life saver."

Sophie laughed. "Howl, you pest. I'm busy."

"It seems to me you just finished being busy, and no one else is here...so why shouldn't I be able to kiss you?"

"You're able to kiss me whenever. If I'm not working the shop."

"Then get Michael to do it."

"He worked the shop all day yesterday, and I feel bad."

"Oh, don't feel bad."

"Well I do. So there." Sophie pulled away from Howl, seeing another finely dressed man coming up the steps. "My, everyone must be trying to swoon the ladies today." She glanced at Howl suggestively, who played dumb and mouthed, 'Who, me?'. She shooed him off with a laugh, quickly rushing to help the customer.

A/N:

Sorry for ending this chapter so awkwardly. I'm on a strict time limit and wanted to get this all done before 1 o'clock.

So yes. Review, review, review!

And please...

-gulp-

Be gentle...

XD

♥Raven