Summary: In which Sophie refuses to tell Howl that she loves him. Jealousy. Cause we all know how much I love that. Takes place after the events of Howl's moving castle, the movie. [HowlXSophie, Sophie Howl].

Sophie hadn't been feeling well for a week now, thus causing Howl to freak out. Of course, the world couldn't know that he had a crush on a normal girl! What would the world come to?! That meant that he had to keep his distance.

It was harder than he'd expected.

When he'd first heard the news, his urge to drop everything he had been working on, and Hugo her, came viciously. Instead, he'd forced himself to move a steady pace. That didn't fool Calcite for a minute.

They may not have shared a heart anymore, but he could tell when something was bothering him. In this case, it was Sophie, these days.

"Love-struck, I believe it's called these days," he thought quietlym to himself. Then aloud, as Howl was going by, "Howl, you might want to go up there fast- Sophie's hacking- she must be dying!"

THAT got him moving. Almost tripping up the stairs, as he ran. He threw her bedroom door open. "Sophie," he gasped out, "Calcifer said you were coughing. Are you dying?!"

She frowned at Calcifer's reasoning. "No, I don't think so. It's just a small cold, I believe."

Howl made a note to MURDER that flame when he was done coming up with a good excuse for rushing into Sophie's room.

He edged over to her, putting a hand on her forehead, whispered a quick incantation, then removed his hand again. "Your temperature should go down in a while," he kindly told her. "If you need me, I shall be downstairs."

He paused, as if waiting for her to say that there was something she needed. Eventually, he left.

Long after he was gone, Sophie frowned to herself.

Calcifer watched as Howl thundered downstairs, much like a raging storm. "Is she dead?" Calcifer chuckled, priding himself at his own cleverness.

"That wasn't funny, Calcifer," he gasped, gripping his hair. "I bursted right in there without even knocking!"

"So?" the talking fire didn't get it. "What could have gone wrong?"

"A lot! She could have been changing- or-or- actually that's all I had. But it could have been worse."

Calcifer shrugged. "I figured as much."

Calcifer only chuckled as his crazed, love-struck ran from the room again.

Drama queen.