Forgive me if this took too long. I hope its ok since I worked on it when I should have been asleep...therefore it's a little...iffy.

In Which The Flowers Won't Grow

By the time Sophie opened her eyes, there was a slight feeling of disappointment for not seeing Howl in her dreams but what she saw instead made up for it…

At some point in her slumber, Howl had managed to sneak beneath the covers and now Sophie was cradled against his chest, his arm beneath her with his fingers around her shoulder. Sophie herself was curled up against his side with her head nestled against his chest and a hand gripping the fabric of his shirt, her knees against his pant leg.

Oh, no…how did I get into this predicament? She wondered, peering up at his sleeping face to his hand limply resting over his heart. Howl, why are you doing this to me?

She released his shirt, eyes on the wrinkled cloth for a moment before her eyes darted up back to his closed eyelids.

"You're going to get sick too if you're not careful." She murmured, smiling at him thoughtfully before stifling a cough with her free hand. I should go back to my own bed…then he could be out of risk…but how am I going to get him to let go without waking him?

Biting her lower lip, Sophie eased Howl's fingers off of her shoulder and his arm slumped outstretched on the mattress, allowing her to prop herself up on an elbow and scoot her legs away from his own. Of course there would be the trouble of climbing out from beneath the covers of the bed. They were warm and comfortable but they were also heavy and if stirred, some air could be pulled in and the chill would stir him to instinctively lean into a source of warmth. Most likely her.

What a mess you have gotten me into, Howl. I should wake you up anyway. She thought; wriggling herself away from him until she was safely a literal arm's reach away.

Sitting up, she covered her mouth as another coughing fit made her chest seize up a few times then sting with each wrench in her chest. Her throat burned for something to drink and parch the inflamed skin and her nose may have not been as stuffed as it had been, but it was definitely enough to make her wish she had a dozen handkerchiefs on hand.

With some difficulty, Sophie was able to surface onto the top of the heavy blankets and crawled over the mattress with her arms shaking from her weight on the uneven surface. She wanted to lie back down but at the same time with Howl still sleeping there, she couldn't risk it and the fact that she kept kneeling on her dress and making her nearly drop forward, didn't help her at all.

"Soph—ie?"

She froze at the soft, drowsy voice at the head of the bed but Howl simply turned onto his stomach and buried his face into the pillow, inhaling his own chemical smells as she eased up and climbed off of the bed, her legs feeling awkward from suddenly being in use after a day and a half of lying in bed. Her body was never used to lying around so much, even as an old woman.

"You saw him…didn't you?"

In the midst of her wondering slowly towards the door, Howl had stirred again and this time he discovered that the bed was unoccupied by the sick cleaning lady. His eyes were drowsy from sleep but he was propped up on his elbows as if he were wide-awake.

"Saw…who?"

Howl smiled, sitting up completely now and shaking his tousled hair out of his eyes.

"The piece of me that I have left behind." He said with the same knowing smile he had the previous night when he climbed onto the covers. "He told me you spoke with him about a few things. Do I detect a sense that you don't trust me, Sophie?"

"D-Don't trust you?" she backed up to the door, wanting to get out of there now for some reason. "Why?"

"Come back over here…" he said, holding out a hand, his ring glittering in the sunlight peeking in from a poorly covered window Sophie could hardly recall seeing before.

When his index finger beckoned, she gasped, that swift intake of air made her cough but her legs still mechanically carried her back over to his bedside and her hand took his outstretched one.

"You don't have a reason to not trust me, Sophie." He said, tugging on her arm to make her lean over the bed. His face was now close to hers but she tried to lean away immediately.

"You really are trying to get sick, aren't you?" she thought another cough was on its way but it subsided.

The wizard shook his head and she ended up sitting onto the edge of the bed, Howl taking her into his arms and pulling her to him so that her shoulder curved and her side rested against his chest, her head nestled against his neck and collarbone. It reminded her of the dream so much…

"I want you to get better…and if that means I have to get sick in the process, that's alright with me. At least Markl won't be so worried as he is now. Calcifer is visiting so he has some company at the moment."

How did he know about that when he hadn't left the room all night? Or had he? Howl was, after all, under the sheets when she woke up and he was still in his clothes as well, there was no nightshirt he had changed into or out of since (being the messy person he was) it would normally be found on the floor near the bed.

Which raises the question…where did Howl go last night?

"Howl…when my cold gets better, do you think we could go out to the flowers? I miss looking out at them, even if it's only been two days."

"Two days can be a long time…but if you're well enough to walk without feinting, I could take you there today if that's what you'd like. I have nothing else I can offer you, Sophie…nothing but the flowers."

That wasn't true, Howl had given her so much already but there was one thing Sophie wanted, something she could keep forever if possible…his heart. Not in the sense that Calcifer had it but she wanted Howl's endless love, like a marriage bond between them but even at that moment when she was leaning against him she could tell anything to do with marriage would frighten the man away for good. Howl was still a child at times and being the coward he was as well, also meant he wouldn't be too keen on sharing his life with the same woman till the end of their days.

She was just…too plain…

"Sophie?"

"You've given me enough, Howl…" she said quietly, "I couldn't ask for more…but I think I can manage going out into the field today…it won't be so hard if I just take my time, which I'm certain you're no good at, are you?"

"Now, Sophie, don't be mean." He smiled, "I'll take you to the fields today but only if you promise to cook again as soon as you're well."

Did she have much of a choice?

"Watch your step…the castle may not be moving but it's rested on some unsteady ground…"

Sophie squinted at the sunlight, Howl's hand guiding her outside and she felt her feet step into the grasses. The soft swish of the blades stroking her skirts made her smile, she missed the sound of the outside…and even now with her nose clearing up gradually she could smell the pleasant scents of the flowers. They were not as potent as they could have been but when she opened her mouth a little she could almost taste the pollen.

The wizard led her out over the slopes, he moved slowly and carefully for her so that she wouldn't be rushed, despite the fact she continuously told him she was getting better, there was still that note of caution in every movement he performed with her close at hand. Even when they stood simply in the flowers overlooking the low clouds sweeping over the fields Howl was holding onto her hand.

"The roses aren't blooming this season." He said, placing a hand on his hip and peering down the hill at a few rose bushes where there wasn't a single bud. "My magic won't work on them."

"Why won't it work?" Sophie asked when he helped her down the slope towards the bushes.

"Because for one do use magic, you have to have your heart into it…unless it's gone. Then you have to tap into that power." He explained before touching one of the leaves and Sophie too reached out to touch the budless bushes. "I've not been focused upon my magic enough to make them grow…I can blame that part on you."

"On me?" she lowered her hand from the leaves, "You're worried about me?"

He nodded, "Without you wondering around the castle, it feels as empty as it was before you arrived. Of course...I didn't notice it before since I was always leaving the castle back then. When I was there, however…it was practically lifeless without Calcifer or Marklfor company." he smiled a little, closing his eyes,"But then this old woman showed up out of nowhere when I returned home one evening."

Sophie felt her face burn a little more then it already did when he said this and it must have worsened when Howl's eyes opened again and he looked down at her with an expression she couldn't recall seeing on his face before.

"You brought life into the castle, Sophie…your activity made the place breathe and even though I had to adjust to cleanliness outside of my body, I was happy with the result of your presence. Your curse startled me but I managed to look past it…watched you for brief moments when you slept just to catch a glimpse of your face in its true form without your knowing…" he smiled, "Then you broke the contract and with that, I was able to see you all the time for what you really are. Even then you still stayed with me and kept the castle alive with your presence…if you can make my castle seem alive, I think you can make these flowers grow."

"The roses?" Sophie looked from Howl to the rose bushes. "Howl…I have no magic, I can't make flowers grow…"

"You can't. not like that…" he smiled, "So if not for Markl and my own meal's sakes…can you recover for the roses? I know you like them more with their flowers then their simple leaves."

Sophie touched her cheek, peering over the bushes for a moment before she gave the wizard a little smile. "You can be self-centered…but you can also be considerate…in your own way."

Well? I hope it was to your liking...please keep reviewing and pardon grammar defects.