Disclaimer: No, I don't own Howl's Moving Castle, or any other Studio Gibli films. If I did, they'd be longer and have sequels that only I could see.

A/N: My first HMC fic. It's based on the movie that I've seen 32 times. I'm guessing that this is going to be a shorter story as I haven't typed it yet, but it only took up 5 and a quarter pages of notebook paper. I hope you enjoy it as it took me a while to write. Read and review. It's not that

"Hate's A Strong Word"

Thud! Sophie Hatter awoke with a start, her breathing shallow, as the familiar sound of Howl's door closing rattled her dreams. She looked from Calcifer to the stairs, her heart racing. She removed a piece of starlight hair from her face as she quickly stood up. A smile parted her lips as she remembered how slow she had to move when she was old. The curse had been broken for a few months, now; yet, her life with Howl had remained the same. She was his cleaning lady, and nothing more, no matter how hard she wanted it.

She swiftly grabbed a candle, lighting its wick with ease. The smile left her lips as she descended up the stairs, and down the hallway, stopping at Howl's bedroom door. Too afraid to knock, instead, she quietly spoke his name, careful not to wake Markl. "Howl?"

The door creaked open, revealing a rush of scents that made her head spin. She wearily stepped into his room, her eyes wandering over the lavish assortments of knick-knacks that adorned his walls. She found herself staring at one in particular. His blue pendant hung alone on the wall behind his bed. Her fingers grasped the matching one that hung around her neck. A flood of emotions knocked her sideways.

-Flashback-

"I want you to have this, Sophie." Howl draped the magnificent blue pendant around her neck, a small smile etched into his face. She rolled the small blue gem over in her hands, her eyes welling with tears.

"It matches yours." She looked up, just now realizing this. He nodded, pulling out his own.

"It bonds us. As long as I love you, I'll never take it off." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

"I love you, Howl."

"I love you, Sophie."

-End Flashback-

She hastily stuffed the pendant back into her shirt, turning to leave. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll go, now." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to cover up the hurt that shone through. She bit her lip, taking a step out of the room when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It spun her around so that she was looking up at him.

"Why? Are afraid of me or something?" Howl's brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to decipher Sophie/s intentions. He watched as she walked past him, taking a seat on his bed. He leaned against the wall, a smirk firmly planted on his face.

"Of course not. I just assumed you had one of your many girlfriends over and…" Her voice was more confident, but it remained soft; like a mouse. Howl let out an exasperated sigh. He couldn't hide his disappointment in her distrust for him. Of course he didn't have any other girlfriends; he loved Sophie more than anything. His eyes wandered to the blue pendant hanging from his wall. He mentally kicked himself as he followed her. He hung his head, taking a seat on the bed beside her.

"What makes you think I have any other girlfriends?" He cocked his brow, his blue eyes filling with concern. Sophie looked up at him, her gaze locked onto his. She quickly turned away, unable to face the fact that he didn't love her anymore.

"Come on, Howl! We both now know that one woman can't hold you down." One of made the mistake of trying to rectify that. Look where it got me. Almost in tears in his room, alone. A smile gradually took the place of concern on Howl's face as he ran his finger over her hand.

"I believe that one woman has, Sophie." She quickly turned her head so that she was looking at him again. The pain of months etched into the frown on her face. A sigh escaped her lips as she moved her hands away from his touch.

"Yes, Howl. We, apparently, had a fling. I helped you break your curse, and you helped me break mine. Case closed." She looked down, utterly disgusted and upset about this whole situation. They had lived like lovers for the first month, and Sophie couldn't have been happier. Her happiness soon turned to regret as the second month came. Howl began to ignore her, until he never spoke to her except when he was giving orders. She was convinced that the only reason why he kept her around was to run the flower shop, and to clean.

Howl sighed again, frustrated at how stubborn Sophie was. "It wasn't a fling, dear. My curse had to be broken by my true love, as did yours." He looked down at her, meeting her gaze. She turned away, still not convinced.

"Evidently, your love for me has run out, Howl. You ignore me. You hardly acknowledge my existence." She was very close to shouting now, her voice steadily rising. She quickly stood up, moving to the door. "Do you know what the worst part of the whole thing is, Howl? It's that I still love you." A single tear cascaded down her cheek as she slammed the door so that Markl wouldn't hear them. She took her seat on the bed, her tears flowing harder now. "I love you, Howl." Her voice was back down to its original whisper, now.

This news quickly silenced the vain wizard. He looked away from the girl, not knowing what to say. He was too wimpy to tell her how he loved her too, so he remained in his position. Sophie held the silence for several minutes, disappointment washing over her. She finally stood up, heading for the door. "I understand." She quietly stepped out the door, closing it behind her. She would leave tomorrow. She wouldn't have to be near him anymore. She'd leave behind all that she loved and return to the Wastes.

Howl furiously punched at his pillow, upset at himself for being so cowardly. He stopped, his gaze traveling up to the pendant on his wall. How could he have forgotten the promise he had made to her? Why couldn't he just tell her loved her, now? He had broken his promise, but he still loved her. And now, she was probably going to leave. He knew Sophie couldn't stand to be in the same house with him, anymore. The thought of Sophie leaving was enough. The wizard bounded out of his room, intent upon telling her.

Sophie was about to step on the first stair when a hand latched on to her arm. She knew who it was. She didn't need to turn around, but she did anyway. She looked past him, not wanting to face him directly, yet.

Howl smiled down at her. "I believe you left before I had a chance to speak. I love you, Sophie. More than anything. I love you."

She looked up at him, her mouth dropping. She smiled, wrapping him into a hug. "Oh really, Howl?" She quickly let him go, remembering his broken promise. She swiftly walked past him, heading for his bedroom. Her eyes narrowed as she found the wizard following her. She spun around, her face enraged. "You love me, huh? You ignore me, you order me around, and you broke your promise. That promise was the only thing keeping me attached to you, Howl. And you broke it. You didn't eat my heart Howl, you didn't capture it either. You tore it out. You stepped on it, and you hurt it. I hate you Howl Jenkins."

She slammed his bedroom door on his face, leaving him with his mouth open, alone. She'd stay for Markl, and for Calcifer, but not for him. Somehow, she still had trouble disguising the glimmer of hope that stuck in her head; hope that she and Howl would return to each other's arms.

A/N: Like it? If I get enough hits/reviews, I'll add the second chapter sooner. :P. I'm currently looking for a beta. PM me if you're interested.