Prettyinpinkgal: Review, please :) Thank you ) And during Sophie's and Howl's dancing scene, imagine them dancing to some romantic ballet dance or something. I haven't seen really any ballets so please bare with me. :) Also, I don't think the Complete Idiot's Guide books were out during the 80's, where they? But this a fanfiction, so oh well. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or the Nutcracker. Or the Complete Idiot's Guide books.
A CHRISTMAS STORY
CHAPTER FIVE
"HOW DARE YOU?!" shrieked Sophie as she chased Howl around the ballroom, narrowly avoiding her sisters and their partners. "HOW DARE YOU KISS ME LIKE THAT! I JUST MET YOU!"
"You're so adorable when you're angry, Sophie!" laughed Howl as he ran.
"SHUT UP!"
"But you are, my dear Sophie!"
"I'M NOT YOUR "DEAR"! AND I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!"
"Ah, love," said Mrs. Fairfax, who was dancing the foxtrot with her husband, who had died some time ago. How he was dancing now, Sophie was not sure, but she was far too furious to wonder about it much.
Her anger turned to bewilderment when she found herself dancing ballet, wearing a tutu and dancing slippers, dancing gracefully yet purposefully towards Howl. "What on earth?" she cried as she twirled in a circle, catching up to Howl at last. Her leg went up in the air as she spun, kicking Howl satisfyingly in the head.
However, unlike what most people would do when kicked in the head, Howl merely turned towards Sophie, grinning, and began dancing with her.
Sophie struggled, but eventually, they danced in sync. A few times, when they passed some beautiful women, Sophie glared at him, ready to make a jab at him for staring at other women when he was trying to pursue her. But she could not, as his eyes were always on her.
The music ended, and Howl told her, "I think we should live happily ever after."
"W-we just met!" Sophie gasped, her face turning a bright red color.
"Don't be silly! We met on May Day!"
"Oh," said Sophie, thinking as the memory came back to her, as though recalling a long-forgotten dream. "I see." Looking at him, she asked, "But why me?"
"Because you have my heart, Mrs. Nose," Howl told her, kissing a strand of red-gold hair.
Sophie could feel herself slipping somehow. Details were becoming more abstract, and everything was blurring together into darkness as she began to remember. "Calcifer had it, and I gave it back to you. I don't have it," she told him.
"Yes, you do."
"We never did meet the Sugar Plum Princess, did we?" asked Sophie, although everything was almost gone.
"Honestly, Sophie," came Howl's smooth voice. "Who cares? This is only a dream, anyway."
"That's true," replied the young woman, knowing it was time to wake up.
Sophie groggily opened her eyes, squinting against the sunlight streaming from the curtain. "Well, that was certainly odd," Sophie mumbled, debating whether she should bother getting up or wait another five minutes until--
"Sophie, you're awake!" said Howl as he came into the bedroom. "Are you feeling better?"
"Much. Although I do hate having a fever; it gives me the strangest dreams," Sophie told him, smiling as her husband kissed her forehead.
"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better; I was wondering how much longer we'd have to wait before we could open gifts."
Sophie gasped, saying in a fake-shocked tone, "Why, Howl! You actually had the decency to wait for me?"
Howl straightened, trying to look dignified. "Of course! I am a gentleman, after all. Besides, this is our first Christmas together."
Sophie smiled. "Alright. Give me ten minutes and I'll be downstairs."
"Five minutes."
"Five minutes! Says the man who takes four hours in the bathroom in the morning!"
"I've only spent an hour and a half since we've gotten married!"
Sophie sighed. "Well, I suppose that's true." She went into the bathroom to get ready quickly, then went downstairs where the tree was mysteriously lit without any candles--Howl said it was from his world--and presents decorated the floor.
"Merry Christmas," she told Calcifer and Michael.
"Merry Christmas!" Michael replied.
"Don't I get a gift?" Calcifer whined.
Sophie smiled. "Of course, Calcifer. You have the next two days off from cooking."
"Yes!" The fire was so happy that he flew right up the chimney.
Howl, Sophie, and Michael laughed at this, then Michael opened his gifts. Pulling his present away from the wrapping paper, he read, baffled, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating?"
"It's from Wales," replied Howl with a smile.
"Oh, okay," Michael said, understanding he'd probably never understand a book from Howl's world.
Howl handed Sophie a gift, kissing her on the lips. "And now," announced Howl, "it's time for my beautiful wife to open her gifts!"
Sophie snorted, although she felt like a squealing schoolgirl inside when he called her his "beautiful wife". "Go ahead and open your own, Howl. I know it's been killing you."
"You're right," Howl agreed, which immediately made his wife suspicious. "But I can wait." He waited for her to open her gifts.
Sophie smiled to herself as she opened the present from Calcifer slowly. Obviously, Michael had had to help him with the wrapping and buying. It would be rather hard for fire to wrap a present or walk into a store to purchase the said present.
"Thank you, Calcifer!" she said, gingerly holding her new necklace. It wasn't too gaudy and flashy, but it was nice. It fit Sophie's tastes perfectly.
Michael's gift was a new hairbrush, which she thanked Michael for graciously. After all, it hardly would have been appropriate for him to buy her, say, a pair of earrings. It would have made Martha quite jealous indeed, and besides, it was hardly proper.
Sophie felt Howl's eyes on her as she opened his gifts to her. The first five were gorgeous dresses that could be worn for everyday use. The next was a new powerful cleaner he had concocted. "Thank you, Howl," Sophie said, rather awed as she kissed her husband. Nobody had ever given her so much before.
"One last thing," said Howl, looking quite pleased with himself as he handed her another gift. It was awkwardly wrapped, and Sophie's nosiness was heightened as she wondered what on earth it was.
"You seemed to love the ballet you begged me to take you to last night," he said, "and so I thought you'd like this."
He was quite confused when Sophie first stared, bewildered, at the object, then glanced at him, then back at the present. His confusion mounted when she cracked up, holding her sides as she laughed. He decided to ignore her for the rest of the morning. Howl thought he had been quite clever, buying her that nutcracker.
Prettyinpinkgal: Yay, I updated!! This is the last chapter for this story, then it's back to updating The Thousandth Summer and Destiny. I hope you all enjoyed this mini-story, even though it was a bit rushed. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!