Our Lost Souls

Chapter V: I, You, Me

Okay so people... School just started back so I'm dropping from about 2 chapters a week to a hopefully lucky one a week...

Thank you to everyone who has been reading, and my beta reader/editor, Pnkrockninja101, I love you!!!

Okay so now on with the story...drum rolls

Back with Sophie & company...

"Would you like me to show you around the castle, Miss Sachi?" Calcifer inquired softly, in his velvety voice, kissing her hand. Sophie giggled at Sachi's red face as she stuttered to answer.

"That's a yes, flame-head." Sophie snickered. Calcifer raised a confused eyebrow at her. "Flame-head? I'm afraid I do not understand, Miss Sophie."

"You get used to the name calling." Howl joked, deciding to enter the conversation. Sophie elbowed him.

"I'm not calling him names, It's just his hair is so... red! Like fire, like whoosh." making flame like motions with her hands. Calcifer chuckled, while Sachi shot her an embarrassed glare, grabbing Calcifer's hand.

"I'd love for you to show me around now. We should let Sophie and Howl have some time alone now, don't you think?" She snipped, giggling at Sophie's horrified expression.

"Me? Alone? With HIM? I don't think so. He's a pervert!!!"

"Oh Sophie! That hurt! That hurt right here!" he whined, motioning to where his heart should be.

"Do you even have a heart?" She retorted, making Howl pause mid-sentence for a few moments.

"That's not the point... It still hurt. I do have feelings you know!?" he complained.

"Oh I know. Why don't you just confess your undying love for me, then?"

"Fine, I will!"

"I was kidding, Howl..."

"Oh..." he stated, a bit disappointed. An awkward silence set in, that's when both of them realized Sachi and Calcifer had disappeared as they were bantering.

'Great now I'm stuck with him...'

'You know it isn't all that bad, Sophie'

"Howl!"

"Yes, my dear Sophie?" His velvety voice purring into her ear.

"I... you... me... ugh!"

-SLAP-

"You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you?!"

He rubbed his now pink cheek and gave her a goofy grin that made her heart melt. "What can I say, I'm a masochist!"

She sighed and massaged her temples.

"Where'd your father go?" She moaned, looking around for the handsome older man.

"He left for a meeting; he and Calcifer will be leaving for a few days or so soon."

"Oh...okay then...So when is your sister coming?"

He scratched his head. "That's a good question... we were hoping sometime today, but we're not sure now."

"Why don't you read her mind?"

Howl shook his head. "Doesn't work like that. She always has a mind shield up. It's so strong that even father can't get through it. I think she's paranoid or something."

"Oh."

She looked around at the beautiful marble room they were in. Everything had a slight frosty glow to it, almost as if they were made from moonbeams and starlight.

Sophie nearly jumped when Howl gently took her hand in his.

"Howl?"

"Come on Sophie, I want to show you my favorite place in the castle."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "It's not your room is it?"

He just shook his head and smiled at her and led her out of the room through large glass and mahogany French doors into and open room with massive gold trimmed windows, facing the most beautiful garden she had ever seen.

"Oh Howl it's gorgeous!" She breathed, drinking in the sight.

"You want to go to the garden?" He asked softly, his eyes never leaving her sparkling honey-brown ones.

"Oh please? Could I?" She chirped happily.

He smiled and led her to the set of glass doors to the garden and pulled them open, sunlight spilling into the room with more fervor than before.

Howl gasped slightly when the sunlight just seemed to enshroud Sophie's delicate form, setting her fair skin aglow, making her look almost angelic.

'So beautiful...'

Sophie whipped around to face him as his velvety voice echoed through her mind. He didn't move, a serene smile plastered on his handsome face, his arms stretched out as he gazed warmly down on her.

"Howl?" She murmured inquisitively, taking a step towards him. Again he said nothing, but this time leaned down to her and closed his open arms around her pulling her in for a warm embrace. "Oh!" She exclaimed, surprised by his suddenly close proximity to her, as he pressed her softly into him, burying his face in her hair.

"I said you're so beautiful." He murmured again, only spoken this time, nuzzling her neck.

Sophie couldn't move. She was shocked, not only to have him give her such affectionate attention, but the five words that had come out of his mouth. No man had ever told her she was beautiful in her life. In America, she was just "the hot Asian chick", and here in Japan, she was just another girl, pretty, but not beautiful.

'I'm so silly...it means nothing. It's just another word for pretty.'

'Sophie, shut up.' He growled into her mind. He pulled back from her abruptly, his hands placed firmly at her shoulders, gazing into her eyes seriously.

Her eyes widened. "Did you just tell me to shut up?!" She growled back, trying to wriggle free of his iron grip all the while glaring back.

His grip tightened until she stayed still. "Yes I did. Shut up and listen to me dammit, you silly human! Sophie, Sophie, you're beautiful!"

He inhaled deeply before speaking again. "You are beautiful." He repeated again for emphasis. "Never doubt that. I don't say things if I don't mean them, you remember that!"

"But I'm not beautiful, Howl! I have never been beautiful in my life!" She whimpered, his grip on her shoulders becoming painful. Realizing he was hurting her, he let go, but reverted to just hold her small hands in his close to his chest.

"Yes you are Sophie, I wouldn't lie to you, trust that. You may not know me well enough to believe me, or what I say, but you're here, and the fact is that means something to me."

"Means something?"

He sighed, not sure how to explain the immense feelings she brought out of him to her. He kissed the tips of her fingers, head bowed, trying to muster up the courage to say what he wanted without scaring her away. Her brushing her finger tips lightly across his lips gave him the reassurance he needed to speak again.

"We're all destined for our other half, and I know this might be too fast, or too soon for either of us, but I feel you are that one for me." He suddenly drew her tight against his chest, burying his face in her hair again. "Please, don't shut me out Sophie, please, give me a chance, I want to show you I can love you, even if you are a human."

'Besides Sophie, it's a Vampire thing. We just know.'

'That may be true...but humans are too fickle for that.'

'I chose you.'

'Howl...'

Sophie sighed. This was too much too fast. But...her mind flashed back to when she first met him, just a few days before, how sad and empty his eyes had been, compared to the sparkling and alive ones she had seen on his every moment after.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Take it easy Howl. If you want to catch the rabbit, don't rush after it blindly."

He raised a hopeful eyebrow. "This means I get a chance with you?"

"I'm not sure yet," she replied shaking her head, "But I would like to spend more time with you. Just let things happen."

"I'll take that as a yes!" He mumbled grinning roguishly before gently pressing his lips to hers.

Her eyes widened, jolts of shock and pleasure from his touch shooting down her spine. As she remained unresponsive, he lightly added a soft pressure with his one hand on her lower back, drawing her even closer into his body and sucking on her bottom lip.

Sophie's mouth opened slightly at the assault of him sucking her kiss swollen lips. She gasped again as the tongue wars began, Howl's mouth tasting sweet, like an addictive candy she couldn't resist. Her fingers tangled in his soft black hair, binding him to her, her tongue beginning its exploration of his mouth with earnest.

Sophie had never kissed anyone before, not like this. It was always a quick peck on the lips, always determined not to let herself become labeled in America by the ravenous teenage boys. But Howl, he lulled her. She was becoming as needy as the girls she never wanted to fall under category with, curse his gentle ministrations on her body and his sweet mouth.

"Mmm...Sophie..." He murmured into her lips when she pressed ever closer into him, his grip on her lower back tightening, his hand becoming dangerously close with her behind.

All she could do was groan with pleasure in response.

"Uhm...AHEM!"

"Holy Shit!"

"Oh Fuck!"

Sophie and Howl jumped apart and turned to face a young honey-brown haired man.

"Markl?" Howl questioned.

"Big brother." He replied.

"Brother?! Oh...My...God...!!!" Sophie squeaked, a crimson blush staining her pale cheeks as she hid behind Howl. "You didn't tell me you had a little brother!!!"

Howl looked back at her again, a crooked grin on his face. "Never came up, did it?"

He turned back Markl. "What is it brother?"

Markl raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh that's rude Howl, you're not going to introduce me to your mate?"

"MATE?!" Sophie shrieked, jumping out from behind Howl. Markl sniffed the air, her scent apparently curious to him.

"Brother, a hormonal human?"

Howl chuckled, grabbing her before she swung at Markl, who was laughing at her, deeply amused at her reactions. "Yeah, I'm weird like that."

His brother bowed to Sophie, still chuckling. "My dear woman, I apologize for my rude interruption of what, I can only assume, was to be your first mating between you and my honorable brother."

Sophie opened and closed her mouth several times, shock, embarrassment and anger dancing in a flurry across her face, only managing to squeak at the young man in front of her.

Howl groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "We weren't going to mate."

"That's not what your hormones were saying."

"Well...not here at least."

"HOWL!"

He grimaced and faced a lobster-red Sophie.

-SMACK-

Markl chuckled nervously. "She's uh...rather...fiery..."

"You think?" Howl moaned, rubbing his sore cheek. He leaned over Sophie and wrapped her in a constrictive hug. "No more hitting, ok?"

"No, I'm not done yet!" She hissed. He kissed her jugular, and she stiffened, shivers running down her spine. "That's better, mouse." He murmured into her hair before looking up at his brother again.

Markl raised an eyebrow at the now flustered and silent Sophie. "That's an interesting way of subduing her."

"Markl, what is it, that is just so damned important that you had to start trouble?"

He cleared his throat and leaned his head to the side. "Reika's not coming."

"What? She's supposed to come today!"

Sophie looked up at Howl's scowl contorted face. "Who's that, Howl?"

"The sister you were supposed to meet today love."

"Oh, what happened?" She asked Markl.

"She didn't say, only that she was not going to be able to make it, and her arrival will more than likely be unannounced when she does get here."

Howl frowned. "It's hard to believe we're related to that nutter."

"You're all nutters, except for you father." Sophie interjected.

Markl laughed, extending his hand out to her formally. "You are an interesting girl, I can see why Howl is so infatuated with you. Had you been boring, he might have eaten you."
"MARKL THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" Howl roared at him.

Sophie simply huffed at them. "If he even so much as thought about it, I would have kicked him so hard in his jewels his nose would have eyeballs."

Both men's jaw dropped and shielded their lower parts from her.

"What?" She asked innocently, grinning at them.

Markl gave her a weak smile and turned. "I'll leave you two now, nice to meet you Miss Sophie."

Howl stared after his retreating figure, then turned back to Sophie, his roguish grin plastered across his handsome face once more. "Where were we?" He purred to her, whisking her up into his arms and brining his lips to hers for another kiss.

I hope you all enjoyed! I'm sorry it took so long but I'm lucky I even got this done! I've been so swamped with Senior Project!Well review and tell me what you think, the more reviews I get, the faster I'll try to get out the next installment of "Our Lost Souls"! ttfn,

-FaythlessAngel