Howl the Housekeeper (Howl's Moving Castle)

[thefuzzydarkness]

(This is one I wrote a while ago but I've never posted it here so hopefully y'all will enjoy it! I'd love to hear your thoughts!)

Howl burst through the door. "Sophie I've got good news! We got a letter from Prince Justin! He says he's getting married! Sophie?" Howl looks around at the uncharacteristically messy room. Dishes from breakfast still lay on the table and a basket of half folded laundry was taking up most of the couch. "Calcifer where is Sophie?" Calcifer looked up with an awkward expression on his face "Well she asked me not to say anything but she went back to bed. Between you and me she wasn't looking so hot." Howl raced up the castle stairs and threw open the bedroom door. Sophie was lying on the bed still in her dress and apron. Her hair was stuck to her face with sweat and her mouth hung open as she was struggling to breath through her nose. Speaking of her poor nose it was red and chapped around the edges. He reached over and gently touched her forehead. It was feverishly warm. Sophie smiled nuzzling her head into Howl's cool hand. "Howl your home!" Her voice was weak and congested. She began to sit up. "No lay back down. You don't need to be up and about right now." Sophie ignored him and continued to sit up. " I've already slept far too long. I promised Markl we'd.." she began to cough. Her coughs sounded harsh and wet. She held her chest, struggling to catch her breath. "I'll tell Markl you aren't feeling well. He'll understand. I'm going to draw you a bath and you're going to sit right here and do absolutely nothing." Before she could respond Howl poked his head out of the bedroom door "Calcifer! Heat some water for a bath!" Sophie groaned and rubbed her temples. Her head felt so heavy and sore. She wrapped herself in their comforter and sniffled. "Since when did Howl keep it so cold in here?" Her breath hitched "h-hitchew hisshhew-" she looked over to see if her handkerchief was on the nightstand but she had no such luck. "Probably downstairs with the other laundry." She thought sniffling hard to keep her nose at bay. She winced as she felt a spark of pain shot through her sinuses. This was truly miserable. It started with a little tickle in the back of her throat two days ago. She'd dismissed it as allergies as it was that time of year but it had developed into a full blown summer cold. Howl reentered the room and swiftly picked Sophie up and began walking towards the bathroom. Sophie tried to wiggle out of his grasp "Howl you don't need to carry me. It's just a cold! My legs still work!" He ignored her pleas and sat her down in a chair next to the bathtub."Do you need help getting underdressed?" Her eyes widened. They'd been together for almost a year now but she didn't know if she'd ever get used to being naked in front of him. She loved Howl and she was very attracted to him but he was her first and everything was still so new. "No I'm not an invalid Howl I can undress myself." He smiled "Have it your way. Let me know when you've finished. I have some potions that should help clear up some of that congestion." He booped her nose and walked into the hallway. She undressed and slipped into the warm bath water sighing as warmth spread through her limbs. She heard a soft knock as the door opened. "How's the bath? Is it warm enough?"  

"It's perfect Howl. Give Calcifer my thanks." He nodded as he uncorked two bottles of pinkish liquid. He poured one into the bath water and handed the other to her. "Drink this, it'll help." She brought the bottle to her nose in an attempt to smell it forgetting how blocked her nose really was. Howl smiled "I promise I'm not trying to poison you. Just drink it." She brought the bottle to her lips and drank. The liquid was thick and sweet with a bitter aftertaste that reminded her of lemon zest. She must have made a horrid face because Howl started laughing. "Oh come on. It's not all that bad." Before she could respond she felt a tickle in her nose and her body pitched forward "hitchu hhitchu hhitchu hisshew hissshheeww" she groaned as Howl handed her a handkerchief and she blew her nose hard. "My poor Sophie. How long have you felt like this?" He began rubbing her shoulders as she talked "A few days. I honestly didn't start really feeling bad until this morning. I was trying to put away the laundry but I started feeling dizzy and had to lay down." She leaned forward and let out a small series of coughs before leaning back into Howl's arms. He gently kissed the top of her head. "Well I'm here now and until you feel better you will not be lifting a finger." She smirked "Are you sure you can fill in for me? I really do quite a lot around here you know." He feigned a gasp looking oh so offended " Madame you may have forgotten but I am a wizard. I think I can handle housekeeping for a few days." She shook her head "I really hope for your sake that is true. I wouldn't want this place to go back to the way it was when I first got here." He smiled "Well I'm sure between Markl, Calcifer, and I we can handle it." Howl massaged Sophie's shoulders for a few more minutes until he saw her eyelids begin to droop close. He helped out of the bath and into some pajamas. This time she didn't struggle as he carried her back to their bedroom. He sat beside her in bed humming a lullaby until he heard soft snoring. She was finally asleep. He kissed her cheek and walked back downstairs where Markl and Calcifer were waiting. "How is she?" Markl asked, worry spread across his young face. "She'll be fine in a few days. It's just a cold." Markl let out a small sigh of relief. "Now just because Sophie is sick doesn't mean we can let the castle go. In fact it's quite the opposite. The two of us are going to have to do everything that Sophie normally does on top of our responsibilities. Are you up for that?" Markl nodded "Anything for Sophie!" Howl smiled "Good. Now to figure out just how to do that.."

(To be continued)

[thefuzzydarkness]

Howl surveyed the dirty room in front of him. It was day three of Sophie's illness and between taking care of her and filling in for her he was exhausted. How did she do this everyday? It seemed like just as he got one room clean another dirtied. Markl tried to help but to be honest cleaning had never been his strong suit. Howl ended up having him tend to the flower shop exclusively as he seemed to have his hands full with that. After an hour of trying and failing to scrape pink stains off the bathtub he decided to take a break and check on Sophie. He peered through the crack between the door and the wall to see Sophie reading well… attempting to read. She would read for a few seconds and then bend over coughing and lose her place. He finally decided to intervene when he heard a painful sounding "heh-heh hhiit'cHU hiiit'CHU" followed by a small groan and the sound of her book hitting the floor. "You okay Starlight?" She shook her head as she blew her nose into a handkerchief. "Oh Howl everythig hurts and I cadt seeb to focus od anythig. I'b so bored." She fell back on her pillow and covered her face with her hands. Howl reached over and picked up the book. "What if I make you some lunch and read to you while you eat? Would that make you feel better?" Sophie nodded "Yes please! That would be lovely." He smiled and nodded his head "That's settled then. I'll be back in just a minute." After some careful thought he decided to make a nice potato soup just as his mother had done for him when he was ill. He took out the potatoes and started peeling and dicing as fast as he possibly could. "Is that for Sophie?" Markl asked entering the room holding a particularly well arranged vase of flowers. "Yes, I'm making her some soup. Would you like to help?" Markl nodded "Good now set those down and run into town and buy some fresh milk and a couple of onions, alright?" Before he could finish Markl had on his cloak and was halfway out the door "You can count on me Howl! Oh and if you could take those flowers up to Sophie. Tell her that I hope she feels better!" And with that he shut the door and was off. Howl smiled and shook his head. That boy had changed so much in the past year. He finished preparing the potatoes and then Fried and chopped some bacon.  Everything finished for the moment he grabbed the vase and headed upstairs. He softly knocked on the door "Delivery!" opening the door he found Sophie fast asleep. He set the flowers and the nightstand, adjusted her blankets,and gave her forehead a gentle kiss before heading back downstairs to find Markl unloading the groceries. "I got everything you asked for plus I bought this little cake. I thought maybe if Sophie is feeling better she'd be in the mood for something sweet." Howl grabbed the onions and started peeling. "That's very thoughtful of you. She's sleeping right now but I bet she'll be very hungry when she wakes up." Howl placed all the chopped ingredients along with the milk and some spices in a pot over Calcifer to boil. "Please make sure it doesn't boil too quickly. It tastes better that way." Calcifer chuckled "I only burn things when I'm cooking for you." As the soup boiled Howl heard shuffling coming from upstairs. Sophie stood at the top of the stairs with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She had a handkerchief in one hand and a book in the other. "Sophie what are you doing out of bed?" 

"I've been waitig for ages Howl. I thought you were goig to cobe up and read to be and I'b starved." Howl grinned and helped Sophie down the stairs and onto the couch. "I'm sorry the soup took a little longer than I thought to make. Plus I thought you were still asleep." Sophie turned coughing into her elbow. "I was but when I sbelled food by stomach woke be up." Markl came into the living room from the kitchen and ran up to give Sophie a hug. "Sophie!! How are you feeling?" 

"I'b alright. How are- hiitchu hhisshchu- " She groaned and rubbed her temples. Markl rubbed Sophie's back with a concerned look on his face. "Soups ready. It sounds like you need it." Calcifer said looking equally concerned from his place in the hearth. Howl grabbed three bowls and began to divvy up the soup between them. "Well since you're down here now how about I read to the two of you while we eat?" They nodded and Howl picked up the book. He began reading a tale about pirates gallivanting across the sea. After a few chapters of sword fights,high speed chases, and treasure hunts, Howl looked up to see Markl in Sophie's arms, the pair of them fast asleep. He sighed closing the book. He grabbed a blanket from the linen chest and covered them before sitting down to finish his now cold soup. He sat quietly in a chair next to Calcifer enjoying his heat as the room had become unusually cold. He felt a small tickle in the back of his throat and tried to clear it with little success. Then suddenly he felt a tickle shoot through his sinuses he pitched over and let out a loud "HISSH'OO-" he looked over worried he had awoken Sophie and Markl but the two of them slept seemingly undisturbed. Calcifer chuckled "Bless you! I'm surprised your brains are still in your head with a sneeze like that." Howl gave Calcifer an annoyed look before "Ihh'hxngtt hh-hgxnt"  stifling two more sneezes into his sleeve. He grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket and gave a quiet blow. "Calcifer I know how this looks but please don't tell Sophie. She doesn't need to worry about me right now." Calcifer remembered Sophie making a very similar request of him a few days earlier and smiled "Wouldn't dream of it." With that Howl leaned back in his chair and fell asleep to the sound of a crackling fire demon.

[AntheaHolmes]

Oh this is gorgeous. He's so cute and adorable at care taking. Would love to see some sneezes from him in the future as well.