eight - s h i r t y - pg13
Title: Shirty
Genre: Howl's Moving Castle
Rating: PG-13 for implied sex.
Pairings: Sophie/Howl
Any warnings: Nakedness, implied sex.
Betas Used: All mistakes are my own :)
Summary: Sophie needs some nightgowns, misses Howl, and ponders about love.
The hem of his shirt grazes the tops of her thighs; pale and slim, her legs stick out from beneath the cloth like two chopsticks, bony and awkward. Raising a hand to her lips, she takes in the scent of her garb. She’d found the shirt hidden deep in his monstrous closet (full of spiders and bugs of all sorts), and as Howl had yet to return from the King’s palace... well, she was lonely. Having him on her sleeve made her at peace, or at least complacent enough until his return. Since when had she become so needy? Old Woman Sophie would never have stood for the kind of ache that now delved deeply in Sophie’s heart. Couldn’t a girl be her own crutch in times of solitude? Did she really need Howl to be happy?
One small foot after the other, Sophie crept upstairs. She had been sleeping in her old room, the room at the foot of the staircase, when she realized she would be much more comfortable up in his bedroom. Our bedroom, he would chide, and Sophie would blush scarlet and turn away. Clutching the shirt to her bare skin beneath, she pushed the door open and fell into Howl’s bedroom with a small stumble.
She missed him... that was all. His vanity, his cockiness, his lecherous tendencies... even with his faults, she missed him terribly. Sophie had never met anyone who made her feel this way: not Michael, not Lettie, not any of the customers or girls from the hat shop... no, Howl made her feel differently. Howl made her feel happy. Well, at least when he wasn't aggravating or seducing her.
She did not lay upon the bed. It seemed to be a foreign place, without Howl’s nimble body laying in it, reeling her in with his eyes (and sometimes his hands). Instead she stood by the window, watching the night sky and waiting. She did not move her weary corpse until she heard the sound of the door creaking open again and the scuffle of shoes against the carpets on the floor. At once, a heavy burden seemed to lift off her shoulders, though Sophie knew better than to show Howl just how much she’d missed him. With the knowledge that he had her heart completely... well, would that not enable him to cast her aside completely? Sophie did not want to chance that risk.
“Sophie...” a soothing voice murmured. “It’s late.” Sophie felt a hand on her back, though she did not ease into his embrace.
“You’re late,” she griped, refusing to turn to him. He was harder to talk to head on, like the sun or a bright light. “You said you would be back days ago. I’ve been worried sick, and Calcifer’s a complete bother about it, you know. So don’t Sophie me, Howl.” Howl’s touch withdrew, and Sophie placed a hand over her eyes. “It would just be nice--” she started, and then stopped herself. “Don’t lie to me. Please.”
“Sophie, when would I lie to you?” Howl’s voice was incredulous. “Turn around, face me--” Sophie turned, though she did not look him in the eye. Howl’s eyebrow raised. “And what are you wearing?” A small chuckle emanated from deep in his chest, though his eyes looked worried.
“If you’re not going to be back for some time, then just say that,” Sophie growled. “I don’t want you to promise me a swift return, and then come trouncing about in a week later and expecting me to just comply with your whims and whatever you do when you’re out of this house.” It all came out in a blur, and although Sophie did not look Howl in the eyes, she could see the outline of his shoulders shrinking.
“And I thought you’d be happy to see me,” Howl sighed, raking a hand through his black hair. “If it makes a difference, I’m glad to see you.” Sophie felt tears well up in her eyes, and at last she looked up to Howl’s face, where he awaited her response.
“Of course I missed you,” she relented, resting her head against his chest. “You don’t know how much I’ve bloody missed you. In fact, it’s rather pathetic how much I’ve missed you.” Sophie sighed and blushed. She could feel Howl’s chest shaking from laughter beneath her cheek.
“I’m never glad to leave you, Sophie,” Howl whispered, wrapping his arms around her. There was silence, and an unspoken consent seemed to radiate between them. Sophie tilted her head upwards, and Howl met her lips with a kiss.
“So, what is this thing?” Howl smirked, holding up the ratty shirt Sophie had been wearing. Sophie cringed, pulling the covers over her chest protectively.
“Don’t ask me, I found it in your closet,” Sophie growled, wrinkling her nose at him.
“Not possible, all my things abide by the oath of quality over quantity,” Howl dismissed.
“Oh really? I saw a large quantity in that closet of yours, Howl, don’t lie,” Sophie scoffed. Howl rolled his eyes.
“Are you really that desperate for a nightdress?” he asked. Sophie turned away.
“It’s not as if I brought any with me.” They both stayed quiet for a moment, reflecting on the circumstances that had brought Sophie to Howl, forever entwining them.
“We’re going shopping in the morning, then,” Howl sighed, snuggling in close to her side. Sophie felt his bare skin against her own, and smiled.
“Okay.”
Genre: Howl's Moving Castle
Rating: PG-13 for implied sex.
Pairings: Sophie/Howl
Any warnings: Nakedness, implied sex.
Betas Used: All mistakes are my own :)
Summary: Sophie needs some nightgowns, misses Howl, and ponders about love.
The hem of his shirt grazes the tops of her thighs; pale and slim, her legs stick out from beneath the cloth like two chopsticks, bony and awkward. Raising a hand to her lips, she takes in the scent of her garb. She’d found the shirt hidden deep in his monstrous closet (full of spiders and bugs of all sorts), and as Howl had yet to return from the King’s palace... well, she was lonely. Having him on her sleeve made her at peace, or at least complacent enough until his return. Since when had she become so needy? Old Woman Sophie would never have stood for the kind of ache that now delved deeply in Sophie’s heart. Couldn’t a girl be her own crutch in times of solitude? Did she really need Howl to be happy?
One small foot after the other, Sophie crept upstairs. She had been sleeping in her old room, the room at the foot of the staircase, when she realized she would be much more comfortable up in his bedroom. Our bedroom, he would chide, and Sophie would blush scarlet and turn away. Clutching the shirt to her bare skin beneath, she pushed the door open and fell into Howl’s bedroom with a small stumble.
She missed him... that was all. His vanity, his cockiness, his lecherous tendencies... even with his faults, she missed him terribly. Sophie had never met anyone who made her feel this way: not Michael, not Lettie, not any of the customers or girls from the hat shop... no, Howl made her feel differently. Howl made her feel happy. Well, at least when he wasn't aggravating or seducing her.
She did not lay upon the bed. It seemed to be a foreign place, without Howl’s nimble body laying in it, reeling her in with his eyes (and sometimes his hands). Instead she stood by the window, watching the night sky and waiting. She did not move her weary corpse until she heard the sound of the door creaking open again and the scuffle of shoes against the carpets on the floor. At once, a heavy burden seemed to lift off her shoulders, though Sophie knew better than to show Howl just how much she’d missed him. With the knowledge that he had her heart completely... well, would that not enable him to cast her aside completely? Sophie did not want to chance that risk.
“Sophie...” a soothing voice murmured. “It’s late.” Sophie felt a hand on her back, though she did not ease into his embrace.
“You’re late,” she griped, refusing to turn to him. He was harder to talk to head on, like the sun or a bright light. “You said you would be back days ago. I’ve been worried sick, and Calcifer’s a complete bother about it, you know. So don’t Sophie me, Howl.” Howl’s touch withdrew, and Sophie placed a hand over her eyes. “It would just be nice--” she started, and then stopped herself. “Don’t lie to me. Please.”
“Sophie, when would I lie to you?” Howl’s voice was incredulous. “Turn around, face me--” Sophie turned, though she did not look him in the eye. Howl’s eyebrow raised. “And what are you wearing?” A small chuckle emanated from deep in his chest, though his eyes looked worried.
“If you’re not going to be back for some time, then just say that,” Sophie growled. “I don’t want you to promise me a swift return, and then come trouncing about in a week later and expecting me to just comply with your whims and whatever you do when you’re out of this house.” It all came out in a blur, and although Sophie did not look Howl in the eyes, she could see the outline of his shoulders shrinking.
“And I thought you’d be happy to see me,” Howl sighed, raking a hand through his black hair. “If it makes a difference, I’m glad to see you.” Sophie felt tears well up in her eyes, and at last she looked up to Howl’s face, where he awaited her response.
“Of course I missed you,” she relented, resting her head against his chest. “You don’t know how much I’ve bloody missed you. In fact, it’s rather pathetic how much I’ve missed you.” Sophie sighed and blushed. She could feel Howl’s chest shaking from laughter beneath her cheek.
“I’m never glad to leave you, Sophie,” Howl whispered, wrapping his arms around her. There was silence, and an unspoken consent seemed to radiate between them. Sophie tilted her head upwards, and Howl met her lips with a kiss.
“So, what is this thing?” Howl smirked, holding up the ratty shirt Sophie had been wearing. Sophie cringed, pulling the covers over her chest protectively.
“Don’t ask me, I found it in your closet,” Sophie growled, wrinkling her nose at him.
“Not possible, all my things abide by the oath of quality over quantity,” Howl dismissed.
“Oh really? I saw a large quantity in that closet of yours, Howl, don’t lie,” Sophie scoffed. Howl rolled his eyes.
“Are you really that desperate for a nightdress?” he asked. Sophie turned away.
“It’s not as if I brought any with me.” They both stayed quiet for a moment, reflecting on the circumstances that had brought Sophie to Howl, forever entwining them.
“We’re going shopping in the morning, then,” Howl sighed, snuggling in close to her side. Sophie felt his bare skin against her own, and smiled.
“Okay.”