Disclaimer: I don't own any of this and it's all for fun and silliness.

Howl opened the door slowly, carefully. He jumped back from the great puff of blue smoke gusting out from the closet, and stumbled even further away as a very familiar, very disgruntled character emerged. Sophie was livid, her hair had fallen out of its neat bun into a red and blue curly tangle.

"What do you think you think you were doing, Howl, locking me into a closet like that! I thought you had finally come to terms with the fact that I will remain your cleaning lady no matter if you release me from the Which of the waste's spell or not! But no," Sophie huffed angrily, "you have to lock me up in a closet, conduct tests to see if there is any residue of the spell or-"

"Sophie!" Howl shouted, she glowered but remained silent, "I was making sure that the witch hadn't cursed you in a way that could have done serious damage, you silly woman!" Her face heated.

"But couldn't you have told me this before-"

"It would have set off what I was trying to protect you from." Howl interrupted, only increasing Sophie's agitation with a feeling of increasing resentment of her behaviour and Howl's smug attitude.

"But that still does not give you the right to-" There was a loud, and somehow cheerful knock on the door. Sophie, even angrier at the fact she was not allowed to finish a single sentence with out being interrupted, opened the door and shouted at the grinning face. "WHA—"

In the doorway stood a familiar looking man, striking in his strange clothing and bright grin. He jumped slightly at her outburst, and then stared intensely at her surprised face, his smile now small and quiet. He was younger than Howl by a few years with dirty blonde hair that stuck up at odd ends atop a handsome face. Howl coughed irritably.

The man looked away from Sophie for a hasty moment. "Hi!" He beamed, taking a short glance at Howl, "I'm-"

"He's my brother." Howl growled as the man nodded.

"Too true, Howl, but I see you have failed to introduce me with the name of your lovely company…?" He raised his eyebrow questioningly, Howl choked.

Sophie smiled shyly, "I'm Sophie who usually," she shot a glare at Howl, "cleans up around here." Howl's brother chuckled.

"Darren Jenkins, at your service." He gave a sweeping bow in jeans and a brown jacket. Darren raised his head from the princely bow, embarrassed to see Howl's raised eyebrows and Sophie's bemused smile. Darren cleared his throat, "Sorry, I don't really know the customs in this place, this is my first trip."

"Really?" Sophie enquired, "Hasn't Howl ever shown you around?"

"Nope, he's too busy being my over-achieving older brother, saving damsels in distress at every corner." Sophie laughed.

"I guess you don't know Howl's reputation around here then." Darren's smile broadened.

"Oh yes, I believe I do. He was quite proud when he was talking about the 'stealing of the souls' one, then when he destroyed a witch terrorizing the country while saving an exquisite lady from being a ninety year old woman." Howl was signalling and coughing furiously at Darren behind Sophie; Howl's bother was preoccupied staring at her, "Where does someone come up with turning a perfectly sweet girl into an old woman?"

Sophie felt her anger boil within her again, "Really! Is that what he said? You do realize it was him and I who killed that witch." Darren's blue eyes widened, and then laughed.

"Ah, I should have figured that you were the 'ravishing' young lady he described." Sophie's mood changed once again, blushing furiously; Howl scowled, utterly embarrassed.

Sophie gave a sidelong glance at Howl, turning back to Darren "Well, I think we should invite our guest in…even if the house covered in blue."

"You do realize the blue dust means I was right and I just saved your life!" Howl said belatedly.

Darren and Sophie laughed knowingly. Sophie walked forward, holding the door open and trying to step to the side. Unfortunately, Darren's jacket had caught on the door and jerked him towards the door handle, causing a great deal of force to crash him straight into Sophie, landing in a heap on the floor. Howl gave a snort.

"Sorry, I'm a little disoriented from being locked in a—" She looked up to see his boyish face inches from hers. As Darren stared fixedly down at her, Sophie couldn't remember what she was saying. Howl coughed, again. Darren and Sophie jumped, and then turned scrambled to their feet.

"What's the matter, brother," quipped in Darren, "coming down with a cold?" She giggled, watched Howl's severe face, and almost fell into Darren, stepping away from him guiltily. She took a shaky breath, turning completely to Darren in an attempt to block out Howl's baleful face.

"Oh! Look at your jacket!"

Darren lifted his arm, and Howl, Sophie and Darren looked to the door. Wedged in one of the hinges was a long strip of brown material. Howl snorted. Sophie came closer to the hinge, back to either brother as she took a hold of the material and tried to pull it out. Sophie sighed when it did not budge.

"Now, that was a rude thing to do, taking off with a piece of your master's brother's coat? If you loosed yourself a little you might just be able to redeem yourself to this handsome gentleman and get some new oil in the meantime."

Darren could not believe what he saw as the hinges seemed to separate and the door move a little from the wall as Sophie easily removed the long strip of brown from the door. She smiled and turned to Darren.

"I'm terribly sorry about your coat. I can sew it up right here if you like."

"Really? That would be very helpful."

"I can give you a tour while we're at it!"

"GO, then!" Howl shouted, shooing Sophie and Darren out of the room in a matter of seconds.

"AARRGH!" Howl messed his hair heatedly, flopping down on to the couch, and began rubbing his eyes. His hair remained in its upward disarray.

"Woman trouble?" said the amused voice of Calcifer, buzzing about the room like a fireball. Howl looked up at him abruptly.

"No, just my charming brother coming in and trampling in on my stuff." He mumbled.

"The only thing I saw him almost trample on was Sophie, and no offence chum, but she isn't yours."

"That's not what I'm talking about- did you see how she tilted her head in that adoring way, telling her about our talks-"

"You really said that about her?" Calcifer hissed excitedly, "You softy, I thought Darren was just flirting…"

"Why did she do that, looked up at him like he was a god or something and what was Darren doing?!" Howl deflated, "Where was that shy little boy from Wales?"

Calcifer cackled, "You're really taking this too seriously. He looks up to you, and he just had to see your ravishing damsel." He gave another snigger, "Although, I have to wonder what Sophie is giving Darren a tour of." Calcifer added absentmindedly.

"Shut up, Calcifer; I can't believe they'd do this. Sophie and Darren… No! Are you here just to annoy me, Calcifer, or remind me how much my perfect brother is better than me?"

Calcifer snorted, "I do my best."