Disclaimer: If I was the creator of greatness like HMC, Totoro and such do you really think I would be writing this?

A/N: Thanks so much to my reviewers. You're the reason I typed this part up so fast. Hope you enjoy! I was typing this up while listening to the Advent Children OST, so if I missed any errors while dancing around like an idiot to "Black Water" then I'm very, sincerely sorry.

Michael: Kadaj freak…

B-n-W: backhand Yes, and proud. huggles her new poster

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A small plush animal rolled over and fell off Howl's bed with a soft 'thud'. Something like a small moan slipped past Howl's lips as his eyes slowly opened. Batting his lashes as if to blink away the sleep, Howl groggily turned his head to find, in his opinion, one of the most beautiful sights one could behold.

Seated next to his bed, Sophie Hatter slept quietly. It looked as if she had become sleepy sitting up next to his side, but in her last moments of being awake had leaned forward and rested her arm and head on Howl's bedcovers. Her short, silvery hair sprawled across her face while the rest of her body had decided to remain in the chair.

Slowly propping himself up on his elbows, Howl noted that she held onto a cloth in her lap. The water from the small fabric had soaked into the apron Sophie was wearing. Howl just smiled.

"Been here a while?" He spoke softly over her as he watched her sleep. When he shifted his weight so that he could move to brush the thin wisps of hair out of her eyes, Howl realized there was something keeping his hand where it was. Following his arm down to his wrist, the roguish wizard found a hand grasped in his own. A smaller, more delicate hand. A hand which was attached to an arm of its own. That in turn was attached to a shoulder, which in turn was attached to a Sophie. With smiling eyes, Howl gently shook Sophie's hand.

She stirred and sat up blinking sleepily. Taking a moment to gain her bearings, Sophie realized Howl was awake and smiling his usual guess-what smile. Sleep completely forgotten, Sophie jumped up and hugged Howl happily.

"So how are you feeling?"

Howl smirked and casually remarked that he was as fine as fine should be. Sophie sat back kneeling next to him on the bed. She tucked her dress under her legs carefully as she spoke.

"You had Markl very worried you know."

"But you told him I was fine?"

"Of course I did."

"Of course you did!" Howl's eyes danced happily with some kind of victory Sophie didn't understand.

"…..What?" Sophie's look of confusion was too much and Howl couldn't help himself as he started to laugh. The sudden outburst of laughter caused more confusion, which naturally led to more laughing.

"What is so funny? Howl... Howl?" Pouting, the silvery haired girl scolded Howl with her face. She poked at him with her fingers.

"Why won't you tell me what is so amusing?" Ceasing with the laughter, Howl cracked open an eye to peek at an impatient Sophie. She stared back at him, in what seemed to be an attempt to bore holes in his pretty face with her intimidating glare.

Howl squirmed under her gaze. "I probably shouldn't say. You'll get mad at me." Sophie just shook her head, still holding onto her glare and sighed.

"After saying that you're worse off not telling me." Sophie waited for a moment, watching the top of Howl's head as he looked intently at the design of his bed cover.

Sophie softened her tone a little. If being patient was going to get results, then that's how she'd deal with this overgrown child. "You know I'll find out sooner or later anyways. So, can't you just tell me now?"

Howl took both of Sophie's hands and looked up from under his bangs to meet her eyes.

"Only if you promise not to get mad at me."

"I make no such promises." Came the dry, truthful response.

The innocuously scheming wizard leaned forward and started to whisper into Sophie's ear.

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The clatter from the kitchen below came and went as Sophie banged pots together, loudly venting her frustration at being duped, by cooking more noodles.

Howl winced every now and then, as Sophie's voice broke through both his door and barrier of stuffed animals. Markl just sat watching. The audible complaints about having worried poor Markl or Sophie not leaving his side all night were among the many the kitchen utensils, along with the rest of the traveling house, got to hear. Markl's personal favorite was the threat that 'this time, he was going to eat the whole bowl of noodles and if he dared to complain...' Another crash erupted.

Howl addressed Markl as if he were the son caught with his hand in the cookie jar and the little boy next to him was, in fact the responsible guardian.

"I really messed up this time, eh?"

Markl didn't know whether or not to laugh. He too had once or twice been at the receiving end of Sophie's fiery wrath.

"You really thought magically self-inducing a fever to get more of Sophie's attention was a good idea?"

Hindsight being 20/20, Howl shook his head in defeat. His legs dangling over the side of his plush bed, he sighed weakly. "Well…no." He paused, unsure of how to express himself. "Yeah, a little. But it worked didn't it?" Howl smiled feebly while Cal's cries for a break echoed in the hall. Which were promptly followed with cries of mercy.

"What could possibly be worth a 'maybe' if you knew she'd get mad. She was worried about you Howl." Markl was just as happy to get Sophie's love and care, but even a little kid like him knew not to invoke the anger of a woman.

"Stop acting older than you are." Howl scolded the young boy, guilted by his own childish performance. In one swift movement, Howl reached out and grabbed Markl. He purposely messed up the burgundy hair in his hands. "You wouldn't understand if I told you."

Markl though about this. Howl had said this to him many times before, and most times, Howl had been right. But Markl was curious. He wanted, no needed to know what had inspired the brilliant idea in Howl's head. The youth was bursting at the seams with his inquisitive energy.

"Why wouldn't I get it? Just tell me why after you had gotten sick and then gotten better, you made yourself sick again! Something to do with magic….or that's how Sophie had explained it to me anyways…" Markl's small voice trailed off. Right about then, it clicked in his head. He knew how he could find out. If Sophie knew, and she knew everything there was to know, then surely she could explain it to him. Howl saw these things fly across Markl's visage as he pondered.

"DON'T….ask her." Howl almost pleaded.

"Why not? Wait…how'd you know I was thinking…CAN YOU READ MINDS NOW MASTER HOWL?" He practically toppled over his chair in excitement.

Howl just laughed. "No. But I can read your face like a book." He extended a helping hand and pulled Markl up. The boy stood up and brushed out the twisted green fabric of his vest.

"If she doesn't know, then why not just tell her? Sophie always understands!" The idea seemed brilliant to Markl. He jumped up and down happily. "Then she won't be mad at you anymore Howl! Then she'll read me a story! Just tell her!" Markl's pure enthusiasm and faith in the silvery haired young woman made Howl blush.

"Yes, she'll understand too well."

Markl paused mid-jump and looked at Howl in confusion. "I don't get it." Howl laughed again.

"I told you that you wouldn't understand." Howl smiled kindly and spoke more to himself than to the ball of energy that was Markl. "I meant, I don't wanna tell. It's, well, embarrassing and Sophie would tease me."

Markl cut off the wizard. "Not like you don't deserve it." He smiled in triumph.

"Whaaaat?"

"N-nothing!" Markl let out a squeak as Howl glared at him in pseudo anger.

"I think you want to go downstairs and find me a snack, don't you?"

"But you're not sick anymo-"

"SNACK!"

"Yessir!"

"Or I'll turn you into dog! Then we'll have two!" Howl laughed at his own empty threat as the bedroom door opened and closed again. In the moment it hung undone in its frame, Sophie's voice rang clear. Only to be muffled again as the heavy wood clicked shut. Her words made Howl chuckle to himself.

"And I better not complain, eh? Sophie, what do I have coming to me now?"

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A/N: Whooops. That's all I have written right now. So, I figured, I'd post this up, see what people think of it. Then do my best to finish it in a timely fashion cough whenimnotdoingstagecreworprocrastinating Cough Yup. LOVE reviews. Thanks a bunch for reading!