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kat_lair***
Title: New Adventures
Author:kat_lair
Fandom: Howl's Moving Castle
Pairing: Sophie/Howl
Tags: Spooktober, Ficlet, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Femdom, Dom/Sub Undertones, Howl is a Brat
Rating: T
Word count: 969
Summary: Howl may do most of the tempting, but it’s Sophie who decides when they’ll succumb to it.
Author notes: Spooktober 2024, Day 25/31. Prompt/theme: Brown.
New Adventures on AO3
The loaf is perfect when she pulls it from the oven, the rise even, the crust golden brown. Sophie taps the bottom of it, satisfied by the hollow sound, and leaves the bread to cool.
“Good job,” she tells Calcifer who flares up with pride.
“Sure thing Miss Sophie, sure thing.” The flame jumps up and down with enthusiasm and gets to work boiling the kettle.
The sun is only just rising, and Sophie goes out on to the landing to greet it, feeling the castle shake itself awake around her as they watch the first rays crest the treetops, painting the sky orange and purple and then slowly fade into beautiful pale blue. She can hear Markl’s sleepy shuffle as he comes down to the kitchen, the clink of crockery as he starts setting the table. He’s such a good boy.
Unlike Howl.
Well. Howl is too, at his heart, but there’s still a big part of him that resents the fact and quite enjoys flouncing about dramatically, sulking over minor setbacks and generally just being a bit… Bratty.
And, well, truth be told, Sophie finds it rather endearing. It is incredibly satisfying to see the way his pout melts into a smile, how the rigid line of his spine softens into something rounded and yielding, how easily Sophie can coax him to bend down for a lingering kiss with just a look and a tilt of her head.
This morning, when Sophie had gotten up early to bake the bread, Howl had whined like a puppy and clung to her, both arms around her waist, face buried between her shoulder blades. He’d clutched her to his chest and protested how the world was cold and hard and how she was the only soft, warm thing in it so why was she abandoning him so cruelly. Once Sophie had stopped giggling, she’d had to tell him quite sternly to let her out of the bed or else go hungry for the rest of the day until she’d been allowed to slip out.
But now the sun is up, the bread is baked and it’s time for her… Well, they haven’t really put a label on it and Howl isn’t the marrying type, Sophie is pretty sure. Then again, to her surprise, she’s come to the conclusion that neither is she.
Anyway, it’s time for Howl to get up. Sophie walks to the kitchen, not surprised to only find Calcifer and Markl there, cooperating rather nicely to get rest of the breakfast things ready. Sophie strokes Markl’s hair in passing, climbing the stairs and navigating the twisting corridors to Howl’s bedchambers. Their bedchambers.
He’s still under the covers, half of his limbs hanging off the mattress, a shock of hair – black today – peeking out.
Sophie hums and cards her hand through it, tugging affectionately.
“Sophieeee…” Hearing her name in Howl’s sleep rough voice is very pleasant indeed but Sophie’s on a mission here. “Have you come back to join me in bed?” Howl asks, his arms already reaching for her.
Sophie laughs, evading capture. “No,” she says. “I’ve come to fetch you for breakfast, you lazy, indulgent boy.”
Howl’s face pops out from between the messy blankets. He’s trying very hard to look indignant but there’s a spark of delight in his eyes. Sometimes Sophie thinks that the only thing Howl likes more than being a brat is being called out for it.
“I’m not lazy,” he claims now, jaw jutting out haughtily.
“Not always,” Sophie concedes. “Not even often. But right now…” She holds out both hands, gratified when Howl grasps them in his without any hesitation. “Come on,” she coaxes, “up and at them. There’s fresh bread waiting, and then a whole new day, maybe even a whole new adventure.”
Howl’s face scrunches up into a smile as he flows to his feet, not a stitch on him, shameless and preening as he steps right into Sophie’s space. Even after months it’s still enough to make Sophie blush, which Howl obviously takes full advantage of as often as he can get away with it. And because it’s a game they both like, he gets away with it a lot.
For a while, anyway.
“We could have ourselves a whole new adventure right here,” Howl murmurs suggestively as he dips his head low to nuzzle into Sophie’s neck.
She’s tempted, she’s not going to deny that. The difference between them, however, is that Howl may do most of the tempting, but it’s Sophie who decides when they’ll succumb to it. And she’d already made her mind up about that when she’d gotten out of bed earlier this morning.
“Enough of that,” she says firmly and then snakes a hand behind him and slaps his bare rump, hard. It’s impulsive and playful but oh, oh she likes it, way more than she anticipated, likes how warm Howl’s skin feels against her hand, the slight bounce of the flesh in response to the smack. She likes the way Howl’s eyes widen in shock, his mouth dropping open, the pink flush that suddenly spreads all the way down to his chest. She likes all of it so much, it takes her breath away.
“Oh!” Howl exclaims. His gaze grows dark and heated, his grip on Sophie’s waist tightening. “Oh.”
“That’s right,” Sophie says, smirking with the confidence that being with Howl has helped build. “But later. If you’re a good boy now, get dressed and come enjoy a lovely breakfast with your family now, then maybe later…” She trails off, crosses her arms and quirks an eyebrow at him.
Howl is downstairs within minutes, diligently cutting and buttering the bread, smiling at Sophie across the table in a way that promises all manner of new adventures.
A whole lifetime of them.
***
Title: New Adventures
Author:
kat_lair Fandom: Howl's Moving Castle
Pairing: Sophie/Howl
Tags: Spooktober, Ficlet, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Femdom, Dom/Sub Undertones, Howl is a Brat
Rating: T
Word count: 969
Summary: Howl may do most of the tempting, but it’s Sophie who decides when they’ll succumb to it.
Author notes: Spooktober 2024, Day 25/31. Prompt/theme: Brown.
New Adventures on AO3
The loaf is perfect when she pulls it from the oven, the rise even, the crust golden brown. Sophie taps the bottom of it, satisfied by the hollow sound, and leaves the bread to cool.
“Good job,” she tells Calcifer who flares up with pride.
“Sure thing Miss Sophie, sure thing.” The flame jumps up and down with enthusiasm and gets to work boiling the kettle.
The sun is only just rising, and Sophie goes out on to the landing to greet it, feeling the castle shake itself awake around her as they watch the first rays crest the treetops, painting the sky orange and purple and then slowly fade into beautiful pale blue. She can hear Markl’s sleepy shuffle as he comes down to the kitchen, the clink of crockery as he starts setting the table. He’s such a good boy.
Unlike Howl.
Well. Howl is too, at his heart, but there’s still a big part of him that resents the fact and quite enjoys flouncing about dramatically, sulking over minor setbacks and generally just being a bit… Bratty.
And, well, truth be told, Sophie finds it rather endearing. It is incredibly satisfying to see the way his pout melts into a smile, how the rigid line of his spine softens into something rounded and yielding, how easily Sophie can coax him to bend down for a lingering kiss with just a look and a tilt of her head.
This morning, when Sophie had gotten up early to bake the bread, Howl had whined like a puppy and clung to her, both arms around her waist, face buried between her shoulder blades. He’d clutched her to his chest and protested how the world was cold and hard and how she was the only soft, warm thing in it so why was she abandoning him so cruelly. Once Sophie had stopped giggling, she’d had to tell him quite sternly to let her out of the bed or else go hungry for the rest of the day until she’d been allowed to slip out.
But now the sun is up, the bread is baked and it’s time for her… Well, they haven’t really put a label on it and Howl isn’t the marrying type, Sophie is pretty sure. Then again, to her surprise, she’s come to the conclusion that neither is she.
Anyway, it’s time for Howl to get up. Sophie walks to the kitchen, not surprised to only find Calcifer and Markl there, cooperating rather nicely to get rest of the breakfast things ready. Sophie strokes Markl’s hair in passing, climbing the stairs and navigating the twisting corridors to Howl’s bedchambers. Their bedchambers.
He’s still under the covers, half of his limbs hanging off the mattress, a shock of hair – black today – peeking out.
Sophie hums and cards her hand through it, tugging affectionately.
“Sophieeee…” Hearing her name in Howl’s sleep rough voice is very pleasant indeed but Sophie’s on a mission here. “Have you come back to join me in bed?” Howl asks, his arms already reaching for her.
Sophie laughs, evading capture. “No,” she says. “I’ve come to fetch you for breakfast, you lazy, indulgent boy.”
Howl’s face pops out from between the messy blankets. He’s trying very hard to look indignant but there’s a spark of delight in his eyes. Sometimes Sophie thinks that the only thing Howl likes more than being a brat is being called out for it.
“I’m not lazy,” he claims now, jaw jutting out haughtily.
“Not always,” Sophie concedes. “Not even often. But right now…” She holds out both hands, gratified when Howl grasps them in his without any hesitation. “Come on,” she coaxes, “up and at them. There’s fresh bread waiting, and then a whole new day, maybe even a whole new adventure.”
Howl’s face scrunches up into a smile as he flows to his feet, not a stitch on him, shameless and preening as he steps right into Sophie’s space. Even after months it’s still enough to make Sophie blush, which Howl obviously takes full advantage of as often as he can get away with it. And because it’s a game they both like, he gets away with it a lot.
For a while, anyway.
“We could have ourselves a whole new adventure right here,” Howl murmurs suggestively as he dips his head low to nuzzle into Sophie’s neck.
She’s tempted, she’s not going to deny that. The difference between them, however, is that Howl may do most of the tempting, but it’s Sophie who decides when they’ll succumb to it. And she’d already made her mind up about that when she’d gotten out of bed earlier this morning.
“Enough of that,” she says firmly and then snakes a hand behind him and slaps his bare rump, hard. It’s impulsive and playful but oh, oh she likes it, way more than she anticipated, likes how warm Howl’s skin feels against her hand, the slight bounce of the flesh in response to the smack. She likes the way Howl’s eyes widen in shock, his mouth dropping open, the pink flush that suddenly spreads all the way down to his chest. She likes all of it so much, it takes her breath away.
“Oh!” Howl exclaims. His gaze grows dark and heated, his grip on Sophie’s waist tightening. “Oh.”
“That’s right,” Sophie says, smirking with the confidence that being with Howl has helped build. “But later. If you’re a good boy now, get dressed and come enjoy a lovely breakfast with your family now, then maybe later…” She trails off, crosses her arms and quirks an eyebrow at him.
Howl is downstairs within minutes, diligently cutting and buttering the bread, smiling at Sophie across the table in a way that promises all manner of new adventures.
A whole lifetime of them.
***