For You • (Howl x Reader) ✔️

14- Howl

I fought constantly for three days. The witch's men just kept coming and coming. I wanted to keep them away from my castle and from finding it. I had already instructed Calcifer to keep moving the castle from time to time and I hoped he was doing it. When I thought about Calcifer, my mind immediately went to Y/N. I was worried for her. I had left the castle and Markl and the fire demon to her. I knew she was strong but I didn't want to burden her with my problems.

Finally, after three days of endless killing, I made my way towards my castle. The sudden urge to be inside her arms overwhelmed me and I wanted nothing more than to see her and hold her and have her hold me. I knew I had fallen for her; quite hard. Maybe she felt that same; maybe she did not. But I didn't stop myself from feeling for her. She was the first ever person whom I felt this drawn to and if I didn't have my own problems and my running away, I would have spent more time with her.

I didn't just like her; I loved her. She was everything I had ever needed. She was kind and caring and wise and soft and pretty; she was everything. Life suddenly felt better with her around. Even when I wasn't close to her, all I kept was thinking about her. She was the one who made me keep going.

Upon reaching home, I opened the door carefully, trying not to wake up Calcifer and Y/N. But when I stepped inside and closed the door, Y/N was suddenly in front of me. Was I hallucinating? I looked at her for a moment and then I let myself into her arms. "Just hold me, Y/N," I suddenly whimpered. And she did what I asked of her. She wrapped her arms around me and held me close to herself. She stroked my hair gently and spoke calming words inside my ear. "Come on, Howl, let's get you cleaned up," she whispered.

I clung to her as she took me up the stairs and into the living room. She then let me go and moved towards Calcifer, gently whispering his name in order to wake him up. A few moments later, the said fire opened his eyes and looked at her before he noticed me and smiled at me. I smiled back at him and he turned to Y/N, who was smiling wide at the fire. "Could you be a dear and heat some water for Howl's bath, Cal?" she asked him nicely. The fire suddenly turned a crimson color when he saw her smiling with her eyes closed; so close to him. "Anything or you, Y/N," he said.

Y/N straightened up and smiled. "Great," she said and then turned to me. "Come on," she told me gently and we made our way up the stairs and into the bathroom as I clung got her. She was suddenly making me feel needy. And I wanted nothing more than to touch her. But I couldn't, unfortunately. She led me inside the bathroom. "I'll be waiting downstairs," she told me and then closing the door, she left.

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. After taking a bath and changing into fresh clothes, I made my way down the stairs. Y/N was sitting on her couch, looking at a sleeping Calcifer. It made me smile. When she looked at me, she got up and came towards me. I clung to her arm again but she let me. She led me towards her couch and sat down on it. Then she gestured for me to join her. I quietly made my way towards her, around the couch.

I then lowered myself until my head was in her lap and my body was resting on the couch. She smelled so nice and I couldn't help but snuggle into her. a chuckle escaped her beautiful mouth when I made my head comfortable into her lap. There was a look of surprise on her face at the sudden act as well; nonetheless, she let me stay and ran her hands through my freshly washed hair. The simple gesture calmed me down and I closed my eyes. "I missed you, Howl," she admitted after a few minutes. "Calcifer assured me you would come," she said and I could hear the slight smile in her voice. "But, I was scared, Howl. I was scared that you would leave us," she said in the lowest voice. I opened my eyes and looked at her face. And I could tell she felt relieved that I was there.

I moved my hand towards her face and caressed her cheek. Her skin was soft and delicate under my fingers and touching her felt right. As to why it felt right, I couldn't answer that. But my heart raced when she looked at me and smiled. I had missed her as well. Only, I hadn't allowed myself to feel it. Because I was scared. I was scared that if I let myself miss her and feel what I was feeling for her, then there would be nothing in the world to stop me from going back to her. All this time, I had grown feelings for her and those feelings kept increasing with time.