My Heart Gone Missing (Howl's Moving Castle)

Chapter 1

A/N: I'm trying to make reader gender-neutral, but I did write this with a female reader in mind, so I apologize for any slip-ups. It's not really a Howl X Reader story, but there is a strong friendship between the two. Anyways, this is my first reader insert that'll (hopefully) become an actual story. Enjoy! ^.^

"Howl!" you waved happily to your blond haired companion. It had been awhile since you had seen each other, school being let out for summer vacation and all that.

"Y/N!" his face brightened upon seeing your waving figure before he ran over to you.

"How are you?" you asked excitedly as you bounced around your best friend.

"I've been well." Howl replied, but without meeting his bright blue eyes with your (e/c) ones. You frowned when you noticed he didn't make eye contact, but brushed it off as one of his weird quirks. "How about you?" this time he turned around to make eye contact.

"I've been good. Not much has happened because 'you're not allowed to practice magic outside of school'." You mocked. "Oh, I got a cape though." You spun around and let your (favorite color) cape flutter behind you.

"I noticed." Howl smiled.

"And?" you prompted after you stopped your spinning.

Howl's face broke into a grin, "it's awesome." You clapped your hands together happily, "you should get a cape too, then we'd be matching."

"Maybe." Howl mused as he let his sentence trail off, "but aren't capes a little dangerous?"

"Oh pooh." You stuck out your tongue and scrunched your face up in distaste, "you're no fun. Capes are awesome."

Howl laughed before he put his hands up in a surrendering manner, "okay, if you say so."

"I know so." You retorted with your arms crossed in a superior manner. The warning bell rang and the two of you ran into the school to avoid getting marked tardy on your first day back.

Someone yanked you into an abandoned corridor. You jumped at the sudden contact and attempted to attack the person who had yanked you down the dark hall. "Y/N, calm down, it's just me." You calmed down upon hearing Howl's voice, but immediately turned to him.

"Howl, that wasn't funny!" you scolded, "what are you even doing down here?"

Howl's blue eyes widened in a panic before he clamped his hand over your mouth, "shh, you know we're not supposed to be down here, I just want to tell you something."

"Why couldn't it wait?" you asked curiously.

"I'm running away." He answered seriously. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as your brain processed what he had just said.

"I'm sorry, what?" you asked in disbelief, "Howl, I know you're pretty much the prodigy and most talented wizard of our class, but that doesn't mean you can just run away."

"Don't tell me you don't have a suspicion." Howl deadpanned as he looked straight into your (e/c) eyes.

"What do you mean?" you asked slowly.

"You don't have a suspicion that those in power will want to stay in power? You don't have a suspicion that Madame Suliman might be up to something?" he asked in a hushed tone.

You looked out to the brightly lit corridor right next to you, "not really." You answered quietly. "Yeah, the world is in a monarchy pretty much everywhere, but not all monarchies are bad, right?"

Howl looked at you as if you had just sprouted wings from your head, "haven't you been paying attention to history?" Howl demanded in a hushed whisper, "monarchies always fail, and it's always witches and wizards who get the brunt of that failure!"

"Howl, you may be insanely talented, but I'm not. There's no way I can just run away from the academy without finishing my education. I'm not that good."

"Okay, I see." Howl agreed in a deflated manner as his head hung low, "I was going to ask you to run away with me, but it looks like you already jumped the bullet."

Your eyes widened in disbelief, "I'm sorry Howl. I don't mean any harm to you. Really. You heard my reasoning though." You placed a consoling hand on his arm, "go. Follow your dreams. When you decide to run, I'll cover for you as long as I can."

Howl turned to look at you, "thanks Y/N, it really means a lot to me." He smiled warmly, which you promptly returned.

"Of course Howl, what are best friends for?" you asked as you slung an arm around his shoulder, "tell me when you're leaving okay. Then I can prepare myself."

"Two days." Howl replied immediately.

You balked at the sudden prospect that your best friend was leaving in two days. "Okay. Two days." You agreed before darting back out into the lighted corridor.