Male!Reader Inserts

Howl Pendragon x Male!Reader

You'd been through a lot together.

You'd been cursed, whisked away, tricked into some willy-nilly quest, and captured by a witch. After all of that, you'd come to know Howl more than perhaps anyone else did. Of course, you'd also developed feelings for him.

Of course, both Markl and Calcifer had caught on, but you'd begged them into secrecy. Plus, it was unlikely that Howl would even believe them anyway. At best, he'd think it was a joke.
There was no way he'd take it seriously.

The thought of his rejection made your heart clench.

No doubt Howl was a little ditzy, and a lot oblivious. Eventually, you'd have to tell him. Markl didn't really bother with the fact much, but Calcifer had a loud mouth. Each passing day gave you a little more anxiety- what if he found out before you were ready to tell him? What if Calcifer talked? What if, when he found out, he didn't want to see you anymore?

Despite everything you'd gone through in the past few months, you thought that this was perhaps the worst feeling ever. The uncertainty was gnawing at you like termites. At that thought, you ran your hand up your arm to smooth out the crawling sensation.

"Hey, are you thinking about the curse again?" Howl asked, and you jumped slightly as his hands ran up and down your arms. You hadn't realised he was standing behind you. His chest pressed into your back as he wrapped his arms around you from behind, his breath stirring against your ear as he spoke. "Don't worry. That's all over, okay? No more wooden fingers."

His voice was friendly, but his actions caused your stomach to churn and heart to beat rapidly. You fought the urge to lean into him, instead shrugging him off. "If you do that, I can't flip the bacon."
"Ooo, right!" He said, stepping back and grinning. "After breakfast, let's head into town. I have to pick up a few things, and then we can have a picnic for lunch!"
He was so cute.

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The trip through town passed by in a blur. In no time, the two of you were in a meadow surrounded by flowers. He sat with his legs criss crossed, pouring some tea for the two of you. Triangle sandwiches were laid out on a platter, scones and honey stacked neatly beside them.
If you didn't know any better, you'd think this was a date.

"So," Howl began, taking a bite of a sandwich. There was a pause as he chewed, and once he swallowed he took a sip of his tea. The wait was killing you. "Calcifer mentioned you might have something to tell me? Markl gave me a hint."

"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about." You said quickly, looking down at your lap.
"Aw, don't play dumb! Markl said you had a surprise for me. Here, I'll even close my eyes, okay?" Howl said enthusiastically. He closed his eyes and held out his hands expectantly.

Shit. Shit shit shit.
He was expecting something, but you had nothing to give. It was a crush, for crying out loud! What were you supposed to give him?

Your brain supplied an answer; one you weren't quite sure you should go with.
His face was tranquil, but after a moment he furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "Are you going to make me beg for it or something?"

His wording wasn't helping.
You bit your lip, scooting closer and leaning in.
"Yeah, yeah." You muttered, huffing softly. "Just... Don't freak out too much, got it?"
"Mmhm." He hummed, nodding slightly. His face relaxed again, his hands still held out. You swallowed thickly, licked your lips, then leaned in and pressed your lips to his briefly. His eyes flew open, and you pulled away before he could react.

You shuffled backwards, fully prepared to leave when Howl smiled slightly. As soon as he spoke, you realised what was up. "Thank you. That was nice! I'm glad we're so close."

He didn't get it.

You laughed nervously, nodding. "Uh, yeah."
You'd lost your appetite, but to keep him from worrying you ate just a bit. The tea was a bit relaxing, but didn't help as much as it normally would. It was quieter between the two of you until you reached home.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Two days later, Howl returned from an outing covered in injuries and feathers. It was late, and you'd been awoken by the sound of a clatter in the kitchen. You rushed to his side, and for a moment he didn't seem to recognize you. He lashed out at you, curling in on himself.

You murmured soft, soothing words as you approached him, and he relaxed as much as his injuries would allow. You fixed him up, his eyes barely open as he watched you. His feathers shed slowly, like fur from a cat.

When you were finished, you helped him to his room. It was difficult, his gait staggered and legs wobbly as you lead him. When you finally made it, you helped him settle, and then turned to leave.

Instead, he pulled you down with him, running a hand along your back before turning over and pressing his back against your chest. You took his signal, wrapping an arm around him from behind and pulling him close. He let out a soft, sleepy sound, and then fell silent as sleep overcame him.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

You awoke to a warm sensation, your eyes widening as you remembered where you were. You sat up quickly, and Howl cracked open an eye and wrinkled his nose.

"What...?" He asked sleepily, wiping at his eyes. You leaned away from him, and he sat up slowly. He placed a hand on yours, smiling widely. "Thank you for last night."

You blushed at his wording, glancing away. "O-oh, no problem. I-"

"What would I do without you?" He asked softly, a hand moving to cup your cheek and turn you to face him. Your eyes widened as he pressed his lips to yours, and you couldn't help but gasp. Of course, there's no way he meant it that way-

Until you felt his tongue slide along your lower lip, his head tilting slightly as he wrapped his arms around you to pull you closer. When he pulled away, you were panting heavily, eyes still wide.

"I'm sorry for the other day. I just needed time to process-" He began, then took in your expression and halted suddenly. "Oh. Oh, no. Have I misread things again? I'm so sorry! I thought that you... For me... Um."

You blinked, shaking your head quickly at his fumbled apologies. "No, no! I... I do. Like you, that is. I thought that maybe you didn't understand when I kissed you, so I was ready to just give up."

"I'm sorry. I should have just told you I needed time." He muttered, looking away. He wasn't the best at communicating in times like these, you knew.

"It's fine. You're fine." You said, and then the two of you fell silent. He glanced at you once more, his other hand tightening around yours. You leaned into each other, your forehead resting against his shoulder. You sat there for a while, just enjoying the warmth between the two of you.

"Heeeeey! There's a huge mess down here, and I'm not cleaning it by myself!" Markl called. The two of you sat up, eyes meeting for a moment before you both burst out laughing.

"Let's go down and help out." You said, and he hummed and nodded slightly. As you made your way down the stairs, your hand was still clasped in his. The fact that he wasn't upset that you liked him still made your head spin.

When the mess was cleaned up, you'd still be there. You'd cook, and shop for necessities, and stand on the balcony for some fresh air- all without the worry that had been there previously.
You would wake every morning, still here among friends.

And this time, Howl would be there beside you.

//1351 words!
//Eyyyyy! Hope you liked it!
//I'm posting this in my mass update, so if you're currently reading some of my books, be on the lookout for new chapters!