Porcelain Doll (Howl X Reader)

Chapter 7

Howl was up early that morning as he had plans of his own. Standing in his bathroom he began to prepare himself for the day, taking as long as he could to make sure his looks were perfect as could be. He planned to be out for a day or more, depending on how the day he had in mind played out.

Satisfied with how he looked he left the bathroom, walking through the quiet castle. Walking down the stairs, he grabs his jacket which was hanging on the rail of the stairs neatly. He did a double-take at the cleanliness of the downstairs room. It was almost spotless, it hasn't been that way in many, many years.

Pausing at a curtain Howl pulls it back slightly, looking at the one who put herself in charge of the cleaning. There she lay in the makeshift bed Markl prepared for her stay.

He caught his breath looking over her pale, glossy skin which looked fragile to the touch. Her long lashes brushed against her cheek as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took.

Shaking his head, he scowls, putting the curtain back as it was.

"Going out again?" Calcifer pipes up.

Howl simply nods his head in reply, swinging his white and blue colored jacket over his shoulders.

"When will you be back?" A sleepy Markl appears by the stairs, rubbing his eyes. Howl never turns to face the boy heading for the door instead.

"Whenever I feel like I shall" He replies, turning the dial and leaving through the door without another word.

The closing of the door woke (Y/N) up. She sat up in the sheets, the cloak still wrapped around herself tightly. She shuffles into her shoes and stands up, keeping the cloak wrapped around her.

"Was that Howl who just left?" She asks, rubbing her eyes, similar to how Markl had before her.

"Yes. Although he didn't take too long in the bathroom" Calcifer replies glancing between the door and (Y/N).

"That's a concern?" She raises a brow glancing to the door.

"Normally the longer he takes preparing himself the more infatuated he is with the girl" Markl chimes in "If the girl begins to show interest he comes back here and sulks"

"That's kind of..." She pauses, trying to think of a proper word to fit his situation "weird"

"Weird? Really?" Calcifer says "That's all you have to say?"

"Well I do not wish to say anything else with a child around" She motions to Markl who was now standing beside her. Said boy crosses his arms, his lips forming a pout. (Y/N) tosses Markl a playful smile, ruffling up his messy hair.

"Now if I'm right, you must be hungry, yet I don't notice anything other than bread, cheese, eggs and bacon in this house." She states placing her hands on her hips. "That's no good for a growing boy. I'll go out today and get food at the market and return back to make you a better lunch"

"Yay! Actual meals!"

Shaking her head (Y/N) follows, grabs a basket and a cloak in disbelief. There is no way she understood how they survived on just bread, cheese eggs and bacon. Well...one of them was a child after all, the other acted close to one it seemed.

Markl races over to the door and turns the dial to green. Watching as (Y/N) wrapped herself in a cloak he had lent her, the basket held in her hand. He opens the door for her as he wishes her off.

"Be back before Howl is!" Markl yells out from the doorway. (Y/N) chuckles at his concern, waving her hand at him with a reassuring smile.

"I will!"