❛ 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 ❜

11

"i'm pooped." y/n grumbled as she collapsed on a couch nearby the fireplace, nuzzling into one of the pillows. she has spent the rest of her day exhausting herself at cleaning around to spruce up the place, to try and get even with howl. calcifer— though he appreciated the thought— first advised y/n that she shouldn't tire herself out for someone like howl, to which she then listed all the things that the titular wizard did for her. it was only natural to pay what was owed.

the h/c-haired woman then took a moment to go over all the rooms she had spent the entire day cleaning. the kitchen, once cluttered with unwashed dishes, sticky surfaces, and an assortment of food scraps, now gleamed with a tidy order. every pot and pan was in its place, the countertops spotless, and the floor swept clean. the living room, previously a jumble of discarded books, papers, and mysterious magical artifacts, had been organized and dusted. she had carefully stacked the books, gathered the papers into neat piles, and placed the artifacts in an orderly fashion, all while being careful not to touch anything that looked potentially hazardous.

then there was the bathroom, the most daunting task of all. when she had first stepped inside, she had been appalled by the state of it. the sink was encrusted with soap scum, the bathtub was undrained and the water inside was a disgusting green color—not to mention the ends of the tub had smudges of hair dye of various colors, and the floor was a patchwork of unidentifiable stains.

she had rolled up her sleeves and tackled it with determination, scrubbing every inch until it sparkled. now, the bathroom was unrecognizable—clean, fresh-smelling, and orderly. she was sure howl would appreciate the surprise deeply.

however, when it came to howl's bedroom, y/n had hesitated. she had debated on cleaning it as well but ultimately decided against it. it was his private area, and who knew what could be inside? the mysteries of magic were still largely unknown to her, despite the few glimpses she had seen since meeting howl. remembering their magical walk in the sky, she shivered slightly at the memory of such an extraordinary experience.

"so..." y/n started as she took a seat at the table, lazily laying the top half of her body across it. She moved her head slightly to look at calcifer, who was crackling softly in the fireplace. "how do you and howl know each other?" she asked. "were you once human?" yes, he had previously mentioned how he was fire demon but y/n was more intrigued on how things came to be as they are. why on earth would a demon such as calcifer want to stay here and do things like heat the water & move the entire castle?

he seemed miserable.

not only that, but there was definitely an underlying tension between him and howl which further deepened y/n's curiosity about their relationship. however, before he could respond, y/n gasped, suddenly sitting up straight in her seat, more lively. the sudden movement made calcifer flinch slightly. "did he curse you?" she pressed on.

the fire demon let out a soft, rumbling laugh. "it's a bit more complicated than that," he said, his tone both amused and weary. "howl and i have a...pact, you could say. it's a long story and not one i can share easily." he said, hoping that would be enough for y/n not to dive deeper into their past.

y/n's curiosity was piqued, but she could sense that calcifer wasn't ready to divulge more. she sighed, her initial burst of energy fading as she settled back into her seat. "i see..." she replied. she was just trying to keep myself occupied while she waited for howl to get back, it was so boring just sitting here with nothing to do.

calcifer's flames danced gently, casting a warm glow around the room. "you did a lot today, y/n. the place hasn't been this clean in...well, i can't remember when," he said, softly. it almost surprised the h/c-haired girl just how gentle his and howl's voices were, as her hometown had a large variety but mainly consisted of loud, grouchy ones. "he'll love it, i give you my word." he added, giving her a lopsided smile which warmed y/n deeply.

"promise?"

calcifer raised one of his arms as if he was taking a pledge, "cross my heart and hope to die." he vowed.

y/n laughed to herself when she heard this before the two fell into a comfortable silence, the crackling of the fire filling the room. slowly, y/n's eyelids grew heavy. she wanted to stay awake to welcome howl back, to see his reaction to the clean castle, but the day's work had taken its toll. so, she positioned herself to lay on the uncomfortable table once more where she soon fell asleep, completely unaware wizard howl had already begun making his route back.

and he missed y/n dearly.