❛ 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 ❜

13

y/n jolted awake to the sound of screaming echoing throughout the castle. her heart pounded in her chest as she sat up, straining to hear more clearly. was that howl? sure sounded like it. concerned, she hopped out of bed almost immediately, her mind still foggy with sleep but adrenaline propelling her forward. she inched toward the bedroom door, her hand trembling as she pulled it open just a crack to peer down the hallway.

the darkness obscured everything, making it impossible to discern what was happening. swallowing thickly, y/n took a deep breath and— although she really didn't want to— stepped outside her designated room, quietly closing the door behind her. the air was heavy with a tense silence, broken only by the distant echoes of howl's distress. she then made her way down the stairs.

when she finally reached the bottom, she immediately approached calcifer, who was grabbing a log from the pile she had set in front of him and placing it under his fiery body. his flames flickered more intensely, reflecting his agitation. "what's going on?" y/n asked, her voice barely above a whisper, laden with worry.

calcifer's flames danced erratically before he eventually responded, "i don't know what you did, but you really screwed up big time."

y/n stared at him, bewildered. "what do you mean? i haven't done anything," she protested, her confusion deepening. she tried to recall if she had inadvertently done something that might have upset howl, but nothing came to mind. but before she could press for more details, the tension in the air escalated as they heard howl storming out of the room he was in.

she couldn't see him, but the billowing steam traveling from upstairs told her he had just come out of the bathroom. the steam curled down the staircase, and the small amount of light that calcifer was producing, which seemed to be the only source of it at the castle at this hour, set an eerie atmosphere to the already tense situation.

she heard howl whimpering to himself, his voice a mix of frustration and distress. the next sound was the swinging open of her room's door, "y/n! where are you?" he called out. the woman tensed, deciding to remain by the fire demon's side, unmoving. her mind raced, trying to piece together what could have gone wrong.

then, suddenly, howl came running down the stairs, wearing only a towel tied around his waist. his usually composed demeanor was completely shattered. his fists slammed down on the wooden ledge as soon as he laid eyes on her. y/n's eyes widened in shock when she noticed that his hair was no longer its normal bleach blond but instead a hideous orange.

"y/n, what did you do to the bathroom shelves? you...you sabotaged me!" howl screamed, his voice echoing. his eyes were wild with a mix of anger and despair, his handsome features twisted in a way she had never seen before.

y/n felt a rush of emotions—confusion, guilt, and a touch of fear. "i-i didn't do anything to the shelves, i swear. i just cleaned the rooms," she stammered, her voice trembling slightly. she glanced at calcifer, seeking some kind of explanation or support, but the fire demon just flickered nervously.

looks like she's on her own.

"you must have moved something! how else would you explain my hair turning into this weird color?" he shouted, his voice rising in frustration. he ran down the rest of the steps, his hands balling his hair into fists as he pulled on it, his head bowing close to y/n's face to show her the mess. "look what you've done with my hair, look!" he cried.

y/n stared at him, taken aback by his distress. his hair, now a vivid and unnatural orange, looked nothing like the elegant blond she was accustomed to. she paused, trying to find the right words. "i...what a pretty color," she lied, hoping to spare his feelings.

but howl didn't believe her. not one bit.

his eyes, normally so calm and composed, were filled with seething anger as he looked up at her. "it's hideous!" he stated with a sharp edge to his voice. "you completely ruined my magic potions in the bathroom!"