Male Reader inserts

under the weather

Howl Jenkins Pendragon/Unrequited!Reader

[Angst]

Source: Howl's Moving Castle

____________________________________________________________________

God, (Y/n) felt stupid. Despite knowing that Sophie lived in the castle and cleaned daily, he still went around and cleaned everything all over again. All because he was feeling a bit stressed.  It was actually very stressed but there was no way he was going to admit it. For all he knew, Calcifer would run his big mouth and tease him and, God forbid, blab. (Y/n) would rather die than let Howl know what he thought of him, especially with how happy he was with Sophie. (Y/n) was Howl's first friend upon finding himself in Ingary, and had easily been charmed by the man's affinity for magic and his, well, vanity. With any other person, it would've been a sign for (Y/n) to back off, but with Howl it seemed fitting and alluring. An oasis for the wanton gays. Howl certainly had no shortage of women quietly fawning over him and whispering to their friends, but he didn't have a shortage of men either. (Y/n) was just bold enough to approach him head-on, and he appreciated that. But good Lord in Heaven, Howl was oblivious to all the hints the younger practitioner dropped. Be it a brushing a hands, the staring, the tendency to make himself comfortable in Howl's personal space-- all of it seemed absolutely useless. How (Y/n) ever managed to get Howl to pick up the hint that he wanted to come along with him was a miracle in and of itself. Almost made (Y/n) feel like Howl had selective perception. But regardless of how that was, (Y/n)'s heart didn't hurt any less as he scrubbed at clean dishes in a basin of water that had gone from lukewarm to cold in the matter of hours he'd been staring at the murky, soapy depths.

"Do you need to scrub them so hard?" (Y/n) almost dropped the plate, but scrubbed harder to hide the fact that he'd been startled.

"'Course, Markl, don't be ridiculous. the dog eats neater than you." Markl huffed and went back to scribbling whatever he was on the parchment at the table, Calcifer flickering to life to watch the amateur magician smugly. (Y/n)'s eyes glanced at the flame demon before returning to the plate still in his soaped up hands.

"What's the look for, sparky?" Calcifer spluttered a little at the nickname, but it was a lot weaker than what (Y/n) could come up with when he wasn't upset. Calcifer danced a little in his fire pit, eyes still on you.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" (Y/n) looked up at the ceiling and gave a melodramatic groan as he closed his eyes.

"Haven't I told you to not answer a question with a question?" Calcifer's eyes narrowed mirthfully, relishing the annoyance bubbling in the magician.

"Since when did I listen to you?" (Y/n) growled in annoyance and heaved up the basin, aiming it at Calcifer's tiny flickering form.

"I'll put you out, I swear it!" Calcifer's form wavered, as if trembling in fear.

"H-Hey now! You wouldn't! Howl would get hurt a-and the whole castle would come crumbling down!" (Y/n) would never do something to harm Howl ever, but it was fun to scare Calcifer, the cocky little twerp. (Y/n) set the basin back down, but slowly, eyeing Calcifer the whole way.

"Only because Howl is head of house and I don't want to be turned into a pile of mush by all his dumb magic junk." Calcifer muttered something along the lines of "aren't you part of that magic junk too?" but kept his peace. He really didn't want to be put out. But this snarky back and forth didn't dissuade from the fact that (Y/n) was deeply and truly upset. It showed in his despondency and irritation. So Calcifer, obviously, felt he should do something about it.

"What does have your knickers in a twist, though? Not to be mean, I genuinely wanna know." (Y/n) scrunched up his nose in a scowl, picking the plate and dishrag up again as he continued cleaning the already spotless plate.