MY MANS HOWL

starfish in the meadow [howl pendragon × reader]

you're missing during breakfast, howl doesn't waste any time to find you

he didn't immediately notice when you weren't at the table for breakfast, eyes glazed with remnants of sleep as he sawed through a thick cut of bacon. around him, all the noises sounded the same as they always did: calcifer complaining loudly of one thing or another, flames cracking and fluttering with his intonations; michael chiming on and on about a lovely girl he met, and sophie occasionally chiming in with sage old wisdom midst bites of fried egg.

the cacophony of voices and delicate clinking on ceramic, squeal of knives, and forks upon those surfaces melded together, fading far away from him until the half his first mug of coffee was gone. when the plate was polished off, the glassy veil over his eyes lifted, and he was able to pass a sweeping gaze across the room with clarity.

he asked where you were.

"left a while ago." michael said shortly, though with a dreamy drawl while the prongs of his fork dangled from between his teeth. "maybe an hour ago or so?"

next, he wanted to know where to.

"oh, probably to escape the ruckus you all make this early in the morning. poor thing." sophie never missed an opportunity for a quip, almost always at the cost of his pride. he would get back at her one day; maybe turn her favorite broach into a frog.

"none of that first thing in the morning, sophie! I hear your voice above anyone else's!" howl was sure to get his jab in as well before taking his dishware to the sink, leaving it to clean later as he wandered towards the front door. "is it warm outside?"

"it's bearable," sophie replied, pulling her neatly crocheted shawl closer to her chest. "a bit nippy if you're one of the types who enjoys sweating."

true to her word, the air was clear and crisp as he stepped through the door into the meadow where calcifer had placed the castle this time. it was quite a sight with its tall green grasses, oddly smelling wildflowers, and mature trees with sprawling canopies offering shade in abundance.

even though it was still early and cool, the warmth of the sun had evaporated dew on the grass and trees, giving him a leisurely hike through the meadow until he reached a clearing that appeared neat and trimmed, conveniently placed, almost.

you were there on the ground in the middle of it, limbs sprawled out across the grass, nose pointed high towards the sky with your eyes closed. you almost reminded him of one of those sunbathing birds, perched somewhere motionless, wings hiked out to invite all of the warmth onto their bodies.

his lips curved up to convey his amusement; you were charming in so many ways, most of which he couldn't adequately describe. all of your little quirks and habits were endearing to him, unique in a way that he didn't think anyone else could ever quite replicate in the same way as you.

it was hard to keep the sounds of shuffling grass quiet as he moved closer to you, striking his heels deep into the ground, toes landing silently and purposeful. as he neared, a gentle billow swept through the meadow, rousing your hair into an erratic dance, making his own strands of woven gold to glide across his face and obscure his eyes at some moments.

one knee touched the ground, the other soon accommodating a comfortable position for him. you still didn't stir as the grass rustled when he laid beside you, nary a greater distance than a few inches; so close he could hear your calm breaths, see your chest flutter, and believed he could also feel the warmth of your body.

howl carefully fit his fingers through yours, palms not quite touching, yet he was sure to hold on noticeably. you flinched at first, but never tried to pull away.

"I've been looking for you. breakfast was boring without you there." his voice croaked just above a whisper, head lolling to the side to look at you just as you did the same. "ms. nosy blamed me again. you're never allowed to be tired of me."

you dazzled him with a smile, groggy and content as you closed your fingers fully with his. it was a different kind of bliss when your arms pressed flush and your forehead bumped lightly, the tips of your noses brushing before you tilted your face to lean into a chaste kiss.

longing, lingering, soft-- he simply returned for them again and again.

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a/n: haven't written in a hot minute. hopefully this was cute. please take the time to reblog or comment!