Work Text:
A clatter of pots and pans awoke Sophie in the middle of the night - a shame, she thought, she’d been having a nice dream.
‘Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi brifo,’ Howl’s hoarse voice sang out of the racket, slurring each word as it did so.
‘Shhh!’ She heard a muffled Calcifer say to the wizard. ‘You’ll wake Sophie you fool!’
With mention of her name she thought it an apt time to make an entrance - it was either that or stay in bed and risk Howl accidentally knocking a bucket of water on Calcifer (again). Sluggishly, she pulled herself up and out of bed, grabbing her dressing gown as she stomped out of the bedroom.
‘It’s too late now, I’m awake.’ She huffed as she plodded up to her husband, who was lying, near unconscious, on the floor, still singing in Welsh. It was a good job Michael was such a heavy sleeper, she thought, or no doubt he’d be woken too.
‘Cariad!’ Howl spluttered and stretched his arms out. She pouted and walked over to the sink.
‘I’m sorry Sophie, I did warn him not to make so much noise.’ Calcifer cowered in the fireplace - he almost worried that Sophie would take out more anger on him than the noise-maker himself.
‘Don’t you apologise - he’s the one who can’t control his bloody drink. Every time he goes to a rugby reunion it’s always the same!’ She said while filling up a glass of water. With a small smirk, she wandered back over to her horizontal husband, who looked almost ready to doze off on the spot, and emptied the glass contents on his face.
‘Ha!’ Calcifer let out a laugh.
‘What the-?’ Howl shot up. ‘What was that for?’ He slurred at Sophie, who was evidently pleased with herself.
‘You can’t sleep on the floor Howl. And you’re too heavy for me to pick you up, so I thought this would do the trick.’
Howl wobbled from side to side, which prompted Sophie to steady him with her own body.
‘God, Howl, you stink. What on earth do they drink in Wales?’ She sniffed her husband, who smelled remarkably like the stuff she cleaned the toilet with.
‘I love you.’ He ignored her question, nestling his head into her shoulder and nearly toppling them both.
‘Ugh!’ She propped him up again, using all of her strength this time - he was definitely heavier than the last time she’d done this. ‘Let’s get you to bed you smelly wizard.’
Howl smirked.
‘In the spare bedroom, obviously. I can’t sleep next to you when you reek this badly.’ Sophie explained, causing Howl’s smirk to turn into a grimace.
With Howl slouched over her like a sack of potatoes, she hobbled upstairs. ‘Night Calcifer.’ She whispered, as the fire demon was already dozing in the fireplace once again. He let out a little sigh in an acknowledgement.
Once in the spare room, Sophie worked to remove the wizard’s dirty boots, which were covered in mud from yet another Welsh downpour. It was always raining there. With boots off she shoved Howl into bed, placing a blanket over him as he refused to get under the covers.
‘Goodnight, Howl.’ She huffed and turned to leave, only a hand grabbed hers.
‘Sophie...’ he trailed off, half asleep. ‘I’m sorry I got so drunk... I didn’t mean to... it was Aled and the...vodka....’ he squeezed her hand.
‘Well, you’re a grown man, you’re responsible for your own drunkenness - vodka or not!’ She wasn’t quite sure what ‘vodka’ was, or if she was saying it in the right context.
‘I love you... so much... cariad...’, he said before falling asleep.
As annoyed as Sophie was over his drunken entrance, she couldn’t help but soften at this. Even in this state he was still thinking about how much he loved her. She smiled. ‘Maybe sleeping in the same bed won’t be too bad,’ she whispered to herself before crawling in next to him.