Memories (Teenage!Markl x Reader)

Markl sat back in the hot waters of the Hot Springs. He let out a soft sigh as his body slowly slid deeper into the water. His body began to relax as the water gently caressed his gently sloping muscles. No one was usually around at this time of night, so he had the Unisex Hot Springs all to himself.

His eyelids slowly drooped shut as sleep began to drift in. This was a normal occurrence. Usually, these specific Hot Springs were always hot enough and relaxing enough for anyone to fall asleep in them.

But his eyes soon slid open at the sound of feet gently stepping into the water. The steam blocked out the body and the face of the approaching person, but this hadn't bothered him too much. It was normal for others to just get into the Hot Springs, so this had no effect on Markl.

While staring through the mist, he could barely see the soft, small feet step into the water. Letting out a soft puff of air, he leaned back against the stone side of the Springs and closed his eyes. He then lifted his arms up and set his hands behind his head.

"So, what's going on?" He called out with his voice quietly echoing in the mainly empty room. This was followed by silence.

The first ten minutes of the bath was silent with subtle movements in the water between him and the other person. The silent was nice, but it was somewhat unsettling. He couldn't see his company, nor would they talk to him when he tried to speak to them. It was almost as though this person was there to watch him. He sat there silently, his muscles beginning to tense up over the silent.

A couple more minutes began to pass by once more. The painfully silent atmosphere never lifted. It simply got worse. The water movements were less and less frequent by the minute. By now, the movements just stopped. There were no other movements.

"H-Hey. You still there?" The orange haired male asked as he sat up in the hot water. Silent continued to fill the room for a few seconds. This created a little bit of comfort for him, allowing him to sit back.

"Yes, I'm still here," A female voice whispered out.

This caused Markl to sit up, temporary flailing his arms in surprise at his response. He face turned a bright red when it hit him that his old friend from when he was a child, _______, was in the same bath as him.

"I, uhhh.... ______! I didn't know it was you! I thought you were some killer or something, you know!" A nervous chuckle erupted from his throat as a grin formed on his face. He could finally calm down, especially knowing who was in the Hot Springs with him.

A small giggle came from the mist as the water could be heard moving. She was moving over to him. "It's been years, Markl. You were still but a child when I last saw you," She stated as she came into view, setting her hands gently upon his cheeks.

He was a nineteen year old man, who was naked in a Hot Springs with a woman that was at least five years older than him and even took care of him when he was younger. It was quite a sight to see.

"I've been meaning to ask you something, _______," Markl seemed to have mumbled, looking down towards the water. "I wanted to know... What were my mother and father like before they, you know, died in the war? You always told me you knew them before they died. I want to know what they were like..."

"Your mother and father?" A surprised look appeared on her face before a gentle smile appeared. She sat next to the ginger haired boy and leaned back before saying, "Your parents were absolutely amazing. Your mother was beautiful. She was tall with strawberry -blonde hair. Her personality was absolutely perfect. She was an absolute angel. She was kind to everyone she knew. To be honest, she was the kind of person who would give someone her watch if they asked for the time. She was always so kind and gentle, it was as if she was a Goddess," The woman rambled aloud.

Markl sat silently as he starred at the female intently, wishing to learn more of his family.

"Your father was worked as a Blacksmith, usually he made weapons and armour for the warriors of the war. And even he joined the war, he wanted to protect his family. You and your mother. A lot of people feared him, but he was a sweet man. He was always giving people hugs and usually put a smile on other peoples faces. Now that I think of it, in his spare time he made tiny  pocket watches for people. It was always so nice of him to do so," She spoke aloud. Her eyes drifted shut as she imagined her memories with the couple from many years ago.

"What did my dad look like?" The cinnamon hair coloured boy asked. The imagery of his mother just put a smile on his face, but he needed a good image of what his father looked like.

A look of surprise could be seen on ______'s face. But then she let out a small laugh. "I can't believe I forgot to say what he looked like! Well, your father was tall, like about six feet and five inches. I think he was taller than that actually. He was also very muscular. He was a Blacksmith, so of course he was going to have huge muscles. I think he set a record for being the most muscular man in the Kingdom... And you look just like him too, you know." A small bit of sadness could be detected within her voice, but her face told a different story. Her told him how happy she was. Her voice, however, told how she actually felt.

"Do you miss them?" He asked, moving slightly closer to the female.

"Of course I do. Everyone that knew them misses them. They were the perfect couple. They loved each other so much that everyday, they were giving each other gifts and always giving one another 'I love you's. I even know that you miss them too. It's just a little hard to think about, you know. I mean, it was at least nineteen years ago," She stated with a small smile that had faded onto her lips.

Soon, she bounced up and smiled. "Markl, I have a gift for you! I've been waiting to give this to you for quite some time, but I haven't been able to. Howl keeps pushing me away."

The sudden transfer of emotion shook the boy a bit, causing him to jump back at the sudden change. A sigh soon escaped his lips before a smile came back to him. "Alright, what is it? Howl isn't here to stop you."

_______ then got out of the Hot Springs before simply saying, "Wait here! I'll be right back!"

Before he could reply, she was gone. It was strange how she always just disappeared like that. She's been doing such for as long as he could remember. But soon, thoughts on the gift came flooding in. What was it? How was it so important? Why did Howl not want him to have it?

Soon, _______ was back in his presence. She slipped right back into the water before she moved in close to his face. "Hold still," She stated as her arms wrapped around the back of his neck.

He sat the for a few seconds, confused before she moved her arms back.

"There!" She called out with a large grin plastered on her face.

Upon looked down, he saw a golden locket around his neck. It had a golden chain with a heart shaped pendant at the bottom. The heart was engraved with a saying, but it was in a type of cursive that could be read by his generation. As soon as he open the locket, he saw an old photo on the inside. It was of his mother, she was crying happily as she cradled Markl when he was still a baby. Just born even. His father was next to his wife, giving her a kiss on the cheek. And ______. She was there with them. She was smiling, with a hand held on the tiny Markl's cheek.

Silent tears slid down the boys face before he looked up at his old friend, who held a gentle smile on her face.

"Howl didn't want you to have because he thought you were too young. He thought you would be too depressed to continue your training under him. But, now was a better time than never. I hope you like the gift." Her smile seemed to grow by the second, and was soon followed by a sweet laugh.

Markl's hand tightened around the locket before he leaped into ______'s arms. "Thank you, _______. This is the most meaningful thing anyone has ever given me..."

_______ felt a smile tug onto her lips when the boy clung to her for comfort. She wrapped her arms around him before holding him tight. "I'm glad you like it... It kept me going through the worst of times..."