Chapter Text
Getting sidetracked seemed to be becoming a habit of the group’s. They had made fairly good progress throughout the day, and could even see the observatory in the distance. But, much like his friend, it seemed Moomin could be distracted by shiny things as well.
The rest of the group could do nothing but stare as the young troll veered off the path and scaled the cliff side. He let out a quiet (adorable) noise of triumph as he latched his paw onto whatever he had seen snagged in the bushes. Within a minute his feet were on solid ground once more.
“It's such a shame someone lost this,” Moomin hummed, turning the object in his paws as he inspected it. “It seems quite valuable-”
Sniff perked up at the word. My rolled her eyes and stomped on his paw with her tiny feet. While the two of them got distracted by their bickering, Snufkin approached Moomin to examine the object himself. A bangle. It certainly looked familiar, but where..? Oh-
“Moomin,” he tapped Moomin’s paw, right in the center, “This looks like my friend the Snorkmaiden’s golden anklet- I’m sure of it. She was in the area with her brother just recently.”
“Oh dear. I hope they're still around so we can return it. I'd hate to think she lost something important.” Moomin fretted over the thought for a moment, before something seemed to strike him. He whipped his head up, curling his paw so that it held Snufkin’s firmly in place. “Golden? Snufkin, can you see colors?”
This seemed to get everyone else’s attention as well, seeing as they dropped their argument to crowd them.
“Oh really? Can you?” My asked, just on the edge of teasing and snark.
Snufkin scratched at his nape with his free hand absentmindedly, willing the color that was surely in his cheeks to go away. He was caught off guard. It was a bit embarrassing to talk about.
“Well, sort of- not all of them? Snorkmaiden told me the color, I can't-” He paused. Looked down at the bangle clasped in between his and Moomin’s paws. He could. He could see the color. Another one, and on the same day no less!
He cleared his throat, dropping his other paw, clearly defeated. “In any case, it's only three. Barely any, really.”
“But Snufkin, how wonderful!” Moomin brought his other paw to trap Snufkin’s between them, eyes sparkling and so very blue . “You're going to meet your soulmate! If you haven't already!”
He wasn't sure how to respond to that. Moomin was clearly excited for him, but his feelings on the matter.. Well, they were conflicting to say the least. He had never given the topic a spare thought before all this began. Really, he would've been content to never meet his soulmate, if he even had one.
He still felt this way, but something was changing. He couldn't admit to himself what he was hoping would result from this deep down- not yet. Maybe not ever. It was a terrifying thought for someone like him. To be bound to another in such a way, forever, to the point their very souls called to each other. He wasn't sure he was cut out for that kind of attachment.
“Snufkin?” He didn't realize he had gotten lost in his thoughts until Moomin spoke again. Just his name, quiet and unsure.
“Sorry, I-” Snufkin sighed, gently pulling away from Moomin’s grasp. “Maybe. Who knows. I'm sure it will work itself out.”
He tried to give his new friend a reassuring smile, but Moomin was clearly still worried. He opened his mouth to speak, and Snufkin could feel the slight panic coiling in his chest, ready to strike, until-
“Well, I don't care about Snufkin’s soulmate. We don't have time for this anyway!” My huffed, punctuating her sentence with a tap of her foot. “This is gross. I'm leaving you if you don't get moving.”
With that she turned and made her way up the path. Moomin and Sniff scrambled to catch up with her, conversation forgotten for now. Snufkin couldn't help the quiet sigh of relief as he made to follow. He pretended not to see Little My’s knowing glance as they continued on.