Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Snufkin returned to Moominvalley a week later after the first day of spring that year.

A serene smile graced his face when he laid eyes on Moominhouse peeking out on the horizon through the soft blanket of fog. He quickened his stroll to a speeded walk, quietly eager to reunite with Moomin and his other friends of the valley. Once on the shore of the stream by the bridge to Moominhouse, Snufkin unpacked to set up his tent and camp.

While he worked, he noticed the Moomin residence was oddly quiet. No obvious signs of life from anyone. Snufkin brushed it off. It was still rather early in the morning. Even if they were up and about, Snufkin wasn’t too surprised not to see Moomin yet. Over the years, the two had worked out a system: Moomin would come out to greet him once he heard Snufkin’s new spring tune being played while he sat on the bridge.

He recalled fondly how Moomin approached him about it. How his friend had expressed worries over pushing Snufkin’s boundaries, disturbing him before he was ready to come out of his solitude, in his own eagerness to greet the best friend he missed so much over the winter. Thus, it was decided that upon arriving to Moominvalley, Snufkin would have time to first set up camp and extra time to himself for however long he needed before meeting with Moomin and the others. Snufkin’s signal to Moomin for when he was ready was to sit on the bridge and play his harmonica, typically his newly composed spring tune for the year. If Moomin heard the music, but didn’t see Snufkin on the bridge, he held off until Snufkin was in the designated spot before meeting up.

At the time, Snufkin didn’t fully express how Moomin’s wish to be more accommodating to his needs meant to him. Or any of the times in the years following with their system being applied, especially when Moomin told the others about the system and got them to abide by it too. Every so often when he remembers, he thinks about how to tell Moomin properly, but he could never figure out how he would do so. This time was no different.

Within a short time, Snufkin completed setting up camp. Once more, he looked back at the persisting quiet of Moominhouse. How very odd, he thought.

Wordlessly, he walked to the bridge, comfortably perched up onto the railing, and began performing his new spring tune of the year. Surely once Moomin heard him play, he’d be out to greet him in an instant. The song of this year was a touch more melancholic than usual for his spring tunes, but no less lovely. Snufkin thought of Moomin constantly during its composition, and wondered absently for the umpteenth time why the song and his thoughts towards Moomin were touched with such…sadness of late.

He closed his eyes as he played, focusing on his breathing and his finger movements across the instrument with each note. He opened them briefly at the sound of Moominhouse‘s front door opening. Strangely, it was Little My and Sniff who greeted him first, calling out his name and running excitedly his direction. They situated themselves comfortably on the railing, flanking him on each side contently listening along to his music. He opened his eyes again to peek again at Moominhouse, looking and waiting for signs of Moomin to arrive.

Still nothing.

Something was up.

Snufkin stopped playing the song mid-way through it. “Where’s Moomin?”

“He’s in bed,” Little My answered, tartly as always in her tone per the norm.

“Moomin’s still asleep.” Sniff added.

“Asleep?” Snufkin echoed back, thoroughly and completely confused.

As he was dragged along inside Moominhouse by Little My, Snufkin was brought up to date about the most particular predicament going on with the Moomin family and Snorkmaiden. How for approximately a whole week since the Great Thaw and the first day of spring, that while the rest of Moominvalley arose from their hibernation, those within the walls of Moominhouse still slept on.

And that nothing would stir them.

When the two showed him into Moomin’s room, Snufkin could only stare at the state of Moomin and Snorkmaiden. It appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary, just two people sleeping soundly, peacefully. The fact there was nothing immediately jumping at him visibly to indicate anything was wrong, that whatever was wrong was invisible, was what truly scared Snufkin.

Still, he kept his face and composure stoic. It wouldn’t do for him to get upset and send the other two into a panic.

“They won’t wake up, no matter what you do,” explained Little My, sitting on top of Moomin’s sleeping form, completely undisturbed by her typical loudness.

She was also a little put out by Snufkin making her remove all the clothespins she had left pinned on Moomin’s face, and by the looks he gave her when she explained all of the things she and Sniff did to try and get the others up. Like he honestly didn’t think she wouldn’t resort to biting tails and other extremes to get the job done when “kinder” options failed. She’d had some fun with it, but it wasn’t the same without a proper reaction. It didn’t mean she liked Snufkin telling her what to do, though.

Snufkin placed a hand on Moomin’s brow, seeing if he could detect a fever or anything My and Sniff may have overlooked. Anything that could give some further insight as to what was wrong.

“What do you think, Snufkin?” Sniff questioned. “I think they’re very sick.”

“That’s a possibility,” Snufkin answered, as he moved to rest his hand on Moomin’s snout, measuring his dear friend’s breathing. No clear signs of typical sickness, he noted. But I think I know what this could be…

“Sleeping sickness, perhaps?” Little My chimed in.

“It’s very difficult to say,” he responded, before standing up straight with conviction. “To me, though, if you want my honest opinion, I think someone’s cast a very nasty spell on them.”

Little My balked briefly with surprise before her eyes narrowed once more with a frown. Sniff let out a gasp, fur stood on end, nervously asking who would do such a thing. Snufkin wondered the same thing.

“I think I know!” Little My voiced suddenly.

Sniff gasped. “You mean the Witch? Alicia’s grandmother? But why?”

“To tell you the truth, I haven’t the vaguest idea,” Snufkin said. It was true, that the resident Witch of the Witch’s Forest was a very likely suspect. She was very skilled with magic, recalling how he and the others snooped around her home once before.

Snufkin repressed a shiver, remembering how she had frozen him in place with only the lift of her finger when he attempted to run when she spotted him peering inside her cottage. How she had taken him inside and interrogated him in that eerily calm way of hers as she tied him up with an enchanted rope. While in the end the misunderstanding was resolved, it had been one of those rare moments in recent memory where Snufkin felt true fear for his safety, faced with unknowns he wasn’t equipped with the knowledge to deal with. If Alicia’s grandmother were truly malevolent, Snufkin had no doubts she could’ve very easily used her magic to transform him into something, or to hurt him and his friends.

His thoughts drifted briefly as he thought of how worried Moomin had been to see him bound like that, and how Moomin rushed to his side without any hesitation to try to free him. Snufkin hadn’t let it show apart from a pursed frown, but he was terrified for Moomin when he made that bold move at the time. The Witch had already ensnared him, what if she did the same to Moomin or worse? They both shared those fears going into their impromptu investigation, yet Moomin still jumped to his aid and concerned himself more with Snufkin’s wellbeing than the many terrible possibilities the Witch could’ve retaliated with…

Snufkin felt the tips of his ears burn when he realized thoughts went off on such a tangent. As he refocused, the conclusion boiled over to this: the Witch was very powerful and very experienced with casting spells. However, she did not express any ill will towards any of Moominvalley’s denizens, which made her an unlikely suspect with no clear motives.

Snufkin searched the recesses of his memory to come up with something, anything else to bring him closer to the answers he sought. The Witch had voiced that she was displeased with the prospect of her granddaughter being distracted from her witch training by Moomin and their friends. They were saddened by this and didn’t want to desert a new friend before the friendship could begin, but they left the woods peacefully and it seemed that was that. Moomin spoke in passing about visiting next spring and try to convince the Witch to allow Alicia to play with them, but nothing had come of that plan yet.

Could that be enough to drive the Witch to cast such a spell?

He knew nothing for certain.

“How do we find out?” Little My interjected.

“I’ll go into the forest and see her.” Snufkin ascertained, his firm gaze towards the window.

“And if she did cast the spell, you’d think she’d tell you?” Little My drawled back.

“I really don’t know, but we have to do something!” Snufkin retorted. It was more difficult than usual to keep the bite out of his tone. However, his drive to get to the bottom of this to help Moomin and the others as soon as possible was agitating his nerves. “We can’t just leave them sleeping here forever!”

Little My then stood up. “I’ll go with you.”

“I guess I better stay here to take care of things then.” Sniff decided, prattling on about how someone should stay at Moominhouse in case the others woke up.

“Snuf…kin…”

That startled everyone, whipping their attention back to Moomin, who had spoken. Did that mean he was waking up?

“At last!” Little My barked.

“Moomin!” Snufkin spoke without realizing, closing most of the distance between him and his best friend as he moved back by his side. Was Moomin truly awake? Did…Did he know that he had returned? That he was here?

Sniff called out to Moomin as well, shaking his prone form to try and rouse him completely from the slumber that held him.

“He’s dreaming.” Little My muttered after another moment of unresponsiveness. The smug tinge in her voice struck a small chord in Snufkin for whatever reason.

The fact Moomin so happened to be thinking of him in his dreams set his heartbeat off-pace and made his chest constrict. Not unlike the times similar responses occurred when his thoughts had been on Moomin as of late. That was a mystery for another time, however.

“Moomin, I promise to get this horrible spell cast off for you.” Snufkin vowed. And he would. He never broke a promise to Moomin.

“Snufkin, wait!”

The mumrik paused in his step towards the door. “What is it?”

“Well, I know we said we tried everything to wake them up…but I remembered a few other things we didn’t try yet.” Little My began. “So I was thinking how about we try those first, then go to the forest if they don’t work.”

“Alright then,” Snufkin replied. That seemed logical enough. It would be awfully silly for them not to go through all their methods before turning to the Witch, and learn the answer from her was something they could’ve done without having to waste time. “What are these remaining options?”

“A good ol’ slap could do the trick!” Little My said with a grin, rubbing her hands together.

“No.” Snufkin said immediately.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?!”

“We are not hitting the Moomins or Snorkmaiden.” Snufkin repeated, still firm.

“And why not? You asked for what other methods we didn’t try yet were, and that’s one of them!” Little My protested. “How will we know it doesn’t work if we don’t try it?”

“How do I know you haven’t already tried and are simply looking for an excuse to hit Moomin some more?” Snufkin challenged.

“I didn’t!”

“But you did, Little My. After the ‘hand-in-warm-water’ trick didn’t work, remember?” Sniff interjected, letting out a high-pitched yelp when the mymble girl leveled a glare at him for calling her out in her lie.

Snufkin turned back to Little My with his soft, but matter-if-face smile on his face. “Is that true?”

Little My’s blush was all the confirmation he needed. “Alright then. What else do we have left to try?”

“We still didn’t try a bucket of water yet.”

One splash of cold water later, Moomin remained motionless and asleep.

Little My huffed. “Maybe it needs to be hot water?”

Another hot (“not scalding, only just above warm,” as Snufkin instructed) drenching later, Moomin still didn’t so much as flinch.

“Lukewarm?”

No success there either.

“What about–“

“I think we’ve established that water splashing isn’t yielding any results,” Snufkin stated, taking hold of Little My’s shoulder before she could run out of the room to refill the bucket again. He was getting the suspicion that she was continuing with this wake-up method more for her own entertainment than rousing Moomin. “If that’s everything, we should get going to the forest.”

“What about true love’s kiss?” Sniff then blurted out of the blue. Snufkin and Little My both stared his direction. “What? It works all the time in the stories! It’s like the answer to every fairy tale spell and curse there is!”

“Sniff, that’s stupid,” Little My said bluntly. “Now how about you make yourself useful, and go find the Hemulen to ask him for some smelling salts.”

“But Mr. Hemulen said he was heading for the Lonely Mountains to look for new plants!” Sniff complained.

“Then you better get moving so you can reach him before he gets too far!” Little My retaliated. “Now go!”

Sniff then scampered off in a haste. After they heard the front door shut, Little My turned back to Snufkin. “Okay, he’s gone. Let’s try it out.”

Snufkin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Of all things he was anticipating for her to say next, he did not expect that.

“I…don’t understand. You just said that wouldn’t work.”

Little My rolled her eyes. “I said it was stupid. And it is stupid. It’s unbelievably stupid. But it’s something we haven’t tried yet, and we are dealing with magic here, so might as well get it over with so we can move on to our other options.”

“But I don’t see how it could work,” Snufkin continued carefully. “Aren’t Moominmamma and Moominpappa each other’s true loves? And they’re both asleep.”

This whole exchange was getting more and more bizarre, and he didn’t like the feeling he got wondering where this was going.

“I wasn’t talking about trying it on Moominpappa or Moominmamma,” Little My spoke, exasperated. “We’re trying it on Moomin.”

And there was why.

“But Snorkmaiden’s asleep…” he responded slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden?

Snufkin would never forget the look Little My sent his way then for the rest of his life.

There was no eloquent way to describe the smorgasbord of annoyance, irritation, dumbfound, frustration and simmering ire threatening to boil over written on the girl’s expression. The fact that Little My remained tranquil in her fury, without so much as saying a word or getting the slightest bit flushed in the face greatly unnerved him. But the question was why?

Why was she reacting this way? Why was she upset with him? What was he missing?

So, logically, he reviewed the information he had to draw the conclusions (and trying to do so quickly, because Little My’s glare was getting more and more intense). Little My wanted to try ‘true love’s kiss’ to attempt to wake Moomin up. However, Snorkmaiden was also asleep. They were true loves, thus, this option could not be successfully attempted. For Little My to be upset with him for saying as much regarding this glaring flaw did not make sense.

…Unless she didn’t agree that Snorkmaiden and Moomin were true loves.

Which was…odd, but that gave more points for him to analyze and work with. If Snorkmaiden and Moomin were NOT true loves, that meant there was still a small probability the ‘true love’s kiss’ method, ridiculous as it was, could still work. That just left identifying the chosen individual who was Moomin’s true love to perform the act. He could not think of many alternative candidates in Moominvalley, so he narrowed the potential options to within their friend group:

Little My? No. Clearly not. As she had so bluntly (and loudly) expressed to them all on several occasions. Moomin himself had also publicly concurred this notion. Nevermind the fact Little My abhorred romance and retched at the mere sight. She wouldn’t be caught dead doing anything involved with “that lovey-dovey junk”, let alone something so intimate as a kiss.

Sniff? While a good friend at the core, Sniff still annoyed the best of them, Moomin included. Snufkin knew, as Moomin discussed such things with him many a time. Moomin liked Sniff as a friend. Nothing more. Additionally, if Sniff were Moomin’s true love, Little My would not have sent him elsewhere.

Ninny? Snufkin hadn’t spent much time with her, but he gathered that she and Moomin liked each other’s company well enough. Regardless, Ninny was still recovering from a most terrible trauma she endured for years, and while she welcomed the Moomins and the others as new friends and surrogate family, romance was not a priority for her currently. For true love’s kiss to work, the love in question had to be mutual between both individuals.

Alicia? From what he had seen, they got along rather well. However, their friendship was still very new. While ‘love at first sight’ was indeed a popular saying, its interpretations were often grossly inaccurate. ‘Love’ does not inherently equate to ‘true love’; never has, and never will. ‘True love’ is the result of long-term cultivation, of experiences and knowledge about another person that a mere first glance could not provide.

All of these thoughts and assessments happened over the course of a few minutes.

Now that just leaves–

That’s when the answer hit him.

Like a mountain crashing down on him then being struck by a comet.

Snufkin whirled around to meet Little My’s eyes again, his entire complexion flushed a rich rosy pink as his mind uncovered the missing piece to complete the puzzle.

No.

It couldn’t possibly.

There was no way she meant–

“M-Me?!” Snufkin sputtered out with complete shock, a hand over his racing heart.

Little My’s face morphed into a dastardly grin. That little–

“Who else?!” Little My shot back. “And don’t even try to tell me you don’t feel that way! I’ve seen you both exchange dumb daydreamy smiles and doe-eyes day in and day out! You fill all of Moominvalley with the tension between you two! You’ve made it explicitly clear that Moomin is your favorite of our friends, and the only one of us you can tolerate for more than four and a half hours! You think I’m too stupid to not figure out all your spring songs were written for Moomin?! How you always try to do things just the two of you as much as possible that you keep secret from the rest of us? In the language of Snufkin, that means ‘I’m a lovesick fool’!”

Little My held up her hand to stop the mumrik before he could get a word in edgewise.

“And don’t try whatever shoddy attempt you’re thinking of to try and convince me that Moomin is not equally as head over tail in love with you too, either! Moomin never SHUTS UP about you! Whether it’s gushing about stupid things like your hair, your eyes, your laugh, your voice, or going on and on about every amazing thing you’ve ever done for the hundredth time, it never ends! The worst is when he’s moping whenever you leave in the winter or while he’s waiting for you to come back the times you’re late in the spring! It’s ‘Snufkin, this’ and ‘Snufkin, that’, and it’s gut-wrenchingly disgusting!” she ranted, making exaggerated gagging noises before resuming her tirade.

“What’s also totally nauseating is having to watch you two idiots dance around each other and still not be able to put two-and-two together what’s right in front of you! Just how could neither of you see it!? Moomin I can understand more, since his dense behind has trouble taking a hint, but you? You, Mr. O Wise and Great One, have no excuse for being this clueless, especially with how much Moomin stinks at being subtle! And it ends now because I’m the one who suffers the most through it all since I’m the only one who isn’t blind to all your pining! There’s enough pine to grow another forest! I’m sick of it! Don’t even get me started on all the times Moomin’s woken me up early the last how many hibernations because he announces to the whole house he’s awake by shouting your name first thing!”

Snufkin was now intensely flustered at this point and resenting every last undignified moment of it. The way Little My sharpened her words on that last statement did its job to remind him of how Moomin liltingly mumbled his name in his sleep earlier.

Still, personal mortification aside, Snufkin reviewed himself as he had done with the others.

Both he and Moomin were best friends. For Snufkin in particular, the bond he shared with Moomin went far deeper than any other dynamic he had with anyone else in Moominvalley, or general. Mean as it was to admit, Moomin’s company was the companionship he enjoyed above all others. Nearly all of Snufkin’s favorite memories were the quiet moments and adventures he spent alone together with Moomin.

They’ve known each other for many years, both well versed in knowing each other’s likes, dislikes, preferences, values, secrets no one else knew, etc. They didn’t like everything about each other, not truly, but that was an unrealistic expectation to have that many are often misinformed and fooled into thinking otherwise (societal conformity was a ruthless conspiracy that MUST be undermined, but he digressed). Nevertheless, when you truly loved someone, you did so accepting everything about them. Warts and all.

And Snufkin did love Moomin. As any good best friend should, but that was all there was to it.

Little My must have picked up on some nuances while observing his friendship with Moomin and misconstrued a few things.

So he told himself, anyways. That had to be it. The way his chest bloomed with the warmth of a well-kindled hearth whenever Moomin smiled, how his heartbeat fluttered madly when Moomin pulled him along by the hand, wherein longing plagued his soul with each departure for winter but was lifted every reunion in spring. It was only high platonic affection between friends, nothing more like what Little My was implying.

Now just why could he not speak the words to refute her claims?

“Even if this were true,” which it WASN’T, Snufkin enunciated tersely. “Then why did you send Sniff out to get smelling salts if we’re trying this strategy?”

“Just because I’m right about you two dummies being so obnoxiously and obviously in love doesn’t mean I know this ‘true love’s kiss’ nonsense is the right cure,” Little My snarked back. “Whether or not it is, it’s only going to work on Moomin, so we’d still need to find other ways to wake the other three up. Herbal smelling salts was the last thing on the list of things left to try before we go talk to the Witch, so I figured we’d save time having Sniff go get some from Mr. Hemulen while we took care of this. Besides, would you really want Sniff here to witness you try ‘true love’s kiss’ on Moomin? Or let him know he was right about his dumb idea?”

Snufkin tugged his hat further down over his eyes while trying not to cringe at that horrendous thought. “…Point taken.”

“I’m glad we understand each other now.” Little My said with false cheer. “Now hurry up and do it already before Sniff gets back! He’s an idiot, but not completely incompetent, so I wager you’ve got another five minutes left before you’ll be forced to do it with him present.”

Snufkin pointedly thought about how he’d most certainly rather have no audience at all for what he was about to do, but he wasn’t going to waste anymore time than he already had. Little My’s teasing he could tolerate; hers combined with Sniff’s would be completely unbearable.

Stars above, she actually did intend for him to do this.

He took a deep breath in then out, followed by carefully removing his treasured green hat, exposing his messy auburn hair. This was really happening. Not at all were the circumstances ideal or appropriate to his liking, but desperate times called for desperate matters.

This is NOT going to work, he affirmed to himself. Of this, he was certain. He spared one last look at Moomin’s face under the blissful lull of the sleep spell. …But, for his sake, I will try.

For Moomin, he would do anything.

It was nothing magnificent. Nothing showy or dramatic or even on the lips. Snufkin merely planted a small, quick peck on Moomin’s cheek.

No response.

Snufkin sighed dejectedly as he placed his hat back on. He then turned to face Little My to inform her this too was a failure, who he could tell was squaring up to berate him on how he “did it wrong”.

But before either of them could say a word, Moomin abruptly shot up with his eyes wide open.

“SNUFKIN!!”

His name.

The first thing Moomin said when he woke up. Was his name.

Wait, Moomin was AWAKE!

But if Moomin was awake now, that meant the kiss worked. But if the kiss WORKED, then that meant–

Snufkin burned redder than the scarlet sunsets he loved watching, completely rigid as though the Lady of the Cold had frozen him solid after meeting her icy gaze. Now if only she were here and would be so kind as to claim his soul as well so he didn’t have to deal with this.

“You okay?” Moomin asked softly, worried by his dear friend’s distress.

Moomin’s soft voice combined with the gentle caress of his furred paw across his left cheek was going to be his end. Of this, Snufkin was certain. At least he hoped, as after the last time he made such a declaration of certainty, he was confirmed as Moomin’s real true love despite being so positive that he wasn’t.

Too much.

Too much. Too much. Too much. Too much. Too much.

He could not deal with this.

He needed an out. He needed out. Now.

Get him out of this. Get him away.

Give him a hole to bury himself in so he could disappear and forget and never have to deal with this.

“Snufkin, can you hear me? Are you sick? You’re really red and feel pretty warm. Why is my face and pillow all wet? And why is Little My laughing so hard?” Moomin fretted.

Little My only laughed harder and eventually fell off the bed. This did not prompt her wheezing mirth to cease in the slightest. Moomin only grew more confused and lost, asking many more questions that went unanswered.

Snufkin just shut down. He figured if willed it hard enough, his physical body would disappear along with his mind.

He could not deal with this.

Chapter Text

Unfortunately, Snufkin was forced to deal with it much sooner that he would have liked.

“I got the smelling salts!” Sniff shouted as he burst in, holding a handful of them high in the air like a trophy. His arrival only served to confuse Moomin more.

“Sniff?”

Sniff’s mouth fell agape. “Moomin?! Y-You’re awake! You’re actually awake, but how!?”

Little My let out a very unladylike snort and cackled all the louder, clutching her stomach.

“I don’t know!” Moomin huffed. “No one will tell me!”

Sniff looked between Little My’s laughing fit on the floor, to a very bewildered and on edge Moomin still sitting in bed, then to Snufkin by the window, who kept his head bowed, his face obscured under the hat’s brim, and doing everything else to avoid looking anyone in the eye. No matter how many times he looked at each of them, Sniff couldn’t make heads or tails of what could’ve happened while he was gone.

“Ahahahahahaha! Hahaha I…I… *wheeze* I KNEW IT! Haha! I WAS RIGHT!! *snort* IN! YOUR! FACE! SNUFKIN! Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!” Little My guffawed with utter triumph, tears now pricking her eyes.

Moomin gave a helpless shrug when Sniff turned back his way. Snufkin remained uncomfortably silent, tensing as he felt their eyes directed at him again.

“What does that me–?”

“That doesn’t matter right now!” Snufkin bit out, making the others jump at the suddenness. Even Little My instantly quieted when he cast a loury black look her direction. “We still have to wake up Moominmamma, Moominpappa and Snorkmaiden. Let me see the salts!”

“H-Here!” Sniff offered timidly, flinching as Snufkin snatched several of them from his paw.

“I’m going to try these on Moominmamma and pappa. You try those on Snorkmaiden.” Snufkin said shortly as he made a swift exit from Moomin’s room, not quite slamming the door behind him.

The room was silent apart from Little My’s more sobered snickers, which she barely contained from resurfacing from behind her hands once Snufkin left.

“Snorkmaiden? Mama and Papa? What’s going on?” Moomin pleaded for answers as he turned to Snorkmaiden and attempted to rouse her. “Snorkmaiden? Snorkmaiden! Why won’t she wake up?”

Snufkin released the breath he was holding as he stood outside the door, listening in for a few moments while Little My and Sniff explained the situation.

Upon determining he was in the clear that Little My wouldn’t be sharing with Moomin how he was woken up, he made his way towards Moominmamma and Moominpappa’s room. With each step in his descent down the stairs, the mumrik fought to control his breathing and frazzled nerves.

He needed to focus. There were more pressing matters at hand that needed his attention.

The kiss situation would have to be addressed later.

Hopefully never and they’d all just forget this ever happened instead.

“I have to admit I’m rather worried about the Moomins,” Mr. Hemulen sighed. He had arrived with Sniff after giving him the salts and waited outside for any news in the Moomins’ predicament. Unfortunately, the smelling salts had no effect on Moominmamma, Moominpappa or Snorkmaiden. “At least it worked to wake one of you up, Moomin. I haven’t the slightest idea why it only worked on you, though.”

“But that’s the thing, Mr. Hemulen. They weren’t what woke me up.” Moomin said.

Mr. Hemulen blinked. “Really? Then how did you wake up?”

“No, it was definitely the salts, Moomin. You were pretty out of it when you came around, so maybe you don’t remember.” Snufkin said, trying to end the conversation again.

“Nuh uh! I didn’t smell anything when I woke up!” Moomin shot back.

“Maybe we used an odorless one, then.” the mumrik deflected easily, though he fought to keep his reply even.

“That’s not possible! All of those smelling salts I made have a strong and distinct aroma!” Mr. Hemulen refuted passionately.

“And Moomin was already awake before I came back, so you didn’t have the salts to use yet either.” Sniff unhelpfully added, further disproving the white lie he tried to maintain.

Little My had wisely not informed Moomin or anyone else about the truth, even after Snufkin stopped eavesdropping. It still didn’t stop her from sniggering and constantly on the verge of another full blown fit at his expense each time someone tried to pry for the answer.

“That’s not important now. What is, is that Moomin is awake, but the others are not, and how Moomin woke up was a special circumstance that cannot be recreated with the others either. Now can we just focus on helping the others!” Snufkin snapped.

After a breath, he added quietly, “Thank you for trying to help, Mr. Hemulen.”

“No trouble at all.” said Mr. Hemulen, getting up to leave. “Well, I best be getting on. Best of luck with helping the others.”

Moomin wished him farewell while his friends wordlessly watched him leave. Snufkin had to bite his tongue so not to lash out again when all attention was on him once more. They looked to him because he’s reliable when it comes to solving problems. They trusted his judgment and unofficial leadership in such dilemmas, he had to remind himself. How Moomin expressly regarded him as if he had all the answers (despite that not being remotely true), coupled with such abject concern that struck pain in his core–

Breathe. In. Out. In. And out.

His agitation was climbing, and retreating to solitude in order to properly recuperate was not a luxury he could indulge in at the moment. They still needed to get to the bottom of this mess, and they needed him. Moomin needed his help to free his parents and Snorkmaiden. A structure was not stable without its foundation.

Keep it together. Keep it together.

“Why didn’t you tell him about the Witch and the spell?” Sniff asked.

“It’s just an idea I got. Ideas can be embarrassing if you’re wrong, so don’t tell anyone for the time being.” Snufkin replied more calmly than he felt.

“Alright.” said Sniff.

Snufkin then announced his departure, Little My echoing him, while Sniff acknowledged them with a nod and an “okay”.

“Snufkin, wait up!” Moomin called after them. “Are you really going to see the Witch?”

“Yes, and you need to stay here with Sniff.” Snufkin replied.

“What? Why can’t I go with you and Little My?” Moomin argued.

“Because the Witch doesn't know you’re awake, and I’d like to keep it that way. It’s for your safety.” Snufkin rebuked, trying not to take an unkind tone with Moomin.

Moomin crossed his arms. “What’s going on with you, Snufkin? I know something’s bothering you. Is it what happened with how I woke up?”

Little My snorted again.

Not this again, Snufkin exhaled sharply. “Please don’t make this difficult, Moomin. I’ve already told you that’s not important.”

“You say that, but I think it is from the way you keep avoiding the question! I wouldn't have to keep asking if someone would just–”

“Guys, look! There’s Alicia!” Little My cut in.

Snufkin and Moomin followed her finger pointing out towards the meadow. A girl with a stock of long red hair came striding their way.

“Hi, everyone! It’s me!” she called out from a distance, waving her hand high.

“What are you going to tell her?” Little My prompted.

Snufkin sighed. “We better tell her the truth, I guess.”

Little My got the hint from the low undercurrent of his voice that she was to keep a certain piece of that truth withheld. And she would, for now. She could still laugh at him either way whenever it was brought up.

“Happy Spring, everyone! Little My, Sniff, Snufkin! And Moomin! You’re awake, too!” Alicia grinned.

“Yeah, I am. But apparently, I’ve overslept a whole week.” Moomin informed her.

“Huh?”

“The Moomins and Snorkmaiden are stuck in a deep sleep. Sniff and I tried nearly everything to wake them up, and nothing works.” Little My added.

“I only just returned to Moominvalley earlier today and was brought up to speed on the dilemma,” Snufkin continued. “From the looks of it, I think it’s the work of a magic spell.”

“She didn’t! I can’t believe this!” Alicia exclaimed, balling her fists. “Grandma told me as I left that she knew the Moomins would still be hibernating! That I wouldn’t be able to see them because they were still sleeping! There’s no way she could’ve known unless she had something to do with it.”

“So she is responsible!” Little My piped in.

“But if Grandma cast the spell on everyone who was hibernating in Moominhouse, how is it that you’re awake, Moomin?” Alicia asked.

Moomin threw his hands in the air. “That’s what I want to know!”

Snufkin suppressed a groan when Little My cracked up again.

Would no one let up on that already?!

“A special circumstance that we were unable to replicate with the others. As for how? It’s. Not. Important.” Snufkin recited for the fourth time, pinching the bridge of his nose as his ears turned pink. “And would you please stop laughing, already? It wasn’t even remotely funny, Little My!”

“Oh, but it was! And it still is!” the mymble girl chortled. Snufkin spoke again before that annoying line of questioning could be brought up again.

“Little My and I were just about to head out to the forest to speak with your grandmother when you arrived, while Moomin and Sniff stayed to watch over things here.”

“But I said I don’t want to stay here!” Moomin protested. “I want to go with you two and actually help!”

“And you can help. You can help the most by staying here with Sniff to watch over the others.” Snufkin assured. Please don’t fight me on this. Moomin. I need you here where I know you’re safe.

“But–”

“I agree with Snufkin,” Alicia said. “If Grandma really did do this, she won’t react well if she sees you when we confront her.”

Snufkin bit his tongue to keep from expressing his appreciation towards Alicia so overtly in front of Moomin.

“Alright, I’ll stay,” Moomin gave in. “but you gotta promise you’ll be safe and return soon. Or else I’m going after you!”

“We will.” Snufkin answered with a soft calm. Now if only his heart would do the same.

“I promise, Moomin. When I see Grandma again, I’ll make her undo the spell if it’s the last thing I do!” Alicia swore.

As the three strode through the forest, Alicia marched with stomping footsteps, anger taut in her expression.

“The best thing would be for me to talk to her first.” she bridled.

“I agree.” Snufkin concurred. The Witch would not acknowledge him or Little My the way she would her granddaughter. That, and he had little doubt that he’d be able to keep himself in check if he were allowed to give his two cents.

“She's unbelievable, how could she!” Alicia continued to grumble all the way to the Witch’s cottage.

She startled both her companions and her grandmother as she harshly kicked the door open. The Witch nearly spilled the blue liquid contents of her pitcher before righting herself to pour it slowly into another pot through a cloth topped with potpourri. What it was for or what it did was anyone’s guess.

“I could hardly believe you could be so mean, Grandma!” Alicia admonished.

“Calm down, my dear.” the Witch rasped. “Why, I did it all for you, Alicia.”

Both Snufkin and Little My seized up.

“You did it for me!?” Alicia demanded after recovering from her cursory surprise.

“If the Moomins are asleep, then why should you go there? It’ll do them a world of good too, a long sleep.” the Witch replied nonchalantly.

“How ridiculous, Grandmother!”

“Alicia, you’ve been doing rather well in your studies,” the elder magic user commented, gathering the cloth and folding it before walking towards one of her shelves. “and if you keep at it, I see no reason why you shouldn’t be a fully-fledged witch before 30.”

Alicia glared at her grandmother’s turned back, her eye twitching. “And if I do see the Moomins, I won’t be a fully-fledged witch until I’m 31? Is that what you mean!?”

“Now, the Moomins are a very bad influence on you! They’re so disgustingly good, and if you want to be a witch, you mustn’t see them!” the Witch declared.

Snufkin and Little My shared a look. As decided on the walk over, they left the talking to Alicia while they remained silent observers.

Neither Snufkin nor Little My could see Alicia’s face from behind, but they did notice how her posture slacked under her grandmother’s unmoving gaze. They also heard her resigned sigh. “And if I promise not to go to Moominvalley again, will you lift the spell, Grandma?”

“Good girl! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!” the Witch rejoiced, clapping her hands together. “So do you promise me, Alicia?”

Snufkin bristled. Anger was somewhat of a foreign feeling for him, as his temper was never a beast that needed constant taming. Nevertheless, he wasn’t immune from having his limits pushed. The Park Keeper, for instance, with those signs and rules and daring to desecrate nature with them, and Stinky being…well, Stinky, constantly causing trouble for everyone. Still, he couldn’t recall at any point feeling the levels of bubbling fury he felt inside him now.

The Witch trying to care for Alicia’s best interests was a noble endeavor, but only on the surface. What she had actually done was force Alicia to bend to her bidding, manipulate her granddaughter in a most callous way to cut ties with the Moomins. Then when the initial ploy failed, she turned to blackmailing Alicia to achieve the same result using the Moomins as a bargaining chip.

Furthermore, the Witch clearly had little regard for how her actions impacted anyone else but herself. Apart from upsetting Alicia and taking away her choice to have friends, what exactly did she intend for the Moomins? By forcing them to sleep, they couldn’t make any choices for themselves anymore, or even live out their lives. Was the spell specifically designed to sustain them completely whilst trapped in a permanent sleep, or would they still require the basic necessities for survival that they could not access voluntarily? What if Sniff and Little My had not discovered them sooner? Would they have starved or worse?

How would the rest of Moominvalley handle such a loss? The Moomins had many loved ones who cared about them outside of blood relations. The grief would be great. Snufkin couldn’t fathom the thought of returning after another winter only to find Moomin gone forever.

His composure was slipping, his body trembling furiously, and he couldn’t find a care to hold it in anymore.

“No.”

Alicia gasped at his interruption, clapping her hands over her mouth while Little My eyed him with some semblance of respect. The Witch, on the other hand, was not amused.

“Excuse me? What did you just say?” the Witch enquired dangerously.

“Alicia does not agree to your terms. Neither do we.” Snufkin repeated, undaunted.

The Witch growled at him. “You don’t have a say in this!”

“But I do! It’s not just you or Alicia who’s been affected by what you’ve done! The Moomins and Snorkmaiden are our friends too! You aren’t just taking them out of Alicia’s life, but ours as well! And that’s something I won’t stand for!” Snufkin shot back, outraged at this point. “And it seems that we were right from the start about you! That you are a cruel and heartless witch! You also don’t have Alicia’s best intentions in mind at all! You just want to control her and bend her to your will like everyone else who gets in your way!”

The Witch let out an unholy screech and shot her ragged hands forward. Snufkin barely had time to cry out when several vines and thorny creepers erupted from the ground and ensnared him. Unlike the first time with the rope that turned into a snake, these bindings pricked and tore at his clothes and skin with their briars, and continued to constrict tighter and tighter.

“Either one of you takes a step, my vines squeeze out his last breath!” the Witch hissed angrily at Alicia and Little My, who grumbled but stayed where they were. Once sure neither of them would disobey, she addressed her captive. “Need I remind you of who you’re dealing with here!”

“You’re only proving my point!” Snufkin bit out defiantly, despite the vines wrapping around him making it difficult for him to breathe.

“Perhaps, but it still remains that I have the high ground!” the Witch contended, trailing a clawed nail across Snufkin’s jawline. “Still the same naive young man trying to play the hero, I see. I have to say, you’ve got guts. Perhaps you could still be of some use to me…”

The mumrik flinched at her touch, squirming to get away. No matter how hard he fought, he knew there was nothing he could do against the Witch’s power. He had no idea what she was considering to do with him, but he was at her mercy and completely helpless to stop her.

“Snufkin!!”

All the girls gasped at Moomin’s unexpected arrival. As for Snufkin, dread gripped him tighter than the bindings, leaving him choking on the heart in his throat.

“Moomin, you were supposed to stay home! What are you doing here?!” Snufkin clamored fearfully, still wrestling against the binds.

“Don’t worry, Snufkin! I’m coming!” Moomin called out, darting towards his best friend. “And I said that I’d come after you guys if you weren’t home soon! You guys were taking too long, so here I am! A good thing too, from the looks of things!”

“How are you awake?! My spell was cast on everyone hibernating in that house!” the Witch demanded, blocking him from coming any closer.

“My friends woke me up!” Moomin yelled at her, uncharacteristically angry. “Now let Snufkin go right now!”

“Nonsense! There's no way they should’ve been able to! There’s only one way the spell could’ve been lifted if not directly by my hand! And that’s through playing a musical instrument enchanted by my spell, which I know did not happen as you’d need the enchantment from me! Unless…” the Witch trailed off irascibly, as she took a closer look at how the intrepid mumrik was eying that meddlesome moomin. Shock overtook her features before they curdled into wrathful indignation. “…Oooooh drat it all! How could I overlook such things!?”

Moomin gave her an odd look. “What do you mean?”

“How your pesky friends were able to wake you up! That annoying magic cure-all! That blasted ‘true love’s kiss’!” the Witch cursed, stomping up and down while shaking her fists. “Why didn’t I realize it sooner?! It was there from the start since I first met them!”

Moomin’s eyes went comically wide and Little My couldn’t help but belly over laughing all over again.

“…What?” Moomin all but squeaked out. He was able to wake up because of the what?

“You were woken up by a kiss from your true love, you dolt! Of all the rotten luck!” the Witch snipped.

It took another moment for Moomin to process her words and what they meant. He finally had his answer to how he woke up from the spell, yet he was still lost. Snorkmaiden was still asleep, so it wasn’t her. Sniff showed up a few minutes after he woke up, and there was no way it was Little My that kissed him, so that meant–

“…Snufkin?” Moomin whispered.

He watched with a heavy heart how his best friend didn’t say a word, ducking his head low and angling it so he looked anywhere but at him. Only adding to Moomin’s distress was how Snufkin looked to be trembling in the grip of the vines. Seeing Snufkin…brave, incredible, amazing Snufkin, who they all aspired to some degree to be like, in such a vulnerable state provoked something awful in the young troll.

“You listen here, Witch! You did a terrible, nasty thing casting that spell!” Moomin rounded on the Witch, ignoring Snufkin’s gasping pleas for him to escape. “Just like you’re doing now to Snufkin! Please, just let him go! Let my parents and Snorkmaiden go too! What you’re doing is mean and wrong!”

“Really, Moomin? That’s the best you could think of?” Little My snarked, no longer laughing.

The Witch gave him a cruel smile. “And why should I?”

“You’re hurting him! Please!” Moomin begged, terrified for Snufkin’s safety. “I don’t want us to be enemies! None of us do! We really like Alicia! We all just want to be friends! Please…just let him go, let the others go, and we can just start over fresh.”

“I could. Or! I could just get rid of all you pests once and for all and be rid of you forever as I should have done from the beginning!” the Witch bellowed as she grabbed Snufkin by a tuft of his hair, knocking off his hat as she forcefully lifted his head upwards. “Starting with this fetching young man right here!”

“NO!!!” Moomin screamed with despair.

“If you do, then you can forget about training me anymore, Grandma!” Alicia shouted.

The Witch actually faltered. “A-Alicia?”

“If you don’t let them go and lift the spell you put on the others, I’m going back home! I don’t want to be a witch or learn from you anymore if you’re only going to teach me to become just as mean and nasty as you!” Alicia threatened.

“Y-You don’t mean that! It’s your dream to learn magic!” the Witch sputtered.

“I do! And if anything irreversible happens to the Moomins or their friends, I’ll never forgive you either!” Alicia said without remorse.

Once more the relatives stared each other down. This time around, it was Alicia who was victorious.

“Alright! What do I have to do to change your mind!” the Witch relented.

“First, you’re going to let Snufkin go. Then, you’re going to swear on your magic that you’ll undo the spell on the others, and that you’ll ONLY use your powers in Moominvalley if it’s to help someone or doesn’t affect anyone who lives there! No tricks, no lies, no deceptions of any kind!” Alicia stated sternly.

“What!?” the Witch shrieked. “You can’t be serious, Alicia!”

“And I want to be allowed to play with the Moomins and their friends once I finish my chores and studies for the day,” Alicia added with a smirk.

“Now that’s just cruel of you!” the Witch whined.

Alicia shrugged. “Those are my terms if you want to keep training me and for me to forgive you. Take it or leave it.”

“Fine, fine! I accept your terms!” the Witch muttered, releasing her grip on the mumrik’s hair and mumbling gibberish-sounding magic words at the vines.

At this, the vines dispersed. Snufkin dropped to his knees in a heap, sucking in air in heaps into his lungs after being deprived of it. Moomin and Little My ran to his side to help him stand.

“Snufkin! Oh Snufkin, what did she do to you this time?!” Moomin fussed. “Remember to take deep breaths. Can you tell me what hurts? Are you bleeding anywhere?”

“Moomin, don’t crowd and bombard him with questions!” Little My scolded, only to add in a softer tone towards her mumrik friend, “We’ve got you, pal.”

“Thank you, Grandma!” Alicia cheered, giving her grandmother a small hug.

“Feh!” the Witch dismissed, but internally pleased to be back in her granddaughter’s good graces again. “Alright then, the spell. Snufkin–”

“What do you want with Snufkin now!?” Moomin demanded, standing in between the Witch and his best friend. “You stay away from him!”

The Witch only huffed. “You do want the spell lifted, don’t you? In order to do that, I need to speak with him.”

“Yeah, right!” snapped Little My. “Come any closer, and I’ll bite your feet off! Go ahead and try me if you don’t think I–”

“It’s alright,” Snufkin said, silencing his friends as he stood back up and returned his hat to its rightful place. He was a little shaky and off-balanced when he got back on his feet, but evened himself out in only a few moments. Once sure that he wouldn’t fall over the moment he moved, Snufkin approached the Witch.

“Impressive.” she observed.

“What do you want?” he leveled with her harshly. He was in no mood to be toyed around with any more than he already had that day.

“As I’ve already said, there are a few ways to lift the spell.” the Witch restated. “Now I could go back out and say the magic words outside their windows–”

“No, Grandma! That’s not a good idea!” Alicia cut her off, fed up.

“Right, right. Other people might be upset with me for casting a spell on the Moomins and wouldn’t take kindly to seeing me,” she mused, Snufkin curled his lip slightly at how blasé she remained on the severity of what she had done. “So therefore then, Snufkin, I guess I have no choice but to ask you to perform the task.”

A gasp escaped Snufkin. From the corner of his eye, he could see Moomin tense up, looking uneasily back and forth between his best friend and the Witch standing so close to him. Snufkin wasn’t very keen on her proximity to him either, and now she saying undoing the spell and the lives of the others were in his hands to free?

“…But why me?” he voiced lowly after a pause.

“It’s like I told you, one of the ways to undo the spell is to play a tune on a musical instrument enchanted with my magic.” the Witch reiterated. “You do have your harmonica with you?”

“Of course.” he answered warily.

“Let me have it, please.” the Witch inclined with an outstretched hand.

“How do I know you’ll keep your word that what you’re about to do will lift the spell?” Snufkin challenged.

“I said I would abide to Alicia’s terms. Is my promise to my granddaughter not enough for you?”

“No. Frankly, it isn’t.” Snufkin answered bluntly. On any other day, he might have thought he was being too harsh. However, today was not any other day. And after having his deepest, most private secret made known to the last person he wanted it to be revealed to, Snufkin saw no reason to be merciful. If the Witch wanted to meet the conditions to secure getting back on good terms with Alicia, she’d have to earn his cooperation. “You did say you agreed to her terms, but I need to hear you say it. That you swear by your magic that this isn’t a trick!”

The Witch turned to her grandchild. “Alicia–”

“Just do it, Grandma.” Alicia said. “I want you to say it too so you don’t try to worm your way out of this by a technicality or anything.”

The Witch let out a long-suffering sigh. “Alright! I swear on my magic that my intentions are to lift the sleep spell, no tricks, no lies, no deceptions of any kind! Happy?”

Snufkin merely grunted and reluctantly handed her his harmonica. He watched her closely, vowing in his gaze that under no uncertain terms if any damage befell the only material possession he valued, there would be hell to pay. Fortunately, the Witch merely held it gingerly in her hand, waving the other around and above it as she spoke the incantation.

“Eldritch Kabbalah Soung. Eldritch Kabbalah Soung. Eldritch Kabbalah Soung. Eldritch–” she abruptly halted her chanting as she noticed four sets of eyes peering over her shoulder. “If you don’t stop staring, my witchcraft won’t be as effective! Alicia! Get me that next potion, now!”

“Ooooh…alright, Grandmother.” Alicia said with a melodramatic sigh. How her grandma could be so difficult and demanding sometimes. All the same, she obliged, making her way towards the shelves while the Witch made a harried retreat to another part of the house for privacy from unwanted eyes.

“Sooooo, she can’t do it if we look at her, huh?” Little My inquired, shuffling her feet as she and her friends glanced at the Witch continuing her incantation huddled by the fireplace.

Snufkin shrugged. He really didn’t care. He was tired and wanted this whole mess over and done with.

Moomin opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately decided against it. Now was not the time or place to ask Snufkin about the ‘true love’s kiss’ thing.

Once the Witch finished her enchantment and gave the rest of her instructions, Snufkin left with Moomin and Little My back to Moominvalley post haste. She explained how she magicked Snufkin’s beloved harmonica so that when he played it outside Moominhouse, it would have the same effect to reverse the spell as it would if the Witch recited the magic words to do the deed herself. Snufkin was still bitter about the whole ordeal and had more than a few doubts about how much he trusted the Witch’s word despite her “assurances”, but nonetheless followed the directions to the letter.

Luckily, much to everyone’s relief, Snufkin performing Moomin’s his new spring tune once more outside Moominhouse did the trick. Moomin gleefully welcomed his parents and Snorkmaiden back from their extended hibernation and to the arrival of spring. As did Sniff and Little My, along with what looked to be everyone else in the Valley, having come descending upon the Moomin residence in a crowded mass and demanding a very confused Inspector to do something about the odd sleep situation.

Snufkin didn’t linger around long enough to see what happened after Moomin informed him that the song worked. He left without another word, vanishing into parts of the Valley unknown to anyone but himself to be alone. Upon locating a distant enough spot where he knew he wouldn’t be heard or found, Snufkin allowed himself to finally unleash it all.

All the bottled up frustrations, the anger, the anguish, the hurt, the fear, the confusion, the screams, the tears, he let it all out and didn’t hold back. The experience was jarring and more that a little frightening with how unfamiliar and unaccustomed it was to the mumrik, but by Jove did he feel better afterwards. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but he no longer felt like he was going to burst from holding it in any longer.

At first, Snufkin did feel more rejuvenated once he woke up the following morning after venting his withheld emotions until he exhausted himself into a dreamless sleep yesterday. However, he decided he needed a few days to himself in order to recover completely from the incident that made him undergo getting so hot and bothered like that. Later that evening, he returned to the riverside to pack up his things and relocate to a more secluded area elsewhere. The tears nearly returned when he found a note attached to his tent from Moomin expressing to his best friend to take all the time he needed and would be there when he was ready to come back, along with a few prepared meals in a pack courtesy of Moominmamma.

Three days later, and the unwanted feelings returned. Another several days passed after that, and they only grew more in intensity. Snufkin soon lost all zeal to play music, to hike, to even fish apart from necessity for meals in that time. He hardly even arose from his tent or left the comfort of his pillow and blanket other than to eat, after which he would return back to sleep. Then after a point, not even sleep was any solace from the feelings that haunted him, adapting to continue tormenting him in vicious nightmares.

What was going on? Why were these awful feelings persisting? He couldn’t return to Moomin and the others in this state, but it seemed the longer he stayed away, the worse he got. Yet, the idea that he no longer could find reprieve in his solitude exacerbated his emotional distress as well. Why wasn’t it working anymore?

After another few days, Snufkin could no longer take it. Just being in Moominvalley was too much for him to handle anymore. Thus, he came to the hardest decision he’s ever had to make: that he would leave to go South or elsewhere especially early this year. Anywhere but here for a time, in hopes that would allow him to recover properly. If not…he could only hope the others wouldn’t scorn him too much for his final farewells being detailed in a note left tacked against a tree on the South trail he always took.

How appropriate that said tree so happened to be a pine.

He could practically hear Little My’s laughter at the irony.

With one last mournful glance at Moominhouse in the distance, Snufkin set off on his way. He tuned everything out as he walked, his feet moving on their own. Snufkin prided himself on traveling wherever his feet took him, but in that moment, he felt nothing. Only the persevering numbness of the hollow husk he degraded into since the day he returned.

That one day that ruined everything.

Snufkin kicked himself for thinking that. He did not regret saving Moomin and the others from an eternal sleep, nor would he ever. But oh, how he wished the events leading up to that resolution had not gone as they did. Snufkin cursed the Witch for putting him and the others through that mess. For violating the freedom of choice on himself among several others, and unceremoniously forcing his most personal private secrets of the heart out in the open. Secrets he never intended to reveal any time soon, if ever. The option he had of doing so cruelly taken from him.

To a lesser extent, he also cursed Sniff for ever suggesting that stupid idea of using true love’s kiss to lift the spell. As well as himself for giving in so easily to Little My’s goading him into doing it. Had he not held his ground and refused, had he not been so weak, were it not for those cursed deeper forbidden feelings his heart traitorously developed for Moomin–

Snufkin hissed as his chest constricted all over.

Moomin.

The one these feelings and thoughts for wouldn’t leave. Spared him no moment’s peace the last how many days. How could he have let this happen? Attachments of friendship he came to allow were one thing, but this? Love meant taking roots. Settling into a permanent place. Such attachments of that kind jeopardized his way of life. Imperiled his freedom and defied his very nature. Sacrificing that was non-negotiable.

It would never work. It could just never be. Not just for him, but it wouldn’t be fair to Moomin either. Moomin deserved far better than he could ever provide. Someone who could settle and be a constant in his life at all times of the year. Someone who would be dependable. Not a tramp that couldn’t handle that kind of inseparability. Snufkin knew in his mind this to be true, yet truth brought no respite, only more pain–

No.

He would move on.

So would Moomin.

Moomin would find love and happiness elsewhere. And he would get over this silly infatuation folly.

The whole kiss nonsense was nothing but a fluke! It had to have been something else! Whatever that was, he didn’t know, but it wasn’t that!

His breath hitched as the ache retaliated again, knees buckling as he suddenly felt his foot slip out from underneath–

“SNUFKIN!!”

It all happened in a blur. One second he was falling, then he was yanked back as he yelped when he lost his footing. Snufkin then hit the ground on his back, his rucksack cushioning his fall, with a familiar weight landing on top of him.

When he reopened his eyes, it was like regaining awareness for the first time after conquering a hard fought battle against the delirium of a fever dream. The trail. He was a relatively short, yet sizable distance from Moominvalley from where he was. He had reached the point where the trail followed close to the river, the rushing roar of the water now surging in his ears. His face paled as he found the spot where he had slipped, right where the rapids began at this part of the river and where he knew the currents to be the strongest…at their most deadly. Had he fallen in–

Then he remembered the weight on top of him. The soft and familiar white fur of someone he held so very dearly to his heart. Someone he was trying to spare from any further pain he would undoubtedly cause if he remained.

“Moomin?”

Snufkin tensed at the abrupt hug that followed.

“I know I promised I’d leave you alone until you came back on your terms, but I saw you just now, and you were carrying all your things with you, and I got worried so I followed a bit just to watch and see how you were!” Moomin blubbered a mile a minute. “I swear it was only supposed to be for a minute, but then I realized what direction you were heading and how you were stumbling as you walked, then when you almost fell in the rapids, I couldn’t–”

It rattled Snufkin to the bone when the words were interrupted by a loud sob. That he only then noticed the wetness on his coat from where Moomin’s face was pressed against him.

Moomin was crying.

“Moomin…”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Snufkin! I’m sorry about everything that happened that day! That you were forced to go through that and you had to learn about it like that! I promise I won’t cage you or keep you trapped, I don’t want to take that from you at all! I miss you so much when you leave, but it’s an important part of you and I accept it, no matter how much it hurts because it means so much to you! I don’t want take away your choice and freedoms from doing what you want, but I don’t want you to leave and never come back because of what my heart selfishly wants either! I just don’t know what to do! How do I fix this? How do I make you happy again? I care about you so much it hurts! It hurts to think that I can’t care about you this way, but it hurts you more that I do and I just want it to stop so you don’t hurt anymore because that hurts me twice as much! Why did that mean ol’ witch have to cast that nasty spell and put you through so much pain!? I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry!”

The young troll then dissolved into incomprehensible bawling, clinging tightly to Snufkin yet paradoxically kept attempting to pull away before tightening his hold again. As if fighting between which of their needs to treat more: his own touch starved comfort and security (which only occurred to Snufkin then was something he had been unknowingly yearning for) or the perceived breathing space Moomin believed Snufkin wanted thinking he was being suffocated by the former.

Even in the broken state that he was, Moomin was still trying to put his needs first before his own. Snufkin’s heart broke in two as he processed all that Moomin had said.

Wow, he really was blind. And an even bigger fool to boot.

Stars above, what had he done?

“No, Moomin. Oh Moomin, how could you even say that any of this was your fault?” Snufkin hushed, awkwardly returning the hug while trying not to break down himself.

“I got you into this whole mess with the sleep spell–”

“That was all the Witch’s doing. You succumbing to her spell while in hibernation was nothing you could’ve avoided unless she hadn’t cast it at all.” Snufkin cut in, retreating only to unhook himself from his rucksack straps in order to sit upright before clasping his hands in Moomin’s paws.

Moomin refused to be placated. “But what kind of friend breaks his own promise to keep his distance?! To disrespect something that means so much to you!?”

“Moomin, you breaking that promise is what saved my life. You were here to catch me when I would’ve been lost to the rapids if you hadn’t followed.” Snufkin asserted with vehemence, shuddering as he thought about his near-brush with death. “Sometimes, you need to break promises for the greater good, like you did just now. …I owe you my life.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Snufkin!” Moomin beseeched. “I just need for you to be safe and okay! That…That was so scary! Even more scary than the times the Witch captured you! I’d give anything, anything at all, even my own life to never have anything like that happen to you again!”

“Don’t say that–”

“Why not!?” Moomin then shouted, suddenly cross. “It doesn’t matter if you like it, but it’s the truth! A sad, ugly truth, but the truth all the same! What should it matter to you anyways if you’re just going to leave and never come back!?”

“Because as much as it would hurt you if anything were to happen to me, I can’t even think about how much it would hurt me should the same or worse ever happen to you!” Snufkin confessed, more frantic and desperate than he would’ve liked.

Silence reigned between them for some time after that. Only the shakiness of their breathing from the shock of the admission. Snufkin could only look Moomin in the eyes for so long before bowing his head, ashamed. All the anger evaporated between them, leaving behind only the hurt and guilt.

He said it. It was out in the open now.

There was no going back.

“The Witch is to blame for being the catalyst to this whole ordeal, but for everything else after the spell was lifted, the fault is mine,” Snufkin said, voice breaking every other word. “I was the one that ran away to avoid the remaining unresolved loose ends, who needlessly made you and the others worry so much over my prolonged absence…all for being such a spineless coward–”

“Snufkin!”

“–too afraid to acknowledge or accept what my own heart was telling me! I rejected the notion because not only could I not believe it would be requited, it was driving a wedge between my attachments and my nature! I don’t want– I can’t make that choice between them!”

“But you don’t have to choose one or the other!” Moomin cried out.

Snufkin jerked his head up, meeting Moomin’s cerulean blue eyes with his own earthy toned pair. Like land and sea connecting at the shore. Moomin traced his thumbs over Snufkin’s eyes, clearing away the tears — when had they started falling again? — while more of his own trickled down his cheeks.

“That…That was nothing I wanted to change between us if we…you know? Not unless you decided one day you wanted that for yourself. Aside from that, you not going on your travels every winter or spending part of your time in Moominvalley to yourself was never going to be sacrificed if our friendship ever became…more.” Moomin assuaged.

“Couples always settle once they reach that point! They choose a spot to stay permanently after their relationship becomes permanent!” Snufkin whimpered. “And I can’t–”

“Settling down isn’t a must for a relationship!” Moomin proclaimed. “Sure, it’s a common thing that happens, but I don’t believe it has to be a requirement. I’m sure not every couple out there is exactly the same in that way. Besides, why should a relationship between us be ordinary or normal? Who decided the do’s and don'ts for love, anyhow? You were never one to do things like everybody else, so why should this be anything different from how you do everything else? What matters is we do what works for us and makes us happy.”

Snufkin felt the heat rise in his cheeks at that statement. An inkling of pride bloomed in his chest at how Moomin appealed to his defiance of conformity and the status quo to make his compelling argument. How he was disproving each of his fears one by one. Still, one thing remained to be addressed. “But what about Snorkmaiden? Aren’t the two of you…supposed to be involved? Isn’t she…” the better match for you? Better than I could ever be?

Moomin was quiet for a pause, looking away as he contemplated how to answer.

“I do care about Snorkmaiden. I really do, and for a long time, I did think we’d end up together like how Mama and Papa are. That I thought of her that way, like she seems to think of me.” he began carefully. “I thought a lot about it while juggling how worried I was about you when you disappeared all those days. I’ve talked to Snorkmaiden about it, too. I came to realize a few things. While I do like Snorkmaiden, how nice she is, and spending time with her…it was never really in the like-like way. Not the kind that lasted, like the kind my parents have.”

Moomin then gave a mirthless chuckle. “We argued a lot about it. We both got really upset. I hated making her sad, but it wouldn’t be fair to her if we got together and I didn’t…erm, what’s the word? When you feel the same amount that someone else does?”

“Reciprocate?” Snufkin offered, quietly amused by how Moomin pursed his lips in confusion.

“Yeah. Reciprocate the feelings she felt for me the same way. I love collecting seashells on the beach with her, but not as much as I enjoy going hiking or fishing with you. Watching the clouds or napping together in the flower meadows with her is nice, but not as much as it is stargazing with you and listening to you play the harmonica. I’m happy to see her when we meet up again after hibernation, but my heart doesn’t flutter and soar like it does when I reunite with you when you return to Moomimvalley. It doesn’t ache for her company the same way it does for yours,” Moomin spoke with reverence, surprising Snufkin again by cupping his face in his paws.

“Snorkmaiden will always have a place in my heart, but a place as a good friend, beside Sniff, Little My, and all my other friends. She doesn’t have that special place because that one’s already been taken by someone else. I can’t have that kind of love with Snorkmaiden because she’s not the one I feel that way for. Because Snorkmaiden’s not you!”

Snufkin couldn’t describe what he felt in words even if he tried. There were no words that could ever do justice to describe the feelings ignited in him invoked by Moomin’s heartfelt confession.

The very same feeling that had steadily sprouted within him over the years. The feeling he now knew to be love, which he had spent that same amount of time trying to snuff out.

He ignored and repressed it deep inside, and pretended it didn’t exist, though it only grew stronger. He refused to accost something that he was so certain could never come to pass, what he believed would only disrupt everything else he knew and cherished with undo turmoil.

But once again he was proven wrong.

This was happening and this was real.

The absolute jubilee set his entire being alight and threatened to tear his heart and soul asunder in his unparalleled elation was too much…but he wasn’t going to run away from it anymore.

“Just when I thought I knew everything there was to love about you, you still find ways to surprise me with more. I never knew you were so eloquent,” Snufkin professed, still breathless when he found his voice again. “Are you sure those words are meant for me?”

“Of course, I am!” Moomin exclaimed, before stuttering, “T-The better question is…what about you? D-Do you want to give this a try?”

Snufkin only smiled, clasping his hands back in Moomin’s. “After a stunning oration like that, how could I refuse?”

“Don’t say that unless you really mean it. It has to be your choice and what you want.” Moomin said firmly. “You also don’t need to feel you have to stay, either. I won’t stop you if you still want–”

“No, Moomin. I’ll never leave until I must in the winter. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.” Snufkin averred, giving Moomin’s paws a comforting squeeze. “How can I leave so soon when I have so much time left that’s better spent during the year with my friends…and the one I love?”

“It’s still a new thing for the both of us. There’s a lot of stuff we’d still have to figure out, maybe some obstacles as well. I’m sure it’s not going to be easy, either.” Moomin added, still nervous.

“Well Moomin, if you ask me…that sounds like another adventure!” Snufkin remarked slyly, surprising the both of them with his bout of boldness. “Do you want to embark on it together?”

“With you? Always!” Moomin beamed before sweeping the other into another embrace. “I love you, Snufkin.”

“As do I…Moomin.” Snufkin returned.

“IT’S ABOUT TIME, ALREADY!”

Both Moomin and Snufkin jolted at Little My’s interjection, flaming crimson as they spotted her further up the slope of the trail, hands on her hips looking quite done with the display from her vantage point. Snufkin did not like the implications of what this meant. How much did she hear? How much did she SEE?!

“I mean, good GRIEF! This should not have taken this long! I can’t believe you two! This should’ve happened the day after we lifted the spell, not two weeks later! Snufkin, I’m going to strangle you for putting me through a fortnight of torture dealing with Moomin’s lovesick distressed mood swings for disappearing that long and worrying the rest of us! And you were really going to try to leave before we can even finish spring, possibly for good, and break Moomin’s heart like that?!” Little My thundered as she stormed her way over towards the pair, getting up in Snufkin’s face after throwing a crumpled up ball of torn paper pieces right in his eyes.

It would seem that she had been the one to find his letter.

“You’re real lucky Moomin loves you so much and reached you before I did to knock the sense back into you!” Little My continued to scathe, poking Snufkin hard in the nose at several points despite Moomin’s repeated protests. “But don’t think for an instant that you’re off the hook for this stupid stunt! I’m going to make you pay for that, one way or another, and very soon when you least expect! And I’ll make you suffer tenfold all the years of pain your valley-wide forestry of pining has made me endure if you EVER do something this moronic again, and heavens forbid what will be in store for you if you DARE hurt Moomin! You hear me?!”

Snufkin startled the both of them by laughing. Not his usual tempered titters they were used to, but loud, barking laughter not wholly unlike Little My’s in light of Snufkin’s true love’s kiss working on Moomin.

“And just what are you laughing at!? Didn’t you hear a word I said?!” the mymble girl demanded.

“I didn’t know you cared so much, Little My.” Snufkin replied once he sobered up. “And trust I can hold you to that promise, yes?”

“You’re darn right, you can!” she spat. “I mean it! You won’t know the meaning of pain until I’m through with you if you force my hand! And I do NOT care! This was only to stop you idiots from being so insufferable all the time with all that pining!!”

“I’m sure,” Snufkin teased.

Moomin giggled. “I guess I should thank you, Little My. The Witch may have cast the spell and it was originally Sniff’s idea, but it was you who got Snufkin and I together in the end! And thanks to you, now I can do this!”

It was then that Moomin had his turn to surprise Snufkin with a show of newfound forwardness. Gently and lovingly, he nuzzled his nose against Snufkin’s, then on both of Snufkin’s cheeks. An act that the mumrik, and spectating mymble, recognized as a moomin kiss.

“Blegggh!! Don’t be gross when I’m right here! What’s the matter with you guys!? Don’t you idiots know how to do anything right!?” Little My retched. She then balked as something truly horrifying dawned on her. “Oh no, does this mean you’re gonna do nasty stuff like that all the time now!!?”

“If you stick around, you’re welcome to find out!” Snufkin ribbed, nestling his own moomin kiss on Moomin’s blushing complexion.

Little My then ran off, swearing mighty vengeance on the two in between kecks. The happy newfound couple laughed until she left their line of sight.

“Now that we’ve shared a moomin kiss, let’s share a proper mumrik kiss.”

Snufkin then shed his hat and held it to obscure them from any other onlookers with one hand, whilst using his other to tip Moomin’s snout up to capture his lips with his own.

The sensation of a mumrik kiss was strange and unusual for the troll, but no less thrilling than the moomin kisses he was accustomed to.

What both could agree on was that the experience was truly magical. 

They made their way home not long after on foot as nightfall came to the Valley. Or rather, Moomin did and carried Snufkin bridal style the whole way after learning the mumrik’s legs fell asleep from sitting in an awkward position on the ground for so long. Snufkin made a fuss about the indignity of it all, while Moomin milked the situation for all it was worth to tease and play around.

“Worry not, my Fairest Beloved! For I, Sir Moomintroll of Moominvalley Kingdom, shall escort thee back to my castle were thy ailment may be remedied by my dearest mother and father, the Queen and King!” Moomin declared with the greatest pomp and circumstance he could muster.

“You’re really taking advantage of this, aren’t you?” Snufkin mewled, refusing to admit he was pouting. “And could you really not have let me ride on your back?”

“Perish the thought! Upon my back is where I carry thy dearest possessions!” ‘Sir’ Moomin scoffed with mock-insult, craning his neck in the direction of Snufkin’s rucksack shouldered there. “I can only trust my humble arms to carry the most valuable cargo here! And so that I may gaze upon thine unequalled radiance…”

Snufkin’s response was to hide beneath his hat, making a high shrill noise which made Moomin laugh hysterically. They bantered like that the whole way home. Snufkin would never admit to it even at knifepoint, but he didn’t have a care to give that Moomin was being loud enough in his silly antics to be heard by everyone in Moominvalley.

Moominmamma and Moominpappa were admittedly surprised, but no less thrilled at the announcement of the pair’s relationship. Moomin blushed and whined in embarrassment when Moominmamma stated she had her suspicions, and was pleased to see things turn out for the better. She embraced them warmly before going to whip up something to help with the numbness in Snufkin’s legs. She also returned with the proper ‘thank you’ for Snufkin that she had been waiting to present him with for saving her family since she woke up while Moominpappa finished giving his round of hugs and congratulations. Snufkin didn’t have the heart to refuse her.

In the days that followed, normalcy gradually returned to Moominvalley. Sniff, though surprised, was happy for his friends, but was too timid to capitalize on (or wisely chose against) teasing Snufkin over his true love’s kiss idea working after all. Unlike the more dauntless Little My. She was glad for the pining to be over, but never shied away from saying exactly what was on her mind about having to witness the “lovey-dovey barf-fest” on display. It soon became a game between the three on how long it would take to send the mymble girl fleeing the scene to escape the ‘grossness.’ She never lasted long.

However, Little My was true to her word with swift and ruthless vengeance as Snufkin soon discovered after reestablishing camp on the other side of the bridge. He did not want to know how many jars of jam she used to drench every corner of his tent the way she did. Or how she managed to relocate a beehive inside it, which he was lucky not to have disturbed by opening the tent while it was still there. Additionally, because Little My was a calculating little gremlin, she had done this during a week due for heavy storms with the intent to leave him high and dry (or rather drenched) with no comfortable shelter. After endless coaxing from Moomin, Snufkin was eventually worn down to agree to a few nights of sleepovers with his new boyfriend. Snufkin managed with only mild discomfort, his tent deemed bee-free two days after the storms passed, but made certain not to encourage a repeat of incurring this level of wrath from Little My again.

Snorkmaiden took a little longer to readjust to the dynamic changes. Neither Moomin nor Snufkin held it against her, and always made it crystal clear to her that they wanted no grudges or bad blood to ruin their friendship. Once she spent her desired time to herself to come to terms with things, Snorkmaiden was welcomed back by her friends with open arms. Things were still a little awkward in the beginning, but Snorkmaiden eventually was able to spend time in Moomin’s company comfortably just as  friends and successfully move on from their short-lived dalliance. Likewise with Snufkin without any semblance, however unwittingly, of jealousy. As a matter of fact, since Alicia was now permitted to play with them, she and Snorkmaiden had grown quite close. If anything else might blossom further later along the line, it was too soon yet to say.

Their relationship was also overall well-received by the other denizens of Moominvalley as well. If not open and euphoric in expressing their acceptance, it didn’t change any perceptions of the two negatively whatsoever. The only one who gave them any issues was Stinky, who remained his rotten self regardless, though every so often would try stirring up trouble specifically targeting at Moomin and Snufkin’s bond for kicks and giggles. And every time he did, karma came on swift wings to serve him his just desserts.

Just as Moomin had said, very little had changed in their dynamic once they became a couple. They still played together, spent time with their other friends, and went on adventures. Only now there were more private outings spent just the two of them, longer lingering touches, and greater intimacy in everything they did. This led to the making of many more treasured memories and a handful of serendipitous discoveries. Like how much Snufkin enjoyed using Moomin as a pillow, the way Moomin’s tail whipped around in a myriad of ways based on what Snufkin did to illicit different degrees of joy from him, which of their two types of kisses they preferred for which moments, or how Moomin was absurdly ticklish. Moomin’s personal favorite was learning Snufkin would purr when he was especially happy in his company, or whenever Moomin threaded his paws through Snufkin’s hair and scratched behind his ears.

Not everything was sunshine and rainbows all the time, and neither of them expected it to be. To think otherwise was grossly unrealistic. What was important was that after every fight or disagreement, they not only reconciled, but came out of it better, wiser, more understanding, and knowing how to better communicate next time.

Whenever Snufkin needed time to himself, Moomin obliged, and every winter, saw him head off for the South with kind farewells and wishes for Snufkin’s safe return. Then throughout Moomin’s hibernation and Snufkin’s evenings away for the season, they dreamt of each other until they were together again in spring.

After a few years into their relationship, for every spring going forward, Moomin and Snufkin used their revised system to greet one another.

If Moomin was awake and he heard Snufkin playing on the bridge, the troll would rush out to meet him, swinging him about in a long-awaited reunion embrace.

If Moomin was not awake when Snufkin returned and did not rouse from his music, then Snufkin would climb up the rope ladder into Moomin’s bedroom through the window, and announce his return with a wake-up true love’s kiss.