Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was indeed a lonely life, but it’s what he chose.

After Snorkmaiden got married (and what a lovely ceremony it was), Moomintroll decided he was old enough to go out on his own. With Sniff at his side, he had traveled all over the continent, getting into mischief and finding adventures wherever they went. However, after a few years, he had grown tired. A lighthouse keeper he had met on his journeys was retiring, and offered the position to the two men. Sniff declined, instead going on to found his (now booming) jewelry business, but Moomintroll accepted. He figured he was too old to live in Moominhouse now, and with the help of his father, cleaned up the lighthouse and made it into his very own home. Working from home didn’t sound too bad!

It was near Moominvalley, so his loved ones could visit him whenever they were able, and he met many interesting people while he was working. Lost sailors would often come ashore, keeping Moomintroll company while they configured the next leg of their journeys. However, despite the many people he met, and despite his family and friends often visiting, most of the time Moomintroll was alone. He’d stare out into the sea, sometimes seeing sea trolls and other creatures riding along the waves. Hattifatteners would occasionally be seen sailing across the blue sea, off to wherever they pleased. It was interesting, but lonely.

He often wrote letters to his dear friend Snorkmaiden, and her lovely wife, Ninny. Sniff would occasionally send Moomintroll lovely trinkets made out of different golds and silvers and gems, his letters mostly consisting of how his life was going and how happy he had become in his trade. He never wrote to Little My, but then again, she was the one that visited him the most after his parents. Now older, she was much more mellow, but still teased and jabbed at Moomintroll in good fun. She had become witty, clever, and very funny. They were very close, often talking the night away into the early hours of the morning.

His wonderful company didn’t often follow him into the night, however. After they would all say their goodbyes, he’d go back to work, looking at the waves wash over the rocky beaches. It was a little boring, but relatively peaceful work. Peace was all Moomintroll could ask for after his many years of adventuring. He’d go to sleep peacefully, wake up peacefully, and tend to his duties peacefully. There was a set routine and he never broke it.

That is, until he heard it.

Moomintroll lay in bed, ready to sleep into the night. However, he couldn’t force himself to rest. He squirmed, wriggled, and every few minutes his eyes would simply shoot open. Deciding to take a walk to tire himself out, Moomintroll rose and made his way outside.

Walking along the rocky beach, he heard a faint noise. He stopped in his tracks, straining to hear what it was. With immense concentration, he could make out a soft tune, being played beautifully across the waves. Glancing around, he noticed a rock peeking out from the tide, and on top of it, a man sat. Moomintroll squinted, trying to get a better glimpse, but the more he looked, the blurrier the figure got. It was if you could only see the man clearly from the corner of your eyes.

“Hey!” Moomintroll shouted, “Hello! Are you alright out there? Are you in danger?”

He wasn’t sure if this was just a strange looking sea troll, but if that was an actual man out there, he wanted to know if he should save him.

Instead, the figure stopped playing, and gave Moomintroll a wave before jumping into the sea.

Frightened, Moomin gaped in horror, debating if he should go after the man. After some thought, he decided that he was maybe tired, and this perhaps was the sea playing tricks on him. He couldn’t see the figure that well in the first place, so perhaps it wasn’t real at all!

He retired to his room, a little shaken (and at the same time, entranced) by what he had seen, as he had never seen anything like it. That night he had dreams of the strange man playing his tune, mist mysteriously clouding his face, but captivating Moomintroll all the same.

***

A few days went by, and Moomintroll slowly forgot about his strange nighttime experience. Things were normal. He tended to his lighthouse, and saw in a few visitors who stopped by to rest in preparation for their journeys ahead.

On this particular evening, he was hosting a small dinner for a sailor that had stopped by earlier in the day, avoiding the wild seas that danced just outside.

“Ah, yes, where did you say you were from again?” Moomintroll asked, sliding a bowl of soup across the table to the other man.

“I didn’t,” The man said gruffly, “It’s too far away to matter.”

“If it’s so far away, then what’re you doing all the way out here?”

The man leaned across the table, grabbing a roll of bread. “I’m documenting. My homeland is awfully behind, so I decided to set out and have some adventures, documenting anything and everything that’s outside of our little area. We live in the mountains, you see, and nobody’s had their mind set on leaving until me, it seems like. I want to show them the wonders of the world. I don’t expect them to leave, but I just want them to see. ”

“That’s very brave of you,” Moomintroll mused, grabbing a roll of bread for himself. “I hope you don’t run into too much trouble. Though I have to say, in this leg of the woods, there’s not much to worry about. Everything is very calm around here.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”

“Pardon?”

“Have you not seen the moon outside?” The man asked, flabbergasted.

“Um, I mean-”

“It’s blue!” The man exclaimed, “If you look very closely, the moon is tinted blue.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t seem to be following.”

The man sighed. “I guess they don’t teach you this around these parts. Every year, there is a whole month dedicated to the blue moon. It’s never the same month, but if you look up into the night sky enough, you might catch it. That means that all magic is amplified, and it can be a very dangerous time for us explorers and adventurers. Anything could happen. Right before I came here, sirens almost lured me in, but I stuffed my ears with wax and continued sailing.”

Moomintroll stared at the other man for a second before changing the subject, “Hm. I suppose that’s an interesting take on it. Would you like some wine?”

***

That night, Moomintroll couldn’t sleep again. He thought back to the strange traveler who was now sound asleep in the guest room, and back to his even stranger experience. He stood up for many hours, reading some books that his mother had brought him by candlelight. That is, until he heard a strange, smooth melody flowing in through his window.

In shock, Moomintroll raced outside, determined to see what was causing this noise. The music was almost maddening, seemingly blasting against his eardrums. Running out onto the rocky beach, he noticed that the waves were particularly harsh tonight, and a thick mist (once again) covered the entirety of the landscape. He walked around the beach, before determining that the noise was coming from the direction as the jetty.

The jetty was slippery from the waves, and quite uneven since it was made from rocks. Nonetheless, Moomintroll walked onto it, walking out to sea in an attempt to find the source of the music. He walked farther and farther out, before he saw a dark shadow in the mist. It was sitting on the edge of the jetty, feet seemingly dangling in the water.

Moomintroll ran towards it, shouting, “Excuse me! Are you-”

By the time he reached the end of the jetty, the shadow had disappeared. Out of breath, Moomintroll doubled over, before sitting down on the slippery rocks. Looking down into the waves, he saw nothing but darkness.

The music was gone, as well as the madness that plagued Moomintroll’s brain. He felt calmer, although bewildered at the same time.

He looked down into the water some more, before reaching down to slap it.

Stupid, he thought to himself, Perhaps I am mad. It’s probably nothing.

He was about to get up to leave, before he felt a tug against his hand. Looking down, he saw a scaley webbed finger with long black claws gripping onto his wrist. Fear struck his heart, and looking further down, he saw an inhuman face looking up at him from beneath the water. Before he could scream, he was pulled underneath the waves.

Claws dug into his arms, pulling him further and further down. He could barely see in the darkness, and the saltwater burned at his eyes, but he vaguely saw a long tail swimming besides him.

Panic clouded his brain, water was filling his lungs, and the shock from the cold water caused him to slip into the darkness that was his mind.

***

When he came to, Moomintroll was sopping wet and throwing up saltwater onto the rocky beach. He choked on the cold air and shuddered so hard that his body was trembling, coughing up a storm after all the water exited his body. When he was done, he collapsed, cradling his head into his hands. He then noticed a soft melody tinkling through the air again. This time, it was closer than ever before.

Whipping his head around, Moomintroll looked to his left, and there was a man sitting beside him. He had a pink conch shell in his hands, playing his tune with all the engravings and holes carved into it. He had pitch black eyes, and from what Moomin could see, sharp jagged teeth poking out from behind soft pink lips. His claws were long and black, twisted and wild. The creature was wearing a ragged tank top and shorts, and intricate tattoos lined up and down his arms and legs. They shone as if they were covered in gasoline. Gills were present at the creature’s neck, and patches of scales were scattered all over his body.

Moomintroll gaped at him, but the creature took no notice. “You’re- You…” Moomintroll gasped, cold air filling his lungs, “Siren! Beast! Get away from me!” He got up to run away, but the man-like beast grabbed at his foot, and with inhuman strength, pulled him back down.

“Not a very polite way to greet the person who saved your life.” The man said, with an accent that Moomintroll had never heard before. His voice was smoother than silk, and was almost intoxicating, entrancing Moomin.

Still, he shuddered, fearful for his life. “S-Saved?” He squeaked. He stared that the man with horror, before forcing out, “You… you tried to drown me!”

“Merely some playful roughhousing. I forgot you couldn’t breathe underwater. I apologize.”

Looking down, Moomintroll gasped. “Your tail! What’s happened to it?”

“Ah,” the man said, crossing his legs. “I wanted to come ashore, so I asked to have legs.”

“Asked…? Asked who, exactly?”

“The moon, of course.” He smiled, his horrifyingly sharp teeth put on display. “Who else?”

Moomintroll nodded. He was thoroughly convinced that this was some sick dream he was having, and he would wake up in his warm bed in a few hours time, ready to carry on the next day’s duties. “I see,” He mumbled, “I really am going mad.”

“Ah. One thing,” The man said, “I don’t know how long I have these legs for. If I go out into the sea now, I might drown with these flimsy- Well. I’d appreciate it if I could stay with you until my wish wears off.”

Moomintroll nodded. “This is a dream, so it doesn’t matter what I do or don’t do, does it? I’m afraid I already have a guest over, but you can sleep in my living room, I suppose.”

The man grimaced. “Hm. Do you have anywhere a little more… wet?”

Moomintroll blinked. “Well, I suppose you can sleep in the bathtub-”

“Bathtub? What is that?”

“Well… it’s… erm… it’s a container of sorts, and it holds water. If you’d like, I could fill it up and throw some salt in there. Would that be more comfortable?”

“Splendid. That’ll do.”

“Oh… and what do I call you?”

“Snufkin.”

“Well, my name is Moomintroll. I suppose you’ll be gone in the morning, but it was nice meeting you.”

Moomintroll stood up, holding that man’s hand and pulling him up as well. Snufkin’s claws dug into Moomin’s soft fur while doing so, making him wince. Snufkin had a bit of trouble walking up the beach, so the other man held him and helped him navigate through the rocks and sand. Snufkin didn’t seem used to walking at all, which made an awful lot of sense for a fantasy-filled dream.

Moomintroll led Snufkin up the stairs of the lighthouse, and stopped at the bathroom.

“Here’s where you’ll be staying.” Moomintroll said, filling up the bath with warm water. Throwing in some salt, he presented it awkwardly to Snufkin.

“Perfect. Thank you, Moomintroll.” Snufkin smiled, settling into the water for the night.

Moomintroll left and continued to climb up the stairs until he was approaching his room. Entering, he collapsed into bed, ready to wake up in the morning and for his nightmare to leave him be.

It didn’t.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll woke up to banging on his door. Groggily getting up, he walked across the room, opening the door and pushing out a half-slurred, “What is it?”

There stood the traveler that had been staying with him, a wild, panicked look in his eyes. He was breathing heavily (most likely from climbing all the stairs up to his quarters), and forced out, “A beast… There’s… a beast in… the lighthouse…” He doubled over, attempting to catch his breath.

“Well, I’m sorry, but a beast?” Moomintroll asked skeptically, clueless for just a moment before it struck him.

It wasn’t a dream.

Pushing past the traveler, he practically sprinted down the stairs, checking the bathroom. It was empty, but there was water all over the floor, as if it had flooded earlier. He then hurried down to the ground floor and into the kitchen before he saw him.

Snufkin was sitting at the table, eating from a wooden basket that Moomintroll had seen the traveler carry when he first arrived. The shock of Snufkin still being here was enough, but the basket contained fish, and the bastard was just eating them raw. He had put a napkin underneath him, which seemed to be sopping up the blood.

Moomintroll gaped at the scene, unsure of what to do. He stood still for a second, before clearing his throat and letting out a timid, “Er… I think you need to leave.”

Snufkin slowly looked over to Moomin, a polite smile on his face. “Hello friend, good morning. I had hoped your guest wouldn’t mind, but I decided to help myself to some of the fish he caught this morning. I’m sorry if I caused a… well, a disturbance.”

“You’re eating them raw.” Moomintroll said in disbelief.

“Well, yes.” Snufkin said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m afraid that fire doesn’t work in the ocean.”

Moomin shook his head. Focus. “Snufkin, it was a pleasure having you, but-”

The traveler burst into the room, grabbing onto Moomintroll’s shoulders and cowering behind him. “See, I told you! Be careful now sir, it might attack. Look at all the blood.”

Snufkin blinked, tilting his head to the side curiously. He looked to Moomintroll almost innocently.

Something inside of Moomintroll twinged, and he suddenly felt guilty. Turning around to the traveler, he sighed. “He doesn’t bite. He’s, erm… nice, I suppose. I’m very sorry about your fish, but it won’t happen again.”

The traveler blinked. “Madness!” He exclaimed, “You’re absolutely mad. I suppose I can’t stay here, I’ll gather my things.” He stormed back up the stairs, presumably to gather his belongings.

Moomintroll turned back to the siren, crossing his arms. “You just scared off my guest.” He said, cross. “Are you sure you can’t leave yet? I have half a mind to throw you out now.”

Snufkin put down his half-devoured fish and started to clean his hands with another napkin. “Well, I have to apologize. I didn’t know having a meal could cause so much grief.”

“Well, it wasn’t that- well, actually, maybe that was part of it. I suppose there’s a… cultural difference. It was also…”

Moomintroll looked towards Snufkin. Light was coming in through the kitchen window. It shone on Snufkin, the patches of scales that were spotted all over his body glittering wildly. The markings on his arms and legs shone as if they were covered in gasoline, and upon a closer look, his obsidian eyes had speckles of amber in them. He looked absolutely ethereal, but also terrifying. He had scared the traveler away with his peculiar features, but now thinking about it, Moomintroll didn’t have the heart to say it.

“Yes?” Snufkin asked.

“Nothing,” Moomintroll mumbled, “Just a bit of a cultural difference, as I said.” He walked over to Snufkin, eyeing him up and down. “I’ll leave you to your meal, but you had better clean up after you’re done. Excuse my bluntness, but this is a bit too grisly for me.”

“You don’t eat fish?”

“Well, there’s actually a few farms around here, so I can get quite a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. There’s a market every weekend, it’s quite pleasant. I’m… er, a bit too squeamish to clean the fish myself.” He looked away embarrassed, before continuing, “Anyway, after you’re done, come find me. I’ll be working, but you need some proper clothes. You’re in rags.”

And with that, Moomintroll turned around and left to tend to his duties.

***

Moomintroll would later be found at the top of the lighthouse, checking to see if the light was running smoothly. It was a weekly chore. He was working diligently, even though the task itself was fairly boring. He was about to finish up when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder.

Chills went up his back and he jumped, whipping around to see what had grabbed him. Snufkin stood behind him, a pleasant smile on his face. It could only be described as pleasant since he didn’t have his teeth showing, or else it would’ve been quite horrific. “Hello, Moomintroll.”

“You’re quite stealthy,” Moomintroll cried, “You could’ve given me a heart attack!”

“My apologies. I suppose I’ve gotten quite good at walking already, since just yesterday I was stumbling around like a newborn calf.” Snufkin said, a hint of mischief in his voice.

“You know what a calf is?”

“You know, you pick up quite a lot if you’re around sailors. I sometimes would follow them to quench my curiosity. I know some things about you land creatures, just not all.”

“Hm, well…” Moomintroll paused. “Is it true that sirens torment sailors? I’ve heard an awful lot of stories.”

Snufkin frowned. “You’re quite forward, aren’t you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any offense-”

“None taken. Some do, especially if they’re in groups, but I preferred to be on my own. I suppose I enjoy constantly traveling as opposed to staying around the same miserable gaggle of islands for my entire life.”

“So you’re an adventurer?” Moomintroll asked, excited. He’d had his own fair share of adventures in his youth.

“No, just a traveler.”

“A vagabond.”

“I suppose so, if that’s what you’d call it.”

“Hm. Yes, anyway, I think we should get you some new clothes. Come on now.” And with that, he led the way down the stairs and into his room. He paused at the door, mumbling, “Don’t mind the mess,” before walking in. Snufkin followed him curiously, immediately investigating the different items and trinkets that lay scattered across the room as soon as he walked in.

“Hey, now!” Moomintroll squeaked, pulling Snufkin away from his things. “I don’t want you to break anything. Here.” He pulled out a chair from the desk that sat against the wall. “You can sit.”

Snufkin grumbled something under his breath but sat down.

Moomin went over to his dresser and started to ruffle through his clothing. He went on for quite a while, pulling out different shirts and pants before shaking his head and thrusting them back in. Finally, he pulled out a plain black shirt and some dark blue shorts, nodded, and turned to Snufkin. He gingerly handed them over.

“Here you go. I keep some spare clothing in the back of my dresser in case anybody needs it; I have a fair amount of guests that come in tatters. I’m hoping these fit, but if they don’t, I think I can go down to the shop and buy you something new, but I’d have to take your measurements first of course- HEY, HEY NOW, SNUFKIN, STOP.”

As soon as Snufkin took the clothes, he started to lift up his shirt, ready to change immediately. He almost got it over his head when Moomintroll grabbed his arm and forced his shirt back down. From what Moomin saw, there were more patches of scales on his torso, as well as an extra set of gills at his ribcage. While there admittedly wasn’t much to look at (Snufkin’s face was much more fascinating to look at, and besides, he was a little scrawny for someone who had to use every muscle in his body to constantly swim), Moomintroll found his face heating up all the same. He was quite a modest person (or, at least, as modest as the average person), and the indecency took him off guard.

“What?” Snufkin asked, before trying to lift his shirt up again. Moomintroll quickly stopped him, stuttering, “Well, erm… W-Well, I know you probably don’t have clothes in the, uh, the ocean, but… We tend to change clothes privately here.”

Snufkin looked at him quizzically, as if he was processing the new information. “Hm… That’s new to me,” He chuckled, “Although, everything is new to me! This is splendid, I love new experiences.”

“I’m sure you do. Anyway, erm,” Moomintroll crept out of the room, and began to slowly close the door. “Considering you flooded my only bathroom, I’ll let you change in here. Come out when you’re done.” And with that, he shut the door and waited.

It was taking a long time. Snufkin had been in there for a little over five minutes, when typically changing clothes took under one. Is he having trouble?  Moomintroll thought to himself. After all, he probably hadn’t worn clothes before this. Knocking on the door gently, Moomin called, “Hello? Snufkin, are you alright in there?” No response. “Okay, well, I’m coming in then. Be decent. Or not. Hopefully decent.” Pushing open the door, his heart jumped in surprise.

Snufkin was dressed in his new clothes, and was sitting at the desk again. He was reading through a book, and upon closer inspection, it was one of Moomintroll’s old journals.

When Moomintroll was younger, he kept multiple journals while he was on his various adventures with Sniff. They weren’t too personal (thankfully) and often times were filled with drawings, as Moomin was better with pictures than he was with words. He’d sometimes bring out these journals to help him remember details when he was retelling his many stories.

Walking over to the desk, Moomintroll peered over Snufkin’s shoulder. Skimming over the page he was on, he said, “Ah. I think that’s a good one to read. Me and Sniff outwitted a forest ogre here, and we managed to pass unharmed through the Eastern Mountains into the Golden King’s desert territory.” He raised an eyebrow. “If you would’ve asked, I would’ve gladly given these to you. Or retold the story personally. I think stories are far more fun when they’re said out loud.”

“Would you really do that?” Snufkin asked, still looking at the book. “These are fascinating. I’ve never seen any of these things in your drawings before.” He looked up to Moomintroll. “You’re quite the artist.”

Moomin’s face turned pink. While he usually wasn’t sensitive to flattery, something about this situation made his stomach do a flip. “Ah… Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Well, I suppose I should get back to my work. You can keep reading these if you’d like, but preferably in the living room… Or, wherever you’d like, I suppose. Anywhere but my room, really, it’s a mess in here-”

“I want to go traveling.”

Moomintroll blinked. “What?”

“Like you. I want to see things on land. It seems awfully fascinating.”

Moomintroll was silent for a moment, trying to find his words. “Well…Not to keep you hostage or anything- I really hope that’s not what it seems like- but I don’t think that’s… er, a good idea. At all.”

Snufkin tilted his head to the side curiously. “Why?”

“Well, you said yourself. You don’t know when this moon spell or whatever is going to wear off. What if you’re 20 miles from here and suddenly- Boom! You have a tail again.”

Moomintroll found himself saying this, and pondered to himself, I wanted him gone this morning. Why do I care?  He quickly came to the conclusion that although this man tried to drown him (supposedly in the name of playful roughhousing), and although he scared off his guest (who had left about an hour ago), he didn’t wish ill will on anyone. He had been described before as having a kind heart, no matter how much mischief he got himself into.

And what if he never leaves? What if he’s stuck like this forever?  Moomintroll thought. He quickly shook that away, as he didn’t exactly know how to feel like that if it were the case.

Snufkin frowned dejectedly. “I suppose you’re right… We’ll see when the month is over. If I go back to having a tail, I suppose you’ll have to drag me back out to sea!”

“I suppose so.” Moomintroll chuckled. “Well, here,” Reaching over, Moomintroll plucked a few other journals off of the desk and handed them to Snufkin. “You can read these today if you wish. I’ll take you to the living room now, follow me.”

Moomintroll led Snufkin out of his room and down the stairs, past the kitchen and into the living room. Patting one of the couches, Moomin waited for Snufkin to sit down. “Enjoy yourself, I’ll be off now.” Moomin said, turning to leave.

That is, until he felt something. Turning around, he saw that Snufkin was gripping onto his hand.

“Yes?” Moomintroll inquired.

Snufkin intertwined his fingers into Moomintroll’s. His claws grazed against Moomin’s fur, which was slightly uncomfortable. He looked up to Moomin innocently. “What is this?”

Moomintroll pulled his hand back, flustered. “What? ”

“Sorry, was that uncomfortable? I saw a few drawings where you were doing this. Just curious, is all. I’m afraid I’m not too familiar with… well, the body language up here.” Snufkin chuckled.

Moomintroll blinked.

Ah.

He’d had a few romantic flings here and there while he was traveling, but never anything too serious. He never stood in one place for too long- Adventure called! He’d drawn a few pictures of him in his romantic endeavors here and there, so Snufkin must’ve come across one.

“No, it’s fine,” Moomintroll mumbled, “You usually hold hands with someone you feel affection for. It’s occasionally done between friends as well, but usually it’s in more romantic contexts.”

“Oh,” Snufkin said quietly, “I apologize.” He paused. “Well, not really. I suppose we’re friends now, aren’t we?”

Moomintroll was quiet for a second before chuckling, “Well, you’ll be staying in my home for quite a while, so I suppose so. I could always use more friends.” Moomintroll nodded to him before turning away. “Like I said, I must continue with my work. Enjoy yourself, Snufkin. There’s, uh… More fish for you on the kitchen table if you’d fancy some lunch.”

And with that, he left Snufkin to his own devices. Moomintroll worked only for another few hours or so- his daily duties weren’t strenuous. When he was done, he cleaned up the bathroom as well. It was tough to sop up all the water that had spilled out of the bathtub, but he eventually got it done. He’d have to have a talk about it with Snufkin later. What had he even done to flood the bathroom in the first place?  Moomintroll thought, He must’ve turned on the water again even after I filled up the tub.

Then it was time for dinner, so Moomintroll made his way to the kitchen to begin preparing his meal. He noticed that the basket of fish that lay on the table was now empty. He wasn’t sure if Snufkin was able to consume anything other than… well, seafood, but he decided to make some extra just in case he wanted to try some. If anything, it could be leftovers for tomorrow.

The Moomin made homemade bread rolls, a fruit salad, and a lovely three-bean chili. He had a book of recipes, some of them from his mother, and most of them from his travels. He often sent letters out to people he met in different parts of the world to ask for specific spices, and in return he’d send them whatever seemed interesting at the nearby town’s weekend markets. And so, it smelled wonderful in his little kitchen.

He called Snufkin’s name to come to dinner, but there was no response. Curiously, Moomintroll crept into the living room, only to see Snufkin surrounded by all the books he had given him.

“Snufkin?” Moomintroll said gingerly.

No response.

Walking up to the other man, Moomin placed a hand gently on Snufkin’s shoulder. The other jumped a bit, but calmed down when he saw who it was.

“Ah, my apologies,” Snufkin sighed, “But I’ve been so fascinated by your journals, I didn’t notice you.”

“I’m glad you like them. Would you like some dinner?”

Snufkin’s eyes lit up. “Oh, did you catch some fish?”

“Er… No. I actually made a meal for myself, but made some extra in case you wanted to try some.”

“Gladly.” Snufkin said, standing up.

Moomintroll paused. “Wait, you can read?” He couldn’t believe the question hadn’t hit him sooner.

Snufkin chuckled. “I was taught a long time ago by a sailor I befriended. I admit, I’m not the best at it, but I’m lucky that your journals have many pictures. Anyway, let’s eat, yes?”

They both made their way to the kitchen, and Moomintroll served them both their plates. Snufkin began eating the fruit salad with just his hands, before Moomintroll intervened and gave him a quick introduction to utensils.

“This is delicious,” Snufkin mused, taking a bite out of his bread. “Such complex flavors… I admit, the flavor differences between different types of fish seem minor in comparison to this. I don’t even know what to say this tastes like!” He exclaimed, pointing to the fruit.

“I think you’d find that those taste sweet.” Moomintroll said gently.

“Is that the word? Well, then I suppose I like sweet foods.”

“Maybe I’ll take you to the market this weekend and you can pick out foods you’d like to try.” Moomintroll chuckled, eating a spoonful of his chili. “Today’s Friday, so it opens tomorrow.”

“Would you? That’d be splendid.”

They finished their meal in peace, and Moomintroll started to clean up. There were no leftovers; Snufkin made sure of that. Snufkin also insisted on helping, so Moomintroll taught him how to wash dishes, and they did it silently together.

Afterwards, they both retired to the living room, and Moomintroll lit a fire in the fireplace. It was fall, so things were getting a little chilly. Snufkin took to pouring back over Moomin’s journals while Moomintroll read a book that he had purchased a few weeks prior. It was about a sailor who fell in love with a mermaid princess. He enjoyed a good fiction in his youth, and even more so today. Moomintroll glanced over to Snufkin, who seemed almost in a trance-like state, so engrossed in his reading. His scales shone dimly against the light of the fireplace, and his eyes sparkled like black diamonds. Snufkin looked like he didn’t belong to this world- and he didn’t. He was no mermaid princess, but reading a sea-themed book seemed almost fitting.

They relaxed in silence for the last few hours of the evening, peacefully enjoying each other’s company while concurrently doing their own activities.

Moomintroll looked at the time. 10:30. Closing up his book, he stood and walked over to Snufkin, tapping on his shoulder.

“I think we should both get to bed.” Moomintroll said softly. “If you want to catch that market tomorrow, they open early.”

“Ah,” Sighed Snufkin, “I was just in the middle of reading about your journey to the magma fields. I suppose it can wait for tomorrow.”

They both left the living room and made their way up the stairs. Moomintroll stopped at the bathroom, sighing. “Now, how on Earth did you flood the bathroom last night? If you’re to sleep here again, you can’t go and make a mess.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not.”

Moomintroll blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I want to sleep on a bed.”

“Oh,” Moomin mumbled, “Yes, of course. But won’t it be too… dry for you?”

“Well, I figured that while I’m here, I’d like to try some new things. How splendid, yes?” Snufkin grinned, his pointed teeth making it a little more than unnerving.

“Yes. Splendid.” Moomintroll muttered, looking away from Snufkin’s teeth. “Come on now.”

They walked up some more stairs, and Moomin stopped at the guest room.

“Here you are.”

Snufkin cocked his head to the side. “But this isn’t your room.”

“Er… what do you mean? It’s not my room, of course, it’s the guest room.”

“Oh! So we’re sleeping in separate rooms then?”

“... Yes.” Moomintroll said, raising an eyebrow. “I suppose you don’t have rooms underneath the ocean?”

“Well, we have caves that we retreat to, but they’re usually shared. Not in my case, as I would usually be by my lonesome, but I know that much.”

“Hm. Yes, people’s quarters are generally private up here. If something happens, you can come and wake me, but generally people need their own space.”

“Interesting.” Snufkin mused. “Being on land is much more interesting than I thought, indeed… Well, I suppose this is goodnight.”

“Yes. Goodnight, Snufkin. Sleep well.”

And with that, the two parted. Moomintroll climbed another flight of stairs up to his room, and settled in for the night.

However, he couldn’t sleep. The day had been slightly hectic, and part of him still didn’t believe that he had a living, breathing… For lack of better terms, monster, inside of his home. He didn’t seem like a monster at all though. He was very polite. Moomintroll thought about all the horror stories he heard growing up as a young Moomin, about sirens who lured sailors with their deadly songs and ate them afterwards. Moomintroll pictured Snufkin’s horrifyingly sharp teeth and shuddered. His appearance was both unnerving and captivating; Hellish and ethereal. Whenever Snufkin spoke, his accent made it seem like his words were coated in the thickest of honey. He was the most unique creature Moomintroll had ever come across. He could understand why sailors would be drawn to them; With looks alone sirens were eye-catching, and from when Moomintroll heard Snufkin’s song, it drew him in like nothing else ever has. And something inside of Moomintroll made his heart beat just a little faster whenever he made eye contact with the siren, and he wasn’t sure if that was curiosity, attraction, or fear.

He ruminated over all this, tossing and turning, trying his best to get to sleep. And he did, with one final thought of excitement for the day to come, before dozing off into a peaceful slumber.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll was sleeping quite peacefully. He had dreams of giant pineapples, while Sniff and him tried to climb them like mountains. He also had a dream where Snorkmaiden was trying to teach him to cook, but he kept dropping and burning things. Strangely enough, he also dreamt of Snufkin. His dream consisted of him braiding Snufkin’s shaggy locks, which wasn’t working as well as it should considering Snufkin didn’t have terribly long hair. Quite confusing, but most dreams were.

Well, he was sleeping peacefully until he was woken suddenly. Moomintroll was half-awake but still resting when he felt a sudden weight drop down on top of him. Yelping, he got a sudden burst of adrenaline, and rolled onto the floor to abscond out of the room. He stopped outside the door, looking back to see what exactly had happened.

Snufkin sat on top of Moomintroll’s bed, clutching at the blanket and looking at Moomintroll with a confused expression. “Are you alright?” He asked curiously.

Moomintroll grasped at his chest and doubled over, groaning. “Oh, thank the heavens, it was only you. I was afraid somebody had broken in.” He paused. “Did you jump on me?”

Snufkin gave a half-smile sheepishly, “I did. I apologize if I frightened you. I was only trying to wake you.”

Moomin was quiet for a moment before he burst out into laughter. “Well, that was quite a way to wake me!” He laughed good-heartedly, walking back over to the bed. Grabbing the blanket, he threw it over Snufkin in a playful manner. “You’re quite silly, you know.”

Snufkin pulled the blanket off of him, grinning impishly. “Am I? I’m afraid you haven’t seen the half of it.”

“Oh, is that right?”

Instead of responding, Snufkin threw a pillow right at Moomintroll’s face. Moomintroll reeled back in shock before pulling the pillow off of him. “Why, you-!” It took him a second to register, but something in him flipped on like a switch. “Oh, you’re going to regret that!” Grinning devilishly, he raised the pillow up high and whacked Snufkin over the head. Snufkin fell back onto the bed, and before he could respond, a loud beeping noise appeared inside the room. Turning to the source, Moomintroll noticed that his alarm clock was going off. 8:00 AM.

“We’ll continue this later.” Moomintroll threatened playfully, poking the tip of Snufkin’s (who had just sat up) nose. “But the market is open now. You still want to go, right?”

Snufkin nodded enthusiastically, smiling. “That’s why I came to wake you, Moomintroll. I’m afraid when the sun rose I couldn’t sleep any longer, so I was anxious for you to get up for the day.” He paused. “Although it’s much more peaceful sleeping on land. In the ocean, you could be woken at any moment if a predator decides to bother you.”

Moomintroll nodded, his brow furrowed. “That sounds quite hectic.”

“It’s all I’ve ever known. It’s so exciting experiencing new things, even if it’s something someone would consider mundane, such as sleeping… I don’t mind the activity of the ocean, but knowing what else is out there is strangely liberating. I was dangerously curious before about life on land, and now I can say that I’ve lived on it! Ha!” Snufkin chuckled to himself. “And now I’ll be able to try some new foods. Fish seems dull compared to this! I would like to get to the market as soon as possible!”

The two men quickly got ready for the market (Moomintroll was in no rush, but hurried himself for the sake of Snufkin), not having breakfast beforehand in anticipation for the foods they would try while there. Moomintroll led the way on foot, as it wasn’t far.

They walked through a heavily wooded path for a while, but finally arrived to the nearby city. It was bustling with activity, everybody out and about for the market. It wasn’t just food that was being sold, but also all other kinds of material goods. Moomintroll brought some extra money just in case Snufkin wanted anything else, so he was prepared.

Snufkin was immediately drawn to a stand where a woman was leaning over a huge pot, stirring something that smelled like the most delicious of desserts.

“Oh, it smells wonderful,” Snufkin mused, “What ever is it?”

Moomintroll peered into the pot. “It appears to be fried bananas. Perhaps coated in syrup and cinnamon.”

“Excuse me!” Snufkin called to the woman, “I would like some of your food!”

The woman turned to Snufkin and her face turned a ghostly pale. Looking over to Moomintroll, she whispered, “Is… it … yours?”

Moomintroll blinked. He mentally slapped himself. He hadn’t even thought of this. Snufkin looked nothing like any of the other creatures here; He didn’t look like any other creature on land, really (Which would make sense, as he wasn’t from land). He hadn’t taken into consideration that Snufkin would scare people.

“Erm, this is my friend.” Moomintroll said awkwardly. “We’d like two plates of your bananas, please.”

The woman nodded, looking away from Snufkin. Quickly plating the food, she shoved them into Moomintroll’s direction and picked up the coins he had put down, before silently going back to cooking.

Moomintroll dragged Snufkin away from the stand. “I’m sorry about that,” He muttered. “Some people! Just because you look different doesn’t mean anything. I mean, I look different to some- I’ve been called a hippo before, can you believe it! You-”

“It’s alright, Moomintroll,” Snufkin said cooly. “I’m sure she doesn’t know any better. I mean, you tried to run from me when you first saw me.” He frowned for just a moment, before looking to Moomintroll with a small smile. “I’m just excited to try this.”

With his fork, he picked up a piece of one of the cinnamon maple-glazed bananas and put it into his mouth. His eyes widened immediately, and he began scarfing the rest of it down.

“I suppose you like it, then.” Moomintroll mumbled, taking a bite out of his. His eyes widened as well. It was delicious! He quickly finished it, but Snufkin was miles ahead of him- he was already looking at the other booths. Throwing away his trash, Moomintroll followed.

They wove through the tight pathways of the market, pushing past people and almost losing each other a few times. Snufkin managed to turn a few heads, and often got uncomfortable stares whenever he stopped at a booth. Despite that, however, they managed to get a variety of things. Moomintroll managed to buy chocolate, pineapples, grapes, dragonfruit, lychee, potatoes, blackberries, tomatoes, and corn. There seemed to be a good selection of things, as there was a port nearby that brought in exports. He also bought Snufkin a tall green hat and a matching green coat, as he seemed fascinated by them as soon as he set his eyes on them.

They were at their last stand, planning to head back home after they finished looking. The man at the stand seemed to be making raspberry juice. Snufkin waved to get the man’s attention, who smiled and walked up to them. “Now, how could I help-” He paused, looking at Snufkin. Brow furrowed, he turned to Moomintroll. “Is this beast yours?”

Moomintroll gulped. “Erm, this is my good friend, actually. His name is Snufkin. He’s no beast, I’m afraid, but simply a person.”

“Doesn’t look like a person to me. Now get.” The man waved a hand to them. “I won’t be serving my goods to a beast.”

Snufkin’s cheeks were bright red. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’d really like to try some of your juice. It looks awfully delicious.”

“No. Get going, now. Get!”

“But-”

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? If you want my juice so bad, take it, you horrendous creature!” The man cried. Grabbing a nearby cup of raspberry juice, he threw it at Snufkin, splashing the liquid all over his face, hair, and clothes. “Now leave!” The man barked, turning back to his juice-making. A few people who had witnessed the scene stood watching, whispering amongst themselves. A little girl laughed shrilly from the crowd.

Horrified, Moomintroll turned to Snufkin, who was beet red in the face. He grabbed his hand gingerly. “Snufkin, I-” Before he could finish his sentence, Snufkin yanked his hand from Moomin’s grasp and sprinted away. Moomintroll yelled and ran after him, but only made it so far to see that Snufkin was entering back into the forest, and back to the lighthouse. Panting, Moomintroll doubled over and eventually caught his breath. Peering behind him, he considered giving that street vendor a piece of his mind, but quickly realized that his top priority was making sure Snufkin was okay.

As he was carrying all the food and Snufkin’s new clothes, he could only keep up a brisk walk back to the lighthouse. It took him a while, but he finally got there. Putting down everything on the kitchen table, he searched every nook and cranny for Snufkin, but couldn’t seem to find him anywhere. Becoming more and more frantic, he peered out the window and spotted him sitting on the rocky beach. Relieved, he went outside to meet him.

Snufkin sat on the shore, feet buried in the wet sand. The waves gently touched him every now and then, but he largely remained undisturbed. Moomintroll jogged up to the siren, sighing a breath of relief.

“I couldn’t find you in the lighthouse, Snufkin. I was worried you ran off into the forest without me seeing.” Moomintroll sighed, sitting down next to him. “I’m… so, so sorry. Are you alright?”

Snufkin didn’t answer, drawing lines in the sand with one of his claws. Instead, he pondered, “I wonder if it would be better if I wasn’t on land at all.”

Moomintroll gazed at Snufkin sadly. “Don’t say that. It’s a wondrous thing that you’re here.”

“I suppose it is wondrous, but it seems that I am not welcome.”

Moomintroll sighed. “What a horrid man, I considered going back there and letting loose on him. He’s lucky that I didn’t.” He paused. “I’m sure if they knew you, they’d know that you’re kind. Ignorance is a poison of the brain it seems.”

Snufkin didn’t reply, still drawing lines in the sand with his claws. He didn’t explicitly say it, but Moomintroll could tell that Snufkin was disappointed by how the day had gone. His aura was saddening. He seemed to have gotten off the juice by wading in the surf, water droplets dripping from his damp hair. His lips were in a tight line, and his jaw was clenched.

Reaching over, Moomintroll grabbed Snufkin’s hand and held it in his own. “Well, I   know you. Now, come on, let’s clean you up and try some of those fruits and vegetables we bought.”

Snufkin smiled gently and nodded, letting Moomintroll pull him up from the sand. They made their way back to the lighthouse and cleaned themselves with the water hose to get off excess sand before they went inside. They let themselves dry off, and Snufkin changed into his new bright green clothes. Once they got into the kitchen, Moomintroll laid all the fruits and vegetables they bought onto the table. Bringing out a knife, he chopped up all the fruit. Cutting up the potatoes, he salted them and put them in the oven to roast along with the corn.

First they tried the chocolate they had bought. It was dark, which Moomintroll worried wouldn’t be sweet enough for Snufkin, but the siren loved it anyway.

“It’s sweet, but also...” The man paused, lost for words.

“Bitter?” Moomintroll offered.

“Yes!” He exclaimed, “Sweet but bitter. I’ve never had anything like it. Wonderful!”

Snufkin raved over the blackberries and the grapes, delighted at how small but delicious they were. Lychee was too fragrant for Snufkin, he felt neutral towards the dragonfruit (though he was fascinated by the exterior), and he turned his nose up at the tomatoes after just one slice. The pineapple burned the inside of Snufkin’s mouth, but he loved it all the same.

As the corn and potatoes roasted, Moomintroll and Snufkin talked. Moomintroll was delicate towards the other due to the events that happened earlier in the day, and used light humor to cheer the both of them up- which worked! Moomintroll felt himself softening for Snufkin. He was wary at first, not sure how to take his visitor, but he felt himself relaxing in the other’s presence. There was something strangely soothing in his thick, honey-glazed accent, and he was genuinely kind- As well as very funny! There was a charm in his boyish wonder, genuine fascination, and chronic mysteriousness. Something inside Moomintroll stirred, making his heart beat a little faster when he saw the other smile. They chatted and giggled for some time, so long that they completely forgot about the vegetables in the oven. It wasn’t until they smelled smoke that it came back to them.

“Ah!” Moomintroll yelped, rushing to put his oven mitts on. Taking out the vegetables, he sighed a breath of relief when he saw that the tops of them were only a little bit charred.

“We can just scrape off the parts that burned,” Moomintroll mused, “But I hope you like your potato wedges crispy.”

They ate in silence, mostly because Snufkin was too starstruck by the potato wedges to say anything. Finally when he found his words, he mused a simple, “Incredible.”

Moomintroll had to teach Snufkin how to eat the corn, but once he got the gist of it, he devoured it fairly quickly. His sharp teeth weren’t very efficient at scraping off the corn from the cob, but that didn’t stop him, and he managed anyway.

Snufkin lay back on the kitchen chair, hands resting over his stomach, full. Sighing, he hung his head back.

“Thank you, Moomintroll,” He groaned, “But I think I’m going to explode. Into a million-billion pieces- No, even more than that! There will be so many pieces that nobody will ever be able to put me back together.”

Moomintroll chuckled. “I suppose I’ll have to bring out the dustpan and sweep you up.”

Leaning forward, Snufkin reached across the table and held onto Moomintroll’s paw. “My dear friend, promise to put me back together, and I’ll be forever grateful!”

Moomintroll’s first thought was to pull his hand away, but he relaxed, leaving his paw in Snufkin’s grasp. “Only if you play me a song. I haven’t heard you play since the night I met you.”

Snufkin pulled back, smiling gently. Pulling his conch shell out of his pocket, he waved it in the air. “I’ve been playing, but only in the early hours of the morning when you’ve been asleep. I’ve been composing a new song; One to encapsulate my experiences so far on land.” He paused. “Unfortunately, I’ve attracted a few stray wanderers, and I had to stop playing just long enough for them to snap out of it and leave. I have no plans to eat them,” He grinned impishly. “I am dignified! I only eat chocolate and grapes now, thank you.”

Moomintroll chuckled. “I don’t think you could live off of those two things alone, but I’m admittedly ignorant when it comes to sea creature anatomy. Do what you like. But I’d love to hear that song, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Snufkin thought to himself for a minute. Finally, he said in a thoughtful tone, “I suppose. But keep in mind it’s not complete. And I’d best not play it in here; All music sounds better when it’s being carried along the ocean’s wind.” With that, he stood up and turned, making his way outside the lighthouse. Moomintroll followed curiously, lagging behind him as they walked onto the rocky beach. Boulders jutted out of the sand and gravel at several points on the beach; Snufkin rushed towards one, climbing it quickly and sitting down on top of it, his legs dangling over the edge. Moomin sat in the sand below, his legs crossed, looking up towards the other with wonder.

Snufkin rubbed his conch shell against his new green coat before bringing it to his lips. He began to play a chipper upbeat tune, but that’s not what Moomintroll noticed. While the tune was coming from a few feet above Moomintroll, it sounded like it was surrounding him, coming from the Earth itself. The weeds that came up from the sand seemed to lean in towards Snufkin, as if they were listening too. The song bounced around Moomintroll’s head; He felt like he was swimming in it. Moomintroll stared at Snufkin intently. His vision got hazy; Every jagged corner became rounded, every color got a little bit softer, and Snufkin became infinitely more beautiful. His scales glittered wildly in the pale sunlight. He moved his fingers quickly across the intricate carvings in the shell, but he made it seem effortless. It was as if he were born to do this.

Moomintroll found himself wanting to reach out and touch Snufkin. He wanted to get closer. He wanted it more than anything else in the world. Nothing in his mind made an ounce of sense; All he knew was that he needed to close the distance. Before he knew it, he was standing in the sand with a hand reaching up to tug at Snufkin’s coat.

It took him a moment to realize Snufkin had stopped playing, and another moment still to come to his senses. Blinking tears out of his eyes, he realized that he had been crying. He wiped his eyes. Snufkin peered down at him worriedly, eyes wide. “Are you alright?” He asked.

“I-I think so,” Moomintroll stammered, composing himself. “Erm… Your songs have quite the effect.” He coughed, “I forgot about that. It’s no wonder sirens can be such successful predators. Your song was…” He stopped himself.

“Yes?” Snufkin asked, curious.

Moomintroll looked away from Snufkin, bashful. “It was quite beautiful. You have a talent.”

Snufkin smiled. “Thank you… I’m afraid I don’t mean to have such an effect on people; I enjoy making music for the sake of it. However, if you enjoyed yourself, I won’t feel too guilty about it.”

“Don’t feel guilty. It was wonderful.” Moomintroll found himself reddening, both from embarrassment and from… something else. Admiration, perhaps. He coughed. “I suppose we should get back inside. I know you wanted to keep reading my journals.”

“Oh!” Snufkin exclaimed, “I was reading about your journey to the magma fields, last I left off! I had forgotten about them! Please, let’s go inside; I’m awfully curious about what you did to cross them.”

And so they did. They made their way inside, and even though it was only afternoon, Moomintroll put on a fire. It was autumn, and things were a bit cold. Snufkin splayed out on the rug in front of the fireplace, journals scattered around him. Moomintroll decided to leave him be, and went off to check his mail.

Sorting through the letters, most of it was either for business or advertisements that were sent to him- And all of it was boring! It wasn’t until he got to his last letter that his interest was peaked. It was from Little My.

He tore open the letter.

Dear Moomintroll,

I suppose it’s about time that I visited you again. Were you lonely without me? There’s an awful lot of nothing to do except work in that big ol’ tower of yours!

By the time you get this letter, I’ll be visiting tomorrow.

Prepare yourself, mister.

Love,

Little My

P.S. I’d love to have your homemade pumpkin pie again. Reserve the pumpkin itself for me. Maybe if I put it on over my head, I can scare whatever guest-of-the-week you have over. Wouldn’t that be fun? Ha!

Moomintroll read over the letter a few more times. Tomorrow?

He looked over to the living room where Snufkin sat. The siren looked at peace, and while Moomintroll (for the most part) had become accustomed to him, he wondered if Little My would be frightened by him.

He wondered for a second more, before shaking his head. No, of course not. He should be more worried about her giving him a hard time.

In her youth, she might’ve been rude and brash, but she was grown now. And that meant that she was a touch less rude, but a whole lot more impish, devilish, witty, and clever. She was a big personality to be around, and while Moomintroll was accustomed to her (and quite enjoyed her company), he was slightly nervous for Snufkin.

He decided to put aside his worries; To think of them tomorrow when they would actually matter. Going to the kitchen, he began to make some hot chocolate, using his mother’s recipe. When he finally finished, he quietly put a cup down next to Snufkin, and went to the couch to begin reading his book.

The late afternoon faded into early evening peacefully. Moomintroll eventually made dinner and the two ate quickly before returning to their reading. All was quiet.

It soon enough faded into nighttime, and it became time for bed. Closing his book, and frankly thrilled (and a tad bit exhausted) from making such good progress in his story, he lightly tapped on Snufkin’s shoulder and indicated that it was time for bed.

“I’m so excited to wake up tomorrow and continue,” Snufkin said cheerfully, closing the journal, “But I suppose you’re right, I should get to sleep.”

The two climbed the stairs to their respective rooms and retired for the night.

Moomintroll laid in bed, trying not to think of the day to come, but it crept in from the corners of his mind.

It’ll be alright, He thought to himself, I’m sure nothing too bad will happen.

His attention shifted to Snufkin, and the events that had happened earlier in the day. His heart ached for the sadness Snufkin had experienced, but also twisted into a knot when he thought of his song. He supposed he should be lucky that he heard a siren’s song from someone as kind as Snufkin, for if he heard one out beyond the sea, he might’ve gotten lured in and eaten! It was an absolutely curious phenomenon, and was fascinating to be a part of. He thought to how beautiful Snufkin had looked playing that song, and he found himself reddening, quickly pulling his blanket over his face in embarrassment.

He acknowledged that Snufkin was interesting to look at, primarily because he looked so different from anything Moomintroll had ever seen. He would sometimes catch himself staring just because of the strangeness of it all. But this evening, he found himself stealing glances at the other, who was illuminated by the soft light of the fire. He looked so peaceful, and something about the scene made Moomintroll’s stomach do flips.

I’m fascinated by him, Moomintroll thought to himself, That must be it. Professional fascination.

He tossed and turned a few times, but eventually got himself to sleep, Snufkin being the last thing on his mind before he fell into his slumber.

Chapter Text

Unfortunately, Moomintroll did not sleep peacefully. He did, until a certain point- Sleeping deeply and undisturbed- until his eyes shot open. Groggily looking over at the clock at his bedside table, he squinted.

4:27AM.

Eurgh.

He wasn’t sure why he had woken up. He didn’t often have trouble sleeping, but that seemed to have changed recently. Staring at the ceiling, he heard a klink against his bedroom window.

Confused, Moomintroll sat up and listened again.

Klink!

There it is again!  Getting up, Moomintroll went to his window and peered out. The sky was still dark, and he could vaguely heard the ocean waves crashing against the shore outside.

He peered down. He could sort-of make out a figure standing in the sand below. Moomintroll figured this person had been throwing pebbles at his window, which was strange; His room was on the third floor of the lighthouse, so they must’ve had quite the arm to throw the pebble all the way up.

Opening the window, Moomintroll called out, “Hello? Who’s there?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about me already!” A familiar voice yelled.

Oh. It was Snufkin. No wonder he was able to throw the pebbles all the way up. Snufkin looked scrawny, but he almost possessed superhuman strength, based on when Moomin first met him. Moomintroll furrowed his brow, yelling back, “Snufkin?! What’re you doing outside? Do you even know the time?”

“Oh, I’m usually up at this hour anyway! Six hours of sleep is enough, and that bed started to hurt my back, so I came out to lay under the stars. Come outside, I need to show you something!”

“I was dreaming, you know!” Moomintroll whined, “I should get back to sleep, do what you want!”

“But you’ll miss it! It’s truly wonderful!”

Moomintroll paused. Sighing, he called out a resigned, “Fine! But I’m going back to sleep as soon as I get back.”

He quickly changed out of his pajamas (which he was not very happy about; They were very cozy and gifted to him by Moominmamma) and tiredly made his way down the stairs and out the door. Snufkin stood in the sand a few feet away, and waved at him. “Come!”

Moomintroll jogged up to Snufkin, rubbing his eyes. “What is it that you wanted to show me? I’d hope it’s interesting, or else I might fall asleep right here on the sand.”

“Oh, you’ll see.” Snufkin said, smiling gently. Taking Moomintroll’s hand in his own, he pulled him farther down the beach. They quickly approached a blanket in the sand. Snufkin let go of Moomintroll and plopped down onto it, patting the space next to him. Moomintroll followed suit, laying down onto it and looking up at the sky. He wondered if it’d be difficult to get the sand out of the blanket.

“Look at the sky,” Snufkin said. He pointed at the moon. “It’s still blue. Can you see it? It’s very faint, but if you stare long enough, it’ll become clearer and clearer.”

Moomintroll silently looked up at it. It looked normal to him, but upon squinting, he noticed a faint blue tint to it. “Huh. You’re right.” He looked over at the other. “Snufkin, do you know why it turns that color?”

Snufkin nodded. “It’s told to us from the day we are born. There’s all sorts of creatures that live in the sky and past it. For one month, fairies that live on the moon wake up from their year-long slumber, and they dance and celebrate and use their magic until they tire themselves out again. The fairies are blue, you see, so that’s why it turns that color. And while the moon is very far away, it’s also very close at the same time, so it affects the Earth as well.”

“From the day you are born,” Moomintroll mused, “I’ve never heard anything like it. Did your parents tell you about it?”

Snufkin sighed. “I’m afraid I haven’t got any. Parents, I mean. They say I was found in a tide pool when I was just a baby.”

Moomintroll was silent for a moment. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s fine. We generally stay in pods of several families, but I never was one for crowds. Even at the market I was feeling a little…” He paused. “Well, I enjoy the fact that you’re not bothered by many people here. If you were, I might’ve jumped back into the ocean already, legs and all!”

“Oh, stop,” Moomintroll chuckled, “You said you wanted to travel more on land. You might have a difficult time passing through cities if you’re afraid of crowds.”

“No, it’s not that I’m afraid, or that I dislike people. I just need my space.” Snufkin mused quietly.

They were silent for a moment, looking up to the star-speckled sky. It was comfortable. Moomin was the first one to break the stillness between them. “How much longer will the moon be blue?”

“Hm.” Snufkin squinted at the sky. “This was only the first week. So, another three. I might be out of your hair after then. Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had this happen to me before. Maybe I’ll stay like this forever.” Snufkin shrugged.

Moomintroll bit his lip. “Do you want to go back to the ocean?”

“I think no matter what happens, it’ll be an adventure worth having.”

Moomintroll was silent. He supposed that was true, but the thought of Snufkin leaving back to the ocean admittedly made him feel a bit disappointed. He was starting to enjoy the other’s company.

“You’re quite right,” Moomintroll yawned, “But is that all you wanted to show me? I’m afraid if I lay here any longer, I’ll fall asleep.”

Snufkin sat up. “You sleep too much. Or perhaps I don’t sleep enough… Either way, yes, that’s all I wanted to show you.” He paused. “The stars are particularly beautiful this morning.”

“They are.” Moomintroll stood up. “Are you going to stay out here?”

“Yes, I think so. Not enjoying nature’s beauty seems like a waste.”

“Well, enjoy yourself.” Moomintroll poked Snufkin’s cheek playfully then began making his way back to the lighthouse, and eventually, back to his bed.

He went out like a light.

He woke back up a few hours later, his alarm clock’s beeping grating against his ears. Groaning, he turned over and slapped it, fumbling around to turn the alarm off. Staring at the wall groggily for a moment, he eventually pulled himself up and rubbed his eyes.

He had a lot of work to do today, but first, his concern was breakfast.

He made his way downstairs and to the kitchen, fumbling around sleepily to get all the necessary ingredients. He was making Moominmamma’s famous pancakes, with his own spin on it. He was adding chocolate chips to them! He got cooking, and soon enough, the kitchen smelled delicious and there were two heaping plates full of food. He also cut up some fruit on the side and made raspberry juice.

Moomintroll was quite proud of himself. Opening the kitchen window, he called out for Snufkin, yelling that breakfast was ready.

There was no response at first, but as Moomin was wondering if he should call again, he saw Snufkin jogging over from his spot in the sand. He stumbled a few times (walking in the sand still was a bit challenging for him at times, it seemed), before he eventually came up to the windowsill. Putting his elbows on it, he held his head in his hands and smiled up at Moomintroll. “I could smell whatever you’ve been cooking from halfway across the beach!”

“Oh, I hoped you would. I made an extra special recipe today.”

“Extra special? Why is that?”

“It’s my mother’s recipe. I used to have it all the time while I was growing up.”

“Hm. Well, if it’s as good as it smells, I’d like to meet your mother and shake her paw.”

“Maybe one day. Now come on in already, and wipe your feet before you do. It’s going to get cold!”

They ate in silence, but Moomintroll would look up every once in a while to look at Snufkin, who was looking at his food like he was deeply in love with it. Without even saying anything, the look on Snufkin’s face alone gave him a bit of a confidence boost.

Snufkin took a sip of his raspberry juice. “I’d like to shake your mother’s paw now, please.”

“Well, whenever she visits again, maybe you’ll be able to do just that.”

“What a wonderful woman. I’m assuming she kept you well fed.”

“Yes, she did. Very. If I still lived with her, I’d probably be chubbier than I already am.” Moomintroll chuckled.

They finished quickly enough, and Snufkin helped Moomintroll clean up. They were washing the dishes when Moomin said, “You know, I have a visitor coming today.”

“A visitor, you say? Who?” Snufkin asked curiously, rinsing off a cup.

“Well, she’s a childhood friend. She’s been visiting me about once a month since I started living and working here. Her name is Little My.”

“ Little My. Is she quite little, then?”

“Yes, very! But to be fair, she used to be smaller. She’s grown some since we were children.”

Snufkin hummed to himself thoughtfully. “Well, I hope she doesn’t scare easily.”

“Oh, hush. She doesn’t scare easily, I promise you. And even if she did, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you. You’re a friend here.” Moomintroll paused, tapping his fingers against a plate nervously. “She is a bit blunt. Please excuse her if she’s a bit forward. Or, er- Very forward.”

Snufkin nodded, letting a few seconds of silence go between them. They finished up the dishes, and Snufkin rubbed his hands against a towel to dry them. One of his claws got stuck onto the fabric and ripped it a bit, but he didn’t seem to notice. “If it’s too much trouble, I can go outside to my blanket out on the sand. I don’t mind staying outside.” He muttered, looking away. He pulled his green hat down a bit, hiding his eyes.

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Moomin said, grabbing onto the other’s elbow, “I’m sure it won’t be too much trouble.” He paused. He was a little unsure of this, but wanted to try and be positive. He smiled gently at the other, “But, if you feel uncomfortable, I have a tent lying around somewhere that I can set up for you outside. I don’t want to force you to do anything.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“Good! Now, do you want to help me make a pumpkin pie? It’s Little My’s favorite, and I want to surprise her with it when she shows up. I always make her a dessert whenever she comes, so I suppose it won’t exactly be a surprise, but-”

“Can I have some of it?”

“I’ll let you lick the spoon I use to mix the filling.”

“Well, I sure am tempted. I’ll help you out, then.”

And so they started on the pumpkin pie.

It was easy enough. Moomintroll did most of the work, but let Snufkin pour in some of the pre-measured ingredients into the bowl. Snufkin’s eyes were wide with interest, shining with fascination. It was the little things that he seemed to get excited about. Moomintroll wondered what he was like when he wasn’t constantly amazed. Perhaps a bit more reserved and calm, maybe a little more mysterious, all based on his demeanor earlier that morning. Either way, Moomintroll found Snufkin highly interesting. While he had sailed many seas and traveled across many lands, this wasn’t an experience he had had before. The fact that Snufkin was essentially discovering everything for the first time was fascinating, and the way he reacted to said things made Moomintroll’s heart flutter. He couldn’t put his finger on why.

As Snufkin tasted the pie filling, his face lit up. He went in for more, but Moomintroll lightly smacked his hand away and told him that they would eat it later- and a lot of it. It was a big pie. Snufkin hurriedly nodded and helped pour the filling into the crust they had made.

Moomintroll stole glances at the other. He had given Snufkin a red and white apron with a heart on it, and it was speckled with flour. Maybe he wasn’t used to how Snufkin looked yet, and found himself naturally staring.

Yes, that must be it.

He didn’t even noticed that he was done pouring the filling, holding the empty bowl in the air and staring at Snufkin through the corner of his eye. Snufkin tapped the bowl, smiling at Moomintroll.

“Is there any more filling in there? Or have you finished pouring it?”

“Oh! Erm, yes, I’m done.” Moomintroll put down the bowl. “If you want, you can lick the inside of the bowl.”

“Fantastic! Give it here.”

Moomintroll put the pie in the oven and began cleaning up as Snufkin licked the inside of the bowl with his fingers. His long gnarled claws scraped against the metal bowl, which gave Moomintroll the shivers, but he tried to ignore it.

“When will she be here?” Asked Snufkin, licking one of his fingers.

“Hm. I’m not sure. I’m expecting that she’ll be here in the late afternoon, though. That’s when she usually shows up, but you can never be sure.” Moomintroll paused. “I’ve quite missed her. We are close, you know. She used to get on my nerves all the time when I was younger, but we’ve both grown since then. Well, at least I have.” He chuckled.

“I didn’t know you when you were a child, but I agree. You’re quite tall.”

“I’m a fully grown Moomin! We aren’t known for being small creatures. Well, in the scheme of things, I suppose we’re small… But I’m taller than most of my friends, at least.” Moomin rolled his eyes. “As soon as I grew taller than Sniff- You know, you’ve read about him- he made such a fuss. Now he teases me whenever he sees me. How’s the weather up there, Moomintroll? I can only take so many weather jokes, you know.”

“Well, I think you look fine. It suits you.”

“Oh. Well, thank you. I’d hope I didn’t look horribly awkward in my size.”

“You don’t.”

Moomintroll was silent for a moment. He didn’t know what to do with this affirmation- or maybe it was a compliment? Either way, he felt slightly bashful about it, his heart beating a little bit harder.

He decided to change the subject. “The pie will be in the oven for at least an hour. Do you want to go back outside, or do you want to stay in and do some reading?”

Snufkin pondered that. “It’s a bit warmer than usual today. Well, it doesn’t matter if it’s warm or not, because I suppose I’m not very sensitive to the cold. But I’ve been meaning to see how hard it is to swim with legs.”

Moomintroll blinked. “You want to go swimming?”

“Very much so, yes. It’s only been a few days, but I feel a bit nostalgic for the ocean. I don’t think it’d hurt.”

“Well, I don’t think it’d hurt, assuming you don’t drown. You can walk now, but swimming… I’ll go out with you, just in case.”

“ Drown? ” The word sounded foreign on Snufkin’s tongue. He laughed, as if it was the most preposterous think he had ever heard. “I have these, remember? I’m assuming they still work.” He tapped on the gills that were carved into his neck.

“Well, if they don’t, I’ll fish you out of the water.” Moomintroll huffed. “I… didn’t mean to make that pun. But you know what I mean! I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

“You worry a lot.”

“Maybe, but it’s saved me a lot of grief.”

“Well, you can come along if you want. I still want to try.”

“Fine, then. I’ll see if I can find you some swim shorts.”

And so he did. He disappeared up the stairs and quickly came back down, holding a pair of green floral swim shorts. He handed them to Snufkin, who began taking off his green coat right in the kitchen. Moomintroll grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“We change in private, remember?” He scolded.

“Oh.”

He sent Snufkin to the bathroom, and soon they both were ready. Moomins didn’t always wear clothes (He sometimes wore coats, but today wasn’t one of those days), so he was already suited for it. They walked out onto the beach, and stood at the surf.

“Well, let’s see how you do.” Moomintroll said, admittedly a bit nervous.

Snufkin waded into the water, until the water was at his waist. Some seaweed floated by. To Moomintroll’s horror, Snufkin ripped off a leaf of the kelp and put it into his mouth. He made a face. “It’s a little old.”

“I- Won’t you get sick doing that?” Moomintroll gasped.

“No? I eat this all the time.”

Moomintroll just nodded, biting his tongue on this. They waded a little deeper until they were at their chests.

“Let’s not go any deeper,” Moomintroll muttered, “I don’t want the waves to sweep you away. Right here is fine.”

“Okay. I’m going to try swimming now.” Snufkin stated. His head suddenly dipped under the water. It took a second to register, but Moomintroll began to panic. Had he tried to start swimming but immediately sunk to the bottom? He was about to start looking for Snufkin when he felt something grab his feet. He yelped, and suddenly, he was yanked under the water.

His eyes burned from the salt in the water. He was dragged in some direction (he couldn’t tell which), and he was holding his breath in an attempt to not drown. He felt himself wanting to gasp for air that wasn’t there, but before he had to do that, he was let go. Quickly kicking around to orient himself, he swam up to the surface. Moomintroll immediately coughed up some water that somehow entered his mouth and rubbed his eyes. Looking around, he realized he was at the same depth of water, but was just a little farther down the coastline.

Almost if on cue, Snufkin’s head bobbed up a few feet away. “It’s a little awkward, but I can still swim!” He called, “Also, don’t worry about me drowning. I can breathe.”

“I can’t!” Moomintroll cried, “Why did you do that?!”

“Oh! I’m sorry, dove!” Snufkin waded a little closer. “Just some roughhousing. I shouldn’t have kept you under for so long. I apologize.”

“Roughhousing this, roughhousing that. I’d say that I’m going to make you sleep outside, but you already do.”

“That I do.” Snufkin stood closer to Moomintroll and grabbed his hands beneath the water. He swung them back and forth. “You’re a friend to me. I’d never drown you, I promise. I know other sirens do typically just that, but I was never one for the whole tormenting people thing.”

“That’s comforting.” Moomintroll muttered. He pulled away his hands and immediately splashed a huge wave at Snufkin, who stumbled back a few steps. “Hah!” He cried, “How does that feel?!”

Snufkin stared bewildered at Moomintroll for a moment, before a smile stretched across his face. His head dipped underneath the water again. Moomintroll gulped, and turned to wade away, but soon enough Snufkin burst up from beneath the waves right in front of Moomin, water spraying all over his face. Moomintroll wiped his eyes, yelling, “You’re devilish, aren’t you? You can probably see through all the saltwater, but I can’t!”

“I have the upper hand!” Snufkin cried gleefully. He suddenly was behind Moomintroll, and hugged his waist from behind. Moomintroll was about the question what he was doing, but Snufkin kicked the other’s legs from beneath him, and they both fell underneath into the water. Moomintroll held his breath, and Snufkin only held him for a moment before pushing him back up to the surface. Moomintroll found his footing and spat out water that had gotten into his mouth. Snufkin shot up besides Moomintroll, who quickly splashed some more water into the siren’s face.

“For someone who doesn’t want to drown me, you sure tease the idea often!” Moomintroll guffawed, watching Snufkin stumble.

“Fine, fine, you win!” Yelled Snufkin, wiping his eyes. “I’ve already conducted my experiment- I can swim. We can go to the shore again if you want.”

Moomintroll knew that Snufkin could’ve destroyed him in this play-fight if he wanted to, and figured he was only surrendering for the sake of it, but took the triumph anyway. “Okay then! Maybe we can do some reading by the fire before Little My gets here. The water is admittedly a bit cold.”

“Sounds good to me.”

They waded back to shore, play-splashing at each other occasionally. When they got out of the water, Moomintroll shook himself (much like a dog would), his fur fluffing up considerably. Snufkin raised an eyebrow.

“Fluffy.” He remarked.

“Yes, very.”

They made their way back to the lighthouse, using the water hose to rinse themselves off, and using towels left outside to get dry. By the time they got inside, the pie was three-fourths of the way done cooking.

Entering the kitchen shocked Moomintroll. It was much warmer inside due to the oven being on. His hair stood up even higher from the chills he got from that feeling. Snufkin stared at his fur but made no remark.

They settled in the living room, which had the fire going. Snufkin had decided to try his hand at drawing, so Moomintroll set out some paper and crayons. The siren worked diligently at the paper. His drawings were wobbly and scribbly (Probably since he’d never held any sort of writing utensil before; Moomintrol had to teach him), but admittedly impressive for someone’s first drawings.

Moomintroll settled into his chair, picking his book about the sailor and the mermaid princess back up. It admittedly had a disappointing ending- The sailor had died, and the mermaid was dying of a broken heart- but he wanted to see it through since he already invested so much time into it. The shopkeeper who sold it to him had warned him it was dark, but he thought it would be dark in a cool way, instead of a grisly way. Eugh. Enough with stories being dark for the sake of being dark! I’d much rather a happy ending, but I might as well read the rest.

He got up once to take the pie out of the oven, and lay it on the windowsill to cool before settling back into his book.

Maybe an hour had passed of peaceful silence before suddenly there was a knock on the door. Moomintroll jumped up. “Little My!” He exclaimed excitedly. Snufkin perked up as well, although he looked a bit nervous.

Snufkin watched Moomintroll get out of his chair and jog to the door. He followed cautiously, following at a distance. He peeked out from behind the living room door and watched as Moomintroll threw open the front door.

“It’s you!” The Moomin exclaimed, and a fairly short girl immediately threw herself into his arms. Her hair was a burnt auburn, tied into a high ponytail, and she was wearing a bright red coat to match. She was about half of Moomintroll’s height, which was fairly small, but not as small as Snufkin had envisioned.

“You missed me, you doofus!” She laughed. Moomintroll had picked her up and began swinging her around, and she screeched with joy while at the same time yelling at him to put her down.

“How was the trip over here?” Moomintroll asked, putting her down. His back was to Snufkin, who watched intently.

“Oh, same as always. Not too bad. You know this already!” She exclaimed, “You worry too much! Now, tell me that you have something for me to eat, I’m starving! Moominmamma sent me over with a whole stack of pancakes, but I ate them as soon as I left Moominhouse.”

“Oh, yes! We made you something special!”

“We?” Looking past Moomintroll, Little My caught sight of Snufkin. Her face immediately lit up, and she pushed past Moomintroll, who tried to pull her back and failed.

“Why, you’re strange looking! What are you, one of Moomin’s weekly visitors? Oh, no- Or are you a fugitive he’s hiding? He has a past of helping people he shouldn’t, you know. But I don’t mind if you’re a criminal, don’t worry-”

“Little My-” Moomintroll whined. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she slapped it off.

“-We used to get in trouble with the police department all the time as kids! Either way, I’m Little My, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. But you must tell me what sort of creature you are, I’m horribly curious!” She stuck out her hand, grinning toothily.

Snufkin stared at her hand, unsure of what to do. He knew that you held hands with friends (but only sometimes, according to Moomintroll), but he didn’t know this girl very well.

Before things could get awkward, Moomintroll stepped in, grabbing Snufkin’s hand and putting it to Little My’s.

“It’s a common greeting. You shake hands to say hello.” He stated hurriedly, shaking their hands together.

“Oh.” Snufkin said placidly.

“Does he not know how to shake hands…?” Little My asked. She paused for a moment, before her face lit up again. “Oh, how strange! Where are you from…? Er, what’s your name?”

“His name is Snufkin.” Moomintroll answered. “I’ll tell you all about him- If he feels comfortable, of course-” He stared back at Snufkin, who only blinked at him, “But let’s get you settled in. Snufkin’s no longer using the guest room, so we can set you up there. Come on.” He walked outside with Little My to her wagon, leaving Snufkin inside.

Snufkin crept back to the living room, settling onto the floor to continue drawing.

He felt a bit awkward.

He had been enjoying Moomintroll’s company, he really has been. He admittedly had been hanging around this part of the world for a few weeks before he had officially met Moomintroll. He had always been drawn to lighthouses, as they were so pretty to look at, so he initially settled nearby to watch the lights shine at night. He planned on leaving quickly, but as a consequence of being near land, he had caught sight of Moomintroll a few times- walking around the beach doing whatever he was doing at that moment in time. As he was naturally curious of land trolls, he’d sometimes lurk behind some rocks and watch.

He found him absolutely fascinating. That’s why he decided to play his conch shell for him. Not that he’d ever tell Moomintroll; He was a bit more reserved in that sense. Songs were traditionally used to lure sailors, and they would stop working as soon as you stopped playing, but by that time, most sirens were close enough to grab the poor men and drown them. Snufkin never had that intention- he found himself too naturally curious to ever harm another troll- but he wanted to see if he could get Moomintroll’s attention. And he did! And when he did, he was so ecstatic that his first instinct was to play (which was natural of sirens and their kin- playful roughhousing). However, he quickly realized that Moomintroll was not suited for such, and brought him to shore. He still felt deeply sorry for that.

Anyway, he had been enjoying Moomintroll’s company, but he had been fumbling his way through social customs. He felt like he had been doing a fairly okay (or, at least, not totally laughable) job, but he didn’t understand everything yet. And he felt that because of this, he might’ve destroyed his first meeting with Moomin’s dear friend.

Frustrated with himself, he scribbled on the paper he had been given. Moomin and Little My moved back and forth in the background, getting suitcases up the stairs. He scribbled out a kelp forest, and drew himself in the kelp. He drew himself with his tail, which was a mixture of green and black.

He looked down at his legs. He was still getting used to them. His tail used to be long, sleek, and with many fins jutting out of it. He had chosen the green hat and coat from the market because he was pretty sure green was his favorite color. It was the color of kelp, his scales, and trees. He’d probably miss his tail if he wasn’t having so much fun on land. It was truly new to him- an adventure he’d never had before. After you wade through the ocean long enough, most things start to look the same.

He wondered if he’d ever get to travel on land. He hoped so. Moomin’s adventures sounded like things out of reach- of absolute fantasy. He wanted to experience things just like it, if not even more mystical.

While he was lost in his thoughts, Moomintroll came into the room. He was breathing harder than normal, undoubtedly from going up those stairs. “Well, we’re done getting everything up to her room,” He panted, “Come, eat some pumpkin pie with us. I know you’ve been wanting to.”

Snufkin nodded somewhat bashfully, getting up and following Moomintroll. He decided to try and make a better impression with Little My this time. He was many things, but he was not rude. Or, he tried not to be.

Little My sat on the kitchen table, legs swinging over the edge. She was staring at the huge pumpkin pie that sat on the windowsill. As soon as she saw the pair, she perked up. “Finally!” She exclaimed, “I’ve been waiting for you two! You’re lucky I didn’t shovel that whole pie into my mouth while you were gone. I can smell it from here.”

“Oh, calm down!” Moomintroll said, chuckling. He took the pie off the windowsill and put it onto the table. He picked up Little My (who protested) off the table and sat her in a chair, and began getting out plates and forks. Snufkin sat down at the table across from Little My.

“Have you ever had this before?” Little My asked, bouncing in her chair. “It’s my favorite. Moomintroll’s baking makes me think he made a deal with the devil. I can’t make a sandwich without something burning.”

“I licked the bowl after he made the filling.”

“You licked the bowl? He must really like you. When he lived at Moominhouse, he’d fight us over who got to lick it. He’d hold me back with his leg and lick it right in front of my face, the demon.”

Snufkin blinked. “Then I’m honored. It was delicious. I’ve never had pumpkin before this.”

“Then wait until you try it with whipped cream.” She said giddily. She stopped bouncing in her chair and stared in anticipation as Moomintroll put a bowl of homemade whipped cream on the table next to the pie (They had made it earlier out of coconut milk and sugar). Humming to himself, the Moomin cut thick slices of pie and slowly put a slice on all of their plates.

Little My immediately started scarfing it down as soon as she dolloped a glob of whipped cream on top. Snufkin thought the pie slice looked too big for someone of her stature, but she apparently seemed like she could handle it. He slowly put on a spoonful of whipped cream onto the pie and took a bite. He immediately exclaimed in excitement (with his mouth closed, of course- Moomintroll had gotten on his case about manners before) and began eating more of it. He caught Moomintroll looking at him once or twice, but his main concern was the pie. It was so good!

Snufkin and Little My finished quickly, leaving Moomintroll with half of his pie left.

“You’re a devil in the kitchen! Always tempting me!” Little My exclaimed, leaning back in her chair and patting her stomach.

“It was very good, Moomintroll.” Snufkin added.

“Thank you!” Moomintroll beamed. “Snufkin, you helped, so you should thank yourself too.”

“It was your recipe. Please make it again sometime.” Snufkin said, smiling, satisfied.

“Well…” Moomintroll paused to take another bite out of his pie. “I think I’m out of canned pumpkin. I’d have to go back into town to get some, so maybe some other time.”

“If you make more while I’m gone, you’d better send me some in the mail,” Little My said, pointing her fork at Moomintroll. “But now, I’d ought to know-” She turned to Snufkin. “I’m awfully curious about you. How did you and Moomintroll meet? And why are you here? And what are you? And-”

“Little My.” Moomintroll warned.

“Sorry,” She mumbled. She turned back to Snufkin with pleading eyes. “But please let me know!”

“Well,” Snufkin paused thoughtfully, “I met him when I almost drowned him.”

“ What?”

“Yes, I know, and I’m deeply sorry for it. I was playing him a song and lured him to me, you see, and I got so excited that I pulled him underwater. I realized he was drowning, so I wished upon the blue moon for legs, and I brought him ashore. I’ve been staying with Moomintroll since.”

“Legs?” Little My, clearly confused, looked to Moomintroll for explanation.

“He’s a siren,” Moomintroll said a bit awkwardly, “I’ll explain the rest to you in depth later. It’s quite… complicated. But he’s a type of sea troll, and now he’s on land.”

Little My put her head in her hands thoughtfully. “My mother talked about sea trolls before. Apparently she met one once. I never have, though, and you,” Little My leaned closer to Snufkin, “- are quite a sight. Do you ever get caught in fishing nets?”

“My-” Moomintroll complained, but was shushed by his smaller friend.

“I want to know!” She exclaimed.

“I’ve never gotten close enough to fishing boats to get stuck in them. But I’ve known some who have not been so lucky.” Snufkin mused.

“How awful!” Exclaimed Little My. “So you’re a siren! Do you eat people?”

Moomintroll sighed exasperatedly in the background, but Snufkin answered anyway, “No, I much prefer fish. And Moomintroll’s cooking.” He smiled gently at the Moomin.

“Well, have you ever eaten people before?”

Snufkin opened his mouth to answer, but Moomintroll plucked Little My up from her seat and slung her over his shoulder. She shrieked, pulling on his fur and yelling at him to put her down. “That’s enough!” He huffed. “We can talk about this later, My. Now that we’re all done, we should do something.”

Little My sighed defeatedly. “Like what? There’s not much to do at this lighthouse except talk.”

Moomintroll thought for a moment. “Well, I found an old record player just laying around last week in one of my storage rooms. I think it’s Moominpappa’s. I think it works, we can play some records if it does.”

“Dancing! I love dancing. Now put me down, you jerk!” Little My kicked against Moomin’s chest, who grunted and obliged. She huffed and straightened out her coat, putting her hands on her hips. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go get the record player.”

Moomintroll muttered something to himself, turning and walking over to and up the stairs. He disappeared behind the curve of them, and it was just Little My and Snufkin.

Little My turned to Snufkin, eyes wide. “He’s protective of you.” She said, licking some whipped cream off of her fork.

“Oh,” Mused Snufkin, “I think he’s just worried. He worries a lot, I’ve noticed.”

“He’s not an anxious person, you know. He must feel responsible for you or something, or he must really like you,” She paused. “I mentioned this earlier, but my mother met a sea troll before. She doesn’t talk much of her past boyfriends, but she liked this one enough that she told us stories of him. I don’t know you, but as a kid, I didn’t want to hear about my mom’s romantic life,” She rolled her eyes, “But I think that was her biggest heartbreak.”

“That’s quite sad.” Snufkin said awkwardly.

“Yes, it is.” Little My pointed her fork to Snufkin. “It’s none of my business, but be kind to Moomintroll. He might too stupid at times to pick up on things, but I can tell when he… Well, I don’t know what it is that that big ol’ oaf feels, but he obviously thinks you’re special. So be nice to him.” She stuck her finger in the bowl of whipped cream and licked it.

Snufkin’s face went pink. He wasn’t quite sure what she was implying, but whatever it was, it made his stomach do a flip. “I will.” He forced out.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Little My eating out of the whipped cream bowl intently. Distantly, they began to hear footsteps, and Moomintroll appeared at the base of the stairs. Grunting, he went into the living room and put the record player down on the coffee table there, before coming back into the kitchen. Rubbing his lower back, he panted, “That was so heavy, I thought my spine would snap! Anyway, come on, let’s try it out.”

The two got up and made their way over to the living room, staring at the record player. Moomintroll fiddled with it for a bit, then put a record in it, and an upbeat tune began to play. Snufkin didn’t recognize any of the instruments that were playing, but they sounded quite pleasant.

Moomintroll took Little My’s hand, and the two began to swing around each other, Moomintroll twirling and picking up Little My occasionally. Snufkin chose to watch, sitting down on the couch and enjoying the sight.

The sight was foreign to him. They seemed so happy, laughing and twirling, stumbling occasionally and laughing even more. He had seen people dancing on passing ships, but he wasn’t entirely used to it. For sirens, music wasn’t for anything pleasant. It was a tool.

Little My and Moomintroll eventually parted, panting and laughing. Little My mosied over to Snufkin and held out her hand. “Let’s dance!” She exclaimed.

“I… don’t know how.” Snufkin mumbled.

“Oh, once you get the hang of it, it’s easy. At least try.”

Snufkin nodded and stood up, taking her hand. A new song started playing, and Little My grabbed both of his hands, swaying side to side. He awkwardly rocked back and forth on his feet. Looking at her, he mimicked her actions, but it looked rather robotic. She noticed this and sighed, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t think I’m a good teacher, actually. Moomintroll!” She called to him, “Come on over. Dance with Snufkin.”

“What- me?” Moomintroll asked. He was now sitting in his chair, drinking some water.

“Yes, who else would I be talking to? Are there any other Moomintrolls in the room? Come teach Snufkin how to dance.”

“You can’t do it?”

“You taught me how to dance. I think you’re a better teacher.”

“Oh, erm, alright then.” Moomintroll got out of his chair and stretched before walking over to Snufkin.

“You don’t have to.” Snufkin said bashfully. He felt like he was the center of attention, and he couldn’t say that he enjoyed it much.

“Oh, hush. Come here.” Moomintroll took Snufkin’s hands from Little My’s, and began moving from side to side with him. “Learning how to dance isn’t a matter of memorizing steps. It’s just finding the rhythm and moving with it.” The song changed tempo, and he started moving a bit faster. “Do you hear that? You go with the tempo and the beat.”

Snufkin nodded, only beginning to understand. He kept up with Moomintroll, although with some difficulty- his feet fumbled a few times. His hands were getting a bit sweaty as well. They went on like this for a while, and it began to come more naturally to Snufkin. Eventually, he was keeping up with Moomintroll with more ease. Moomintroll noticed, smiling wide. “You’ve got it! Now watch.” Twisting Snufkin’s arm, he forced the other to do a twirl. Snufkin was bewildered at first, but once he figured out what happened, he burst out laughing.

They danced together for quite a while, before Little My got between them and began dancing with the two of them. They all were having a lot of fun- Snufkin was still a beginner, and didn’t quite know what to do with his hands when he was dancing alone (For sometimes Little My would dance with him or Moomintroll individually for short periods of time), but he thought he had the basics down.

When he danced with Moomintroll, he felt incredibly warm. It felt nice to be close to the other- fuzzy, soft, and admittedly a bit sweaty. There wasn’t much warmth where he came from. He wished he could bury his head into the other’s fur, and although he wasn’t sure of all societal norms here, he didn’t think that would be taken well.

They danced for a while, until they were panting and sweating and laying on the couches from exhaustion. Snufkin wiped his brow. How much time had passed?

He soon found out. Little My had shown up in the late afternoon, and now it was past dinnertime. They all got some water, and Moomintroll quickly began to whip up some dinner. It was simple according to him- pasta with pesto sauce, he had said- but it was delicious to Snufkin all the same. He didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with food, but here he was.

They ate, cleaned up, and it was now nighttime. Moomintroll had helped set up a tent outside for Snufkin, a big green one, and put a load of blankets and pillows in it. He worried that it would be too uncomfortable, but Snufkin assured him that 4 blankets and 6 pillows was more than enough.

Snufkin admittedly wanted to be alone, so he retired early for the night. When he left the lighthouse, Little My and Moomintroll were laughing by the fireplace, undoubtedly catching up on what had happened since they last saw each other. Snufkin almost felt relieved to be free from social interaction for the day. Crawling into his tent on the beach, he nestled between all the pillows Moomintroll gave him.

Quickly realizing that this was ridiculous, he pushed 3 of the blankets and 5 of the pillows to the other side of the tent, and settled in with the remaining ones.

Snufkin was naturally a thinker. When one was alone and traveling the open ocean, there was often nothing to do but think. As a force of habit, that translated to being on land as well. So, he thought about that day.

He enjoyed being with Moomintroll. His life was very cold. The sea was cold, the fish he ate were cold, the gazes of passing sea trolls were cold. It was a wonder that he wasn’t a natural pessimist, because things weren’t exactly friendly in the ocean. So grabbing onto Moomintroll’s paws and feeling the warmth radiating off his fur into his scales made him feel… conflicted.

Perhaps he shouldn’t be enjoying the other’s company so much. The thought of going back to the ocean made him feel cold. He didn’t know what was going to happen, and perhaps he shouldn’t be getting so…

Attached.

Snufkin’s heart beat against his chest. He didn’t do well being confined to one space, but he wanted to stay with Moomintroll for a long time. Discovering new things, laughing together, holding hands… as dear, dear friends.

He thought about what Little My had said. He doubted Moomintroll liked him as much as she had implied. They were friends now, yes, but he was sure that he bothered the other at times. A lump rose in his throat. He just hoped that he was truly wanted here.

He thought about Moomintroll. The thought of waking up and seeing Moomintroll in the morning made his stomach feel like there hundreds of tiny seahorses swimming in there.

Those were his last thoughts before the sound of the waves lulled him to sleep.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll woke up to the smell of burning.

Groggily rising out of bread, he rubbed his eyes, not fully processing what that meant. It took him a second, but after a moment his eyes shot open, and he sprung up, rushing out of the room and immediately going to jog down the stairs.

Nothing was on his mind except panic. He got to the bottom floor, and was met by an abundance of light gray smoke floating in the air. He felt his brain short-circuit out of sheer anxiety, and began to look for the source of it. He turned into the kitchen.

The first thing he saw was Little My. She was waving away smoke, and quickly rushed to the kitchen window, opening it to let some of the smoke out.

The next thing he saw was Snufkin. He was sitting on top of the table, with his knees at his chest, seemingly clutching at his hat for dear life and pulling it over his eyes. His knuckles were white.

Moomintroll looked over to the stovetop. Something black and charred was in a frying pan, and it seemed like it had water poured out of it. Smoke was rising from it, but he figured that it wasn’t dangerous anymore. It was just a matter of getting all the smoke out now.

Coughing, he went over to the kitchen door that led to the beach and threw it open, waving away the smoke with his hands. Little My got a rag and began waving it in the air, which admittedly seemed more effective. They worked for a while, waving their arms and rags about, and soon enough, most of the smoke was out of the kitchen.

Moomintroll sighed in relief, before turning to the other two, exasperated. “Now what happened?!” He cried.

Snufkin peeked out from under his hat, and moved his legs so they were now dangling over the edge of the table. His face flushed red. “I’m so sorry-”

“It was hilarious, until things went wrong,” Little My interrupted, putting her hands at her hips, “I came downstairs and he was trying to cook for us! You told me that he hasn’t had many foods, and I think you’re right, because he was trying to use strawberry jam on the frying pan instead of oil, and was trying to fry up some spaghetti noodles!” She burst out laughing, doubling over.

Snufkin’s face turned a painful shade of burgundy.  He pulled his hat back over his face, and began to head towards the door. Moomintroll grabbed his elbow, stopping him. “Woah, stop right there. Is that true?”

Snufkin didn’t lift up his hat. “Well, I suppose she’s right, I haven’t had many foods, so I don’t know what goes together, and-”

“No, not about your jam and spaghetti noodles. You really tried to cook for us?”

Snufkin lifted up his hat. “... Yes.”

“Oh.” Moomintroll loosened his grip, and placed his hand on Snufkin’s shoulder instead. “That’s very sweet of you, Snufkin. I appreciate it. But, erm. Leave the cooking to me.”

Snufkin nodded, staying quiet and looking at the floor.

“Oh, cheer up!” Little My bounced on over, and grabbed Snufkin’s hands. “This has been the funniest thing I’ve seen all week. It’s awfully boring now that everyone in Moominvalley is grown up- Sniff and Snorkmaiden hardly go on adventures with me! Work this, children that- My sister visits with Too-Ticky sometimes, but she doesn’t think adventures are “safe”, whatever that means. Ninny’s the only one that likes to explore the forest with me anymore. Eugh.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s good that I came to visit. You two know how to have fun. So don’t beat yourself up, because I am highly entertained.” She grinned toothily, and swung her and Snufkin’s hands from side to side. “Let’s do something! Maybe that’ll get your mind off of the fact that you started a fire today.”

“Yes… Let me tend to a few things first, but we can do something today, absolutely. I know there’s a private beach with a restaurant a few miles down, maybe we can go out and-”

This seemed to peak Snufkin’s interest. “Private beach?” He interrupted, cocking his head to the side.

“Yes, a private beach. I know the hemulen that owns it. He only lets certain people onto the beach, but I’m sure he’ll let us use it for the day. The restaurant is a short distance away, although it’s open to the public. I don’t know why he just doesn’t-”

“You don’t mean to tell me that this hemulen claims that he owns a part of the sea, do you?”

Moomintroll blinked. “Well, if you put it that way, I suppose that’s what it is… Along with the land that surrounds it.”

Snufkin’s face scrunched up in disgust. “That’s horrid! Nobody owns the sea, and the thought of somebody putting their stake in it makes my stomach churn. Who is this hemulen? I want to give him a piece of my mind.”

Moomintroll had never seen Snufkin angry. Patting the other’s shoulder, he quickly blurted out, “Don’t worry! We don’t need to go if it’s going to get you upset. Maybe we could go sailing instead. Or I could take you into town again, there’s a museum there. Or, I also have puzzles and board games in the basement. We can do literally anything else.”

“Museum?! All the times I’ve been here, and you’ve never mentioned a museum!” Little My exclaimed, “I thought all there was to do here was talk and eat! You have to take me sometime!” She huffed and crossed her arms.

“That sounds splendid, but I still want to go to the beach.” Snufkin said, grimacing. “I can’t in good conscience have somebody take domain over a part of the sea. It isn’t meant to be split up between land trolls. People live in those waters!”

Moomintroll was quiet for a moment, contemplating what would be best to say. “Maybe I’ll take you some other time. But we should do something nice today.”

Snufkin frowned. “I suppose so.”

“If Snufkin does anything devilish, I want to be there for it.” Little My piped up, “I’ve been to that beach before. Maybe we could set all the signs on fire.”

“Little My! No, if you do that, I’m not going with you. You know better. There’s no need for arson.” Moomin scolded.

“I haven’t gotten into trouble for a long time. I haven’t even been setting up traps for the mailman anymore! I think I should be allowed to be bad for one day, Moomin.”

“Okay, well, you can do that on your own time,” Moomintroll rolled his eyes, “But I’m not going with you. Anyway, do you guys want to go to the museum or not?”

Little My winked at Snufkin before turning to Moomin and bouncing on her heels, yelling, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Snufkin nodded pleasantly.

And so it was decided. Moomin quickly tended to his work, just doing routine check-ups on all of his equipment, and was done within the hour. After he was done, he hurriedly made everyone porridge with fresh berries as breakfast, and rushed everyone to get ready for the day. That meant Little My changing out of her pajamas, and Snufkin changing into a nice button up shirt with suspenders and shorts that Moomintroll would lend him (as his green coat and hat needed to go through the wash). Moomin packed a backpack filled with water bottles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, cut up vegetables, a container of hummus, pineapple juice, and a picnic blanket.

And so they were off! It was a decently sized trek through the woods to the town, so Moomintroll made sure that they all had proper shoes on before they left. They were beginning their journey through the woods when Moomin felt like he was being watched.

Turning his head, he swore he saw something dart behind a tree they passed.

Strange.

They continued on for a little bit more, Snufkin and Little My apparently clueless. The two chatted while Moomin walked behind them, visibly suspicious.

Looking down, he saw various flowers line the side of the path. He thought nothing of it, until he caught sight of what seemed like a little person laying down in one of them. His heart jumping with surprise, he stopped in his path and leaned down and looked at her. She looked back up with wide eyes, before smiling and waving. Upon closer inspection, she seemed to have wings.

“Guys!” Moomintroll called. He held out his finger to the small girl, and she shook it with her tiny hands, similar to a handshake. Snufkin and Little My looked back at Moomin, confused, but both trotted over.

“What is it?” Little My asked curiously, not yet seeing what he was doing. Snufkin noticed almost immediately, and crouched down to the side of the Moomin. “It’s a fairy.” Snufkin said lowly. His breath tickled the back of Moomintroll’s neck, which made his hair stand up on its ends.

Snufkin held out his finger to the fairy, saying, “You’re very beautiful.” Her entire body immediately turned a bright shade of pink. She started to talk, but her voice sounded like a bell tinkling, so nobody could tell what she had said. Standing up and brushing out her skirt, she flew up to Snufkin’s face and gave him a kiss on the cheek before darting off into the woods.

Little My’s mouth was wide open. “A fairy? I’ve heard about them in stories as a little girl, but they’re real? ” Her face broke out into a grin. She began bouncing on her heels. “I wonder if there’s more of them around! Can we catch one and keep her in the lighthouse?”

“It’s the blue moon,” Snufkin said wistfully, “Things that are strange to you may become more visible. I’ve come across fairies that lived on the beach, one gave me a shell necklace once. But these ones seem to like the forest, so I don’t think they’d enjoy the lighthouse very much, Little My.”

Little My nodded, obviously disappointed, but didn’t say anything.

“Why didn’t I get a kiss on the cheek?” Moomintroll grumbled. Standing up, he brushed off some of the dirt that had gotten on his knees. “You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you, Snufkin?”

“Not intentionally,” Snufkin said sheepishly, “You’ll probably see some more of them on the way to town. But come on, I want to see this museum you’ve all been talking about.”

Moomintroll blinked. “Do you know what a museum is?”

Snufkin shook his head.

Of course not. How stupid of me. “Well, you see…”

They walked on, the three of them chatting and enjoying the scenery. They did in fact see a few more fairies, and Little My made a point to wave to every single one that she saw. For a leg of the trip, a bright purple fairy decided to sit on Little My’s shoulder, curled up like a cat and dozing off. Eventually she got up and flew off, but Little My was so ecstatic that she skipped the entire rest of the way to the town.

By the time they got there, they were a bit tired, but also excited for the events to come. Walking past several shops in town, Snufkin had turned a few heads, but that was it.

Moomintroll remembered the rotten man at the market that had thrown raspberry juice all over Snufkin. He made a mental note to glare at anybody who looked at him funny for too long. He wasn’t going to have that happen again. Unconsciously he started walking closer to Snufkin.

Snufkin stopped in front of a certain shop, perplexed. “What’s that smell?” He asked, looking at the door.

“Oh. It’s a smoke shop,” Moomintroll replied candidly, “They sell tobacco and other things you can smoke with. I think… maybe that’s strawberry that you’re smelling. They have different flavors of it.”

“Smoking!” Snufkin said wondrously, looking at a sign in the front window with a painting of a man with a pipe in his mouth, “How do you do it?”

“I have a pipe back at home, maybe I can show you later. I don’t smoke often, but it is nice after a long day. Now come on, let’s get going.”

Snufkin took that as an answer and they continued on.

They passed by a good chunk of shops (Snufkin practically pressing his face to the windows of all of them) before they reached the museum. Moomintroll stole glances at the other when he could. Snufkin looked positively chipper, his scales gleaming in the sunlight. His hair was pushed back, so his big black eyes were put on full display.

He looks nice in that shirt, Moomintroll thought to himself nonchalantly. He couldn’t help but nothing how weirdly drawn he was to the other. He had thought it was fascination, but he wasn’t too sure anymore. Not that he could put his finger on it, of course

I should’ve gotten used to him by now. How curious.

Once, Little My caught his gaze while he was looking over to Snufkin and she rolled her eyes. He wondered what that was about but was too bashful to ask.

The museum was a high building made out of marble, a flight of stairs separating them from the entrance. It was beautiful to look at, and Snufkin seemed awestruck.

“Absolutely wonderful,” He said to himself breathlessly.

Little My immediately half-ran up the stairs, with Snufkin and Moomintroll following behind. She quickly got to the top, shouting, “You two are too slow!”, hands on her hips.

“Don’t run, you might slip!” Moomintroll shouted back.

They paid for their tickets at the front and entered. There was much to see. There were high ceilings that were painted with beautiful scenes, art hung from the walls in every room, ancient artifacts from faraway lands, and much more. To be honest, Moomintroll was surprised there was so much here, as the town wasn’t particularly huge. He wondered if there were museums in bigger cities, and what those would look like. Looking at the pamphlet he got at the front door, and flipped through the pages.

Ah. A wealthy hemulen who lived nearby funneled his fortune into the museum right before he passed away, according to the back page. Figures.

They decided to split up so they could appreciate the museum at their own pace. Little My immediately ran off to see ancient weapons and artifacts, Snufkin wandered off to look at an exhibit filled with things collected from faraway lands, and Moomintroll went to look at historical paintings. There didn’t seem to be too many people at the museum, so while Moomin was worried about leaving the other man alone, he decided that it would probably be fine.

He wandered through the halls of the museum, looking at all the paintings. He stopped a few times to gaze at them, occasionally sitting down at the provided benches and leisurely observing.

He always had a soft spot for art. As they got older, Snorkmaiden had picked up painting, and would make beautiful portraits of people, landscapes, fictional scenarios, her dreams… She put a lot of work into it, and always enjoyed every second of it. He’d sometimes sit and watch her paint, every stroke seeming to have a meaning for something greater, which always showed in the final outcome. She drew several portraits of him, and he actually had one hung up in his living room. Of course, their romance didn’t last, but they still were good friends and he regarded their memories dearly. She was his first love, after all. As a result, he could appreciate paintings thoroughly.

When he was younger, he would look at paintings and think of Snorkmaiden. The beauty of them screamed her name, as he was a terribly lovestruck fool. He fidgeted in his seat. He was looking at a painting of roses, and while they were quite beautiful, he found his mind drifting.

They had only been apart for about half an hour, but some strange part of him wished that Snufkin were here too, looking at the roses with him.

He decided to go and try and find one of his friends. Either Little My or Snufkin, either would do, as he started to feel uncomfortable being left alone with his thoughts.

He wandered around the museum, looking for someone. He stopped by a few of the exhibits, curiously peering into the glass cases, but moved on.

He found Little My first. She was in front of a giant war drum, which was kept behind a velvet rope. Upon seeing Moomintroll, she grinned mischievously, and held her hand out to the drum. “Do you think I’ll be able to play it without getting caught?”

“Oh, don’t you dare, ” Moomintroll warned, softly grabbing her hand and putting it to her side, “If you try, I’ll pick you up and take you out of the museum myself.”

“That’s assuming you can catch me.”

“ My. ”

“Oh, calm down, you old fart. I’m only joking, learn to have some fun.”

“I know how to have fun. Fun that does not include getting thrown out of a public space, thank you.” Moomintroll paused. “ Old fart? You’re older than me!”

Little My ignored this. “I wonder if you’d be able to give me a piggyback ride in here. No running or anything, but my feet are tired.”

“A piggyback ride? Why?”

“Did you not hear me? I’m tired. One of your steps is about two or three of mine.”

“Fine, but if a security guard tells me to put you down, I’m putting you down.”

Little My climbed up onto Moomintroll’s back, resting her chin onto the top of his head. They walked around the exhibit for a while, Little My pointing to what she wanted to see next and Moomintroll telling her what it was based on the little descriptions posted next to the artifacts. After a while, they had exhausted the exhibit, so they went to the part of the museum where apparently they imported items from around the world. Surprisingly, they didn’t run into Snufkin while they were there.

He probably moved onto another part of the museum, Moomintroll thought, although he couldn’t help but be a little disappointed.

They skimmed over a lot of the items, hurrying their way through the exhibit. They did this primarily because Little My really wanted to go see the greenhouses in the back of the museum, which they had seen  pictures of on the pamphlet they were given. Once they saw mostly everything in the international exhibit, they made their way out back.

There were three different greenhouses, and all of them were wonderful. They weren’t so much green houses as they were huge glass domes, and were obviously arranged in a way that was aesthetically pleasing to patrons. Although there were plenty of plants there, they were all planted into the floor instead of sitting in pots; There were also manmade paths and streams, and birds chirped overhead. They were like little pockets of nature, but somehow more humid (as most of the plants there seemed to be tropical).

Little My was over the moon, gripping onto Moomin’s fur (as she was still sitting on his shoulders) in excitement. Moomintroll thought it was all very nice as well. They walked through the first greenhouse, enjoying the aesthetics, before moving onto the next one.

“This greenhouse has a butterfly room!” Little My exclaimed, taking her crumpled pamphlet out from her coat pocket and looking at it. They looked around the greenhouse for a bit, enjoying the scenery. Little My chucked a coin into one of the man made streams which Moomintroll scolded her for, but after they were done looking, they made a beeline for the butterfly room, which seemed to be a room off to the side. Upon entering, they immediately saw Snufkin across the way.

The room was covered in plant life, and butterflies were everywhere, either flying or resting on the leaf of whatever plant they had chosen as worthy. More noticeably (at least to Moomintroll), Snufkin had at least ten butterflies on his head, shoulders, and arms. He acknowledged the two by smiling, but didn’t move otherwise.

Little My gasped, jumped off of Moomintroll’s shoulders and crept up to Snufkin, although being careful not to get too close. “I want a butterfly to land on me!” She exclaimed. She then began to stand perfectly still, saying, “Tell me if one lands on me! Please!”

Snufkin nodded, which scared off two butterflies that were residing on his head. Turning towards Moomintroll, he began to walk over, which prompted the rest of the butterflies to fly off.

Snufkin immediately grabbed Moomintroll’s paws, rubbing his thumb against the other’s. “Oh, this has been wonderful, dear friend,” Snufkin said, “I’ve seen so many strange things, and I’d say that it’s only heightened my curiosity for this world! I want to see more of it!”

Moomintroll’s heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. Snufkin’s cheeks were a rosy pink, presumably from the heat and humidity that was in these greenhouses. His face was completely lit up with pure excitement, and knowing that the other was having fun made him feel warm. “I- Erm, I think this is the only museum around for quite a while, I think,” Moomintroll said awkwardly, “But I suppose if the opportunity were to hypothetically arise, you could see all of this first-hand instead of in glass boxes.”

“I’d like that very much!” Snufkin exclaimed. He looked down to his hands, which were currently intertwined into Moomintroll’s. “Oh, I’m sorry,” He mumbled, letting go, “You have so much fur, and it’s so hot, I doubt being touched feels very nice. Anyway, how lovely is this room? I’ve never seen butterflies before, but they’re fascinating.”

Moomintroll’s hands dropped to his side. Admittedly, he was a bit disappointed, but he shook it off. “They’re very beautiful,” He remarked. A bright blue butterfly handed on top of his head, which he chuckled at. “I would sometimes see some in Moominvalley, but I don’t live there anymore, so it’s been a while.”

“Moominvalley,” Snufkin said wistfully, “You’ve mentioned it a few times. I think I would like to visit.”

“Maybe we will! You said there’s about three weeks left of the blue moon, yes?”

Snufkin nodded.

“Well, maybe we can take the risk and visit. It’s not far- About half a day’s journey. Perhaps I could take you sightseeing… Erm, well, there’s not much to see. But I suppose you could meet my parents and some of my old friends that live there. I’d have to get someone to take care of the lighthouse, but it’d be no trouble.”

Snufkin smiled wide. “Splendid! I suppose it’ll be my first time traveling somewhere other than this town.”

Moomintroll chuckled. “I suppose it will be.”

“Guys!” Little My called, “No butterflies are landing on me! How did Snufkin get so many?!”

Snufkin turned, and walked up to Little My. “There’s one on your back, be very still.”

Little My gasped, and her body was as stiff as a board. Snufkin held out a finger to the bright orange butterfly. It climbed onto him, and Snufkin very slowly walked around to Little My’s front and placed the butterfly on her nose.

Little My went cross eyed trying to look at the butterfly, but as soon as it moved, she sneezed and it flew away.

She laughed and high-fived Moomintroll.

Together they all walked out and into the next greenhouse, which seemed to be primarily centered around flowers. Snufkin picked a few and shoved them into his pockets, which Moomintroll scolded him for, but their visit went largely without incident and they quickly made their way outside. Outside of the greenhouses, there was about half an acre of grass with many shady trees, and it was all fenced off from the rest of the town. They all picked a spot in the grass under a particularly large tree. Moomintroll laid out their picnic blanket, and they all sat down and began to enjoy their sandwiches for lunch.

Snufkin finished the quickest, and took to laying down and watching the sky through the tree leaves.

Little My and Moomintroll finished afterwards, and both of them laid down as well. Little My laid her head onto Moomintroll’s big stomach and began to doze off.

Snufkin looked over to Moomintroll. “Every day I’m filled with more amazement and wonder,” He mused, “I have you to thank for that.”

Moomin blinked, and looked away, for the pinkness in his cheeks was probably shining through his fur. He could usually take compliments in stride, but this was… different. “I don’t think all the credit should go to me.”

“Oh, but it should,” Snufkin insisted, “If you hadn’t let me into your home, perhaps I would’ve picked out a beach somewhere and hunted for fish until the moon allowed me to go back out to sea.”

Moomintroll thought about this for a second. “I suppose. But I promise you, it’s of no trouble to me. In fact, it’s… quite nice to have someone around.”

“Didn’t you have a visitor when I first got here?”

“Yes… Sailors occasionally visit me so they can recuperate for the next leg of their journey. But they never stay for long. You’ll be staying for at least the next two and a half weeks, won’t you?”

Snufkin smiled gently. “Yes, I will be.”

The two were silent for a bit, looking up at the sky. Snufkin eventually scooted closer to Moomintroll, and laid his head on the other’s shoulder. “Look,” Snufkin said, pointing up to a cloud, “That one looks like a crab.”

“A crab? I think it looks like a teddy bear.”

“What’s a teddy bear?”

The two pointed out different clouds in the sky, naming off different shapes and things that they looked like. Truthfully, Moomintroll was only half paying attention, as he was hugely distracted by the fact that Snufkin was so close to him. When Snufkin would turn his head to Moomin, their faces would only be a few inches apart, and it made Moomin’s heart jump into his throat. Looking at the other man peacefully viewing the sky, gazing at Moomin like it was nothing, it was very easy going but at the same time… Nerve wracking. He felt like if he gazed at the other for too long, if they touched hands, if they went silent for just a second- Well, he didn’t know what he felt, but he felt very strongly that it wouldn’t be good.

I want him to look at me, Moomintroll found himself thinking, I want to look into his eyes, as obsidian as they are, and get lost in them.

He immediately wanted to slap himself. His face turned pink. Intrusive thoughts, perhaps. How odd. Yes, that’s it.

No it’s not.

Yes it is.

No-

“Do you think that one looks like a star?” Snufkin asked, turning his head to face Moomintroll. His gaze was cool.

“Oh,” Moomintroll said, suddenly pulled from his thoughts, “I suppose so, yes. Although… It’s a pretty strange star.”

“Hah! You’re right.” Snufkin sat up and stretched his arms, yawning. “How relaxing. Anyway, I’m sure we’re all tired, why don’t we start heading back?”

“Oh… Yes, let’s.” He nudged at Little My, who sleepily opened her eyes and yawned. “Are we going already?” She whined.

“Yes. If you want to nap more at home, you can. Let’s go.” Moomintroll said. Little My slowly raised herself off of Moomintroll and got up, brushing stray grass blades off of her coat. Moomintroll and Snufkin followed suit, and they all packed up their things and left the museum. They walked through town, but as they were tired, they didn’t linger very long and made their way back to the mountain path that they had used to get to town in the first place.

Unfortunately, they didn’t see any fairies on the way back. Snufkin explained that they were probably nocturnal and went to sleep shortly after they had first seen them, but Little My was extremely disappointed anyway.

In time, they made it back to the lighthouse. Little My, still sleepy, ran up to the guest room and went to take a nap. They settled in, and per Snufkin’s request, Moomintroll agreed to show him what smoking was.

They laid on a picnic blanket on the beach, watching the waves go by. Moomintroll held up a sleek brown pipe, showing it to Snufkin.

“Smoking is where you essentially light whatever is in your pipe and breathe it in. It’s relaxing, but don’t do it too often. See, you hold this part up to your mouth like this, and you put the lighter here. Then,” He breathed in the smoke before pushing it back out of his mouth. “You let it go like that. But you have to breathe it in, not just hold it in your mouth. Do you want to try?”

Snufkin nodded. Holding the pipe up to his mouth, he did exactly what Moomintroll had done, except he started coughing up a storm after he exhaled. Moomintroll pat his back and gave him one of the water bottles they had brought along.

“You just have to get used to it. But if you don’t like it, we can stop. Here, have some water.”

Snufkin coughed again and took a sip. “No, it’s okay. Is this tobacco?”

“Oh, erm, no. Actually…”

They took turns smoking from the pipe, looking out to the waves. It had been a long day. The morning had started off rough, and their time in town was fun, but it was honestly a lot of walking so it was nice to relax.

Moomintroll exhaled some smoke, then put his pipe to the side. “That’s probably enough for now.” He mused. Laying down, he put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky above. Everything was calm.

Snufkin laid down beside him. He closed his eyes. “You’re right. This is relaxing. It’s too bad that I wouldn’t be able to take this with me should I return to the sea. Unless you’d be willing to row out on a boat and bring me your pipe while I sit on a rock of some sort, of course.” He smiled gently.

Moomintroll glanced over to Snufkin. He looked so peaceful, with the light wind tussling his hair and the sun shining onto his glittering patches of scales. He seemed ethereal, effortless. Everything around them was moving slowly, and it was almost as if they were in their own pocket of time, with nothing to disturb them. “Maybe I’d be willing to do that,” He mused, “But what would I get in return?”

Snufkin hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps I’d bring you shells from below the water. I could make you a necklace or a bracelet to remember me by. Are you one for jewelry, dove?”

Moomintroll wasn’t one for jewelry at all. “Yes, I’d wear it.”

“Wonderful. I could actually start on that necklace now, but I feel too comfortable in my spot. Hm,” Snufkin opened his eyes and looked to Moomintroll, “Everything looks brighter, too. Your eyes are a more vibrant shade of blue. Did you know that?” He grinned.

Moomintroll blinked in shock for a moment before answering. “No, I’m afraid I don’t look into my own eyes on a regular basis.” He said, half-jokingly.

Snufkin looked back up to the sky. “They’re like jewels. Though I must admit, everything seems particularly beautiful at the moment.” The sun was behind the clouds, rays of light peeking through and making for a breathtaking sight. The siren pointed up at it. “This reminds me of some of the paintings I saw. Almost like the heavens are right behind those clouds.”

Moomintroll looked up at the sky. “It does seem that way.”

The two chatted for a long time. It was never about anything in particular, but they both enjoyed the other’s company nonetheless. Snufkin grabbed Moomintroll’s hand a few times to put emphasis on what he was saying, which made Moomintroll feel like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, but nothing eventful happened. Just pure peace.

The sun started to go down, turning the sky a variety of hazy oranges and pinks and purples. “Ah!” Moomintroll exclaimed, “It’s past dinner time. I don't know if Little My’s awake, but if she is, she must be starving. We should go.”

“I’m so comfortable,” Snufkin sighed, “But I suppose. Let’s go.” He stood up and brushed the sand off of his clothes, before helping Moomintroll fold up the blanket.

They made it inside and Moomintroll began making dinner. Snufkin laid on the living room couch, curled up around another one of Moomin’s journals. This chapter was about him going to a ball with Sniff. They had gotten drunk off of summer wine and danced with many people, twirling and dancing and laughing the night away.

Reading about it made Snufkin’s heart twinge. He wished he could have experiences like that. Going on day trips with Moomintroll and Little My was nice, but finding your own adventure wherever you went, making new experiences in the chaos of it all… That was something Snufkin wanted to experience someday. He didn’t know if he ever could, but he wished for it dearly. The ocean was monotonous. He’d traveled across at least three different oceans, and yet besides meeting new creatures and facing danger occasionally, the most interesting things he would find would be shipwrecks. Ships lost to the tests of time, deteriorating yet filled with bundles of treasures from the land above. Snufkin had always enjoyed exploring them.

He read further, the light of the fireplace turning the pages a pale orange. He appreciated that there were pictures to accompany every page of writing. It made the books come to life. Admittedly, Moomintroll wasn’t a world-class artist, but his drawings were charming and (at the very least) recognizable.

He turned the page, and came across a sketch of a someone that took up an entire page. Underneath, there was a caption.

Towards the end of the night, I shared a kiss with a Snork. I never knew his name, but he was dashingly handsome, and we danced several times throughout the night. I never saw him after that.

Snufkin stared at the page for a while. He ran his fingers over the drawing, feeling the grooves that the pen made in the paper against his skin.

Something in him felt unbelievably excited, but at the same time, sad.

He refused to dwell on his feelings any more, for if he did, he feared they might consume him.

I must not think of this now.

He continued reading, ignoring the twisting feeling in his stomach. He read about how Moomintroll had been hired by the prince that had put on the ball to go and deliver something to a princess from a nearby kingdom, and how excited Sniff was at the promise of gold.

I’d like to meet this ‘Sniff’ someday, Snufkin thought to himself, He seems like a character.

He had just gotten to the part where they faced trouble with bandits when Moomintroll stepped into the living room, with an apron on and a wooden spoon in his hand. “Dinner’s ready, come eat while it’s hot.” He said gently, before stepping back over to the kitchen.

Snufkin closed the book and went over. Surprisingly, Little My was already at the kitchen table, eating her food. She admittedly looked a little groggy, and waved at Snufkin while yawning. He sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat. They seemed to be having a tomato soup with potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery, with coconut milk mixed in. They had chocolate muffins for dessert, and soon, everybody felt fat and happy. Snufkin always loved Moomintroll’s food, and from the look on Little My’s face, she seemed to feel the same way.

They all talked around the table for a while, chatting away, but eventually retired to the living room. Little My took to drawing on the floor, Moomintroll sat in his chair with a new book, and Snufkin continued reading the journal. It was very calm.

They all stood there in silence, doing their own activities but enjoying the other’s companies.
Then it was time for bed.

Snufkin retired to his tent outside. He was just about to start dozing off when he heard the crunching of footsteps in the sand outside. Sitting up, he waited.

Little My entered the tent. She had a backpack on, and a devilish grin on her face. “Come on!” She exclaimed, “Don’t fall asleep just yet. Didn’t you want to go to the private beach?”

Snufkin blinked. “Now?”

“No, of course not. That’s why I’m here now.”

“Oh. Okay, goodnight then.”

“... I didn’t take you for stupid, Snufkin. Now come on, get up. We’re going to have to take Moomintroll’s boat.”

“Does he know we’re going to be taking it?”

“Yes, I asked him if we could use it. He’s probably going to be worried sick about you, so let’s try and not get caught, alright?”

Snufkin nodded and got up. There was a small-ish dock nearby that seemed to be seldom used, and two small motor boats were tied to the poles there. It took a few minutes to walk to the pier, but once they got there, they hopped into the smaller boat.

Neither of them knew how to sail a boat. Little My slapped all sorts of buttons on the control panel until the motor turned on, and they were launched out to sea.

The waves weren’t too wild that night, which was lucky for them. They stayed near the shore, which Snufkin watched intently. They passed by cliff sides and beach homes and small towns and ports, and he relished in all of it. Little My seemed to be having a great time piloting the boat, yelling in excitement every time they skipped over a wave.

After about 20 minutes, Little My called out, “There it is!”. There was a lone beach surrounded by cliffs, and a small house resided on it. Upon closer inspection, there was a ludicrous amount of signs splayed all over the sand. Snufkin felt himself getting angry. Little My pulled up close to the shore, stopping by a dock that was off to the side. There were two yachts already parked there, which she rolled her eyes at.

Getting off of the boat, she opened her backpack and got out a flashlight and two lighters. She handed one to Snufkin, who looked at it curiously for a moment before remembering that he had learned how to use one earlier in the day. He flicked it on for a moment before letting the flame die.

“Oh, I haven’t done anything positively naughty for a long time, Snufkin. I’m so excited!” She exclaimed gleefully, “Let’s take down all the ‘Keep Out’ signs, set them on fire, then leave. Are you ready?”

Snufkin nodded. Looking to all the signs, he grimaced. “This is a travesty. We need to liberate the land, this is unacceptable. The sea and the beaches upon it don’t belong to anyone. I’d want to meet the man in charge of this myself, but this will have to do.”

“Well, I don’t think you have a good chance of getting a meeting with the hemulen who lives here. Now come on.”

They walked onto the beach and began ripping all of the signs out of the sand. Snufkin was grinning ear to ear while doing it, whistling as they threw all the signs in a pile. It took them a while, as the beach wasn’t too small, but eventually they got all the ‘Keep Out’ signs in one place in the center of the beach. Getting out her lighter, Little My lit one end of the pile while Snufkin lit the other. They both watched in triumph as the fire slowly began to spread.

“We did it!” Little My giggled. “It feels good to be back to mischief. We’ve defeated the small villain!”

“Yes, we have,” Snufkin said, putting his hands on his hips proudly, “Let’s see how long this deters him.”

Suddenly, Snufkin felt a tug on his pant leg. Chills went up his spine. Whipping around, he saw no one there initially, but upon looking at the ground he saw what had touched him. A small (non-human) child was looking up at him with big eyes. Looking farther down the beach, there was a small sandbox, and there were more children inside of it staring over at them.

“Where did you come from?” Snufkin asked.

The child didn’t respond. Little My took notice and gasped, “They’re woodies! It was probably too dark to notice them before. Perhaps the hemulen that lives here has been taking care of them.”

The woodie child immediately hugged Snufkin’s leg, and the other children began running over, chattering happily. His face was filled with fear as he backed up, shaking the children off of his legs.

“No, no!” He said shrilly, “Go home to… Er, the hemulen! Shoo! I’m not your papa!”

The children surrounded him, jumping up and grabbing onto his clothes. Snufkin yelped as the weight of the twenty four children pulling on him caused him to fall, and they climbed all over his body; Some of them jumped on him, while others curled up and hugged his arms and legs. Snufkin squirmed, trying to throw them off, but there was too many of them.

Little My doubled over laughing. “Well, you’re their papa now! They seem to like you!” She laughed harder, the light of the fire behind her illuminating the forming tears in her eyes.

“Hey, you! Stop!”

Little My and Snufkin went quiet. Looking around wildly for the source of the noise, they saw a hemulen marching towards them across the beach with a policeman in tow. Gasping, Little My reached down and tried to pull Snufkin up. “Come on, come on, come on, come on!” She said through clenched teeth.

“I’m trying!” Snufkin hissed. He still couldn’t get up, so Little My grabbed him by the shoulders and began dragging him across the beach, the woodies still squirming on top of him.

“We can’t take them, our boat is too small! Get rid of them!”

“I don’t want to be a papa, I would get rid of them if I could.” Snufkin said, stress evident in his voice.

They weren’t fast enough. The hemulen and the policeman eventually caught up to them, as the former was fuming.

“How dare you come onto my beach and tear down my signs?!” He yelled, “I was about to go to sleep when I noticed you two hooligans from outside my bedroom window. I’m just lucky the police station is nearby.”

“Is it true that you two lit this fire?” The policeman asked, pointing to the signs behind them.

“Well there’s no one else here, is there?” The hemulen howled.

Then it was settled. Little My and Snufkin (once they brushed all the woodies off of him) were handcuffed, and they began to walk back to the police station with the officer. The woodies followed in tow, happily chattering.

“Fine, take them,” The hemulen mumbled as they walked off, “They’re horrid creatures anyway.”

They were silent the entire way there.

When they eventually got to the police station (which was just a three-room building with two cells), the officer put them both into one of the cells. He let the woodies in, as well.

“I’ll let you have your one phone call later.” He said sternly, turning to sit in the corner of the room.

Little My broke the silence. “Oh, we’re really in it now, Snuff,” She groaned, “But I can’t say it’s my first time behind bars.”

Snufkin blinked. “I know we’re in trouble, but how do we get out of here?”

Little My rolled her eyes. “I suppose it makes sense that there’s no police stations from wherever you’re from. We’re probably gonna stay the night, so when he lets us, we should call Moomintroll and let him know to come pick us up.” She bit her lip. “We only use the phone for emergencies- We mostly use letters to talk when we’re away- So he’s going to be worried sick. Hopefully he picks up.”

They were silent once again. The woodies were asleep on Snufkin (who was sitting down), curled up like twenty four toddler-sized cats. He wasn’t very happy with this arrangement, but he figures as he was stuck in a cell with them all, there wasn’t much he could do.

Eventually the officer came back, and said, “You each have one phone call. I’ll let you both out one at a time.”

Little My eyed over Snufkin dubiously. “He doesn’t know how to use a phone. Can I take his call for him, in case my contact doesn’t pick up the first time?”

“Is that okay?” The officer asked, raising an eyebrow.

Snufkin nodded.

And so, Little My was led out of the cell. She was led out of the room, and Snufkin was alone.

He wondered if Moomintroll would be angry with them. He hoped not. His heart felt heavy at the thought of it.

Little My eventually came back into the cell. She sat down on the bench and sighed.

“He’s coming for us in the morning,” She grumbled, “That’s the earliest the officer will let us go.”

“Was he upset?”

“No, surprisingly. He just sounded really worried. Well…” She chuckled, “He’s had to haul me out of trouble plenty of times. I don’t think this is anything new.”

Snufkin nodded. He was suddenly very, very tired.

There was a bed in the corner of the room, but they both decided that Little My should use it, as he doubted the woodies would all fit on it with him.

And so, he fell asleep, worried for the next morning.

And he dreamed. Oh, how he dreamed. He dreamt of sea krakens, of beaches of white sand, and of Moomintroll.

He didn’t let himself think too deeply of Moomintroll when he was awake, but in his dreams, it was a whole other beast. He dreamt of embracing him. He dreamt of bringing him the finest of shells and pearls as gifts. He dreamt of looking into those sapphires called eyes, and getting lost in them for thousands of years.

Sometime in the middle of the night, he jerked awake. He felt a heaviness in his chest, but upon looking around, he saw that it was because one of the woodies was napping on it.

He put his head back down.

He fully realized that he was heavily attracted to Moomintroll. Not just on an appearance basis, because he was very fuzzy and cute on that level, but… Something about him constantly drew him nearer. He wanted to touch him at any given chance. He needed his space, of course- He most likely wouldn’t be sleeping in the lighthouse again- But the moments with him were very precious.

He felt his face getting hot.

Was I cursed? I must have been, by a sea witch. It’s the only explanation.

Although he was anxious to see Moomintroll the next morning, something inside of him buzzed with excitement.

Oh, Moomintroll, He thought to himself, You fiend. You’re a very fine Moomin, but as I might be departing soon back to the sea, I cannot think of you now. You’re bold to capture my thoughts so, but it’s better if I stay away.

He covered his face with his hands, embarrassed.

He had a hard time falling back asleep, but by some force of nature, he eventually did.

Chapter Text

Snufkin awoke with a start.

There was a sudden pain in his stomach. His back was sore from sleeping on the floor as well. Groaning, he opened his eyes, only to see one of the woodies jumping up and down on top of him.

“H-Hey now! You stop that!” He whined, grabbing the woodie and putting him onto the floor. Several woodies were still curled up onto him, and more were sleeping at his feet and around his body. He had to admit, because of their fur, they were quite warm; It was perfect for an autumn morning.

Snufkin didn’t know what time it was. Blinking sleepily against the room’s lights, he looked over to the clock.

6AM.

5 hours of sleep was always enough to replenish him. In the sea, it was natural to only sleep for short periods of time as to minimize your vulnerability. In terms of being on land, waking up at this time was perfect. You could see the sun rise, and since the tide was usually out in the morning, Snufkin would go and try to see what he could find in the sand. While he loved Moomintroll’s cooking, he would also sometimes go and snack on crabs and small fish that had gotten stuck in tide pools. Being awake in the early morning had its benefits.

Being awake at 6AM while you were in custody with your asleep friend and twenty four children wasn’t so fun.

Outside of the cell, there was a guard reading a book. This was a new guard- She was a young hemulen with a high ponytail. There was a pack of cards next to her, along with a newspaper and a coloring book.

Snufkin moved some of the woodies off of him, sat up and cleared his throat.

“Oh!” She exclaimed, almost dropping her book in surprise, “You scared me! I didn’t expect you to be awake.”

“I don’t sleep much.” He said placidly.

“Uh. I see.” She paused. “You look strange. What kind of troll are you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody like you before.”

“I’m a sea troll. I suppose you’ve never seen anybody like me before because you can’t breathe underwater.”

“... I see.”

“Sorry for startling you, but can I see those?” He pointed to the playing cards.

“Oh! Yes.” She grabbed the cards and walked over to the cell, pushing it through the bars. “I’m really not supposed to, but do you want somebody to play with?”

Snufkin looked away, embarrassed. “... I don’t know any card games. I’d appreciate it if you’d teach me some.”

“... What were you planning on doing with the cards if you didn’t know any games? Nevermind. Now scoot up closer to the bars. I’ll teach you how to play slap jack.”

***

By the time Little My woke up, Snufkin and the policewoman had been playing games for at least three hours. She had gone to the back room and brought out some more games, but most of them required multiple players, so they resorted to checkers once they were tired of playing with cards.

Little My blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights. “Is Moomintroll here yet?” She groaned. She sat up and rubbed her back. “This bed is awful.”

“Not yet,” Snufkin sighed, moving one of his checkers, “I wonder if he’ll be angry.”

Little My collapsed back into her bed. Putting her pillow over her face, she let out a scream of frustration.

9AM came and went.

9:30AM.

10AM.

Little My eventually joined them to play a board game. Both Snufkin and her were waiting in anticipation.

10:30AM.

10:36AM.

They all heard the door of the police station open. Moomintroll, guided by another police officer, walked into the room. He was wearing a coat and looked moderately disheveled. His eyes met Snufkin’s and he let out a breath of relief.

“Can I take them now?” He asked. The policewoman stood up and brushed off her clothes before nodding. “Yes. If we catch them destroying property again they’ll be staying here longer than a night.” Moving the board game out of the way with her foot (and thus destroying their progress, which Little My and Snufkin both winced at), she took out her keys and unlocked the cell door. Slowly, they both walked out of the cell. The woodies bounded after them, grabbing at Snufkin’s legs.

Little My took it upon herself to run up to Moomintroll and jump onto his coat, wriggling her way up until she was sitting on his shoulders. Moomintroll yelped in surprise, but accepted his fate and let her do so, holding onto her legs so that she wouldn’t fall off. Snufkin approached more cautiously, wringing his hands together.

“Let’s go, both of you.” Moomintroll said, a stern look on his face. That is, until he looked down at the woodies. “Who are these?”

“Oh,” Snufkin said softly, “They’re children that the hemulen was taking care of. They seem to like me.”

“Hm,” Moomintroll hummed, “We should take them back to him.”

“No!” Cried Little My, “He didn’t even like them! But there’s too many of them to keep at the lighthouse.”

The policewoman cleared her throat. “If you can’t take care of them, we can keep them here. I actually quite like knitting, so I can make them little clothes and toys and such. They’d be a joy to have around.”

Moomintroll sighed. “Then it’s settled.” He shot Snufkin a look. “Now, let’s go.” He began to walk out the door.

Snufkin followed him out of the room, a knot of anxiety in his stomach. The woodies tried grabbing onto his legs, but the policewoman snatched them right up, shushing them and brushing one’s hair soothingly.

Moomintroll led them until they were a fair bit away from the police station. Stopping in his tracks, he plucked Little My off his shoulders and put down. Turning, he faced both of them.

He was silent for a moment before finding his words. “Well, that could’ve gone much worse, now couldn’t it?” He smiled gently. “You two worried me sick when I got that call last night, you know. I could hardly sleep! While I don’t exactly approve of vandalizing, it’s good you got it out of your systems. I’m just glad you didn’t have to stay there for longer.”

Little My was the first to respond. Grinning, she cried, “Oh, you big softie! You can’t stay mad at anyone for ten minutes. Snufkin was worried you’d be angry, but I knew you’d understand. You’ve gotten in trouble with the police a few times yourself.”

“That I have,” Moomintroll sighed, “I used to be much more confident in my ability to get away with things.” He eyed over Snufkin. “You were worried I’d be angry?”

Snufkin frowned. “Yes, I thought that’d only be reasonable.”

“Well, you thought wrong. It may be reasonable, but too much reason can kill the spirit. I’m not going to get angry over something I would’ve done myself a few years ago.”

“ Only a few years ago? You flatter yourself,” Little My snickered, rolling her eyes, “You would’ve joined us if you didn’t already know the hemulen that owned the beach.”

“Oh, quiet, My!” Moomintroll groaned, crossing his arms. “Now, come on, let’s go home. I parked the boat I used at a nearby village. I’m going to have to come back to pick up the boat you two left on the hemulen’s beach, but I’ll drop you two off first.”

They all began walking through the woods towards the nearby village. Little My was a few steps ahead of them, whistling and skipping, while the other two lagged behind.

Snufkin was walking slightly behind Moomintroll, and he felt like he couldn’t keep his eyes off the other for too long. The sun shining through the tree leaves hit his white fur perfectly, making it shine like the soft sheen of a pearl. He wasn’t sure how old Moomintroll was- He assumed mid-thirties- but he had a boyish face that seemed to always be glowing with joy. No matter what Moomintroll did, he seemed to do it with a certain level of love in his heart. Snufkin admired that.

He caught his heart fluttering. Oh, He thought, Admiration.

Admiration was a dangerous thing. He never let himself admire anybody too much, because he felt like it caged you. You’d be tied down- Stuck in one place. You’d never be free.

But he didn’t feel like Moomintroll was tying him down. Moomintroll was doing the contrary; He was showing him everything about this new world and encouraging him to explore certain aspects of it himself. Snufkin felt as if this was all a great adventure, and it’d be one he’d hold dear to his heart for the rest of his life. Maybe Moomintroll worried over him easily, but Snufkin doubted that he’d say no to him taking off on his own, should he not return to the sea after the blue moon’s turn.

Returning to the sea .

Snufkin decided to tuck this thought away for later, for a time where he could think by himself. He couldn’t think of this now. He didn’t want to open that door just yet, for he already felt a pit forming in his stomach from just touching on it in passing.

The rest of the walk went by uneventfully, and eventually Little My and Snufkin were dropped off at the lighthouse before Moomintroll went off to retrieve his other boat.

***

“What’s that?”

“It’s a surprise.” Snufkin said. His deep sea accent made his words seem like they were coated in honey, which made Moomintroll feel… something.

Moomintroll had just gotten back from retrieving the other boat (which was admittedly a pain), and he had found Snufkin (who was dripping wet) at the lighthouse door with his hands behind his back.

“A surprise for who?” Moomintroll asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

Moomintroll did as he was told.

“Open your eyes.”

When Moomin did that, he looked down at his wrist. A small bracelet decorated with seashells hung around it. It looked incredibly delicate, as well as well-made.

“Oh,” Moomintroll breathed, “Snufkin, you didn’t have to-”

“I used to make jewelry quite a lot. You see, it’s generally a good gift for hosts, and some creatures love to collect different pieces. Sharks, for instance. But…” Snufkin wrung his hands together. “I figured it’s the least I could do to thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

Snufkin looked at Moomintroll bizarrely. “Well… For being kind earlier. And taking me in, I suppose.”

“Oh.” Moomin said softly. “Well, it’s no trouble at all. I’ve already told you this, Snufkin. It makes me very happy to have you here.”

Snufkin felt his heart skip a beat. “I’m glad to hear that. Sincerely.”

The two men stared at each other for a moment.

Moomintroll looked into Snufkin’s eyes, black and glittering, before flitting his gaze away.

They were like the darkest of nights. Not depressing, but full of multitudes.

And even fuller of mysteries, Moomin thought, How awkward. I wish I knew what he was thinking of me.

Heaven forbid he ever know what I have been thinking of him.

Moomintroll couldn’t find it in himself to describe how he was feeling, but he certainly knew that if Snufkin ever knew about the jumble of emotions inside of him, he’d be quite embarrassed.

One doesn’t say it.

“I should get to work,” He mumbled, “I wanted to start checking the lights this morning.”

“Ah. Of course.”

“Thank you again, Snufkin.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

Moomintroll nodded and walked into the lighthouse.

Later, he would be at the top of the lighthouse, upgrading a part when he’d look out of the windows and see Snufkin.

Moomintroll saw him perched on a rock that was a little past the shore, and he could barely make it out, but it looked like he was playing his conch shell.

He stood and watched for a while. For a bit longer than he’d like to admit. He couldn’t hear the song from the top of the lighthouse, which was slightly bittersweet. His music was wonderful, but it's hypnotizing effect made Moomintroll think that he’d grab onto Snufkin and accidentally suffocate him in his fur if he heard it again.

He figured that of any siren to meet, he was glad to have met Snufkin. He might’ve become somebody’s dinner otherwise.

The thought made him shiver. Snufkin’s teeth were awfully sharp, and it took a while to get used to, but now he mostly used them (with a little bit of struggle, admittedly) to bite into fruit and such.

He thought back to what Little My had asked him; If he had ever eaten a person before. He had thought of the question as inappropriate so he shut her down, but he wondered…

There’s no use dwelling, He scolded himself, Snufkin is kind. He said he doesn’t enjoy that.

He got back to work.

***

Lunch came and went, as did dinner. It was a fairly uneventful day. Moomintroll had gotten a letter from his mother, and spent some time writing back.

Dear my beloved Moomin,

Did Little My arrive safely? She said she’d only be staying for five days total, so by the time you receive this, she should be at the end of her stay.

I hope you two are having fun. Moominpappa and I have been going off on adventures for days or weeks at a time. It’s been quite fun, and I certainly worried too much to go off for this long when you and the others were children! We just got back from a week long journey, and it was splendid.

I know you’re busy, but you should take off some time to visit us. If not, we’re coming to you. Either way, I want to make you a whole stack of pancakes. I know you have the recipe, but these will be made with extra love.

I love you.

Moominmamma

--

Dear Mamma,

Little My arrived just fine. We’ve been having a great time together, as always. It’s certainly been too long. Well, it’s been about a month, but that’s quite a while.

I’m glad to hear that you two are having fun. You’re giving him more things to write about, which should keep him busy and happy. He’s still quite the storyteller.

I think I’ll visit Moominvalley in the near future. I miss you all so very much. I have a dear friend of mine who wants to see the valley, so if I do go, I’ll bring him along. His name is Snufkin. He may look unusual, but I promise you he’s very kind.

I’ll explain more later.

I love you very much. I’ll write more soon.

Tell Pappa I love him.

I’d also love a stack of pancakes.

Moomintroll

--

He folded up the paper and put it into an envelope. He’d send that tomorrow.

He thought back to Snufkin. He didn’t know when, but perhaps soon he’d bring him to Moominvalley. Their meeting with Little My wracked him with anxiety, but he figured that it should go smoothly with his friends and family back home. They were very accepting, he’d come to find.

He left his room and went down the stairs, making his way down and into the living room. Snufkin and Little My were sitting on the floor, playing hangman. From the used papers that lay crumpled around them, it seemed like they had been playing for quite a while.

“Have I guessed ‘A’ already?” Snufkin asked.

“Yes. You’ve already guessed all the vowels.” Little My responded.

“Hm… Then I’ll guess ‘B’.”

“Wrong! You lost!” She jeered, drawing the rest of the hangman, “My phrase was ‘Snufkin Smells Like Seaweed’!”

“Hey now, I don’t-”

“Hello,” Moomintroll interjected, clearing his throat, “Are you two busy?”

“No,” Snufkin sighed, “I suppose not. Why?”

“Well, I have some summer wine in the cellar. I thought maybe we could all celebrate, especially after you two getting out of jail.”

“Oh!” Piped up Little My, crumpling up their paper and throwing it to the side, “Summer wine! Are they the bottles that Moominpappa gave you as part of your birthday gift?”

“Yes, in fact, they are. I figured now would be a good time to use them.”

“I once shared a bottle of wine with a sailor,” Snufkin sighed dreamily, “It didn’t taste very nice. But I enjoyed it.”

“It’s an acquired taste, apparently,” Said Little My, “But I don’t always enjoy the taste either. I’ll usually just have a single glass if I’m offered any. But summer wine is sweet, which I can actually stomach. I heard from my mother that a glass of wine a day is good for you, for whatever reason.”

“I’d say that Mymble deserved that glass of wine at the end of the day, considering all of her children,” Grumbled Moomintroll, “But yes. I don’t drink often myself, but consider this a special occasion. Why don’t we go outside and light the bonfire as well?”

“Yes please!” Exclaimed Little My.

They all made their way outside, after grabbing a few glasses, some wood, some snacks, and a lighter. A few hundred feet from the lighthouse there was a bonfire pit. Moomintroll couldn’t remember the last time he’d used it- He generally used it for guests, but often forgot it existed at all. Once they got there, he threw the wood into the pit, and began working on lighting it.

He was lucky that it wasn’t too windy out that night, and soon had a roaring fire. He wiped his brow, before turning to his friends. They were sitting on the same log in silence. Little My hooted and starter clapping once she saw that the bonfire was lit.

“Wine, anyone?” Moomintroll grinned.

They all began to drink, and one glass turned into a few very quickly. At some point, Moomintroll went back to the lighthouse and ran back with his record player, so they could have some background music as they talked and laughed and giggled their way through the night.

At one point, Little My and Moomintroll danced to a particularly lively song, skipping and twirling and stomping on the sand. Snufkin clapped along to the beat cheerfully, smiling heartily.

After they were done, Moomintroll leaned over to catch his breath, before Little My gave him a push towards Snufkin. She said something lowly to him, and Moomintroll nodded enthusiastically. While Little My sat down on a log and opened a bag of pretzels, Moomin waltzed over to Snufkin. His face was slightly red, and he was obviously a bit drunk.

“Snufkin!” He exclaimed, “You should dance with me! You’ve just been sitting there and watching, let’s have some fun.”

Snufkin’s obsidian eyes widened, shimmering like black diamonds against the light of the fire. “I’m afraid I’m not very good at it, if you can recall.”

“Oh, you’re fine. And besides, dancing isn’t about being good. It’s about having fun. Now come on!” He grabbed Snufkin’s hand and pulled him up, who admittedly didn’t put up much of a fight.

The record began playing it’s next song. It was a moderately slow one, and an oldie as well. Moomintroll remembered his parents would sometimes dance to songs like these at night, when they thought everyone was asleep.

Moomintroll put his hands around Snufkin’s waist; Snufkin putting his hands at his shoulders in return. Moomintroll hummed the song loudly, closing his eyes and blindly dancing in circles with the siren. Snufkin stumbled around quite frequently, his feet getting stuck in the sand a few times, but in those cases, Moomintroll would lift him up for just a moment and put him back down to give him new footing. Snufkin eventually rested his head against the other’s shoulder. Moomintroll could feel the heat in his face, and in return, Snufkin could hear the slow, deep breaths of the Moomin.

“You’re fascinating, you know,” Moomin murmured, his speech slurring together slightly, “I can’t put my finger on why, but I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Nothing in Moomin’s mind told him that he would never be admitting this out loud if he were sober. Yes, this was just a normal conversation.

“I’d wager that you do know why. Perhaps I’m just that strange,” Snufkin said softly, his words sending vibrations into Moomin’s fur, “But too much admiration never does anyone any good.”

“You’re not strange!” Moomintroll exclaimed, “Well… Maybe a little. But not in a bad way. No two people are completely alike, so that makes us all unique. I quite like your special brand of strangeness, though. And…” He paused for just a second, “Admiration makes the heart feel full. I’d argue that it’s a good thing.”

“Thank you. Though I would argue that admiration eventually leads to disappointment. I try very hard not to get attached, admittedly.”

“I’ve admired many people before, and usually it worked out just fine. Well, as fine as they could’ve worked out, considering I’m not married yet. I considered it once, but that was a long time ago. Have you ever admired anyone, Snufkin?”

“You’re a bit forward tonight,” Snufkin said. Moomintroll could feel him smiling against his fur. “Perhaps you’ve had too much to drink. We should sit down.”

“Please, let’s at least finish this song. It’s fun dancing with you.”

“Alright.”

They danced for the rest of the song, though they hardly noticed that it had ended. They danced for another half of a song, before Moomintroll stumbled and fell back into a sitting position. Groaning, he got himself back up with the help of Snufkin, who walked him over to the log Little My was sitting on.

“It’s quite late,” Mused Snufkin, “And I’m afraid if I drink a drop more, I’ll be stumbling like you. I’ll go back to my tent now. Goodnight, you two.”

And with that, Snufkin tipped his hat and walked off towards his tent, which was a few hundred meters away.

Little My patted Moomintroll on the back, who had his head in his hands. She gave him a bottle of water.

“You two seemed to have a lot of fun dancing.” She said in a teasing tone.

“We did, thank you very much.” He huffed, taking a drink of water, “I wish he would’ve stayed.”

“I was just sitting here, all by my myself, just waiting for you to man up and kiss him already. Geez, you two-”

Moomin’s head shot up and whipped around to face her. His eyes were wide. “Do what? ”

She rolled her eyes. “Was I not clear?”

“N-No, you were. But why would I do that?”

“Oh, stop it, Moomintroll. That little display was so sickly sweet that my teeth might just start rotting out of my head. And don’t think I haven’t caught you staring at him. I’m not stupid.”

“I never said you were. But we’re friends, My. Nothing else.” Moomintroll looked away, clearly embarrassed. His already red cheeks were flushing deeper in color.

“Uh huh.”

“I’m being serious.”

“I know you, Moomintroll. You’re denser than a bag of rocks when it comes to feelings.”

Moomin frowned. “That’s a bit rude to say.”

“I’m not sugarcoating it. But you like that boy.”

“Say I do. What does it matter? He might be leaving in about two weeks. We’re better off as friends.” He was slurring his words again. “We should go to bed. I’m tired.”

Little My sighed and nodded, and they both started to clean up the bonfire site. Throwing some water onto the fire, they both went to the lighthouse and retired for the night.

Moomintroll was overwhelmed with emotions. Laying in bed, he felt his heart beating in his chest. Something in him had changed. The possibility of feeling affection for the siren made him start questioning himself.

He hadn’t been romantically interested in anyone since his adventuring days with Sniff. And even then, those never lasted. They weren’t ever serious, almost always acted upon for the thrill and the nature of infatuation. Snufkin actually made him feel things. Like he was a teenager again, where the only thing that went on in your head was thinking about that someone.

His heart felt like it was going to burst with emotion. With affection, as well as with anxiety. There was no reason for him to act upon this. Like he said to Little My, he might be leaving soon. The sea might reclaim him, and assuming Snufkin even came close to reciprocating, he’d just end up with another broken heart.

He pressed his face into his pillow.

He could think about this later. He was drunk and tired; This could wait for another time.

He eventually drifted off to sleep, Snufkin on his mind.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll didn’t want to get out of bed.

Hazy memories of the night before flooded back to him, and admittedly, he was mortified. As well as a touch hungover.

How awfully he must think of me! He told himself, Who knows what he could be thinking. This is why I don’t drink often. I don’t think I could look him in the eye.

He buried his head under his blankets and shut his eyes. His head pounded.

I shouldn’t have drank as much as I did. He must think of me as a fool. I never wanted to let him know my thoughts, and yet, I blurted them out just like that! He doesn’t know the extent of my feelings, thankfully, but how I wish things went differently…

He opened his eyes. Through his thin blankets he could still see the glow of the rising sun shining in through his windows. He noted that he should probably get up and make breakfast soon.

Oh, how I wish he felt similarly.

His heart beat faster.

But it’s no use. He’ll most likely be gone in the next two weeks.

With that depressing thought in mind, he threw his blankets off of himself and squinted against the harsh morning light.

He was soon in the kitchen making crepes with jam and some leftover homemade whipped cream from a few days prior. Admittedly, he wasn’t very good at making crepes- He had only made them a few times, and they always came out wonky. But Little My would be going home the next morning, so he figured they should start the day with a nice breakfast and do something enjoyable later on.

Little My, awoken by the smell of the thin pancakes, eventually wandered down in here pajamas. Yawning, she sat at the table, swinging her legs over the edge of the chair.

“Good morning, Moomintroll!” She sung, fiddling with a napkin in front of her.

“You’re quite chipper,” Moomin sighed, “You always could hold your alcohol better than me.”

“Post-drinking headaches are for the weak-willed…  Just kidding. What’re you making?”

“Crepes. I thought I’d make you something nice.”

Little My squealed with delight, and threw herself off of the chair, rushing over to Moomintroll’s spot over the stove. “Are they done yet?!” She cried, “I can’t see them!”

“You’re still too little to reach the stovetop? Here, I’ll just-” He turned around and picked her up bridal style, giving her the spatula. “Do you want to flip them?”

Little My nodded vigorously. They waited for the current crepe in the pan to cook.

“Okay, you can flip it now.”

Little My thrust the spatula underneath the crepe and attempted to flip it, but by the forces of physics, it ended up on the floor.

“It’s okay,” Moomintroll sighed, “We have lots of batter. Let’s make some more.”

They worked slowly, and with Little My’s help, the crepes came out even more weirdly shaped than they would’ve come out if just Moomintroll had made them. 

But they smelled delicious.

They both plated the crepes with fresh fruit, coconut yogurt, and blackberry juice. There were three plates, but two people present.

“Shouldn’t you call Snufkin now?” Asked Little My.

“Erm… Would you mind calling him for me?” Snufkin mumbled awkwardly.

“I guess.”

Little My opened the kitchen door and started yelling for Snufkin. In the meanwhile, Moomintroll sat in front of his plate and pushed around grapes with his fork. They waited a few moments, until Little My turned around and exclaimed, “I see him! He just got out of his tent!”

Eventually, Snufkin walked through the kitchen door and immediately sat down in front of a plate.

“Why, it smells delicious in here!” He exclaimed, “I never get tired of Moomintroll’s cooking.”

“We both made the crepes,” Little My said proudly, “I helped flip them.”

“Well, I bet you did a good job.” He looked over to Moomintroll and smiled gently. “Thank you for the food, dove. I know cooking is a lot of work.”

Moomintroll flicked his gaze away, stammering out a, “Y-Yes. It’s… no problem at all.”

“Sorry I was late,” He went on, “I’ve been working on a new composition. Perhaps I can let the two of you listen to it when it’s done, but it’s still in its beginning stages.”

“Well, if you can have it done by tomorrow morning, let me know.” Little My sighed. “I’m leaving around that time. I only planned my visit to be a few days long.”

“Oh,” Snufkin mouthed, “Nobody told me you were leaving so soon.”

Moomintroll cleared his throat, but sill averted his eyes. “Erm, yes. I-I thought we’d have a special breakfast for Little My today. I also thought maybe we could go sailing to a nearby island right off the coast and have a picnic for lunch, perhaps.”

“Oh, a picnic!” Little My exclaimed, “Can we make a cake?” She shoveled a crepe into her mouth.

“I was thinking of something a bit more simple, actually…”

The three discussed their lunch plans while eating, chatting about the technicalities of it all and how exciting it’d be. Little My went on about how she hadn’t been sailing in months, and Snufkin was starry-eyed at the idea of being on a ship at all.

All the while, Moomintroll wouldn’t look at him directly. He’d speak as formally as possible. He didn’t want to address anything he had said the previous night, because the idea of speaking about feelings at all made him want to dig a hole into the sand and hibernate there for the whole of winter.

Feelings, He thought to himself as he was later washing the dishes, They make my heart full, but they can be pesky. I should talk to Moominmamma about this when I next see her.

At the kitchen table, they had all talked about other things as well. They had come to an agreement. Moomintroll had not seen his parents or the other people in Moominvalley for too long, so he would go to visit shortly after Little My would leave the next morning. 

Moomintroll was excited, but there were some things he needed to take care of first. He needed to get a neighbor to watch the lighthouse while he was gone for those few days, and he needed to make sure all his equipment was working smoothly so that his absence should go without incident. 

I’ll start after I’m done with the dishes and do some more after we come back from our picnic, then I’ll start making our lunches, He thought to himself, What a hassle it is to just leave my home!

And so he did. He finished cleaning up and got to work with his equipment.

Little My and Snufkin, devoid of responsibilities for the time being, decided to spend some time together. They were outside of Snufkin’s tent, sitting on a blanket in the sand. 

“You should play for me, Snufkin!” Little My exclaimed, “Moomintroll blabbed on to me all about your songs the other day. Is it true that it hypnotizes people?”

“Well…” Snufkin paused. “I suppose. But I don’t see that as a good thing. I have to be very careful when I play, because in the past I’d sometimes get ships following me around.”

“Moomintroll would probably follow you around regardless if you played or not.”

“What?”

“Forget it. Play for me! Oh, please, Snufkin-”

“Alright, alright. I can’t show you my new tune just yet, but I’ll play you something else.” He took out his conch shell and brushed it off before putting it to his lips.

The sound that came out of it was sublime. Snufkin started playing a slow, slightly sad tune, but every note was sweet and tender. Little My quickly saw how talented he was. The song filled her head, and it was as if it was the only thing she was capable of hearing at that very moment. She leaned in, bobbing her head with every turn in the song, leaning closer and closer to Snufkin. There were small sprouts of weeds in the sand, and they seemed to be swaying to the siren’s tune as well.

She leaned forward even more, grabbing tightly onto his cloak. 

He immediately stopped playing. Little My blinked, dazed.

“That’s enough for now,” He sighed, “Maybe you can hear the rest another time.”

Little My rubbed her eyes. “I’d want to hear the rest of it now, but that was weird. I could see how sirens could eat people.”

“I told you, I don’t eat people.”

“But you could!”

“But I don’t.”

The two went back and forth for a bit, before dropping it and going closer to the sea to collect shells. They continued until Little My quit in frustration due to Snufkin getting all of the “good” shells, and then quickly found other ways to pass the time.

Eventually, Moomintroll found himself done with all of his preparations, and took to making their lunch. He quickly whipped up chickpea salad sandwiches with pretzel sticks, cut up fruits and vegetables, and cookies (that he had gotten from the hemulen when he went to go pick up his boat, who was surprisingly not angry with him). He also poured lemonade into some mason jars, and put everything into a large basket. He picked up a large picnic blanket, went outside to collect his friends, then ushered them all to one of the boats.

It was a great day for sailing. He was using a motorboat so he didn’t need to worry too much about wind, but the waves weren’t too big, and the weather wasn’t too cold. They skipped over the waves and out to sea, on the lookout for the nearby island they planned on visiting. 

“Are we there yet?!” Little My yelled over the sound of the motor. 

“Not yet, we’re about halfway there!” Moomintroll yelled back.

“Woah!” Snufkin exclaimed. He was looking over the edge of the boat.

Little My shrieked in delight, so Moomintroll looked to see what all the fuss was about.

Dolphins were jumping in and out of the water next to the boat, but they weren’t like any dolphins Moomintroll had seen before. They had intricate symbols all over their bodies that were glowing a bright green, almost like Snufkin’s tattoos except bioluminescent. 

Before Moomintroll could fully process what he was seeing, a few hundred meters to the left he saw a geyser of water spurt into the air. A huge whale with similar markings as the dolphins surfaced for just a moment before diving back into the depths.

“What was that?!” Moomintroll exclaimed in wonder.

“It’s the blue moon!” Snufkin said joyfully, “Everything is always so exciting and new around this time!” He pulled up his sleeve to show the markings on one of his arms. “I only get these during the blue moon, and they’re different every year. I was excited to see what I would get this time around. One year I had some that glowed bright blue.”

“Lucky!” Little My yelled, “I want that to happen to me too!”

“You’d best become a sea troll, then. I don’t see any other way.”

“Stop teasing!” She whined. 

They continued sailing, and saw similar sights. Bundles of bright orange jellyfish fight beneath the surface of the water, schools of fish that shone like gasoline, discarded kelp that had been braided and that shone like gold… It was truly another world out on the open sea. 

They also saw Hattifatteners sailing, but there were things of larger interest.

Moomintroll’s visitor from a few days ago wasn’t kidding when he said magic was amplified during the blue moon. The air was laced with it. Everything they came across seemed like it was from a dream.

They eventually saw an island in the distance. 

“We’re almost there!” Moomintroll yelled, waving over his friends, “Just another ten minutes!”

It took a bit longer than that, but they found themselves on the shore of said island anyway. 

They would spend the afternoon exploring. It was a decently sized island with many cliffs, caves, and forests. Little My led the way most of the time, with Snufkin and Moomintroll lagging behind. They engaged in conversation, but Moomintroll was still embarrassed. He’d give short answers and would avoid eye contact, and they would occasionally settle into complete silence. 

“Did I do something to upset you?” Snufkin eventually asked. They were at the mouth of a cave, and Little My had already run on in.

Moomintroll sighed. “No, you didn’t. I just have a lot of things on my mind.”

The siren frowned. “Is it okay to talk to you?”

“What? Of course it is. I’m sorry. I’ll try not to ignore you.”

“Hm. If you insist. Anyway, those frogs we saw…” 

They kept on talking, and Moomintroll found himself relaxing some. It was so easy to talk to Snufkin now- that is, if he ignored every thought that popped into his head remarking about how beautiful the siren looked.

He had patches of scales embedded in his skin, and they shone even in the dim lights of the caves they were exploring. The way his face lit up when they found abandoned materials from previous adventurers. How his hair was short, but long enough to have a boyish charm. His long, terrifying nails, and how he handled things so gently despite them. His sharp, unforgiving teeth, and how he still had a kind smile. 

His eyes. They were the strangest that Moomintroll had ever peered into, but he felt as if he could stare into them for hundreds of years if he was able to. They were as black as the darkest night, with speckles of gold flecked into them. When he met Snufkin’s eyes, he felt as if he were looking at precious gemstones, and would quickly look away, flustered at having seen such beauty. 

He felt as if he were staring into the eyes of the universe, and they were staring back at him, filled with boyish curiosity and unrelenting mystery.

If he ignored all this, he could have a perfectly normal conversation with Snufkin.

He considered him a dear friend by now.

Something in him was unsatisfied with that, but he refused to acknowledge it.

Little My eventually got tired and insisted on riding on Moomintroll’s shoulders. She insisted, so he obliged. She rode around like that, telling them where to go.

Once they got bored of caves, they explored the forests on the island. Mostly untouched by humans and land trolls alike, it was bursting with life. Moomintroll almost stepped on a few frogs, and was extremely glad he didn’t.

They eventually settled down in a clearing similar to a meadow. Moomintroll put down their picnic blanket and got out their food.

They enjoyed their lunch. Little My and Snufkin were grateful for Moomintroll’s food as always, quickly gobbling it down.

Snufkin laid down on the blanket, full. He looked up at the sky. “It seems to be getting cloudy,” He remarked, “I wonder if it’ll rain.”

“That’d be a shame if it did.” Moomintroll sighed. “It was so nice out earlier. Maybe we can beat the rain if we’re fast enough. Otherwise we might need to stay on the island to wait it out.”

“I have to pack tonight!” Little My complained, “I’m not staying on an island overnight. Let’s go already.”

So they did. After they finished eating, they packed up their things and headed back to the boat.

It was getting dark out- Not because it was nighttime (It was around 4:30PM, actually), but because of how overcast it had gotten. It was definitely going to rain.

They quickly got onto the boat and started their journey back to the lighthouse.

They ran into no trouble for the first quarter of the trip. They saw no other mystical creatures either, to Little My’s disappointment.

They were almost halfway back when it started to rain. They hadn’t come prepared. Luckily it was a light rain, and it seemed like the waves wouldn’t get too big, but they still were getting soaked.

Suddenly, they all heard singing.

Snufkin gasped, “Moomintroll-”

Moomintroll immediately seemed as if he were in a trance. He cut the engine and stepped away from the steering wheel.

There was a chorus of voices, all coming from beneath the water. They seemed to bounce back and forth, left and right, surrounding the boat. Little My was wide eyed, looking over the water. Snufkin immediately picked her up as she was closest to him, and threw his hands over her ears. She struggled against him, but he put more pressure against her ears. “Moomin!” He yelled, “Block your ears! Hey-”

He turned to Moomintroll, who was peering over the side of the boat. Snufkin started towards him, but it all happened so fast. 

A young girl surfaced from the water and waved at Moomin. Dazed, he leaned farther over the boat. She grinned and latched her arms around his waist, pulling him over the boat and under the water.

Snufkin shrieked. He instantly let go of Little My, and luckily, the singing had stopped as soon as Moomin went under. He threw off his coat, took off his shoes, and jumped off the side of the boat.

Little My blinked, dazed. She rubbed her eyes.

It took her a second to process, but she suddenly let out a gasp. That alone took out all of the air in her body. She ran over to the side of the boat, her breathing getting hard and heavy.

She didn’t know what to do. The sirens have stopped singing, but, Moomin, he-

Little My wondered if she should go after them, but Mymbles weren’t as good of swimmers as Moomins or sirens. She’d surely get drowned.

She started to hyperventilate. She paced back and forth across the boat, taking in sharp breaths. Tears welled in her eyes, and she started to sob through her pained breathing.

She peered over the edge of the boat again and again, but didn’t see any sign of Snufkin or Moomin.

She sobbed more.

She waited for a few minutes, but it seemed to go on for hours. 

She never cried.

Little My didn’t cry.

And here she was, sobbing her eyes out. She sat down onto the floor of the boat and placed her head into her hands, wailing, getting tears and snot all over herself. 

She waited a while more.

…

…

…

And a while more.

…

… 

… 

Her sobbing eventually ceased, and she looked over the edge of the boat with puffy eyes.

She was about to start crying again, when something burst out of the water and flopped onto the floor of the boat. Little My screamed, but she saw it was Moomintroll. Snufkin burst out next. His torso, face, and arms were covered in long, bloody gashes. There were shallow bite marks raked across some areas of his skin. 

“They’re coming back!” Snufkin yelled. He waved over to the steering wheel. “Drive! I’ll take care of Moomintroll!”

Choking back a sob, she nodded, and ran over to the steering wheel. She didn’t know how to drive a boat that well, but this was an emergency. She quickly turned on the boat and started driving off.

Snufkin turned over Moomintroll and started pumping against his chest. Almost immediately, he sat up and began throwing up lots of ocean water over the edge of the boat. Little My would usually think this was disgusting, but she was just glad he was breathing.

Moomintroll was trembling, so Snufkin held him in his arms the rest of the way home. They saw a few faces pop out of the water behind them at times, but the sirens seemed to have lost interest, and eventually went off somewhere else.

Little My pulled the boat into the dock and secured it. She went to help pick up Moomintroll, but by some feat of superhuman strength, Snufkin picked up the Moomin all by himself.

Little My liked Snufkin, but she was starting to think he was a bit terrifying.

They rushed across the beach and into the lighthouse. Little My was carrying all of their things including Snufkin’s discarded clothes, and had to jog to keep up with Snufkin.

As soon as they got inside, they both immediately worked to get him under some blankets. Moomintroll was awake, but he was quiet and trembling (from the cold or fear, nobody knew). He had gashes across his arms, so Little My got some alcohol and gauze, doing her best to patch him up.

“You should sleep after this,” Little My said in a hard tone, “Or get some rest in general.”

“I will,” Moomintroll said softly, “I’m done with all the chores I had to take care of before traveling to Moominvalley.” He peered up to Little My’s face. Her eyes were puffy, and he could tell she was trying her best to keep her cool. “Don’t worry about me, My. I’ll be okay.”

She sniffled. “I know.”

She patted his arm, which was covered in gauze in two places. It was better than his other arm, which now had multiple patches of gauze and bandaids stuck to it. “All better,” She sighed, “Now go. Don’t worry about anything for the rest of the day. I’ll make dinner.”

Moomintroll nodded and walked over to the stairs before disappearing up them.

Snufkin was sitting at the kitchen table. He had gotten a hold of Moomintroll’s pipe, and was now smoking… something. Little My couldn’t tell, she never cared for smoking.

“You could at least smoke outside.” She grumbled. She began to patch him up too, disinfecting his wounds (which he hissed at) and taping gauze over them. His wounds were thankfully not deep enough to warrant stitches. 

“You saved him,” She said softly, sticking tape over a patch of gauze, “Thank you.”

“You shouldn’t thank me. I had to.”

“Well, technically, you don’t have to do anything.”

“You know what I mean.”

There was a brief silence.

“You know, I think that Moomintroll is lucky to have met you.” Little My said, not looking at the other’s face.

“Why? Because I saved him?”

“Well, that too. But he’s been pretty alone since he started working here a few years back. He has some good neighbors, some friends in town, we come and visit him every now and then, and he has the occasional visitor from the sea… But nobody that stays with him long-term. I think you came in at just the right time.”

Snufkin grimaced. “I don’t know if I’ll be here long-term.”

“I know. But I’m hoping you will.”

Snufkin was silent.

“I’m glad you’re not like those other sirens.” She continued.

Silence.

He sighed. “They’re not like that on purpose. It’s in their blood to hunt. But I agree, I’m glad I’ve overcome that. It’s all… astonishingly cruel.”

“Overcome?”

“I’ve been tempted before.”

“Oh.”

Little My put on some more tape.

“I almost did, once,” He said quietly, “But I couldn’t. I’m glad I didn’t.”

“I’m glad you didn’t, too. You’re the nicest siren I know, Snufkin.”

“I’m the only siren you know.”

“Does that mean you’re the meanest siren I know, too?”

“I’d hope not.”

She finished patching him up, giving him a light pat on the shoulder.

“I wouldn’t make a bad doctor.” She said proudly. “Now let’s go make dinner. You can help, Snufkin.”

They worked together to make a wonderful dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with french fries and leftover lemonade. If Little My knew how to do something, it was how to cut up potatoes and bake them.

They called down Moomintroll, who seemed much better than earlier. He had stopped shaking, and was actually engaging in conversation. He seemed to have a lighthearted take on the manner.

“I must’ve smelled good. Maybe I taste like raspberry jam!” He exclaimed at one point.

Despite it being simple, they enjoyed their meal together, the tense atmosphere gone. They were all much more relaxed.

After dinner, Little My went upstairs to pack her things for the next morning. Snufkin and Moomintroll sat in the living room, each reading. Moomintroll was reading one of his adventure novels, and Snufkin picked up where he left off in one of Moomin’s journals.

“Thank you for saving me.” Moomintroll finally remarked.

“Oh. You’re welcome.”

“I owe you my life, Snufkin.” He put his book down. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Oh, but I do. Perhaps I can make you extra-delicious breakfasts from now on. Even when we arrive in Moominvalley tomorrow, I can help my mama cook.”

“... I think I could live with that.”

The rest of the night was peaceful. Although the tense atmosphere was gone, everyone was secretly relieved that the day was over. Now it was time to dream, perhaps of tomorrow’s trip to Moominvalley, or perhaps of other things.

Moomintroll chose to dream of Snufkin. Dear Snufkin, who had saved him just a few hours prior.

Right before he went to sleep, his heart swelled with both awe and affection when remembering the events from earlier.

He remembered being held against Snufkin’s warm chest as he was trembling, his lungs raw from the saltwater.

I must wake early and make both him and Little My a great breakfast, He thought, Just to show my gratitude. I’ve been thinking so many thoughts about him and only him, but I must never show it. Only in my dreams should I hold his hand and kiss his cheek. Oh, how embarrassing… 

With these as his last thoughts, he tucked away his admiration for another time, and fell asleep.

And oh, how he dreamed.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll woke up earlier than usual.

Little My was going home this morning. Of course, he’d see her later in the day when he met up with everyone at Moominvalley, but for now it was goodbye.

Both him and Snufkin decided only yesterday that their trip would start today, and since they needed to take care of things to ensure the lighthouse would run smoothly, Little My decided to take off ahead of them.

Moomintroll got up and immediately got to work. He was determined to make Little My and Snufkin a great breakfast.

Banana bread with homemade strawberry jam, hash browns with lots of veggies mixed in, homemade coconut yogurt with berries and seeds, baked peanut butter granola bars, and peach and pineapple smoothies.

Yes, perfect .

He was stirring around his hash browns when Snufkin came in through the kitchen door.

“Oh! Good morning! You’re awake?” Moomintroll called, keeping his eyes on the food.

“You seem to keep forgetting that I don’t sleep a lot. It’s okay… Yes, I woke up about two hours ago. I was coming back from exploring the low tide when I smelled your cooking.” Snufkin said nonchalantly, taking up a chair at the kitchen table.

“Oh? You could smell it from all the way out there?”

Snufkin chuckled lightly. “Yes. I don’t know about your physiology, but I’m assuming some of my senses are a bit stronger than yours.”

“And why is that, you think?” Moomintroll gave the vegetables a stir.

“Well,” Snufkin said thoughtfully, “I think we collect food differently. You can go to the market to get whatever you want, whenever you want. I’ve had to hunt for my food.”

“Well, as long as you’re under this roof, you don’t have to hunt.” Moomintroll huffed. “I’ll make you enough pancakes to last you a lifetime.”

“What a wonderful life that would be.”

The two chatted while Moomintroll continued to make breakfast. Snufkin tried to help a few times, but Moomin quickly shooed him away, claiming that this breakfast was partly a gift for him too for saving him the previous day.

He did let Snufkin have a few tastes of the food, though. He gave him a whole spoonful of the strawberry jam, and half of one of the baked granola bars.

“You spoil me,” Snufkin said, licking the last of the jam off of the spoon, “Perhaps I should do something for you in return.”

Moomintroll lifted up his hand, where Snufkin’s gift, the shell bracelet, dangled. “You already did. Let me fuss over you, it’ll make me feel better after what you did yesterday.” He put on oven mitts and took the banana bread out of the oven.

Snufkin was going to say something in return, but was instantly distracted by the bread. 

Moomintroll finished up breakfast and sent Snufkin to go retrieve Little My.

He eventually came back down the stairs, with the small redhead following him, in her pajamas and rubbing her eyes.

“It smells so good!” She exclaimed, yawning, “It’s so early though, I couldn’t have waited another ten minutes?”

“It’ll get cold, Little My. Now sit down and eat.” Moomintroll pulled out a chair for her, which she sleepily climbed into.

They all ate and talked, Little My sometimes doing both at the same time (which earned multiple scoldings from Moomintroll). Little My and Snufkin were both starry-eyed from how delicious the food was, which wasn’t abnormal, considering how Moomintroll was an above average cook. He only learned from the best, which was his dear mother. How he missed her, but it wouldn’t be long now.

After they were done, Little My went back upstairs to collect her things. Lugging down two suitcases by herself (as she shooed Snufkin away when he tried to help), she said her (temporary) goodbyes.

“Have a safe trip, My.” Moomintroll said, his voice thick with worry. He picked her up and spun her around in a tight hug, which had her laughing and shrieking. She eventually managed to wriggle out of his grasp, smoothing out her red coat.

“It’ll be fine. I’m taking the ferry to Moominvalley’s beach, and after that, it’s only a short walk. Cheer up!” She patted Moomintroll’s stomach. “I’ll see you in the evening.”

She gave a hug to Snufkin, and with that, she was out the door and off to Moominvalley.

As soon as the door closed, Moomintroll sighed. “Alright. I already made sure the light was running smoothly, and my neighbor is going to look after the lighthouse when we’re gone. Let’s pack, we’re going to be away for five days- until next Tuesday. Come on.”

Snufkin looked down at the floor. “I don’t much to pack.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll lend you some clothes. And a suitcase.”

And so they started to get their things together. Moomintroll packed all his things rather easily, but it was packing for Snufkin that was the problem.

He had piles of clothes in the basement that he had accumulated from or for his various visitors throughout the years. Some left clothes behind by accident, but he always kept spare clothing of most sizes around. He was hospitable, and if somebody came in drenched during a summer storm, he wanted to make sure they had something to change into.

But Snufkin was tall and spindly. He was also tall, and admittedly not so spindly, but he got what few clothes he wore customly fit to him. A lot of the clothes he had on hand were too small, leaving his midriff exposed.

They eventually scrounged up a few different items of clothing, but none of them matched. Snufkin didn’t seem to care, but Moomintroll made a note to himself to get him customly fitted for some clothing when they both came back from Moominvalley.

They also fitted Snufkin’s tent into a large backpack and strapped it to his back.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep inside? It’ll be warm.” Moomintroll asked, fastening the backpack straps.

“There’s nothing like sleeping outdoors. Don’t worry about me, Moomintroll. I’ll be fine.”

By the time they were done, there was a knock at the door. A young hemulen man was standing there, and quickly introduced himself as Moomintroll’s neighbor’s son, here to look after the lighthouse. Moomintroll gave him a written list of things to do while he was there, but after that, they were off!

Snufkin and Moomintroll, with suitcases in hand, made their way to the very same ferry that Little My took earlier. It was about two miles up the coastline. On the way, they passed by a series of large rocks in the water that had what looked like large fish washed up upon them.

Then, one of the ‘fish’ bent over, and Moomintroll could see that it was a mermaid. In fact, there were many mermaids sunbathing against the rocks, absorbing the sun.

“Wow!” Moomintroll exclaimed, “I’ve only seen mermaids twice- Once when I was younger, and once when I was on my travels. I didn’t know they were so close to the lighthouse.”

“Strange things happen during the blue moon. I showed up, didn’t I?”

“Well, I’m glad you did.”

They passed by in wonder, but kept on walking.

It was a tiresome walk (While he was smaller in his youth, Moomintroll grew to be particularly large in his adulthood!), but they eventually made it to a small town. Walking down to the docks, they paid their fees, and got onto the ferry.

It was sunny out today, quite warm actually, but it was windy. So the two men took their seats on the top floor of the ferry and soaked up the sun quietly.

It was peaceful. At one point, Moomintroll went to the ferry’s bar and brought back two glasses of sweet dessert wine, which the two sipped on while looking over the ocean.

Snufkin swirled his wine in its glass. “When will we be there?”

“Evening, perhaps.” Moomintroll said, taking a sip. “My parents are going to be excited to see us.”

Snufkin was quiet for a moment, looking into his glass. “Your parents. How are they?”

“How are they? What do you mean?”

“Do they scare easily? Or, at the very least, are they kind?”

“Oh.” Moomintroll blinked. “They’re very kind. If you’re worried about them being frightened by you… Don’t be? When I was younger, they’d take all sorts of different people into our house without question. Little My just sort of came to live with us one day, and she stayed for most of my childhood.”

Snufkin nodded but didn’t say anything more.

The ferry would take a couple of hours to get to Moominvalley, with a lot of stops in between. At one point, the two made their way over to the smoking section of the ferry and took turns smoking out of Moomin’s pipe.

So much for not smoking often, Moomintroll thought to himself- Although he admittedly wasn’t too upset about it.

After playing cards, looking at passing clouds, playing “I spy”, and doing countless other things to pass the time, they eventually made it to the port by Moominvalley. It was against about a mile down from the beach that Moomin and his friends would visit so frequently in their youths.

The sun was setting in the sky, which was colored beautiful strokes of red, orange, yellow, and pink. The sea lapped gently against the sand, which Moomintroll and Snufkin now found themselves on.

“Come on! It’s a fifteen minute walk through the woods and we’ll be there!” Moomintroll called excitedly. 

As he walked, there was a spring in his step, while Snufkin lurked behind the Moomin more calmly. One could even argue that he was doing so nervously.

They walked along a path in the woods, which Moomintroll seemed to know by heart.

He’s obviously been through here more times than I could count, Snufkin thought to himself, I wonder what Moominvalley looks like.

They walked for about fifteen minutes through the forest, and just as Moomintroll had predicted, they arrived to Moominvalley.

Vast plains spread out before them, the grass tinted by the bright colors of the sunset. In the center of the valley sat a large cylindrical house with a porch.

Moomintroll turned to Snufkin excitedly. “There it is!” He exclaimed, “Oh, my parents are going to be so happy to see me. And you, too! I’ve missed them so much. Come on now, I’m sure they’ll love you.” He hoisted up his luggage and his pace quickened.

Snufkin nodded and walked faster to meet Moomin’s pace.

Snufkin was admittedly a bit nervous, and he couldn’t place why. He loved meeting new people and trying new things. How was this any different?

I told Moominmamma I’d shake her paw, but I fear what she’ll think of me. How silly, she’s just a person. And she’ll be like any other person: Exciting. 

But anxiety gnawed at his stomach anyway.

They walked through the flower fields, over the bridge, and right up to the front door of the house. Moomintroll knocked loudly, and within seconds, the door was answered.

“Moomintroll!” An older Moomin exclaimed, immediately wrapping Moomintroll into a hug. She had patches of gray fur in her coat, and a striped apron that had flour on it at her waist. She was a bit smaller than Moomintroll, but seemed to squeeze the life out of him with motherly strength.

“Mama! It’s been too long, I missed you so much. It’s so good to see you again.” He rested his chin on her head, and they embraced for a few seconds, swaying back and forth. After they seemed to get it out of their systems, Moomintroll pulled away from her and stepped to the side. “Mama, I’ve brought my friend, Snufkin.”

“Oh!” The Moomin woman clasped her hands together and walked up to Snufkin. “Hello, Snufkin. My son wrote to me about you. I baked a cake to welcome you, but we’re going to have a party for you tomorrow.”

Snufkin leaned forward and took her hand, shaking it gently. “I’ve heard much about you, Moominmamma. It’s nice to meet the person behind the delicious pancake recipe. Your son has been feeding me well.” He paused. “A party, you say?”

“Oh, you flatter me. I’ll be feeding you many more pancakes while you’re here.” She smiled cheerfully. “And yes! Everybody wants to meet you. We would’ve held the party tonight, but it’s getting late, and it’d be more convenient to gather everyone tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind.”

Snufkin blinked. “I’ve never been to a party before.”

“Well, then, let me tell you now: It’ll be lots of fun. Now, come in, come in! There’s cake on the table. And you can say hello to Moominpappa!” She ushered them inside.

The inside of the house was warm and cozy. The fire was on, and upon looking around, Snufkin immediately saw a familiar face, sitting next to another older Moomin.

Little My was sitting at the kitchen table, and immediately perked up once she saw them. “Took you long enough!” She cried, “I’ve been waiting to eat this cake, but Moominmamma said I couldn’t until you two showed up.”

“Yeah, because it’s our cake,” Moomintroll scoffed, “But it’s good that you got here safely, My.”

“Yeah, yeah. Put down your luggage and sit down. Let’s eat-”

“Now wait a minute,” The other older Moomin said, standing up. He was wearing a tophat and also had patches of gray scattered across his white coat. “Moomin, my boy, you haven’t even said hello to me! Come here!” He held out his arms, and Moomintroll immediately rushed in for a hug.

“It’s good to see you, papa.” Moomin sighed happily, before patting his father on the back and stepping away. “You haven’t met my friend, Snufkin.”

“Ah! Yes. Hello, Snufkin.” Moominpappa tipped his hat to Snufkin. “It’s nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your stay here.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Snufkin said politely.

They eventually all sat down and began to eat the cake. It was strawberry flavored, and it was delicious, obviously. Snufkin would quickly learn that Moomintroll only learned from the best.

Evening turned into night. They were all seated around the fire, talking and laughing (Snufkin was quite charming, Moominmamma soon found out), Moomintroll talking about what had been happening in his life since he last saw them a few months ago.

It began to rain outside, much to the disappointment of Snufkin. He had been planning to sleep outside, but now they couldn’t set up his tent. He’d have to sleep indoors for today.

Little My eventually got sleepy, and so did Snufkin. She would lead him up to the guest room, and they both would retire for the night. Moominpappa eventually went upstairs, too.

Then it was just Moominmamma and Moomintroll.

“I told you that’d I explain more about Snufkin.” Moomintroll mumbled, fumbling with his thumbs.

“Yes, you did. He’s quite strange looking, but that isn’t a bad thing. He’s quite nice.” Moominmamma said. She was knitting a scarf serenely.

“He’s a siren.”

“Oh, is he?”

“Yes, you see…”

Moomintroll stumbled through the whole explanation.

“Quite strange indeed,” Moominmamma lamented, “But I suppose your strange circumstances have brought the two of you closer.”

“We’ve only known each other for a little over a week.”

“Yes, but friendship has no time limit.”

“Friendship…” Moomin mused, “Mama, can I ask you something?”

“Yes, dear?”

“How did you feel when you met papa?”

“Oh,” Moominmamma breathed, “When we met, he saved me from a deadly storm. I thought he was incredibly brave, but that’s not why I fell in love with him. We were in contact after he saved me, and he would send me the most elaborate love letters. I fell in love with his mind, his confidence, and after that, everything else about him. You’ll see when it happens to you, but when you fall in love, it’s like the world stops for just you two. Every moment is precious, and everything about them seems right. And you can even come to love their flaws, because it’s a part of them.” Moominmamma was silent for a moment. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh,” Moomintroll sighed, “I feel like my heart’s taken over my brain recently, mama.”

“The heart knows what’s best, dear.”

“... Perhaps.” He stood up. “I think I should get to bed. You, too. It’s quite late.”

“Don’t worry about me, I want to get this scarf finished. Goodnight, darling.”

“Goodnight, mama.”

Moomintroll went up to his old childhood room, his head swimming with thoughts. Luckily, once he hit his teenage years, they switched out his twin sized bed and put a full sized one in there. He would’ve been too small for the bed otherwise.

He laid down in bed and stared at the ceiling.

My heart’s taken over my heart, indeed, He thought to himself, I know what’s the right thing to do, but I can’t do it. I can’t stay away from him. 

Oh, how I wish things were different. How I wish for the future to not be so uncertain.

If he were to stay, I’d allow myself to fall for him.

But even so, I’m doing that anyway.

How stupid of me.

Thoughts of the party tomorrow crossed his mind.

That was something to look forward to, at least.

Snufkin’s been doing so well around my parents.

He’s so charming.

And handsome.

I think I’m in… 

He dozed off to sleep.

Chapter Text

It was an early morning for Snufkin.

5AM hit, and he was up. Shouldering his backpack (which had his tent inside), he snuck out from the guest room, down the stairs, and out the door of Moominhouse.

He had spotted a rather nice area to put his tent down when they were first walking through Moominvalley. He walked over the bridge and to the side, where there was a small dirt clearing. He kicked at the ground. The dirt was slightly moist from the rain last night, but he figured it was dry enough to be sturdy. He got to work and set up his tent.

Nobody else was awake, so he decided to experiment on his spring tune. As soon as he started playing, fish started leaping out of the river below, and onto the dirt bank.

Snufkin stopped playing.

Fish! He thought to himself, I’ve never tried freshwater fish before. How interesting.

He quickly stripped off all of his clothes and jumped into the river, claws out.

***

It was later in the morning, and Moomintroll was helping his mother with breakfast. They were working together to make a savory breakfast dish, which was chickpea flour omelettes with spring onion, dill, and basil. They were also planning to make it with a side of raspberry jam toast, coconut yogurt with sliced roasted peaches, and a sugary limeade. It was going to be splendid.

Little My eventually made her way down to the kitchen, undoubtedly guided by her nose. She rubbed her eyes and smoothed out her frilly red nightgown before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“Where’s Snufkin?” She asked casually, twiddling a fork in her hands.

Moomintroll flipped over a chickpea omelette. “He’s not in the guest room?”

“No. I thought you would know, since you two are so… close.”

He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s taking a stroll or something. He’s only ever slept in a bed twice, including last night. Maybe he’s restless.” He paused. “Did you know that he slept in my bathtub for one night? What a mess that made!”

“He slept in your bathtub? ”

“... Yes?”

“He has legs, it’s not like you have to keep him hydrated.”

“Well, I didn’t know!”

“You-”

“Oh, hush, you two.” Moominmamma said, stirring the homemade raspberry jam in a pot over the stove. “Little My, come and help us. Be a dear and roast the peaches. All you have to do is brush the brown sugar on them and put them in the oven.”

Little My grumbled something, but got out of her seat and obliged. 

By the time Moominpappa came downstairs, all the food was spread out onto the table wonderfully.

“Oh, Moominmamma, it smells delicious!” He exclaimed, “Let’s eat, please.”

“Should we wait for Snufkin?” Moominmamma asked, putting down a small bowl of coconut yogurt.

“I’ll see if I can go get him. If I take too long, don’t wait up for me. I’ll be back!” And with that, Moomintroll was out the door.

It didn’t take long to find him. Moomintroll spotted something splashing around in the river, and upon closer inspection, it was Snufkin. Who was naked.

Moomintroll yelped and averted his eyes. “Snufkin! What’re you doing?!” He groaned. “If you wanted a bath, we have one in the house. Goodness.”

“I’m catching fish!” Snufkin yelled back, holding a minnow up in his hand. He tossed it onto the dirt bank, which had a small pile of fish, as well as a bigger pile of bones. Blood stained the earth around it, but Snufkin seemed to be clean of it. The running water had washed it away from his face and body.

“Well, get out of there and put your clothes back on. We made breakfast.”

Snufkin nodded and pulled himself out of the river. He dried himself off with his shirt before putting it back on, which made Moomintroll cringe a little. He quickly got dressed and lazily strolled over to the other.

“Well, what’s for breakfast?” He asked brightly.

“You’ll see. But I’m going to teach you how to use a fishing rod later, I swear. You can’t be splashing around like that in the river.”

“And why not?”

“Because… Social expectations? I suppose? I don’t know. But there’s other ways to fish.”

“If you say so.”

The two made their way back to Moominhouse and had their delicious breakfast with the rest of the family.

“Snufkin, you mentioned that Moomin cooks for you. Do you cook yourself?” Moominmamma asked, spreading some raspberry jam onto a piece of bread.

Snufkin looked down into his food. “No. I tried once, and-”

“He started a fire!” Little My jeered, waving her fork in the air. “He tried frying spaghetti with jam, it was hilarious. ”

“Can you cook, My?” Moomintroll asked pointedly.

“... No, but-”

“Snufkin, why don’t I show you how to cook?” Moominmamma asked in a kind tone. “Whenever you’re able. Maybe not today, since we have the party, but perhaps tomorrow or the day after. I have a big book of recipes, or perhaps we can make something new.”

Snufkin blinked. “I’d love to, Moominmamma.”

“Then it’s settled.” She took a bite out of her toast.

They finished their meal and everybody went their separate ways. Moomintroll himself went down into the basement and rummaged around until he found his father’s old fishing rod. He met Snufkin outside, fishing rod slung over his shoulder, as well as a can of corn in his hand.

“Well? Come on.” Moomintroll said, leading the way to the bridge.

They sat down, and Moomin handed the rod to Snufkin.

“I haven’t fished since I was a child,” He mumbled, “But here. You get a corn kernel and push it against the hook- Yes, like that. Now lean back, and cast the line. Just throw it out into the river- No, no! Not like that. Snufkin. ”

Snufkin had thrown the entire rod into the river. It bounced against the rocks below. Moomintroll sighed.

After a few more tries, Snufkin got the hang of it. After just ten minutes, a minnow bit, and Moomintroll guided Snufkin through reeling it in.

Snufkin held up the minnow happily. “It’s easier to go down and get the fish myself, but this makes it like a game.” Snufkin sighed dreamily. “I quite like it.”

“That’s good. I’ll leave you to it, then. So you can… er, eat.” Moomintroll patted Snufkin’s shoulder and got up, walking away back to Moominhouse.

There was a warm buzzing inside of him. 

He liked spending time with Snufkin.

Maybe a bit too much.

He would’ve liked to stay and fish with Snufkin, but he picked up on the feeling that Snufkin would rather do this alone. Also, watching Snufkin eat fish whole was quite gruesome.

He’ll be fine fishing by himself , Moomin thought.

He went inside and picked up a random book, before going to the porch and perching himself on a rocking chair. He had a good view of Snufkin from here, just to make sure he was safe.

To make sure he was safe.

He scoffed at his own reasoning. But he began reading his book (Which was a book Moominpappa wrote a few years ago, about a farmer boy falling in love with a princess), peeking up from it every so often to look at Snufkin.

After about thirty minutes of this, Moominmamma walked out onto the porch, sitting down on the adjacent rocking chair with her knitting materials. She seemed to be continuing the scarf she was knitting the previous night.

They were silent, and Moomintroll continued his ritual of reading, looking up, reading, looking up-

“That Snufkin friend of yours is quite nice.” Moominmamma said, cutting through the silence.

“Er, yes, he is.” Moomintroll looked down at his book.

“Yes. So much so that you came out here just to look at him.”

Moomintroll felt his face getting hot. “I came out here to read.” He mumbled.

“And also to gaze at him, it seems.” She smiled gently. “I know you, Moomin.”

Moomintroll put down his book and put his hands against his face, embarrassed. He sighed. “I told you, mother. I feel like my heart’s taken over my brain. Please don’t tell him.”

She put down her knitting materials and got up, walking over to Moomin. She engulfed him in a hug. “It’s okay, darling.” She said soothingly. “I won’t. Not that it’s my business, but are you going to tell him?”

“No,” He breathed, “I can’t. I told you about him, the blue moon ends in two weeks. He might turn back into a siren.” His voice cracked.

She didn’t say anything else. She just hugged him and rubbed his back soothingly, humming softly into his ear. There were no words needed, this was a mother’s love.

They stayed like that for a while, before they parted and returned back to their respective activities (Moominmamma to her knitting, and Moomin to his book).

Little My would eventually walk out onto the porch as well.

She tapped on Moomin’s book. “Do you want to go with me to Too-Ticky’s?” She asked.

“Too-Ticky’s? Why?”

“My big sister is with her. I need to give her something.”

“Did you take something from her?”

“You think I’d steal?”

“My.”

“Okay. Fine. I took some of her art supplies before I went to see you, and she wants them back. She’s going to paint with Snorkmaiden tomorrow, apparently.”

Moomintroll looked out towards Snufkin. “Yes,” He sighed, “I’ll go with you.”

Little My raised an eyebrow. “You want him to come along too?”

Moomintroll snapped his gaze back to her. “Er-” He felt his face warming up. “Only if he wants to.”

“Alright. Let’s go, then.”

They both walked over to the bridge and asked Snufkin to come along with them, who reeled in his line and agreed.

And they were off. Over the fields, through the woods, and on their way to the bathhouse. Little My was carrying a box of paints, paintbrushes, watercolor papers, and other art materials, wobbling a bit as she walked (it was a big box). Eventually, Snufkin offered to carry it for her.

As they walked through the forest, flowers opened and closed, holes in trees glowed, and puffs of sparkles came from burrows in the ground. Bushes here and there rustled violently.

Moomintroll looked around wildly. “What’s going on?” He asked, a panicked note in his voice.

Snufkin stopped walking and looked around, too. “There’s pixies nearby,” He muttered, “Horrid creatures. We have to get out of here.”

“More fairies?!” Little My exclaimed excitedly.

“No, pixies. They’re like fairies, but more mischievous. They can get downright evil. Let’s go.”

They all began to walk faster, and the strange noises and sights slowly ceased. 

They went the rest of their walk undisturbed. 

They all eventually reached a clearing at the edge of the forest, and the bathhouse came into view.

“Ugh,” Groaned Little My, “Let’s go.”

Once they got to the bathhouse, Moomintroll knocked on the door. There was some rustling inside, and a small voice shouted, “Be right there!”

More rustling. Eventually, a blonde woman a striped shirt opened the door. There were tufts of gray in her hair.

“Too-Ticky!” Moomintroll exclaimed, immediately going in for a hug. 

Too-Ticky gasped and started laughing, hugging him back and rocking back and forth. “Oh, Moomintroll! It’s been so long!” She cried, “What brings you here?” She looked over Moomin’s shoulder and looked at the other two curiously. “Hello, Little My! And… Oh! Yes, you must be Snufkin. Moominmamma told us about your arrival.”

Little My waved. Snufkin tipped his hat to her and smiled, albeit a bit anxiously.

“I came down from the lighthouse to visit,” Moomintroll said brightly, “It’s been too long. But we came here specifically to give Mymble back her art supplies that Little My… borrowed.”

“She’s inside. But while you’re here, let me make you all some lunch. You must be hungry. I got my hands on some freshly baked bread bowls from a hemulen that lives in Moominvalley, so I’ve been making tomato soup to fill them with.” She stepped to the side and let them all in.

A tall woman with red and gray hair was sitting on a chair inside, and immediately perked up when she saw Little My. “Oh!” She exclaimed, “Have you got it?”

“Yes, yes,” Sighed Little My, “Here.” She took the box from Snufkin and placed it at Mymble’s feet. 

“Oh, me and Snorkmaiden were going to do a lovely art piece together. It’s going to be acrylic, which I love to do, and watercolor, which she loves to do,” She sighed dreamily, “Everything in this world has gotten so much brighter once I started painting.”

“I know, dear.” Too-Ticky said, walking over and planting a kiss on Mymble’s forehead. She turned to the rest of them. “I’m going to watch them paint together tomorrow. You all would be welcome to join, but I don’t know if Snorkmaiden would want that many people watching her.”

“It’s okay, really. We can probably find something else to do.” Moomintroll said.

“There’s going to be a fair tomorrow,” Mymble said, grabbing onto Too-Ticky’s hand. “Sniff told me about it, last he visited us. He brought me such a lovely brooch… But it’s in the same town as his jewelry shop, right outside of Moominvalley.”

“A fair?” Asked Snufkin curiously.

“Have you never been to one? Moominmamma didn’t tell us, and I don’t mean to pry, but where are you from, Snufkin?” Too-Ticky asked curiously.

Snufkin opened his mouth to answer, but Moomintroll quickly said, “It’s a long story. We can tell you later. At the party tonight.”

Too-Ticky shrugged. “Alright. Well, if you’ve never been to a fair, it’s fun… apparently. I always thought they were too crowded, but Mymble loves to go when she can, so I go when it’s in town.” She grinned and squeezed the other’s hand. “It’s been going on for the past two weeks, so we’ve already gone. But there’s stalls with fair food, contests, games, and rides. I’d say to all of you, go while you’re here.”

Little My bounced up and down in her chair, looking to Moomin with pleading eyes. “Can we go?” She cried.

“Let’s talk about it with Sniff tonight. Maybe we can visit him at his shop while we’re there. But…” Moomin paused. “I don’t see why not.”

Little My let out a cry of victory and everybody chuckled goodheartedly. 

Too-Ticky served everybody their soup-filled bread bowls shortly after, and they all had a good lunch.

With their objective completed, they all waved a temporary goodbye (as they would see each other at the party that evening), and set back off to Moominhouse.

***

Snufkin spent the rest of the day fishing. It would’ve been much easier to simply strip his clothes and jump into the water, but according to Moomintroll it was inappropriate, so he used the fishing rod instead. He did enjoy using the fishing rod too, as it presented itself much like a game.

Afternoon turned into evening, and the party would be starting soon. As he sat on the bridge, he saw Little My, Moominmamma, and Moominpappa moving to set up tables, food, and other things. Moomintroll wandered out from Moominhouse and made his way over to the bridge, plopping down next to Snufkin.

“The party’s soon.” Moomintroll commented.

“Should we help set up?”

“No, mama shooed me away when I tried to help. I guess since it’s our party, she doesn’t want us working.”

Snufkin nodded, but was silent. He pulled his hat over his eyes and cast out his line again.

“Have you ever been to a party, Snufkin?” Moomintroll asked. He inched a bit closer to the siren, but was looking away.

“I’ve seen them on ships, but I’ve never been a part of one.”

“What do you think of them?”
“Noisy. But I’m curious, since there’s never been one thrown for me.”

Moomintroll frowned at that.

He’s never had a party thrown for him, Moomintroll thought sadly, I’d throw him a hundred if given the chance.

“Well, they’re lots of fun. You’ll see.” The Moomin mumbled. He moved a bit closer. 

“Yes, I’d hope so.” Snufkin said simply.

Their shoulders were touching now. Moomintroll found his heartbeat quickening.

I feel like I’m a teenager again, He thought exasperatedly, Just from a touch!

They were both silent. Moomintroll felt his face burning, and awkwardly stood up.

“Erm. I should probably go… brush my fur. For the party. Yes.” He walked away, putting his face into his palms.

How stupid of me. Brush my fur?!

Snufkin watched after him for a while, before returning to his fishing.

He found that Moomintroll acted strange at times, but he didn’t mind. Being around the other made him feel comfortable. Moomintroll just had a very calming presence. 

Although, sometimes, he found himself feeling anxious and fidgety around the Moomin. He would feel his heart beating faster. The tips of his ears turning red. Squirming in his stomach. 

He knew what this was, but he’d keep it to himself. Part of him felt ashamed. Another part of him knew it was impractical. He might be leaving in two weeks.

Romantic love was the death of freedom. He wanted to have adventures, to travel the world, land or sea, and to learn along the way. He was a fine Moomin, but he couldn’t think of him now. He wouldn’t let himself.

Although, sometimes from the depths of his mind, he’d imagine what it’d be like to embrace him and kiss his snout. 

Ridiculous, He thought, reeling in a fish, To be thinking of things such as this. I already know my answer.

He continued fishing.

Slowly, people started arriving at the party. Snufkin looked on from the bridge, and eventually decided to join.

Lively music played from a record player someone had brought out. People sat around the tables, chatting and socializing.

“There you are!” Somebody called. Snufkin turned, and a Snork woman was walking towards him. She had a golden necklace on and bright blonde hair partially concealed by a knitted cap. A tall woman with bright red hair and a lacy red and white dress followed her. They were holding hands.

“Snufkin? You’re Snufkin, correct?” The Snork woman asked.

“Oh. Yes.” Snufkin tipped his hat to her.

“Oh!” She squealed and grabbed onto Snufkin’s hands suddenly, holding them up. “I’ve been dying to meet you! Moomintroll’s never brought anybody back with him. He must think very highly of you! I’m the Snorkmaiden, and this is my wife, Ninny.”

The redheaded woman waved. “You must be very dear to him. Where are you from, Snufkin? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody like you before!”

Snufkin was flustered. “It’s nice to meet you, Snorkmaiden, Ninny. I’m… from somewhere very far away.”

“Oh, how exotic. You must’ve seen so many things. And eaten so many tropical fruits!” Snorkmaiden sighed dreamily.

“We… mostly eat fish.” Snufkin said. “I-”

“Oh, I know, you have to say hello to everyone else.” Snorkmaiden interrupted. She let go of Snufkin’s hands. “But we have to talk more. Perhaps after you’ve said hello to everyone else, but how about you and Moomintroll come over to our house for breakfast tomorrow? Consider it a double date. Ha!”

Snufkin blinked. “That’s very nice of you. I’ll tell Moomintroll.”

“We’ll see you, then. I’ll tell you now, I’m a master when it comes to making blueberry waffles.” Ninny winked, and the two women set off to talk to more people.

Snufkin said hello again to Too-Ticky and Mymble, relieved to see familiar faces. He clung to them for a while, before they set off to socialize some more.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. 

Turning around, an unbelievably tall brown creature stood before him. He was taller than Moomintroll, and Moomin was tall. He was wearing beautiful golden necklaces around his neck, an ascot cap, a bowtie, and a silver watch around his wrist. He also had a cane and multiple piercings with gemstones in his ears.

“Hello there!” He said in a friendly tone, jutting out his hand. “I’m Sniff. Moomintroll mentioned to me that you’re a dear friend of his. It’s nice to meet you.”

Snufkin’s eyes widened. Sniff! He immediately shook the other’s hand.

“Oh! I read about you in Moomin’s journals.” Snufkin said excitedly. “It’s nice to meet you, Sniff.”

“Oh, you’ve read about our adventures? Well, let me tell you…” 

Sniff quickly bored Snufkin. He talked about how brave he was during his journeys, and while Snufkin admired him, he always thought of him as a bit cowardly based on Moomintroll’s descriptions. He also talked about how he had started seeing a nice girl in the town he worked in, which didn’t interest Snufkin in the slightest, and he also talked about his business and money matters, which especially bored him. He was nice, but it seemed as if the two had no common ground. Sniff didn’t seem to notice that and kept on talking until Snufkin politely excused himself to go get some punch.

He had only talked to a few people, and he already felt emotionally drained. Things were so much easier when it was just him and Moomintroll. 

Taking a cup of punch, he slinked off to the other side of Moominhouse and took a seat on the porch. He drank from his cup and looked at the moon.

I’m about halfway done with my new tune, He thought to himself, If only I could work on it now. I might attract people if I try, but perhaps I can leave to the woods in a few minutes and try.

He took out his conch shell and fingered at the tiny holes carved into it.

He already felt much better being by himself.

That is, until he heard the thudding of footsteps come from around the house. He didn’t look up at them until he saw somebody’s feet right in front of him.

He looked up.

It was Snorkmaiden.

He tipped his hat to her. “Hello. It’s a fine night out.”

“Hello yourself.” She said, smiling softly. “I noticed you wandering off from the party. Are you alright?”

“Oh.” Snufkin paused. “Yes. I just needed to be by myself for a while.”

“And why is that?”

“Well… I don’t dislike people, but I just need some space sometimes.”

“I see.” She pointed to the steps Snufkin was sitting on and he nodded, scooching over a bit. She sat down next to him. “There’s no shame in that. Moomintroll was looking for you, though.”

Snufkin’s heart jumped. “Was he?” He looked down to his conch shell.

“Yes. He looked quite worried. He was asking everyone where you had gone.” She looked up towards the starry sky. “He never got that worried over me when I would wander off. And this is just a party, as opposed to all the dangerous things we would do as children.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. We were young and he was stupid. Well, maybe I was a bit stupid as well.” She giggled. “But I’m glad he’s found someone to worry over. I’ve found somebody to worry over as well.”

Oh. Snufkin felt his stomach tighten. “He’s a good friend.” He said bluntly.

“Well, whatever you two are, he seems to like you quite a bit. He’s never been a worrier. What’d you do to get him so anxious over you?” She asked teasingly, elbowing Snufkin’s side.

Snufkin shrugged. “He’s a fine Moomin. I’ve found that he’s a bit emotional at times, however.”

“That sounds like our dear Moomin.” She chuckled, looking over to Snufkin. “Well, what were you planning on doing back here all by yourself?”

“Whatever I’d like.” Snufkin said simply. “Maybe some stargazing. Maybe I’d play my tune.”

“Oh, you play? Can you play for me?”

“It’s not that simple.” He said distantly.

Snorkmaiden nodded and fell silent. The two looked up towards the stars for a while. Snufkin occasionally pointed out constellations to her, and she pointed out constellations that her and her childhood friends had made up when they were younger.

“That’s the hemulen with the big tophat.” She said, squinting and pointing at a bundle of stars.

Snufkin also squinted. “I think I see it.”

Eventually, she got up and brushed off her fur.

“I should get back. I’m sure Ninny would like to dance with me.” She sighed. “If you feel like you can, maybe you should do the same. For Moomintroll’s sake.”

Snufkin nodded, and she walked back around the side of the house and back to the party.

He thought about that for a while.

After a good chunk of time had passed, he decided to head back. 

People were dancing on the grass, fast paced music playing from a record player. Moomintroll was sitting on the porch, eating a piece of cake. He immediately saw Snufkin and ran on over.

“Snufkin! I was wondering where you had gone! You worried me.” He said, letting out a breath. “Er… Where did you go?”

“I just needed some time to myself.” Snufkin smiled.

“Oh. Alright.” He looked down. Snufkin couldn’t read the expression on Moomintroll’s face. “Erm, we have cake. Would you like some? And people are dancing, so… If you would like to-”

“I’ll have some cake. What kind?”

“It’s an apple cake with cinnamon frosting. Come on, now.”

The two men sat on the porch eating their apple cake. They were side by side, watching different people from all over Moominvalley chatting and eating and dancing.

Eventually, Moomintroll put his head on Snufkin’s shoulder.

“Are you tired?” Snufkin asked, feeling his heart beat a bit faster.

“Yes.” Mumbled Moomintroll. “It’s getting a bit late.”

They stayed in a comfortable silence, nuzzled up next to each other. Nobody disturbed them, so they stayed like that until the end of the party. Neither one of them wanted to say it, but they would stay like that forever if given the chance, and were both slightly disappointed when they had to get up and say goodbye to people who were leaving.

Eventually, it neared midnight, and most people had left. Snufkin and Moomintroll thanked Moominmamma and Moominpappa for the lovely party (Even though Snufkin had sat out most of it), and they all made their way to bed.

Chapter Text

Snufkin found himself outside of Snorkmaiden and Ninny’s house, hand in hand with Moomintroll. They had (in a friendly manner, of course) joined hands on the way here, as Moomintroll decided to whistle a morning tune, and the two had begun swinging their arms together. They both felt particularly chipper this morning.

Snufkin looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. On it was a map of the area, with a big circle over her house.

He looked up.

It was a darling little cottage, vines with blooming flowers curling up the sides of the walls. It had a vegetable garden and bundles of roses planted everywhere you looked. There were several bird baths and a small cherub-shaped fountain  in the front yard.

“This is it,” Moomintroll breathed, “I haven’t been here since I initially came back from my travels. It’s quite lovely, isn’t it?”

Snufkin nodded. “It’s too bad Little My didn’t want to come with us.”

Moomintroll suddenly seemed to have something on his mind. “... Yes. Well, it’s her loss. Now, come on, they’re expecting us.” And with that, he knocked on the door.

It took a second, but a messy head of fiery red hair appeared at the door.

“Oh!” She exclaimed, “You’re early! I’m afraid we’re still making the blueberry waffles, but we have freshly pressed orange juice for you to try… What’re you standing there for? Come on in, you two!”

They stepped in. The inside of their house was gorgeous. There were multiple of Snorkmaiden’s watercolor paintings hung around the house, and everything was neat and tidy. The furniture was polished, the floors were marble, and the air smelled of waffles.

“You’ve renovated, have you?” Moomintroll asked, starry-eyed, “It didn’t look anything like this when I last was here.”

Ninny giggled. “We did it ourselves about two years ago. Snorkmaiden did the decorating, and I did all the work. You should’ve seen her swoon over me when I was in a hardhat. But that goes to show that you should visit more, Moomintroll. It’s been too long.”

She sat them down at their dinner table and poured them both full glasses of orange juice before rushing back into the kitchen to finish off the rest of the food.

Snufkin sipped on his juice.

He found himself wanting to be fishing in the river right about now.

“Are you excited for the waffles?” Moomin asked, smiling giddily. “Ninny’s really good at making them. Too-Ticky taught her how to cook when we were teenagers, which makes me kind of envious. I only started cooking for myself once I went on my travels with Sniff, and more often than not, it was disastrous. When I came back, my mother put a stop to that, thankfully, and showed me how to properly cook.”

“I’d like to learn how to cook.”

“Well, my mother offered to help you learn, remember? But not today, we’re going to the fair.”

Snufkin looked out of the dining room window. Today seemed to have a strict schedule, and it overwhelmed him to think about it. He’d much rather do things on a whim.

He didn’t know why he agreed to visit Snorkmaiden and Ninny, as he didn’t know them very well, but it didn’t matter. He was here now.

After a few minutes, Snorkmaiden came in from the kitchen with plates of blueberry waffles, hash browns, and fresh fruit. She set them on the table. Ninny came from behind her with more plates, also setting them down.

“I hope you two like cantaloupe. We’ve been growing them in our garden.” Snorkmaiden said cheerfully.

“ We? You me me . I’m the one doing gardening while you sit on the porch and fan yourself over me.” Ninny teased, taking a seat.

Snorkmaiden turned bright pink. “Ninny!” She whined, admittedly not sounding too offended.

“That sounds like our Snorkmaiden.” Moomintroll laughed.

Moomintroll looked at Ninny. She looked so happy. He remembered when they all had first met her. She was invisible, and even after she wasn’t, she was incredibly shy. It was only after Snorkmaiden had started stealing her away, disappearing for hours on end with the other girl, that she had started to come out of her shell. And now, after years of being married, Ninny seemed to be at her most confident. 

He was happy for them.

They dug into their meals. It was piping hot, but that didn’t stop anyone, so they all burned the roofs of their mouths.

“So, Snufkin,” Snorkmaiden said, waving her fork at him, “You never told us where you were from. Somewhere far away, yes?”

Snufkin looked at Moomintroll. Moomin shrugged.

“And also incredibly close.” Snufkin said slowly. “You see… Erm.” He looked back at Moomintroll.

Moomin leaned forward. “Snufkin comes from the sea. He’s a sea troll. A siren, in fact, and…”

After a to-the-point explanation, both Snorkmaiden and Ninny were gaping at Snufkin. After a second, Snorkmaiden squealed.

“Oh, so how exotic!” She said excitedly, “Explains why you have those beautiful eyes on you. I wonder, if I were a siren, would I still have found my dear Ninny? I’d like to think that I’d sit on a rock and wait for her every day.”

“You’re too much!” Ninny giggled.

“I mean, Snufkin seems to have found Moomintroll.” Snorkmaiden huffed. “I think it’s possible.

Moomintroll and Snufkin both felt too awkward to say anything to that.

“Maybe. Maybe I would’ve fished you out with a fishing net accidentally or something.” Ninny laughed. “How did you and Snufkin meet, Moomintroll?”

Moomin cleared his throat. “I was drowning and Snufkin saved me.”

“I was also the reason that you were drowning.” Snufkin sighed.

“Well yes, but you saved me anyway. So, thank you.”

“I should be thanking you for taking me in.”

“Well, I should be thanking you for-”

“I should be thanking the two of you for coming and spending time with us!” Ninny laughed. “We have some news.”

Snufkin and Moomintroll shut up and looked to Ninny. “Yes?” Moomin asked.

Snorkmaiden and Ninny looked at each other excitedly.

“We’re having a baby.” The redhead said. 

Moomintroll’s eyes bugged out of his head. His head whipped around to Snorkmaiden. “You mean, you’re-”

“I’m pregnant!” Snorkmaiden said gleefully. “You’re the first ones we’ve told besides Snork. We’re going to visit your parents soon, and we’ll tell everyone else then.”

“So… Shh.” Ninny held a finger to her lips.

“Congratulations, you two. I know you’ll start a wonderful family.” Snufkin smiled sincerely.

“Snufkin, you’re so sweet. I could just eat you up.” Snorkmaiden leaned forward and pinched Snufkin’s cheek gently.

They all talked about the great news. Snorkmaiden was 15 weeks pregnant, in her second trimester. Ninny had already begun painting and preparing their old guest room into a nursery. They had a couple of names already picked out, but they wouldn’t tell them which ones. It was going to be a surprise.

Eventually they all finished their food, and Snorkmaiden got up and took all their plates back to the kitchen.

“So, how do you feel about being a mom?” Moomintroll asked.

“Oh, wonderful,” Ninny said dreamily, “I’d love to carry myself, but you know… I can’t. It’s just as good to see my wife carrying our baby. I’ve always wanted to be a mom. Even if I’m a bit nervous.”

“Ninny, you’ll do great. Don’t worry.”

“Well, I know things will turn out okay, but I can’t help it.”

Snufkin leaned forward and grabbed Ninny’s hands. “I’ve only known you for a short time, but I can tell that you’ll make a great mother. It’s okay to be nervous, but know that you’re going to do fine.”

Ninny furrowed her brow and smiled. “That’s so sweet. Thank you.”

Snorkmaiden came back shortly after, and they all resumed talking.

“Mymble’s coming into town in two days, you know. Everyone’s gathering up to see her since it’s been so long, so I thought I’d tell everyone then.” Snorkmaiden sighed.

“Mymble? I thought Mymble was with Too-Ticky?” Snufkin blinked.

“Oh! Sorry. I meant Mymblemamma. It’s quite complicated, their names, but…”

***

Moomintroll and Snufkin walked back to Moominhouse, having been sent off by Snorkmaiden and Ninny. They had all had a good time, even if Snufkin was initially groaning at the forced socialization.

They made their way back, Moomintroll whistling cheerfully. Moomins couldn’t sing, you see, but they could whistle beautifully.

Snufkin wished he could whistle along, but any music that came out of his mouth seemed to be enchanted. 

Being around others seemed to be troublesome at times, but he enjoyed being around Moomintroll.

Snufkin nodded along to Moomin’s song, grabbing the other’s hand again and swinging their arms to the beat.

Moomintroll was so warm. It was November, and it seemed like his winter coat was coming in. The compact fur almost made him feel like a furry rug. It was slightly chilly out this morning, so Snufkin took solace in the other’s body heat.

He didn’t say it, but he was slightly disappointed when Moomintroll eventually pulled his hand away. Moominhouse was in the distance, but Moomin stopped in his steps. He was wearing a warm coat today, and pulled his pipe out from his pocket.

“Do you want a quick smoke before we go in?” He asked, grinning almost bashfully.

Snufkin nodded.

The two sat on the bridge over the river, swinging their legs in the air. Snufkin, who realized he was a bit underdressed, shivered and scooted closer to Moomintroll. Said Moomin took a puff from his pipe and passed it over to Snufkin.

“It doesn’t make you feel better, but you’ll feel ill rather than bad.” Moomin mused.

“What?”

“Smoking.”

“Oh.” Snufkin inhaled the smoke, coughing a bit. “You feel bad right now?”

“No. I mean, sometimes I do. As does everyone. But that’s something I heard once.”

“I see.”

There was a pause. Moomintroll sighed and turned to Snufkin, who was a bit closer than comfortable. “Sometimes I’ll feel ill, whether I smoke or not. So, what’s the point? Well, it’s relaxing, I suppose.” He looked at him through his eyelashes. “Do you ever feel like your heart is sick?”

Snufkin turned away, looking into the water below. He could see their reflections, and how close Moomintroll was to his face. He heard his blood pulse in his ears.

“Sometimes,” He said slowly, “But it’s good to know your own mind. And your own heart, I think. You can never let one overpower the other.”

Moomintroll pulled back. He took a drag from the pipe and blew out some smoke. “You’re right about that.” He elbowed Snufkin. “You’re wise, you know. Have you ever considered becoming a philosopher?”

“Me? Never. I don’t want to sit around and think all day. I like thinking, but not that much.”

“That’s funny, because-”

“Hey!” A distant voice called.

The two men looked around for the source of the noise. Finally, Snufkin spotted her: Little My was running from Moominhouse over to them. Moomintroll dumped out the chars in his pipe and pocketed it before she got there.

She trotted up to them, panting. “When are we going to the fair?” She asked between breaths.

Moomintroll looked up towards the sky. “It’s not even noon yet, but we have to walk there, and then we’re going to see Sniff at his shop, so… I suppose it isn’t too early to go. Do you want to leave already?”

“Yes, yes, yes! I want to win some prizes!” Little My bounced on her heels.

The Moomin pulled himself up and brushed off his coat. “Alright then. We might as well start walking there now. I have my wallet already. Let’s go, Snufkin.”

Snufkin got up and nodded.

The three of them made their way through the woods, in the opposite direction of Snorkmaiden’s house. They’d have to make their way through the mountain pass and to the nearest city, where the fall festival was being held.

Moomintroll, now relaxed from his smoke, took to whistling a calmer and more easygoing melody. Little My hummed along.

It was quite a walk. It would take them about forty-five minutes (Heavens know how Sniff made that commute every day, unless he took a horse of some kind) to get there, and they were quite tired by the end of it, but they started to pass through small patches of houses. And eventually, the city was in view. 

Little My, despite her tired feet, began to skip out of joy (and probably relief as well).

They entered the outskirts of the city, and as they went, it slowly began to get more crowded. 

Moomintroll looked at the map in his hands. There were crudely drawn buildings with arrows in between them.

He looked up.

A lavish shop with a security guard outside of it stood in front of them. The walls were glass, and from what they could see, there was a chandelier and multiple statues inside the shop.

They all entered, being watched intently by the security guard as they went.

Sniff was at the register, giving an old woman a small wooden box.

“Yes, have a nice day, and come back!” He said cheerfully as she turned to leave. He spotted Moomintroll and the others and gasped happily. “Moomintroll! And Little My and Snufkin! Hello, come on in!” He stepped out from behind the register and walked over to them, raising his eyebrows. “Eh? Ehh? What do you think of my shop?”

Moomintroll wrung his hands together. “It’s quite fancy.”

“Yes, it is!” He said dreamily. “To think I was selling jewelry at a wooden stand at the markets just a few years ago.”

Little My looked around. There was tons of different jewelry, all behind locked glass boxes. “How do you keep people from breaking in? I think it’s too fancy.”

Sniff cleared his throat. “Well, I have at least one security guard here at all times. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Protect it myself? I don’t want to get hurt. Then who will sell all this beautiful jewelry? Oh!” He perked up. “I just got some new things shipped in. Let me show you all.” He turned and disappeared behind a door into the back of the shop.

Snufkin immediately turned and began looking at the different necklaces and watches in the glass boxes. He didn’t care for this at all, but they were interesting to look at, at least. How people could spend this much money on just a necklace escaped him. He could make one out of shells on the beach for free, just like how he made Moomintroll’s bracelet. The thought of money in general made him uncomfortable (As there was no currency system in the ocean; They traded for most things), but Moomintroll used it to buy fruits and such to give to him, so he didn’t outwardly complain.

Spending money on some rocks, however, seemed ludicrous. 

Sniff appeared back into the front of the shop, holding a small wooden box. Excitedly, he popped it open, showing a thin golden necklace with a large jade stone attached to it.

“I think it’s quite rustic.” He said proudly. “I’m taking a risk by not exclusively selling traditionally polished stones, but I want to delve into more contemporary pieces. What do you think?”

“I think it’s beautiful, Sniff.” Moomintroll said, eyeing it over. 

“It still looks fancy to me.” Said Little My.

Sniff sighed. “That’s because you don’t have an eye for jewelry. Did you see that little old lady I helped out? She’s one of my regular customers, and she would’ve gasped if I showed her this piece. Gasped, I tell you! Older people are picky when it comes to what they buy. It’s quite tiresome. But guess what? Business is booming, so who am I to complain? Ha!”

He showed them a few more pieces of jewelry, Little My and Snufkin quickly becoming disinterested. He gave them a little tour of his shop, talking about where he got all of his statues and paintings and other decorations. Moomintroll seemed to be the only person interested, but Sniff didn’t seem to pick up on that. He’d laugh and grab onto Snufkin’s shoulders occasionally, shaking him slightly as he told the story of how he got a certain statue. Snufkin in return would wriggle out of his grasp as politely as possible.

Eventually, another customer came in, and Sniff bid them farewell. They walked outside of the shop, still being watched intently by the security guard.

Little My turned to Moomintroll, her hands cupping her face. “Is it time for the fair?”

Moomintroll smiled. “Yes, I think so. We just have to find it first, is all. I think it’s on the other side of town, according to this map I have here…”

They wandered around the city for a bit, stopping once or twice to sit on benches to rest (Their walk here was very long, after all). 

“I think maybe we’ll need to stay the night. I didn’t expect the walk here to be this long.” Moomintroll said, sitting on a bench.

“Either way is fine. I love walking.” Snufkin said, standing. He was probably the least tired of the three.

“Maybe we can go to one of those fancy hotels that puts mints on your pillow.” Little My giggled. She was swinging her legs over the side of the bench.

“Maybe. We’ll see whatever’s open when we come back from the fair.” Moomin sighed.

They got up and kept walking.

Eventually, Little My spotted a ferris wheel in the distance. Squealing, she began walking faster- Which didn’t say much, as her legs were so tiny.

They appeared at the entrance of the fair. While waiting in line to get their wristbands, Little My complained quite a bit, grumbling about how she was going to bite everyone in line to get to the front faster.

Eventually, they were in. It was quite crowded, and loud as well. People were playing games and eating fried food. Considering they had walked a long way to get here, they decided to get some food.

Snufkin and Moomintroll decided to get deep fried cookies and pastries to try, and Little My opted for a huge serving of raspberry and vanilla coconut ice cream with sprinkles. It was chilly out, but that didn’t stop her.

“We should play some games. I already bought some tickets at the gate.” Moomin said, taking a bite out of a deep fried pastry. He winced. He could feel his arteries clogging. 

“Have you ever played a game, Snufkin? Or did you just eat fish and play music all day before you came on land?” Little My asked teasingly.

“I’ve played games before, with sailors and such. But… Never in such a crowded place.” Snufkin frowned. His arms were folded, and he was hunched over slightly. 

“Oh, don’t be that way. It’ll be fun. Come on.” Little My took a bite of her ice cream cone (She was almost done with it), and with her free hand, led Snufkin to a booth. 

It seemed to a ring toss game. If you got one of the rings around the stands on the ground, you won.

“Snufkin, you should win me one of those. Look!” Little My pointed to the array of stuffed animals sitting along the prize wall. There was a cute plush monkey that Little My seemed to be eyeballing.

“I’ll try.” Snufkin said. Moomintroll handed him the tickets, and he exchanged them for three rings with the booth operator.

Snufkin threw one of the rings, and it landed perfectly onto the stand.

The second one landed perfectly as well.

And the third.

Little My got to walk away with the plush monkey she wanted.

“Dear god. You’re good at these! And you’ve never even played before!” Moomin exclaimed. “... How?”

Snufkin shrugged. “I’ve played horseshoe before. Maybe I have a good eye.”

They moved onto more booths. Little My refused to play, and Moomintroll was dreadful at them, but he got lucky playing a basketball shooting game and won a plush bear. He decided to give that to Snufkin, as Little My was too little to hold any more prizes. She was the recipient of most of their prizes so far.

Eventually, they had too many prizes (As Snufkin kept winning games), so they bought a large bag and threw everything in there. Moomintroll shouldered it, even if it was a bit heavy.

Now it was onto the rides. Little My was ecstatic, practically running to get to the biggest rollercoaster there. Snufkin took one look at the machine and decided that it was a deathtrap, so he stayed behind with the bag as Moomintroll and Little My got in line.

He sat on a nearby bench. He had initially been anxious when he entered the park as it was so crowded, but he found that it wasn’t so bad. He just had to avoid eye contact with everyone passing him and focus only on Moomintroll and Little My, and everything would be fine.

He opened up their bag and took out the plush toy Moomintroll had given him. It was pure white with a little red ribbon around its neck. Snufkin found himself smiling. It was quite cute.

He sat it on his lap and looked over to Moomintroll and Little My, who were chatting while they were in line.

He wondered what they were talking about. 

He almost wished he were there talking with them, if only they weren’t in line for that terrifying looking machine.

He looked back at the bear.

Oh my, my, He thought, What am I to do with you? I don’t care much for possessions, but you were a gift. Perhaps I’ll keep you in my tent. And perhaps I should give you a name.

He thought about it for a second.

Honeydew. Yes, that’ll work.

He bounced Honeydew on his lap, admittedly in a nervous fashion. He was starting to get stressed being away from Moomintroll. He often needed his space, yes, but he didn’t fancy being alone in a place as crowded as this. People bustled by, getting unnervingly close to bumping into Snufkin. He looked down at the floor, trying to ignore them.

A few minutes passed, and he was thinking about getting up and leaving, when two fuzzy feet appeared at the top of his peripheral vision. 

He looked up. Moomintroll and Little My were walking over to him, laughing. Little My’s normally tight bun had a bundle of stray hairs now, flying all over the place. Moomintroll’s fur seemed a bit rustled.

He stood up, shouldering the bag, his bear in his arms. 

“Snufkin!” Little My called, “You should’ve went!”

Snufkin didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. Moomintroll’s face fell, and he rushed over to the other. “What’s wrong?” He asked, “Did something happen while we were gone?”

He shook his head. “It’s just a bit crowded, is all.”

The Moomin sighed. “Yes, I know. Would you feel more comfortable waiting with us in line, then perhaps stepping to the side when we get to the front?”

Snufkin mulled that over for a moment before nodding. “Yes, that’ll be fine.”

“Alrighty then.” Moomintroll took Little My’s hand and started walking off. “To the next ride!”

They went on a few more rides, Snufkin waiting with them in line for the majority of the time before stepping off to the side, just as Moomintroll had suggested. He’d watch them from the sidelines nervously as they rode. It all seemed awfully dangerous. Each time, he’d wait for something disastrous to happen, but they always came out okay (If not a bit disoriented).

They switched from rides, to food, to games, and back again. It was reaching nighttime, and they were all getting awfully tired. 

Finally, Little My pointed to the ferris wheel. “We haven’t been on that one yet! Please, Moomin, can we go?” She pleaded.

“All right, all right, come on.” Moomintroll took her hand and begun leading her to it. Snufkin followed closely behind.

When they got there, there was a short line. Snufkin lagged behind, eyeing over the contraption. Moomintroll turned to look at him.

“How about just one ride?” Moomin asked, a kind smile on his face. “This one’s slow. It just takes you up, then it takes you down. You’ll be able to see the whole city from up there.”

Snufkin gripped onto the bag nervously. “I don’t know.”

“Are you sure?”

Snufkin was silent for a moment, before sighing to himself.

This one’s slow.

Just one.

“Alright, I’ll try it.”

Little My gave a cheer, and they waited in line.

Well, at least, Moomintroll and Snufkin did. The ride operator called out, “Are there any single riders? I have one more spot in this car.” And Little My, jumping at the idea of going forward in line, whispered a short, “Sorry!” at the two and made her way to the front.

Thankfully it wasn’t a long wait anyway. Snufkin and Moomintroll crawled their way into the car, and begun their way up.

It was rocky. At every single movement, Snufkin would jump and hold onto the metal bars in the car. Each time, Moomintroll would put a hand on the other and whisper something comforting.

“It’s okay.”

“The ride isn’t breaking, don’t worry. It’s just like that.”

“Shh, don’t worry. It’s fine.”

“You’re safe.”

“Calm, calm… It’s alright. You’re with me.”

Snufkin eventually calmed down a bit, but still winced whenever the car would rock.

The two were silent, watching the cityscape come into view. Snufkin grabbed at his knees nervously, making indents in his clothes (And probably his skin) with his sharp nails, but Moomintroll saw and grabbed onto one of the other’s hands. He rubbed it soothingly with his paws, writing secret words with his thumb into the other’s skin.

L-O-V-E

Y-O-U

He wished he could say these words out loud.

Snufkin let himself be touched, slowly releasing the grip on his knees and embracing the warmth of the other’s paws. He curled his fingers around the other’s, careful not to nick Moomintroll with his sharp nails.

They were silent, and before they knew it, they were at the top of the ferris wheel.

“It’s beautiful.” Moomin breathed, breaking the silence.

Snufkin nodded.

Another few seconds of silence, before he broke it again.

“You know, I’ve visited this city before.” Moomintroll said softly, looking down at all of the lights above. His eyes twinkled with nostalgia.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. My parents brought me once for this very same fair.” He chuckled. “Moominvalley isn’t exactly up to date with technology, so you would imagine this was all a shock for my young self. I had a fun time, but it seems like a lot more things have been put into the fair since I last came here twenty-some odd years ago.” He squeezed Snufkin’s hand. “I’m glad I brought you along with me. I-I mean, that I’m experiencing this all with you.”

Snufkin looked away from the other. “Yes, I’m glad I came.”

“Snufkin?”

“Yes?”

“I honestly don’t know what I was doing without you for all that time. You’re very dear to me.”

Snufkin was silent for a moment, sucking on his lower lip. “You’re dear to me as well, Moomintroll.”

“Glad we’re on the same page then.”

The two fell back into silence, but it was far from comfortable.

Moomintroll felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. That was the closest he had come to expressing himself truly to Snufkin (Well, the closest he had come while sober. He cringed thinking of the night they had gone drinking).

He felt electricity in his fingertips now that they were interlaced with Snufkin’s. This is what a spark was. He hadn’t felt one for so long, and certainly not this intensely.

He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to grab Snufkin’s face, lift up his snout and kiss the other dearly. He wanted to oh, so badly.

But he didn’t.

The two watched the cityscape slowly disappear as their car made its way back to the ground, their hands each going back to their sides somewhere in-between. 

As soon as they got off their car, Snufkin seemed to visibly relax. Little My immediately spotted them and ran over, grabbing onto Moomintroll’s fur and climbing her way up onto his back.

“Sorry I left you two.” She said, yawning. “I just saw the opportunity and took it. But I’m tired. Can we leave now, Moomin?”

Moomintroll looked over to Snufkin, who was doing some stretches. “Are you okay with leaving?”

“Oh, yes, please.” Snufkin sighed.

They made their way out of the fair, and back into the city. Moomintroll stopped a few times to ask shopkeepers where the nearest hotel was, and eventually they found themselves at a tiny bed-and-breakfast-style motel. Moomintroll paid at the front for one night, and they all made their way to their room. There were two beds and a couch. Little My insisted on sleeping on the couch, so it was settled then.

Moomintroll fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow. It was almost midnight, and they all had done a fair amount of walking that day, so it was understandable. 

But Snufkin couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, but the mattress was too soft and it bothered him. It seemed like Little My couldn’t sleep either, because she slinked out of the room halfway through the night.

Snufkin decided to follow her.

He made his way outside of the motel, where there was a small garden with benches scattered about. Little My was sitting on one of them. He hair was down, and she was brushing through it with a comb. She looked up at Snufkin once she noticed him, but resumed with her brushing.

Snufkin sat next to her on the bench.

“Can’t sleep?” She asked, not looking up at him.

“No,” He sighed, “I think I’m too used to sleeping in a tent. The mattress is too soft.”

“Mhm.”

There was a brief pause. Snufkin looked up at the sky. Millions of stars sparkled above.

“Anything on your mind?” He asked.

“Too much.”

“I see.”

Another silence.

“You invited me to Snorkmaiden’s this morning.”

“Yes, I did. You said no.”

“Yes,” She sighed, “I did say no.” She hummed, brushing through her hair some more. It already looked incredibly tidy, but Snufkin figured it was for comfort rather than anything else. “You know, me and Snorkmaiden… We used to date.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” She stopped brushing her hair and put the comb on the space next to her. “She was in love with me. I was in love with her. But she wanted to settle down, and I wasn’t ready. I didn’t think I’d ever be ready. So she found someone who wanted the same things as she did, and… She married Ninny.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Snufkin felt a twist in his stomach.

The baby.

He wasn’t supposed to say anything about it, but he felt a bit worried for Little My.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine. Well, it would be fine, but I’m still in love with her.” She said darkly, kicking at a rock. “We’re not even that compatible. I don’t want to settle down. I want to have adventures and more adventures and more adventures, not worry about my house all day. That’s why it’s so fun spending time with you and Moomin.”

Snufkin was silent for a moment. “When you’re ready to move on, I’ll be here for you.” He said slowly. “I’m sure Moomin will be too.”

“Thanks.” She sniffled, and within seconds, silent tears were rolling down her face.

Snufkin rubbed a hand against her back soothingly.

“I’m not supposed to cry.” She croaked.

“Everybody cries. It’s okay.” He murmured, taking her into his arms. She sobbed against his green coat, making it damp with tears.

The two stayed like that for a while, before she tired herself out and laid silently against Snufkin. 

“Are you ready for bed now?” He asked.

Little My nodded.

He scooped her up into his arms bridal style, walking them both back to the room. Moomintroll was still snoring quietly, unaware of anything going on around him. 

Snufkin placed her on the couch, putting a pillow behind her head and tucking her in with a spare blanket.

He brushed his hand against her cheek. “Goodnight.” He whispered.

“Touch my face like that again, and I’ll bite your hand clean off.” She whispered back.

They both chuckled.

“Goodnight.” She said finally.

And so they all went to sleep.

Chapter Text

It was a late morning.

All three of them slept in until about 10AM or so, before lazily getting up and gathering their things. Little My and Moomintroll took showers, but Snufkin was the last to rise, and the thought of bathing didn’t even seem to occur to him.

They gathered their things and made their way to the motel’s dining room, where they served free breakfast.

Moomintroll got a breakfast bagel with orange juice, Little My got a big bowl of chocolate cereal with hazelnut milk, and Snufkin stuck to a bowl of fruit with a side of toast and coffee.

Then they were off. They checked out of the motel and made their way out of the city, and onto the mountain path back to Moominvalley. It was going to be a long walk ahead.

They were about halfway through their walk when Snufkin stopped walking completely. 

Moomin stopped and turned to him, tugging on Little My’s arm to get her to stop as well. “Are you alright?”

“Sh! Listen!” He whispered.

Moomintroll was quiet and tried to listen. There were rustling leaves in the forest as it was slightly windy, but other than that, he didn’t hear anything unusual.

He opened his mouth to speak, but then he heard little bells tinkling in the distance. 

“Curious,” Moomintroll murmured, “What is that?”

He then heard giggles, and more rustling.

“Pixies.” Snufkin said finally, “We have to go. Come on.”

He grabbed Moomintroll’s paw and pulled him forward, walking fast. Little My, who couldn’t keep up with his pace, climbed onto Moomin’s back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Suddenly, a small rock hit the back of Snufkin’s head. Groaning, he stopped, rubbing where it had hit. Moomintroll held Snufkin’s shoulders worriedly, looking around to see where the rock had come from. 

He saw a flash of wings dart behind a tree trunk. There was more giggling.

Moomintroll didn’t notice this, but Little My did. Three pixies (Small, fairy-like creatures, except uglier) had snuck up to the bag full of prizes that was slung around Moomintroll’s shoulders. Opening the bag, they quietly began taking out Honeydew. Little My shrieked and kicked at them from her spot on Moomin’s back, and they quickly scattered, dropping the bear and darting back for the trees.

Moomintroll whipped around, looking for any signs of danger. There was nothing immediately present. “My? What happened?”

Little My gripped onto his fur tighter. “I saw them! They tried to take Snufkin’s bear!” She exclaimed. “Keep an eye on the bag, or else they might come for my prizes, too.”

“Oh,” He said softly. Honeydew was half-hanging out of the bag, so he pushed him back in. “Come on, let’s get going. We don’t want any trouble.”

He pat Snufkin’s back and started moving them all along. There were a few more rocks thrown at the three of them, one hitting Little My’s back, but thankfully most of them missed. At one point, two of them jumped onto Moomin’s head and began pulling at his fur, but Little My swatted at them and scared them off.

Eventually, they stopped hearing giggling.

“Horrid creatures.” Snufkin grumbled.

“I think I prefer fairies. You know, the nice ones.” Little My said matter-of-factly. 

They kept on walking. 

Eventually, Moominvalley came into view. They all sighed with relief, as even though they had a good night’s rest, their feet were still sore from all the walking they had done the previous day. It’s accurate to say that they were all a bit tired.

They made their way down the mountain, over  the hills, into Moominvalley, and right to Moominhouse. Little My and Moomintroll made their way inside, while Snufkin decided to go fishing again.

They said hello to Moominmamma and Moominpappa, who were sitting in adjacent chairs and just enjoying each other’s company.

Moomintroll wished he could have a relationship like theirs one day.

He made his way outside, sitting on the porch with a book. Just like he did last time, he’d read a few lines from his book, then look up to gaze at Snufkin.

“You’re staring.”

Moomintroll jumped. Little My was beside him, her hands on her hips.

“Oh,” He mumbled, putting down his book, “I thought you went to your room.”

“To do what? Lay on my bed and look at the ceiling? No, there’s much more exciting things going on out here.” She pointed to Snufkin, who was sitting on the bridge with his fishing pole. “Like watching you pine over him.”

“Pining? You’re sorely mistaken.”

“Are you really going to do this right now?”

Moomintroll sighed, thumbing through his book. “I suppose not. But you don’t need to tease, My.”

“I’m not teasing. I’m making an observation.”

“I feel like an idiot. Everybody can tell I’m a pining moron for somebody who probably doesn’t even reciprocate. And even if he did by some miracle, it’s no use. I don’t know what’ll happen once the blue moon ends.”

Little My clicked her tongue. “You might be an idiot, but not for that reason. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but he cares for you, Moomintroll. I can tell.”

“You’ve known him for about a week.”

“And how much longer have you known him? Either way, here you are.”

Moomintroll looked out towards Snufkin. He seemed to have caught something. “Yes, here I am. We’re good friends, My. He’s dear to me and that’s all that’ll come out of it.”

“You’re a disaster, Moomintroll.”

“H-Hey! I am not!”

“Whatever. I’ll leave you to stare at him, or whatever you were planning on doing.”

Moomintroll sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes as Little My went back inside.

He looked out to Snufkin.

He felt his heart ache. 

He thought of holding Snufkin’s hands yesterday on the ferris wheel. Of being so close to his face on the bridge. Of giving him the bear and having him carry it around everywhere.

In fact, the bag of prizes was inside, but Snufkin had taken out Honeydew before he went out fishing. The bear was currently sitting next to him on the bridge.

Maybe he was an idiot. He’s only known Snufkin for a short time. It shouldn’t have been possible that he could’ve been smitten so fast.

Perhaps this is infatuation, and I’ll be rid of it soon. He thought to himself. That’d make everything much better.

I don’t want to pine for him, I really don’t. If there was an anti-love potion, I’d take it. But I can’t help but be drawn to him.

Moomintroll thought back to their first meeting. Then when he woke up and it wasn’t a dream, and how he came down the stairs to find Snufkin eating fish at his kitchen table.

Well, that admittedly was a bit jarring. But he looked back on it with wonder.

I didn’t know I’d fall in love so fast.

In love.

The words bounced around in his brain.

He immediately got embarrassed.

Not in love. I just like him very much.

That was better.

He decided to go and talk to Snufkin. Setting down his book, he walked across the lawn, past his mother’s vegetable gardens and to the bridge. Snufkin didn’t look up or greet him. Moomintroll sat down next to Honeydew.

“Catch anything yet?” He asked, swinging his legs over the bridge.

“Yes. Quite a few, actually.” He reached over to a small pile of bones next to him, and pulled out a whole fish skeleton. It was picked clean. Smiling, he threw it back into the river with a splash.

“Oh.” Moomintroll gulped. “You, er… Sure like fish, don’t you?”

“I like other things too. But, yes, it’s primarily what I ate before I came on land.”

“What else did you eat?”

He shrugged. “Kelp. Though that’s more like a snack.” He scratched at the gills on the side of his neck.

Moomintroll was silent for a moment. “You’re real interesting, you know that?”

“I don’t consider myself to be.”

“Well, you are.”

“Maybe that’s just because I’m different from you. If I was a land troll, maybe I’d be boring.”

“I think I’d like to hear what you had to say all the same.”

Snufkin looked over to Moomintroll before pulling his hat over his eyes. His cheeks were a rosy pink. “Perhaps. I find you interesting as well.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve never been on land before this. I’ve met sailors, but I never stayed with them for long. You’re the first person I’ve spent this much time with.”

“Oh.” Moomintroll fiddled with his thumbs. “Well, I’m honored. I’m kind of your guide, aren’t I?”

“In a sense.”

The two chatted on, quickly losing track of time. Snufkin caught a few more fish, but threw them back. He claimed he already had enough fish for that day.

Moominmamma eventually came out to tell them lunch was ready. So they went inside, had sandwiches, and Snufkin went back outside to do whatever it was he did when he was alone.

Time passed. Snufkin eventually came back to Moominhouse mid-afternoon and approached Moominmamma. 

“Oh! Snufkin, hello, dear. I didn’t see you.” She said, washing some of the dishes from lunch.

He took off his hat. “Hello. You mentioned a few days ago that you’d like to teach me how to cook.”

“Yes, I did.” She dried her hands off on a towel. “Would you like to make dinner tonight for everyone? I’ll help you.”

“Oh. Dinner.” He looked away. “That seems like an awful lot.”

“Well, then, you can help me do it, so it’s not all on you. How’s that?”

“Alright.”

They got to work. 

Moominmamma showed Snufkin all of the measuring instruments in the kitchen. “This one’s a teaspoon, and this is a tablespoon. Now let’s see here.” She thumbed through her big book of recipes. “Oh, this one seems easy enough. It’s a coconut lentil curry. So it says here, we need one tablespoon of cumin and coriander seeds, and one head of garlic, and… Here, let me show you how to cut the garlic.”

She took out the cloves of garlic one by one from the head and showed him how to peel them effectively. The first few times he had trouble getting the casing off, but after a few more, he seemed to get the hang of it.

They made the curry together, Moominmamma leading the way, and Snufkin quietly observing. For the most part, she let him measure out the ingredients and chop the herbs to put into the dish, but she was the one who was taking care of the food.

Moominmamma set the pot of curry to a simmer. She put some rice into a pot of boiling water on the stove. “You’re doing wonderful, dear. Now I want you to look at the rice. It takes about fifteen minutes, but once the water is all soaked up and its soft, you can take it off the heat.”

Snufkin nodded.

He watched the rice intently, lifting up the lid on the pot to check on it every two or so minutes.

He thought he was getting the hang of this “cooking” thing.

Once the rice was ready, they got to making the dessert.

Moominmamma flipped through her book. “Oh! Dear, how do you feel about a strawberry coconut cream pie? My, we’re having a lot of coconut-themed things tonight. But it’ll be ready by the time we finish eating if we start now. Come on now, get the strawberries out from the fridge.”

She let him take control over the dessert, guiding him when he seemed lost. Eventually, they produced an amazingly average looking pie, which they put into the freezer to solidify.

Snufkin let out a sigh of relief. “Moominmamma, you do this every day?”

“Yes. I love cooking, it keeps the mind busy. And it’s always nice to see others enjoy your food.” She smiled sincerely. “I know they’ll enjoy what you made here today, Snufkin.”

“Oh, stop. You did most of it.”

“Maybe for the curry. But that dessert was all yours, dear. I bet it’s going to come out amazing. Now come on, dinner is ready. Would you call everybody to come down from their rooms and to come and eat?”

Snufkin nodded and made his way over to the stairs, and up into the second floor. He knocked on Moomintroll and Little My’s bedrooms, and quietly knocked on Moominpappa’s study door. 

After a couple of minutes, everyone was downstairs, seated for dinner.

“Mama, you’ve outdone yourself again.” Moominpappa said, taking a bite out of his food. 

“Snufkin helped, you know. And he did most of the dessert.” Moominmamma said, setting down a glass of blackberry juice next to him.

“Oh! Snufkin, did you? Mama’s showing you her ways, eh?” Moominpappa laughed heartily. “I can’t even flip a pancake, so that’s good for you. Maybe you’ll be the one cooking for Moomintroll once you get back to that lighthouse of it.”

Snufkin chuckled. “I doubt it. But thank you.”

Moomintroll leaned forward in his seat. “I can keep showing you how to cook if you want, Snufkin. It’s no trouble.”

Snufkin blinked. “Thank you. I’d like that.”

They finished their meal and brought out the dessert.

That was delicious as well. Little My had three whole slices of the pie all to herself.

It was a largely uneventful day. They all returned to their own devices, Moomintroll going up to his bedroom to read and Snufkin going out into the forest to practice his tune. And so, eventually it was nighttime, and the residents of Moominvalley began to go to sleep.

Moomintroll was one of those residents. He turned off his lights and snuggled into his bed, ready to embrace unconsciousness, when he heard a Thunk! against his window.

He looked up, wondering if he had imagined it.

Thunk!

He went over to his window and looked down.

Snufkin was at the bottom of the rope ladder, waving up at him.

Huh. I wonder what he’s-

Thunk!

Moomintroll opened his window. “You can stop throwing rocks now, I see you!” He scolded. 

“Come on! I need to show you something!” Snufkin yelled.

Moomintroll nodded, making his way down the rope ladder and down to the ground. He hadn’t used this ladder in years, and he sincerely hoped that it didn’t break on him, but thankfully it didn’t.

Moomintroll brushed off his fur. “What is it?”

“Follow me.” Snufkin grabbed Moomintroll’s hand and led the way, walking fast. Moomintroll was lucky he was tall and had long legs, or else he might’ve had a hard time keeping up with the siren.

They crossed over the bridge, went into the forest, and walked for some time. Owls hooted, and there was rustling in the bushes. Moomintroll found himself getting unsettled, but he gripped onto Snufkin’s hand tighter and kept on going. 

Eventually, they made their way into the flower fields.

Moomintroll gasped.

There were dozens of lights buzzing around. At first he thought they were fireflies, but upon closer inspection, they were fairies. They were glowing brightly, sitting on opened flowers and flying around. The sound of bells tinkled in the air, as the fairies talked to each other and laughed and shrieked and giggled.

It was spectacular. It was as if the stars had descended from the heavens and kissed the Earth sweetly, like a lover behind closed doors.

Snufkin smiled at him and guided him forward, until they were sitting on a patch of grass surrounded by different fairies.

One landed on top of Snufkin’s head, curling up like a cat.

“Wonderful, isn’t it?” He asked.

“Yes,” Moomintroll breathed, “How did you find all of this?”

He shrugged. “I was walking earlier, looking for a place to play my shell when I came across them. I’m guessing that since all the flowers are going to start dying soon, they’re gathering as much as possible before they have to hibernate.”

“Much better than those dreadful pixies.” Moomin sighed. A pair of fairies seemed to hear that and giggled, sitting on both of his shoulders and playing with his fur. “This is beautiful.”

“I knew you’d like it.”

“How’s your song coming along?” Moomin asked.

“Oh… It’s coming. I’ve made lots of progress.”

“Can I hear it?”

Snufkin frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I promise it’ll be okay.”

“... Alright.” Snufkin took out his conch shell from his pocket and put it to his lips.

As soon as he started to play, the tinkling of bells in the air got louder, and the fairies seemed to glow brighter. They started to dance in intricate patterns, and the fairies on Moomintroll’s shoulders swayed to the tune. 

It almost seemed like all the stars in the sky shone brighter. Moomin’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward, his head in his hands. 

Snufkin’s tune was beautiful. It was hopeful, but also a bit sad. It was at a medium pace, not too slow and not too fast. It was immediately apparent that he had been working on it a lot.

Right before the climax of the song, he stopped. Tapping his conch shell, Snufkin sighed. “I just haven’t figured out how to get that part right. I’ll figure it out soon enough, but it’s been frustrating.”

Moomintroll blinked. Leaning back, he rubbed his eyes dazedly. “... That was beautiful, Snufkin. I really liked it. What you have so far, I mean.”

“Thank you.”

The two laid in the flower fields, talking amongst themselves and playing with the fairies who would give them the time of day. Eventually, Moomintroll yawned.

“Tired?” Snufkin asked.

“A little.” Moomintroll rubbed his eyes.

Snufkin stood up, taking Moomintroll’s hand and hoisting him up as well.

“You should get to bed.” Snufkin said. He didn’t let go of Moomin’s hand.

“Probably. Let’s go.”

The two walked away from the flower fields, into the forest, and back to Moominhouse.

Snufkin stood at the base of the rope ladder with Moomintroll.

“Thank you for this, Snufkin. I really enjoyed it.” Moomintroll said. He was looking at the floor, with an unreadable expression on his face.

“You’re welcome. Goodnight.” Just as Snufkin turned to leave, he was pulled into a hug.

They stayed like that for a moment, both not saying anything. After a few seconds, Moomintroll let go, turning and beginning to climb up the rope ladder.

“Goodnight!” He called.

Snufkin stood there, even after Moomintroll climbed into his bedroom window. His cheeks were a hazy pink.

Smiling to himself, he turned around and began walking to his tent, whistling a cheerful tune to himself the entire way there.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll woke up to the sound of rocks pittering against his window.

Again?

He dragged himself out of bed, wiping at his eyes. Going over to the windowsill, he opened it, and looked down at Snufkin.

Snufkin whistled. “I found something!” He called.

Moomintroll looked back at his alarm clock. It was seven in the morning. “O-Okay. I’ll be down in a minute.” Stepping away from the windowsill, he began to do some stretches in a vain attempt to wake himself up. He slapped his cheeks a few times, before stepping back to the windowsill and down the rope ladder.

He felt like a teenager again. He’d either be out all night, or he’d be setting off early in the morning to get into shenanigans with his friends (Usually Sniff or Snorkmaiden, as he and Little My only got close when they were older). 

It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It gave him a certain type of thrill.

Snufkin wordlessly began leading the way, over the bridge and off into the woods. He followed a bit effortlessly. Snufkin had a fast pace, but he was shorter than Moomintroll, so he didn’t have a hard time keeping up. 

It was only when they started going uphill that Moomintroll started struggling.

My, I’ve gotten fat. I can’t even climb hills anymore. He thought while panting.

Snufkin stopped and turned around. “Are you alright?”

“Yes… Just a bit tired. How far is it?”

“Just up this hill.”

Moomin looked up.

It was a large hill.

“So we’re going hiking, then?”

“Hiking? If that’s what you call it, yes.”

They continued on the path at a slightly slower pace.

Moomintroll looked at the flora and fauna around them. The trees had already started turning orange, and leaves were scattered along the floor. It was fall, and this particular morning was quite chilly. And it’d continue to get colder as they went higher up.

They walked for another twenty or so minutes up the hill, pausing a few times to let Moomintroll catch his breath. The path twisted and winded, going up and down, before they found themselves at a rocky clearing.

There were hot springs. Some of them were shallow, not big enough to climb into, but others seemed to be deeper. There was a wooden house on the other side of the clearing.

“Does… Does somebody live here?” Moomintroll asked.

Snufkin shrugged. “I checked last night, and nobody was in the house. It seems like nobody’s lived here for a long time.”

“You mean to tell me that you came here at heavens know what hour of the night and broke into that house?”

“Yes.”

“You’re going to get yourself arrested again.”

“Maybe. But that’s only if I get caught.”

“You don’t have a very good track record of not getting caught so far.”

“You don’t know what I did before I came onto land, Moomin. Maybe I was a hardened criminal.”

The two looked at each other and burst out laughing.

They went over to the different springs, dipping their fingers into the water to test the temperature. A few were too hot, causing Moomin to yelp and snap his finger back, but a few were decently warm.

They decided to get into one of them. Moomin was already suited for it, but Snufkin had clothes on. He began to pull his coat over his head, before stopping and peering at Moomintroll. “Is this fine?”

Moomin looked away. “It’s fine.”

He stripped naked and plopped himself down in the hot spring. It seemed like somebody used to take care of these, as there were smooth seats made out of rock inside of the spring. Moomintroll climbed inside too, sighing. The warmth of the water felt nice after climbing the hill in such chilly weather.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know this was here. Right in Moominvalley! I suppose I’ve never seen this path before.” Moomin mused. “We are quite close to the Lonely Mountains, so perhaps that’s why. It’s a bit far.” He looked at Snufkin. “What were you doing all the way out here? And in the middle of the night?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Any reason?”

Snufkin shrugged. “I’ve found myself thinking too much recently.”

“Oh.” Moomin paused. “Same here.”

“It’s good to know your own mind, you know.”

“You’re right. But I feel like sometimes I know it a bit too well.”

Snufkin smiled, but there was an unreadable expression on his face. “I know the feeling.”

The two continued chatting, sitting comfortably next to each other. They easily lost track of time, the sun rising higher in the sky as they talked.

“What do you think of Moominvalley so far, Snufkin?”

He wrung his hands together. “It’s nice. I wouldn’t mind visiting it often.”

“Everybody was so excited to meet you. I’m sorry if it was a bit much to deal with.” Moomintroll looked away. “I know you get antsy if there’s too much going on.”

“Oh. It’s okay. Everyone’s been kind to me, after all… If I’m being honest, I’m looking forward to going back home tomorrow.”

Home. Snufkin had called the lighthouse home. Something in Moomintroll lit up like a Christmas tree. He couldn’t help but smile a bit. “I’ve been a bit nervous since we left, honestly. I’m worried my neighbor’s son is going to light something on fire.”

“Neighbor’s son?”

“Yes, the one who I left in charge while we would be gone.”

“Oh.”

“Not to brag, but I actually know what I’m doing while I’m there. That’s why I don’t leave it for long periods of time often. I haven’t had a break, in… Well, I don’t know. People usually have to visit me , as opposed to the other way around, you know.”

“It’s good that people visit you.”

“Yes, it is! I’m grateful. But even if I’m a bit nervous, I’m glad I came back. It’s been good to see everyone again.”

Snufkin looked down into the water. “You seem to have a lot of friends.”

“Well, I suppose I do. I wish I could see them more often, though. Have you got any friends back in the ocean?”

Snufkin wrung his hands together. “I mean, I know people. And I’ve befriended passing sailors, but they would always leave. That’s their nature. And I don’t enjoy hanging around other sirens. So, the answer is… I don’t know.”

Moomintroll smiled a bit sadly. “Well, consider everyone in Moominvalley your friend from now on. And… Me, too.”

Snufkin looked up, surprised. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I mean it.”

“... Thank you, Moomintroll.”

They chatted some more.

Eventually, the sun was nearing the middle of the sky.

Moomintroll looked up.

“Oh, dear,” He murmured, “We’d best get back. Mymblemamma is supposed to get here around noon, and we need to greet her.”

Snufkin looked down at his hands. His skin had gotten wrinkly. “Alright.”

They got out of the hot spring, shivering at the sudden burst of cold air against their wet skin. Moomintroll shook himself around until most of the water was out of his fur, and Snufkin wiped himself off with his coat (Which made Moomintroll cringe again, but they hadn’t brought any towels, so it was the only thing Snufkin could do).

Once they were dry, they made their way out of the hot springs and down the hill.

Moomintroll noted that it was significantly easier going downhill than it was going uphill.

Eventually, they were back at Moominhouse. Except something was different. There were children running all about the yard, of all ages and sizes. There were too many to count. As they approached the house, two of them ran around Snufkin’s legs, who was clearly uncomfortable.

They made their way inside.

Moominmamma was making something in the kitchen while an extremely tall redheaded woman sat at the kitchen table, sipping on a cup of tea. Upon closer inspection, there were many streaks of gray in her hair. She seemed to be older than both Moominmamma and Moominpappa.

Moomintroll stepped forward.

“Mymble!” He exclaimed. She got out of her chair and smiled, pulling him into a hug.

“Oh, Moomin, dear. It’s been so long. But remember, it’s Mymblemamma now. My daughter’s the Mymble now. She’s certainly old enough to get that title to herself. Which makes me practically a grandmother, ha!”

“Oh, right. Well you don’t look a day over thirty, Mymblemamma.”

Mymblemamma laughed and patted his back, looking back to Moominmamma. “Your son is quite the charmer, did you know that?”

“Yes, I know.” Moominmamma said delicately.

Mymblemamma looked over Moomin’s shoulder and spotted Snufkin. She grinned. “Moomin, is this your friend? The one Moominmamma told me about?”

Moomintroll turned around and grabbed Snufkin by the elbow, pulling him closer. “Yes, this is Snufkin. It’s convenient that you’re in town at the same time as us. We’re leaving tomorrow, so if you had came a day later, you wouldn’t have been able to meet him!”

“Oh, how dreadful that would be.” She turned to Snufkin and grabbed his hands, not minding his sharp claws. “Hello, Snufkin. It’s a pleasure to meet you. What part of the sea did you come from? The North Sea? Or the South? Or perhaps somewhere else entirely?”

Snufkin gaped. “What-”

“Oh, don’t mind me. I once had a boyfriend who was a sea troll. He was quite the charmer. He’d bring me all sorts of shells and treasures from shipwrecks. Then he stopped coming around one day. Damn him.” She sighed. “But I’m familiar with your type. You almost look like him, but maybe all you sea trolls look the same to my old eyes. Ha!”

Snufkin turned red from embarrassment. He looked down at the floor. He wasn’t used to being read so easily.

Moominmamma stepped in. “Snufkin, dear, why don’t you help me make lunch?”

Snufkin nodded and immediately rushed to her side to help. “What are we making?”

“Grilled portobello mushrooms in garlic sauce and pasta salad. Would you mind making the garlic sauce?” She pointed to the instructions in her recipe book. “Look here.”

He got to work. Moominmamma, Mymblemamma, and Moomin all chatted in the background. He didn’t pay them any mind. The Mymble woman made him feel strange for some reason, but he couldn’t place why. He decided to ignore it for now.

They ended up finishing their lunch, but couldn’t enjoy it for long. One of the children came inside to scream that they were hungry, so in a group effort, they all made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for each one of the children that were outside. They made about thirty of them, then went to go distribute them easily.

“Not all of these are your children, are they?” Moominmamma asked, handing out a sandwich.

“No, no! I love children, but I wouldn’t have another one at my age. Most of these are my grandchildren.” Mymblemamma said matter-of-factly.

“I wonder if I’ll ever have grandchildren.” Moominmamma sighed.

Moomintroll looked away, embarrassed. He handed out another sandwich.

After they were done, Snufkin (Who was a tad bit overwhelmed), decided to go off into the forest to play his tune. A few children tried to follow him, but he shooed them off.

Moomintroll looked on from the veranda. 

He already missed Snufkin. He almost wished that he didn’t get overwhelmed so easily, but that was his nature, it seemed like.

He just wished he was with him. Instead, he was sitting on the porch, watching oogles of children scream and run and play.

He wondered if he wanted children. He was already in his thirties, so he wondered if he was long overdue to making up his mind on this matter, but shook it off. He decided he’d cross that bridge when he got there.

He wondered if Snufkin wanted children.

He wanted to slap himself for even allowing that thought to cross his mind.

He decided to do some book reading until the party tonight. Moominmamma and Moominpappa wanted to hold one to welcome Mymblemamma to Moominvalley again. 

So many parties. I wonder if Snufkin is going to enjoy himself or not.

Then he got to it.

***

It was later in the evening, and Snufkin still hadn’t come back. Moomintroll had helped Moominmamma take out all the tables and chairs to seat everyone, and was currently helping her get all the food out. They were making zucchini bread, a three-bean soup, a black rice and raspberry salad, and stuffed peppers. They also made blackberry juice and a caramel pumpkin crumb cake for dessert.

It was hard work, cooking for so many people. Moomintroll could feel himself sweating in the kitchen.

Soon, people started to come. It was a small party. They had only invited Snorkmaiden, Ninny, Sniff, Snork, Little My, Too-Ticky, and Mymble. But, with all of Mymblemamma’s children, they had to be prepared.

Snorkmaiden and Ninny came first. It was very like them- They were always on time. They began socializing with everyone there, hugging Mymblemamma and chatting away. They’d steal glances at each other, obviously excited to give the big news.

Sniff came next. He brought a girl with him, which surprised everyone. She was just as clad in jewelry as he was, but Moomintroll came to find that she was very nice. Her name was Diana.

Snork came next. His hair was gelled back, but it looked like the ends of it were singed.

“I just came back from my last trip. I went south for work, and a bigger company than mine wants to buy my flying-machine business! Can you believe it?! It’s my life work, and I’m doing fine by myself, thank you.” Snork huffed.

“What happened to your hair?” Moomintroll asked, ignoring everything he just said.

“Oh.” He pushed back his hair. “One of my engines caught fire while I was working on it after hours. I was lucky nobody else was there. I shouldn’t have even been there, but I’ve been bursting with ideas lately.”

“Still as smart as ever, Snork.” Moomintroll said.

“I like to pride myself on that.”

Too-Ticky and Mymble came next. Mymble, upon seeing her mother, ran up to her and gave her a hug. They embraced briefly, before Too-Ticky came and shook Mymblemamma’s hand. Too-Ticky whispered something into her ear, and Mymblemamma giggled.

Little My then decided to come out of the house and start socializing, having just woken up from her nap.

Still no Snufkin. Everyone was chatting, either standing up or seated at the table in cliques. Snork was talking to Diana and Sniff, Mymblemamma was talking to Moominmamma and Moominpappa, and Snorkmaiden and Ninny were talking to Too-Ticky and Mymble. Little My was off hoarding the children, trying to get them to sit down at the table.

Moomintroll tried to get himself to be social, but he found himself gazing back again and again to the forest. He looked for any sign of movement, any sign at all, to see if Snufkin was walking back.

Halfway through the party, everyone was sitting down and eating, when Moomintroll felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning in his chair, a smile immediately lit up on his face.

“Sorry it took me so long.” Snufkin said, taking the seat besides Moomintroll. “What’s for dinner?”

“Oh, well, here’s the bean soup, and here’s the stuffed peppers, and over there’s the salad…”

Snufkin was the last one to finish eating. Everyone was sitting down at the tables socializing. There were a few tables pushed together for the adults, and even more pushed together for the children. They buzzed happily amongst themselves, but were well-behaved for the most part.

Snufkin already knew everybody at the table except Snork and Diana, who he quickly introduced himself to. Diana kept to herself, but Snork kept trying to talk to Snufkin about his business ventures. Snufkin squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He didn’t care at all about money matters, business matters, or anything of the sort. Moomintroll had to save him by saying he left the oven on.

“Come on, Snufkin. Check the oven with me.” Moomintroll said, standing up and pushing in his chair. Snufkin nodded, doing the same.

They went inside the house. Snufkin sighed and sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing an apple that was on the table and tossing it between his hands.

“Is it too much?” Moomintroll asked, watching him carefully.

“A bit.”

“If you want to go, that’s okay. I know you’ve been wandering around all day, so…” Moomintroll bit his bottom lip. He said this, but he felt disappointed.

“I’ll stay.”

Moomintroll’s ears perked up. “Really?”

“Yes. I just need a second to…” Sighing, he put the apple down and placed his head into his hands.

“Do you want me to leave you alone?”

Snufkin shook his head and held out his hand.

Gingerly, Moomintroll took hold of it, interlacing his fingers with Snufkin’s. They stayed quiet. Moomin squeezed the other’s hand softly. 

Snufkin eventually let go and looked up at Moomin. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Moomintroll’s face was a rosy pink color. Nodding, he turned and walked out of Moominhouse, out into the party.

It only really did take a few minutes. After about five, Snufkin joined them all again. He sat back at the table and did his best to talk to anyone but Snork or Sniff. He remembered how boring it was to talk to Sniff last time. 

He started to get antsy again, so Moomintroll took the other’s hand under the table, rubbing his thumb soothingly over the palm of his hand. Snufkin started to visibly calm down.

Moomintroll smiled to himself.

This felt right.

Eventually, Ninny stood up, hitting a spoon to an empty glass cup.

“Hi! We have an announcement!” She said. The children’s table was still bustling with energy, but all the adults looked over curiously.

Ninny sat down and looked over to Snorkmaiden with a loving smile. Snorkmaiden cleared her throat then announced, “I’m pregnant.”

There was a round of gasps, followed by a round of different varieties of “Congratulations!”. The table was bustling with conversation, but Little My, amongst the chaos, slinked out of her chair and off into the woods. 

Snufkin immediately noticed. Tapping on Moomintroll’s shoulder, he said, “I’ll be right back.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Bye!”

Snufkin trailed after Little My, over the bridge and into the woods, until she sat down on a log with her face in her hands. Snufkin approached her. She looked up briefly before putting her head back down.

“I suppose I should be happy.” She said darkly.

“Nobody said you had to.”

“But everybody else is happy.”

“You’re not everybody else.”

She looked to Snufkin crossly. “This isn’t the talk I need right now, Snufkin.”

Snufkin shrugged and sat down beside her. “Perhaps not. But your feelings are your feelings. Nobody can say or do anything to change them. And that’s fine, but it’s when they consume you and make you upset, that you have to reevaluate yourself. When you have to think to yourself, “ Why am I blocking myself from finding happiness?” Your emotions aren’t your fault. But thoughts fuel emotions, and luckily for us, a positive thought can make a bad situation manageable.”

Little My kicked at a rock. “So, what? You want me to find a silver lining?”

“If you want. But what I’m saying, is that it hurts now, but it won’t forever. And it’s not too late to find somebody who is more compatible with you.”

“It’s been years, Snufkin, and I still feel this way.”

“A couple of years still isn’t forever.”

She sighed. She was silent for a few moments, trying to find the right words to say. “I suppose you’re right. I think I need to start moving on instead of wallowing in self-pity.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve been doing too much of that.”

“Just take your time.” Snufkin took out his conch shell and fiddled with it.

Little My sniffed. “Has anyone told you that you should be a philosopher?”

Snufkin looked over and smiled. “Yes.”

***

After some more talking, they decided to go back to the party. As they crossed the bridge, Moomintroll immediately spotted them and ran over.

“Where did you two go?! ” He asked, panting.

“Just to talk.” Snufkin said.

Moomintroll looked at Little My, whose eyes were slightly red and puffy.

He decided to drop the subject.

They walked back to everyone else. Little My whispered something into Snufkin’s ear and he smiled. She then walked over to Snorkmaiden.

“What’s she doing?” Moomintroll asked.

“Saying congratulations.” Snufkin replied.

“Oh.”

They continued socializing. Moominpappa eventually brought out his old record player and put on some fast paced music, and Moominmamma brought out several bottles of summer wine. People began dancing and drinking, having a great time. Snorkmaiden and Ninny didn’t want any, and the children had loads of fun dancing amongst themselves. A few of the older ones tried to get their hands on the wine, only to be shooed away by Moominmamma.

A few too many cups later, Moomintroll and Snufkin sat on the porch steps. 

“D’you want to dance?” Moomintroll asked.

“No, not really.”

“Alright.”

Snufkin groaned and leaned onto Moomintroll. “I’m dizzy.”

Moomintroll patted his lap. Snufkin positioned himself carefully and laid down, his head resting on Moomintroll’s upper legs.

Moomintroll brushed Snufkin’s hair gingerly, twirling the strands between his fingertips.

They stayed like that, whispering in hushed tones amongst themselves and giggling while everybody else danced drunkenly. 

Eventually, Moomintroll heard soft snoring beneath him.

He looked down.

Snufkin was asleep.

Sighing, he shook him a little. Snufkin opened his eyes, sitting up and looking around. He immediately leaned over and placed his head on Moomin’s shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Moomin whispered.

“Is the party almost over?” He murmured.

“Yes. Ninny and Snorkmaiden already left.”

“Okay. Take me to my tent.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep inside?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Snufkin hoisted him up. Snufkin stumbled a bit as he walked, so Moomintroll slung an arm over him and fastened him to his side to help. They walked over the bridge and right to Snufkin’s tent.

“Alright, can I leave you here?” Moomin asked.

“Yes.” He got on his knees and fumbled with the zipper of his tent for a few seconds before sighing. Moomintroll turned to leave. “Wait!” Snufkin called out.

Moomin turned around. “What?”

"Can you help me get inside?” He groaned to himself. “I shouldn’t have had so much to drink. Stupid.”

“It’s okay.” Moomintroll kneeled beside him and opened up the tent. “I’m drunk, too.”

Snufkin crawled inside, and Moomintroll turned to leave again, before he heard Snufkin whine, “Moomin.”

Moomintroll looked back. “What?”

“I’m still dizzy.”

“Oh, I-”

“Stay with me. Just for a while.”

Moomintroll stopped. His mind felt hazy, but this was enough to turn him beet red. “Okay.” He breathed. He kneeled down again and climbed into Snufkin’s tent.

It was cramped. He hadn’t used this tent in years before he gave it to Snufkin, and he had clearly outgrown it. His feet pressed against the edge of the tent.

Snufkin sat next to him, taking off his boots. He took off his hat and his coat, leaving on the thin white shirt beneath it. He sighed and lay down on his pillow. He turned and was face to face with Moomintroll.

Moomin could feel his ears burning.

He silently adjusted himself and opted to lay his head against Moomintroll’s chest. After a few minutes of terrifying silence, Moomin could hear Snufkin snoring again.

Snufkin was clearly drunk, he wouldn’t have done this in a million years otherwise. Moomin could feel his heart pound, and he worried that it would be enough to wake Snufkin up.

After a few minutes, Snufkin shifted and turned away, facing the other side of the tent.

Moomintroll took this as an opportunity to leave.

Quietly unzipping the tent, he crawled out, rezipped it, and made his way back to Moominhouse.

Everyone was gone now, and Moominmamma was bringing in the last table. When she saw him, she frowned.

“Moomin, dear, where did you go? You didn’t help clean up, me and papa had to do it by ourselves.”

“Sorry, mama. I’ll make it up to you.” Moomin mumbled, hurrying past her, up the stairs and to his room. He noticed a few of the mymble children sleeping on the couches downstairs, and he did his best not to wake them up.

He closed the door behind himself and sighed. Going to his window, he looked out past the lawn, past the bridge, and to Snufkin’s tent.

He could still feel his heartbeat fluttering.

I suppose we had too much to drink.

He went to sleep that night thinking of Snufkin.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll awoke with a start. And also, a hangover.

I should’ve drank more water last night, He thought grumpily to himself. He turned over and looked at the clock.

Eight in the morning.

I should go get Snufkin and start packing.

Snufkin.

He felt his cheeks get unbearably hot. Last night flooded to him all at once.

He wondered if Snufkin remembered what had happened. He was pretty woozy last night.

He hoped not.

His heart fluttered in his chest. His poor, poor heart. He’s been putting it through a lot recently.

He couldn’t help but be physically intimate with him, hand touches and the like. It felt so absolutely right to have their fingers intertwined. Every time he touched Snufkin, he felt like electricity was tingling through his bloodstream. He didn’t know if he believed in fate, but in some weird way, he felt like he was meant to be out there on that jetty that night. He felt like everything in his life, every action, mistake or otherwise, had led up to him getting his heart tangled up in this whole mess.

And he quickly came to the realization that he was irrevocably, irreversibly, and completely in love with Snufkin. Nothing could change this.

This was a lot of thought for a Tuesday morning. He truly felt like a teenager again. He remembered how he felt when he was dating Snorkmaiden, always like a love-ridden fool. He also remembered how it felt when she broke his heart, but that was besides the point.

I’m a grown Moomin. What on Earth am I doing? He pushed his face into his pillow. His head still hurt.

I’ll tell him if he’s still here after the blue moon. That gives me about another week. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.

He felt strangely at peace with this conclusion.

So, he decided to go and wake up Snufkin.

(Snufkin was most likely already awake, and Moomintroll knew this, but he wanted to see him anyway.)

Moomintroll walked down the stairs, out the front door, across the lawn and over the bridge. Walking to Snufkin’s campsite, he approached his tent and knocked on the front gingerly.

There was some rustling inside, and Snufkin stuck his head out. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was a bird’s nest.

“Good morning.” Snufkin said, yawning.

“Good morning, Snufkin. I came to see if you were awake.” Moomintroll fiddled with his thumbs.

“I am. But my head hurts, so I’ve been laying down.” He frowned.

“I have a hangover, too. But maybe we should pack then have some breakfast, yes?”

Snufkin seemed to think about that. “Okay. But I’d like to pack alone, please.”

“Oh. Of course.” Moomintroll knew that was the most practical way to go about it, but he couldn’t help but feel a tad disappointed with being shooed away so quickly. He turned to leave.

“I’ll see you at breakfast, Moomin.” And with that, he disappeared back into his tent.

“Alright.” Moomin said softly. He walked back to Moominhouse.

Maybe he remembers what happened last night and wants nothing to do with me, He thought sadly, But I hope that isn’t the case.

Meanwhile, Snufkin was curled up in a ball in his tent.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

He wanted to pull his hair out.

Not only was he hungover, but he was plagued by the memories of what had happened the previous night. 

He had made a fool out of himself.

He had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t let himself get this close to Moomintroll. And here he was, indulging selfishly in his own desires, when he was realistically only going to hurt him.

I’m most likely going to turn back in a week’s time, He thought to himself miserably, And I would have done nothing but broken two hearts.

Mine included.

He really, really liked Moomin. 

“Liked” was an understatement.

He had been intrigued by him since day one. Or, before day one. He had been in the area when he spotted Moomintroll, and he was immediately fascinated by him. That’s why he decided to catch his attention.

For selfish, selfish reasons.

He covered his face with his hat. He wished he could scream into it, but he didn’t know who could be listening.

I can’t keep doing this.

But he couldn’t see himself stopping.

Part of him wanted to run into the ocean and beg the moon to turn him back. To rid him of all his current worries. 

But then he thought of Moomintroll’s smile, the way he rubbed his fingers gingerly across his own to comfort him, how he was so understanding, how his bright blue eyes lit up every time he got excited, his adventurous spirit, his intriguing past, his comforting aura… 

Everything in his brain screamed Moomin, Moomin, Moomin. 

He felt like he was at home with him.

And that’s why it would be so painful to leave. Once the blue moon was over, there was a very real possibility that he’d be bound to the sea once again.

No more dancing with Moomintroll. No more reading on the couch with him by his side. No more sitting in the kitchen and eating his food. No more anything.  

His heart was weak, but he willed his mind to be strong.

He had to get through this.

One day at a time.

One day at a time, with every day consisting of seeing Moomintroll’s handsome face.

He sighed to himself. There was no use torturing himself over it. 

I might as well do something useful.

He got up and started to pack.

***

Later on, Moomintroll and Snufkin had finished packing, with all of their things stacked up by the door of Moominhouse. They were enjoying breakfast with Moominmamma, Moominpappa, Mymblemamma, and Little My. The Mymble woman’s children were already all outside playing.

“It’s sad to see you two go so soon, you know.” Moominpappa said, slicing up his pancakes with a knife and fork. “Moomin, my boy, I know you have work. But you should come again soon.”

“I’ll see when I can, papa. It was nice coming back and seeing everyone.” Moomintroll took a sip of orange juice.

“Good.” Moominpappa looked over to Snufkin. “So, how did you like Moominvalley? It’s quite charming, isn’t it?”

Snufkin looked up from his pancakes. “Yes, I quite liked it. I’d like to come back, if I could.”

“Right, right, the blue moon business. Hrm.” Moominpappa tapped on the table with his fingers. “Well, if it works out, do come back. Everybody here enjoyed having you. And there’s a reason I built our house here, it’s quite a lovely area.”

They finished up breakfast and began to say their goodbyes. Moomintroll hugged his parents for quite a long time, and gave a brief hug to Mymblemamma. Snufkin shook Moominpappa’s hand, gave Moominmamma a hug, and was hugged against his will by Mymblemamma. Little My gave them both extremely tight hugs.

Snufkin wondered about the Mymble woman. He almost wanted to stay for another day in the valley to find out about her past with her sea troll lover, but decided he’d write to Little My later to ask her about it. He wasn’t very good at words, so perhaps Moomintroll would help him write the letter.

And they were off. With all their luggage in tow, they made their way through the forest, down the beach path, and to the ferry. By the time they got there, Moomintroll was sweating, and Snufkin was a bit tired as well.

They paid for their tickets and got on the ferry. Well, Moomintroll paid. Snufkin was disinterested in money and wasn’t sure why they couldn’t just scrounge up some mushrooms in exchange for a ride.

It was a long ride. They had a few drinks at the ferry’s bar. Moomintroll talked about how he was a fan of wine, but how a lemonade and vodka could be refreshing. That is, if you didn’t drink too much.

Snufkin tried the vodka. He almost immediately spit it out, but politely sipped on it until it was all gone. He tried not to make too many faces.

Wine was better.

They then went out to the smoking section of the boat and looked over the waves, sharing a pipe.

“Think we’ll see any mermaids?” Moomintroll asked, blowing out some smoke.

“I doubt it. They tend to stay away from ships. The ones that attack boats are-”

“Sirens, right?”

“Yes. Unfortunately.”

Moomintroll passed the pipe to Snufkin. “Well, you’re the nicest siren I’ve met.”

“I’m the only siren you’ve met.” He breathed in the smoke from the pipe and coughed a little.

“But you’re still the nicest.”

“Does that make me also the meanest?”

Moomintroll squinted at Snufkin and smiled. “Yes. Because we all know how absolutely mean you  can be, Snufkin. That’s why you saved my life, right? Because you’re just so horrid?”

“Yes, exactly.” Snufkin laughed.

They continued to look out towards the waves in a comfortable silence.

Moomintroll had brought some cards along, so they sat on the deck and played some games. Some of the games were unfamiliar to Snufkin, but he picked up quickly, and even won a few times.

Snufkin looked at the Moomin across from him. His face was concentrated, and his fur was blowing in the wind. It was chilly out, but the sun was shining, and the light hit Moomintroll’s eyes in such a way that made them gleam like sapphires. 

He caught himself staring for too long.

“Snufkin? It’s your turn.”

“Oh. Right.” He looked down at his cards and placed one down in front of him.

His mind was distracted the entire game. He kept peering up from his cards again and again, watching Moomintroll.

Part of him wanted to reach forward and grab his paw. Another part of him wanted to get up and dive over the side of the ferry.

He decided to do neither of those things.

He decided to keep stealing looks at Moomintroll. To catch his eyes every so often and look away, pining like a fool.

After many card games, several drinks, playing I-Spy, and some light reading, they eventually got to the port near the lighthouse.

It was midday. Hauling their luggage off the side of the boat, they walked into town, deciding to make a quick stop to get some savory crepes. After that, they began making their way back to the lighthouse.

It was a bit of a walk. They passed by the gaggle of rocks that had mermaids laying on them the last time they were there. Moomintroll craned his neck, but none were there this time. He felt a tad bit disappointed, but walked on.

They eventually reached the lighthouse. Sighing with relief, Moomintroll opened the door and placed his luggage by the door. Snufkin set down his things too. Moomintroll then went to find his neighbor’s son (Who had been taking care of the lighthouse in their absence) to send him home.

Snufkin looked at his luggage. Most of it was clothes that Moomintroll had packed for him, but he admittedly didn’t use very many of them. He found his green coat to be much more comfortable.

He decided to sit down at the kitchen table and wait for Moomintroll to finish up his business.

“Thank you so much for all of your help! See you soon!” Moomin called, closing the front door. He walked over to the kitchen and sat down across from Snufkin, sighing. “He’s nice, that one. I checked and all the lights seem to be working, so I think we’re in the clear.” He grinned.

“That’s good.” Snufkin played with the hem of his sleeve. “Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Do you know anything about the sea troll Mymblemamma was talking about?”

“Er, no.” Moomintroll grabbed an apple from the center of the table and took a bite out of it. “The Mymble… Well, she’s had many lovers over the years. That’s why she has so many children and grandchildren.” He paused. “You might want to ask Little My.”

“Would you help me write a letter to her? I’m not exactly practiced when it comes to written language, unfortunately.”

Moomintroll looked at Snufkin with a curious expression. “Does it intrigue you that much?”

Snufkin bit his lower lip. “Yes. I can’t help but feel… I don’t know what I feel, except that there’s something more there.” He balled up his fist, seemingly anxious. “It’s almost foreboding.”

Moomintroll hummed softly and reached across the table to brush his fingers against Snufkin’s fist. “I’ll help you write the letter. Should we write it now?”

“Yes, please.”

Moomintroll got out a pen and pencil, and with Snufkin’s direction, wrote the letter.

Little My,

Hello. We just parted, but I’m writing to you.

I’d like to know more about your mother and her sea troll boyfriend.

I don’t mean to pry, but it’d help me out. 

If you’re curious as to why: Something about this situation makes me feel an odd sense of familiarity. It’d put my conscience at ease if I knew the full story.

Thank You,

Snufkin

Moomintroll looked at the letter. “It’s quite to the point.” He mused. Folding it up, he put it into an envelope, addressed it to Little My, and stuck a stamp on it. “I’ll put it out for the mailman to pick up. It should be collected by the end of the day.”

Snufkin sighed. “Thank you.”

“Now. Why don’t we put away our things? If we don’t do it now, it’ll be sitting out until winter.”

“Alright.”

They got to work. It wasn’t very hard work, considering they hadn’t packed much in the first place. The most tedious things were throwing the clothes in the washing machine and setting Snufkin’s tent back up.

The two sat on the beach after having set said tent back up. Moomintroll was quiet, laying on his back and soaking up the warmth from the sun.

Snufkin looked out at the ocean.

He loved the ocean, he really did. It harbored him for many years and gave him a home. It was a ruthless thing, but also a familiar one. 

He felt like he was in a different ocean now. One full of new experiences, new feelings, and self discovery. He was thrown into it, and now he was trying to swim.

It wasn’t suffocating being with Moomintroll, but once they were apart, a wave of thoughts would hit him and he’d almost drown in them. His life was always very simple, but overthinking seemed to have gotten the best of him recently. He hated that for himself.

Things would be much more simple if he knew for sure whether or not he was staying on land after the blue moon. But for now, he was stuck with chronic, What if’s.  

He looked over at Moomintroll, who was peacefully dozing off.

For example, what if he were to stay on land?

What if he were to hold his hand?

What if he were to lean over right now , at this very moment , and leave a kiss right under his snout?

He felt himself getting embarrassed.

That would never happen.

He tapped on Moomintroll’s shoulder. “Are you awake?” He whispered.

“Huh? Yes.” Moomintroll rubbed at his eyes and sat up. “I was just resting.”

“Just making sure.”

“Do you want to go inside?”

“Okay.”

They got up and went inside.

They spent the rest of the evening in the living room, reading while the record player played softly in the background. Snufkin found it a little distracting but didn’t say anything.

Eventually, afternoon turned into evening, and evening turned into nighttime. They shifted around to do different things in that time period (For example, Moomintroll sent out the letter, made dinner, and turned on the fireplace), but largely remained in the same room, enjoying the other’s company.

Suddenly, Moomintroll perked up.

“I just remembered something!” He exclaimed.

Snufkin looked up from his book. “What?”

“I have this big telescope in the basement. My father gave it to me when I was younger, and I forgot about it. I just remembered it right now, as there was a mention of a telescope in this book- Very good book by the way, but I want to see if it still works.”

Moomintroll then stood up, put his book down, and walked out of the room. Snufkin stared after him with curiosity. He came back about five minutes later, with a huge, clunky, dusty telescope. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in years.

Moomintroll raised an eyebrow, a goofy expression on his face. “Want to test it out with me?”

Snufkin chuckled. “Alright.”

The two walked outside, into the sand, and placed the telescope down. 

“Do you know anything about stars?” Moomintroll asked, fiddling with the lens. 

“Yes, I’ve used them to navigate.” Snufkin paused. “Do you?”

“Oh, erm,” He looked away, but Snufkin could see a blush forming at his cheeks. “I know they look nice. Heh.”

“Don’t worry. That’s all you need to know.”

Moomintroll fiddled more with the telescope before standing back with his hands at his hips. “There! I think we’ll be able to see now. I don’t know why I haven’t brought this out of the basement sooner, the stars are always so beautiful at night.”

Snufking peered through the lens. “Huh. They’re so much easier to see with this. I’ve never used anything like it.” He looked around some more. “There! I think I see Venus.”

“Huh? Where?” Snufkin stood back, letting Moomintroll look through the lens. “Is it the blue one?”

“I think so.”

“Oh, I see something next to it. Is that Mars?”

“No, I think that’s just another star.”

“Oh.”

They took turns, Snufkin being the one to point the telescope at different constellations, and Moomin being the one to peer through it.

“There’s Taurus.” Snufkin said. “I’ve heard a story about Taurus. Zeus supposedly changed himself into a bull to win the affections of a princess, and swam across the sea with her. So Taurus represents the bull.”

“Wow.” Moomintroll mouthed. “Where did you hear that?”

“Passing sailors, mostly.”

Moomintroll was silent for a moment. “Was it lonely? I don’t mean to pry, but you seemed to have spent an awful lot of time by yourself while you were in the sea.”

Snufkin looked away. “I like having my space, so it was alright.”

“Oh. That’s good.” 

Silence. 

“I-I just thought that since you’ve been having such a nice time up here, maybe being in the sea-”

“It’s alright.” Snufkin sighed. “I do quite like it up here, don’t get me wrong, but there’s a freedom in solitude. Just because I like others, doesn’t mean I want to be around them all the time.”

“Okay.” Moomintroll looked away. “Well, if you ever need time away from me… That’s okay.”

“Thank you.”

“You know, I really like being around you. Sorry if it’s a bit much at times.”

Snufkin blinked. “Don’t apologize. I like being around you too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. You’re a dear friend to me.”

“Mhm.” Moomintroll peered through the telescope lens, not looking at anything in particular. He was quiet for a few moments. “Do you believe in fate?”

“Me? Yes. Why?”

“Oh. Well, because I don’t know if I do or if I don’t… But it’s kind of funny, isn’t it? We’re from two different worlds, and by the magic of some fairies on the moon that I’ve never even heard of, here we are, looking through a telescope. We were under the same sky the entire time, but it’s just…” He faltered, and looked back at Snufkin. “Unlikely. Do you get what I mean?”

Snufkin looked away. He could feel his cheeks burning. “Yes. I understand.”

“I’m just glad you’re here.”

“... I’m glad I’m here, too.”

They continued looking through the telescope, looking at different planets and constellations. Eventually, they both got tired and decided to say their goodnights.

Moomintroll packed up the telescope and began to lug it back inside. “Goodnight, Snufkin!” He called over his shoulder.

“Goodnight!” Snufkin called back.

He stared after him, until the door of the lighthouse shut on him and the lights eventually flickered off. 

He was alone now.

Walking back to his tent, he made his way inside and laid down.

Oh, Moomintroll, He thought to himself, You’re not doing anything to help my predicament. How stupid of me to fall for a land troll. I should’ve known better than to call for him on that night, and here I am. 

He was never supposed to do this, fall in love. A long time ago, he made peace with the fact that he was going to spend the rest of his days traveling, experiencing, and living life to its fullest degree.

That he was going to spend the rest of his days alone.

It simply made the most amount of sense. He liked to travel in solitude, and he figured that most people wouldn’t respect that. People wanted closeness and affection. He didn’t have much of that to give.

And yet, here I am.

He thought of what Moomintroll had said about fate. He wondered if he meant that, by the two of them meeting, if it was…

No. Of course not.

He denied the possibility, but still couldn’t get much sleep that night.

Chapter Text

Moomintroll woke up to the smell of food.

This immediately jarred him awake. Getting up from bed, he cautiously left his room and went down the stairs.

He wondered if there was an intruder. He then thought that was stupid, because why would an intruder stop to have breakfast in the house they were breaking into? Unless they were a serial killer and this was a part of their game.

Moomintroll shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself.

Now at the bottom of the stairs, he cautiously crept into the kitchen.

Snufkin stood there, washing some bowls in the sink. There were bags of flower, brown sugar, and other things scattered on the kitchen table. Moomintroll’s recipe book lay open on the kitchen counter. The air smelled sweet and fragrant like baked goods.

“Oh,” Moomin whispered, “Snufkin?”

Snufkin turned around, putting the bowls down and wiping his hands on his coat. “I’m sorry, did I wake you? I might’ve been too loud down here.”

“No, no, you didn’t. What’s all this?”

Snufkin wrung his hands together. “I thought I’d surprise you, but I wanted to try making something by myself.”

Moomintroll stepped into the kitchen. Crouching down, he opened the oven and peered inside. Muffins were inside baking. They looked almost done.

Moomintroll felt a lump in his throat. Besides Moominmamma, nobody’s made food for him in a long time.

Moomin cleared his throat. “Which ones are you making?”

“The pumpkin cinnamon crumble muffins.”

“You know, that’s more of a dessert recipe. But we can have it for breakfast, too.”

Snufkin smiled. “That’s the spirit.”

Moomintroll decided to help out and make some strawberry smoothies to go with the muffins. Well, smoothies and muffins weren’t a well heard of combination, but he figured since it was breakfast it’d work out. 

It was an odd combination.

He figured it was like the two of them.

They ate their breakfast peacefully, chatting idly over their meal. The muffins were actually pretty good, much to Moomintroll’s surprise. It seemed that when he had a recipe in hand, Snufkin was a competent cook. Well, in this case, baker.

Moomintroll patted his stomach. “Have you ever considered opening up your own bakery…?” He saw the look on Snufkin’s face and quickly followed up with, “I’m joking. Perhaps the working life… Isn’t for you. But really, you’ve outdone yourself. And all by yourself! Wow. Thank you for this, Snufkin.”

“You’re welcome. It was fun, actually. I really enjoyed it.”

“Well, your hard work paid off.” He paused. “Hey, why don’t we go for a morning walk? To burn off these calories.” He sighed. “I’ve been gaining a lot of weight recently. Not that I mind being bigger, but it’s good to exercise.”

“Alright. I quite like walking.”

“It’s funny, I remember how wobby your legs would get when you first started walking.”

“Hush. Let’s go.”

They quickly cleaned up after themselves and began their walk.

They decided to take a path adjacent to the one that went into town. Moomintroll said he had been on it before, and that there were some lovely meadows that lay at the end of it, along with a small waterfall. 

They were mostly silent the first half of the way there, Moomintroll remarking on different birds and nice flowers that he saw. Eventually, he came across a particularly large blue flower that seemed to have a golden glow to it.

Moomintroll crouched down by it. “What is it?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. “I know it’s a flower, but is there anything wrong with it?”

Snufkin leaned over Moomin. 

He was awfully close. Moomintroll could feel the fur on the back of his neck stand up.

“Hm.” He stood up straight again. “Fairies use their dust to open up flowers at nighttime. They sleep during the day, but perhaps last night too much fairy dust got on it.”

“It’s awfully pretty.” Moomintroll reached forward and plucked it from the ground. Standing up, he turned and placed it on the brim of Snufkin’s big green hat.

“There.” Moomintroll said. “A gift from me to you. To repay you for the bracelet you gave me.” Lifting up his wrist, the small shell bracelet was still there.

Snufkin blinked and touched the flower that now sat on his hat. “Thank you.”

They continued on. After they had gone to sleep the previous night, there was a light rainfall, and now the ground was damp and morning dew spotted every leaf in the forest. The hazy morning sun shone through the leaves of the trees above, and the beams of light hit Snufkin’s patches of scales in a way that made him positively glow. They shone all colors of the rainbow in a metallic sheen, in stark contrast to the soft skin that surrounded it. Snufkin’s cheeks were a rosy pink, bitten by the coldness of the morning air.

It was November 6th. It was getting quite cold, Moomintroll realized. 

He didn’t hibernate anymore. With a year round job, he had to stay awake. When he was a child, he always asked his parents to let him stay awake for the winter just so he could see what happens , but they never agreed. “A Moomin’s way is to hibernate” this, “It’s much too cold out” that. As he became an adult, he had autonomy over that choice, and while he was traveling the world he chose not to. But now he quite missed it.

He was so deep in thought that he bumped into Snufkin, who had stopped in front of him. Rubbing his snout, he asked, “Why did we stop?”

“Shh!” Snufkin whispered. He pointed to something in front of them. They had made it to the meadow! But about fifty feet away, there was a pure white horse standing and eating grass.

Upon closer inspection, said horse had a long, sharp horn jutting out of its head.

Snufkin crouched down behind a bush, peering out to look at it. Once the initial shock wore off, Moomintroll crouched down beside him.

“Is that-”

“Yes.” Snufkin whispered. “But I don’t want to scare it. Let’s be careful.”

“I didn’t know unicorns were real.”

Snufkin squinted and smiled cheekily. “You’ve traveled the world and haven’t seen a unicorn?”

“Hush. To be fair, I usually met people. I didn’t go out looking for horses.” Moomintroll looked out to the unicorn. “We should go around it. There’s a small waterfall on the other side of the meadow.”

They snuck around the edges of the brush, watching the unicorn the entire time. Eventually, they got a large enough distance away where they didn’t have to worry about frightening it. 

There was a small river with a waterfall nearby. They made their way to it and sat at the bank, looking at the water rushing by. 

Suddenly, Moomintroll leaned forward and grabbed something in the water. Snufkin blinked, startled. Moomin pulled back, a large brown toad in his hands.

“Look,” He said, rubbing his thumb over the top of its bumpy head, “It’s a toad. I’m surprised it’s still even out this time of year.”

Snufkin leaned forward and rubbed his finger against its head. He took care to not scratch it with his claws. 

“We used to catch them when I was a child,” Moomintroll sighed happily, “Especially in the summer months. We’d always release them, of course, but it was always so fun.”

“That sounds like great fun, even now. It’s too bad I didn’t know you back then.”

“It’s strange,” Moomin said softly, “It seems like we just met, but it also feels like I’ve known you for a long, long time.” He blinked, as if realizing what he just said. “But that probably doesn’t make any sense.” He said quickly.

Snufkin leaned away from the toad and looked up at the morning sky. “Perhaps in a past life we knew each other. The world is strange that way.”

Moomintroll released the toad back into the water. “You believe in past lives?”

“Yes. Do you?”

“I don’t know.”

Snufkin took out his conch shell and began polishing it with the edge of his coat. “Everything that comes from nature returns back to nature. One day my body will be lost out into the open sea and my energy will be released back into the dirt. That’s just how it is.”

“Wow,” Moomin mouthed, “Where did you hear that?”

Snufkin smiled vaguely. “Nowhere.”

Moomintroll found Snufkin to be strange. Strange but wondrous and admirable. In retrospect, he probably didn’t know much about the siren, but he felt like he’d known him his entire life. Something in Snufkin just screamed comfort . Still, he was mysterious, in a way. He seemed wise beyond his years, and his philosophy was very in-tune with nature in a way Moomintroll had never seen before. It was entirely new to him. All of this was new. He was a fully grown Moomin, and he thought he had seen most things in the world. That he had met most kinds of people. And yet here he was, being surprised every day that he spent with Snufkin.

They were from two entirely different words, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected that Snufkin was different, but he seemed to be unique even amongst other sea trolls.

Everything about him drew Moomintroll in. And that wasn’t because of his conch shell.

He taught Snufkin how to skip rocks along the water. Snufkin wasn’t very good at it. He had a sort of superhuman strength (that Moomintroll always seemed to forget about, thus surprising him every time it presented itself), so often times the stone would just straight into the river with a large splash.

A few tries later, he eventually made one stone skip. It was the only one he would make skip at all, because every one after that sunk into the water sadly.

After a while, they decided to go back. They snuck across the edges of the meadow, but they quickly found out that the unicorn wasn’t there anymore. Moomintroll couldn’t help but feel disappointed, but he didn’t say anything.

It was an easy walk back. Their walk to the meadows wasn’t particularly difficult, but it was at a slight incline, so going downhill was welcome.

By the time they got back to the lighthouse, they were both slightly sweaty. While it wasn’t a difficult walk by any means, it was a bit long.

Moomintroll opened the lighthouse door that led to the kitchen. “I think I need a bath.” He sighed.

Snufkin followed in after him. “What do you do in baths?” He asked idly.

Moomin blinked. “Oh, oh no.”

“What?”

“This is a failure on my part. You haven’t had a bath this entire time, have you?”

“... No.”

“Come on.” Moomintroll pinched between his eyebrows with one hand and grabbed Snufkin’s arm with the other. “We need to get you clean.”

Snufkin didn’t put up a fight. Moomin led him upstairs and into the bathroom. He quickly started drawing the bath, putting his hand under the running water often to check the temperature. Eventually, water filled the tub, and Moomin handed Snufkin a towel.

“You scrub your body with the sponge right there, and the soap is over there, and the shampoo is…”

Snufkin looked lost.

Moomin’s gaze softened. “You know what? I can help you. Come on.”

He unbuttoned Snufkin’s coat. “I thought you said this was indecent.” Snufkin mumbled.

“In public, yes. I didn’t want you nude in that river where anybody could see. We’re in private, and I’m just going to help you scrub your back.”

Once he got Snufkin’s coat and shirt off, it became much more apparent that he didn’t smell very good.

Snufkin took off the rest of his clothes and climbed into the tub, sitting down in the middle of it. He raised his knees to his chest and hugged them. Moomin got a cup and filled it with the warm water, pouring it down his back. Getting a bar of lavender soap, he began rubbing it against Snufkin’s skin. He made sure to be gentle around the gills that lay at his sides, beneath his ribcage. He scrubbed his back, his arms, his chest, and his legs thoroughly, rinsing him off at every stage. He scrubbed his scalp with shampoo and put in conditioner as well. The water eventually turned pale with soap. 

He noticed that Snufkin was starting to grow stubble. It oddly made him look more human. 

I might need to help him shave that when it grows in more, He thought to himself. But how strange. Perhaps it’s a side effect of being on land for so long.

He poured water over the soap on Snufkin’s chest. The deep gashes that he had gotten while saving Moomintroll were almost healed, which was strange, but perhaps quick healing was another siren thing.

He gently brushed his fingers against one of the scars. “Are you okay now?” He murmured.

Snufkin didn’t look at him. “Yes. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“I’m sorry.” Moomin breathed.

Snufkin looked at him quizzically. “Why?”

“We shouldn’t have gone on that trip. It only got you hurt.”

“You got hurt, too.”

“That’s besides the point.”

Snufkin put his hand over Moomintroll’s. “Maybe we shouldn’t have gone. Maybe we should’ve. There’s no use in dwelling on the past, you know. It’s okay. It’s over now.” He said softly.

Moomin was silent for a moment. He pulled his hand away. “I suppose you’re right.” He poured more water over Snufkin’s chest and quickly finished cleaning him up.

He helped Snufkin up from the bath and wrapped him up with a towel. He got a smaller towel and began drying his hair. He left Snufkin by himself to get dressed.

He went downstairs and decided to get a late morning cup of coffee. He poured a lot of hazelnut milk and sugar into it, it was the only way he could stomach it. 

Snufkin eventually came down and was heading towards the door.

“Where are you going? Outside?” Moomin asked.

“I need to be alone. I… Need to think.” Snufkin said carefully.

“Alright.” 

And with that, Snufkin walked outside. Moomin idly wondered what he was thinking about.

Perhaps Mymblemamma, He thought, He seemed awfully invested in her.

He finished his cup of coffee and decided to some routine work around the lighthouse. He busied himself for a few hours, making himself lunch in between. He made some extra for Snufkin and set it on the table just in case he came in. He also took a quick bath.

He eventually finished and came downstairs to lounge for a bit. Before he did, however, he decided to look at the mail that had come in while he was gone at Moominvalley. His neighbor’s son had collected it for him and put it in a neat pile on a table by the front door. He picked up the stack of papers and flipped through it.

A reminder that somebody from his regional branch of the Lighthouse Association was going to check up on the maintenance next month.

His monthly check for food, as provided by said association as part of his pay.

Junk mail.

Junk mail.

A poster advertising the opening of a nearby restaurant.

He flipped to the last piece of mail, which was an envelope with a wax seal. He opened it and found a printed letter.

Dear citizen of this lovely town,

You are formally invited to the ball that will be taking place on Tuesday, November 12th. It is being held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of this town's foundation, as well as Mayor Candleton’s 3rd reelection. 

It will take place at the city hall. Doors will open at 5PM, and it will be held until 1AM. Alcohol will be served for those of age. Any inappropriate behavior displayed will result in being escorted from the premises.

The dress attire is formal. The theme is, “Starry Night”, and the primary color themes are navy and gold.

There has been one invitation sent to every resident of town. For each invitation, a +1 is permitted.

We hope to see you there.

Central Town Committee 

Moomintroll looked at the invitation.

A ball?

He had nothing to wear. He barely wore clothes. Perhaps he’d go to town tomorrow and get fitted for a suit.

A +1.

Nervousness bubbled up inside of him. He decided to ask Snufkin if he’d go with him, even if it made him anxious.

What is he going to do? Say no? He thought scornfully. That’s the worst that could happen. It’s not like I’m asking him to do anything romantic. At most we’ll stay for a few hours, drink a bit, then come back home. And if he feels like he can’t handle it and he wants to stay home, that’s fine as well. I might as well give it a try.

He walked over to the kitchen window and looked outside. He immediately saw Snufkin sitting in the sand by his tent, looking at the oncoming waves.

He went outside and walked towards him. If Snufkin heard him coming, he didn’t look up, keeping his eyes fixed to the ocean.

“Sorry to disturb you.” Moomin said timidly. 

“It’s okay. What is it?”

“Well,” Moomintroll sat next to him and handed the invitation to Snufkin, “There’s a ball. I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.”

Snufkin looked over the paper. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s a ball?”

“Oh. Yes.” Moomin paused, trying to find the words. “Well… It’s a dance. But formal. You wear suits and dresses and such, and you’re supposed to dance formally and speak formally and act formally. But it’s lots of fun. I haven’t been to one in years.”

“Sounds suffocating.”

“Maybe. But acting fancy for a night is half of the fun.”

“Hm,” Snufkin said thoughtfully, “Will it be crowded?”

“Maybe inside the town hall. But there’s gardens out back. We can stay out there if it gets to be too much.”

Snufkin was quiet for a moment, before saying, “Alright. I’ll go.”

“Alright!” Moomintroll said, unintentionally sounding more excited than he wanted to let on. “I’ll take us to get fitted for suits tomorrow.” He paused. “I’ll leave you alone to think now. I’ll let you know when dinner is ready.”

He gained a nod from Snufkin, and getting up, he left.

Moomintroll was right. Snufkin was thinking about Mymblemamma.

Snufkin looked out to the waves.

He thought about his parents. Or, his lack of them.

He was apparently found in a bundle of woven seaweed, floating out above the waves. He had more human-like features than other sirens, so they thought he was a lost child from the sea, but he hadn’t drowned yet. And with some gentle experimentation, they found that he had gills and couldn’t drown.

Or, at least, that was what he was told. He was taken in by a gaggle of sirens bound to a few islands in the South Sea. It was a ruthless way of life they had, but they treated him as one of their own (He felt like an outsider because of his features, but as he aged, he began to look like a full siren). They raised him on fish, and as he came of age, they expected him to lure in a human for the first time.

He remembered it, clear as day. 

A small boat with a single fisherman in it was out on the waves. The fisherman was a young man, perhaps in his early 20’s, tanned and muscular. He didn’t seem to have much luck that day, and was about to start heading home.

Snufkin remembered when he began playing his conch shell. The man jumped out of the boat, madly trying to find the source of the sound. He dove under the water, swimming towards Snufkin. 

And Snufkin remembered how beautiful the man looked. Under the surface of the waves, his hair floated around his face, and he looked ethereal.

He stopped playing his conch shell and dragged him back up to his boat, and screamed at him to row away as fast as he could.

The man didn’t get far. One of his mentors, who was watching nearby, dragged him under the water and drowned him without even luring him in first.

He remembered crying that night.

So he decided to take off and travel the world. 

He’s had so many experiences, seen so many things, and yet, his mind would sometimes drift to the simple-yet-complex questions of:

Where did I come from? 

And,

Who are my parents?

When he heard Little My talk about her mother’s relationship with a sea troll, he was intrigued, but didn’t press on it. When he heard Mymblemamma herself speak of it, something in him felt very, very strange. He felt his heart beat a little faster, and an unexplained sense of awe. Something in him felt fearful. Something in him felt like there was something he wasn’t being told. He had gotten a foreboding. 

He anxiously waited for Little My to write back to him. He wanted to know more about this.

He eventually went inside for dinner. He had had enough thinking for today. It was starting to make his head hurt.

Moomintroll had made a wonderful dinner of split pea soup, freshly baked sourdough bread, garlic-roasted gnocchi, a berry salad with spinach and sweet raspberry dressing, and dark chocolate chip banana muffins. 

It was delicious, as always. Afterwards, they both retired to the living room. They picked up their respective books and read for a bit.

Until, that is, Moomintroll put his down. 

“We should play a game.” He said.

Snufkin looked up. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Cards.”
“Alright.”

Moomintroll got out his deck of cards and brought out a watermelon-flavored tequila that he had gotten as a gift. They began playing, drinking occasionally. Not to get explicitly drunk, but just casually. Snufkin liked the watermelon flavor.

Moomintroll knew lots of card games. He was also good at most of them, but Snufkin managed to win a few times after getting used to the rules.

It was when Moomintroll began getting a little tipsy that they decided to stop drinking. Both of them mutually agreed to this, and they wouldn’t say it, but they had both embarrassed themselves before in alcohol-related events.

Eventually, evening turned into night, and they both got tired. They said a quick goodnight, and Snufkin headed outside, while Moomintroll retired to his room.

Moomintroll wondered if it was cold out there.

He wondered if he should bring Snufkin another blanket.

He decided it was probably fine, and that Snufkin would probably come in and grab one himself if he got cold.

He wondered what the ball would be like.

He also wondered how Snufkin would look in a suit.

Snufkin, Snufkin, Snufkin.

That seemed to be all his mind focused on lately, and he wasn’t upset at that.

It was nice to have someone to pine over after so long.

It was nice to have company around constantly, even if he was outside.

It was nice to talk to Snufkin.

It was nice to see him smile.

And it was nice to touch him. To hold his hand, rub his back, and run his hands through his hair.

It was just…

Nice.

Those were his last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Thursday, November 7th.

Oh dear.

Moomintroll was laying in bed, starting absently at the ceiling. He was too preoccupied by his own thoughts. 

He only had five days to prepare for the ball. Well, that wasn’t a terribly short amount of time, but he wondered if they’d be able to find suits and get them fitted in time. There were only two tailors in town, and the entire population of the general area was going to attend.

He rolled over in bed and decided to go make breakfast.

Snufkin seemed to be ahead of the curve. He was downstairs, looking through the pantry when he saw Moomintroll.

“Good morning.” He said, giving a soft smile.

“Good morning. Were you going to cook again?” Moomintroll rubbed at his eyes sleepily.

“Yes, but I’m not quite sure what to make.” He pursed his lips. “There’s so many recipes in your recipe book.”

His sea troll accent was particularly thick there, and it caught Moomintroll off guard. It made his heart flutter. He quickly tried to gain his composure and walked over to the recipe book. Flipping through a few pages first, he hummed and closed the book. “Well,” He said thoughtfully, “Why not a Moomin family classic? We can make pancakes.”

“I do miss Moominmamma’s pancakes.”

“You just had them a few days ago, Snufkin.”

“Well, I can still miss them.”

Moomintroll giggled. “Whatever you say.”

They got to it, working as a team to make the pancakes. Moomintroll made the batter, and Snufkin poured it in the pan and flipped the dough. 

Moomintroll looked over to Snufkin, who was prodding at the edge of the pancake with his spatula. Something about all of this made him feel warm. It felt oddly domestic.

They weren’t doing anything particularly exciting today. They were just going to go and get their suits fitted, and maybe take Snufkin clothes shopping. And, even so, Moomintroll was okay with that. Their meeting was mystical and strange, but just spending time with Snufkin made Moomin’s heart full. 

He wished they could do this forever. Maybe that was boring, as they were only making breakfast together, but he didn’t care. He was old enough to appreciate the smaller things in life. The in-between moments, which aren’t particularly exciting, but that you’d appreciate later.

Snufkin flipped the last pancake and turned to Moomintroll. He was wearing his undershirt and some shorts that Moomin had lent to him for the trip to Moominvalley, and they both had at least some batter on them. “Well,” He sighed, “I guess it’s time for breakfast.” He smiled, his sharp teeth on full display.

“Not yet.” Moomintroll grabbed a paper towel and went over to Snufkin, gingerly wiping the batter off of his shirt and shorts. “You’re a mess.” He murmured.

Moomintroll didn’t know if he was reading him right, but Snufkin looked embarrassed. Or perhaps flustered. There was a pink tint to his cheeks.

Snufkin was usually hard to read, so he dismissed it.

They sat down and ate their pancakes. 

“They’re good. And I helped, too.” Snufkin said, particularly pleased with himself. “It’s too bad I wasn’t able to have these earlier in my life. I might’ve liked these as a child.”

“I don’t think stovetops work underwater.” Moomintroll said teasingly.

Snufkin squinted his eyes and smiled. “Sorry, I wasn’t aware. But maybe you could’ve made them for me and thrown them out to sea.”

“Soggy pancakes? I’ll pass, thank you.”

“It might be an acquired taste.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

They both laughed and continued their meal.

After they were done, they quickly cleaned up and got ready for their trip to town. And by that, it means that Moomintroll got a coat and his wallet, and Snufkin put on his green coat and hat.

His hat still had the flower in it, which Moomintroll found cute.

They made their way out, walking over the sand and onto the forest path. It was a chilly morning out, and the leaves of the trees were bright oranges and reds, cascading down from their branches and onto the path. Moomintroll grumpily thought that this path should have some sort of maintenance granted by the nearby city as he kicked some piles of leaves out of the way. Snufkin wanted to jump in some of the piles, and Moomintroll stopped him from doing so at first, but let him jump into one anyway.

Even if the leaves were annoying to navigate through, Moomintroll whistled jollily as they walked.

Halfway through their walk, a small object hit the back of Moomintroll’s head. Moomintroll stopped whistling and whipped around, picking up the object. It was an acorn.

“Snufkin,” Moomin whispered tensely, “I think there’s pixies here.”

Snufkin stopped and looked around. “No,” He said, “Just tree spirits.” He nodded to a tree off in the distance, where a small girl stood. She was peering at them behind the trunk of said tree, a crown of autumn leaves around her head. Upon being spotted, she seemed to disappear into the tree, as if her entire body merged with it. 

She was gone.

“Um. Alright.” Moomintroll tossed the acorn back onto the ground. “What was the point of throwing it at me?”

“Perhaps she didn’t like your whistling.” Snufkin said teasingly.

“Oh, hush. Let’s go.” Moomintroll grumbled, continuing on. 

They walked the rest of the way, eventually making it to town. Moomintroll led the way to the town’s suit shop, which was surprisingly (for the most part) empty.

“Maybe it’s empty because it’s early.” Moomin shrugged, opening the door.

It was a huge, grand shop. There were suits as far as the eye could see, and a few people were browsing around. Immediately, an attendant appeared before them. He was a fuzzy creature that looked similar to Sniff, and had on an expensive-looking suit. “Hello gentlemen, how may I-” He caught sight of Snufkin, and was immediately caught off guard, but regained his composure relatively quickly. “... Help you?”

Moomintroll had a feeling he’d be dealing with this a lot today. He cleared his throat. “We’d both like to purchase suits.”

“Well, of course. Let me measure you both.”

He did just that. Taking them both to the side, he got out a measuring tape and measured seemingly every area of their bodies. He seemed uncomfortable getting too close to Snufkin, but measured him anyway.

The attendant guided them to Snufkin’s size group first. 

“I’m assuming this is for the ball, everyone’s been coming to get their suits for that. Anyway, we have a lovely array of navy blue suits, this top in particular has been in style all year, and…”

Snufkin didn’t know much about suits in the first place, so Moomintroll helped him pick one out. They then went to Moomintroll’s size group (Which consisted of the second-largest sizes they had), and he quickly picked out his pieces.

It was time to try them on. Moomintroll asked if Snufkin needed help, and he said he could handle it. So they went into separate changing rooms and got ready.

Moomintroll was done first. He looked at himself in the mirror. He would most likely need a few alterations as the pant legs were too baggy, but the rest of it fit nicely.

He stepped outside of his dressing room. Snufkin was taking a long time to get ready. Moomintroll knocked on the dressing room door.

“Do you need help?”

No answer.

“Snufkin?” Moomin called.

“Yes, please.” Snufkin said meekly.

Moomintroll opened the door and entered the room. He closed the door behind him and looked at the scene before him.

Snufkin had managed to put the suit pants on, but was struggling with the dress shirt. His nails were too long to button it up.

Without saying anything, Moomintroll walked forward and began buttoning it up for him. They were silent. It all felt very intimate.

After he was done, Moomin helped him put on the suit jacket. 

They looked at each other in the mirror. They both had on dark blue suits, but they hadn’t picked out their ties yet, so they looked pretty informal.

Moomintroll couldn’t help but think that Snufkin looked dashing in his suit anyway. 

“So, what do you think?” Moomin asked.

“It’s uncomfortable.” Snufkin mumbled.

“It’ll only be for one night. Is that okay?”

“I suppose so.”

Moomintroll helped Snufkin get his suit jacket and dress shirt off so he could change back into his normal clothes, then went back to his own dressing room to change himself.

They then went to pick out their ties and handkerchiefs. Well, Moomintroll got a tie. Snufkin ended up liking a bowtie more. They got everything in the same light golden color.

They ended up picking out similar suits as well, so they’d almost be matching.

Moomintroll felt giddy at that.

They paid, put everything in two big paper bags and made their way to the tailor.

The closest one was about two blocks away. They made their way inside, and an old man was sitting at the front desk looking bored.

“Hello!” Moomintroll called. “Are you taking any more alterations this week for the ball?”

The old man straightened up and gazed at the two of them. He spent a particularly long time looking at Snufkin. Finally, he said, “Are you getting anything done for him?”

“Erm, yes. These are our suits.” Moomin said awkwardly.

“Sorry, I can’t help you. You can go to the other tailor across town.”

“Oh. Has it been busy?”

“Get out of my store.” The old man said icily.

They did as they were told.

Moomintroll grumbled to himself and kicked at the dirt. “Rotten old man. How’d he feel if he was the one to-”

Snufkin grabbed onto Moomintroll’s shoulder and squeezed. His gaze was calm. “Moomintroll, let’s go to the other tailor. Maybe we’ll have better luck.”

“Nobody should be treating you that way, Snufkin!” Moomin said, raising his voice. He was clearly very upset. “I don’t care how set in their ways they are, or if they’ve never seen anybody like you before. They’re all positively rotten , that’s what they are. I swear, if we have a problem with that other tailor, I’ll-”

“Moomintroll.” Snufkin grabbed both of Moomintroll’s shoulders and looked at him intently. “You don’t have to be okay with it. You can be angry. I’m quite disappointed, myself. But don’t we have plans today?” He smiled sympathetically. 

Moomintroll sighed. “I suppose we do have to get things done. But if one more person is cross with you, I swear, I’ll- I’ll-”

“I know. Come on, dove. Let’s get going.” He let go of Moomintroll and looked at him expectantly. 

Moomintroll led the way. It was about a fifteen minute walk across town, but they made it. There were more people out than when they first entered town. It seemed like some people were rushing to work. But it wasn’t too crowded, so they weren’t held up by anything.

They stood in front of the shop. It was smaller and dingier than the other one, but they went inside anyway.

A small old woman sat at the front desk, snoozing away. She was tiny, with a huge head of gray hair pinned up into a bun. She had big goggle-like glasses and all sorts of pins and needles in her hair. 

As soon as she heard the front door open, she jumped up. “Oh!”

“Sorry to… erm, disturb you, miss.” Moomintroll said, walking up with their suits. “Do you have room to take our suits for alterations?”

“Do I?!” She exclaimed, “That rotten Bumbleton has been taking all of my business! He spreads rumors about me, you know. That my work is subpar. Pah!” She huffed. “I’ll alter your suits, all right. Come here, both of you. I have a changing room in the back, you can put your suits on and I’ll mark where to make the alterations.”

She led them both to the back, and they went one by one. Moomintroll put on his suit first, then he helped Snufkin put his on. The old woman immediately got to work, shoving pins in the fabric where she’d sew it. It made Moomintroll nervous that the pins were so close to his skin, but he didn’t make a fuss.

She got to Snufkin’s suit. “Oh!” She exclaimed, “I didn’t notice before, with these old eyes, but you’re a sea troll, aren’t you?” She put her hands up to her cheeks. “And a handsome one at that! I saw one of your kind in my youth, and I was smitten, I tell you! Well, I’m a bit smitten now. Ha!” She cackled and got back to work. Snufkin looked flustered.

She finished marking up their suits and they got to change back into their regular clothes. She put their suits to the side and led them back to the front. Moomintroll paid her and they were off.

“They’ll be done on Sunday!” She called, “Come back in the afternoon! I’ll see you two then!”

They exited the shop.

“She was nice.” Snufkin remarked.

“Thankfully.” Moomin sighed. “Now, come on, I wanted to buy you some more clothes. You’ve been wearing that same green coat for almost the entire time I’ve known you. Has it even been washed?”

“No.”

“That’s my point. Let’s go.”

They walked about two blocks before they came across a moderately sized shop. It seemed to have just been opened for the day.

“I know you don’t like new clothes. So, I thought we could buy you something already used.”

“They sell used clothes here?” Snufkin asked.

“Yes. It’s a thrift shop. They’re in relatively good condition too, I think.”

They walked inside. It smelled like cleaning supplies and dust.

They went through the aisles, looking through the different racks. Moomintroll quickly found that Snufkin had a strange taste in clothes. He was drawn to skirts, ponchos, dresses, and other flowy-type materials. And when he tried them on, if they weren’t worn in enough, he’d put them back on the rack.

He had to help Snufkin change a few times. He was lacing the back of a flowy yellow dress that Snufkin was wearing with leggings and a red scarf.

“Are shirts and pants too uncomfortable?” Moomintroll asked.

“No, but I like these better.”

Moomintroll stepped back and looked at Snufkin in the changing room mirror. “Well, I think it looks great on you.”

“Thank you.” 

They picked out a few more things, but admittedly it wasn’t much. Snufkin seemed to be picky. Most of the things they picked were also either yellow or green, which seemed to be his favorite colors. 

They went to the register and paid, the cashier looking at them strangely. Moomintroll paid him no mind. He just wanted to leave, as he was getting a little sick of the lemony chemical smell that was present in the store.

They left with their things and decided to stop somewhere for lunch before they went back. They went to a little cafe that sold soups, sandwiches, and pastries.

Snufkin got tomato soup with sourdough bread, Moomintroll got a chickpea salad sandwich, and they both shared a small piece of chocolate cake.

They talked for a bit after they finished their food. Moomintroll often found himself staring at Snufkin when he laughed or looked away. His skin looked unbelievably soft in this lighting, and Moomintroll just wanted to cup his face in his hands and… Well, he didn’t know what he’d do. But he did know that Snufkin looked really, really beautiful today.

Oh, what he’d do to have more time with Snufkin. He wished he didn’t have to sleep or work just so that he could laugh and talk to him all day and all night. He doubted that Snufkin would want to be around him all day, as he treasured his alone time, but it was a nice thought anyway.

The blue moon was in six days. He shuddered at the thought. He really, really hoped he was wrong about what he thought was going to happen.

Snufkin turning back into a siren would be devastating. 

They gathered their things and left, making their way back down to the forest path. Moomintroll didn’t whistle this time as they made their way onto it, as he didn’t want another tree spirit to pelt him with acorns.

Is my whistling really that bad? Pah! Maybe it’s their ears that are wrong.

They eventually made their way back to the lighthouse. Moomintroll noticed that there was mail in the mailbox. Picking it up, he looked at it.

“It’s from Little My!” He gasped. Snufkin immediately perked up, trying to peer over Moomintroll’s shoulder, who was opening the letter.

Dear Snufkin,

I don’t know why you want to know, but I went ahead and asked my mother for more information. I didn’t know much about it myself, other than surface level stuff.

My mother traveled a lot when she was younger. Particularly by boat. She said that one day, she was lured in by a siren’s song. She thought she was done for, but the siren only lured her in because he thought she was beautiful.

I’ll spare you all the gross details she told me. But he followed her everywhere. And his name was Joxter, apparently. I think. I’m not exactly sure of how to spell it.

They ended up having a child together, can you believe it? But my mother couldn’t keep him because he needed to be in the water. So, she sent him off to sea. That baby probably drowned, if you ask me. Poor thing.

Before she told him she was pregnant though, he stopped coming around. I don’t know why he did that, but it left my mother heartbroken. She moved on, though, as you can see by all her other children… 

Since you have such a strange interest in this, I’ve attached a paper to the back with my mother’s home address. She’s already gone home, so if you write to her now, she’ll probably see it.

See you soon, hopefully. I want to go sailing with you again!

Little My

Snufkin stared at the paper, dumbfounded. A million frantic thoughts were running through his head.

Moomintroll put a hand on the small of his back. “Let’s write back to Little My.” He said gently, guiding Snufkin inside.

Snufkin only nodded.

Snufkin didn’t know what to say, so Moomintroll wrote the letter for him.

Little My,

Thank you for everything. We appreciate it.

Everything will be explained later.

We’d love to go sailing again, hopefully. I’ll let you know what happens.

Moomintroll

Snufkin was sitting on the living room couch, his head in his hands.

Moomintroll sat next to him. “Are you alright?” 

“Yes,” Snufkin whispered, “It’s just… I never knew my parents, and…”

“Do you think Mymblemamma, is, you know…”

“I don’t know.” Snufkin sighed. “I might have to write to her. And even if I do, I’ll never know for sure.”

Moomintroll reached over and brushed his paw against Snufkin’s hair. “Your hair does have a bit of a reddish tint.” He said, smiling sympathetically.

“It was red when I was younger,” He mused, “But it’s since turned brown…” 

“I wish I could’ve seen you with red hair. I think it’d suit you.”

“I didn’t really know mirrors existed until I started traveling, so I don’t know if it suited me or not.”

Moomintroll blinked. “Well, I’m sure it did.”

“I don’t know about that, but thank you anyway.”

Moomintroll was silent for a moment. “Do you want to write to Mymblemamma?”

Snufkin pursed his lips. “Sure.”

Snufkin talked out loud and Moomintroll wrote down what he was saying.

Dear Mymblemamma,

I know we didn’t talk much when I was visiting in Moominvalley, but I think it’d be good for us to connect.

I heard about you and the Joxter, and your child together. 

You see, I personally grew up without parents, and I was found at sea… Wrapped in a bundle of woven seaweed. They thought I was a land troll child at first, but quickly found out that I could breathe underwater. Also, I had a tail, so that was a dead giveaway. But I think it’s fair of me to say that my land troll-like features didn’t last very long.

I know this is vague, but if any of it sounds familiar, please let me know.

You can write back to me at this address.

Snufkin

Moomintroll looked over the letter.

“I’ll go put it in an envelope and send it.” He said gently, getting up and walking away.

Snufkin put his head in his hands. Sighing, he got up and walked outside, into the sand and out by the waves.

He had to process this.

***

Snufkin later came in for dinner. Moomintroll had made a spread of potato and leek soup, a three bean salad, and cauliflower chunks that were fried in batter and spices. There was also blueberry lemonade.

He seemed awfully deep in thought as he ate. Moomintroll was worried.

“Have you been okay? I know you were outside for the past few hours.” Moomintroll asked, looking down at his soup.

Snufkin took a sip of his lemonade. “I’ve been fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Snufkin sighed. “Yes. I’m sure. I’m fine, it’s just a lot to think about.”

Moomintroll frowned to himself. “I see. I understand.”

He wished Snufkin would confide in him, but he didn’t want to push it.

They finished their meal, and Snufkin got up to go back outside. Before he pushed open the door, he paused and looked back to Moomintroll.

“Do you want to smoke tonight? Maybe we can look at the stars.” Snufkin said.

“Oh,” Moomintroll breathed, “Alright. I’ll go get my pipe.”

Moomintroll jogged upstairs to get his pipe, and made his way back down and outside. Snufkin was waiting for him by his tent, and put a big blanket over the sand for them to lay down in. He was sitting on it, and once he saw Moomin, he scooted over and patted the space next to him.

Moomintroll plopped down on the blanket and brought out his pipe and lighter, lighting the pipe and taking a breath of smoke. He passed the pipe to Snufkin and looked up at the stars.

“You know,” Moomin mused, “This might not make you feel better. But at least you’ll feel ill, rather than bad.”

“I think you’ve said that to me before.” Snufkin blew out some smoke.

“Probably. But it’s true.”

“I know.”

The two looked up at the stars, passing the pipe between the two of them. They didn’t have the telescope, but they didn’t need it. The night sky was just as beautiful. And soon, the stars started to get brighter, but more hazy and blurred together. They had been smoking for some time now, so Moomintroll blew against the embers inside of his pipe and put it down next to him. They both laid down in the blanket.

“The moon doesn’t look as blue.”

“What?”

“The moon. Look at it.” Snufkin pointed up into the sky. “It’s fading.”

Moomintroll looked up. “Oh.”

Snufkin was right. While the blue tint was faint before, it was still apparent. Now, it looked… Normal.

“Let’s hope Mymblemamma gets back to you soon. I know this is important to you.” Moomin said.

“Let’s hope.” Snufkin paused. “That’s not the only reason I want to stay.”

Moomin’s heart jumped. “It’s not?”

“No,” Snufkin mumbled, “I like being here.” Slowly, he turned his palm up in invitation.

Moomintroll took the hint. Reaching over, he took the other’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

We shouldn’t be doing this, Moomintroll thought to himself, but the worry was brief. He reveled in the other’s touch, and hopeful wishing bubbled up inside of him.

They laid side by side in silence, looking up at the night sky. Moomintroll’s mind was a bit hazy from smoking, but Snufkin’s touch felt electric. His hand was warm and soft, despite the jagged nails jutting out from it. 

This was all relaxing, but perhaps a bit too relaxing.

His mind got hazier and hazier, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

***

Moomintroll woke up with a start. 

Looking around, he quickly realized he was in his bedroom. 

Indica, He thought to himself, It always makes me sleepy.

It was still dark out. Looking at his alarm clock, he tried to make out the time.

2:43 AM.

He looked down. On his bedside table, there was a small pink heart-shaped shell, with a scrap of paper next to it. In a child-like scrawl, it said,

Sleep well.

He picked up the shell.

It was beautiful.

Despite his heart feeling like it was going to explode, he eventually went back to sleep.

Chapter Text

“I think I should help you shave.”

Snufkin looked up from his oatmeal. “What?”

“W-Well,” Moomin stuttered, “Not if you don’t want to, of course… But you’ve been growing facial hair, and quickly at that, so I thought maybe I could help you shave in time for the ball. Just to make it look tidy.”

The two were sitting down at the dining table, sharing a simple breakfast of oatmeal with berries and orange juice. 

Snufkin rubbed the sides of his face. His touch was met with friction from his growing hair. “I think I’ve been on land for too long.” He paused. “Does it look bad?”

“No! No, of course not. I think you look very… Er, handsome with it.” Moomintroll looked down into his meal. “But like I said, just to make it tidy… If you want.”

Snufkin thought about that for a second. “Alright,” He said finally, “I’m not used to having much hair, anyway.”

They finished their meal in a comfortable silence and cleaned up after themselves before both making their way to the bathroom upstairs. Moomintroll brought a stool with him so he could sit Snufkin down in front of the mirror by the sink.

Snufkin plopped down on the stool. Turning on the faucet, Moomintroll got his hands wet and patted his damp paws against Snufkin’s face, who winced.

He got to work with shaving cream and a razor. He was as gentle as he could be, trying very hard not to nick him.

Snufkin stared at himself in the mirror as Moomintroll worked. “You could’ve let me do this by myself.” He murmured.

“I could’ve. But you would’ve probably cut up your face.” Moomin said gently. “You’ve never done this before. Let me fuss over you.”

Snufkin furrowed his brow. “And you have? You have a full coat of fur.”

Moomintroll chuckled. “Once, when me and Sniff were on our adventures, we found ourselves in quite the situation. By some force of nature, we found ourselves temporarily serving an Autocrat, and you see, he wanted his beard well taken care of…”

Snufkin listened. He was invested, but tried his best not to move his face. He didn’t want Moomintroll to cut him.

“... Can you believe that?” Moomin said finally. “Well, enough about myself. You’ve never told me about any of your adventures, you know. Traveling the world’s seas.”

Snufkin shrugged. “It never came up.”

“Do tell me.”

“Well…” Snufkin paused to think. “I once was taken prisoner by a gaggle of mermaids. They seem friendly to those on land, but they don’t like sirens much. We’re seen as their ugly, meaner cousins.” He smiled wryly.

“Oh! What did you do?”

“I ‘stole’ their kelp. Apparently these mermaids had a special type of kelp they used for basket weaving. I was going to use it to get the fish out from between my teeth, but they caught me and locked me in a cage.”

Moomintroll furrowed his brow. “And how’d you get out?”

“The cage was made out of coral. So I broke the bottom and dug my way out with a spoon.”

“Dug your way out? How does that even work underwater?”

“I’ll leave it up to your imagination.”

They both giggled, but while doing so, Moomintroll nicked Snufkin’s face. Gasping, Moomin rummaged through his bathroom cabinet and quickly cleaned off the blood, patting it down with a napkin and putting a small bandaid over it.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’ll be gone soon.” Snufkin brushed his fingers against the material of the bandaid.

“Oh. Right. You heal fast.” Moomin let out a breath. “That’s a relief.”

“Even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t mind.” He paused. “I went most of my life without seeing my face. I don’t see why it matters if there’s a cut or two somewhere.”

Moomin’s heart beat a little faster. He really admired Snufkin’s perspective on things. “Right. Well, we’re almost done. Hold still.”                         

He quickly finished up and washed Snufkin’s face. He patted a towel against the siren’s wet skin.

“That feels better, actually.” Snufkin sighed, relieved. “It was getting quite itchy.”

“I’m glad. Well, now you can-”

They both paused. The front door’s doorbell was ringing, the sound being carried up the stairs and to the bathroom.

“Who’s that?” Snufkin whispered.

“I don’t know. Perhaps a traveler. I’m not expecting anyone.” Drying off his hands, he made his way out of the bathroom and down the stairs, Snufkin in tow.

Moomin opened the door just a crack, but upon seeing who it was, he opened up the door all the way. “Oh,” He said, confused, “Hello. What can I do for you?”

The policewoman that looked after Snufkin was standing outside the door, wringing her hands. Around her stood all twenty-four of the woodies. Snufkin stood behind Moomin, and once he saw them, he turned and tried to flee. Unfortunately for him, they stormed inside and swarmed him, climbing up his body and dragging him down onto the floor. He let out a defeated cry.

Moomin looked on in shock. He turned to the policewoman, mouth agape. “Um-”

“I know it’s a lot to ask for,” She said quickly, “But I’ve been looking after them since they came into the station, and I’m having a family emergency… I need to travel out of town, it’s not far, but I can’t bring them with me. I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Would you please look after them? I know they like your friend Snufkin, so…”

Moomintroll got a good look at her. There were bags under her eyes, and she looked extremely stressed. He sighed. 

“Sure. I’ll be able to take care of them.”

“Oh, thank you so much!” She cried. “Thank you, thank you, thank-”

“Can I at least get your name? And a number to call in case anything happens?” Moomin asked.

“Oh! I’m sorry.” She cleared her throat. “My name is Rosie. And here, do you have a pen? I’ll be traveling to my aunt’s house, let me give you their number…”

They got everything sorted out, and Rosie was on her way. Snufkin was still laying on the lighthouse floor, looking up at the ceiling anxiously as the woodies cuddled him. 

Moomintroll helped him up, shaking off a few of the children. 

“Alright, little ones,” He called, “You can spend time with Snufkin, but there’s no need to swarm him like that. Now, who wants to draw?”

The woodies cheered.

Snufkin, overwhelmed, made his way outside, much to the dismay of the woodies. Moomin stopped them from following him, instead giving them all a stack of paper and crayons to draw. 

He sat on his chair in the living room, watching them draw on the floor. It was chilly, so he put the fire on, and the entire house was budding with warmth.

It was starting to get colder in this part of the world. By the end of the month, the first snow of the year was to be expected. Moomintroll distantly wondered, that in the event that Snufkin was able to stay longer than the deadline of the blue moon’s passing, how would he like the winter? Would he like the snow? Or perhaps he’d dislike the colder weather, and he’d stay by the fire the entire time. Moomin figured that he must be cold-blooded, after all. He was a sea creature (Or, at least half of one).

The thought of Snufkin in the winter made him feel warm. He wanted to make him hot chocolate. He wanted to share a blanket with him. He’s never bothered to celebrate Christmas (And to be frank, he still didn’t know much about it), but perhaps he could take a crack at it with Snufkin. They’d be equally clueless.

There laid the question of, Would Snufkin want to do those things as well?

He thought back to the previous night, and the heart shaped shell that laid on his nightstand. It was still sitting there at this very moment. 

Part of him was hopeful. The other part of him, the anxiety-filled mass, was gnawing at him. Telling him that he was imagining things.

He had taken the hand holding, the gifts, the more intimate touches as something innocent. He had taken it as, “There’s a cultural difference here”. Perhaps there was something deeper to it.

He felt his cheeks heating up.

He also felt a slap against his leg.

Looking down, one of the woodies was holding up a broken red crayon. There were tears in his eyes.

“Oh,” Moomintroll said softly, “Let me get you another one.”

…

Snufkin eventually came inside around lunchtime. Moomintroll was making sandwiches at a hurried speed, trying to get them out to as many little mouths as he could. He barely had enough bread to cover all of them, and noted that he needed to make a trip to the market soon. 

Snufkin, seeing this panicked franticity, immediately jumped in to help.

They got out twenty-six sandwiches, most of those for the woodies, and two of them for themselves. 

“We’re out of sliced bread.” Moomintroll muttered. “I suppose we’ll have to make some homemade bread instead to last until we go to the market.”

“That sounds delicious.” Snufkin took a bite out of his sandwich.

“It is! I’ll teach you how to make it.”

After the lunch frenzy, they decided to take the woodies outside to run and play their little hearts out in the sand. Moomintroll and Snufkin sat on a blanket together, watching over them. The woodies ran around, some making sand castles, others kicking at and running from the waves, other play wrestling and some playing tag. 

Snufkin was glad that their attention was diverted from him.

“I take it that you don’t like children.”

“I don’t know,” Snufkin said honestly, “Perhaps I’d like them a bit more if they didn’t attack me on sight.”

“Oh, they weren’t attacking you… Erm, at least I don’t think so. They just seem to really like you.”

“They’re too attached to me.”

“Freedom, right?”

“What?”

“You like to be free. I’m guessing you don’t like attachments.”

Snufkin was silent for a moment. “It’s not that,” He said finally, “I just need my space sometimes. Freedom is important, but not all attachments are bad… In moderation.”

“Oh.” Moomintroll paused. “Sorry for assuming.”

“It’s okay.”

Nearby, a small woodie child face planted into the sand and started crying, wailing for everybody to hear.

“Oh, dear!” Moomintroll stood up and ran over to the child, scooping her up in his arms and rocking her. She seemed to have gotten sand in her eyes. “Let’s get you fixed up.” He murmured.

Snufkin walked closely behind as Moomintroll made his way over to the water hose by the lighthouse. He turned it on and put the child down, helping her wash her face in the water.

“Open your eyes and let the water go in- Yes, like that. You’re doing wonderfully.” He said encouragingly. 

Snufkin awkwardly rubbed the child’s back, trying to be soothing as she sniffled and flushed the sand out of her eyes.

Eventually she sufficiently flushed her eyes and ran back off to the other woodies as if nothing had even happened.

Moomintroll turned off the hose and sighed, smiling to himself. “You’re sweet, you know.”

“Am I really?” Snufkin narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“Yes, you are.” He said pointedly. “You didn’t have to help.”

“I just felt like it.”

“Well, Mr. Just-Felt-Like-It, you’re sweet.”

“If you say so.”

They made their way back to their blanket in the sand and laid down. Snufkin fiddled with his conch shell and Moomintroll lazily looked after the children.

“How’s your song coming along?” Moomin asked.

“Good. I’m almost done with it.”

“I’d like to hear it when it’s done.”

Snufkin shrugged. “Sure.”

“You’re talented, you know.”

Snufkin let out a whistle. “There’s no such thing as talent. Only hard work.”

“Hm. I suppose you’re right. Well, you’re good at what you do.”

“Thank you.”

The temperature eventually started dropping, so they collected all of the children and brought them inside. They seemed tuckered out, so Moomintroll laid down multiple blankets and pillows across the living room floor (much like a nest), and the woodies cuddled up against each other and took a mid-afternoon nap.

Snufkin decided to go outside and smoke, and Moomintroll went to go check on the lights on top of the lighthouse. 

Smoking wasn’t all Snufkin was doing outside, however. Conch shell in hand, he walked off into the forest, determined to get something figured out.

Moomintroll didn’t notice, however, and all was peaceful.

***

Later in the evening, Moomintroll was making dinner. Most of the woodies had woken up, and were trying to get into the cupboards to scavenge for food.

He made a whole pot full of potato and leek soup, quickly serving all of the children. He didn’t have enough bowls, so some of them ate out of cups and mugs. 

They happily ate their meals, and about halfway through, Snufkin walked into the kitchen. He was covered in leaves and scratches.

Moomintroll immediately got up and rushed over to him. He picked the leaves off his clothes. “What happened?!” 

Snufkin smiled. “You’ll soon find out.”

Moomin blinked. “Well… Okay. Anyway, I made dinner, but I’m afraid you’ll have to eat out of a mug…”

Snufkin was more than happy to eat out of a mug.

“You know,” Moomin said, taking a sip of his soup, “I got a letter from my neighbor earlier. You know, the one whose son took care of the lighthouse while we were gone.”

“Oh?”

“He wants to have tea with me tomorrow. We catch up every now and then, so I wanted to let you know that I’ll be gone tomorrow for a little bit.”

“Alright.”

Snufkin didn’t mind at all. He was more than happy to get some time to relax by himself.

After dinner, the woodies were bursting with energy again, so Moomintroll wracked his brain for ideas on how to keep them occupied.

Think, Moomintroll. What would children like to do?

Snufkin, almost as if reading his mind, tapped on Moomintroll’s shoulder. “Why don’t we put a record on?” He asked.

“Oh! That’d be wonderful. Thank you, Snufkin.”

They both picked up all the blankets and pillows off the living room floor and put them to the side, clearing the area. Moomintroll went off to go get the record player, and plopped it down on the coffee table. He put on a record.

Almost immediately, the woodies cheered, skipping and dancing around amongst themselves. Moomintroll laughed and clapped along to the music, sitting on the couch next to Snufkin and watching the children. 

The fire roared behind them. It was a nice, cozy night. 

One of the woodies tapped on Snufkin’s leg. The siren raised an eyebrow, to which the child twirled in a circle and held her hands up.

“I think she wants to dance with you.” Moomin said.

“Oh. Uh… Okay.” Snufkin hesitated, but bent down and scooped her up in his arms. Standing up, he began waltzing in a circle with her. The music began to get faster, so he spun quicker, eventually breaking out into a smile as he did so. He thrust her into the air several times, making her scream with laughter as they spun in their little circle. 

The music came to an end, and he put her down. She toddled off and began dancing with her siblings as the next song started. Snufkin threw himself back onto the couch, panting.

“You’re not bad with children.” Moomin observed.

“Maybe they’re not so bad.”

Moomin paused. “Do you want to dance?”

“... Sure.”

They both got up, and began dancing together to the fast-paced music. Moomin stamped his feet to the beat and was laughing as he did so. Snufkin, a bit newer to dancing, tried his best to move to the music. He looked a bit awkward anyway.

They danced to several songs, tiring themselves out quite a bit. They both collapsed onto the couch, panting messes. They looked at each other, sharing a look before bursting out into laughter. 

Their laughter died out, and they watched the woodies dance. A few of them had already tapped out, sitting down on the floor out of exhaustion. 

Moomintroll reached over and gingerly took Snufkin’s hand in his. He was met with no resistance. He distantly wondered if this was okay to do, but decided that it didn’t matter. Snufkin wasn’t explicit towards how he felt about their casual intimacy, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“You’re getting better at dancing.” Moomintroll chuckled.

“You think so? I still feel like I’m stumbling over my feet.”

“Mhm.” He rubbed his thumb over Snufkin’s knuckles. “Perhaps you’ll sweep someone off their feet at the ball.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that. ”

Moomin squinted his eyes playfully. “And why not?”

“I don’t think I’ll be dancing with anyone other than you, if I dance at all.”

“Oh.” Moomin paused, thinking. “It’s not the same type of dancing we do here. There’s specific steps and moves. Maybe it’ll be easier on you. Or perhaps harder. I think we should practice.”

“Another time. I’m exhausted.”

“Alright.”

They watched the woodies continue to dance. Snufkin eventually laid his head on Moomintroll’s shoulder. They stayed like that for quite a bit, until the last of the woodies stopped dancing and sat on the floor, exhausted.

Moomintroll moved Snufkin and got up off the couch. “Okay!” He called, “I think it’s time for bed. Come on, you all.” He began laying out the blankets and pillows on the floor, and Snufkin helped. They successfully created a nest for the woodies, who jumped in the middle of it and began nuzzling against the warm blankets. 

They left quietly, making their way to the kitchen.

Moomin sighed. “Alright. That’s that. They’ll be picked up in the morning.”

“That they shall.” Snufkin’s words sounded particularly smooth with his thick sea troll accent. Moomintroll could listen to him speak all day. He cleared his throat. “You wanted to know where I was earlier.”

“Oh!” Moomin snapped back to attention. “Yes. Where were you?”

“Come on.” Snufkin took Moomintroll’s hand and led him outside, gently closing the door behind them. He led them over the sand and towards the forest.

Moomin pulled back. “I think it’s dangerous to go there at night. The forest, I mean. There might be… I don’t know, wild animals-”

“It’s fine.” Snufkin took Moomin’s hands again, rubbing them soothingly. “We’ll be safe, I promise.”

Moomin couldn’t make out his expression in the poor lighting, but Snufkin’s gaze felt particularly electric. He felt a deep blush settle over his cheeks. “... Alright.”

They began walking again. 

They made their way onto the forest path that led to town, but as soon as they got on it, Snufkin pulled them off to the side. They were going off-path. Moomin felt anxiety bubble in his chest, but he decided to trust Snufkin.

They made their way into the trees, over a stream and past a few ditches. Snufkin sidestepped all their obstacles easily, but Moomin found himself stumbling a few times. Eventually, they came to a small grassy clearing. A few fairies buzzed around, glowing all sorts of colors. 

Snufkin took out his conch shell. He played a short, sweet few notes. It was too short to really draw Moomin in, but it seemed to be enough for whatever Snufkin was doing.

A girl seemingly melted out of the tree closest to them. Moomin nearly screamed. 

She was short, with her features dainty and her skin a light green. She was a tree spirit, he realized.

Wordlessly, she stomped up to Snufkin and held out her hands. Rummaging through his pockets, he gave her a handful of blueberries, and apple, and an orange.

That seemed to be enough for her. She ran full speed back to her tree, and instantly merged with it.

Then, something happened.

The tree shuddered and creaked, and its entire body seemed to bend down to the two men. Its branches reached forward and curled around them, then lifting them up into the sky.

Moomin was screaming the entire time, of course. Snufkin seemed oddly at peace with this. He reached over and grabbed Moomin’s hands.

“Shh! Moomin, it’s okay. We’re okay.” He reassured. Moomin slowly stopped writhing around and opened his eyes.

The branches had woven themselves together to make a hammock for the two. They were at the top of the tree, overlooking the rest of the forest. The ocean could be seen as well. Stars sparkled above beautifully.

Moomin tried to look down, but Snufkin grabbed his cheeks and forced him to look at him in the eyes.

“It’s okay,” He said softly, “Trust me.”

Moomin nodded wordlessly. He looked around at their view, and back to Snufkin. He had a bewildered expression on his face. “Snufkin… Why did you… How?”

“There’s something happening tonight, so I thought that we should get a better view. I did ask for some help, though.” He smiled. 

“Something happening tonight…?”

“Yes, it should start any minute now.”

The two looked into the sky, and after a few minutes, a shooting star shot through the sky. Then another one. Then two more.

“A meteor shower!” Moomin exclaimed.

They shot through the sky, lighting only for a few seconds before going dark.

“You know, they say that every shooting star is a new fairy being born.” Snufkin murmured.

“Is that true?”

“Probably.”

Moomin felt something bubbling inside of his chest. He turned to face Snufkin, only to see him already looking at him. 

They instantly came to an understanding.

1. Snufkin felt similarly as Moomintroll.
2. They only had a few days left together.
3. Under these circumstances, while they both knew, one mustn't say it.
4. What they couldn’t say, they could do.

Moomintroll leaned forward, lifting up his snout and gingerly placing his lips against Snufkin’s.

It was a soft kiss, filled with so much fondness that Moomin thought his heart was going to explode.

They pulled away, looking at each other in the eyes.

“Snufkin,” Moomintroll breathed, “I don’t think we should-”

Snufkin pulled him in for another kiss.

They kissed many times that night, eventually settling into silence as they watched the meteor shower above. Their fingers intertwined, Snufkin would gently whisper about all the stories behind the sky and the stars, myths and legends that he grew up hearing as a child. Moomintroll listened intently, drinking in as much of Snufkin’s soothing, honey-like voice as he could.

It was a long night, but eventually Snufkin got them down from the tree (Turns out, he used his conch shell as a means of communicating with the tree spirit to put them down) and led them back home.

Moomintroll stood at the lighthouse door.

“Do you want to come in?” He asked gently. “It’s cold out.”

Snufkin shook his head. Leaning forward, he kissed Moomin’s cheek. He tipped his hat. “Goodnight, Moomintroll.” And with that, he turned his back and headed towards his tent.

Moomintroll felt as if he was going to melt into a puddle, but made his way up to his room.

It was hard to fall asleep, but once he did, he had many love-filled dreams.

Chapter Text

“There- There you go, go on. Yes, that way. Come on!”

Moomintroll ushered the woodies out of the lighthouse door, watching as they trickled over to Rosie the policewoman.

“Thank you so much.” She sighed, relieved. “Everything ended up being fine with my aunt, but I’m glad you were able to cover for a day.”

“I’m glad to hear.”

“Alright, well thank you! Goodbye now!” Rosie walked off, the children bouncing behind her. Moomintroll waved until they were out of view.

He closed the front door and turned around. Snufkin was standing there, wringing his hands together.

“They’re gone?” He asked.

“Yes. What, were you excited for them to leave?”

“Not excited. I almost started to enjoy them. I’m just glad to have a little bit of space.”

“Well, you’ll get more of it. I’m visiting my neighbor today for tea.”

Moomintroll walked to the kitchen and began washing some dishes in the sink. It was mid-morning, and he had gotten up early to make porridge for all of the woodies. There were twenty-six bowls and twenty-six spoons in the sink, which made him want to groan.

He had just started scrubbing when he felt two arms wrap around his waist. Snufkin put his chin on Moomintroll’s shoulder. “Which one?”

Moomin smiled to himself. “Do you remember the man that came to look after the lighthouse? His father is my neighbor. He’s a bit older than me, but not by much.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be long.”

Snufkin didn’t say anything, silently watching Moomin wash the dishes over his shoulder.

Moomin cleared his throat. “Did you want to help?”

“Oh! Of course.” Snufkin let go and began drying the dishes.

It was a slow morning. The pair decided to clean up around the lighthouse, mending the destruction that the woodies left in their wake. They washed dishes, scrubbed floors, and picked up the nest they had made for the children to sleep on.

They were busy, but every once in a while they would stop to rest. They’d talk, hold hands, and occasionally look at each other with such emotionally charged eyes that the entire mood changed. They would then get back to work. 

Moomintroll wasn’t sure if Snufkin felt this too, but he felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest whenever the other so much as touched him. He wasn’t used to this at all.

If it were up to him, he would drop everything to go wander off into the forest with Snufkin and lock lips with him again.

But he had responsibilities. And he wasn’t exactly sure how to initiate another kiss. It had been a while since he had had any romantic endeavors. 

In other words, he was awkward. Luckily for him, Snufkin seemed to have no trouble initiating, at least when it came to hand holding.

They worked quickly, because Moomintroll had to make it to his neighbor’s. After they were done, Moomintroll quickly packed a basket full of fruit and a bottle of wine as a gift. He was almost out the door when he turned to Snufkin, who had followed him.

“Thank you for the help.” Moomin said, out of breath.

“You’re welcome.” Snufkin reached forward and grabbed Moomin’s hand. He brought it to his lips and gave it a quick kiss before setting it back down.

“Uh. Hm.” Moomintroll’s face was a furious shade of red. “Yeah. I’ll see you in a few hours.” And with that, he rushed out the door.

Snufkin stared after him through the window until he was out of sight. 

He sighed and stepped back, then looked towards the stairs. He had a challenge before him today.

A challenge of the soap-and-shampoo kind.

***

Several times, Moomintroll wondered if he was lost. The path to get there twisted and turned, and there were many branches in the road, so one could never be sure if they were going the right way. He had gotten lost many times before. But this time, he had navigated the path correctly, because before him stood the small cottage in the woods. Firewood lay stacked outside, and the flowers in their little garden seemed to be withering up. It was only right for this time of year. 

He walked up to the front door to knock, but before he could, the door was thrown open. There stood his neighbor, who was a mumrik with wild hair and large blue-tinted glasses. He had smile lines around his eyes, as well as gray streaks in his hair.

“Moomintroll!” He exclaimed, rushing forward. He grabbed hold of Moomin’s paw and shook it wildly in his own. “It’s been so long! And you’re early!” He straightened his posture and cleared his throat. “You’ll have to excuse the mess. I was too busy to clean.”

“Hello, Bramble.” Moomin chuckled. “Have you been painting again?”

“Oh, you couldn’t comprehend the ideas I’ve been having- Explosive! Mind-blowing! Revolutionary! I can’t wait to sell my newest series of paintings to the museum. Now, what’re you doing standing out there in the cold? Come in!”

Moomintroll walked into Bramble’s home. What looked like a cozy cottage on the outside drastically contrasted what it was on the inside. Paintings laid everywhere, and many of the walls were covered in white paint-splattered sheets. Paint bottles, paint brushes, and empty bottles of juice were scattered on the ground, making it difficult to walk without having to kick something out of the way.

They made it to the living room, which was in a similar state of disarray. The room smelled like cigarette smoke, and one of the couches was slashed open, with stuffing spread everywhere.

Moomin walked over to the couch. “What happened?”

Bramble waved his hand nonchalantly. “Oh, you know how I get into my moods. Pure ecstasy, all-consuming rage, the deepest depression, and horrible, unfathomable terror! All in a day’s work for me. And rage got the upper hand, ha! But it’s okay, really. Seeing the stuffing cascading out of the couch like blood from an open wound gave me inspiration for a painting I’ve been working on. And no, you can’t see her yet, she isn’t ready.”

“Oh.” Moomin seated himself on the couch that wasn’t gored, putting the basket of fruit and wine on the coffee table in front of him. “Well, I’m glad you’re doing alright.”

“Thank you. Anyway, how about some mimosas?”

Moomin looked at the bottles and bottles of orange juice that already lay scattered on the floor. “Sure.”

***

“And you wouldn’t believe it! Mayor Candleton chose Wisper as the painter of the year, instead of me! And Wisper is twenty years my junior. Work can be frustrating.” Bramble took a sip from his cup ill-temperedly. “I think I should go get more.”

“Erm. That was your third cup, perhaps you should wait a bit?” Moomin suggested.

“Hm. Alright.” The mumrik adjusted his glasses and leaned forward. He was sitting on the slashed couch, but the stuffing strewed everywhere didn’t seem to bother him. “Anyway, Moomintroll, you know how I keep tabs on the stars.”

“Yes, I do. I get your letters sometimes. You know, the ones about my zodiac.”

“Yes, yes… Well, you know how Scorpio season can be, emotional and all… But I looked at it in relation to your star chart, and I saw passion, Moomintroll. Love and chance and fiery, fiery passion! Tell me, now, have you met anyone recently?” 

“I-” Moomintroll froze, redness creeping up his face. “Um-”

“So you have!” Bramble gasped. “Tell me!”

“Hush now!” Moomintroll blurted out. “Don’t tell anyone!” He put his head in his hands. “I don’t know if it’s going to last.”

“Oh?” The mumrik leaned forward. “It’s a bit late for a summer fling. Maybe I should consult my tarot cards. Would you like me to ask for you?”

“No, no, that’s quite alright.” Moomin mumbled. “It’s not a fling. At least, I don’t think so. There’s just some unfortunate circumstances.”

“Let me guess. He’s a sailor on a trip, and while he was staying at that lighthouse of yours, you both fell desperately in l-”

“No.”

“Oh.” Bramble straightened his posture. “Do tell, then. If you don’t mind.”

Moomin sighed. “I don’t mind, it’s just a bit of an odd story. You see, he’s a sea troll.”

“Oh! That’s not odd! My great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother was a sea troll! She was half-shark, half-woman!”

“Oh.” Moomin blinked. “I don’t know why everybody seems to have experience with sea trolls except me, suddenly.”

“I assume you’ve met others with similar experiences. Well, let me tell you, handling sea trolls is not for the faint of heart, nor the feeble-minded!” He tapped on his thick blue glasses. “You have to have a special eye to spot them and an even more special heart to love them! They’re rugged, daring, and stranger than we could ever imagine! And yet, my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather fell in love with one.” He grinned toothily. “So, do tell, how did you manage to snag one? Does he visit you often?”

“Erm. Well, there’s this thing called the blue moon-”

“I’m aware of it.”

“Of course. Well, he tried to drown me, but then he realized what he was doing, I guess? He claimed he was roughhousing. But, erm, he tried to get me back to land, and he ended up growing legs. So he’s been staying at the lighthouse. But I don’t know if he’s going to stay like this or if he’s going to turn back into a siren at the end of the blue moon, which is in… About five days.”

“Quite the dilemma.” Bramble adjusted his glasses and sat back in his seat. “Are you sure you don’t want me to consult my tarot cards?”

“I’m fine.”

“Very well. Is he going with you to the ball?”

“Yes, actually. Are you going?”

“Of course! My son’s going as well, but I doubt he’s going to want to hang around his old man. So I’m going to try and corner Mayor Candleton to ask him if he wants me to paint the new mural that’s going to be on the side of the bank.” Bramble adjusted his glasses and grinned. “I look forward to meeting that sea troll of yours. Say, do you happen to have his zodiac sign?”

***

By the time Moomintroll got back home, it was almost dinnertime. He enjoyed Bramble’s company, as he was fantastically strange, but he loved to talk . He also showed him some of his recently completed paintings. Some of them were bizarrely stylized self portraits, and the others were equally bizarre paintings of all sorts of concepts and painted in all sorts of different styles. He got the impression that Bramble didn’t like to stick to one thing for too long.

He opened the lighthouse door, relieved to be home. He walked inside and saw Snufkin napping on the couch.

Moomin smiled to himself and quickly grabbed a blanket. He was going to drape it over Snufkin, but before he could, Snufkin yawned and sat up.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Moomin asked softly.

“No, no…” Snufkin’s eyes widened. “Moomintroll! I took a shower by myself today.”

“Oh?” Moomin blinked. “Did you just take it? Your hair’s still wet.”

“No, I took it right after you left.”

“Huh.” Moomin reached forward and ran his hands through Snufkin’s hair, but almost instantly recoiled. “... Snufkin?”

“Yes?”

“Did you use shampoo and conditioner?”

“Yes.”

“Did you wash it out?”

“Oh.” Snufkin frowned. “I suppose I didn’t.”

Moomintroll sighed, smiling. “Well, you tried. Get up, I’ll wash your hair out in the kitchen sink.”

Moomintroll took Snufkin’s hand and led him over to the kitchen, dunking his head in the sink and turning on the warm water. He made sure to scrub out the last of the shampoo. The sink bubbled with soap, but they eventually got all of it out.

Moomintroll wrapped Snufkin’s hair in a towel.

Snufkin looked away, embarrassed. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Oh!” Snufkin took Moomin’s hand and led him back to the living room. Once they were there, he picked up a letter off the coffee table. He pursed his lips.

“Who’s it from?” Moomintroll asked.

“Mymblemamma.”

“Oh.”

They both sat down on the couch. Moomin held Snufkin’s hand tightly as they opened the letter.

Dearest Snufkin,

I’m afraid that your story does sound oddly familiar. I did indeed have a sea troll child, and I wove him a net of seaweed myself to send him to others that could better take care of him. There is the possibility that this could all be an unfortunate coincidence, but in the case that it’s not, I’d love to talk to you in person.

If you’re indeed my son, then I am deeply, deeply sorry. Nothing I say can ever mend the wounds that this caused you, even if it was my only option at the time. But we can talk more about that later. My home address is on the envelope. You can visit me and we can speak more on the matter.

Please do visit me.

Love,

Mymblemamma

Snufkin stared at the letter. His hands started shaking. Pulling away from Moomintroll’s grasp, he put his head in his hands.

Moomintroll rubbed circles into his back and whispered comforting words as he cried silent tears.

“It’s okay.”

“Shh. It’s alright.”

“You’ve found her now.”

“Now you know what happened.”

Snufkin eventually leaned into Moomintroll, who enveloped him in a hug.

They stayed on that couch for a long time, until Snufkin’s tears dried and he pulled away.

“Let’s write her something back.” He said hoarsely.

“Of course.” Moomintroll quickly fetched a pen and a paper.

Dear Mymblemamma,

I’m afraid that I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to stay on land. The blue moon ends in five days (from the time that I am writing this). I’m not sure if my legs will remain or if I’ll turn back into a siren.

Moomintroll will follow up with you. 

Love,

Snufkin

Snufkin looked at the paper before him. Moomintroll folded it up and put it in an envelope.

“I’ll mail it in the morning.” He said softly. “Why don’t we make some dinner?”

The rest of the evening was quiet, with the two softly talking amongst themselves as they made and ate their meal. After they were done, they curled up on the couch together, Moomintroll reading aloud one of his journals to Snufkin, who listened intently. 

Overall, it was an overwhelming day for both of them, but they ended it with Snufkin curled up on Moomintroll’s chest. Snufkin had accidentally fallen asleep inside, and Moomintroll didn’t sleep in his bed that night, but neither of them seemed to mind.

Chapter Text

“What’s that from?” Snufkin asked, eyes wide. “Is it from Mymblemamma?”

“What? No.” Moomintroll gingerly held the envelope in his hand. “It’s from Bramble, my neighbor.”

“Oh. I’ll leave you to it, then.” Snufkin turned and walked back inside the house.

Moomin stood outside by his mailbox, looking at the envelope. It had no stamp.

Did Bramble walk all the way over here to deliver it himself? Moomin wondered. He could’ve just come on in since he was already here. And by the heavens, when did he leave this here? It’s only 8:30AM. He shook his head. Artists. Eccentric as always.

He opened the envelope.

MOOMINTROLL!

I am fully aware that you told me that you would prefer not to consult my tarot cards. But alas, curiosity got the best of me. Spirituality and mysticism has always enchanted me, and I adore the concept of there being forces beyond our control. The universe works in mysterious ways, yes?

I got the most interesting spread of cards for you, Moomintroll. I got the Lovers, the Ace of Cups, and the Tower. What does this mean? Well, I’ll tell you. That’s why I’m writing this letter!

My interpretation is this: I see a new love. Exciting, something that makes your heart pound! But although it is new, it is strong. I see harmony between you and your lover. But, there’s something in your future that will bring unforeseen change. It can mean crisis, or it can mean liberation. How it pans out is entirely up to forces unseen, I believe! Perhaps fate, perhaps something else entirely.

I know this is not the most uplifting of letters, but I felt the need to let you know. It’s 4AM as I write this, so excuse my poor handwriting.

I will see you at the ball, my dear friend and neighbor!

Bramble

Moomintroll stared at the letter for a moment, before folding it up and putting it in his coat pocket. He didn’t know whether he should trust a deck of cards, especially given the fact the Bramble seemed to have consulted them in the early hours of the morning. But even so, the message made him feel uneasy. He decided not to tell Snufkin about the message, as he didn’t see it doing any good.

He went back inside.

Snufkin was coming down the stairs, apparently having changed into one of his new dresses. He perked up as soon as he saw Moomintroll. “Oh! Are you ready?”

“Yes, let me just get our bags.”

It was Sunday, and they were on their way to pick up their suits, as well as go grocery shopping. They made their way to town on the small forest path, but it didn’t seem like they were alone.

Small faces would peer out from behind the trees every so often, giggling and merging back into their respective trees when spotted. For whatever reason, the two of them were the focus of the tree spirits attention. 

“I wonder what all the fuss is about.” Moomin mumbled.

“Perhaps, that night…” Snufkin trailed off, giving Moomintroll a shy look. He didn’t say it, but Moomintroll instantly understood.

Perhaps we weren’t alone the night we were looking at the stars.

The thought was embarrassing, but Moomintroll tried to shake it off. They had things to do today.

They eventually made it to town, and walked their way to the small tailors shop.

The old woman immediately perked up as soon as they walked in. “Finally you made it back!” She said, waving a hand at them.

Moomin looked around. “Are we late? When did you open?”

“Thirty minutes ago. Thirty lonely, lonely minutes ago.” Her voice wavered, then she burst out laughing. “I’m just messing with you boys. Lighten up, will ya! Come on, I have your suits.” She led them into the back of the shop, pulling two bags off of a rack. “Here you boys go. Try them on before you leave, because if they don’t fit right, nobody will want to dance with you at the ball! I’m only half kidding.” She winked and handed them the suits.

Moomintroll tried his on first, and it fit perfectly. Walking out of his dressing room, he spread out his arms and jokingly modeled for the other two inhabitants of the shop. The old woman clapped. Snufkin gave him a thumbs up.

Then Snufkin entered the dressing room, and Moomintroll trailed in after him to help him with his suit.

It was quiet. Moomintroll was buttoning up Snufkin’s shirt, occasionally fumbling because of how big his paws were.

“Thank you.” Snufkin mumbled.

“For what?”

“Helping me. Also, everything else.”

“Oh,” Moomin breathed, “It’s no trouble. I’ve told you this a million times.”

He finished buttoning up the shirt, and looked up at Snufkin, who immediately inched over and gave him a peck on his snout.

Moomin stared at him, before leaning it and giving him a deeper kiss. They stayed like that for a moment, before Snufkin pulled away, flustered.

“Let’s finish getting dressed.”

“Right.”

Moomin helped Snufkin with his pants and his suit jacket, before patting him on the shoulder.

“You’re all done! And you look great.” He beamed.

Snufkin looked away, embarrassed. “Thank you.”

“Does it fit alright?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Good. Now, come on.”

They walked out of the dressing room, and the old woman clasped her hands together and squealed. “You two boys look so handsome! If I was younger, I’d be lining up to dance with you both.”

Snufkin blushed. Moomin chuckled and said a shy, “Thank you.”

They changed back into their regular clothes and took their suits, saying thank you to the shopkeeper on their way out.

Snufkin decided to carry the suits while Moomintroll held their cloth grocery bags. They made their way to the market, which was bustling with energy, and began picking out food.

Snufkin stood a few feet behind Moomintroll awkwardly, watching as the other looked over different fruits and vegetables and picked some out. As soon as he caught people looking, he turned his face away.

He felt their eyes, peering at him like vultures. He was a spectacle, out of the ordinary. There was nobody else here that was like him, and from first glance, he might’ve been something to fear, with his sharp nails and jagged teeth. Their gazes burned holes into his skin. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and anxiety exploded in his chest. 

The market was too crowded. It was getting to him. He gripped at the plastic the suits were wrapped in.

Moomintroll turned around, holding a pomegranate in his hand. “Hey, Snufkin, how would you like to try-” He paused.

Snufkin was gone.

Putting the fruit back, he gripped at his half-full bags and walked through the crowd, trying his best to scan the crowd.

“Snufkin? Snufkin!” He called. He felt anxiety bubbling in his chest, worried for the other. He went up and down the street that held the market stalls, before passing by an alleyway. Backing up a few steps, he peered inside of it.

“Snufkin!”

Snufkin was curled up into a ball on the ground, the two bagged suits sitting besides him. He was looking absently at the wall in front of him. 

Moomin rushed over and knelt down in front of him. “Hey!” He cradled the siren’s face in his hands and peered at him worriedly. “Are you okay?”

Snufkin leaned into the other’s touch, but didn’t say anything.

“Was it too crowded?” Moomin asked softly.

“Yes,” Snufkin whispered, “I felt too many people looking at me.”

Moomintroll kissed the siren’s forehead and pushed him against his furry chest, stroking his cheek. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t worry now.” He murmured. “How about this? You can go home with the suits, and I’ll finish up grocery shopping. How does that sound?”

Snufkin thought about that for a second. “Okay.”

Moomintroll let go of him and stood up, extending his arm and pulling Snufkin along with him. They brushed the dirt off themselves, and hand in hand, walked back out into the market.

Moomintroll walked Snufkin all the way down to the forest path, giving him a long hug before going.

“Be safe. Put the suits in my closet.”

“Alright. I’ll see you back at home.”

They parted, Moomintroll watched him until his back disappeared behind the trees.

He sighed and turned, walking back to buy the rest of the groceries.

***

It was a quiet day after that. Moomintroll came home to Snufkin making them a lunch of pancakes and jam. He did get the measurements wrong for the sugar, however, so they came out entirely too sweet. He got a “thank you” kiss from Moomintroll anyway.

It was cold outside, which Snufkin didn’t mind, but Moomintroll insisted that they stayed inside. So they curled up on the couch, fire burning in the fireplace, and simply talked. Not about anything big or small, but about whatever came to mind.

“How deep can you dive? Have you ever been to the bottom of the ocean?” Moomin asked.

“No. I can only dive so deep, roughly the same as a whale. After a while, the pressure is too much. It starts to hurt.” Snufkin mumbled.

“Are there sirens and merpeople at the bottom of the ocean?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps. I’ve never seen them.”

“That’s fascinating. I mean, think of it! Trolls at the bottom of the ocean. I wonder how they can see.”

Snufkin pointed to his eyes, which were as black as obsidian. “Keep in mind, our eyes are different. Maybe they have different eyes from me you and I. Maybe that’s how they can see. Or maybe they can’t see at all!”

“Can’t see at all? Then how would they get food?”

“That’s for them to know, and us to wonder about.”

“Huh.”

Eventually, the day came to a close. Much to Moomintroll’s chagrin, Snufkin insisted on sleeping outside in his tent. Although he was allowed to do this, he was sent outside with four extra blankets.

Before he went to bed, Snufkin was sitting before the waves, letting them wash over his feet. He looked out beyond the horizon. 

He loved the sea more than anything else. It provided a home for him, despite the sourness of not growing up with parents. It seemed endless, like if he went in any direction, there was more and more to explore. There was nothing tying him to anything. Of course, he got a bit sluggish whenever he traveled to warmer waters, and he did better in colder climates, but he could go anywhere if he wished.

However, although he had met many people and seen many things, there was wonder in the world above. There were miles and miles of land yet to be explored, and an entire world that went unbeknownst to him. He wanted to know about all of it.

He wished there was a way to go between the two worlds.

He took out his conch shell, inspired by this flurry of ideas. He put it to his lips, but before he could play, he groaned.

“Oh, it’s no good.” He sighed, “How can I compose when I’m being watched?”

He waited expectantly for his onlooker to approach.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” A small voice cried. A tiny forest animal scampered up next to Snufkin and sat down in the sand. “Did I interrupt you? Sorry again. Can I hear a song?”

Snufkin frowned, not looking at him. “No. It’s not that easy.”

“Oh.” The forest creature paused. “I’ve heard a lot about you, you know.”

“It doesn’t thrill me to hear that people have been speaking about me.”

“Only good things, I promise! It’s so romantic, what you and Moomintroll did the other day. I can only hope to have someone like that someday.”

Snufkin glared at the horizon. He found himself annoyed, as he just wanted to compose in peace. He didn’t say anything.

“Oh, and the meteor shower!” The creature continued, “How did you even know that it was going to take place that night? I think-”

“What we do is my business, and mine alone. Now shoo. Run along now!” Snufkin huffed, waving his hand.

“Oh, but I just have so much to tell you! I wish to be just like you one day. You must like Moomintroll a lot to-”

“You- You can’t ever be truly free if you admire someone too much. And perhaps I don’t like him that much. Perhaps I’ll just walk in the ocean and leave! It’s my business! Now shoo!” Snufkin hissed. He felt himself getting defensive. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he said that.

He valued freedom as much as one could. He couldn’t place why, but the notion of others noticing his attachments left a bitter taste in his mouth. It’s not that he wanted a way out, not exactly, but being perceived as an overly-doting romantic boyfriend scared him.

Boyfriend. He didn’t have the time nor the energy to think about why that word popped into his head. He was too upset.

The creature’s ears flattened against its skull. “B-But,” He breathed, “Moomintroll will be sad if you go.”

Snufkin groaned and got up from his spot, marching back to his tent. The creature trailed after him, tail between his legs. He whimpered out an, “I’m sorry,” and, “Did I upset you?”, but Snufkin ignored him.

He climbed into his tent and zipped it up, throwing himself on the ground.

He could still see the shadow of the forest creature outside against his tent. “I’m sorry. Should I leave?” He asked sadly. Snufkin was silent, and slowly, the shadow disappeared.

Snufkin sighed. “Wait!” He called out, opening his tent and popping his head out. The creature was a few feet away, and he craned its head back at him. “Yes?” It whispered.

Snufkin climbed out of his tent and sat in the sand, patting the spot next to him. The creature ran over and sat down.

“What’s your name?” The siren asked.

“Oh,” He breathed, “I haven’t got a name. I’m too small and unimportant, so nobody’s thought to give me one.” He looked up at Snufkin with wide eyes. “Can you give me one?”

Snufkin thought on that. “It’s hard to give someone a name. It takes a lot of contemplation.”

“Oh. That’s alright.”

“Perhaps I could play a song for you.”

The creature sighed. “It’s okay, actually. It’s quite late, I should’ve been sleeping by now. I should get on home.”

“Oh. Well, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

The creature turned to leave, before Snufkin shouted, “Wait!”

The creature looked back at him. “Yes?”

“How about Teety-Woo? For that name you asked for. A light beginning, but a little sadness to round it off.”

The creature grinned ear to ear. “Teety-Woo!” He exclaimed, “I’m Teety-Woo! Teety-Woo!” And with that, Teety-Woo howled his name into the night, thrilled at this new milestone in his life.

Chapter Text

Snufkin never was one for attachments.

So, why was he forming one now?

Snufkin sat on the beach, the waves lapping at his feet. He had gone inside to eat breakfast with Moomintroll, and it was delicious as always, but Moomintroll said he’d be busy for the first half of today. So, the two parted, and Snufkin went outside to think.

He never got close to the sirens who raised him. They were ruthless, uncaring, and violent. They were decent to him, but not to anyone outside the pod. And still, it was an incredibly, horribly cold upbringing.

It wasn’t until he ran away that he began to see the beauty in the world. He learned it wasn’t all about survival. He met more and more people, intrigued by their characters, but never felt the need to attach to them. Everything was so new and fresh, and it filled him with wonder and excitement. It warmed his heart over time, but he always enjoyed his solitude. Doing things by himself was always his nature.

When he first saw Moomintroll, he felt a pull inside of him that he never felt before. Something about him seemed intriguing. Something about him seemed right . It was as if everything inside of him was pulling him to the Moomin, and he could never place why. He just so happened to get lucky and be blessed by the blue moon, letting him walk on land and all.

Moomintroll was soft. He was comforting, warm, and funny. He was adventurous, loving, and handsome. There were a million words Snufkin could use to describe the Moomin, but in short, he had come to admire him very much. Being by his side made him feel happy.

And even so, he felt conflicted. His heart always beat just a little bit faster every time he was in the same vicinity as the Moomin, but his nature told him that his time was up here. He had gotten too close, and had done so too fast. His nature was to travel. His nature was to explore. His nature was to be alone, by himself, and never fall in love.

He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but that’s exactly what he had done. He never wanted to be in love. Sirens had long lifespans, and he had fully prepared himself to spend all of those years alone. It felt good, but it also felt completely unnatural. His nature went against it, and the way he was nurtured didn’t fully equip him for it. 

And even if he had gotten over his own issues, the blue moon’s cycle would end in two days. What would he do then? He was against getting close to Moomintroll in the first place because he was absolutely sure it would only end in heartbreak. He had been completely selfish. He let his emotions get the better of him, and he was only going to hurt the other. He didn’t have to take Moomintroll up into the trees that night, but he decided to be egotistical. He had reaped the benefits, but at what cost?

This morning, Moomintroll had kissed him. His big blue eyes crinkled as he laughed, and he had leaned in and softly pecked at Snufkin’s lips, calling him silly. The action had made Snufkin feel like he was going to melt into a puddle, but looking back on it, it was very bittersweet. There was the possibility he would be leaving very soon, and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle it. 

He wanted to adventure by himself, but not like this. He wanted it to be on his own terms. He didn’t want to be confined to only the sea without having a say in it. He enjoyed being on land, and he’d like to explore that for himself.

Besides, his mother was on land. Even if he were to turn fully back into a siren, he was sure he’d find some way to speak with her again. As silly as it sounds, perhaps he’d stick around the lighthouse and she could come visit, and she could row out to sea and they could talk. But he didn’t want that. He wanted to visit her himself.

If he turned into a siren, he could theoretically stay around this stretch of land forever, but he didn’t want that either. It’d make him feel claustrophobic. And making anything work with Moomintroll would be a hassle. What would he do, row out to sea and stay in the sun all day just so they could talk and spend time together? If he was forced to leave, he would leave for good. As hard as that would be to do, he had already made up his mind.

No wonder the Joxter left , Snufkin thought, It must’ve been difficult.

He thought about his mother. He wondered how she felt when he left. He wondered if Moomintroll would feel the same way should something happen. 

His mother.

He didn’t know how he felt. She seemed like a wonderful Mymble, warm and inviting. She was very kind to him, even if she embarrassed him a bit. What she did was necessary, and he understood that. He didn’t hold anything against her. But he wasn’t exactly sure how one should feel towards a mother. He didn’t know how to be a son. He never had parents, only peers, and he wasn’t exactly sure how the whole parent-child dynamic was supposed to work. Surely he’d be respectful and kind, but that’s just about all he knew about how to act.

That being said, he was very excited to speak with her. To learn about his parents would certainly be interesting, even if he only learned about the Joxter from second-hand accounts.

He was feeling overwhelmed thinking about this. He thought the most important thing in the world was to know your own mind, but such an influx of new thoughts and emotions made him wonder if he ever truly knew it at all. 

He knew being surrounded by water would make him feel better, as cold as it was. Stripping off his clothes, he waded into the ocean, going deeper and deeper until he was fully submerged. He disappeared beneath the waves.

***

Moomintroll was inside, wiping his brow after having made a hearty lunch when he heard the back door open. Perking up, he took off his apron, putting it on the counter. Music softly played in the background, as he had set up the record player a few hours ago. 

Snufkin walked in, his hair damp and in his eyes. He made his way to the table and plopped down, not looking at Moomin. “What did you make?” 

“Oh, you’re going to love it, I swear. I made a corn chowder with sourdough bread. Well, in sourdough bread.” Moomin hummed and began pouring the soup into the bread bowls. “It’s one of mama’s old recipes. I haven’t had it since I was a child.”

“Sounds good.”

“It is!” Moomintroll placed the bread bowl in front of Snufkin and sat down with his. He eagerly watched Snufkin take the first sip and was met with an encouraging smile.

They ate and chatted throughout, Moomintroll carrying most of the conversation. He noticed that Snufkin seemed distracted, but chalked it up to the whole ‘Mymblemamma’ business. He made a note to bring it up later.

They finished their meal, the warm soup feeling nice considering the chilly weather. Moomintroll expected that the first snow of the season would take place by the end of the month.

“I have a surprise for you.” Moomin said giddily.

“Oh?”

“I’m going to show you how to dance.”

Snufkin cocked his head to the side. “I think you’ve already done that.”

“No, no, I’m going to teach you how to dance formally . It’s different. We’re going to waltz.”

“Oh. Okay, then. When?”

“Right now!” Moomin got up from the table and took Snufkin’s hand, pulling him along. He led them to the living room, which already had a record playing. Moomin switched out the record for another one, and waltz-like music started to play.

Moomin took Snufkin’s hands in his and began instructing him.

“Yes, okay, good. Step forward- Yes, now your other foot. Good. Now let's move to the side, follow me. Oh, no, let’s try that again. Come on…”

Snufkin kept fumbling, and Moomintroll attempted to comfort him, but he seemed to be getting frustrated. A deep frown on his face, Snufkin eventually let go of Moomintroll’s hands and sat on the couch, massaging his temples.

Moomin sat down next to him. “It’s okay. We have all day to practice, since I’m done with work. And even if we don’t get it completely right, what matters is that we have fun tomorrow. Fancy dances are beside the point.”

Snufkin grimaced, not looking at Moomintroll. “I’m not worried about the dancing.”

Moomin nodded. “It’s Mymblemamma, isn’t it? If you want, I’m always here to talk-”

“I mean, I’ve been thinking about that too, of course. But I’m afraid that’s not it.”

Moomin frowned. “Then what is it? Talk to me.” He reached over to grab at Snufkin’s hand, but was taken aback when Snufkin twisted his arm away from Moomin and stood up abruptly.

Snufkin didn’t look at Moomintroll, but he looked like he was going to cry. “I have to be alone now. Goodbye, Moomintroll.”

And with that, he walked quickly out of the living room.

Moomintroll followed after him. “Snufkin-” The back door slammed shut.

Moomin stared at that door, music playing softly behind him. He felt tears prickle at his eyes, confusion and hurt eating at his heart.

Snufkin didn’t come back for dinner, either.

Chapter Text

Snufkin didn’t show up until mid-afternoon.

Moomintroll sat on the living room couch, wringing his hands together. He had been attempting to read to get his mind off of things, but found himself reading the same paragraph over and over. He couldn’t focus, and he felt a twisting in his stomach.

It was 4PM. The ball was in an hour. He had been waiting all day for Snufkin. He had been hopeful in the morning, then breakfast passed, and lunch passed, and here he was. He wondered if Snufkin would show up at all today. Or ever again, for that matter. 

It hurt him to think like that, but he couldn’t help it. It wouldn’t be odd for him to show up to the ball alone, but he’d probably end up complaining (or perhaps crying) to Bramble about it later. 

So, when he heard the back door open, he nearly had a heart attack. Moving his book, jumped up from his seat and rushed out of the room. A million thoughts were rushing through his head.

Snufkin was standing in the kitchen, looking down. He seemed massively uncomfortable.

“Hullo.” He muttered.

Suddenly, Moomintroll’s mind went blank. He didn’t know what to say. He was silent for a few moments, before pushing out, “Uh… Hi. Are… you okay?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Moomintroll could choke on the tension that was currently infesting the room. “Why… did you-”

Snufkin sighed, putting one hand on his cheek. “I’m sorry, Moomintroll. I… I hope you understand, but I’ve had a lot on my mind. I just need to be alone at times.”

“Oh! Yes, yes. Of course. I know how much you need your alone time. You just have to be free.” Moomin said. He smiled, but his eyes were black with disappointment all the same.

Snufkin smiled, but the look on his face was unreadable. He almost looked sad. “I’m glad you understand. Now, don’t we have to get ready?”

“I suppose.” Moomin’s ears were flat against his head. He was anxious for Snufkin’s return, but it just ended up making him feel sad. “Come on, now. Our suits are upstairs. If we get ready fast enough, we’ll be fashionably late.”

“Alright.”

The two walked up the stairs and made their way to Moomintroll’s room, where the suits were neatly hung in his closet. Moomintroll began to put his on without much effort. He barely fumbled with the buttons despite his large paws. Snufkin had more difficulty, however. He managed to get his suit pants on just fine, but didn’t even attempt to button up his shirt. He was worried about ripping the thin fabric with his claws. Instead, he waited awkwardly for Moomintroll to finish getting dressed.

“I think I need help.” Snufkin mumbled, looking down at his unbuttoned shirt. His bare torso was showing, the gills underneath his ribcage shining a light pink through the light from the window. 

Moomintroll sighed, letting himself smile a little. “Of course you do. Come here, you.” He began buttoning up Snufkin’s dress shirt. Despite being heavy-hearted, he felt slightly electric being this close to Snufkin. He listened to the siren’s slow breathing, watching his chest move up and down. Moomintroll found himself turning pink. Scolding himself, he tried to focus on the task at hand.

He helped put on Snufkin’s suit jacket, minding his claws. Once he finished, he stood back, looking at the siren up and down.

“You look good.” Moomintroll said shyly.

“As do you.” Snufkin smiled.

They were silent for a moment.

“Oh!” Moomin exclaimed. “I have an idea!”

“Oh?”

“Yes, yes! One moment.” Moomintroll went to his desk and rustled through one of the drawers. Eventually, he pulled out a small camera. “Here it is!”

Snufkin blinked. “What’s that?”

“It’s a camera. It takes pictures- Like the ones you’ve seen around the house. Snorkmaiden gifted this to me on my 28th birthday.” He eyed it over. “It’s been a while since I’ve used it, but I think I know how to get it to work. It prints out the pictures right after you take them. It’s also in color! Almost all photos of me and my family are in black and white.”

“I see.” Snufkin craned his neck to see the camera in Moomin’s hands. “Do you… want to-”

“Of course. That’s why I got it out.” Moomintroll smiled. “Now, come on. Let’s go downstairs and take a picture.”

The two men walked downstairs, Moomintroll leading the way. When they got down, Moomintroll looked for a place to set up the camera. Eventually, he put it on a shelf, piling up books so that the two would be in the frame.

“Okay! I think I got it. I’m going to press the timer… Now! Hurry!” Moomintroll ran over to where Snufkin was standing and put an arm around Snufkin, smiling.

“Smile, Snufkin!” Moomintroll said through his grin.

Click!

The flash temporarily blinded them, and Snufkin rubbed at his eyes. Moomintroll ran over to the camera and watched the photo print out. Grabbing it, he turned it upside down and fanned it.

“What are you doing?” Snufkin asked, walking over.

“It’ll mess up the picture if the light hits it. Also, Snorkmaiden told me that shaking it like this helps it develop better.”

“Does it?”

“I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances.”

They waited a few minutes, Moomintroll taking a few breaks from fanning as his arm got tired. Eventually, they turned it over and looked at the picture.

It was stained yellow and slightly grainy, but it was a picture of the two. Moomintroll was smiling enthusiastically, whereas Snufkin a bit of a silly smirk on his face. The two had an arm around the other. It was also slightly off-center.

Moomintroll looked at it for a long time. It was oddly sentimental. He wondered if, after the blue moon, this would be the only physical evidence he had left of Snufkin. That would be a shame , he thought. The yellow tint of the picture didn’t do Snufkin’s scales any justice. He had the bracelet too, he supposed, but that was it.

Snufkin put a hand on Moomin’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” He asked softly.

“Oh. Yes.” Moomin sniffed and passed the photo over. “I think I look fatter in pictures.”

The siren eyed it over. “I think you look great.”

“... Thanks.” Moomintroll grabbed the picture and the camera. “I’ll go put these away. Wait for me outside, we have some walking to do.”

When Moomintroll met Snufkin outside, he had unbuttoned his suit jacket and had his hands deep in his pockets. He seemed to be thinking about something.

“Are you alright?” Moomin asked.

“Yes… Just nervous.”

“For the ball?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Too many people. Also, I can’t dance.”

If you hadn’t run off on me yesterday, I could’ve shown you how to dance. Moomin thought sourly.

“If it’s too much, we can stay outside. There’s gardens out back. We don’t have to stay where all the people are.” Moomin said softly.

“Okay. Thank you.”

They made their way to the forest path that led towards town. Dirt got on their shoes, but Moomin reassured Snufkin that they’d clean up before they actually went inside. Snufkin didn’t really care if they had dirty shoes or not, but nodded anyway.

Moomintroll began whistling, but an acorn hit the back of his head. He grumbled to himself while Snufkin chuckled.

“I’m a great whistler. Forest spirits don’t know what they’re missing.” Moomin scoffed.

Snufkin smiled. “Don’t worry. After the blue moon, you probably won’t see much of them anymore.”

They both were silent.

By the time they got to the town, Moomintroll was relieved for the change of scenery. He wiped down both of their shoes with his handkerchief, and led the way to the town hall.

It was quite a sight. The sun was almost set by now, and they seemed to have turned on searchlights to illuminate the town hall. Golden banners were hung from the windows on the second story, and there was a blue carpet that extended outside the door. A few people were loitering outside the building, and amongst them, Moomintroll saw a familiar face.

“Bramble!” Moomintroll exclaimed, walking over to his friend. The mumrik was smoking a cigarette, but as soon as he saw Moomin, he threw it on the ground and stomped on it to put out the flame. He grinned wildly and grabbed at the other’s paws, shaking them ecstatically. 

“Oh, Moomin, what a delight it is to see you! I didn’t really know what to wear, to be frank with you. I was too busy to buy a new suit! What a mortifying ordeal, not having an outfit to match the occasion! I did my best, as wretched as my options were.” Bramble put the back of his palm to his forehead and sighed dramatically.

Moomintroll looked at Bramble. He was wearing a worn-out blue suit, but the artist had painted intricate golden patterns all over the fabric. It was stunning.

Moomin patted the mumrik’s back. “I think you look great.”

He might as well have not said anything at all, because Bramble completely ignored him and ran over to Snufkin, grabbing at his hands and shaking them wildly as well. “You’re the sea troll I’ve heard oh-so much about!” He exclaimed. “Only good things, I promise. How wonderful it must be to adventure in a new world. I sometimes feel like a prisoner on land, and in my own mind as well, so I’d welcome being claimed by the sea myself! How dreary it is in this cursed town. Oh, being a sea troll sounds so romantic. Nothing but the waves and your conscience. Perhaps we can swap places, ha!”

Snufkin recoiled back, pulling his hands away. He seemed flustered. “I-It’s nice to meet you, Bramble.” He said shortly.

“And how wonderful it is to meet you too!” The mumrik giggled, turning back to Moomintroll. “Come now, the inside is marvelous. You simply must see it.”

They followed Bramble into the building, and quickly realized that he was right. The hallways were lined with portraits and expensive artifacts, and once they entered the main hall, it was stunning. Elegant tapestries hung off the walls, and the tables of food were grander than any other feast. There was a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and paintings hung from the walls. People in all sorts of costumes were standing around and socializing, and a live band played for those who chose to dance. It was absolutely regal, but also incredibly crowded. Moomin looked over and noticed that Snufkin was wringing his hands together.

“Bramble, it’s lovely in here, but why don’t we see the back gardens? Then maybe in a bit we can come back in.” Moomin suggested.

“It’s freezing outside! You two can go by yourselves, I’ll see you when you come back in.”

“Are you sure? Have you seen the gardens yet?”

“Yes, but they frighten me! People have gotten lost in the hedge mazes before, or so I’ve heard. Now, I’m going to get some punch.” And with that, Bramble wandered off into the crowd. 

Moomin mentally cursed. He was hoping that having a third person along would make it a little less awkward to be with Snufkin. Not that he didn’t want to be around the siren, but it’s been a taxing day, and he could do with a light atmosphere. Looking over at the other, he smiled gingerly. “Come now, I’m sure it’s much nicer outside.” Grabbing Snufkin’s wrist, he led the other past the crowds of people and out into the back.

Fairy lights illuminated the backside of the building, and small lanterns were posted all over the rest of the garden to create more light. Rose bushes of all colors lay in rows, and intricate trimmed hedges sat every few feet. The only part of the area that didn’t seem to be illuminated was the entrance to the hedge maze.

Snufkin grimaced, walking up to a rose bush. He eyed it over, before plucking a small pink rose from its stem. “These flowers should be growing out in the wild.” He murmured. Turning around, he snugly fixed the rose into Moomintroll’s suit pocket.

“Oh,” Moomin breathed, “I don’t think it fits the theme of the ball, but thank you.”

“It doesn’t matter if it fits the theme, it’s nature.” Snufkin sighed. “They have thorns for a reason, they don’t want to be touched.”

Moomintroll poked at the flower in his pocket. “Well, you can liberate the land as soon as the ball is over. We can coexist with this garden for just one night.”

“I suppose.”

The two walked around the gardens idly. Snufkin plucked out a lot of the flowers and either put them in his own suit pocket or into Moomintroll’s. Eventually, there wasn’t any more room in either of their pockets, and they both laughed. Snufkin kept on plucking them anyway, instead throwing the flowers onto the ground.

“I’ve met a few nature spirits. I think this is good for the dirt.” He said simply.

It was quite cold out. Moomintroll scolded himself for not bringing a coat.

“I think we should go inside.” Moomin said. With his words, he could see his breath.

“Why?” Snufkin asked.

“It’s cold out.”

“One second.” Snufkin took Moomintroll’s hand, who didn’t protest. Squinting, he lifted the other’s hand into the sky, pointing at the stars. “Do you see that? That’s Gemini.”

“Where?”

“Look at where I’m pointing your finger. Riiight-”

“Oh! I think I see it.”

“Good.” Snufkin breathed softly into Moomintroll’s ear. “They say that Gemini is made up of the twins, Castor and Pollux. One was immortal and the other wasn’t. When Castor died, Pollux begged Zeus to make him immortal, and they were reunited in the heavens.”

“Wow.” Moomin said wondrously. “Did you hear that from sailors?”

“And why would you think that?”

“You told me something similar, but with the story of Taurus.”

Snufkin smiled. “Yes, I heard it from sailors. I don’t know much about this ‘Zeus’ fellow, but he seems to appear an awful lot in stories. Now, didn’t you want to go inside?” Letting go of Moomin, he pulled back and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“O-Oh. Yes. Let’s go.” With Moomin leading the way, the two made their way over to the back of the building.

Snufkin hesitated at the door. Moomin immediately noticed, and put a hand on the other’s shoulder.

“Breathe. It’s okay. If it’s too much, we can come back out.” He said softly.

Eyes closed, Snufkin took a deep breath. Silent for a few seconds, he finally raised his eyelids and let out a small, “Alright.”

They walked inside.

It seemed even more crowded now. Moomin looked to Snufkin and half-yelled, “We should go get some food!”, to which Snufkin nodded.

Grabbing onto the fabric of the siren’s suit arm, Moomin weaved through the crowds of people, muttering out apologies as he went. They finally zig-zagged their way to the endless tables of food. At this point, Snufkin pulled his arm away from Moomin and immediately booked it for the dessert table. Moomin didn’t notice at first, and had to jog after him when he did.

They enjoyed mini brownies, apple crumble cupcakes, lemon bars, and glazed raspberry donuts. Snufkin offered Moomintroll a piece of strawberry cake, to which he said, “Thank you, but if I have any more, all my teeth are going to fall out.”

They idly chatted while Snufkin kept eating. Things were less tense than earlier, but Moomin still felt a bit sad. He understood needing space, but Snufkin ditching him without any warning really hurt his feelings. He also wondered what he was thinking about that made him leave. Was it pertaining their… thing? He didn’t want to call it a relationship, not yet. Perhaps they’d talk more about it later, like adults. The thought made him nervous. 

“... I never understood other sea trolls that would hunt octopi. I suppose it’s something about being ruthless, but I had a nice chat with one once.”

“That’s interesting. Also, erm, could you chew with your mouth closed?”

“Oh, why?” Snufkin blinked, closing his mouth. He picked at his 4th slice of cake with his fork.

“I’ll have to teach you more of them later, but it’s due to manners. Etiquette, you know… Some of them are quite strange, but-”

Moomintroll didn’t get to finish his sentence, because a woman shrieked from behind Snufkin. She had accidentally backed into the siren, and spilled her punch all over his suit pants, shoes, and the side of his jacket. She dramatically fell over in her huge poofy dress, at least three men rushing to help her up. By the time she was stood up again, she turned to Snufkin. “Oh, I’m so…” She got a good look at his face and burst out laughing, before turning and disappearing back into the crowd.

Snufkin looked down at his dripping wet pants.

“Oh!” Moomintroll was immediately at his side with napkins, patting down the fabric of his pants. “Don’t worry, it’s okay!”

Snufkin didn’t say anything, his mouth forming a thin line. 

“She didn’t even say sorry! What a miserable person. Rude, too. Ugh. I can’t believe people. I-”

“Moomin, it’s okay. Let’s just get this cleaned up.” Snufkin said softly.

“Oh.” Moomin looked up to Snufkin, who gave him a half-smile. “O-Okay. Let me get more napkins.”

Moomin went back and forth from the table over, using up a whole wad of napkins before eventually cleaning up Snufkin’s suit. At least the fabric of his suit was damp instead of dripping wet. Also, he still smelled like berry punch, but Moomin didn’t think he could do anything about that. 

Once he was done, he stood up and looked at Snufkin with sad eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” He mumbled, “I thought today was going to be good.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. It’s fine.”

“I-” Moomin caught himself. He felt afraid even asking this. While it would’ve been natural just a day ago, now he hesitated. He was scared of rejection, he supposed. However, he pushed on. “How about we take our minds off this? Maybe we could dance, even.”

Snufkin blinked. “Okay.”

“Really? I-I mean, alright!” Moomin’s heart was pounding. Reaching over, he grabbed Snufkin’s hand and led him to the dance floor.

Moomintroll took the lead, grabbing Snufkin’s hand and guiding him into a waltz. Moomin was good at it, but Snufkin, not so much. He stumbled over his feet a lot and struggled to keep up. Moomin would’ve chalked it up to him not practicing, but Snufkin looked incredibly distracted. His grip on the other was loose. He didn’t seem present, and it was as if he was trying his best not to look into Moomin’s eyes. 

Moomin found his heart breaking more and more as the dance went on. He didn’t want to stop now, as they were in the middle of the dance floor and doing so would cause a scene, but he found himself wanting to run away. His heart sunk into his stomach.

Why isn’t he looking at me? 

Is it me?

Did I do something?

Is he cross with me?

He hates me.

Am I that unappealing?

Look at me.

Look at me!

LOOK AT ME!

He felt tears prickling at his eyes, but continued on.

As soon as the dance ended, Moomin parted from Snufkin and walked off. Snufkin followed him, and they made their way towards the back of the room.

They both were silent, not looking at each other.

Then, Bramble popped out from the crowd. He waved to who he had been dancing with (Which seemed to be an older gentleman), and jogged up to Moomintroll and Snufkin.

“Hello again! Have you two been having fun? And oh, how wonderful! This last song was my favorite.” Bramble sighed dreamily.

“Erm, yes.” Moomin wiped at his eyes. “I’ll go and get punch for the three of us. I’ll be right back.”

Moomin walked off, and Bramble turned to Snufkin.

“Is he…? Nevermind.” Bramble grabbed Snufkin’s hands and grinned hectically. “I’ve been just dying to talk to you .”

***

Moomintroll had actually gone to the restroom. Looking in the mirror, he noticed his puffy eyes. He groaned, splashing some water on his face.

His heart felt like a bag of rocks, heavy and dull. He didn’t know what he was doing wrong. Everything had been good for a few days. Even if they were nervous around each other, it was good. Now it was awkward, and he didn’t even know why! Had it been because he tried to get Snufkin to dance? It couldn’t have possibly been, as they had danced together multiple times before, but he couldn’t think of any other reason.

He had admittedly been crying over this in one of the stalls, but for the most part, had gotten it all out. Slapping his cheeks, he sighed and walked out of the restroom. 

He picked up three glasses of punch on the way back, and started to approach the two. 

Something wasn’t right.

Snufkin whipped his head to look at Moomintroll, eyes wide and wild. His body tensed, and he sprinted away, towards the back door.

Moomin immediately put the cups of punch down and ran over to Bramble.

“What happened?! Is he okay?”

“I-I, I was just trying to-”

“Did you say something to him?!” Moomin looked at Bramble’s, who was about to say something, but he half-shouted, “Nevermind! I’ll go find him.”

Moomin ran after Snufkin, pushing past countless numbers of people. Eventually, he worked his way past the crowd and sprinted out the back door, towards the gardens.

He looked around wildly, before spotting Snufkin halfway across the rose gardens. Moomin followed him, shouting his name wildly in an attempt to get him to stop.

The only thing he got was a, “Leave me alone, Moomintroll!”. Snufkin didn’t stop running, instead making his way into the hedge maze towards the back of the gardens. It was unlit, and he disappeared into the darkness.

Stopping, Moomintroll picked up a lantern off the ground and sprinted into the hedge maze.

It was dark. The only thing Moomintroll could hear was the heaving of his own breath, and he could only see a few feet in front of him. He came to a split in the maze, and looked around.

“Snufkin!” He shouted.

Silence, then a distant, “I said, leave me alone!”

He went right.

Snufkin stopped replying to him after that, so instead, he just guessed which way to go. He kept on shouting Snufkin’s name, barely able to breathe from all the running he was doing. He went left, then right, then straight, then left again. 

Right, right, left, straight.

Straight, right, left, back.

Right, right, straight.

It seemed to go on forever. 

He eventually stopped and collapsed onto his knees, shuddering. He wheezed, trying desperately to catch his breath.

He remembered what Bramble had said, about people getting lost in the hedge maze.

Maybe I’ll be stuck in this maze forever.

He got up and continued on.

Right, left, left, straight.

Right, back, left, straight.

Straight, right.

Dead end.

He was about to head back, when he saw a figure sitting in the very corner of the dead end, knees pulled up to his legs. He slowly walked closer, holding his lantern in front of him.

“Snufkin?”

Snufkin didn’t look up, his head buried in his knees. “Go away. I wish to be left alone.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“I can’t do this.”

“What?”

“I said, I can’t do this! ” He shouted. Snufkin jumped up from his position, eyes wide. His hands were shaking.

“What did Bramble tell you?!” Moomintroll shouted back.

“Something about tarot cards and astrology, stars and universes. Most of that which I’ve heard before. And, he said… He-”

“What did he say?!”

Snufkin looked at Moomintroll. Even from the poor lighting given from the lantern, it looked like the siren had seen a ghost. His eyes were wild and his face was pale. “He…” He sounded like he was choking on his own words. Slowly, he let out, “He said that there was no possible universe or life in which you were not in love with me. He said he saw it in the stars.”

Moomintroll felt himself shaking, his heart beating in his ears. He dropped his lantern onto the ground. “I… I’m-”

“You’re in love with me.”

Moomintroll was silent for a long time. Slowly and deliberately, he said, “Yes. I am.”

“Do you mean it?”

“With all my heart.”

Snufkin let out a laugh, but it sounded more sad than anything. Walking forward, he threw his body against Moomintroll’s, curling his fingers in the other’s fur as they hugged. He silently sobbed, and Moomintroll cried as well. They held each other for a long time.

“I’m scared, Moomintroll.” Snufkin choked out.

“Me too.”

“I might be gone after tomorrow.”

“I know.” Moomintroll sniffed and placed a kiss on Snufkin’s forehead. “Perhaps we’ll just have to be scared together.”

Snufkin was silent for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For leaving yesterday. And causing this today. And for maybe leaving tomorrow. I’m sorry. I’m a fool. I… I was just scared.”

Moomintroll pulled away and looked at Snufkin, both of them bleary-eyed. He cupped the siren’s face in his hands and leaned in close.

“I don’t know the logistics of it, or if it’s even possible, but I think Bramble is right.”

“What?”

“I think I was born to meet you.”

Snufkin gasped, and suddenly, both of their mouths were smashed together. Moomintroll kissed Snufkin like it was the last thing he would ever do, and Snufkin kissed Moomintroll like they were the last people on Earth. 

Eventually, Moomintroll started laughing into the kiss and pulled away.

Snufkin frowned. “What?”

Moomintroll smiled and wiped at his eyes. “We’re going to look like messes when we go back.”

“Who said we had to go back?”

“Me. I want to dance with you. Properly, this time. Also, I want to let Bramble know everything is okay.”

“Oh.” Snufkin paused. “Let’s stay here for a bit. Don’t worry, I’ll be able to get us back, I remember the way I came.”

“Okay.” They sat on the floor, and Snufkin pulled out his conch shell from his pocket. Moomin gasped. “You brought it with you?”

“Yes. I always take it with me.” Snufkin said simply. “I… I finished my song. The one I started writing three weeks ago. Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course.”

Snufkin put the conch shell to his lips. And so the siren played his tune, the lantern’s shine illuminating the ground around the two lovers. Crickets chirped around the two, almost singing in unison with the song. The stars shone a little brighter at that moment, as if they were focusing in on this little moment in time.

***

“Oh! Moomintroll! Snufkin!” Bramble scurried over to the pair, who were walking in from the back door. His face was beet red. “I-I’m so sorry, I-”

Moomintroll pulled in Bramble for a hug, who squeaked. “It’s okay, we sorted it out. I actually have a lot to thank you for.” Moomin said happily.

“Oh.” Bramble pulled away. “Erm, you’re welcome?”

Moomintroll looked behind Bramble. The older gentleman who had been dancing with him earlier was walking over. Moomin smiled. “Bramble, I think somebody wants to dance with you.”

“Who? Oh-” Bramble looked over shoulder, and his face got even redder. “I see. Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go dance. I’m glad everything worked out between you two. Now, visit me when you have the time!” He called, as he was being whisked off by his suitor.

Snufkin and Moomintroll looked at each other and giggled.

Moomin grabbed Snufkin’s hand, which he lifted up and kissed gingerly. “Would you like to dance?” He asked softly.

“Hm.” Snufkin looked around. “It’s too crowded. Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

“Like where?”

“I know.” Snufkin grabbed Moomintroll’s hands and whisked him off back outside.

“Don’t tell me we’re going back into the maze.” Moomin chuckled.

“No, no. We’re not.” He led him to the side of the building instead of going into the back gardens.

Moomintroll didn’t notice it before, but there was a small gazebo there. There were fairy lights and lanterns illuminating the area, and you could still hear the music from inside playing. Nobody else was there.

Moomin gaped. “How… did you know this was here?”

“I spotted it when I was running.” Snufkin said simply. He squeezed Moomin’s paw and smiled. “Now, how about that dance?”

“Of course.”

Moomintroll led Snufkin up the steps of the gazebo and placed his arms around the other, before the two began slowly stepping back and forth.

“We don’t have to do any formal dances here. Nobody can see us.” Moomin mumbled.

“I like this. It feels much better.” Snufkin chuckled. 

The two rocked back and forth, and Snufkin had no trouble keeping up. They each focused on the other, and only the other, like they were the only people on the Earth.

The lights shone on Snufkin perfectly, making his scales glitter like fire. His lips were pulled up into a small smile. His eyes were focused on Moomintroll, and it was as if he was looking at everything the world could ever offer him.

Moomintroll blushed. “Snufkin…”

“Hm?”

“You’re beautiful.”

“As are you.”

“No, but… You’re really, really…” Moomintroll couldn’t find the words to describe how ethereal Snufkin looked in that moment. “Um…”

Snufkin’s face turned a light shade of pink, but he leaned forward and gently kissed Moomin on his snout. “Thank you.” He murmured, pushing his forehead against the other’s. 

They danced for a while, murmuring amongst themselves and laughing.

They were both so utterly and completely in love.

Eventually, Moomintroll got tired and asked to stop for a bit.

“Of course.” Snufkin said, pulling away. “Hm. Actually, why don’t just head home?”

“Great idea.”

The two snuck out of the ball from the back gate, not even attempting to go near the crowds of people. They made their way through the town and over to the forest path, which was now dark. They laughed to themselves and stumbled on rocks and tree branches, but they didn’t have a care in the world. All that mattered was them .

By the time they got back home, their shoes and pants were covered in dirt, but neither of them cared. They walked inside and up the stairs, up to Moomintroll’s room.

They changed out of their suits, relieved to now be comfortable. Snufkin turned to leave, fully intending to go and sleep in his tent, but Moomin grabbed at his hand.

“Wait.” Moomin breathed.

Snufkin turned around. “What?”

“Can you stay? Just for one night, I promise, but… I want you to be here.”

Snufkin was silent for a moment.

“Okay.”

Moomintroll led Snufkin to his bed and climbed in, scooting over so that the other would fit. 

Snufkin cuddled into Moomintroll’s chest, and the two stayed close, talking and laughing about things that were trivial in retrospect. Snufkin’s words got more and more slurred, his breathing getting slower and slower, and eventually he was fast asleep.

Moomintroll kissed the top of Snufkin’s head.

“I love you.” He breathed.

He soon drifted off to sleep, too.

Chapter Text

“Good morning.”

Moomintroll groggily opened his eyes to see Snufkin staring back at him. There was a lazy smile spread across the siren’s face, and the morning light cascading in from the bedroom window made his hair look golden. Snufkin leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Moomintroll’s snout.

Moomin chuckled quietly and put his forehead against the other’s. “Good morning.” He murmured. “Not that I would’ve minded, but I’m surprised you didn’t go.”

“Hm… Well, I thought about it. But you look wonderful in this lighting, dove. And…”

He didn’t have to say it. Moomin felt a sudden heaviness in his heart.

And we don’t have much time left.

“We should probably get up.” Snufkin sighed. He began to pull the blanket away when Moomin grabbed onto the other’s shirt.

“No, I…” Moomin paused. “Please. Let’s stay for just a while longer.”

Snufkin’s mouth turned into a thin line, but he nestled back into the blankets.

“Alright.”

***

Moomintroll fully intended to make a delicious breakfast for Snufkin, but it didn’t quite work out that way. He was distracted, and while he was deep in thought, he ended up burning the crepes to a crisp. Yelping, he used his spatula to try and turn it, but the thin pancake ripped and got everywhere.

He sighed and scraped the mangled crepe into the garbage. This was the third one he had messed up, and he was almost out of batter.

Snufkin, who had been watching this trainwreck from the kitchen table, walked up and put a hand on Moomin’s shoulder.

“Maybe we should just eat some oatmeal today.” He said softly.

“But-”

“That sounds delicious right about now.”

Moomin sighed, but smiled. The gesture was sweet. “Alright. Let me go get our bowls.”

***

The two spent the entire day joined at the hip. 

Breakfast passed, then lunch, and it would be a lie to say that they didn’t notice every tick of the clock. With each hour passed, Moomintroll felt a festering anxiety grow in his chest, and he felt himself start to panic. He’d look to Snufkin for silent reassurance when the anxiety got particularly bad, but the other seemed to have that same fear behind his eyes. Snufkin never said anything, but Moomin felt like they were on each other’s wavelength.

They avoided going outside. Moomin didn’t even want to look at the sea. The few glimpses he got of it through the windows, he felt his stomach churning. 

He felt like all of his senses were heightened. He felt enraged at the situation as a whole. He also felt miserable. He felt like he wanted to scream, cry, and beg at whoever was listening to not take Snufkin away from him. He didn’t know what was going to happen, and that terrified him. Sometimes Snufkin would stare at him with those soft, sad eyes, and it made him want to burst into tears.

He did, a few times. Big, fat tears would fall from his eyes, and Snufkin would immediately take him into his arms and whisper soft things into his ears. They were comforting, but not in the right way. He never said, “Things are going to be okay”. It was always something along the lines of, “I love you”, or “Shh, don’t cry now”.

They were curled up on the couch for one of these instances, where Moomintroll was crying softly into Snufkin’s shoulder.

“I can’t do this, Snufkin.” Moomintroll murmured miserably.

Snufkin pursed his lips and rubbed circles into Moomin’s back. “I know.”

“It’s not fair.”

“I know.”

“Don’t you have anything to say?” He hiccuped.

“I feel the same way.”

“Your eyes are awfully dry for somebody who feels the same way.” Moomintroll teased halfheartedly.

“I… don’t think I cry as much as I should.” Snufkin muttered awkwardly. “I don’t know, I don’t think it’s hit me just yet.”

Moomin leaned over and pecked Snufkin’s lips. He looked at the other with puffy, watery eyes. “That’s alright,” He breathed, “I just need you to be with me right now. That’s all that matters.”

Snufkin smiled sadly. “I’m all yours.”

If this day were to be labeled by a sin, it would be sloth. The two spent a lot of time on the couch, whispering their heartbreak to each other. Moomintroll was tempted to get back into bed and pull the covers over himself, but Snufkin insisted that he’d probably feel worse if he did that.

Mid-afternoon, they heard a knock on the door. Wiping his eyes, and with absolutely no enthusiasm, Moomintroll ripped himself away from his lover and went to open the door. 

He didn’t find anybody there. Confused and annoyed, he was about to close the door when he saw an envelope on the doormat. 

He picked it up and opened it.

Inside, there was a small card. It had a picture of three daggers going through a heart, and underneath it read, “THREE OF SWORDS”. 

There was also a small note.

MOOMINTROLL,

I AM WRITING THIS NOTE WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL FIND ITS WAY TO YOU. ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM PLACING THE LETTER ON YOUR DOORSTEP MYSELF.

I HAVE SEEN TERRIBLE THINGS IN YOUR NEAR FUTURE, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO MY CARDS. WHEN I PULLED THIS CARD, MY HEART ACHED FOR YOU.

BUT, THE FUTURE IS NEVER CERTAIN. THAT MUCH IS TRUE. I PUT MY COMPLETE FAITH INTO THAT FACT.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS WORLD IS MADE BY COINCIDENCES AND CHANCE. IT IS A MERE COINCIDENCE THAT EVERY CHOICE YOU HAVE EVER MADE HAS ENTANGLED WITH OTHER’S CHOICES IN SUCH A WAY THAT BRINGS YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW. MY TAROT CARDS MAY GUIDE ME TO SEE WHAT MAY HAPPEN, BUT THIS UNIVERSE IS A SERIES OF STRINGS ALL PERFECTLY AND MESSILY ENTANGLED IN ONE ANOTHER. 

I BELIEVE THAT YOUR COINCIDENCES WILL DEFY EVERYTHING FATE TELLS ME. YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE STRANGE, AND I AM SURE THAT WHAT IS TO COME WILL BE EVEN STRANGER.

I SAW THAT MUCH IN THE STARS. 

UPDATE ME WHEN YOU CAN.

Bramble

Moomintroll stared at the letter.

Tears immediately welled up in his eyes. Walking back inside, he placed the contents of the envelope on the hallway table, then walked back to the living room to plop back onto the couch with Snufkin.

“Who was it?” Snufkin asked.

“Bramble.” Moomin mumbled. “He thinks everything’s going to be okay.”

***

“Are you sure?” Moomin asked.

“Yes… Just, I want to do this one last time. Before…” Snufkin trailed off.

“Oh… alright.”

Moomintroll put the record onto the record player. He hadn’t played this one before. It was Moominmamma’s favorite record, full of old, slow love songs. He had been too nervous to put it on until now. Right now it seemed perfect.

Moomin wrapped his arms around Snufkin’s waist, who in turn rested his hands around the back of Moomin’s neck. The music played softly in the background, and the two swayed side to side, looking at each other with large, loving eyes.

“You’re not stumbling.” Moomin said quietly, “You’ve gotten quite good at dancing.”

Snufkin rolled his eyes. “Not at the ball.”

“That’s different. That’s formal.”

“I suppose… I like this better.”

“Me too.”

“I like you.”

Snufkin raised an eyebrow, but smiled. “Oh?”

“Yes, because you didn’t know that already… But you make me feel safe, Snufkin. I like being around you.” Moomin looked away, embarrassed. “I’ve never been this in love before.”

Snufkin’s lips turned into a line. “I…” His face started turning pink. “I suppose I feel the same…”

Moomintroll leaned forward and placed a kiss on Snufkin’s forehead. “Can you tell me a little bit about that?” He asked in a low voice.

“Oh.” Snufkin looked away. “I’m not good with words, I’m sorry in advance. But I feel like a fool for you. And the world has never seemed this bright.”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“Do you remember what Bramble said to you? About how in every universe, we’re in love?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder what it’s like for them out there. Perhaps they’re lucky, and get to stay together forever.”

“Or perhaps we’re the lucky ones.”

“That’s an awful thought.” Moomin mumbled.

“Or a cheerful one.” Snufkin put his head on Moomin’s shoulder, continuing to sway with him. “All this mourning, and nothing has even happened yet.”

“I-I guess, but-”

“As far as I know, this could be my last day on Earth. In other universes, our fates can be tangled in such ways that we live long, wonderful lives, but in this one, we simply don’t know. All I know is that I’m spending time with you, right now, in this moment, and you’re the only person I can call home. You’re my home, Moomintroll, and I’m glad I’m spending my last day on Earth with you. So perhaps we should enjoy it.” Snufkin looked up and placed a small kiss against Moomin’s jaw. “Please.”

Moomin’s lip trembled. “O-Okay. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m sad, too. But let’s enjoy this dance, at least.”

“Okay. You’re right, I’ll try.” Moomin pulled Snufkin closer to him, putting a small kiss on his forehead. He kissed down his temples, onto his cheeks, down the side of his jaw, a quick one onto his nose, before settling on his lips. They kissed sweetly and passionately, still swaying side to side as their cheeks burned with unadulterated adoration. 

Moomintroll pulled away, panting lightly. “I love you.” He gasped.

Snufkin tried to catch his breath as well. “I love you too.”

“I love you more.”

“Oh, stop.”

***

The rest of the day went by swiftly. They sat down for dinner, but Moomintroll didn’t make anything elaborate. He just made a simple pasta with garlic bread, as he wanted to go back to spending time with Snufkin as soon as possible. They enjoyed their meal, before retreating back into the living room.

Moomintroll ran his fingers through Snufkin’s hair. “I forgot, why does the moon turn blue again?”

“Oh. Well, there’s many creatures in the sky and beyond it. I’m sure you know that. But there’s a special kind of fairy that lives on the moon. They sleep all year, and for one month a year, they wake up. They celebrate and celebrate until they tire themselves out, and then they sleep again. Their celebration holds so much magic that it affects the Earth as well.”

“Huh.” Moomin twirled a strand of Snufkin’s hair around his finger. “I want to ask them to stay awake for just a little longer.”

“You’d have to get to the moon first.”

“I could ask the Snork to build me a flying ship…”

“In a few hours?”

“Yes!”

Snufkin chuckled. “Alright. You do that.”

Moomintroll shifted on the couch. “Did you ever finish reading my journals?”

“I think I just didn’t read your last one. Why?”

“I have an idea. Why don’t I read it aloud to you?”

Snufkin’s eyes widened, and he grinned. “I’d love that.”

***

9:50PM

“So, what happened when you got captured by the bandits?”

Moomintroll held his journal in his hands. “Well, me and Sniff outsmarted them, of course! They trapped us in the back of their cart, which had a little jail on it for captives. We almost lost hope, but Sniff and I devised a plan to trick the bandits into thinking we were cursed! And…”

10:25PM

“Did you ever return the jewels?”

“Return them? You only met Sniff briefly, but he’s all about business… I wanted to return them, but he pawned them off. It was a good thing, though, since we were able to buy tickets for a ferry across the sea. Then we got to have more adventures!”

10:52PM

“Did you ever meet the masked gentleman again?”

“No. I had suspected that he was the prince’s servant, but I could never be too sure. He was so charming, and I adored him on that night that we danced. Er-” Moomin coughed. “Not as much as I adore you.”

Snufkin laughed. “It’s okay. He did sound quite charming.”

11:21PM

“Who was the murderer?”

“It was none other than the midwife! How awful! She was so concerned with money matters that it consumed her.”

“Dreadful indeed.”

11:42PM

“What did you do after the train crashed?”

“Well, nobody died, thankfully! A few people got hurt. So we helped everybody get off and returned everyone’s belongings, then tended to the injured. We had enough food to hold us over until we got help.”

11:52PM

“Did you ever meet the witch again?”

“No, but she gave us a few enchanted charms to give us good luck! I don’t know if they actually worked, but most things turned in our favor on our journeys after that.”

“Do you still have them?”

“I think Sniff has them… I hope he didn’t sell them.”

11:59PM

“So, did the enchanted charm work against the evil wizard?”

Moomintroll tapped against his journal. “I think so? We didn’t die, I suppose, but Sniff got hurt.”

“Oh. How awful.”

“Yes, but not too badly. He…”

Moomintroll blinked. Snufkin was sitting on the opposite end of the couch from him, and his eyes were wide. Beads of sweat were pouring from his forehead. His face was bright red.

12:00AM

“Are you okay?” Moomin asked, voice shaking.

Snufkin curled up into a ball. His breathing was labored, and his claws were digging into his legs. Blood blotted his pants where he broke the skin. His entire body was shaking.

Moomin gasped, and immediately pulled Snufkin to his chest. “No, no, no,” He whispered to himself, feeling the other shake violently against him. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Pulling back, he looked at Snufkin, and screamed.

Snufkin’s nails had turned black, and were growing longer. His fingers had webs. His face seemed to be getting longer and more gaunt, and his teeth had grown so that they were poking out from his mouth. His eyes were closed shut, and his skin was cold to the touch. 

“Snufkin?!” Moomin shouted. “Snufkin, are you alright?!”

Snufkin didn’t answer, his breathing shaky.

Moomin immediately scooped Snufkin into his arms bridal style, and began to run through the lighthouse. He was shaking violently himself, and was trying his best not to drop the siren. Tears spilled from his eyes, making his vision blurry, and he felt his heart slamming against his ribcage. He choked on his own sobbing, but was determined.

Kicking open the back door, he sprinted outside. He felt Snufkin getting heavier in his arms. Upon looking down, he saw that Snufkin’s pants had ripped open, and his legs had begun to fuse together into a long, black tail. He let out a sound that was between a scream and a wail, and tried running faster. He had to get him back in the water.

He wasn’t very successful. The sand was hard to run through, and Snufkin was heavy. At one point, he tripped and tumbled to the ground, Snufkin still in his arms. Sobbing, he scrambled up and picked Snufkin up again, continuing his run. His arms felt like they were about to give out, but he willed every part of his body to keep going. They were almost there. 

Snufkin’s legs had completely fused into a tail at that point. Instead of cold, he now felt feverish, his skin burning up against Moomin’s. Moomin felt like he was about to overheat himself, his body screaming at him to give up. He never was really fit. He went against everything in his nature that told him to stop, and soon enough, he was at the water’s edge. 

He ran into the water, the waves crashing against him. The water wasn’t too stormy, but it was extremely cold. Moomin felt like he was about to go into shock, but he kept going deeper, until he was at his chest. He held Snufkin in his arms, submerging his gills underneath the water but keeping his head above it.

He began to catch his breath. Everything was strangely still.

Moomintroll looked down at Snufkin, and he felt his heart shatter. He felt his breathing get shallow, and he began to hyperventilate. He screamed and sobbed and wailed, big fat tears rolling down his face and dropping into the water. His entire body violently trembled, more than the strongest earthquake, and he couldn’t stop the tears. He felt like his entire world was ending.

Bramble was wrong.

He didn’t notice it, but he was crying so much that his tears were dropping into the ocean. And the most peculiar thing happened. Each teardrop that dropped into the ocean immediately turned the water around it a bright gold, staining and spreading the color around the area like a dye in water. He cried and cried, more tears falling into the sea, and more of the water turned bright gold. Moomintroll eventually opened his eyes, and he noticed that all the water in a ten foot radius was bright gold.

His breathing eventually slowed down, and tears stopped flowing from his eyes. He was shocked. The golden hue kept on spreading and spreading, the currents carrying the color deeper into the ocean. It was happening so fast, but before he knew it, the entire ocean was glowing bright gold.

He looked down at Snufkin, who looked the same. There was one thing different, though. The siren had stopped shuddering. He was now just unconscious.

“What…” Moomin breathed.

He looked up into the sky, and the moon wasn’t just tinted blue. It was a bright navy. 

There was something else, too. There was a comet soaring through the sky, but it was moving awfully fast.

It was also moving right towards them.

The entire sky was lit up, bright red from the comet, and blue from the moon, with bits of purple in between. The golden glow from the ocean also bled into the sky, making it more beautiful than the most vibrant sunset. The comet moved closer and closer, and Moomin actually began to get fearful, before it crashed into the ocean 500 feet away. Water splashed up hundreds of feet, but surprisingly, it didn’t crash back down. It slowly cascaded back into the ocean, only creating a gentle wave from the impact. It was supernatural, and unlike anything Moomin had ever seen before. Also surprisingly, but there was no heat from the comet, despite it burning through the Earth’s atmosphere. Moomintroll was awestruck.

The comet’s rock floated in the golden sea, before it suddenly exploded. A blue beam of light shone up from it, the debris raining down on the ocean. 

Moomintroll saw a figure in the beam of light. It exited, and at an inhuman speed, zoomed right in front of the two lovers.

Moomin blinked, trying to get a good look at her. She hurt to look at, bright blue light shining from every inch of her body. He forced himself to look anyway. 

She looked alien. She was obviously a fairy, with large, intricate wings, but she didn’t look child-like, as did most of the fairies on Earth did. She looked old and young at the same time, with large, black eyes peering at the two. She had large ram horns protruding from her head, extremely sharp teeth, and dagger-like nails.

Moomin didn’t know what to say. “Hi.” He whispered.

She smiled at him, but when she opened her mouth, only a language that Moomintroll had never heard of came out. Despite this, he heard a voice in his head, crystal clear.

I saw you.

Moomin blinked. “What?”

I saw you.

“You… You saw me? Are you a moon fairy?”

She only smiled.

Moomin suddenly felt very fearful, but also very awestruck. “Were you the one that granted Snufkin’s wish?” He whispered.

Yes.

“Oh.” Moomintroll looked down at Snufkin. “Please, I… I know you probably don’t have much time, but… Please, I…”

Love?

“Yes. Very.”

Okay.

She raised her hand, and put it on Snufkin’s forehead. A bright blue ring formed around Snufkin’s neck, and a small necklace materialized. It was made of a material Moomin had never seen before, with a small, polished moon rock as a charm.

Snufkin’s features almost immediately softened. His teeth began shrinking, as did his nails, and upon looking down, he suddenly had two legs again. 

Tears spilled from Moomin’s eyes. “What… did you do?” He asked, voice trembling. They weren’t necessarily sad tears.

Necklace. Can take on and off.

Moomin looked up. “Thank you. Why…?”

I have love too. She’s on the sun.

“Oh.” Moomin rubbed his eyes. “Thank you. What’s your name?”

She smiled and put a finger to her lips.

Goodbye.

With that, she glowed brighter and brighter. Moomintroll shielded his eyes, and when he looked back, she was gone.

Looking up, the moon wasn’t blue anymore. It was white.

The golden sea dulled in color, until it slowly turned back into a dark blue.

Moomin looked down at Snufkin. Lifting him to his chest, he waded back to shore, feeling as if he had run a marathon. He was very, very tired, and very, very overwhelmed. 

He collapsed onto the sand, putting Snufkin next to him. He rolled over and shook Snufkin, who was still unconscious.

Snufkin grumbled something, before slowly opening his eyes. Gasping, he sat up, grabbing at his legs. His hands flew to his neck, where the necklace lay.

“What-” He breathed.

Moomin leaned over and placed a kiss on Snufkin’s cheek.

“It’s okay now. Welcome back.”

Chapter Text

Moomintroll sat in the living room, idly glancing through the window. It was mid-morning, and snow was softly falling from the sky. The first snow of the season had fallen just a few days prior, and the temperature was dropping fast.

It was November 21st, a Thursday. His heart had been heavy for the past few days, and he found himself easily distracted from his work. He’d honestly try and immerse himself in it, but his mind always wandered back to the same subject.

Snufkin.

Moomintroll looked down at his book. He had started it right after Snufkin had left, but he found himself reading the same sentences over and over, not absorbing any of it. He thumbed at the pages before sighing and shutting it. 

Perhaps it wouldn’t do any good to sit around and mope, but he couldn’t help it. 

He looked back to the window.

It’s no use, He thought to himself, But… Perhaps today, he’ll…

He felt his heart sink.

No, perhaps not.

About two days after the blue moon had ended, Snufkin decided he wanted to see the world. Moomintroll knew it was coming, considering how Snufkin had mentioned it again and again when he first came onto land, but it was like a stab to the heart. He hated having that conversation with him. He remembered it clearly, replaying over and over in the back of his head.

***

It was almost a week earlier, just a few days after the conclusion of the blue moon.

Moomin looked up to the ceiling, running his hand through the siren’s hair. Said siren laid his head on his chest, eyes closed, listening to the other’s heartbeat.

The two were laying in bed. Mid-morning had passed, but the two were lazing around. The two had been inseparable since the blue moon- joined at the hip. Snufkin had slept inside the past night, and despite being left blanket-less after Moomintroll had pulled the blankets away, seemed to be doing well not sleeping outside.

Or, at least, that’s what Moomintroll had thought.

Snufkin hummed, rubbing his hand along the fur on Moomintroll’s chest. 

“I think I’m going to leave.” He said softly.

Moomintroll blinked, looking down at Snufkin. What he said didn’t immediately register. “What?”

“I think I’m going to leave. Just for a few days, then I’ll be back, but...” Snufkin lifted his head off of Moomin’s chest and sat up.

It hit Moomintroll very suddenly. He sat up too, looking at the other with wide eyes. “What? Why are you leaving?”

“I believe that there are many more experiences waiting for me on this land. I want to see things.”

There was a silence.

“I’ll… I’ll go with you. I’ll hire Bramble’s son to look after the lighthouse again. I-”

“Moomintroll, I need to go alone.”

Moomin could hear his own heart shattering. Snufkin looked at him softly, and picked up Moomin’s paw, before bringing it to his lips and giving it a gentle kiss. “Just for a few days. I’ll be back, but I want to visit Mymblemamma this winter, too.” Snufkin bit his lip. “I just… need to talk to her.”

“Are you going to go anywhere else after you visit Mymblemamma?” Moomin asked quietly. “I understand, but…”

Snufkin brushed his thumb against Moomin’s knuckles. “Moomins hibernate, right?”

Moomintroll blinked. “Yes, but I stopped after-”

“Are you concerned with money matters?”

“Of course not.”

“Well… Why not this? After I leave to visit Mymblemamma, why don’t you hire Bramble’s son to take care of the lighthouse for the winter, and you’ll hibernate? So by the time you wake up, I’ll be back.”

Moomintroll was silent. Hibernating?

“I’ll be back before you even wake up.” Snufkin leaned forward and put a hand to Moomin’s cheek.

“I… I don’t know. I haven’t hibernated in a long time.”

“It’ll be like taking a winter off.”

Moomintroll sighed. “I’ll talk to Bramble’s son about it. If he says yes… I suppose it might be good for me.”

“So does that sound like a deal?”

“I’ll miss you.”

Snufkin grinned teasingly. “You’ll be asleep!”

“Then I suppose I’ll miss you in my dreams!” Moomin chuckled, but his eyes were sad.

“You’ll be in my dreams, too.” Snufkin laid back down and pulled on Moomintroll’s arm, who followed suit. Snufkin resumed his position of laying on Moomin’s chest. “I may be away, but you’ll always be with me. That would’ve been true even if I had permanently changed back into a siren.”

Moomintroll kissed the top of Snufkin’s head. “I know. I love you.”

“I love you too, dove.”

***

Now Moomintroll sat on his couch, aching for his other half. 

The hours of the day rolled by slowly and painfully. 

He made his lunch, but wasn’t as motivated to make anything particularly delicious since he was the only one that was going to be eating it. 

He went upstairs and checked on the main lighthouse light, but everything was running smoothly, so he didn’t have much to do for long.

He tried to read again, but found himself getting both bored and more and more unfocused after a few pages.

He began to clean the kitchen, but got tired after half of it, and left to rest for a while.

He took a shower, but was faced with overwhelming thoughts of Snufkin, and tried to finish as quickly as he could.

He had felt the most intense love he had ever felt in his life, and now his paramour was gone.

He told himself that Snufkin would be back soon.

He would.

Well, he really hoped so.

He was cleaning up after dinner, grumpily washing his dishes by hand when he felt his mind getting cloudy. A bit confused, he got himself his water and sat down.

Perhaps I’m lightheaded? I haven’t strained myself at all today, how curious…

He sipped on his water.

He was pondering on whether or not his bath had made him dizzy when he heard something outside.

His ears twitched, almost immediately straining themselves to try and hear what it was.

…

It was a faint melody.

Pushing himself out of his chair, he sprinted out the back door and looked around wildly, not minding that his feet were cold from the snow. It was dark, with the only light coming from the moon, but he strained his eyes trying to see what- or, who- was there.

The melody got louder and louder, and from the corner of the trees that bordered the beach, Moomintroll saw a figure emerge.

He gasped, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He immediately ran to the figure, and as he did, the music got louder and louder.

It was Snufkin’s tune.

Moomintroll approached Snufkin, instantly engulfing the smaller figure into a hug. Snufkin had put down his conch shell, and was now having his face covered in small kisses.

“Moomintroll!” Snufkin exclaimed in “protest” (He was laughing too hard for it to seem convincing).

Moomintroll pushed himself off of the siren, taking Snufkin’s face in between his paws. “How was it?! Where did you go? What did-”

“I’ll tell you later.” Snufkin sighed, smiling. “It’s good to see you. I saw the most wondrous things, even outside of the blue moon! And I’ve been pondering many things… Especially my visit to see Mymblemamma. I’ve already written to her.”

Moomintroll leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Snufkin’s lips. They stayed like that for a minute before pulling away. 

“You can tell me all about it once we’re inside. It’s too cold out here… You must be freezing. I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”

Snufkin smiled and took Moomintroll’s hand.

“Alright.”

They walked inside.