Chapter Text
Snufkin and Moomin sat there in silence. The words still hanging in the air. “Excuse me?” Moomin couldn’t do anything but stare at him.
Snufkin began shaking his head “this is what I was afraid of…” Snufkin stood but Moomin grabbed his paw.
“Wouldn’t you like to enjoy the stars a bit longer?” Moomin smiled at him.
Snufkin pulled his paw away. “I… Guess” and he sat back in the Lilacs with the troll.
They ended up falling asleep in the field. Since they never came back, Little My came out to look for them. “Moomintroll and Snufkin sitting in a tree. K I S S I N G” Little My whispered, she was very close to Snufkins ear. It woke him up and he swung to claw at her but she jumped out of the way, laughing.
Snufkin looked around, they were still in the field… And he had fallen asleep right next to Moomin. “I hate you so much” He hissed at her, putting his hat back on to cover his blushing.
“You and Moomintroll seemed to have had a great time last night. Did yo-”
“Shut up” He smacked her with his tail.
The commotion the two had caused with their conversation woke up Moomin. He yawned and stretched before sitting up. “Snufkin?” He looked around. Snufkin and Little My both waved “Morning Moomintroll” they said in unison. Moomin laughed slightly and covered his face cause of the light “I had the weirdest dream, we were in a flower field together and you told me you liked me” Moomin uncovered his face and looked at Snufkin and Little My.
“It wasn’t a dream” Little My snickered. Snufkin had been holding her by the back of her coat but he let go and walked off.
“Snufkin wait I-” Snufkin put his paw up and cut him off “I’m going to get breakfast.” And he continued on his way.
Late in the day, it began snowing. Snufkin and Moomin hadn’t even looked at each other after that morning.
Joxter and Moomin were packing up while Little My tried to think of a way to the Mymbles house. Snufkin had gone back to the Lilac patch, he gathered as many as he could fit in his pockets.
Once they were ready, they all began making their way back through the forest. They came up to a large pink house, Little My jumped out of Snufkins pocket, Lilacs trailing after her, and began knocking on the door.
“Excited to meet your mother?” Joxter picked up the fallen flowers.
“Ye- WAIT WHAT?” Snufkin almost choked “My mother!? Are you telling me I’m related to that?” He pointed at Little My. Joxter just laughed in response. Moomin stood there, quietly laughing along with the Joxter at Snufkins response.
The door opened, it was The Mymbles daughter “Snufkin? Joxter?” She leaned her head to the side “Moomintroll? What are you all doing here?”
Snufkin pointed down at Little My, once The older Mymble looked down at her sister, she laughed “Of course, come in it’s cold, Mother is making dinner right now.”
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The Mymble came into the living room once they had all come in, Little My had already run off with some of the other children, but Joxter, Snufkin, and Moomin waited for The Mymble.
“I see you came back, guess I owe you an apology… and the Hemulen 15 gold...” she mumbled the last statement. “I also see you haven't killed the boy yet, even more of a shock” She laughed.
Joxter just smirked and presented the lilacs “For my love.” He offered, Snufkin looked down at his pockets to see there were a few missing, he already knew how.
Mymble took the flowers and smelled them “Lovely, how about I see if I can find you all a room for the winter.” She turned and walked away with Joxter trailing after her.
“She sure has a lot of kids,” Moomin mumbled. Snufkin nodded “I can’t believe I’m one of them…” He replied. The two looked at each other “I kinda figured you were one” Moomin smiled.
“How so?” Snufkin shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Well for one most Mymbles have red hair and yours is pretty close, your tail also looks nothing like your fathers and more like a Mymbles tail.” He made it obvious he had been looking over Snufkin, but Snufkin just laughed in response. “Thank you… I think”
After dinner Mymble got them all a room. Moomin, Snufkin, and Little My all had to share one. Of course, the Joxter was going to sleep in the Mymbles room.
There were two beds there, Little My declared to them she was sleeping in her own bed, leaving Moomin and Snufkin to share, but Snufkin decided to sleep on the floor instead. It was late at night and he wasn’t asleep. Not only because of the hard floor but because of his thoughts.
Snufkin got up and made his way over to the door to grab his jacket, he stepped on something that was on the floor and yelped.
“Snufkin?” Moomin mumbled, he was obviously still half asleep. Snufkin cursed under his breath and looked under his foot to see what it was “Yes Moomin?” He whispered.
“Are you okay?” He sat up, Snufkin nodded “I stepped on something…” He took his jacket off the door. “Where are you going Snufkin?” He rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t tell him the truth so he tried thinking up any reason that he could. “To uh… The bathroom” He lied.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” His eyes were still shut.
“Um… Yea I just uh… Stomach ache…” he rushed out the door.
Moomin would have gone after him to see if he was okay but he was too tired to realized he had ever been awake.
Snufkin stepped down the stairs quietly, trying not to wake anyone else. Once he got to the bottom floor he went for the door. “Snuff” Someone called, he turned around to the Mymbles Daughter “Where are you going?” She was whispering.
He knew telling her to the bathroom wouldn’t work cause he so very obviously had his hand on the door nob for the front door, but out of everyone he knew she would be least likely to try and follow him, although being her younger brother that gave her even more of a reason to.
“I’m going to see Too-Ticky.” he told her.
She nodded “I see, and what does Mom think about you sneaking out at night after you finally came back?” She set the candle down on the table and walked over to him
“She doesn’t know, what are you doing up?” He tensed, taking his hand off the doorknob.
“I was getting milk, one of the kids woke up crying. What did you tell your roommates.” She snickered.
He already knew she knew how clumsy he could be at night, he just shook his head and laughed quietly “I told him I had a stomach ache and was going to the bathroom.”
“Gross” She plopped his hat on his head and handed him a scarf “Keep warm please, mostly cause she can’t blame your dad if you do die.”
Snufkin nodded and tied the scarf on “I’ll be back, I promise.” He opened the door. “I’ll keep it unlocked for you” She waved him goodbye as he walked out into the snow.
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Snufkin approached the door of the bathhouse and knocked, he didn’t expect any answer but he got one, Too-Ticky reached her arm out and pulled him in quickly.
“Hey!” He hissed back.
“Sorry sorry, it’s just the lady of winter is supposed to come sometime soon” She informed him. “Would you like some coffee? I’m sure it’s cold out there.” She began pouring come cups.
Snufkin nodded and took his hat off to shake the snow off “I guess I’m not going back tonight” He chuckled.
Too-Ticky handed him a cup of coffee “Does anyone know you’re gone?” She sipped her own cup.
“Mymble and Moomin, although Moomin was too sleepy to really stop me” He stared at the cup.
Too-Ticky smiled “So you’re staying with the Mymble’s huh? How’s her daughter?” She set the cup down.
“Alive, those kids haven’t driven her insane somehow.” He laughed.
Too-ticky nodded and then gazed down.
“Are Purple Lilacs going extinct?” She smirked.
Snufkin was confused at first, then he looked down at his pockets “Oh I uh… Moomintroll and I had been talking…”
“And?” She sipped her coffee.
“I told him… He thought it had been a dream but when he found out it wasn’t we just kinda… Stop talking for a bit.” He tapped the beans of his paw against the cup.
“I see… I assume you’re talking now though since you had to tell him an excuse to why you were leaving in such a rush” Too-Ticky stood and walked over to the window, peering out of it.
“Yeah.” He watched her.
“Coast is clear, I suggest you go back now before another wakes up and realizes you’re gone” She opened the door. “I’ll walk you back”
Snufkin put his hat back on and rewrapped the scarf “If Mymble is still up I’ll see if she’s okay with letting you stay until morning”
Too-ticky put her own scarf on “That’d be lovely.”
And the two went off into the snow.