#moomin 1990 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thewildsophia · 6 months

Text

.Wild Child. Moominvalley//Snufkin x Reader

Snufkin x Winged!Reader

A/n: This fic took so damn long to make my GOD- It's been 2 years in the making, but I'm so glad to finally be finished with it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Word Count: 12884

Living your life outside in the wild had left you somewhat…feral.

You weren’t aggressive, quite the opposite in fact, you just didn’t quite understand the way that people worked, and it very much showed. You often stayed away from others, worried that they would harm you. Your understanding of speech was limited, so you often just mimicked what others have said before you in hopes that you’ll be able to understand it one day.

You vaguely remember being raised by your parents up until the ripe old age of 3. After that, they took you out somewhere in the woods before placing you down and leaving. From then on, it had just been you and the occasional animal or being that decided to help you out.

You weren’t completely sure why they had left you, but you assumed that it had to do with your wings. That’s right, you had wings; much like a bird’s. Decorated with white and pale gold feathers, they were powerful enough to lift you high above the ground and allowed you to travel to all the different lands that your heart desired.

As of right now, you were heading somewhere warm as the area you were currently in was beginning to become cold again, the telltale sign that winter was approaching in that area. You remembered seeing on someone’s map that there was an area just south of where you currently were that would be spring this time of year, so you decided to fly there for the time being.

It took you a few days, but you eventually arrived in a small valley-like area that was covered in forest life. Large Birch and Oak trees covered the area as you did your initial fly-by to get affiliated with the place, which made it a bit difficult to get a good visual of the area. In addition to that, the wind here was much stronger than what you were used to and you knew that trying to fly against it would tire you out quicker.

You decided it would be best if you flew lower to the ground. However, because of the size of the trees, your flight was limited significantly. Eventually, you just opted to hop from treetop to treetop, using your wings to help when encountering a particularly large jump.

It was then that you spotted a man below you wearing a green hat and coat, along with a yellow scarf and a large brown backpack. The thing that intrigued you the most about him was that he looked a lot like you. All the other people you had met resembled woodland creatures and animals as opposed to yourself. He even walked the same way you did sometimes!

Curious, you began to follow him as quietly as possible. The sun was beginning to set when he stopped and began to set up, what appeared to you to be, some kind of small home. While trying to get a closer look at what he was doing, you leaned a little too far forward on the branch you were standing on and almost fell. Much to your dismay, the sound of you scrambling to get back up alerted the man. He looked over at the trees to where you were, but his eyes glossed over your form as they passed through the tree line.

“Hello?” He called out. His voice was soft and smooth, but loud enough to be heard from a distance.

You held your breath and remained silent, hoping that he’d just go back to what he was previously doing. He took one last glance before sitting back down in front of the fire he had made. As he was sitting, a strong gust of wind blew by, taking the man’s hat with it.

“Hey!” He shouted while reaching out to grab it, missing it by a few inches. The hat blew past your direction and into the dark woods. You watched as he chased after it until he reached the tree line. He sighed before turning back and sitting near the fire. He sat there frying a fish while sulking, most definitely being upset about his hat.

Feeling bad for him, you decide to go looking for it. You quietly left the area before dropping down to the forest floor and looking for his hat. Your vision was a lot better than most people’s, but even with that advantage, it was going to be a bit difficult looking for a green hat amongst flowers, grass, weeds, and other various plant life.

Like you predicted, it took a while -- you’re not sure how long exactly -- before you found what you were looking for. You got back up on the trees before heading over to where the man was settled. To your surprise, he was still awake and playing some kind of tune.

You haven’t heard much music throughout your life, but the little that you did hear you liked, and this was perhaps your favorite. You stayed there for a while, crouched on one of the tree branches, just listening to him before you decided to return what was his. Slowly, you descended the tree you were perched on and began to walk over to him, standing straight. You didn’t walk much, but when you did you crouched, remaining close to the ground. You only did that so that you’d always be ready to take flight if needed.

He must have heard your descent because he looked over in your direction and spoke.

“Hello?” He called out again. Your steps stuttered a bit as you hesitated before you came into the light of his fire. He stood from where he was sitting; his brown eyes met your E/C ones as you two stared at the other for a moment. His gaze made your wings twitch under your cloak.

Now looking at him in the light, you noted that he wasn’t a man, but instead a boy around your age, if not a few years younger. Brown locks of hair framed his face perfectly as you watched his eyes study your form. He was so beautiful and his body looked so much like yours. Was he one of your kind? What even were you?

“Can I help you?” He asked. You snapped out of your thoughts and held his hat out in front of him.

“Is…for you,” You mumbled, trying to find the right words. He seemed shocked but took his hat nonetheless.

“My, thank you very much,” He said, fixing it upon his head and covering his beautiful hair, “I didn’t think I’d see it again.” He added with a smile. You smiled yourself before he put his hand out towards you, making you take a step back.

“I’m Snufkin, a pleasure to meet you,” He, Snufkin, said with his hand still extended. You looked at his hand and then back up at him.

“Snufkin?” You repeated, pointing at him.

“Yes, that’s right,” He confirmed, “And you are?”

“Y/N,” You said, pointing to yourself. Snufkin’s extended hand fell back to his side as he spoke.

“Well, Y/N, would you like to sit by the fire with me? As a thanks for you returning my hat?” Snufkin asked, making a vague gesture for you to sit down with him. You cocked your head to the side, eyebrows knitted in confusion as to what he was asking. You stared at him expectantly before his smile dropped.

“Y/N?” He asked. You hummed in acknowledgment and walked over to him but didn’t sit down. You looked down at him, waiting for what he had to say.

“Do you want to join me?” He asked again.

“Do you want to join me?” You mimicked, smiling. Snufkin furrowed his eyebrows before patting the seat next to him saying,

“Sit.”

You complied and sat next to him on the log. You noted the small setup above the fire, some sort of large pot being just above the open flame. He pulled out two small, wooden bowls and handed you one of them. He used a spoon to move some of the liquid from the pot and into the small bowls. You stared at your, now full, bowl before looking over at Snufkin to see what he was doing with it. You watched as he dipped the spoon into the bowl before lifting it to his mouth, gently blowing on it before eating it.

“What?” You asked, pointing to your bowl. Snufkin looks over at you.

“What was that?” He asked. You hummed before repeating,

“What…this?” You specified. Snufkin looks at you confused before answering you.

“It’s stew,” He said, not looking away from you. You still didn’t understand.

“Stew?” You asked.

“Stew. It’s a type of soup. I just used some of the various plants I found, along with some meat.” He explained. You continued to look at him, face scrunched in confusion.

“Y/N,” He said, pulling your attention, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

You stared at him, face blank before he sighed.

“You eat it, like this,” He said, lifting the bowl to his lips and gently pouring it into his mouth and drinking it. When you sat there staring at him, he gently moved the bowl in your hand and lifted it to your lips, doing the same with his own bowl. He then took a sip from his bowl. As understanding washed over you, you took the bowl into both of your hands before taking a sip of it.

It was so good! You had never tasted anything this good before.

You smiled, giggling lightly, as you pulled the bowl away from your lips, your bare feet rubbing against the dirt in delight. Your wings had puffed up a bit before you stretched them a bit under your cloak, catching the attention of Snufkin. Glancing over, you noticed his eyes were fixed on the back of your cloak. You moved the bowl to one hand as your other one moved your cloak aside, exposing your wings to the chilly night air.

“Oh, wow,” Snufkin mumbled as you rolled your shoulders, stretching your wings out a bit more. It was always a bit uncomfortable keeping them in the same position for a long period of time. You took another sip of the ‘stew’ when you flinched, feeling something brush up against your wings.

“Oh, sorry,” Snufkin apologized, noticing your discomfort, “Did I hurt you?” He asked.

“Hurt me?” You asked. You shook your head ‘no,’ moving your wing closest to him towards him, “Okay.” You say.

“Can I touch them?” Snufkin asked, his hands hovering above them still unsure of what to do.

“Touch them,” You repeated, stretching your wing towards him. His hands were warm on the chilled appendage and were gentle not to pull any of the pale-colored feathers. You quietly hummed in delight, a small smile gracing your lips as you closed your eyes and rested the bowl in your lap. This felt surprisingly nice.

“I’ve never seen anything like you before,” Snufkin mumbled. “You’re incredible.”

Those words made you feel strange even if you didn’t quite understand them. Not in a bad way, the opposite really. You felt warm and didn’t want to leave him. Still, his words muddled you and you turned to him confused.

“You…like me?” You said pointing to the back of his coat.

“Oh, no,” He said, moving his hands to trace the back of his coat, “I don’t have…wings.”

You hummed in acknowledgment before moving your cloak back in place over your wings to protect them from the cold. You finished the last of your food before placing the bowl on the ground and warming yourself up by the fire. You were close to falling asleep when you heard Snufkin shuffling beside you. He had grabbed the bowls and was running them through the water in the stream nearby. When he returned, he dried them off using some cloth before placing them in his bag and putting them in his little home.

“Do you have somewhere to stay?” Snufkin asked, “I have some extra room in my tent.” He added, pointing to his ‘tent.’

“Yes,” You said, shaking your head, “Have…somewhere.” You specified, standing up and stretching.

“Take-Thank…” You stuttered, trying to remember the words, “Thank…”

“‘Thank you?’” Snufkin said.

“Yes!” You shouted, smiling, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” He said, entering his tent, “Good night.” He whispered before closing the tent completely.

“Good…night,” You mumbled. You stared at the tent for a moment, a small smile still on your lips, before flying over to the small forest again. You turned to look back at the small setup before searching for a good tree to perch in for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~

When you went to check for him the next day in the area he was previously at, he was not there. A little disappointed, you continued on with your day. While looking for a stream to find some fish at, you spot Snufkin sitting on a bridge. In his hand, he had a long stick with, what you thought to be, a string attached to the end of it. The end of the string was submerged in the water.

Perching on the railing of the bridge, you called out to the brunette.

“Snufkin,” You said, smiling. Your smile faltered when you heard him yelp and turn around with wide eyes. He calmed down when he recognized you.

“Y/N,” He whispered, still breathing a bit heavily, “You startled me…” He said, readjusting his position and looking back at the water. You jumped off the railing and sat next to Snufkin.

“How did you get here without me knowing?” He asked, glancing over at you. You pointed up at the sky.

“Oh, yeah,” Snufkin whispered.

“What doing?” You asked, pointing to the stick in his hand.

“I’m fishing,” He answered. You tilt your head to the side and hum.

“Fishing?” You repeated.

“Yes, fishing,” Snufkin repeated, “Using a fishing rod, I’m catching fish to eat.” He explained slowly. You furrow your eyebrows before walking off of the bridge. You removed your cloak and rolled your brown pants up to your mid-thighs before walking into the water. The water was cooler than you expected, but you quickly got used to it.

“What are you doing?” Snufkin asked with a small smile. You pressed a finger to your lip telling him to be quiet and stood there as still as you could, feeling for the fish. When you felt a large enough one pass close to you, you quickly grabbed it, digging your nails into the soft flesh making sure it wouldn’t get away. Pulling it out of the water, you flew over to the bridge next to Snufkin and held the fish out to him.

“Fish!” You shouted, smiling. Snufkin looked at you surprised before placing his rod to the side and taking the fish from you. It struggled around in his hands as he grabbed it.

“I-Wow. That was…impressive, Y/N.” Snufkin said, still bewildered. You smiled wider before returning to the water. You walked around a bit before finding a good spot.

“For me…” You murmured as you waited. Your concentration was broken when you heard a hiss-like sound come from Snufkin. Turning to him you note that he wasn’t making that noise, but instead the ‘fishing rod’ that he was pulling on. When he finished struggling with the rod, he held up a fish that was attached to the end of the string, still flopping around.

“For you,” Snufkin said, patting the spot next to him. You flew over to him before he handed you the fish he had just caught. You shuffled off of the bridge before looking around for a small sharp rock to use. You felt Snufkin’s eyes on you as you did so, but you didn’t mind all that much.

Once you found a rock that would work, you crouched down in front of the fish and struck it hard in the head before cleaning it. You used the rock to scrape off the fish’s scales, then rinsed the fish one more time in the water before taking a bite of it. You had torn a piece of it off when you heard Snufkin shout.

“Wait-What are you doing?” He exclaimed, rushing towards you. You backed away from him and groaned when he reached a hand out towards the fish still in your mouth. He pulled his hand away saying,

“You need to cook it first,” He said, worry still etched on his face. You hummed in confusion, removing the fish from your mouth.

“Cook?” You asked. Snufkin sighed before standing back up.

“Here, come with me,” He said, motioning for you to follow him. Hesitantly, you got up and followed him to a small clearing. There, he set up a small fire using dead leaves and small twigs. Much like you did, he prepped the fish by removing the scales, but then cut the belly of it, removing its insides. Something else noteworthy was that, unlike the sharp rock you had used, he had grabbed a piece of metal and cleaned the fish out.

“What…that?” You asked, pointing to the long, thin piece of metal. Snufkin hummed before explaining.

“It’s a pocket knife. It’s made of metal and has a sharp edge here which allows you to cut things.” He said, showing the knife to you. You tapped the metal of it with your nail and hummed in thought before pulling your hand back.

“May I have your fish?” He asked, pointing to the fish next to you. You scrunch your face and groan. You thought about it for a moment before giving it to him.

“Thank you,” He said, cutting the stomach of it. You watched his movements curiously. After he finished scraping the insides of the fish out, he stuck a long stick through them and held them over the fire.

“Trust me,” He whispered, drawing your attention away from the fire and to him, “This will taste much better. And will lower the risk of you getting sick.” He added, smiling. You didn’t quite understand what he was saying, but you returned his smile nonetheless. You were curious to learn what other words he knew.

“What…this,” You mumbled, pointing to his hat. He looked up.

“Oh, that’s my hat,” Snufkin said, not taking his focus off of the fish.

“Hat?” You repeated, unsure.

“Yes, that’s right,” He smiled. You hummed before tugging gently at the end of his coat.

“What this?” You ask again.

“My coat,” He answered.

“Coat…” You whispered, “Cooooooat.” He laughed lightly at that.

“Yup,” He giggled. You hummed again and scooted closer to him. He looked at you shocked before drawing his attention to your next question.

“What this?” You asked, placing your foot next to his. You were pointing at his feet this time.

“…My shoes,” He muttered, not looking away from you. The way that the sunlight shown down through your H/C lashes and illuminated your S/C skin, bouncing off of your airy feathers really did make you look beautiful, angelic. He wanted so badly to run his hands through your wings, remember very vividly just how soft they were, but felt it rude to ask. Feeling his face warm up, Snufkin pushed the thought to the back of his head while clearing his throat.

You continued asking him the names of various items surrounding the two of you before he pulled the fish out from the fire. He placed them on a piece of cloth and rested them in his lap. You reached out to grab your fish before Snufkin stopped out.

“Wait, they’re still too warm,” He said, holding a hand out in front of you. You groaned at him before grabbing the fish anyway.

You immediately regretted the action when a searing, burning sensation blossomed in your hand.

“Ah!” You shouted, dropping the fish and backing away. Snufkin was quick to catch it and place it back with the other, muttering a small ‘ow’ of his own.

“I told you, it’s still too hot,” Snufkin said, a bit irritated.

“Why?” You asked surprised, “Fish cold. Why hot now?” You specified, looking over at his lap and at the fish. Snufkin raised his eyebrows at that.

“Fire is hot,” He said matter-of-factly. He grabbed your hand and held it close to the fire, allowing you to feel the gentle warmth it gave off. You hummed in confusion, eyebrows drawn together in thought.

“Okay,” He said, shifting his position and facing his body towards you, “Fire is hot. Fire makes other things hot.” He explained simply. You stared at him then at the fire. He was about to say something else when you spoke.

“Fire make…fish hot?” You asked, still a little unsure.

“Yes, exactly,” Snufkin praised, smiling. You shook your head slowly as you began to understand. You crawled back over to where you were previously sitting next to Snufkin, cradling your tender hand.

“Here,” Snufkin said, digging around in his backpack for a moment. When he finished, he showed you a small container that held a thick, clear liquid, “Give me your hand.” He said, holding out one of his. You placed your hand in his palm up when he applied a small amount of the liquid to your hand. You fought not to pull your hand away as your hand began to sting again.

“There,” Snufkin said, letting your hand go, “That should help it heal.” You hummed in acknowledgment before looking back at the fire. Snufkin shifted beside you, but you paid him no mind.

“Here you go,” He called out, tapping your shoulder. He placed the fish that was on a piece of cloth onto your lap. You flinched, thinking that it was going to burn you again but were shocked when you felt no such thing.

“You can eat it now; It’s cooled down enough,” Snufkin explained, taking a bite of his own. You gingerly picked up the fish before taking a small bite of it.

You hummed in delight and smiled, kicking your feet in the dirt a little. Snufkin looked at you smiling.

“It tastes better, doesn’t it?” He asked, taking another bite of his fish.

“Good,” You mumbled. You continued eating in silence with him. When the two of you had finished, you discarded the remains before standing up. You patted both of his shoulders with your hands saying,

“Stay,”

With that, you flew off.

You flew over to the woods you were previously homed in, searching for a certain kind of plant you had spotted during your initial fly-by. You foraged around on the ground for close to 10 minutes before you found what you were looking for: Elderberries. You gathered them in the cloth that Snufkin had given to you and flew back to him.

As you were approaching the area you had left him in, you heard music, much like the kind you heard last night. It was lovely.

When you touched down you noticed that Snufkin was blowing into some kind of metal object that was making the music you heard. Noticing your return, he stopped playing and looked towards you. You sprinted towards him and knelt down next to him smiling.

“So, why did you want me to wait here?” Snufkin asked, looking down at you. You gently placed the cloth in his lap, making sure its contents wouldn’t fall out, and pressed your face against the log next to him.

“Thank you,” You said. He looked at what you had given shocked before saying,

“Where on Earth did you manage to find Elderberries?” He looked down at you surprised, only receiving a smile from you in response.

“Well, wherever you managed to find these, thank you,” Snufkin said, running his warm hands through your hair.

Oh, that felt good. You hummed in delight as Snufkin continued to stroke your hair. You had never been this close to another being. He was so gentle with you that it almost made you cry. You were so used to people fighting you or trying to get you away from them that Snufkin’s attitude was such a shock to you.

You sat there, head in his lap, as he continued to stroke your hair and talked about anything that came to his mind. You perked up when you heard a voice in the distance from where you two were.

“Snufkin!” The voice shouted. Looking in that direction, you saw a white figure of sorts. It didn’t seem to have a very solid body shape like you and Snufkin had, instead looking more like a blob than a person. The figure was approaching surprisingly fast and, out of instinct, you stood up.

“Y/N?” Snufkin asked as you stared at the figure. The figure met your eyes and that’s what got you moving. You groaned, afraid, before turning and taking flight in the opposite direction, into the forest.

You heard Snufkin call out again to you, but you didn’t go back, you didn’t even look back. You felt a little bad leaving as suddenly as you did, but you didn’t know if you could trust that strange figure, so it’s better safe than sorry.

In the safety of the forest’s dense canopy, you watched the two of them interact. The white figure said something to Snufkin, pointing to the forest you were in. Snufkin said something in reply, but you obviously couldn’t make it out. You groaned quietly before turning and flying deeper into the forest, away from the unknown figure.

~~~~~~~~~~

You had spent the next few weeks visiting Snufkin when he was alone. Most of the time he seemed happy to see you and would ask you to join him in whatever activity he was doing. However, on the few times you did visit him and he was a bit persnickety you’d leave soon after not wanting to bother him.

During those weeks, Snufkin had taught you more words and how to form better sentences. Your speech was nowhere near perfect, but you found it much easier to convey your thoughts, which also made it easier for him to understand you.

Currently, you sat on the bridge in the late afternoon with Snufkin as he showed you how to fish. After a while of listening to him explain how to use a fishing rod and when to reel it in, you deemed it too complicated before rolling up your pants and stepping into the water.

The two of you fished in comfortable silence before Snufkin spoke up.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Snufkin began. You looked over at him, “What’s it like to fly?”

That question caught you off guard.

Very rarely did Snufkin ask you things and they were usually easy things to answer. This, however, would be a bit difficult.

You hummed in thought, not sure what to say.

“It is…nice. Refreshing,” You said after thinking about it for a moment, “It’s like…when you go out on a walk.” You added. You really didn’t know how to explain this.

Snufkin hummed and continued fishing with a small frown. You walked out of the water, shaking the water off of your legs, and over to Snufkin. You crouched next to him on the bridge and removed his hat.

“What are you doing?” He asked, letting you take the fishing rod from his hand. You reel in the line before placing it next to his hat. You got closer to him, there only being a few inches between you two, and gently grabbed his hands, wrapping them around your neck. You then wrapped your arms around his waist, pressing your chests flush against the other.

“W-Wha…?” Snufkin whispered, face red, as you held onto him tightly. Snufkin understood what you were trying to do when you jumped onto the railing of the bridge.

“Ah, w-wait!” He shouted, but his plea fell upon deaf ears. You push off of the railing and extend your wings, allowing the wind to help you into the air. You winced as Snufkin screamed next to your ear, his legs wrapping around your waist to secure himself to you.

“No-I don’t like this!” He shouted, pressing his face into your shoulder. You laughed lightly, flying up a bit higher. You flew relatively low to the ground -- or at least as low as you could due to the trees -- so as not to frighten him too much.

“You will like,” You said, continuing to glide around. You couldn’t move as fast as normal, not as high, but he didn’t need to know that. After letting him get used to the air, you called out to him.

“Hey, look,” You whispered. Snufkin pulled his face away from your shoulder and looked out into the sky. He hummed as he looked around.

“Oh, wow,” He sighed, eyes glancing all over the sky. You smiled softly at the look of awe and amazement on his face. The way that the wind blew through his brown hair and how the light bounced off of his flawless, sun-kissed skin made him look heavenly, absolutely lovely. Your stomach felt warm, chest tight, and you were sure it wasn’t just from Snufkin’s body. You squeezed him a little tighter when you felt your grip loosen slightly, worried you might drop him.

You looked away, face warm, and focused on flying instead. Snufkin shifted in your arms slightly to look at everything better.

“Do you do this every day?” Snufkin asked, pulling your attention from your thoughts and to him, “Fly, I mean.” He specified.

“Yes,” You answered, “It how I go most places.”

“What an amazing gift you have,” He mumbled. You were sure you weren’t meant to hear it, but it flattered you all the same. For a good part of your life, you resented having wings. A part of you always thought that your parents got rid of you because you weren’t like most “human” children, you had wings. You were amazed at how much power a single sentence from Snufkin had over you; how those six, simple words almost brought you to tears. You smiled softly, saying,

“I guess so.”

The rest of your flight was silent, the only noise being that of the wind in your ears and the songs of distant forest animals. You flew around with Snufkin for another few minutes before you felt the strain in your wings, the stress of carrying another person finally getting to you. You turned back to the bridge and made your descent.

You landed on the bridge, next to where you had left Snufkin’s things, but didn’t let go of the other quite yet. Your wings were trembling due to the stress of carrying him and you were panting slightly with your head resting on his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Snufkin asked, rubbing your lower back. You hummed a ‘yes’ while pulling away from the other. When you parted, he continued to hold your hand.

“Not used to carry…person,” You explained, breathless.

“Why don’t I make you something while you rest? You deserve it after all,” Snufkin offered, retrieving his discarded item and walking off of the bridge, having you follow him.

“Sounds…good,” You said, sitting down on the ground. You watched Snufkin rummage around in his bag for a bit before you lay down on your side. You felt unbelievably tired. You had never worked yourself this hard before.

The last thing you remember seeing was Snufkin striking a fire.

You were awoken by Snufkin gently shaking your shoulder sometime later, telling you that the food was ready. The sun had already set and twilight was upon you. You smiled as you sat up and stretched; it seemed a short nap was all you needed.

Snufkin handed you a bowl of stew and a spoon before sitting down next to you. It was similar to the first one he had made for you the first night you met. The two of you ate quietly before Snufkin spoke up.

“Thank you,” He whispered, making you turn to him confused, “For sharing that experience with me.” You pulled the bowl away from your face and smiled.

“Thank you…for joining me,” You said, “I had fun.”

You finished your dinner in silence once more before rinsing out your bowl in the nearby stream (you noted a while ago that this was something Snufkin did) and handing the bowl to Snufkin. He thanked you before placing the items in his bag and extinguishing the fire. Snufkin placed his bag in the tent that he set up. You were about to wish him a good night and fly off somewhere for the night when he spoke up.

“Would you care to stay with me tonight?” Snufkin asked, pulling aside one of the flaps of his tent. You shook your head saying,

“Oh, no,” You smiled, “I know you like, um…privacy.” You hesitated, not sure if you used the right words, “I no want to bother.”

“You wouldn’t be a bother,” Snufkin rebuttal quickly, looking at you expectantly. You stared into his brown eyes before turning away from him. You knew that he was just trying to be courteous; he never liked being around people for too long.

“Good night,” You said, waving, before taking flight. You didn’t fail to notice the slight relief that washed over Snufkin’s face as you pushed off of the ground and flew deep into the dense forest for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snufkin had invited you to go, what he called, ‘Mushroom Hunting” with him. You had injured your left leg a few days prior due to having fallen out of a tree while sleeping. It left a nasty gash on the less meaty and more bony part of your ankle, which was making it difficult to walk around. Despite having cleaned it off in a nearby stream soon after injury, it hadn’t been healing that much and instead seemed to be getting worse.

You carried on, however, and joined Snufkin in his hunt for mushrooms.

It was a much warmer summer day and when you went to visit Snufkin, you noted the changes to his outfit. He had left his coat with the rest of his things -- in one of the more secluded areas so others wouldn’t find it -- and switched out his cream-colored shirt with a green one. His usual green pants were rolled up about mid-calf while he wore the same brown boots, his yellow scarf tied into a loose knot around his hat.

Something about seeing him so dressed down made you feel light. You felt warmth in parts of your body that were normally cold like your hands and feet and your muscles were tense. Your stomach fluttered, but not in the same way it would when you flew, and your chest felt almost uncomfortably tight. Almost.

“You ready?” Snufkin asked. His voice was as smooth and serene, calming as always. It never failed to give you a sense of tranquility and safety.

“Yes,” You said, walking to the best of your ability beside the other. You had been limping a little since yesterday, but it didn’t concern you too much. You wrapped the injury up with some discarded cloth to prevent anything from hitting or getting into it.

The two of you walked around in the densely populated forest, looking near the base of trees and cracks of rocks for mushrooms and other wild plants. You didn’t find that many edible mushrooms -- the majority of them hen-of-the-woods or oyster mushrooms with the occasional sulphur shelf mushroom -- but you did find a lot of other plants.

Snufkin was careful when harvesting the mushrooms, cutting them at their base and placing them in the small cloth bag he brought with him.

Snufkin had asked that you look for other kinds of plants and after he gave you a bag you were off on your own. You found a good amount of plants like dandelions and purple dead nettles that you would be able to brew into tea, along with others like milkweeds, lily shoots, yarrows, violets, and nettles. Your bag was barely able to hold everything.

You looked for Snufkin only 10-ish minutes after leaving his side.

“Back!” You shouted when you spotted him. He turned to you and waved you over. You limped over to him as fast, and smoothly, as you could, which was something Snufkin noted. He frowned as you approached him.

“Are you alright?” He asked, grabbing the bag you offered to him.

“I’m okay,” You lied, picking a small, yellow flower nearby. You honestly felt awful; Your leg ached and your head hurt, along with feeling warmer than usual. But you didn’t want to ruin Snufkin’s day, knowing that he had been looking forward to going foraging with you.

“Are you sure?” Snufkin asked, gently holding one of your hands, “You’re limping.” He added, looking down at your leg.

“I’m sure,” You answered, pulling yourself away from him and tucking the flower into the scarf that was around his hat, “Keep looking.”

Snufkin’s eyes lingered on you a little longer before he looked away and sighed.

“Alright,” He said, following you.

You continued to look around the forest for various plant life with Snufkin before resting below a tree for a moment. You quietly conversed with Snufkin for a few minutes until your voice faded off before going silent. At first, you just had a minor headache, but now it felt like someone was constantly hitting you against both of your temples and your ankle was starting to throb. The ache in your chest was also making it a bit difficult for you to breathe properly. Snufkin quickly took notice.

“Y/N?” He asked, resting his hand on your shoulder, “Are you okay?”

You were about to respond with another ‘I’m okay’ when you gasped in pain, clutching at your ankle as another wave of pain coursed through it.

“What’s-” Snufkin said fearfully, his hand hovering over yours as he looked over you. He placed a hand on your forehead and grimaced, “Goodness, you’re burning up.”

“I-I’m…” You tore your head away from Snufkin’s grasp and attempted to stand up. You groaned in pain and fell back down against the boulder you two were previously leading on, cradling your injured leg. Snufkin looked down at your leg, placing a gentle hand on the makeshift bandages.

“What happened?” He asked.

“Fell…” You groaned, tugging at the wrappings.

Snufkin, noticing your struggle, hooked a finger underneath the bloodstained cloth and unwrapped it. He gasped at the sight that greeted him.

“Oh, Y/N…” Snufkin whispered, covering his mouth with one of his hands. The wound had opened up again, no doubt because of you overextending it, and was bleeding quite a bit. Your ankle was red and swollen and hurt like all hell.

“When did you do this?” Snufkin questioned quickly, digging through his pockets for the few bandages that he always kept on him. You didn’t answer. He hesitated while pulling them out, looking over the wound more, before sighing and leaving them where they were.

“I think it’s infected,” Snufkin said, moving your leg around slightly, causing you to groan. He apologized, patting your thigh sympathetically, “There’s not much I can do until we get it sterilized.”

You furrowed your brows at the unfamiliar word, continuing to cradle your leg. Snufkin stood up, holding out a hand to you.

“Can you walk?” Snufkin asked. You bit your lip before taking Snufkin’s hand and standing up.

“Here, come with me,” He added.

You whined as you tried to put weight on your left leg, pulling it back up as a searing pain ran up all the way from your ankle up to your thigh. You flutter above the ground, hand still in Snufkin’s, as you allow Snufkin to lead you out of the forest area.

“I know a few people who can help you,” Snufkin said as you two reached the clearing where his things were left. It felt as if a heavy weight had pressed down into your stomach as he said those words. You pulled away from him, feet hitting the ground as you quickly exclaimed,

“No! No others-” You forced the words out of your mouth, hugging yourself and backing away slightly from him, “They-They’ll hurt!”

“What?” Snufkin asked, taken aback by your words. Never in his life would he expect someone to suggest that the Moomins would hurt someone without just cause, “They would never! The Moomins are very kind beings. They’ll help you, no questions asked!” He said, taking a step closer to you. You backed up, body tense. His honey-brown, almost amber, eyes stared into your E/C ones, practically begging you to come with him. You turned away.

“N-No…” You mumbled. Snufkin sighed, running his hand through the hair that wasn’t covered by his hat.

“Fine, fine, just…” He muttered, his voice trailing off in thought, “I’ll set up my tent and see what I can do to tend to it.”

Your shoulders sagged in relief and you helped Snufkin set his tent up the best you could. After that was done, he ushered you inside while he rummaged around outside. When he came back, he had a bowl of water and began searching his bag for a couple of rags. He soaked two of them, ringing them out before folding one of them and placing it on your forehead. You sighed as the rag cooled your burning face before yelping when you felt a tug at your leg.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Snufkin said, gently placing the other cool rag on your wound. You groaned at the burn it caused but didn’t fight him.

You felt ungodly tired, your conscience fading in and out, while your body was unbelievably hot. You gently tapped at your side to get Snufkin’s attention.

“I…sleep,” You mumbled, eyelids falling shut. You heard Snufkin say something to you, placing a hand on your shoulder, but your brain couldn’t make sense of it.

Snufkin’s hand on your cheek was the last thing you could remember before you slipped out of conscience.

-----------------

Saying that Snufkin was worried would be the understatement of the year. He tended to your injured ankle, replacing the cloth on your forehead with a cold one every now and then. He had washed your ankle off with clean, cold water and wrapped it with actual bandages, draping his coat over your shivering body. If you didn’t break your fever before nightfall, he had to take you to get outside help, whether you liked it or not.

Only when he was sure that he had done everything that he could for you for the time being, he left to gather the plants you two had collected earlier. Snufkin felt somewhat ill when he looked at the small clearing in the forest where you dropped your things earlier. He silently gathered everything up before heading back to his tent.

Once there, Snufkin organized your findings and put them away, tending to you in any way he could. It took him a couple of hours before he finished, nighttime was already upon you two. He checked your sleeping form, noting your irregular, labored breathing and flush face. Your fever was still very much present and that’s when he decided he needed to get you help.

Snufkin left you once again, quickly making his way to the Moomin house. He knocked on the door hoping that it was still early enough in the night that they would answer. To his delight, Moominmama answered, straightening her apron out as she glanced up.

“Snufkin, what a pleasant surprise,” Moominmama said smiling, “Where’s your coat? Please, come in.”

“Not now, Moominmama,” Snufkin said, holding his hand out to her, “I need your help. A friend of mine was injured badly.” He added.

“Oh my, where are they?” She asked, concerned, covering her mouth with her hand and glancing about.

“They’re in my tent resting, but I’ve helped them all I can already,” Snufkin explained, “Would it be alright if I brought them here for you to treat?”

“Why of course!” Moominmama exclaimed, turning back into her home to gather the items needed to tend to you, “Do you need help moving them?”

“I do,” Snufkin said, stepping into the house, “Could you get Moominpapa or Moomintroll to help?” he asked.

“Moomintroll!” Moominmama shouted.

“Yes, Mama?” Moomintroll answered back, standing at the top of the staircase. Moomintroll looked down, “Snufkin!” He shouted, walking down the stairs to greet the other.

“Snufkin needed help bringing someone here. Please help him,” Moominmama said, digging around the cabinets for medical items.

“Someone?” Moomintroll asked, confused.

“Yes, come with me,” Snufkin said, taking Moomintroll’s hand and running back to his tent. The whole walk there, Moomintroll was asking Snufkin about you -- who you were, what you looked like, how badly you were injured -- only to receive one or two-word responses.

Once the two of them got there Snufkin let go of Moomintroll’s hand and said,

“Alright, they should still be asleep. I’ll need you to carry them,” Snufkin opened the tent to find you still asleep, breathing shallowly. He crawled back in, keeping Moomintroll out as he kept trying to peer in at you.

Snufkin grabbed you by your shoulders and pulled you toward the entrance of the tent.

“They’re a bit skittish, so you’re going to have to be gentle with them,” Snufkin explained, pulling you all of the way out of the tent.

“Hey, isn’t this the same person I saw a few weeks ago?” Moomintroll asked once he finally got a good look at you, holding his arms out to carry you.

“Yes,” Snufkin answered, placing you in Moomintroll’s arms, “Watch their back.”

“What are you…Oh-” Moomintroll asked, stopping himself mid-sentence. He looked down at you in amazement and at your wings as they sagged against the ground, limp.

“What…are they?” Moomintroll asked, looking back up at Snufkin, who was dismantling his tent and putting the parts in his bag.

“I’m not sure,” Snufkin admitted, slinging his bag onto his back, “Something unique, I suppose. Let’s head back.” He added, tucking your wings against your back the best he could.

Moomintroll struggled slightly carrying you due to your wings going limp and falling out and against the ground every now and again. He managed as it was a short walk over to Moomin’s house. Moominmama was waiting at the door for their return, face filled with worry as your figure came into sight.

“Oh my…” Moominmama whispered, holding her arms out and plucking you out of Moomintroll’s hold. She glanced over your frame, eyes lingering on your wings, and asked after not noticing anything immediately wrong, “What happened to them?”

“They injured their ankle a couple of days ago and it got infected,” Snufkin explained, walking into the house after the others and closing the door, “They’ve also had a fever for a few hours.”

Moominmama carried you, much like a mother would a child, up the stairs and into the spare bedroom where she already had all the medical supplies set up. She placed your unconscientious form on the bed, mindful of your wings. She removed the bandages Snufkin put on your ankle before taking a look at it.

“They hurt themself pretty bad,” Moominmama hummed, rummaging through the basket of medicinal items, “But it’s nothing I can’t fix.” She added, much to Snufkin’s relief.

“Hey! Let me in, I wanna see too!” The three heard a shrill voice shout from somewhere outside the door.

“Not yet, Little My. Let Moominmama tend to them and then you can see them,” Another, calmer, voice explained. The two bickered back and forth for a while before they left.

“I had Moominpapa take care of Little My,” Moominmama said, wiping down your ankle with clean, warm water, “I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t be bothered by Little My while they tried to recover.”

Moominmama placed a cool, wet towelette on your forehead before grabbing the rubbing alcohol from the basket. She soaked a clean rag with it then grabbed your foot, just below your injury. As gently as she could, she began disinfecting the wound with the alcohol-soaked rag.

You groan in your sleep, drawing Snufkin’s attention away from Moomintroll’s questions, and pulled your ankle out of Moominmama’s grasp, curling on your side and facing away from the three.

“Oh, I know, dear, but this must be done,” Moominmama said apologetically, grabbing your ankle once again and cleaning it off. You whined more in your sleep, a noise that Snufkin disliked hearing, but didn’t pull away like you had before.

Moominmama was quick to patch you up before she tucked you in; She hesitated as she brought the blanket up past your shoulders, opting to rest it at your waist unsure whether you wanted them covered or not.

“They are quite lovely,” Moominmama hummed, gently stroking your hair out of your face. Moominmama replaced the now warm towelette on your forehead with a cold one and began packing everything away.

“Do you want to stay with them for the night, Snufkin?” Moominmama asked.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Snufkin replied, sitting down in the chair that was next to your bedside. Snufkin took your limp hand into his own, running his thumb over your palm. You hummed in your sleep before turning away from the other, taking your hand with you.

“Come now, Moomin, let’s let them rest,” Moominmama said, ushering said Moomin out of the room, “Goodnight, Snufkin.”

“Goodnight, Moominmama and Moomintroll,” Snufkin said, eyes never leaving you, as the door behind the two closed. Snufkin heard Little My shout something about wanting to see you, but he ignored it in favor of watching over you.

It had been around an hour when exhaustion really began to hit Snufkin. He wanted to stay awake in case you woke up and needed him, but he just couldn’t seem to keep his eyes open and before he knew it, he was drifting asleep in the uncomfortable wooden chair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snufkin woke up due to a knock at the door. He stretched before opening the door to see Moominmama standing in the hallway along with Moomintroll and Moominpapa, the latter holding a squirming Little My in his arms.

“Are they awake yet?” Moominmama asked, peeking over Snufkin’s shoulder to catch a glance of you.

Snufkin looked behind him before answering, “Not yet.”

Moominmama hummed, stepping inside before tending to you, the others following behind her.

“Woah,” Little My said, rushing up to your bedside to get a good look at you, “What is that thing?” She asked.

“Oh, be nice!” Moomintroll said, nudging Little My’s shoulder and pulling her away, the smaller sticking her tongue out at him childishly.

Moominmama removed the warm towellet and checked for a fever, relieved to see that your fever had broken sometime during the night. She wiped away the remaining water on your head and checked the bandages for any signs of lifting or unraveling.

During her examination, you had kicked your leg away from Moominmama before beginning to stretch your body. Your body relaxed before your E/C eyes fluttered open, landing on Moominmama herself. You gasped as your eyes focused and you backed away from the Moomin, back pressing against the wall in a panic.

Your breathing was uneven as you glanced around the room, eyes flickering quickly between the Moomins. You opened and closed your mouth a few times with broken words and incoherent noises being the only things that left it.

“Why?” Was the only thing you were able to rasp out as your eyes fell on Snufkin who had stood up from the chair next to you.

“It’s alright, dear,” Moominmama said in a comforting tone, “We’re not going to hurt you. I’m just here to help you,”

You shook your head and curled into yourself, knees pressed almost painfully against your chest.

“Away,” You mumbled, “Get away!”

Moominmama took a step back from you and spoke.

“Let’s give them some space, yes? They must be frightened,” She said, ushering the others out of the room, “If you need anything, just call for us.” She added quietly to you.

You glanced up at her voice and didn’t miss the kind smile she flashed you. You noticed that in the group of people leaving, Snufkin was among them. Before you could think, you reached out to him and shouted,

“Not you!” Everyone turned around to see you pointing to Snufkin, “You can stay.” You added.

Moominmama nodded and motioned for everyone to leave the two of you alone. She whispered something you couldn’t hear to Snufkin as she left the room. Snufkin closed the door before approaching you cautiously, worried that he might frighten you, and sat in the chair by your bedside.

You stared at him as he sat down and stayed quiet for a few moments, trying to find the right words.

“Why…bring me here?” You asked hesitantly. Snufkin shifted in his seat before answering.

“You needed help,” He said, “I had done all that I could do to help you.”

You hummed in acknowledgment, looking away from him. You knew he was right and as uncomfortable as it made you, by bringing you here Snufkin had probably saved your life. It was quiet before you spoke up again.

“Who are they?” you asked.

“Well, the woman you were talking to is Moominmama. She was the one who tended to your injuries. Then there’s Moomintroll who helped carry you here,” Snufkin explained, glancing over to see you listening to him curiously.

“There’s also Moominpapa, who is Moominmama’s husband, and Little My, who was the little girl that was in here that is also my sister.” Snufkin continued.

“Moominmama…” You murmured in thought, “Is she…nice?’ You asked.

“Yes,” Snufkin answered, “She’s very nice. Moominpapa and Moomintroll are also nice.”

“Not the little one?” You asked, looking up at him. Snufkin shook his head.

“Not at first, but she’ll warm up to you,” Snufkin said with a small smile, “She…won’t actually hurt you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

You hugged your knees closer to yourself, ignoring the dull ache in your ankle as you did so. You thought for a moment before beginning to stand up. Snufkin noticed this and stood up quickly and took a step towards you, extending a hand out towards you.

“Do you need any help?” He asked, a mere foot away from you. You shook your head as you continued moving to the edge of the bed. Snufkin moves out of the way to allow you to get off as you swing your legs over the edge, first your right foot, then your left. You stood up and shifted your weight on each foot before walking towards the door with Snufkin only a foot away and ready to catch you.

You heard a quiet conversation on the other side of the door as you got closer to it, mainly consisting of a sweet, calm voice. Slowly opening the door the conversation abruptly stops and you peek your head out to meet the faces of four people, three Moomins and a Mumrik.

“Hello, dear,” Moominmama greeted with a soft smile, “How are you feeling?”

“Feeling…better,” You answered, pushing the door open a little further but not yet walking out. You turned back to look at Snufkin unsure of who was who.

“Could you step in for a moment, Moominmama?” Snufkin asked, pulling you back from the door.

“Of course,” She answered, walking through the threshold and closing the door behind her, “Do you need to be treated anymore, dear?” She asked you.

“They’re alright for now. They just wanted to meet you,” Snufkin spoke for you after noticing your discomfort. The Moomin looked over at you, a gentle smile gracing her soft, round face.

“Hello,” You mumbled, shifting your weight from one foot to the other, biting your lip as the left ankle began to ache.

“Oh, dear, please sit down! Your ankle has only just begun to heal. I’d hate for you to become any more injured.” Moominmama said worried and reached out a hand to hold yours, the other resting on your shoulder. You stiffened at the contact but relaxed once she only guided you to a chair.

“I’m thinking it will take around a week for your ankle to heal to the point where you’ll be able to walk normally. Two weeks for it to fully heal.” Moominmama explained, her eyes drifting from your face to your back. Your wings twitched uncomfortably under her gaze, and you brought your knees up to your face as a comfort. Snufkin laid a hand on your shoulder to calm you, which made Moominmama look back up at your face.

“Oh, pardon my rudeness!” She apologized, “How about I make us all some tea? That way we can answer any questions you have. How does that sound?”

“What’s…tea?” You asked.

“It’s a kind of drink,” Snufkin explained, “I promise it will be nice. I’ll make sure everyone gives you the space you need.” He said, taking your hands into his own, warm ones. You thought for a moment before answering.

“Ok.”

Moominmama cleared her throat beside the two of you, prompting Snifkin to let go of your hands. He offered you a small smile before Moominmama ushered all three of you out of the small bedroom and into the hallway. Snufkin walked out in front of you, with Moominmama being the first one out, to try and make you as comfortable as he could.

“I’m going to make us all some tea to make our guest more comfortable,” Moominmama said, walking down the stairs.

“Hey, they’re up.” The short girl, who you presumed was Little My, shouted, drawing attention to you. Everyone who had been waiting in the hallway all turned to you.

“Oh wow. They’re so tall!” A short and stocky Moomin shouted excitedly, running up to measure his height against yours. You stood still as he pressed his shoulder to yours, his head barely reaching your chin even as he stood up straight and you hunched.

“Don’t be rude now, Moomin,” Another Moomin, one looking exactly like the other who was pressed to your arm, said while pulling the other away from you.

“Please excuse him; He’s still but only a boy,” The Moomin explained. Looking at him now, you noted that he was taller than the Moomin who was next to you and was wearing a black top hat.

“My name is Moominpapa,” He said, extending his hand out. You stared at it a moment before grasping it, allowing your hand to be shaken up and down, “And this is Moomintroll. Say hi, Moomin.”

“Hello!” Moomintroll shouted eagerly, practically vibrating where he was standing, “It’s so nice to meet you.”

You stared at him a moment before pointing to yourself.

“Y/N,” You said. They stayed quiet expecting you to say more, but you remained silent.

“It’s a pleasure to have you as company, Y/N,” Moominpapa said with a nod of his head.

You felt a tug at the bottom of one of your wings and looked down to see Little My pulling at them rather harshly.

“Are these real?” She asked. You merely pulled your wing out of her grasp in response. She gasped as the soft feathers slipped out of her hand before trying to grab at you again. You pivoted in a circle as she continued to run around you in an attempt to tug at your wing again while Shufkin bent down and picked her up.

“Leave them be. You wouldn’t want someone pulling your clothes or hair now would you?” Snufkin said. Little My squirmed in his arms a moment more before accepting defeat and laying limp in his grasp.

“Dear, the tea is ready.” You hear Moominmama call from the kitchen.

“That’s our cue,” Moominpapa said, ushering the four of you down the stairs, “Let’s not keep her waiting.” Moominpapa was still cautious of your injury and offered you a hand.

Stepping out into the foyer, you gazed around at the small living room and peered into the kitchen that was adjacent to the staircase. There was something so comforting about the small living room that calmed you. Still, you couldn’t help but think about running out through the front door at the end of the staircase.

Noticing your hesitance to walk into the kitchen, Moomintroll took your hand in his and led you to the kitchen with a gentle smile. Snufkin dropped Little My onto one of the oddly cut pieces of wood that surrounded the table. Your hand fell out of the Moomin’s as you made your way to the table and tapped one of the pieces of wood. Looking up at Snufkin you asked,

“What is this?”

Before Snufkin could answer, Moomintroll spoke up first.

“That’s a chair,” He said, “Have you never seen one before?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. You shook your head.

“How strange. Where are you from?” Moomin asked.

“Let them sit and have some tea first, then we can ask questions.” Moominmama interrupted while placing a tray -- that had a pot and cups on it -- down on the table. Snufkin showed you how to sit properly in the chair while everyone else sat down. Moominmama poured you a cup of tea telling you to be careful since it was still hot.

“So,” Moominmama said while taking a seat at the head of the table, “If I may ask, where are you from, dear? I don’t recognize you.” You frowned.

“Don’t…know,” You mumbled, “I don’t remember. Was left alone when I was a child.”

“Aww, that’s so sad,” Moomintroll said frowning, “Do you remember anything from before you were left alone?”

“No. Nothing,” You answered, “I came here from…from up. It was getting cold.”

“So it’s like you migrated from the North?” Moominpapa asked.

“Migrated?” You repeated.

“Migrated. It’s something that birds do,” Snufkin explained, “During the winter time, birds will travel south since it’s warmer there and then return north after winter has passed.”

“Oh,” You whispered, “Yes, I migrated.”

“Well just know you are always welcome here in the Moomin house,” Moominmama said, taking a sip of her tea. You grabbed the cup and mimicked her movements. The tea wasn’t all that good. It just tasted like slightly sweeter water, but you drank it nonetheless grateful that she had given it to you.

You continued to talk to the Moomins and Snufkin for the better part of the day. It mainly consisted of them asking you something and you answering with some half-baked sentence that you weren’t sure made sense, but that they seemed to understand.

You had only realized how long you all had been talking when Moomintroll invited you and Snufkin to join him and Little My outside, as by then it was already afternoon. You watch the other two run out the front door while Snufkin helped you up and out of the house. Moominmama and Moominpapa wished you well as you were led out onto the porch. Snufkin sat you down on the porch while the others ran out onto the grass in front of the house.

“So, can you actually fly or are the wings just for show?” Little My asked. You shook your head ‘yes.’

“Well then, show us!” She shouted, “I’ve been dying to see it.”

“Little My, they are still injured.” Shufkin said. You place your hand on Snufkin’s shoulder and pull yourself up. You smiled at Little My and waved your hand.

“Come,” You said, “I will fly.”

Little My ran over to you and stood with her hands on her hips. You picked her up despite the little struggle she put up and hugged her to your chest.

“Ready?” You ask.

“Huh!?” She squeaks into your chest before you take off. You watch as Snufkin and Moomintroll become smaller and smaller as you ascend, all the while Little My is yelling and clutching your chest and waist. You didn’t fly very far nor very high, just high enough so she could understand what it felt like.

Your flying stuttered as she grabbed the cloak on your back and pulled it over your wings partially, causing her to scream louder as you dipped for a moment. You laughed lightly at her screaming.

“No, you okay!” You shouted over the wind in your ears.

“No, I’m not! Put me down, put me down!” She cried.

“You want me to fly? I fly!” You yell, tossing her up and quickly catching her, smiling at the way she screamed and begged to be put down. After a moment you complied, gently descending to the ground and placing a disoriented Little My down only for her to fall face-first into the grass. She gripped the ground hard, little blades of grass escaping in between her fingers, and muttered into the ground.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you ground!” Little My shouted and you laughed. You soon saw Moomintroll and Snufkin run over, smiles plastered on both of their faces.

“Wow, that was so cool!” Moonintroll exclaimed, wonder apparent on his face, “Can you do that with me?”

“Not sure,” You answer uncertainty.

“Maybe they can try another time after they’ve fully healed?” Snufkin tells Moomintroll. Moomintroll’s head falls slightly.

“Yeah, maybe another time,” He whispers. Feeling bad, you place a hand on his shoulder and he looks up at you.

“Another time,” You say, and he smiles more confidently.

Snufkin offers you a hand to help you return to the porch with the others. You sit back down and watch as the others play in the sunlight. They do what they can to include you, but you understand that it’s difficult considering your condition.

Sometime during the afternoon, Moominmama came to speak to you with Moominpapa trailing behind her.

“Please pardon our rudeness, but if I may, can we touch your wings? They look so beautiful,” She asks softly, and who are you to deny her? You spread your wings out towards them and watch as Moominmama slowly reaches out to touch them.

Warmth is the first thing you register. Warmth, quickly followed by pressure to the tip of your left wing. One hand cradled the feathers with the other gently slid over them, similar to how one would pet a cat. Soon, another pair of hands joined her on your other wing.

“Oh my,” Moominmama whispers, entranced by the silky softness that is your wings, “I have never seen something so beautiful. You are quite fortunate to have been born this way.”

You hum as a reply, your eyes falling shut at the cadenced petting of your wings. It was soothing, both the delicate pressure and rhythmic nature of her strokes. You begin to lean to your side, your head falling into Moominmama’s lap. Moominpapa releases your wings as Moominmama giggles lightly, starting to stroke your hair instead.

“You’re quite young too, aren’t you? Around Snufkin’s age, if I had to guess,” Moominmpapa ponders, but you barely hear it as you rest in other’s lap, dully watching the others continue to flock in the late afternoon light.

Moominmama would later call in the others for dinner as twilight approached. She cooked a lovely meal of red Borscht soup and sourdough bread with fruit galettes for dessert. You had never tasted anything so delicious in your life, it made you want to cry. While the food Snufkin would cook was good, it wasn’t anything near as rich as Moominmama’s.

Before you knew it, your plate was cleared and as you bit into the galette you felt tears prick at your eyes and hum happily as the sweet jam touched your tongue. Snufkin leaned over and brushed a thumb over your cheek, wiping the tear away.

“Are you alright?” He asked, worry evident on his face. You nod your head, ‘yes.’

“So…good,” You whimpered, shoving the rest of the dessert into your mouth. Moominmama and Moominpapa quickly came over and embraced you on either side. Their embrace is warm, comforting, as Moominpapa spoke up,

“You will always have a place here, [Y/N].”

You stare at him, eyes wide and unblinking, as more tears start to well up in your eyes and you can do nothing to stop them from falling down your cheeks and the sobs from bubbling up your throat and tumbling out of your mouth.

The others at the table are quick to join you: Moomintroll hugs you from behind, Little My hugs your leg, and Snufkin hugs your chest as best he can. You wrapped your arms around Snufkin and squeezed, tears falling freely and cries loud and unfiltered.

“Thank you!” You shouted between sobs. You heaved forward, chin resting on Snufkin’s shoulders as the others embraced you tighter, simultaneously both too much and not enough and you had no idea how to feel.

Is this what company was like? Have you really been missing out on this your whole life?

Is this what it was like to be loved?

The others pulled away from you after a moment, all except for Snufkin who continued to hold your hands gently even after moving back.

“You’ll be safe here, with the Moomins,” Snufkin whispered, “I promise.”

And you believed him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Winter in Moominvalley came much sooner than you expected.

It seemed that as soon as your ankle had healed and you had gotten to know the Moomins, they began their yearly hibernation ritual. Snufkin explained it to you when they first started the process.

“Every year at winter time, the Moomins hibernate,” You hear him say, “It’s like how you move away from the cold in winter, except they sleep through the cold weather and wake up when it becomes warm again in the spring.”

“They sleep?” You asked, “The whole time? How do they stay asleep for so long?”

Snufkin laughed,

“I’m not sure. It’s a mystery to me too.”

Snufkin looked away from you and at the stream in front of you where you both were sat on its shore.

“Do you also sleep?” You questioned. Snufkin shook his head with a smile.

“No, I travel elsewhere during the winter here,” He answered.

“Where do you go?”

“Wherever the world wants me to go.”

You hum, laying down on the grass more and spreading your wings to bask in the fleeting sunlight and cool breeze.

“Where will you go?” Snufkin asks quietly.

“I don’t know. I don’t actually have anywhere to go,” You said, looking up at him.

Snufkin is beautiful. The fading sunlight highlights his short, chestnut hair in the best possible way as the same light brightens his usually dark brown -- almost black -- eyes. The green of his clothes complements his olive tones perfectly and you can’t pull your eyes away from him no matter how hard you try.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Snufkin asks and for a moment you’re too stunned by his beauty to answer. Your eyes widen as his words sink in and you sit up with a jolt.

“Really? You want me to travel with you?” You asked, unsure if you understood him correctly.

“Yes really. I would be honored if you joined me in my travels,” Snufkin said smiling at you, “You make great company.”

“I thought you liked traveling alone? Because you get tired of people?” You said eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“I do, but I could never become tired of you,”

Your face feels warm now and it’s not just from the sun. You swear your heart stops for an instant and you grip your chest in worry. His smile is so warm, so soft, and it’s directed at you and only you.

When you find your voice, your words are quick to tumble out.

“I’d love nothing more than to stay with you,” You whisper, scooting over closer to Snufkin. He places his hand overtop yours and the warmth that envelopes your whole body from the simple action is almost too much for you to handle.

“I’m so glad,” He whispers back, leaning closer to you, “I’ve grown quite fond of you from our time together.” He smiles.

“Actually, there’s something more I’ve wanted to tell you,” Snufkin says suddenly and pulls away from you, and you mourn the lost contact.

“Do you know what it’s like to be loved?” Snufkin asks, his eyes staring deep into yours as his heavy question sinks in. You hum in thought and look away, thinking back to all the other relationships you have observed.

“I believe I know what love is,” You start, looking back into Snufkin’s amber eyes, “Moominmama and Moominpapa both love Moomintroll, and Moomintroll also loves Moominmama and Moominpapa. You love Little My and, which she doesn’t always show, she loves you too. You love Moomintroll, and Moomintroll loves you. Annnd…And I love you all, and you all love me!”

“But do you know of another kind of love?” Snufkin continues, holding both of your hands and holding them in between you two, “The way that Moominmama loves Moominpapa, and Moominpapa loves Moominmama?”

You’re silent as you ponder this. Come to think of it, you had never given their relationship much thought, assuming that they were always together.

“I haven’t,” You answered.

“It’s…a warm feeling,” Snufkin begins, taking a firm hold of your hands and pressing them to your chest, “It starts in your chest. You feel an unusual, but not uncomfortable, warmth begin to form in the center of your chest, in your heart,” He circles your sternum with your hand in his.

“Then, it starts to work its way throughout your whole chest, moving from your heart to your lungs, to your stomach, and to your shoulders,” His hands trail along your body as he speaks, and your breath hitches with every gentle graze his knuckles make to your bare skin in some areas.

“From there, the warmth continues to travel to each appendage, from your shoulders to the tips of your fingers and from your thighs to the tips of your toes. And in your specific case, from your back to the tips of your longest feathers,” Your wings twitch subconsciously at the mention of them and your fingers when Snufkin lets them go to travel down your legs and to your ankles before releasing them.

“And then?” You ask meekly, and he giggles.

“And then, the warmth goes up your neck,” His fingers trail your collarbones before going up your neck, a hand on each side, “And it settles into your face, turning you as red as a tomato!” He finished, his hands cupping both of your cheeks in his hands and you gasped.

“You turn into a tomato?!” You shout, hands holding Snufkin’s to prevent him from pulling them away.

“No, no, you don’t turn into a tomato. Your face just becomes red from blush, making you look like a tomato,” Snufkin explains, his smile never wavering. You sigh out an ‘oh’ and tilt your head.

“But what causes this love? Why is it different from the other ways we love?” You ask.

“It’s caused by a single person,” Snufkin whispers, his face inching just barely closer to yours as if he was telling you a secret, “This person becomes very special to you. You want them to be with you as long as possible. You want to protect them the best you can. You want to cherish them and honor them with all your being.”

Snufkin pauses.

“This person makes you feel whole,” He finished, and he is now mere inches away from you, his hands still cupping your cheeks with his fingertips brushing along your jawline and thumbs stroking the apples of your cheeks.

“Have you ever felt this love before?” He asks again.

Without hesitation, you answer,

“I have.”

The air is silent before Snufkin speaks up.

“[Y/N].” He whispers.

“Yes, Snufkin?” You answer.

“I love you.”

And with that, the distance between you two is closed. Warmth flows within both of you, radiating from where both of you were joined by the gentle connection of soft lips.

“I love you too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In another place, at another time, two lovers sat down together along the cliffside to watch the sun set below the horizon and bring forth the cool nighttime. Warmed by each others’ embrace, One turned to the Other and spoke,

“Other?”

“Yes, One?” They answer.

“Do you think in our next lives, we’ll still love each other?” One asked, and the Other smiled.

“What kind of question is that?” The Other asked, “Of course we would be.”

“I hope so,” One had sighed in response, “In my next life, I hope that I’m me again so that I can find you and fall in love with you again!”

The Other laughed at this and pressed a kiss to One’s cheek.

“Then I hope I’m also me again so that you can find me and I can love you again as well.”

#Moomin #Moomin 1990 #moominvalley #moominvalley snufkin #snufkin x reader #moominvalley x reader #moomin x reader #moomintroll #little my #moominmamma #moominpappa #thewildsophiawrites

94 notes · View notes