Coffee for Two

Chapter 1: New Face

A soft breeze danced around the wind chimes, falsely alerting Moomin. He had fallen asleep on the oak counter, waiting for the days first customer. Yawning, the troll looked around the all too familiar coffee shop. When he was just a wee baby, his father and mother set up the little cafe in their rural town. It was an extension to their tall, blue, three-story house, connected through the kitchen, and just as homely. From where he was leaning on the counter, he eyed the booths and tables, making his way around the room to the bar stools that were reflected in the window. Oops, there was still a smudge in the corner there. Moomin grabbed a rag and went over to wipe the window, the cold tiles of the floor making him tip toe.
   "There! Perfect," he said, before noticing a figure walking up the path to their house. The troll scrambled back to his place at the counter, tossing the rag somewhere into a corner. Coughing into his paw, he rehearsed his lines for greeting customers. It was his first day, and he was still quite nervous. "Hi! Err, hello, what can I get you? Em, no, is there-, no not that, hmm..." Moomin stumbled over his words before giving up and continued to gaze around the room. His eyes danced over the fairy lights and ivy adorning the ceiling, the colorful pots with overflowing flowering plants, the tall bookshelf filled with Papa's latest novels, and the most beautiful mumrik wiping his boots on the welcoming mat.
   Moomin gulped and straightened his back immediately, glancing over to check his reflection in the window before focusing on the handsome stranger approaching him. He couldn't help but notice the weathered green hat that perched upon his soft brown hair, with chocolate eyes to match. His knit, yellow scarf was wrapped 'round his throat, resting just below the pinkest lips he had-
"Hullo, how do you do?"
Moomin snapped out of his trance, and stuttered, "Hello! Hello... uhh, would you um, l-like some coffee sir?"
"Oh," said the stranger, thoughtfully rubbing his chin, "yes please."
"Alrighty! One coffee coming right up!" Moomin was about to turn around and deliver the order before remembering that he hadn't asked if he wanted anything else, or how he wanted his coffee.
   "Ah! Er, would, would you like anything else? And the coffee, ehm, would you like cream and sugar?"
"Hmm, nothing else, and I like my coffee black."
Moomin nodded and hurriedly, almost too hurriedly, left to take the order to Moominmama. He cried internally, wondering how this could be so difficult when he spent his life in this cafe.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Little My snapped, as Moomin nearly tripped over her. "Oh! I'm sorry Little My," he replied, hurrying into the kitchen. She shook her head and continued to look for Snorkmaiden.
   "Mama! One black coffee please!" Moomin called out to his mother, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Moominmama soon called back, "Oh Moomin!" The first customer of the spring is here already? How wonderful!" Moomin agreed, how wonderful indeed.
   With the cup of coffee in one hand, and a full pot in the other, the troll made it back to the counter carefully. "Here's your coffee sir! Enjoy!"
Moomin sighed, he hadn't messed that up. His tail jerked straight up once he realized the stranger had decided to take a seat at the counter, and started some small talk.
   "Moominvalley is quite beautiful in the spring, isn't it?" Moomin nodded, pretending to wipe a glass with a towel to avoid the handsome mumrik's lovely eyes. "Say, what's your name?" Moomin paused and looked up. He tilted his head slightly, the steam of the hot coffee rising to slightly obscure his face. "Uhh, its Moo-moomintroll, or Moomin, err, for short."
"Moomin." The stranger stared intensely at him over the brim of his cup, a strange twinkle in his eyes. "My name is Snufkin. I'm a tramp, and I go as I please." A traveler! Moomin's heart beat wildly in his chest. Unconsciously leaning forward, Moomin asked in awe, "Snufkin, where have you been to?"
"Hmm, let's see. I've been up and down these mountains-" Moomin nodded, the lonely mountains just by the forest. "-and down South, where its warm and there are lots of curious people, up North where its much colder, with sights to behold." Moomin hung onto each one of his words, mulling his voice over in his head until he thought he would melt. "That's amazing, Snufkin! I've never gone down South, only down around the beach where my father's built a bathhouse," he replied, "I would love to become an adventurer like my Papa, I just wish I got to travel a bit more." Snufkin nodded, then said, "I needn't have to worry about being tied down, I'm free to go anywhere I'd like." Moomin sighed and put down the glass and rag; he had long stopped trying to wipe the nonexistent stain off. "I wish I had that freedom, I used to, before my parents decided I was old enough to man the register. Back then, I'd help wash the dishes, and had more time to wander around with Snorkmaiden, Sniff, and Little My. Now even they work here, helping to wait tables. I'd like to be the first one to see the whole valley where no one's been before." Snufkin looked at him intuitively, and Moomin glanced at the painting of his ancestor on the wall, attempting to conceal his flushed face. He hadn't meant to ramble on like that; perhaps he was becoming more like his father. "Well," Snufkin placed his empty coffee cup down and pushed it towards Moomin, "I'll tell you what Moomin, I'll set up my tent and I'll come find you later on. I'll take you somewhere if you'd like." Moomin's ears perked, and he leaned forward. "Really Snufkin! Oh thank you! I won't be a burden, it'll be like I'm not even there!" The mumrik smiled, and slid off the stool. "I'll see you then, Moomin. Bye!" Moomin waved goodbye, and rested his face in his paws as he watched him walk towards the river. What an amazing lad, and what was even better was that he was taking him somewhere! He giggled and carried the coffee cup back to Moominmama, whistling all the way there.
   Setting the cup down in the sink, he almost ran into Snorkmaiden. "Hello Moomin! What's gotten you in such a good mood?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. "Oh, well, I suppose I uhh, done well! with my first customer, hah?" He managed to come out with that, not ready yet to betray his precious secret. Snorkmaiden clapped her hands together. "Oh that's fantastic Moomin! I'm glad that you're doing well so far!" she exclaimed, then added, "I'm gonna go see if Little My needs any more help with her apron, I'll see you around!" She nuzzled his snout, in which he returned. Good ol' Snorkmaiden. By the time Moomin returned to his position, he spotted a few more customers at a close distance to the cafe. Oh boy, he thought to himself, this'll take a bit.