Too Much To Ask - Snufmin

Sleeping Beauty

The family was all gathered in Moomintrolls room.
It had been days since the others roused but the youthful man kept hibernating.

Moominpappa sighed as his wife softly pat his back.

"I think that's enough, honey"

"Yeah! My teeth are sore from all the biting" The tiny yet very aggressive being uttered.

"I'm sure he will be wake up eventually"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. He woke up earlier than all of us last year! I heard that Sniff slept through the entire summer a few years back because of exhaustion"

"Oh shush now, dear" Moominmamma roamed her husband and Little My out of the room and carefully shut the bedroom door behind them.

"He is about to hit puberty. All Moomintroll needs right now is rest. Perhaps some alone time too"

The mother was right as always.
Moomin wouldn't have much to do regardless. He would only be disheartened to find out that Snufkin wasn't present.

The time passed and soon it was time for Snufkin to arrive.

Well, about that,
Snufkin didn't feel prepared.
He had rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed his new song on the harmonica but it did not sound entirely right.

Something was missing.
Something crucial that would improve the melody.

What could it be?

It wasn't that it was too tragic or too jolly.
Then it hit him. The teenager snapped his fingers with a soft smile while looking up at the treetops around him.

"Thank you, Moomin"

May came and went and June took its place. One late day, about eve, thumps were heard from upstairs.

The Moomin family who was seated at the dinner table waited patiently for Moomintroll to appear in the doorframe but he didn't. The thumping had ceased.

Little my lunged out of her chair and surprise surprise, the front door was open.
The redhead rolled her eyes and went back to her seat.

"He's looking for Snufkin again"

"Oh, dear. We should tell Moomintroll"

"Or, we could just wait for him to come back inside and then tell him"
The two parents sat back in their chairs, not as tense now.

Snufkin gleamed politely at the two parents.

He had actually arrived that very same morning.

"Thanks for the tea but I think I should get going. You know how Moomin is"

Moominpappa and Moominmamma peeked at each other and then back at Snufkin with a grin.
"We do. Tell him that dinner soon is ready!"
"Of course. Cheerios!" The usually silent little man clutched his hat as he scrambled outside and shut the front door behind him.

The sky was in a pink tint and it was starting to become cool outside.

The mumrik stood there outside of the cabin for a bit and gazed at the boy before himself.

Moomin was relaxing on the bridge, prettier than ever.

It felt ironic.
Snufkin used to be the one waiting down by the bridge.
The mumrik collected himself and approached his friend.
"Moomintroll"
"Snufkin?" The white marshmallow circled around to find his beloved Snufkin positioned there.

Their gazes met and Moomintroll could not maintain calm any longer.
The blue-eyed creature stumbled across the grass all the way to Snufkin who dropped his backpack and embraced his friend with open arms.

"Snufkin!"
"Moomintroll"

"I did not think you would show up!"

"Have I ever failed to show up?"

The two of them laid down on the soft grass while holding each other's hands.

"I missed you so much, Snufkin"

"I missed you too, Moomin. More than anything else"

The slightly taller mumrik peeked over at Moomintroll and caught a glimpse of innocent teardrops running down the chubby boy's cheek.

The brown-haired male sat up and brushed them off with his thumb before cupping Moomins face.

"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! I'm just-" The sensitive boy mumbled.

"I missed you a lot and now that you're here, "
The marshmallow boy couldn't help but play and fiddle with Snufkins scarf.

"it's amazing"

The mumrik hugged the emotional friend of his, taking in Moomintrolls scent.

"Hey, I wrote you a couple of poems if you would like to hear them"

"Of course. Could you read them out loud?"

The mumrik nodded as he crumpled up a couple of papers that he had in his pockets.
The papers were lined and a bit smudged but they still looked fairly decent thanks to the handwriting.

The mumrik began reading aloud whilst Moomin listened carefully.
It was short but not effortless. You could tell the wanderer put a lot of thought into them.

The mumrik put the first one down and got ready to read another but Moomintroll interrupted.

"That's absolutely beautiful, Snufkin. You should become a writer"

His friend grinned and nudged the other playfully.

"I'm glad you like them but they are for your ears only"

"Oh, Snufkin" Moomintroll sighed with a dreamy look.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you" The mumrik had a serious look while he was crumbling down the other notes.

"Huh? What about?"

"Well," The mumrik formed a smile as he drifted into his memories.

"Every winter I wander a long way to sunbathe and spend my days with dad. It's nice, but I always feel like something is missing"
The humane creature admitted

"Then I realized,"

Moomintroll laid his hands on his tummy as he continued.

"You're what's missing. You are my home"

Snufkins smile faded and turned into a serious expression once more!

Moomintroll sat up and sloped his head on Snufkins shoulder.
"You are my home too, Snufkin"

The two youths watched the sky as nothing except the stream and each other's heartbeats could be given attention to.

It certainly was a tremendous day to be existing.