Smitten (a snufmin story)

Chapter 3

It was mid day, moomin and Kifmen had been hanging around each other for at least a week now. Kifmen had learned all about snufkin and his relationship with moomin. His suspicions had definitely been right, sounds like both of them didn't see it. Kifmen sort of automatically took it into his own hands, he thought if neither of them were going to fess up, he would do it for them. Or encourage moomin at the very least.

"Do you think snufkin will be mad that you were awake during winter?" Kifmen asked with his attention half focused on his fishing rod. Him and moomin had gone ice fishing today. There wasn't much swimming around but they caught a few fish.
"Snufkin isn't the type to get mad. Though I can never tell what he thinks. He was always something of a closed book" Moomin was never able to tell when snufkin was happy, even when he laughs, it's hard to tell if it was genuine. He sort of liked that about him, but he'd at least like to know half of the time.
"I'd hate to find out he actually hates spending time with me." The thought scared the moomintroll
"But what if it turns out your his whole world?" Kifmen gave him a look. Moomin blushed
"Oh don't be ridiculous! You can't base your whole life thinking about someone" he huffed. The mumrik raised an eyebrow
"Oh? But don't you do that?" Moomins ears perked up. With a huff he stood up with his arms crossed. With Kifmen sitting down he and moomin were the same height.
"If you ask me moomin, your a bit of a hypocrite" Kifmen chuckled. Moomin tried to think of something to say, but Kifmen was right.

Moomin helped Kifmen bring all the fish back to his tent. While they walked moomin had noticed something off in the distance. He stopped in his tracks without even realizing. It was off in the flower field him and snufkin always sat in.
"Moomin?" The moomintroll popped out of his thoughts
"Oh- sorry Kifmen"
"What happened?"
"I see something" moomin narrowed his eyes, trying to see if better. Kifmen looked in that direction
"Looks like a flower to me"

After they set the fish at his tent, they both went towards it. It was a flower. Kifmen got especially excited.
"What kind of flower do you think it is, Kifmen?" Moomin lifted his gaze to meet Kifmens but he'd been focused on the flower.
"It's a phalaenopsis orchid!"
"A phala who?" Kifmen picked the flower, it was covered in frost.
"This is the type of flower I gave to puffi" he cooed
"Puffi?"

Kifmen explained as they went back to the tent
"Puffi is my whole world. They seem oblivious but it doesn't matter to me, as long as I've got them." He seemed like a whole different person when talking about them.
"What do they look like?" Moomin asked, taking a seat on the log beside the fire. Kifmen sat on the opposite one
"Well, they've got dark skin, strawberry blonde hair, the most beautiful blue-grey eyes. They wear this dark purple smock with a creamy yellow ribbon around their waist. And one around their neck but on the back of their neck it's tied up in a fancy bow." Kifmen could go on and on about puffi. He gently twirled the flower in his hand
"Before i left I gave them this kind of orchid. Lemme tell you, when they put it in their hair, you would never see a more beautiful sight" oddly enough, that scenario felt familiar to moomin. One time when snufkin sat up in the flower field his hat and hair were covered in flowers and pollen, he looked wonderful.
"They sound nice"
"Oh you have no idea" all of a sudden Kifmen hatched an idea
"Hey you should give this one to snufkin!" Moomins cheeks went pink
"What? Absolutely not!"
"Cmon, think of it as- a 'friendly' gesture"
"Well if I gave it to him I'd think of it as a romantic gesture! That's how you gave it to puffi!"
"Too late! You're giving it to him, no take backs" he handed moomin the flower. Moomin sighed. It was a pretty flower though, maybe he would like it

When it was time for him to leave it had been sunset. The only sounds being the crunching of the snow below moomins feet. When he climbed up the ladder he almost fell, it was much colder at night. Moomin hopped inside. The sudden warmth was nice. The moomintroll closed the window and looked at the orchid. He ought to put it in some water. Moomin went downstairs to get a vase. He only stopped when he heard clinking in the kitchen. He ran in and saw
"Little my?" Little my had been eating the jam Moominmama made for winter
"Heya moomin! Shouldn't you be sleeping?" She exclaimed through a mouthful of jam.
"I've been up for days, I made a friend! He gave me this flower to give to snufkin" little my looked at the flower, she couldn't care less really.
"Why? Some kind of love confession?" She asked with jam all over her face
"No, not as a love confession little my." Moomin huffed
"I just think that snufkin would like it" he gently twirled the flower. Little my gave him a look like she knew something he didn't.
"Now If you'll excuse me, I need to put this in water so it will last till spring" he walked past the table to get the vase. He filled it up with water and put the orchid in.
"There. Now we wait till spring. Um- how far away is spring anyway?" The moomintroll looked to little my
"What? You think I know? I don't care when spring comes!" She stuffed her face with more jam. Moomin growled and went back up to his room. He set the flower on his desk and looked out his window. He felt conflicted. He wanted more than anything for spring to come so he could see snufkin again, but he also wanted to spend more time with Kifmen. He didn't want to choose.