Moomin oneshots/headcanons!

Snufkin x male reader

((This was requested by Britishgayboy, thank you for the request and I hope you enjoy!))

((Side note; I made Snufkin a big tease/flirt in this one, so how he acts is not very canon, but I like this confident but sweet version of him that I made))

Water sloshed inside a pale of metal, worn boots stepped lightly against dirt, an old shawl of thick fabric blew lightly in the windy weather.
A young man stepped down a path of dirt that would never grow grass again to a town of close-minded folk.

No stepping on the grass, no running down the street, no loud music, no gossiping, no goods too exotic.
They were boring folk, the kind to turn their noses up at the unfamiliar or the non-conforming.
Women were to take care of the children and stay home, children were to behave and stay quiet, men were to work and provide for their families.
All and all, a place you heavily avoided at all costs, you were strange to them, so they were rude and snarky and sometimes refused to sell you things.

You were kind though, tried to be at least, so you stopped by from time to time to buy a few things, you just happened to grab some water on the way.
You walked in the way you always did, looked the way you always looked and they never got used to you.
They stared and whispered which always put you in a sour mood.
Today was no different unfortunately, ignoring it like you usually did, stepping up to your favorite vendor.
It was a kind old lady who baked the most delicious pastries, she was more open minded than a lot of the town and never turned you away or failed to make you smile.

She talked your ear off for a bit before a commotion startled the two of you, loud yelling and a crowd of people looking a second away from rioting,

"My signs! He destroyed my signs!"

"He told my child to play in the mud! Look at their clothing!"

"He pushed me into the stream! I'm covered in water!"

"He cut my roses! My beautiful roses!" You and the woman shared a look of worried confusion before you strutted over, taking in the appearances of the yelling men and women.
Two men, one drenched, one holding a broken sign.
A child covered in mud with a furious mother stood next to him and a woman holding the remains of sliced roses.

"That awful creature! We must arrest him!" The crowd then bolstered with agreements and incomprehensible yelling.
Your eyes scanned the crowd, somehow landing on the forest beyond the stream, locking eyes with piercing ones that flowed in a way that seemed feral.
The eyes didn't blink, didn't shift, didn't move, just kept up a staring contest with you.

You blinked and they were gone.

You decided to head home after that.
Back down a dirt path and through the woods, you couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, like something was trying to burn holes in your back.
It was constricting almost, creating this tight feeling in your chest.

It was probably nothing, you were fine, you were just freaking yourse-

"Now what's an innocent thing like you doing out so deep in the forest?" A voice that sounded of honey in hot tea ran through your ears, causing you to turn to look at an old stump in an opening in the trees.
It was moss covered and probably decades older than you, but atop the wood sat a man clad in green.
His hat was scruffy looking with patches here and there, plant life stuffed into the hat's deep green ribbon.
His coat was long with mismatched buttons, a black sash tied around his waist and little embroidery patches scattered about the rim of the cloth.
The stranger wore large, worn boots that looked thick enough to drench and still keep his socks dry.

"Well? I asked you a question love." You snapped out of your evaluation, looking back up to his features that were pulled into a teasing look, mischievous and suspicious.
His eyes glowed yellow in the dimming sun, dusting them orange over the yellow.

The eyes from the forest.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" The man then stood, he wasn't much taller than you, but he was still intimidating,
He stepped towards you, stopping when he was close enough to touch you.
He took his calloused hand, lifting it to grab your jaw lightly between his thumb and pointer finger, not restricting, gentle enough to allow you to pull away if you wanted.

You didn't, the touch was actually kind of nice.

"No need to get nervous love." Embarrassed words finally formed as butterfly's sputtered and swarmed around in your veins,

"I...uh- I'm just heading home." His eyes scanned yours for lies before grabbing the water bucket from you, not forcefully, but gentle as he replaced your hand with his.
He walked beside you with your water in his large mumrick hand, he had obvious claws that made you nervous.
Making it to your home had never left you as disappointed as you were now, this mumrick was very kind despite his intimidating and teasing nature.

"I don't think I ever caught your name, even though I'd be overjoyed to just keep calling you love, I think knowing what letters were strung together to define you would be grand." You felt your face heat once again, seeable or not, it got a few degrees hotter outside.

"My name is (y/n), what's yours stranger?" He snickered at the small nickname, bringing his hand up to gently brush claws along your jawline.

"Snufkin." Snufkin handed you back your pale of water, you blinked and he was gone.

Confused but swooned, you shuffled into your hut, a dopey smile on your face.