Moonjumper stood beneath the half-healed moon, threads of silver magic still drifting off his fingertips as he adjusted his cloak.
His glow had returned. His strings were taut and sharp again. His voice no longer echoed with static.
“You’re back,” Snatcher said, floating behind him with his arms crossed—but softer than usual. “Fully stitched and spooky.”
Moonjumper turned, raising a brow. “Disappointed?”
“Never. I mean, I did enjoy spoon-feeding you haunted soup, but I can find other excuses for romantic codependency.”
Moonjumper chuckled, stepping closer.
“So. Now what?”
That question—so small and casual—broke Snatcher’s mental grip on reality.
---
✦ Panic, But In Love ✦
Snatcher vanished.
Literally. Poof. Gone.
Moonjumper blinked at the floating glitter he left behind.
“...Did he just teleport out of anxiety?”
Hat Kid popped out from behind a stump, eating popcorn again. “Yup.”
---
✦ The Plan ✦
Snatcher, meanwhile, was pacing in his treehouse at impossible speeds, conjuring and destroying ghost-roses like he was having a nervous breakdown in a Victorian play.
“Okay okay okay,” he muttered. “You’re basically dating. You’ve kissed. Cuddled. He’s literally slept in your blanket cocoon like a mystical burrito. This should be easy!”
He conjured a scroll.
OFFICIAL CONTRACT OF ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENT
Article 1: Moonjumper agrees not to leave without dramatic flair.
Article 2: Snatcher may flirt aggressively, but no smooching in front of Hat Kid.
Article 3: Both parties may be emotionally vulnerable on Wednesdays and during moonlight-related crises.
Article 4: This is a Real Relationship™.
“Perfect,” he breathed. “Legally binding love. What could go wrong?”
The scroll burst into ghostly flames. He panicked, slapped it with a soggy towel, and sighed.
“Romance is exhausting.”
---
✦ The “Official” Talk ✦
That evening, Moonjumper found Snatcher hovering awkwardly by the pond—his version of nervous pacing. He looked like a magician about to bomb a stage show.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Moonjumper said gently.
“Nooo. Just... dramatically preparing.”
Moonjumper tilted his head. “For what?”
Snatcher inhaled deeply—then shoved a second scroll toward him.
“I want this to be official.”
Moonjumper took the scroll, blinking. “Is this a—relationship contract?”
“With clauses! And a title! I even signed it with glitter ink!”
Moonjumper read the first line. “Clause 5: ‘Moonjumper must let Snatcher win at ghost chess at least once per month.’”
“That one's negotiable.”
There was a long pause. Moonjumper looked up, brow furrowed, voice soft:
“You’re serious.”
Snatcher suddenly looked vulnerable in a way that had nothing to do with spells or curses.
“I’m bad at this,” he admitted. “Being real. But if we’re gonna do this—I want it to count. No more half-steps. I’m yours. Even if it’s terrifying.”
Moonjumper stepped closer. Carefully.
“You think I’m not scared too?” he murmured.
“You hide it better.”
“I wear a mask, Snatcher. Literally.”
Snatcher blinked. “...Fair point.”
They stood there in silence for a moment, the night quiet around them. Then—
Moonjumper took the scroll, signed it with a spark of magic, and held it up.
“Consider this contract accepted.”
Snatcher blinked.
Then floated upward and swooped him into a dizzy, half-spun kiss.
---
✦ Later, In the Glow of the Moon ✦
They sat by the pond afterward, side by side, fingers almost touching.
“So what are we now?” Moonjumper asked with a smirk.
Snatcher grinned. “Dangerous. Dramatic. Officially entangled.”
Hat Kid snuck up behind them again.
“You guys are gross,” she muttered. “Are you gonna change your couple name to SnatchJumper or MoonSnatch?”
“LEAVE,” they shouted in unison.
YOU ARE READING
Tangled In Strings
FanfictionA HAT IN TIME Fanfiction with Snatcher & Moonjumper! This is a semi spicy zesty rom com!
