#you’ve heard of starved to stuffed

By My Side (Part 2)

Fandom: The Moomins (1990)

Ship: Snufmin (Heavily Implied)

Content Advisory: Hunger, stomach growling, caretaking, stomachaches

Read part one here!https://hungry-tum-stuff.tumblr.com/post/685368609293336576/by-my-side-part-1

Snufkin woke up with Moomin’s arms around him.

For a moment he was disoriented; it was winter, right? Why was he at Moominhouse? As he began to wake up and get his bearings, the days leading up to hibernation quickly came back to him. Moomin and Snufkin had arranged to travel together in the spring, and instead of his annual journey south, Snufkin had agreed to stay the winter so he had the energy to travel after winter.

But if he was awake, did that mean hibernation was over already? Perhaps it had gone by much quicker than he’d thought.

That couldn’t be it though; his ears twitched as he picked up the sound of the wind still howling outside, and upon titling his head his suspicions were quickly confirmed: A blizzard was roaring just beyond the walls, and in this moment Snufkin couldn’t be more grateful for Moomin’s warmth pressing right up against him as he slept soundly. Snufkin spared him a glance and smiled before closing his eyes once again, content to go back to sleep until winter had finished her rampage on the valley.

But just as soon as he did, Snufkin’s stomach growled ferociously.

Sothat’s why he’d woken up. As filling as Moominmama’s Hibernation Feast had been, he’d had an inkling that it wouldn’t last him the entire winter. Mumriks weren’t made to hibernate after all.

Snufkin frowned and pressed a hand into his stomach as it panged hungrily, feeling the usual softness of his belly sink into itself now that it was empty. How long had he been asleep, anyways? Snufkin looked at Moomin’s stopped clock on the wall in vain: He certainly felt like he’d slept more than a day, he still had that same lingering tiredness that stuck around when one slept longer than they usually did. But it was hard to tell if winter was anywhere near being over. If this was the very last stretch of the brutal season, then Snufkin figured he might as well try to stick out the last leg of hibernation on an empty stomach.

His stomach moaned a complaint at the thought. While that would certainly be unpleasant, it would be even more unpleasant if he’d woken up near the very beginning of hibernation, and he had to go rifling around Moominhouse for another feast that could sate him through a good portion of the hibernation season. Which meant he’d have to periodically wake up to eat. Which meant he’d wake up absolutely famished each time.

Snufkin wrapped his arms around his aching belly, his tail flicking as he considered the little predicament he was in. When his stomach voiced its complaints once again, he didn’t need much more convincing to get up and go find something to eat.

Except, he couldn’t.

Moomin had Snufkin locked in his embrace.

“Oh dear…” He breathed, trying carefully to push Moomin’s arms off of him and slip out of his hold without waking the troll. But it seems that Moomin was intent on keeping Snufkin as his snuggle buddy this winter, because as soon as Snufkin began moving to make his escape, Moomin only readjusted his hold on the mumrik and pulled him closer to his body in an inescapably tight hug.

“That’s just like you, to want me to stay…” Snufkin sighed in mock annoyance before wincing as his tummy grumbled desperately. It slowly began dawning on Snufkin that he may just have to wake Moomin and actually ask him to get up. The thought alone was terrifying, but it was just as horrid to think of what would become of him if he didn’t get something to eat. “As much as I’d love to keep cuddling with you Moomin, I’ve got to get up… I fear I may waste away if I don’t.” He joked idly, which unsurprisingly garnered no response from the sleeping Moomintroll. Instead, Snufkin’s stomach only rumbled an angry response.

“Oh, hush you…” He whispered, his tail flicking nervously. In the very least, if he couldn’t wake Moomin up, then his tummy sure would. Moomin was holding Snufkin firmly against him, but embarrassingly enough, his paws were resting around Snufkin’s middle; right where his stomach was. “Please don’t startle Moomin awake… Though, I’m not sure anyone could, he’s sound asleep.” The mumrik informed his stomach with a wry smile before snaking his tail beneath Moomin’s snout and tickling his nose. While it earned him an unintelligible mumble, the other was still nowhere near being awake.

“Well, this is rather hopeless…” Snufkin sighed, leaning back into Moomin’s soft fur and closing his eyes. “I will admit that I’ve never been more well-rested, but I don’t believe I’ll be able to adventure with you in the spring if I’ve withered away to skin and bone. So if you could wake up and let me go, I’d be very grateful.” He spoke softly, despite the fact that Moomin was far too deep in his slumber to hear him. However, Moomin was awake enough to feel Snufkin’s stomach growling against his hand.

“Snufkin…?” The Mumrik nearly jumped out of his skin as Moomin started to rouse, his voice still bleary with sleep. “Are you awake?”

“Ah, yes, I apologize if I woke you up.” He said, twisting within Moomin’s arms so that his upper half was facing the troll. Moomin just shook his head and blinked a few times, his big blue doe eyes looking around for a moment before they landed back on Snufkin.

“No, you didn’t. At least, I don’t think you did, I’m not sure what woke me-“ He was promptly cut off when Snufkin’s stomach roared emptily. Moomin’s eyes widened, a hint of worry beginning to creep into his features. “…up. Oh Snufkin, you sound like you’re starving!” He exclaimed, patting Snufkin’s tummy where his paws were resting. “How long have you been awake?” Moomin finally loosened his his grip on Snufkin to sit up.

“Not long at all, you haven’t got to worry over me… How long have we been asleep anyways?” He asked, resting his own hands on his aching stomach and hoping his question would divert Moomin’s attention away from it.

“Two weeks.” Moomin pointed over to the clock, where the hour hand was stopped at two. Ah, so the clock wasn’t stopped, it had just been cranked to count the twelve weeks of winter. “Gosh, no wonder you’re so hungry…” Moomin took the opportunity to rest their own paws on Snufkin’s stomach, gently rubbing the slightly sunken space beneath his ribs.

“Well, at least now I know how long I can hibernate for.” Moomin’s methodical rubbing loosened up a long string of hungry grumbles, causing Snufkin’s face to flush in embarrassment. “Which isn’t very long… We’re not even halfway through the winter.”

“Oh, now that doesn’t matter Snufkin. You haven’t eaten a thing in two weeks, so I’d say you’re more than in need of a snack.” Moomin climbed out of bed and took Snufkin’s hands, pulling him up and along with him. “Come on, lets get something in that tummy. I remember Mama storing some smoked fish in the cellar before hibernation.” He recalled, causing the mumrik’s stomach to rumble expectantly.

“I could certainly go for some fish.”