NOTE: I decided to do a Reader X sniff story because I've always felt like Sniff was an underrated character. The reader is ambiguous gender, meaning Sniff is bisexual in the canon of this story.

It was a warm, sunny day in Moominland. It has been 4 months since you moved to the place and already, you were considered part of the group of Moomintroll's friends.

Out of all of his friends, the one who you had grown the closest with was Sniff. You couldn't help but feel sympathy for him and you were quick to stand up to him when Little My got out of line. While you were on good terms with Snufkin, you just couldn't quite understand his outdoorsy ways and to be honest, you found fishing to be quite a bore. Plus, Snufkin was almost too perfect for your eyes. Too proper and gentlemanly.

There was something about Sniff that drew you to him. His clumsy awkwardness, his big goofy ears, his tendacy to get frightened easily. You just couldn't help but find him and his flaws adorable. The two of you really clicked well together. Even Little My began noticing how much time the two of you would spend.

One of the things you especially liked about Sniff was the hugs he gave. They were actually quite warm and cozy, considering he was covered in fur and quite pudgy. Sometimes when he got scared, he'd cling close to you for security and every single time, you'd hug him back to comfort him.

The two of you were close. So close in fact that in a matter of two months, you and Sniff were basically Thingumy and Bob 2.0. He'd make you smile and laugh with his get rich quick schemes and more often than not, you found yourself to be rather supportive of him on them. You felt like a faithful assistant to Sniff and were deeply loyal to him. And whenever Sniff opted to stay behind for an adventure, you would always stay with him to keep him company. But the closer you got to him, you found yourself falling for the odd kangaroo rat-like beast. Being a human, you knew bestiality was wrong but Sniff was an intelligent creature capable of consent despite his outward looks and the fact that Moomintroll and Snorkmaiden were already kind of in an interspecies relationship comforted you. If a moomin and a snork could romance each other, it would certainly be okay if a human romanced whatever Sniff was supposed to be. After all, there was no law in Moominland against interspecies relationships or marriage.

Little My smirked at you as you held Sniff's paw. Surprisingly, she didn't utter a single word as the group continued to the base of a mountain. As you arrived, Snufkin pointed up the mountain's path, "We'll be walking up that mountain path and taking in the view of Moominvalley at the top. We'll be gone for about a couple hours and have a picnic at the top. Are you guys ready?"

Sniff rapidly shook his head, "Snufkin, you know how I feel about heights. Just standing on the roof of Moominhouse is enough to turn my legs into jelly!"

You nodded in agreement with Sniff, "Yeah, I'm not too fond of high places, either. Besides, I packed some food for Sniff and I to share."

Little My rolled her eyes, "What a couple of wusses. You know, Y/N, I'd question your taste in men but you two seem perfect for each other."

Sniff blushed at Little My's remark, "Me and Y/N?"

Moomintroll nodded, "Actually, Little My has a point, the two of you DO hang out a lot."

"So?" Sniff crossed his arms, "I don't think that's any of your business, Moomin."

You nodded in agreement, "Yeah, what Sniff and I do together stays between the two of us."

Little My shrugged, "If you say so, you lovebirds."

Snorkmaiden couldn't help but swoon, "I think they make a really cute couple. Don't you think so, Moomin?"

You rolled your eyes at them, "Shouldn't you guys get to climbing and we drop this whole thing?"

Little My shrugged, "If you insist, Y/N. You stay behind with Sniff while everyone else and I get a great view of the valley."

You rolled your eyes at her, "Some things just aren't worth the risk, right Sniff?"

Sniff nodded, "It's much safer on the ground than it is up there. Y/N and I decided to stay here."

Moomintroll smiled, "All right. We'll see you when we get back."

Snufkin nodded, "It's a 4 hour round trip so the two of you should have plenty if time together."

"Bye!" You and Sniff waved as Moomintroll, Little My, Snufkin and Snorkmaiden ascended the mountain path.

You looked back at a small rest area you had passed on your way to the base of the mountain and turned to face Sniff, "We should sit on that bench over there, it's nice and shady."

"All right." Sniff nodded in agreement, "But they're going to be gone for about four and a half hours, we'll need to do something to pass the time."

You smiled at Sniff and pulled a deck of UNO cards out of your jacket, "We can always play a few rounds of UNO."

Sniff blinked, "UNO?"

You nodded, "It's a card game with four colors, 10 numbers plus skip, reverse and draw 2. You put down a card and the next person who plays must put down a card with the same color and number. Last one to run out of cards wins. There are also wild cards where you change the color to any color you want. If you don't have the color or number card with you that your opponent just played, you have to draw a card from the deck."

Sniff blinked again, "Can any money be made off it?"

"Last time I checked, not many use UNO cards for gambling." You replied, "It's more of a fun game to pass the time."

Sniff smiled, "All right, so how about we play a round?"

You nodded, "All right, I'll go easy on you since it's your first time, Sniff."

The two of you sat on the ends of the bench and each of you drew 7 cards. You decided to stay true to your word and go easy on Sniff. You looked at your hand and noticed that you have two Wild Draw Fours which you could've easily destroyed Sniff with but decided not to use, instead drawing when he played a color you didn't have. In the end, Sniff won the game thanks to you holding back, "I won! I won!" he cheered.

You couldn't help but grin at Sniff's display of excitement. you put the cards away, securing them with a rubber band before stashing them away in your jacket. You and Sniff sat on the bench together, taking in the natural sounds of Moominvalley for a few minutes. It was an awkward moment but you weren't exactly sure what to talk with Sniff about. It seemed the closer you go to him, the deeper the crush got and the more awkward you felt towards him. The silence was suddenly broken by the growling of Sniff's stomach. You smiled at him, "Hungry?"

"Boy, am I ever." Sniff whined with a nod.

You reached into your jacket and pulled out a couple danishes wrapped in plastic, "I got these from that general store that opened in Moominvalley a couple months ago. I thought you'd like one."

"Ooooh, gimme!" Sniff replied as he grabbed one of the danishes. You couldn't help but smile at Sniff's enthusiasm. Little My generally saw him as rude, but you couldn't help but find him adorable. They said the best way to a man's heart was through his stomach and Sniff was pretty much living proof of that being true. Sniff was a simple creature with simple pleasures. He wanted comfort and security the most of all of Moomins' friends and you would be more than happy to provide it for him. Every time he'd get scared, you'd hold him and pet him til he calmed down.

Sniff licked the raspberry jelly of the danish on his lips after devouring it, "Thanks, Y/N. That was delicious!"

"You're welcome!" You replied, biting into your own danish. In only a minute, you devoured your danish as well before turning and facing Sniff, "Sniff, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

Sniff blinked, "What is it?"

"Well..." You hung your head, feeling a blush spread across your face, "Have you ever dated or been in a relationship before?"

Instantly, the mood dropped, Sniff's expression changed from joy to utter depression and his ears wilted, "Well...I had a crush on this one girl named Houska. It didn't turn out so well."

"What happened?" You asked, placing your hand on Sniff's shoulder.

Sniff blinked rapidly, a lump forming in his throat. Salty tears glistened in his eyes at the memory of the rejection, "Well...Houska was a flower girl and I picked some f-f-flowers to g-give to her. She...g-got mad at m-me for p-p-picking the flowers so so so...s-she slapped m-me a-a-and c-called me a m-m-murderer."

Sniff buried his face in his paws, body racking with sobs. Guilt tore at your heart for making your closest friend in Moominvalley cry. You gently rubbed his arm, "I'm so sorry, Sniff..."

"I just had no idea she could be so cruel." Sniff hung his head and choked back a sob. A couple hot tears escaped his eyes and rolled down his snout, coming to a rest on the tip of his nose.

Right then and there, you felt the sudden urge to kiss his tears away regardless of how salty they were or how he'd react. Instinct taking over, you leaned forward and tenderly placed your lips on Sniff's nose. As you kissed him, you savored the bittersweet salt of his tears on your lips and tongue as you slowly put your arm across his back, "Please, don't cry."

Sniff blinked in shock at the sudden display or affection. A blush slowly spread across his muzzle, "I...I...I...t-thanks."

Breathing a deep sigh, Sniff felt another tear slide down his muzzle. You cupped the poor creature's face and gently thumbed the tear away as he dragged his paw across his tearful eyes, "S...sorry I'm such a crybaby. L-l-little My's always b-been on my case about that."

"I don't think you're a crybaby, Sniff." You replied, stroking his chin, "You're just emotionally sensitive. I know what it's like to be afraid just like you and I know that you're not alone."

"Is that really so, Y/N?" Sniff asked innocently.

"Of course." You nodded, stroking Sniff's back. Sniff's fur didn't exactly feel soft to the touch. Actually, it was quite coarse and had a slightly oily feel to it as you ran your hand down his back. Taking a deep breath, you finally spoke, "I've always been scared of heights for as long as I remember. One time I came dangerously close to falling off a cliff when my mother pulled me back and told me it was dangerous."

Sniff nodded, "It was a good thing your mom was there to help you. Sure wish my mom was there to help me..."

Sniff's ears wilted slowly and a tear glistened in his left eye but then he slowly smiled, "But...Moomin's mother is always there to help me when I need something. I guess you could call her my stepmom but she isn't at all wicked like the stepmoms in fairy tales. She makes the most delicious pancakes ever!"

You smiled at Sniff and hugged him, "Maybe when your friends are done on their little adventure, we can all eat pancakes together." You reached up and began to stroke Sniff's large ears with your fingers, "Maybe I'll even get to sit next to you at the table!"

Sniff blushed deeply and began to sweat a little, "Y-Y-Yeah...t-that would be...g-g-great..."

You smiled as you took Sniff's left hand in your right one and squeezed it, "You're so cute when you're all shy and nervous."

"N-n-nervous? S-since when am I nervous? I...um...I..." Sniff was at a loss for words. He was absolutely and completely nervous despite trying to say otherwise. Ever since you kissed his tears away, he could sense the fact that you were crushing on him. No one had ever expressed such interest in him. The one time he actually tried initiating a romance ended up in tears. This was an entirely new situation for the creature.

You slowly rested your head on Sniff's warm belly and he finally spoke up, "D...do...you h-h-have a crush on...m-me, Y/N?"

You smiled as you rubbed your face on Sniff's belly, "Of course I do! I think you're adorable! The fact that Little My picks on you is just plain wrong. I wish she'd just back off."

"She's like that way with everbody." Sniff replied, "Not just me."

You sighed, "Still, that's no excuse. I notice she singles you out more than anyone else. And to be honest, I think it's unfair. I think that you're absolutely beautiful and she's probably just jealous of how cute you are."

Sniff blushed and hung his head, "No one's ever called me beautiful before. Do you really think so?"

You nodded, "Of course I do. I don't see why anyone could hate such a cute face. Those big, floppy ears, those soft worried eyes, that long, handsome snout. You may just be the cutest-"

Instantly you were interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around your shoulders and a snout nuzzling into your hair. Your eyes snapped open and you were quick to notice Sniff holding you close and nuzzling you. You could literally feel his warmth envelope you and you could smell a distinct, musky odor eminating from him. You scooted closer to him, resting your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

You smiled at Sniff, "I can hear your heartbeat, Sniff."

Sniff smiled and nodded, "I know, it's beating much slower now that you're here to hold me and calm me."

You smiled back, "So Sniff, how would you feel if we started dating?"

"D-d-dating?" Sniff blinked, "I don't know...I mean, I've been hurt before. I don't think I can handle my heart being broken a second time."

You hugged Sniff close, "I promise that I would never do anything to hurt you, Sniff. I know we've only known each other for 4 months, but I honestly love you. More than a friend, even."

Sniff gently ran his paw through your hair, stroking your head, "I love you too, Y/N. You're one of the few people here who probably doesn't think of me as some sort of joke and that means so much to me, it really does."

You raised your head, tenderly kissing Sniff on the lips as you relaxed in his arms. Sniff smiled back at you, nuzzling your head with his snout and kissing your forehead softly. A single tear of joy trailed down his long nose only to be absorbed into your hair. The two of you relaxed into a warm embrace, closing your eyes and falling asleep together on the shady bench. It was one of the warmest and coziest naps you've ever had with Sniff by your side. The hours passed Moomintroll and his friends all returned to find you and Sniff in a deep sleep together. Little My shot a knowing smirk to the others, she knew the two of you had a thing for each other.

The end.