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Nightfall in the forest; it was always a risky time for a troll to be scouting the towering trees. Especially alone.
The small footsteps of the teenage troll were barely audible as he expertly balanced across the tree limbs above. He knew his way around the forest after dark, he had patrolled the land around Pop Village a hundred times over after all. He knew every rock, log, river, and den. He was confident enough to believe he could find them all with his eyes closed at this point. He may as well be at this time of night, with the only light coming from the glowing stone he had fastened to his forehead with an elastic band.
Normally the paranoid troll would be several feet underground in his bunker, safe from the outside world above. Tonight, however, he had a moral obligation to attend to. His village had recently been under attack by a species of bird attempting to prey on the tiny creatures. If there was one species of animal Branch hated more than even Bergens themselves… It was birds. They were fast, their ability to fly gave them incredible stealth, and being able to track them was tougher than any other creature.
He had deduced they were a mated pair, given how they would ambush the village together. This led him to believe they must have a nest nearby with eggs, which would only bring more dangerous birds to the area. Branch was willing to cut his losses and hide out in his bunker forever until the birds left on their own… until an event that had transpired a day prior.
During a spontaneous, morning, musical number led by Princess Poppy, one of the birds had managed to grab hold of the young troll’s hair. It would have flown off with her right then and there if King Peppy had not leapt into immediate action. Branch had only witnessed this after trudging into camp to try and chastise the trolls about the potential of their singing luring the birds. The only thing that kept him from saying I told you so was the shock of watching the pink princess be carried off in the talons of the terrifying avians. Branch did not exactly care for the wellbeing of the trolls in Pop Village (at least that’s what he convinced himself of) but… he had felt quite an amount of despair when Poppy had been in death’s clutches.
He recalled the way his chest had twisted and his heart beat had practically come to a stop. It was almost embarrassing how frozen he felt in time until King Peppy snatched her back to Earth with a quick swoop of his hair. Poppy was annoying, a pest at best, but was the only troll who ever gave him the time of day. Perhaps deep down he had a soft spot for her, but he would never admit that to her nor himself.
Something finally clicked in his head that morning that he needed to finally try and do something about the birds. Especially after Peppy had ordered the trolls to hide in their homes for a few days in hopes the birds would just give up and fly elsewhere.
“Fly elsewhere? We should be taking action to drive them off!”
Branch’s voice was a harsh cut through the scare all the trolls had just endured from the birds.
“Trying to fight off the birds is too dangerous. We could lose more trolls, just like I almost lost my little girl…” Peppy had countered, hugging Poppy tight.
“Dad, Branch has a point.” Poppy had rebutted, looking to Branch with a supportive smile.
He hated when she gave him that smile.
“He’s been able to chase off beasts before with his traps and stuff. I want to give it a shot!”
“No, Poppy. That’s final. I’m not putting you or other trolls' lives at risk.” King Peppy had stated sternly, taking Poppy back to their pod as the crowd left to head to their own pods.
Branch had decided since he lived outside the village the King’s rule did not apply to him.
He had stomped home, grabbed his tracking gear, and made quick work of scouting the forest the entire day. His persistence paid off after hours of searching, as he had found their nest perched in a tree just above a river. This discovery then led to hours of planning an elaborate scheme to knock the nest into the river so that it would float downstream; and hopefully the parents would follow suit. It may mean some of the eggs would be lost, but he had to prioritize the lives of the trolls.
He had to prioritize Poppy…
Shaking that rather embarrassing notion from his thoughts, he kept along the trail in the trees he had mapped that would soon lead him to the nest.
Suddenly, a cacophony of squawks echoed through the leaves around him. He froze, ears darting wildly and eyes searching the area for signs of attack. However, the calls were just up ahead and sounded close to where the nest was. Branch’s nerves were on edge, unsure of what could be causing the birds to be startled at this time of night. He ran to the edge of the branch he had been following and peered out to the tree just ahead of him.
The birds were circling the tree wildly, almost as if they were trying to get to something hiding in the dense leaves inside. Branch’s mind was swarming with whatever it may be that had rustled their feathers.
Then he saw it. He saw her.
A small speck of pink was sneakily crawling out to the branch that held the nest. She had begun extending her hair and wrapping it around the eggs when the birds noticed her and began to caw with rage.
“Poppy!?” Branch yelled, both in shock and anger.
“Branch?” Poppy screeched back, noting the birds swooping in on her and screaming.
Branch watched as one of the birds grazed her with its talons, sending her flying off the tree. Branch almost screamed in horror until he watched the young princess lasso a group of leaves with her hair to save herself from falling.
Branch let out one single sigh of relief before taking in a deep breath. He sprang into action, sprinting as fast as he could and launching himself from his tree. He cleared a good amount of distance before extending his hair to grab onto the tree ahead. The birds were still focused on Poppy, perched atop the tree limb just above her as they attempted to peck at her furiously. Poppy had wrapped herself in a hairball, though in reality did no good against the attacking avians.
Branch skidded to a halt just above the birds. He flung off his backpack, digging into his plethora of tools before retrieving a handful of red colored beads.
“Hey, birdbrains!” Branch called down, feeling his confidence slip as the bird’s dark eyes honed in on him.
Branch flung the red beads, which were in fact Boom Berries. The berries exploded, causing a cloud of red mist to cascade into the bird’s faces. The birds screeched as they were suddenly blinded, flying off in separate directions as they proceeded to fly into everything in their path.
Throwing his backpack over his shoulders once more, Branch lowered himself down quickly. He ran over to where Poppy was still curled in defense just out of reach, feeling both relief and fury bubbling in his brain.
“Poppy! Are you insane, why are you out here?” Branch yelled at her, his blood felt like it was boiling.
“Branch!” Poppy’s hair recoiled, exposing her to him now.
“I-I’m so sorry. I maaaaay have uh… followed you yesterday and saw you find the nest. And I also maaaaay have tried to deal with the eggs on my own…” Poppy admitted, glancing down with shame.
“Poppy? Are you cloud-brained? What possibly made you think you could do this on your own?” Branch slapped a hand to his forehead, completely flabbergasted by the young troll’s foolishness.
“You were gonna do it by yourself!” She accused, pointing a finger up at him.
“I do everything by myself. It’s kinda my thing. Also, I had a solid plan!” Branch yelled back.
“You were gonna toss the nest in the river! That’s cruel! I was gonna safely move the eggs to a new tree! Then the baby birds would be safe and Troll Village would be safe! And I would have proved to my Dad and everyone I could help and be a good ruler! ” Poppy explained herself, still sounding just as crazy to the gray teen.
“Poppy, sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the good of us. Us trolls! Also, getting yourself killed wouldn’t help anyone!” Branch tried to explain, knowing it was probably futile.
“You’re always going on about how much you don’t care for us and me, why do you suddenly care now?” Poppy retorted, frowning with furrowed brows.
“Are you insane? Of course I care about you! Why do you think I’m out here? I wouldn’t have even tried to do this stupid, dangerous, mission if it wasn’t for what happened to you yesterday!” Branch admitted, eyes widening at the sudden truth he let slip.
He saw Poppy’s face lighten, eyes shimmering in a way that made his already beating heart pump faster.
Their shared silence was cut short as the bird’s cries brought them back to the reality of the situation at hand. They were swooping back down towards them, talons extended and ready to snatch them both.
“Hold on!” Branch called down.
He jumped from where he had been perched, wrapping his hair around the same group of leaves Poppy had been tangled around. He grabbed her in the process, using the momentum to fling the two of them back upwards to the limb where the nest lay. Poppy looked dazed, but quickly regained her footing as she stared at Branch.
“Listen, if you wanna do this your way we need to move fast.” Branch informed her, running to the nest in the process.
Poppy had a look of pleasant surprise on her face, but nodded and quickly followed his lead.
The pair each wrapped their hair around an egg, using their free hands to pick up the nest.
“Ready?” Branch asked.
“Uh-huh” Poppy nodded, a look of admirable determination in her eyes.
The pair lept, jumping into the nest as they fell from the trees and into the river below. It was a harsh landing, but they both had held onto the eggs tightly. The pair exchanged relieved glances before setting the eggs comfortably back in the nest. The river was calm this time of year, the journey across the waters should be safe.
“This river will take them far out of our forest. The parents will follow, now let’s go-” Branch was cut off as talons wrapped around his torso and suddenly lifted him from the nest.
“Branch!” Poppy cried, immediately shooting her hair around the bird’s foot and flinging herself toward them.
“Poppy, no! I’m a goner, just let me-”
“No Troll left behind!” Poppy cried before biting down on the bird’s foot with all the force she could muster.
The bird screeched in pain and suddenly let go. Branch and Poppy began to plummet towards the ground, crashing through the trees and leaves that partially broke their fall. They rolled down a log that ended at a hole in the ground. Branch dug his fingers into the log, feeling sharp pain in the process as his descent was slowed. Poppy, however, was flung over the edge of the hole.
“Poppy!” Branch called out, scurrying to the edge to peer down.
Poppy was hanging onto a small root sticking out in the ground. Her face and body was covered in scrapes, but she looked for the most part fine.
“Hang on, I’ll pull you up.” Branch told her, beginning to extend his hair when he heard a screech.
Whipping his head around, he spotted one of the birds swooping down once again.
Did these things ever stop??
Branch’s eyes shot back to Poppy, then the bird, then back to Poppy. He saw the horrified look in the princess’s eyes and felt his own face twist with worry. Making a harsh decision, he flung himself at her and hugged her body tight. His hair wrapped around the two of them tightly as the force of him grabbing her sent them both plummeting into the hole below.
The fall was not far, but the impact of the ground almost took the wind out of him. He could hear the bird clawing at the opening above, but quick wing flaps that faded into the distance soon informed him it had given up. Everything was dark, his glowing headband had been knocked off during the entire ordeal. He could, however, hear the beating of Poppy’s heart right up against his ear.
It was only then did he realize how closely pressed he was into holding her entire being.
Branch finally unfurled his hair, letting go of Poppy as he sat back to try and catch his breath. In the dim light, he watched Poppy lay on her back with wide eyes that stared up at the ceiling in shock.
Branch wanted to be mad at her, wanted to insult, shame, and bombard her with every reason why what she had just done was wrong. However, in that moment all he could feel was an annoying calm in knowing she was safe.
“Are you okay?” Branch asked her quietly.
“Yeah… yeah I think so.” Poppy whispered back, sitting up as she tried to move.
Branch saw her face wince as she recoiled her right leg, letting out a sharp hiss through her teeth. She was definitely not okay.
“No, you’re not.” Branch rolled his eyes, scooting towards her and reaching for her leg.
“No, Branch. I’m fine really. I can walk it off..” Poppy began rambling, leaning over to shield her leg with her hands defensively.
“Poppy.” Branch interrupted her sternly.
Poppy heard the seriousness in his voice and went quiet. Branch took a breath in, trying to calm himself and be a little more gentle with her in that moment.
“I know you’re hurt. Please, let me check.” He asked calmly, placing a hand on her knee with a delicate touch. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Poppy’s pink eyes were wide and attentive, giving him a gentle nod to proceed. Branch ran his hands down her leg, adding pressure to see if he could get a reaction out of her. It was only when he pressed her ankle did she flinch.
“Sorry.” Branch apologized, taking her ankle in his hands. “I’m gonna need to feel around to see if it’s broken. I guess I lied about not hurting you…”
“It’s ok, Branch. I trust you.” Poppy’s kind voice replied.
Hearing her say those words made his nerves prickle in a rather uncomfortable yet blissful manner.
Branch squeezed ever so slightly, watching Poppy grit her teeth but force herself to keep still. He dared to move it, hearing Poppy whine and immediately stopping.
“Sorry, sorry… Poppy, do you think you could try twisting it around?” Branch requested, knowing it would be painful for the poor troll.
“Mhm…” Was all Poppy could muster as she twisted her ankle in an agonizing circle.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Branch informed her, watching her exhale sharply as she finally rested her ankle down comfortably once more.
“Good news is, it isn’t broken. Bad news is, it’s sprained. It’s gonna take a few weeks to heal. Maybe even a month.” Branch informed her, slipping his backpack off his shoulders as he dug inside.
“Oh, sugar… a month?” Poppy questioned, her expression visibly upset.
“Yes. So no dancing, prancing, strutting, et cetera…” Branch mumbled, removing a jar from his bag and looking up at Poppy.
There was an unusual somber look on the typically peppy princess’ face. It almost caught him off guard to see her in such a saddened state. Despite his own typical callous attitude, he felt a strong urge to try and investigate her sudden mood shift.
“Poppy? What’s the matter… I know a month without dancing sucks, but…”
“No, Branch.” Poppy sighed, leaning back on her hands. “It’s not that.”
“Oh…” Branch’s eyes darted around awkwardly.
Feelings and consoling weren't exactly his speciality.
“I just… thought I could be a good Princess and do something great to save our village. You know, show my Dad I’m not just a little girl anymore! But… I messed everything up… and almost got us both eaten. And all I have to show for it is a sprained ankle!” Poppy explained, eyelashes fluttering as she was seemingly fighting back tears.
“I saw the plan you had to drive the birds away and… I dunno, I guess I thought I could pull off a cool plan like that too. You’re always coming up with great ways to protect the village… but I can never seem to do anything right.” Poppy wiped her cheek as a glittery tear drop ran down it.
Oh no, she was crying.
Branch twiddled the lid of the jar in his hands, unsure of how to address the situation. He believed she should take responsibility for the irresponsibleness of her actions… but he also did not want her to cry.
“Poppy…” He began, unscrewing the lid with a pop. “I only do dangerous missions like this because I know how to do them. I’ve studied the creatures of this forest for years, it’s what I’m good at. Kinda like how… I don’t know, how you’re good at making other trolls happy and solving their issues in the village everyday.”
He stuck his hand in the teal-colored gel residing in the jar, reaching for her ankle to administer it. Poppy shuddered at the sudden cool touch, oops, he should have warned her prior.
“Sorry, it’s minty-root gel. The cooling properties will soothe the pain.” He explained, closing the jar to reach back into his backpack as he continued.
“- But, even though I do make all these traps and inventions, and do all these dangerous things… you don’t really see me getting praised for it much, right? I mostly get called paranoid or crazy or… told I ruin everything. So, maybe it’s best you aren’t like me, you know?” Branch finished, not knowing if anything he said offered her any sort of comfort.
He removed a roll of gauze from his pack, wrapping it tightly around Poppy’s ankle to help keep it stiff and in place. He guided the gauze as gently as he could to not cause further discomfort, running a hand over it once he was done to test the thickness.
Poppy all the while was watching him with a steady gaze, her mind seemingly elsewhere as she both took in what he was doing as well as his words.
The gray troll had never heard the usually boisterous princess so quiet before.
“Branch, I don’t think you ruin everything. Or that you’re crazy.” Poppy spoke softly, meeting his gaze with her rose colored irises.
“I really admire how brave you are. Maybe you can be weirdly overprepared sometimes but… you’re not paranoid. I think you just care a lot in your own ways.”
Branch felt his chest tighten ever so slightly, it wasn’t often he was offered any sort of praise. And hearing it come from Poppy… while she looked at him in the manner she was made him feel all sorts of complicated emotions.
“I mean…” Poppy suddenly had a small smile form on her lips. “You did say you were doing this because you care about me, right”
Branch gulped. He had said that to her, albeit in a state of fury, but it was the truth. He only wished she wasn’t giving him such a doting look in that moment. He became acutely aware of the hand he still had on her leg and removed it.
“Uh, yeah… I guess I did say that.” He grumbled, but his voice caught in his throat when he felt Poppy’s hand catch the one he had pulled away.
She pulled his hand closer, turning it over to study it. He was in shock as to why she was holding his hand so tenderly that he didn’t even see the obvious cuts all along his fingers she was currently observing.
“That’s uh… from the fall and the log, I think.” Branch stuttered, feeling warmth spread across his cheeks.
He was glad it was so dark in the hole they had fallen into, the last thing he needed was Poppy to notice he was blushing.
“May I see the gel and bandages?” She asked, setting her other hand atop the one she was holding.
“Uh, yeah it’s… in my backpack. Right there.” Branch pointed with his snout.
He watched Poppy open the jar herself now, reaching for a generous amount of gel before gliding it over the cuts along his digits. He breathed steadily, taking in both the soothing coolness and softness of her touch. She treated each finger with care, coaxing for his other hand once she had finished with the first. Once she decided all his fingers had been properly coated, she began wrapping the gauze gently around each finger individually.
Branch all the while was speechless and unable to react in any intelligent way. It was only when she finished did he find himself again and flexed his fingers to test their dexterity in the bandages.
“Thank you, by the way, Branch.” Poppy spoke up, her smile warm as she stared at him.
“Thank me? For what?” Branch asked, genuinely confused as to why given how scrambled his mind was in that moment.
“For rescuing me, for saving the village, and… helping me save the eggs too. It means alot to me.” Poppy gently reached out to take one of his wrapped hands, intertwining their fingers together slowly. “You mean a lot to me too. I’m sorry the village doesn’t see how good of a troll you are.”
His poor heart felt like it might give out; this was too much. Why was she being so sweet with him? Was it because they were alone? Oh god, they were very alone… Every nerve in his body wanted to reject her kind words and affections, but he was honestly too exhausted mentally to even try.
“You’re welcome…” He muttered, nervousness taking over as he let go of her hand to rise to his feet and grab his backpack.
He wanted to desperately change the subject.
“I think we’re in one of the old tunnels from when all the trolls escaped Bergen town.” He deduced, noting how as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could now see the area around them extended in two different directions.
“It’s too dark out for us to go back out safely, and you’re not walking anytime soon with that ankle.” He stuck a finger in his mouth and lifted it above himself, feeling for a draft to hit the moisture of his digit.
“The wind is coming from down this way. I know these woods, I can run back to the village and get your Dad so we can carry you back.” Branch offered, turning back to look down at her.
“And… leave me here alone?” Poppy asked, turning to look at the space around her.
“It wouldn’t be forever, I can be quick.” Branch added, but realized nothing he said was making her anymore accepting of the idea.
Poppy hugged her shoulders, looking very indifferent as she obviously was not ecstatic about his plan. She looked so small and helpless in that moment, and it made Branch feel pity for her. He had no idea if he could mentally make it through a night alone with her. Not because she would annoy him to death, but because being around her sometimes made his chest feel way too funny. But… she looked genuinely frightened in that moment, and for a change Branch lost the battle between his head and heart.
He sighed, sliding his backpack off and setting it next to them both.
“Or… I can stay with you till sunrise and walk you back myself.”
“Oh yes! I like that idea much better, please. I really don’t want to be alone. This place is… pretty creepy at night.” Poppy explained, her spirits already lightening up again.
“Okay.” Branch huffed, taking a seat next to her. “But I didn’t bring any sleeping bags or pillows. It’s going to be a pretty uncomfortable night.”
Poppy’s ears lowered, glancing around briefly before they sprang back up.
“We could lean up against the tunnel wall! That shouldn’t be so bad, right?” Poppy asked, pointing to the wall behind them.
“It’s not a terrible idea.” Branch shrugged, admitting deep down it probably was the best bet for the night. “Do you need help getting over to it?”
“Yes, please.” Poppy nodded, extending her hands in his direction.
He stood once more, sliding his arm under hers to lift her off her right foot. He helped her hobble to the wall, before taking her hands to help guide her down to a sitting position again. He cursed at himself internally for noting how her small hands fit so tenderly in his larger palms. Once she was situated, he took a seat next to her and tried to make himself comfortable. Kinda impossible against a dirt wall, but he tried his best.
He closed his eyes, breathing in the cool night air that filled the tunnels. It had been a very tumultuous day, but at least he and Poppy were safe. In fact, the whole Pop Village was now safe. He hated to admit it, but Poppy had actually helped him quite a bit with accomplishing his original plan.
He peeked an eye open to look over at Poppy. The princess was staring up at the hole they had fallen through, a calm look in her gaze. The dim moonlight from above outlined her silhouette in a gorgeous blue undertone. He could see almost every detailed edge of her face, from her eyelashes, her nose, her lips…
He inhaled and looked away, closing his eyes tight so he would stop his foolish gawking. He focused hard on trying to fall asleep, hoping he would succumb to slumber so the day could finally end.
He wanted to be back in his bunker alone. He imagined his warm bed in the candlelight, a hot cup of tea on the nightstand, and the softness of his robe keeping his body cozy. No one else around to pester him, to put him in harm's way, just himself. Alone and safe.
The daydreaming was almost working until after an undecided amount of time passed he felt a pressure on his shoulder.
Eyes shooting open, he turned to see Poppy’s pink hair pressing into his cheek. The princess must have fallen asleep, and as a result fallen against his shoulder.
He cursed internally, why did this have to happen to him?
Her sweet scent was the first thing he noted, it was like she bathed in sugar that day. Her cheek against his shoulder was as soft as her flocked skin appeared. He hated to admit it, but she felt as warm and comforting as any of the things he had imagined prior.
He attempted to gently push her back upright, trying his best not to disturb her slumber. However, his attempt immediately failed as her body just slid past his shoulder and onto his lap instead.
Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.
His arms were frozen as he stared down at the passed out Poppy in his lap, who was not even seemingly phased by the fall down.
He had no idea what to do. Should he wake her? Push her off? Then she would be sleeping on the cold ground. At least if she had her head in his lap she had some sort of pillow. She was the injured one after all, she needed the comfort more than he did.
He sighed, too tired to keep trying and too exhausted to care any longer. He crossed his arms, having to rest them slightly atop her head just so he could rest back comfortably. He hoped when she woke up she would not be upset, or embarrassed. He knew he was, given how hot his face felt in response to their closeness.
While he may be burning up, Poppy suddenly shuddered as a cool breeze traveled down the tunnel. Branch could feel the chill on the tips of his toes and he desperately wished he had a blanket handy.
An idea sparked in his brain.
Looking down to make one hundred percent sure Poppy was not awake, he leaned back and focused. His hair began to extend, lowering to cover the two of them in a makeshift hair-blanket. It was as warm as he was going to get them both that night. At least they were covered.
He breathed, closing his eyes once more as he finally tried to find sleep that night.
His slumber seemed brief as his eyes shot open to sounds of the forest in the morning. Bugs were buzzing, a new ray of sun was beaming warmth down upon them, and the tunnel was partially lit where they lay.
His eyes traveled down to Poppy, who had curled up like a cat in his lap sometime in the night. She had a wide smile across her face, obviously enjoying her sleep as if she wasn’t laying upon a dirty tunnel floor with a sprained ankle. She seemed so peaceful, and Branch could not help but admire how pretty she looked in the morning light.
Gah! Okay, time to get up and go home.
“Poppy?” Branch whispered, recalling his hair as he did so.
“Mmm, five more minutes please…” She mumbled, turning to wrap her arms around Branch’s waist and snuggle her face into his stomach.
Branch’s body went stiff, this was his absolute worst nightmare.
“P-Poppy… it’s me… Branch.” He stuttered, patting the top of her head. “We need to go home.”
“Tell the Branch I’ll give him his razzle-berry pie tomorrow…” Poppy mumbled unconsciously back.
“Poppy…” Branch thought for a second. “You’re going to miss the morning musical number.”
“Huh!?” Poppy sprang upright, eyes wide and face struck with despair. “Oh no! We better get back before my Dad realizes I’m gone!”
Branch finally exhaled a sigh of relief now that she had let him go, and now that her face wasn’t pressed into his abdomen. He was also relieved she seemingly did not notice they had been practically cuddling.
“We can still make it if we hurry. How’s your ankle?” Branch asked her, standing and dusting himself off.
Poppy attempted to stand, but quickly wobbled and fell forward. Branch caught her, pulling her back up to meet her face to face.
“Uh, haha, still bad.” She chuckled, ears drooping in response to her clumsiness.
“Alright,” Branch sighed, “I have an idea.”
It was in that moment Branch was grateful he spent most of his spare time doing manual labor. The small, gray, troll tread through the forest at a steady pace, with Princess Poppy piggie-backing behind him. He held onto her legs tightly, her arms over his shoulders for extra support. She had his backpack over her own shoulders now, adding to the weight. He had never walked so far while carrying something as heavy before, but he wasn’t exhausted enough to complain yet.
Poppy, thankfully, was light. His backpack, however, not so much.
“I’ve never seen this part of the forest before.” Poppy commented behind him, her voice full of wonder.
“Trust me, it’s still as dangerous as it is during the night. Thankfully, that tunnel got us pretty close to Troll Village. We’ll be there soon.” Branch informed her, adjusting his hold on her ever so slightly.
“Thank you again for carrying me, Branch. You must be pretty strong.” Poppy stated, her toes wiggling.
“Don’t mention it…” He said back quietly, still stubborn to receive praise as always.
“Hey, Branch?” Poppy began again.
“Yeah, what is it?” Branch answered her.
“Does this mean we’re best friends now?” Poppy asked, her voice optimistic and hopeful.
“No. This means I saved you while you were way in over your head trying to attempt a solo mission to drive off troll hungry birds and now I’m delivering you back to your father with a sprained ankle and probably going to go back to my bunker and stay there forever so I never try to do something “caring” for anyone ever again.” Branch retorted, his sarcastic attitude returning in full force.
However, all he heard in response was Poppy giggle and then felt her cheek press against the back of his head.
“Okay.” She whispered, hugging his neck.
God, help him.
“Poppy? Branch?”
The voice of King Peppy caught both of their attentions. The King was dashing up to them both, a look of absolute horror plastered on his face.
“Oh, Poppy! You’re alive! Good heavens, what in the name of all that is glitter happened to you both?” King Peppy asked, gesturing to all the scrapes and bandages they donned.
Branch felt Poppy tense against him, knowing how ashamed she must be to have to now inform her father of what had transpired. Branch recalled one of the reasons Poppy had carried out her dumb idea to drive off the birds in the first place was for the King’s approval.
He could easily let her get what was coming to her so she would learn a valuable lesson. But, for some reason his heart once again acted before his head.
“Ugh, I found your daughter near my bunker this morning. Turns out she went into the forest last night and chased off the birds all by herself.” Branch scoffed, setting Poppy down as he continued his small fib.
“She sprained her ankle, I wrapped it up myself and she’ll be fine in a month. By the way, I went and checked while she rested this morning and the birds are indeed gone. It was incredibly dumb and dangerous of her to do, I have no idea how she managed it alone.”
“Really? You drove the birds off by yourself?” Peppy asked in astonishment, looking at Poppy with wide eyes. “Then why are you all beaten up?” Peppy questioned Branch.
“I was, uh, chopping wood and whittling stakes all night. I kinda always look like this.” Branch lied, crossing his arms as his eyes darted to Poppy.
Poppy glanced at Branch, both a look of shock and gratefulness in her expression. Branch frowned in response, hoping she would run with the story he had made up.
“Uh, yeah! I used, uh… Branch’s traps and tools he had left around the forest to do it! I told you they would come in handy, Dad.” Poppy boasted, patting Branch on the back.
“Well, I’m glad you’re safe. But… please never do that again. Ever.” Peppy begged, reaching to pull Poppy into a hug.
“I’m sorry for scaring you, Dad. I love you.” She apologized, hugging him tight.
“I love you too, Poppy. Now come on, we should celebrate! The village is going to be so proud of what you’ve done for us all.” Peppy announced, handing her his cane so she could finally take her weight off the sprained ankle.
“Okay, Dad!” Poppy replied, her smile as wide as ever.
Branch felt satisfied, turning away now that everything seemed resolved. He could not wait to get back to the solace of his bunker and not come out for a few weeks… maybe months.
He felt a hand grab ahold of his own hand suddenly, stopping him in his tracks. He turned, finding Poppy staring at him with a look of strong conviction.
“What-” Branch had begun, but was pulled into a tight hug. He went stiff, unable to process how to respond.
“Thank you, Branch. For everything…” Poppy whispered.
“Yeah, uh, no problem…” Branch responded quietly. “You can, um, let me go now.”
Poppy chuckled as she released him, her hand still holding onto the one she had taken hold. Branch looked down at their fingers intertwined, still in awe at the size difference of his own fingers compared to hers. His eyes trailed back up to her gaze, meeting with her adoring stare that caused his breath to catch in his throat.
“I hope your poor fingers heal soon.” She commented, lifting his palm to her lips where she planted a soft kiss against it.
Branch immediately felt his face flare up, knowing fully well in the light of the morning sun it would be noticeable.
“Goodbye, Branch.” She waved, hobbling off back to her father’s side.
Branch watched in a stunned state as the King and his Princess walked slowly back to Troll Village, leaving him to stare down at his palm in the warm morning air. It seemed incredibly empty now without the soft, pink, fingers filling the spaces between his own. He couldn’t even register the pain of the cuts under his bandages at that point, just the lingering tingle of Poppy’s kiss against his calloused skin.
All he could do was stare for a good while, until his jelly-like legs finally carried him back in the direction of his bunker.
He decided he wanted to stay in his bunker for the rest of the year, actually.