AN: what's up everybody it's NerdAlert bringing you another chapter, and I hope you're ready for angst!

BAWV: Ah, I love my angst.

NA8910: Oh so much angst! Like you wouldn't believe!

BAWV:But don't worry there be plenty of fluff to go around with it.

NA8910: Neither of us own trolls but we wish we did!

BAWV: Yup, still disappointed by that.

NA8910: On with the show… story not show, sorry I got excited. Wait do you think if we approach Netflix they'd be interested!? #NotSponsoredByNetflix

BAWV: We are broke so I doubt it.

Chapter three: Dreaming of Reality

When Branch woke the next morning he sat up and glanced around at his surroundings, thinking to himself. 'Was it just a dream?' he stood up and stretched his arms, and groaning from discomfort. He walked over to the mirror and looked at himself, not particularly liking what he saw. Despite constant exercise he still was roundish in the middle, and he hated it. Then there was his grey complexion, and coarse black hair.

He sighed at the frowning face before him, and he grumbled. "Of course it was a dream, how could someone as beautiful as her like me?" He growled and shoved the mirror off the dresser, the glass shattering on the floor. He walked back over to his bed and sat down, resting his head in his hands. He let out a small sob and felt tears at the corners of his eyes, ashamed of his outward appearance. Meanwhile Poppy was just waking up, but something was strange about this morning. She had tears running down her face and she felt a horrible feeling in her gut, like she was upset about something she didn't remember.

Getting up she went to the mirror, checking if something was in her eyes. But she saw nothing there, and wondered why this was happening. But then she noticed a slight sting in her leg, finding it all bandaged up. Then she remembered that last night, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with joy. Wanting nothing more than to go and find her new boyfriend and shower him with affection, she ran to her wardrobe to find something fun but alluring. As Branch finished crying he felt strange, like there was a brightness in the pit of his stomach.

He didn't know where this random uplifting feeling came from, but it motivated him to go and do his daily work out. So he walked through his bunker to a small section with exercise equipment. Choosing to work on his core he started with push-ups, opting to do about 50 with his arms and 50 with his hair.

Exercise always helped him work out his emotions, working off his sadness and frustrations. It actually took a lot to keep up his stone faced demeanor, it was hard work. Next he did sit-ups, going for 80 of them. This process went on for about an hour, but he still felt sad about his situation with Poppy. But he had work to do, so he did what he always did and buried his feelings and ignored them.

So he dragged his feet as he walked to the lift, flipping the switch and ascending to the ground level. He grabbed a bag to harvest food in and headed out the door. Walking along an old trail that lead to a small pond that was rich in plant life, home to many different kinds of berries, Branch had a list of different plants he needed for various uses around his bunker. Aloe could be made into a salve for injuries, obviously one he made sure he was always stocked in, algae was good for a cushion for the floor to make it softer to walk on in replacement of a rug, not to mention the many types of berries and other food sources that he made sure to keep stocked at all times in his home as an emergency stash.

He arrived at his destination and looked around the clearing, seeing the algae he needed in plentiful amounts floating on the top of the pond. He decided to get the algae first since it was the easiest to collect. As Branch slowly moved into the shallow waters, careful not to slip on the smooth sheet of rock underneath his feet, he noticed his reflection in the water and scowled at it.

Usually he didn't think of his physical appearance, too depressing and he tended to get less done when he thought about it, but he couldn't take his mind off of it since his dream last night of Poppy not just agreeing to date him, but confessing to him! Him of all Trolls! Yeah like that would happen anywhere but his dreams. His self deprecating thoughts were interrupted by a cheery voice floating over his shoulder from seemingly out of nowhere. "Hey, how'd you do that?" Not hearing anyone walk up behind him, Branch spun around startled at the sudden voice.

Branch felt himself freeze up, for there stood Poppy wearing a deep blue dress. As if it's not enough that she had to act so friendly after last night's dream but she had to show up looking as if she was dressing up to go meet someone for a date as well. His mind caught up to her question and answered, "Do What?" Poppy smiled in such a way that made Branch feel as if he was about to enter into a very risky situation that was either going to end well for him or disastrously. Once he heard her answer he knew for sure that it was the second. "How'd you look so good just by bending down to gather algae? I thought nothing could make that look hot but I guess I was wrong."

Her flirting comment confused and flustered Branch into taking a thoughtless step back and his foot hit nothing but slippery rock. The next thing he knew he was falling into cold water which was good news for his cheeks which were flaming up along with his ears. Poppy would have undoubtedly noticed, she noticed everything he didn't want her to. As he resurfaced with much cooler cheeks, thankfully, he looked incredulously at Poppy not believing what he had thought she had said, but his mind had to be playing tricks on him.

Then she opened her mouth and suddenly Branch wasn't so sure if he wasn't still dreaming or if he had hit his head when he fell into the water and was hallucinating. "Wow, if being hot is a crime then you are sooo guilty as charged." Poppy was grinning as she stared directly at his soaked chest which now had his vest stuck to it from the water. It was at that point that he decided that if he was dreaming or hallucinating he didn't want to go back to consciousness. Then where her eyes were staring caught his attention and he immediately crossed his arms to hide his stomach pudge and ducked lower in the water.

"Awww my view was taken away. Oh well I guess I'll have more opportunities now that we are dating." And that was the moment Branch's poor mind had enough and did an emergency shutdown thanks to overheating malfunctioning. The last thing he remembered from his bizarre dream was Poppy's smile falling off her face and being replaced by a worried and curious frown and then everything was black. Poppy did NOT expect Branch to react to her flirting like that, she had been hoping for a little flustered, a blush if she was lucky.

Passing out while looking like he had seen a ghost...Not really what she had wanted when she set out with this idea. All her previous thoughts were wiped away when she saw Branch start to sink into the pond. Poppy fell into full panic mode as she jumped forward to catch his arms to pull him out before he drowned while he was unconscious. Once she had a good hold on him she pulled until Branch was safely on the shore a few feet from the water. After checking him over to make sure he was okay Poppy sat next to him to debate her options.

1. She could try to move him back to his bunker. She didn't think she was strong enough to carry him back and dragging him would definitely injure him.

2. She could try to wake him up. This so far was looking the most promising but if she did then he would definitely be mad that she made him fall back into the water and ruin all the work he had gotten done.

3. She could go back to the village and get help to drag him back to his bunker….Yeah he might kill her for that one. So it was a definite no go.
As Poppy was thinking over her options she saw a piece of paper sitting next to Branch's backpack. Curious, she picked it up to find that it was a list of things that Branch needed to get. That's when a brilliant idea struck Poppy, she could collect all of the stuff for Branch and he wouldn't get angry at her! At least it would work for a peace offering in the worst case scenario. With her mind set on a plan of action Poppy swiftly stood up and turned to check on Branch one last time before she started her list. He was far enough away from the water that she could leave him where he was without worrying about him drowning.

As she went to start she saw him shiver, and it clicked in Poppy's head that he had fallen into cold water and was now sitting in his soaked clothes. Looking at it like that he was bound to be cold, so Poppy went to find a big leaf to cover him with that way he'd be guarded against the wind, she didn't think he'd appreciate her removing his clothes so this is the best she could do. Thinking about it Poppy was starting to feel guilty since it had been her fault he had fallen into the water and gotten drenched, but besides getting something to cover him she didn't know what to do… As she was thinking her head turned to watch the pond and her sight landed on the algae, a massive smile formed on her face when a plan started in her mind.

When Branch regained consciousness he thought he was in his bed and everything that he remembered was a dream, it would make sense since he was laying on a soft layer and had what felt like a blanket over him. However, there was one thing that didn't quite fit into that scenario. He was soaking wet, which if he had taken a bath at the pond the night before would make sense as well, but he was absolutely certain tomorrow was his bath day.

Now confused as to where he was if not home, Branch opened his eyes and sat up to look around. He recognised his surroundings almost immediately, he was at the pond where he was in his dream collecting supplies… Was it a dream? If it was a dream then why was he here? It had to be a dream, Poppy wouldn't blatantly flirt with him like that if it weren't and she had said they were dating! A warm feeling spread through his chest but he stomped it out before it could get to far.

'It was just a dream don't get too excited.' As he shifted to get up, still confused as to why he was here he felt the soft substance underneath his hands. Looking down he saw a layer of algae underneath him and on a second look his blanket was a massive leaf. He obviously hadn't made them but someone had and it had been while he was unconscious. Who would care enough about him to make a makeshift bed just so he could be comfortable?

His answer was in the form of a soft humming coming from a few yards away, a familiar humming that made his ears perk immediately and start swiveling trying to find which direction it came from. Branch pulled himself to his feet and followed the sound only to come across a sight that almost made his heart combust from beating too fast. There stood Poppy knee deep in water slowly and carefully gathering algae, he watched in shock as she collected an armload and then carefully made her way back to the shore where he now noticed his backpack was and it looked to be full of the different plants on his list.

If he had to guess by how the water was dripping off of her she slipped on the sheet of rock at least once. Poppy seemed to be satisfied with her collection and hefted herself out of the pond, once steady on land again she picked up the now full pack and turned only to lock eyes with Branch. The minute their eyes met Poppy hit him with a beaming smile and proceeded to bounce over to him. Branch moved to take a startled step back, still confused on what was a dream and what wasn't. Poppy stopped a few inches in front of him and, before he could react, threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

Not expecting that, Branch stiffened up and started trying to pry her off him. "How many times do I have to tell you not to hug me before you actually don't?" Hearing Branch's irritated voice, Poppy pulled back with obvious confusion. "Yesterday you said I could have one hug per day but no more. I haven't hugged you yet today and if I'm only going to get one per day then I'm not going to waste a single one!" Branch's irritated look vanished as he recalled a conversation where he said that, but it had been in his dream…

Wait, if Poppy was here collecting the things off his list and he hadn't been dreaming before then she was the one who made him the bed and she had been flirting with him. She had told him after her flirting before he passed out that they were dating which means that it wasn't a dream?! Feeling lightheaded Branch slid into a sitting position while his mind wrapped itself around that information, not noticing a panicking Poppy trying to talk to him.

If it wasn't a dream then his supposed dream of last night was actually real which means that yes he had told her she could have one hug per day because he figured that he should at least give her that if they were dating. His mind was holding up on that fact though, they were dating. He was dating Princess Poppy. He was snapped out of his thought by that exact person pinching him hard on his arm. "Ow!" As he jumped back from Poppy he looked up ready to rip into her only to stop at the look of worry on her face. If that hadn't been enough to stop him her next words did.

"What's wrong? You suddenly zoned out! I tried talking to you but you weren't responding. Are you okay? Are you mad? I'm sorry that I didn't bring you back to your bunker but I couldn't lift you and I didn't want to drag you. I didn't think you'd want me to get someone from the village to help either. So I made a kind of bed until you woke up and could move yourself. Was I wrong?" Branch rushed to reassure her, "It's fine. I don't expect you to be able to lift me especially as a dead weight. Thank you for making the bed it was very comfortable."

Then a thought occurred to Branch and he blurted out, "Wait, why were you flirting with me earlier! I was so shocked that I fell back into the water. You shouldn't say things you don't mean like that." Poppy tilted her head to the side in confusion, "What do you mean why did I flirt with you? We're dating I can do that now. I've been wanting to for a long time but I figured that you would get mad if I did. Yeah I didn't expect you to pass out on me, that was a surprise for both of us. And what do you mean, of course I meant those things! Have you seen yourself? You're gorgeous!"

Branch was now flushing a darker greyish purple and stumbling trying to come up with something to say. "I looked in a mirror this morning and I don't see it. I'm not gorgeous, I'm grey, and that's not even getting into the scars I have from living near the forest or my stomach. You must be either joking or blind." Poppy looked both hurt and offended, "Hey! You're the one who is blind, because I don't see anything wrong when I look at you and out of the two of us I'm the one with an eye for aesthetics not you! What about your stomach is wrong? I think it's cute and it's comfier to cuddle with someone who has some cushion instead of bony limbs or hard muscle!"

Branch stared into Poppy's eyes to look for a hint that she wasn't telling the truth. After searching for a minute he came to the shocking conclusion that she truly believed what she said. There was no hint of laughter or deception in her eyes. Branch took a shocked step back as that sank into his mind, here stood the princess whom he had admired for years basically telling him that she thought all of the things he disliked about himself were not only normal, but admirable?

He had no words for his feelings in that moment: shock, confusion, disbelief, and just a small spark of hope. As Branch stood before his princess he had no words to return to her, no smooth comeback, no compliment to give back. His mind still trying to wade through the thick fog of disbelief that her words had spawned, that things that he had agonized over in the past were actually things that she found attractive. Poppy, seeing that he was having a difficult time processing what she said took matters into her own hands.

Branch was broken out of his repetitive disbelieving thoughts by the feel of slim arms wrapping tightly around his stomach, making him jump in shock and try to struggle out of Poppy's hold. After desperately squirming for a few minutes he gave up with an exhausted sigh, choosing instead to close his eyes tightly and keep himself tense until she released him. Poppy felt him stop moving and pulled her head back from its previous spot resting on his shoulder to look at his face.

What she saw wasn't exactly encouraging, he had his eyes squeezed shut and refused to look at her. Poppy thought hard for a way to make him see that she meant everything she said, she felt the light bulb flash over her head when a brilliant idea came to her. Branch felt Poppy's arm loosen around him and relaxed a bit, thinking that she was giving up and letting him go, only to stiffen again when he was suddenly spun around to face her.

He kept his eyes firmly shut only to nearly have them pop out of his head in shock at her next action. Poppy noticed that his stomach seemed to be what he was most self conscious about so that should be where she focused her attention. She loosened one of her arms from her hug to slide it across his stomach, exploring the squishy and soft plain. She really didn't understand why he didn't like it, she thought it was cute but maybe it was different for guys.

She hesitated a second to make sure he was okay with her doing this, Poppy knew he wasn't a touchy troll so if he truly didn't want her to she would stop and try to come up with a different approach. When she only received silence she took it as a go ahead, if Branch had truly disagreed he would push her away, she had loosened her arms to make sure that if he wanted to be released he could easily pull away. She ran her hand slowly across his pudge, kneading her thumb into it as she moved her hand around from the front to the back, making sure to leave not a single inch without it's share of attention.

Branch meanwhile was torn between being terrified she would come to her senses and run in disgust and thoroughly enjoying what she was doing and leaning into her. His choice was made for him when she kneaded a spot on his back that had been hurting fiercely for the last week. The second she worked the knot in his spine out any resistance he might have put up disappeared only to be left with a warm contentment. Branch's previously warring mind now was in a hazy state that made panicking extremely difficult.

In fact it made thinking at all difficult, suddenly he couldn't remember why he had struggled so much. His mind was screaming something at him that was probably important but for the life of him he couldn't figure it out. Slowly Branch remembered why he hadn't wanted Poppy touching him but he couldn't understand his own reasoning right now. He settled on if she hadn't run away from it yet then she wouldn't so he was allowed to relax and enjoy it even if only for a few minutes.

Poppy was ecstatic that her approach seemed to have worked. Branch was resting almost all of his weight back onto her and he was as relaxed as she had ever seen him. She beamed as she slowly slid them both to ground when holding up his weight became tiring, and she scooted until they were resting against a tree nearby. She looked down at her lap to see Branch's eyes open and half lidded as if he was fighting off sleep. It took everything in Poppy not to squeal and go find a camera because that look was by far the cutest thing she had ever seen, but alas she didn't want to disturb his new sleepy state so she settled for mentally capturing every detail to think on later.

She stopped moving her hands and rested them on his stomach with his back sitting against her chest while they both reclined against the tree. Hearing a soft sound from Branch she looked down only to find his eyes closed again, his head rolled back onto her shoulder, and small snores coming out of his mouth. As much as she would love to sit there for the rest of the day and just hold him since she doubted she would have another chance to do so for a long while she knew that if he fell into a heavy sleep then there was no way she could move him.

So with great reluctance she nuzzled her nose against his face in an attempt to wake him up gently. Thankfully he wasn't too deep into sleep so it was enough to make him crack his eyes open and look up at her, obviously questioning what she needed him awake for. Again Poppy found herself fighting off a squeal and the urge to go find a camera but now that Branch was waking up he was bound to go back to his normal grumpy self any minute so she needed to soak in as much as she could before that happened.

Sure enough it was only another minute before the hazy look cleared out of his eyes and comprehension dawned as to exactly what position they were in and where they were at the moment. Just as she predicted the second Branch was awake he sprang up from their sudden cuddle time and spun around to face her, the thing she hadn't thought of was how embarrassed he was. His face was flushed a deeper grey that made it obvious that he was blushing furiously, it was another look she wish she had a camera for blushing Branch was adorable.

"So do you believe me now or do I need to do that again? I'd be more than happy to keep going until you're convinced." Branch jumped back at her question, "Don't you dare! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? We are in the middle of a forest of monsters! What if one had seen us? I was in no state of mind to fight! But did you think of that? No! You were only concerned with your stupid hug time!" Poppy was slightly hurt about what he said, but she had expected his reaction so she was already emotionally braced for it and instead replied, "So does that mean I can do it again in private when we're in a safe place?"

Branch's seething face melted into one of absolute disbelief. She seriously only caught that out of his entire rant?! Before he could say anything he'd regret Branch turned on heel and stormed off to his Bunker now with plenty to think about. As Poppy watched him leave she could only hope that something she had said or done had gotten through to him, and as hs e went to stand she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

Walking over to it, she burst out laughing once she identified it. Apparently in his embarrassed rush to leave Branch had forgotten his bag of plants. 'He probably won't want to see me right now so I'll just drop it off outside of his bunker.' Poppy chuckled as she hefted the heavy pack and started toward her paranoid boyfriend's bunker.

AN: Oh Poppy you're so lovable and quirky, how could anyone say no to you?

BAWV: I'm pretty sure it's a uniquely Grey Branch thing. I can't see him saying no once he's got his colors back.

NA8910: True, very true! But I guess we'll find that out later! Guys we can't stress how excited we are for these next few chapters, we're going to be introducing a new OC who we absolutely love and we can't wait until they make an appearance!

BAWV: I'm curious how many of the readers will get attached to our new OC

NA8910: Me too, well we'll see you all next chapter! Cyber High-Five!

BAWV: Cyber High-Five!