In Bergen Town the festivities were beginning once more. Once the Bergen guards had been removed and the Trolls no longer felt threatened the parties went on without a hitch. But to those that loved Poppy, which was everyone, and Branch...They were worried why they weren't there. Guy Diamond and HoneySuckle had to come up with a story that they needed time alone and would make it back the day of the wedding.
But would they? HoneySuckle worried so badly that she just stopped doing her hair entirely. It was still fluffy but she looked normal now, except the color, and she wore a plain white dress that went above her knees. Of course no one cared what she wore she was only the Prime Minister's assistant-but Guy worried.
At dinner that evening with the Bergen he made sure he held her hand the entire time just to let her know she wasn't alone and that no matter what happened they would make it through.
Another day. Branch with color and Poppy grayed out.
"I need a bath." Poppy said first thing as they woke up.
Branch scoffed and looked around; "And how are we going to do that?"
Poppy scowled right back at him.
"I don't know! You're the expert! Figure it out!"
"Is that a challenge?" Branch cocked his eyebrows teasingly.
Poppy growled and pushed him with both palms square on his chest. He just laughed and took a step back. But he took that as, yes, it was a challenge.
"I actually do know how you could take a bath. But you're gonna have to follow me and leave this camp you've been staying in for the past few days."
He started walking in a random direction. Poppy wanted to ask, but she knew he wouldn't answer her. But the whole scenario reminded her of their first journey together. Branch was always the one leading the way. He would make a good king with his leading abilities. Well...He just had more abilities than her the entire way around. Poppy hugged herself as she walked slowly behind him and thought about when she got home how she was never going to see him again. It didn't seem to be bothering him that he confessed he'd die for her but he was going to run away. She wished fervently that if she were to tell him how much she loved him that he would believe her.
Poppy was so lost in thought she bumped her face in to his back because he had stopped.
"Walk much?" He teased without turning around.
"Shut up, Branch." Poppy mumbled and rubbed her hurt little nose. She took a step back.
Branch started to strip off his camouflaged clothes he had made to sneak in to Bergen town. Just pulled them off as if she weren't behind him and watching him. But then she pulled her head back incredulously; "Uh, Branch. I said I needed a bath. What are you doing?"
When he turned to look behind him at her her heart melted. The sun had broken through the canopy in such a way it almost made a little spotlight over him. It caught the very brightness of his skin and she had to blink from being dazzled from the glittery freckles he had on his cheeks.
"I'm dirty too." He said in such a voice. Old Branch's voice. Like...duh...
Poppy gritted her teeth and pushed him in the little puddle/pond he had led them too. He yelped in surprise but couldn't turn around fast enough to grab her and whip her down with him. As soon as he splashed under the water he was back up, drenched, and scooped up an armful to splash her standing on the shore. Poppy wasn't expecting it and actually gulped in a lungful. As she stood hunched over and hacking out a lung Branch just laughed.
She never heard him laugh like that.
It was full. Straight from the soul. Loud and somewhat deep compared to his singing voice. She wanted to revel in it, but you know, dying kind of stops you from appreciating the moment entirely.
The sun was dappling through the canopy overhead. It made golden rays across their little puddle/pond and sparkled where it touched. Branch swam to the other side to a bush with some very sparkly berries on them of every color. By the time Poppy was done catching her breath she seen he was standing in the middle of the pond with a purple and a red berry in each hand. Each berry she would have had to hold with both of her hands, but one berry fit in his, just so.
"Why are you standing there? I'll wait until you're done." Poppy plopped down sopping wet right on the shore. It made a gross farting noise when she did. But she crossed her arms and refused to not even smirk.
Branch was doing more than just smirking. He was grinning. That grin was like a fishing lure she was fighting not to bite. It just looked so tasty...
"So you're going to wait until I'm done but watch me? Do I get to watch you when I'm done?" He asked.
Poppy gasped and would have hit him but he was too far away. This made him laugh again.
"Just take off that old dress and get in the water. You know I'm not going to see anything you don't want me to. I'll even close my eyes if you really want me to." He promised in a more gentle tone this time.
Poppy thought about it for a long time. But then she stood up very slowly and just as slowly took off the dress. It pooled at her feet.
Calm down calm down calm down. Branch's mind started to race and sweat popped out on his forehead. He was grateful he was already soaked and could lie and say it wasn't sweat.
Keep it together...You don't see anything...Hahah! Yeah right!
She walked in to the puddle/pond slowly and waded her way up to him. The water was just under his chest so that it was just over hers. She got close enough to him without speaking so that he handed her one of the berries. But she was nervous and dropped it in the water. All of the sudden the little purple berry almost exploded silently with purple fizzing glitter all around them. Branch was grateful for the distraction and dropped the red berry in the water too where it gave off the same reaction.
"What in the world are these things?" Poppy asked as she watched the water turn in to sparkling fizziness.
"I call them soap berries, but you're not supposed to drop them in the water."
"I...can see why." She said as she continued to watch.
Branch chuckled as he watched her head whip all around to catch the colors popping up and mixing with the golden rays that shone through the leaves. He scooped up a handful of fuzz and started to wash himself with it. When she realized he was doing it she started to too. But then she narrowed her eyes at him. Branch stopped in mid wash of an arm pit and didn't move. Did she see something dangerous behind him? Nope. She just wanted to splash him with the fizzy water like he had gotten her on the shore. Poppy roared with laughter as Branch looked more like a fluffy soap monster than a Troll.
"Oh you think that's funny, do ya!?" He growled and splashed her back.
This started a splashing fight between them that pretty much got them clean. It was cleansing to the spirit too to hear each other laugh and think of just the moment. Not before, not later, but just right then and having fun with one another. It went on for a long time until their arms were tired. They stopped splashing and just looked at each other with smiles on their faces.
(He Is We: I Wouldn't Mind)
Poppy started to sing cheerily, but still with a lingering sadness to her voice. She waded up to Branch and caught his hands, running her palms along the back of them and up his arms, to rest on his shoulders. Her face raised up to look in to his questioning eyes.
"Merrily we fall out of line, out of line. I'd fall anywhere with you. I'm by your side."
Some little woodland creature overhead made a leap and shook the branches directly over them. It loosened the dew from the leaves and covered them in a misty almost rain. Her palms went to his shoulders to his cheeks and cupped them cutely.
"Swinging in the rain, humming melodies, we're not going anywhere until we freeze."
She stopped singing for a minute. One long, agonizing minute. Branch was breathing quickly but he kept his own hands under the water by his sides. His breath caught in his throat and stopped as she pressed her grayed little body against his and their noses just a breath away.
"I'm not afraid, anymore. I'm not afraid."
Branch yelped when suddenly Poppy's color burst straight out of her in to a shining pink ray that engulfed the both of them.
"Poppy!" Branch laughed in disbelief as he wrapped his arms around her waist under the water.
She smiled shyly and wrapped one of her arms around his back and the other palm still on his cheek.
"Forever is a long time. But I wouldn't mind spending it by your side."
"What are you saying?" Branch was afraid to whisper.
"I love you too, Branch. I do want to be with you. Not because the Bergen threatened us or because of any other reason. Just because...I love you..."
Branch's jaw gaped open as her color saturated back in to her own self. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he was doing because his brain couldn't comprehend what he just heard. Poppy giggled sweetly in to his face and pulled away from him. Swimming a little bit a ways as he watched gobsmacked.
"Carefully we'll place for our destiny. You came and you took this heart and set it free."
He swam up to her with his jaw finally finding it's rightful place. His arms wrapped around her again, but this time they were shaking. Poppy pressed up against him again and rested her little chin on his chest. He was looking down at her as she continued.
"Every word you write or sing is so warm to me...so warm to me...I'm torn, I'm torn to be right where you are."
Branch's eyes were glistening and she could feel the way he was sucking in breaths that he was trying not to cry. She stood on her tiptoes on the soggy ground beneath them and pressed her face against his. Finally their lips met, but just briefly, because she wanted him to know...
"I'm not afraid, anymore. I'm not afraid. Forever is a long time, but I wouldn't mind spending it by your side."
Branch was openly crying now, but they were tears of joy. The frustration and the fear and all of the overwhelming feelings he had been suffering with had been released. He clung to her and refused to let her go.
"Tell me every day I get to wake up to that smile. I wouldn't mind it...at all...I wouldn't mind it...At all."
She brushed his tears off of his cheeks but as soon as she did more rushed down. It was okay.
"You so know me...Pinch me gently...I can hardly breathe..."
They kissed again. Branch was finding it hard to stop mildly hyperventilating but he would be damned if he pulled away first. He ran his shaking hand down her back and pressed her lower back up against him. Her head dipped back and he deepened their kiss slowly. Poppy's arms clung around his shoulders so that she didn't fall back in to the water. Oh, but Branch had her. He wouldn't ever let her go now. They both could feel that they were getting ready to show what Trolls normally don't...When Poppy broke the kiss and just looked up at him with all the love in the world in her face.
"Forever is a long, long time. But I wouldn't mind spending it by your side. Tell me every day I get to wake up to that smile. I wouldn't mind it...at all...I wouldn't mind it...at all."
"Face it, HoneySuckle. If Poppy isn't coming back you've been standing in for her all week. You need a dress for the wedding. You can't just wear any old rag." Chenille scoffed. Satin clucked her tongue and agreed. Normally HoneySuckle would have been flattered to be fussed over but she just couldn't muster the happiness that she normally felt. Her worry for the queen and her friend, Branch, wouldn't let her just be happy. But she did what she knew Poppy would do. She let them make her a dress. It was white and shaped like a flower swishing at her feet. Sure, white sounded plain but with her beautiful hair and her beau-Guy Diamond-she would definitely stand out. She wasn't meant to outshine Bridget in any case.
She looked at their handiwork in the mirror without a smile but started to practice what one would look like for the big day.
"There we go." "That's a girl!" The twins praised her.
(There may be one or more until the end guys!)