-O-

Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter Forty-One

Unclear Intentions

*Just a note, in this chapter there is a bath scene with mild descriptions of certain private body parts. Eventually, I will have scenes where Poppy and Branch make love. The version of Picturebook Romance that is here on this site will be edited somewhat for readers who are underage or not comfortable with reading more mature material, but if you want to read the unedited version, it's on the Archive of Our Own website. It's under my same username, Dreamsinger.

Watching Branch try to calm himself with deep, controlled breaths, Poppy winced. I guess he's not as ready as I thought. "Branch? Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"…Okay," Branch replied, looking down to the side.

"Are you really okay?"

"I meant, 'okay, you can touch me'."

She blinked, astonished. "Wait, really?"

"Sure."

Every tooth showed in a huge grin as a burst of enthusiasm sparked in her belly. A lifetime's worth of impulsiveness urged her hand forward, but her new caution made her hesitate. She tried to shrug it off - he was giving her the green light!

Again she reached, but a glance at his uncertain face, and she immediately stopped. "Branch, if you're not comfortable with this, I don't want to-"

"No! We have to-" Branch cut himself off as she jumped in startlement. The water slapped her knees.

"Sorry." Branch grimaced. "I mean, yes, I'm comfortable with this. You just took me by surprise, that's all." He lifted an eyebrow and gave her a strained-looking grin, but his voice steadied into his familiar bantering tone. "As usual. But I'm fine now. It's all right. You can touch me," he said encouragingly.

"Are you sure?"

He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders, meeting her eyes squarely. "I'm sure. Go ahead."

She studied him carefully to assess his mood, but the impending storm seemed to have subsided. Branch had been making good progress today. And it was true that he did need a little push from her now and then.

Besides, her dad had once told her that sometimes male trolls had odd fears about their sprouts. "'Especially if he didn't have anyone he felt comfortable talking to about concerns of this nature. There's a chance he might come to some, shall we say, erroneous assumptions about frolicking. It could cause a bit of confusion or miscommunication for him and his partners. The important thing is to always make yourself available to any troll who comes to you with questions.'"

Thinking back, it's kind of obvious that he was talking about Branch. Dad knew I had a crush on Branch, after all. I knew Branch wasn't a fan of his relationship classes, but I never realized he was skipping that many. I'm a little surprised Dad didn't insist that Branch attend class, but I suppose he didn't want to force Branch to go if he seriously didn't want to.

And knowing Branch, he's bound to have some weird fears. And lots of questions, since he doesn't have parents to ask about stuff like this. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to get any fears he has out in the open.

"Okay, then." She reached down, only to have a band of thin purple strands unexpectedly push her hand to the side. "Huh?" She looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh, sorry." His cheeks turned lavender and he whipped the errant lock out of the way to merge with the rest of his hair. "Must've been a reflex. Go ahead."

She put out her hand, and once again his hair slipped smoothly between them and diverted her hand away. He pushed his hair impatiently out of the way with his arm, and nodded to her. "Sorry," he said again.

She tried with the other hand, and then both hands at the same time, coming at him from different angles, but each time she was blocked, her hands neatly lifted up and away.

Is he messing with me? she thought indignantly.

She looked up. His breathing was fast and irregular, his eyes flicking between her and the walls. Poppy bit her lip in concern. She half-expected him to bolt, but he stood his ground, determined to conquer his inner demons.

"Branch? Maybe I should stop," she said softly. Troll hair didn't move on its own, but it did respond to subconscious needs.

"Wait. I got this." He held up his hand, closed his eyes, and took a few deep, slow breaths. Then he met her gaze, gave her a tight smile, and nodded.

She hesitated. Giving him a little push wouldn't help if he came out of the experience traumatized. Like Doctor Plum said, he could have a relapse. But he's trying so hard. Maybe we could work up to it. "How about I try touching you somewhere else first?"

He relaxed and shrugged. "Sure."

He'd let her touch his shoulder earlier, so she placed her hand there gently and met no resistance. "Okay, so far so good…" She slowly slid her hand down to his chest, then checked his face. One side of his mouth quirked upward, as if he were amused at her uncharacteristic caution. Reassured, she let her hand slide further down while he watched her almost placidly.

When she got near the bottom of his belly, his stomach muscles tensed under her hand. His hair swooped in and made a little dome over the area directly below, hiding him from her.

"Stop that!"

She yanked her hands back against her body, looking up with wide eyes to see him waving his palms frantically at her. "Not you! I meant my hair!"

He frowned down at the hair-dome and let out a classic Branch growl of pure frustration. Then he gave her a look of plaintive exasperation. "Poppy, do you know what's going on here? Is this some weird courtship thing I don't know about? I've never read about this kind of thing happening in my romance novels."

She stared at him, slack-jawed. "Okay, first, you reading romance novels is super hot."

He blushed and looked away, his hand coming up to the back of his head.

"And second…" Her voice reflected her sympathy. "I think I do know what's happening. You aren't ready for this yet."

"But I am. I said I'm okay with it. I really am!"

"No, you aren't, Branch." Her shoulders slumped. "And your body knows it."

"But I want to do it with you. I really do! I'm not rejecting you, I promise I'm not. You've got to believe me! Just… Just give me a minute. I just need a minute to get ready, and then we can-"

At the sheer desperation in his voice, full understanding dawned.

"Wait, 'do it'?" She gaped at him. "Did you think I wanted to frolic right now?"

He froze. "Uh…" He flushed a vivid lavender all the way down to his chest.

I guess that's a yes. Poppy looked down, but that put the hair-dome right in her line of sight, so she looked away, blushing as fiercely as he was. There was an awkward silence.

Oh my gosh, I can't believe he thought we were about to- Well, okay, I guess maybe I was sending out that sort of vibe, but I was just trying to encourage him. This isn't checkers. I didn't expect him to jump right past me to the end of the game!

The entire situation reminded her of classic misunderstandings that happened in plays and scrapbooks. It was a lot less entertaining and a lot more embarrassing than she'd ever have guessed. Lamely, she tried to explain. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I do want to, but I didn't mean right now."

He winced. "Sorry."

She held up her hands. "No, no, it's okay, Branch. I can see why you might have thought that. This is my fault," she said apologetically. "I should have been more clear about my intentions."

His face creased with worry-lines, Branch closed his eyes as if to get away from her gaze. "No, it's not you, it's me. I - I thought you needed me to touch you. That's what you said earlier. I'm sorry," he repeated. "I jumped to conclusions."

"Oh." She didn't know what to say. I wasn't thinking about frolicking when I said that, just like I didn't think about how he might misinterpret my asking to touch him. I only wanted to see what a grown troll's sprout felt like, but- Oh, this is exactly the kind of miscommunication Dad warned me about. She bit her lip, feeling way out of her depth. I don't know what I'm doing. I wasn't expecting things to go this far. But it feels rude to just say, 'No, thanks; maybe later?'

Thankfully, he seemed more preoccupied by a different issue. "Poppy, I don't understand why my hair is acting up like this. I feel like I'm losing control. What's happening to me?"

Relieved, she said helpfully, "Oh, I've heard about this. In school we learned that if a troll isn't ready, they subconsciously move their hair to stop things."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I'd forgotten about it. I've never been in this situation myself, but I've heard it sometimes happens, like during the Frolic Festivals. Not so much among the married couples, of course, but among single trolls it does happen, especially at first. And that's okay. It's perfectly normal."

"Oh." He processed that, seeming a little calmer now. "Okay, but how do I fix this? You said you needed me to touch you, to make you feel safe. So I need to-"

"Branch, no," she said gently but firmly.

"But – but I…"

She shook her head. "Uh-uh."

He saw the resolute look in her eyes, and his body and ears slumped in defeat. Guilt rushed in. "I'm sorry, Poppy. I'm sorry for disappointing you. I'm sorry I'm so messed up that I can't do what any other troll could in this situation. What is wrong with me?" He groaned loudly, throwing his head back and dragging his hands down his face. "It's not like I don't know what to do. I've seen animals do it in the forest. It's not rocket science!"

"Branch, there's nothing wrong with you. Everybody is nervous at first. I sure am."

His ears flicked in surprise. "I figured you might be a little shy, but you sure aren't acting like it. You were the one who was just about to…" He glanced downward.

"Yeah, but I wasn't asking you to-" At the sound of her own voice rising, Poppy stopped herself. She pushed her arms downward and splayed her fingers, blowing out a long, slow breath. Now was not the time to get into an argument. In a carefully measured tone, she said, "Branch. Contrary to what you seem to think, no troll is just ready to do it anytime."

"They aren't?"

As he squinted at her, half in surprise and half in disbelief, Poppy realized, He really doesn't know. "Of course not. It's not just a physical act, Branch. Emotion plays a big part. A huge part."

"I know that. But I'm in love with you. It should be easy, shouldn't it? If I could just figure out how to make it happen…" He trailed off, covering his face with his hands again. Poppy wanted nothing more than to hug him, but she didn't dare.

"Branch… If you're not emotionally ready, it's not a good idea to make yourself to go through with it. Not at all. Frolicking when you're not ready can actually cause a lot of harm that can last for a long time afterward. It can even keep you from enjoying it at all."

His voice was a thin, plaintive whisper. "But I need to make progress…"

For the first time in her memory, Branch seemed to be utterly lost. I can understand him being disappointed, but he looks worse than that. He looks absolutely devastated. There's something else going on here. "Oh, sweetie, you have made progress. You've made a lot of progress in a very short amount of time, and I'm very proud of you. But it's only been a day, Branch." She softened her tone. "Please, talk to me. Tell me why you're suddenly so determined that we do this right now."

He was silent, opening and closing his mouth, glancing toward her and away as he tried to sort out what must have been a maelstrom of thoughts and feelings inside him. Her heart ached for him, wanting nothing more than to take away his pain. "Branch, we don't need to rush. I don't mind waiting. We can take our time."

"No, we can't." He closed his eyes and his fists clenched at his sides. He pulled in a deep breath and held it, visibly trying to get himself under control. "I almost lost you today, Poppy. If you had died, we would never have had the chance to be together."

Guilt hit her in the stomach harder than Leafe's fist had, and she wrung her hands together. "Oh my gosh, Branch, I am so so sorry!"

His sky-blue eyes popped open in astonishment. "Poppy, you have nothing to feel sorry about. It was an accident."

"I know, but I'm still sorry." She hung her head. Her voice was tiny. "Because I made you afraid."

"What are you talking about, Poppy? You were the one in danger." He gestured at the big ugly bruise on her belly. "You should be the one who's afraid…" His face fell. "And I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Branch, no! It was my fault. I was careless, and I hurt you and scared everyone and I-"

"You almost died today, Poppy! And I wasn't there for you when you needed me!" he burst out, his voice cracking. His face was creased with the kind of pain she had never wanted to see there again, and it broke her heart.

Slowly, she shook her head, wishing so badly that she could hug him. "But you were." She put a hand over her belly, making sure to cover the bruise that so distressed him. "You may not have been the one who helped me, but I wouldn't be alive now if not for you. You saved me, Branch."

She tilted her head and gave him a shy, sweet smile. "You're my hero."

He stared at her, as if unable to believe she didn't condemn him, and then all at once he relaxed, tears shining at the corners of his eyes. "What a coincidence. You're mine."

And with that, his hair retracted, revealing that his sprout was back to its regular size.

-O-

"Oh, hey, where'd it go?" Poppy blurted out.

I looked down. "Hm? Oh, it goes away pretty fast if I'm feeling pessimistic, or if something distracts me. I can even make it go away on purpose by thinking about something that really scares or upsets me. The bergens used to be good for that."

"Oh, right. In class we learned that a guy's body has to make a choice. 'Fight or flight', you know? Only in this case, it's fight, flight or-" She made that little snerky sound of amusement I loved so much, "-sprout."

My girl's natural good humor made me chuckle affectionately. "Ah, Poppy, I'm so lucky to have you." I opened my arms and she came right into them with no hesitation, squeezing me tight.

"Thank you. And I sure feel lucky to have you." She leaned back a little so we could see each other's faces. Then she sighed, her thick lashes lowered in apology and regret. "I really am sorry for confusing you. I honestly wasn't expecting us to do it right now. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression, or if I made you feel pressured earlier today when I said you needed to make progress. I didn't mean it like that. It's just… I can't help being curious, because I'm really interested in you." She blushed. "All of you."

Suddenly I felt a lot better. Her words matched her actions, all the signals I'd been getting from her over the past two days, bringing back the deep feeling of trust and security we'd been building together. "I know you are," I said softly. "Don't ever apologize for being interested in me, Poppy." I was feeling comfortable enough now to let my eyes travel down over the sweetly curved body I held, then back up to meet her eyes, tilting my head and giving her my best sexy smile. "I'm really interested in you, too."

She got that frisky look in her eye, and I gladly met her lips with my own.

Then she waded over to the edge and climbed out, water raining on the stone under her bare feet. I followed, gazing up at her with love and gratitude as she smiled adoringly down at me.

"You know, Branch, in spite of all that's changed between us, when I look at you, I still see the person I've cared about all this time. You're my best friend. And no matter what happens, remember that I'm your best friend, too. I don't ever want to do anything that might hurt you."

Poppy leaned over the edge of the pool to offer me her hand. "So let's just let it happen when it happens, okay? I don't want you to force yourself to do this because of fear, or because you feel like you have to. The first time should be special, for both of us."

"Okay." I placed my hand on hers, lifting myself up with her support, as always.

-O-

Poppy heard the echo of a song sung by a beloved voice.

Lean on me, too, Branch. I'll always be here for you.

Ever tidy, Branch twisted his hair tightly over the pool to wring out the water, then turned to walk toward the towel rack. As Poppy's eyes followed his attractive backside, she noticed white bubbles on his back. "Wait, Branch. You still have soap on your back."

"Oh. Right." He looked her over. "So do you."

The two of them eyed one another, then dashed for the pool.

"I won!"

"No, I did!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Hey, Branch, I'll race you to the other end!"

"You're on!"

By the time they got out of the pool, Branch's body was back to normal. Poppy remembered learning that vigorous exercise helped a lot to calm things down if a troll wasn't in a situation where they could just take care of themselves. And since most anything that involves exercise is fun, it's a win-win either way.

They dried themselves off with the towels Branch had brought, then hung them back on the towel rack to dry. Branch turned the pool water's temperature back down to lukewarm. "If I forget, the entire bunker ends up like a swamp, all hot and sticky."

To Poppy's frustration, on the way back to the main level, Branch insisted on inching their way upward, cleaning the lift shaft with the glitter-roller as they went. "If I don't, my ventilation system will spread glitter through the entire bunker."

Poppy groaned and protested, "I thought you wanted to get to bed. Besides, why does it matter? It'll all be dust in a week or so anyway."

"Yeah, no. Then my bunker will be full of dust. Either way, cleaning it up right now will save time in the long run."

"But I thought you liked seeing the glitter, because it reminded you how much I looove you."

He gave her a wry smirk that said he knew she was teasing him, but he answered frankly, "I do. That's why I'm going to hold off on cleaning the living room. It's not a major conduit of moving air the way the lift shaft is, so it won't hurt to leave it alone, for a day or two, anyway."

"Hm. Maybe you'll develop a greater tolerance for glitter."

"You know, Poppy, your optimism never ceases to impress me."

"Thank you." And then, "Hey!"

He snickered.

Poppy decided it would go faster if Branch had some help, so she volunteered to control the lift, moving it slowly upward while Branch rolled the enormous fluffy stick around the pretty, sparkly walls, returning them to their dull brown color.

This place definitely needs more decoration. Inspirational quotes or daily jokes... Maybe a series of pictures, or comics? As she followed Branch along the passageway, Poppy's busy mind was delighting over the possibilities. His whole bunker is one big empty canvas. It's gonna be so much fun!

When they got to the second level, Branch held up his hand and Poppy stopped the lift. "Listen, you're right. It's getting late, so to save time, why don't I finish cleaning the lift shaft while you go pick out some pajamas?"

"Pajamas?" Poppy blinked, disappointed. "You mean you're not going to let me wear one of your leaf vests?"

"What? No, of course not. I don't like to sleep in them. They get really wrinkled, and it takes so much time to iron each leaf."

Poppy stared at him, then shook her head. "Do you iron your underwear, too?"

"Of course. Don't you?"

She blinked, then opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. "I'm just going to count this as one of the harmless quirks every couple just has to accept about one another. At least I'll know my clothes will always be wrinkle-free with you around." She grinned.

He gave her a quizzical look. "I thought you didn't like my leaf-vests. Why would you want to wear one, anyway?"

"I never said that. I said they were cute."

"You said they were unflattering," he said in a flat tone.

"Well, that's…" Her mind was spinning. How do I say this tactfully? They're too short? Too bulky? Too functional rather than – ah! "They're meant to be camouflage, right? Well, they sure do a good job of hiding your body. A little too good of a job, if you know what I mean."

Her indirect praise helped. His hand came up to rub his chin thoughtfully. "Oh. I see."

"But even so, you do look cute in them. I've always thought so. I'd be happy to wear one sometime."

That pleased him. "Sure. Or I can make you one, if you want. Maybe I'll ask the twins how to tweak the design. Like you said, there's no reason they can't be both functional and attractive."

His eyes traveled over her bare body, his face softening. "But now that you mention it, for some reason, I kind of like the idea of seeing my clothes on you. Funny, huh? They wouldn't even fit you."

"Actually, Branch, that's pretty normal."

"That's normal? Wearing clothes that don't fit? And you say I'm weird."

They both laughed. Then, just in case, Poppy clarified earnestly, "Did you know that girls actually do like to wear their boyfriend's clothes? It makes us feel closer to you."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Poppy, I actually do know that." He shrugged. "I always figured it had to do with scent-sharing."

"Scent-sharing? What's that?"

Branch clasped his hands beside his head and quoted in a high, girly tone, "'Oh, I just love to wear my boyfriend's clothes. They smell just like him.'" He snorted. "What do you think they're going to smell like, sugarfruit?"

"Maybe, if 'he' does. Most trolls smell kind of sweet." Poppy grinned. "I did that earlier. When I was sneaking a peek at your journal, I snuggled down on your bed, and I could smell you."

"Oh?" He looked a little uncomfortable. "Uh, it wasn't too strong, was it? Maybe I should change the sheets. I mean, I just changed them yesterday morning, but if you could smell me…"

"No, it was nice. Comforting, actually. I was anxious – I didn't know I was anxious, but I was - and I missed you a lot. Curling up on your bed was almost like you were there with me."

"Aww." He gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, then, if you really need to, you're welcome to wear one of my leaf-vests to bed."

"Thanks, Branch, but that's okay. I don't need the vest when I've got the real Branch to cuddle up to." She put her hands on his chest and leaned forward. He met her kiss warmly. She pulled back slowly, then booped his nose with her own. "Okay, then, where are these pajamas you mentioned?"

"As I recall, from my last inventory, there were three boxes of clothing from when I was younger on this level, fourth chamber on your left." He pointed down the mushroom-lit passageway. "There should be some smaller things that will fit you better. Pick whatever you like."

"Fourth chamber, three boxes. Got it. How will I know which boxes?"

"They'll be marked 'Branchkin'."

She grinned. "Okay, Branchkin."

"Bzzt! That one doesn't count. It was an old nickname I had already."

"Yeah. I'd forgotten some people used to call you that."

Poppy vaguely recalled that she had sometimes used his nickname in the past, up until around the time he'd moved into his bunker, when for some reason he'd started insisting that people call him by his birth name. Poppy had generally used "Branch" most of the time anyway, simply because it was shorter, and quicker to say. It was almost like his real name was a nickname for his nickname.

But now that she thought about it… "It's a really cute nickname, Branchkin."

"Poppy, don't."

"But why not, Branchkin? I like it."

He thrust a finger at her, glaring fiercely. "Don't call me that!"

She held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, easy, Branch. You don't have to get so mad!"

He glared at her for a moment longer, then sighed in his old, grumbly way. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's just- I hate that name. It brings up too many awful memories. I was a different person then, and not a nice one. Please, Poppy. I don't want to be reminded of those days."

"Oh." Shamefaced, she looked at the floor. Once again, she'd somehow managed to say the wrong thing. Branch gets triggered by the weirdest things. Conversations with him can be like unexpectedly walking into a prickle bush. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was like that, to have such awful memories that you didn't even like your own name."

He relented at her contriteness. "Well, some memories are okay. Some nicknames, too. I like it when you call me 'captain'," he said in a positive tone, and she brightened. "I like 'sugarfruit', too, because you remembered that I was the one who created sugarfruit soup."

"Aww. Okay, Captain Sugarfruit."

"Poppy."

"You know you like it."

He rolled his eyes, but Poppy saw the smile he tried to smother. "Okay, well, how about we meet up in the living room?"

"Sure."

As she stepped off the lift, he deepened his voice. "I'll bring the arnica salve." His charming smile and half-lidded gaze awoke the little flutter in her belly that always seemed to happen when he got flirty with her.

Her own voice was somewhere between breathless and giggly. "O-okay." She backed away, and stumbled over her own feet. Flustered, she straightened up and tried to answer in kind. "Until then, my handsome captain," she murmured, blowing him a kiss.

As she turned and began to walk away, the memory of the surprise on his face changing to loving adoration made her smile.

-O-

Poppy looked at the stack of three large wooden boxes she had found in the back of supply chamber 2-4. Hmm… Which one should I open first? Then she noticed a fourth box on with a white label on it, half peeling off. It was covering the name 'Branchkin'. Another one? I thought Branch said there were only three boxes? Curious, she smoothed the label out. "Random Stuff I Don't Really Care About, but Should Probably Keep in Case it Comes in Handy Someday," she read aloud in amusement. Inside the box were puzzles, wooden blocks, and cuddle toys. "I knew it. Deep down, Branch has always been a true troll at heart."

At the very bottom was another box, long and narrow, made of beautifully carved and painted wood. Poppy clapped her hands to her cheeks, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, wow…"

It was a glorious panoramic scene of magical fantasy. There were whimsical dragons, noble unicorns, cute fairies, and evil elves. Heroic trolls used magic wands to cast sparkly spells. They were even glittery, with a layer of shiny gloss painted over it to keep the glitter from dissolving to dust.

The box itself folded out to make a game board, and tucked inside were dozens of carved and painted wooden figures, plus a giant book. Enchanted, Poppy studied the little figures. Many of them were trolls she recognized, wearing fantasy-type clothes and standing in dramatic poses. She looked for her own magenta hair, and spotted several incarnations of herself.

Oh, look. I must be a knight. Her counterpart was wearing a lavender suit of armor with a pink and white rosetwirl flower on her chest. Her bright magenta hair plumed from a hole in the helmet. She looked bold and virtuous.

And here, I look like I'm a quester of some kind. The little pink figure sported a jaunty green cap with a pointed tip hanging down in the back. The cap had a teensy feather on one side. How cute! I love this!

All in all, Poppy found eight different Poppy figures. Most of them had her in active roles, by the looks of their elaborate costumes. Two of them wore gorgeous gowns and had long hair arranged in intricate hairstyles. One was a little trolling-Poppy hugging a stuffed cuddle toy. She had big innocent eyes, a frilly white dress, and her hair in two perky ponytails. That figure looked older than the rest, with chipped and fading paint. Looks like I'm the rescuee sometimes. Aww. Even when he plays games, Branch wants to keep me safe.

Poppy spotted several Branch figures, including a trolling version of himself. It looked as if most of them were meant to go with certain Poppy figures, judging by their complementary outfits. Knight Poppy's rescuee-Branch wore a long, satin-shiny gown with the same rose-twirl flowers. His skin was gray, but his hair was light yellow, and very long, so long it trailed behind him many inches on the game board. Another version of them were detective-mages, carrying wands and matching magnifying glasses. They wore long brown tweed coats with flaring capes at the shoulders.

The young queen especially liked green-clad quester Poppy and her trusty, rainbow-winged companion. Wow… Look at the exquisite wings on his back. They're made with tiny, tiny, real feathers. This must have taken a lot of time. And patience.

She noticed that on all except the child-versions, the paint on their faces – their mouths in particular – was especially worn, as if something had been rubbing against their mouths. It puzzled her at first, but it wasn't hard to figure out. She did something similar when she scrapbooked couples in love. Aww. So he likes to have his characters kiss, too?

Poppy wondered how many kisses Knight Poppy had earned from Damsel Branch. Quite a few, by the looks of us. She chuckled. "Hey, what a great idea for a gift – I'll make him a new set of figures. No, a whole bunch of figures! I can even make a set where we're actually kissing! Ha! I can just picture the blush on his face when he sees them!"

Her eye fell on the thick book she'd put to the side. "In fact, maybe this book is a love story!" She flipped it open eagerly, only to find a boring table of contents, categorizing what looked like a very complicated system of rules. Poppy eyed them wryly. Leave it to Branch to come up with a game that glorifies rules. Still, it's nice to know that he played games at all. Did he play all by himself? I hope not. These game pieces look pretty old. Maybe he originally played with Leafe and Cherry Blossom? They love board games.

She glanced through a stack of little cards. "Your party arrives at Tallow's Inn. You meet a mysterious stranger, who tells you something surprising." She turned the card over, but that was all.

She worked it out aloud. "Okay, so even though this game might be based on rules, how you follow them is up to you. That means most of the story takes place in the minds of the players. That gives them the freedom to play the game a different way every time they play. And if you want two of the characters to fall in love, they can. They can ever court each other a different way every time!" Poppy kissed the winged Branch in delight. "My clever boy! Oh, I love games like this! Why would you bury such a great game all the way down here, like a relic from your…past?"

Oh.

Her grin faded. Oh, no. I did it again. I intruded on his privacy. Her shoulders and ears went down. I mean, he didn't say I couldn't look in any of the other boxes, but after what happened when I read his journal without him knowing and he got so upset… The pink troll covered her mouth with her hands, kneeling over the game board on the floor, as hot and cold fizzed her nerves.

She closed her eyes and let herself breathe deeply a few times until the wave of anxiety passed, then resolutely started packing everything up. Well, the only thing I can do now is tell him, and if he gets upset, apologize. That's better than hiding it. I don't want to have any secrets between us. I don't ever want him to feel like he can't trust me again.

She put everything back the way she had found it, and began to turn away. Then she stopped, hesitated, looked back. "Besides, I really want to play this with Branch. It would be a shame to let such an awesome-looking game be locked away from everyone forever." She smiled determinedly. "I'm gonna get him to come back here with me and look through all this stuff the next chance I get. We'll have fun, and I'm sure it'll get him talking about his past. It'll be a great way to bond with him."

She moved back to the other three Branchkin boxes and lifted the wooden cover off the first one. Almost instantly she saw something that caught her eye. The young queen broke into the brilliant sunshine-smile her boyfriend found so appealing as she lifted it into the air.

This. This is it. It's perfect!

Author's Note:

The 'Lean on Me' is reference to the song Branch sings in Trolls Holiday.

Some of Branch's game figures are based on popular video game characters like Link from the Zelda games, and some from The Beat Goes On series, like Branch as Rapunztroll. Even though TBGO is not canon as far as Picturebook Romance is concerned, I did take some inspiration from the episode Troll Playing Game, where we see that Branch has created his own version of a Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.

The Frolic Festivals are what Branch calls 'mating season'. I'll have a more complete description further on, but basically they're month-long celebrations that Poppy has always volunteered to help run and organize rather than participate in, which is why she's never had a partner.

The leaves in the trolls' world appear to be made from felt, or are covered in some kind of fibrous material anyway, like most everything else. It's probably a common practice to simply pluck leaves, vines, or grassfronds to get ready-made material clothing and other uses. Must be nice not to have to weave cloth, unless they're doing it as a hobby. Making thread and weaving it into fabric is quite time-consuming and labor-intensive in our world.

The whole 'fight, flight or sprout' thing comes from the science behind the fact that the body sends blood to where it's needed most. That's why people who are in shock get so cold, especially their hands and feet, and need to be covered with blankets or share body heat with someone, because their blood rushes inward to surround their vital organs. So in the opposite situation, things that cause anger or fear makes the blood move to the fighting muscles rather than non-essential organs like a guy's private parts. Vigorous exercise also does that, which is one reason young men in high school are encouraged to 'work out their frustrations' through sports.

I decided that since Branch is built rather robustly, even for a male troll, that it would be natural for his 'sprout' to be a little larger than average. Not unrealistically huge or anything, but a good size nonetheless 😉

Note that despite his strong physical attraction to her body, Branch's instinctive reaction to Poppy wanting to be that intimate with him is still 'no'. He's still got some issues to work out with Poppy that are carried over into how he reacts physically.

Like many of us, Branch has always avoided exploring or expressing emotions that make him feel vulnerable. In a way, he's more naked when he talks about his feelings with Poppy than he is without clothing. And in PBR, there's still one very old, deeply buried issue that's still troubling him, an issue he's going to have to address before he and Poppy can truly be 'naked' together.