Chapter 4: Need you Now
The ground was shaking. Branch saw as his jars started clicking and hurried to pick one before it crashed on the ground. His brand new cookie jar smashed on the floor revealing another lost trap. At least he didn't have to seek Cooper's help to find that one.
"Branch, are you in there?"
He groaned in frustration when he recognized King Gristle's voice. All the times in the world for him to show up he had to intrude in his alone time. Kicking off his bathrobe, Branch made his way up with the elevator.
"Gristle, 's'up." He said in a bored tone.
The Bergen King looked around nervously, making sure they were alone. Tapping his fingertips, he kneeled down, coming as close as he could to the poor troll underneath him.
"Hey, Branch, I've come to invite you to my wedding." Gristle said in a hurried whisper.
"Hey!" Branch's mood suddenly lightened up, grabbing the oversized invitation with some difficulty. "Congratulations, man!"
"Also..." the king, sat up, joining his hands dreamily, "I'd like to ask you to be my best man."
When hearing that Branch was taken by surprise. Realizing this, Gristle continued, "If it weren't for you and Poppy, Bridget and I would never have found our own happiness."
"Oh..." Branch came to the realization he had been in a few situations where he was in complete lack of words in the past days, "I accept," - 'I guess.' He added, mentally.
"There's just a minor favor I wanted to ask you." Gristle continued, hopeful. "Would you perform a song for our toast?"
And regret for saying 'yes' immediately made itself known. Maybe he should have declined it, how in the world would he be able to translate Bergen's love into words in a song? Bergen's weren't lovely creatures...
"Sure... buddy..." Branch tiltered, looking like he wanted to run away and hide himself in his bunker once more.
"Thank you so much, Branch!" Gristle said, sounding oddly like Bridget. Maybe it was true what they said, that love made the couple sort of start acting like each other. The king happily went away, shaking the whole village on the way.
'What am I doing?" Branch sighed, "I can't compose a Bergen love song..." Poppy crossed his mind, not that he was in the mood to go and talk to her, but just a simple realization that if he was Gristle's best man, she obviously was Bridget's maid of honor.
He was intrigued by the dress she was going to wear... Okay, so his rations wouldn't store themselves up, he decided to stop his daydream and get back inside to finish his chores. He still had a lot of laundry to go through.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Poppy stood still and admired herself in the mirror. She had her feet closely together on top of a very tiny chair as Satin and Chenille pinned the last details so they could finish sewing them later. The off-white color contrasted with her pink skin and made her eyes brighter. She felt like trying to tie her hair in a knot to see if it fit the look, but Chenille commanded her to stay quiet.
"This is amazing, girls." Poppy said, looking down at Satin, who was kneeling on the ground, fixing the hem, checking if it was the right size to hide her feet and, at the same time, making sure it was safe to walk without stepping on it. Knowing Poppy for so many years the twins knew they had to keep her away from simple accidents, she had an extra clumsiness bone in her body and there was a possibility that she would stumble on her own dress and end up in the middle of the wedding cake.
"I can't wait to see Bridget's dress." Poppy squealed like a happy child.
"Well, we happen to have the design with us," Chenille said, opening a drawing. She handed the sketch to Poppy who went mindless with excitement. "See it here? She will be wearing the white top, but as she walks the colors will shine through the skirt."
"How lovely," Poppy breathed dreamily. "She's wearing the colors we used to make her wig on her first date!."
"She's very grateful to you,"
"To all of us." Poppy corrected her friend. "Talking about gratitude..." Poppy put a finger on her cheek, looking at Satin who was still pinning the dress's hem. "... I know someone who is interested in going out with -"
"Poppy!" Branch used his hair to jump inside the twins' pod. She tried to hold back her irritation at the sudden interruption. "There you are." He seemed to have completely forgotten that she was there on a double mission: to try the dress and to get him a date. "I need your help,"
"Really?" She tapped her foot, giving him a warning look.
"Gristle just came to me this morning asking me to be his best man," He completely ignored her surprise and continued, "I was doing my laundry when I came to the realization that... I don't have a tuxedo!"
"You had a blue one at the Hair Ball." Poppy turned around, looking at the mirror again.
"I wear blue, it's written in the invitation I must wear black." He looked really lost and she saw the perfect opportunity to hook him and Satin up. She turned around to face him with a bright smile and he fully saw her for the first time. His jaw dropped a couple of inches. She was stunningly beautiful in that white dress. It wasn't finished, but... boy... since when trolls have waists?
"Cat got your tongue, Branch?" Satin couldn't help the snickering comment. Chenille covered her mouth with her hand.
"You see, Branch," Poppy continued, unaware that his brain had just gone away for a joy ride. "Maybe Satin would help you with the tuxedo."
"We're not exactly good designing men's clothes..." Chenille said,
"But maybe Nova Swift can give us some pointers," Satin clapped her hands in excitement. "His tux must match Poppy's dress!"
Poppy wasn't excited herself. That's not how she pictured the conversation going. A new plan was forming on her mind when Branch called her.
"Can I speak with you for a moment?" He had a serious expression on his face.
"Sure," She replied, blinking a few times innocently. She went behind a folding screen and changed back into her regular blue dress. "What is it?" He pulled her outside the pod, grabbing her by the shoulders and motioning for her to sit down when they were out of hearing range.
"Don't try to hook me up with Satin, please." He sighed, tiredly.
"Don't you like her?" Poppy looked surprised. She was planning his own wedding already. "I'm sure we can work something out about the twin issue..."
"I don't like Satin like that." He said, loud and clear, so she could have no option but to really listen to him.
"But..." She was at a loss of words, "You certainly like someone, who is it, then?"
"I'm not ready to tell her, yet." Branch turned around, leaning against the tree trunk. "Can you respect that? One day I'll be ready and I promise you'll be the first to know."
Poppy sat down quietly beside him, bringing her knees up and resting her head on her hands, looking like a grounded child.
"I'm sorry I almost put you in a difficult situation." She said, barely above a whisper. She had been so happy that she could work on the perfect atmosphere for a date...
"Hey, I'm sure Aspen would like to go on this date." Branch grinned, Poppy looked up to him.
"Aspen likes Satin...?"
"He adores her!" Branch continued,
"How do you know that?" She demanded almost indignantly. How dare he know something she didn't.
"Men talk, too." He answered, standing up and offering her a hand, which she gladly accepted.
"Oooooh, so I still have a date to plan!" She hugged him so tightly he was afraid she would break something. "And you get that tuxedo to match my dress, Mister!" She commanded before jumping down the tree and running off to find Aspen.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It was almost 10PM, Branch had just turned off the lights in his bunker and set aside his notebook and pen. He had been writing and testing notes since sunset. He had a very good inspiration in mind to get the toast song done beautifully.
He turned to his right, burying his nose in his pillow and closed his eyes. He exhaled, letting himself drift off to dreamland…. just to jump up again when he heard strong strikes against his door. The only plausible explanation for someone to bother him in the middle of the night was if they were under attack.
He opened the door to stare at very angry friends. Smidge looked like she was about to bite his head off, Guy had his arms crossed and Biggie frowned in an almost dangerous way.
"Hey, guys," He said, tiredly, leaning on the ground. What could be so important that they couldn't wait the next morning? "What's up?
"What's up is that you let Poppy set the date and then you just left her by herself!" Smidge was about to explode, her face growing red.
"What was I supposed to do?" He asked, kneeling out of the bunker.
"Oh my Guh,"
"Branch, you were supposed to give her support and not let her alone." Biggie explained as calmly as he could.
"Now she's there, locked up, shortening our ice cream stock and singing All By Myself." Guy Diamond didn't find it one bit funny, and so Branch had to hold back a laugh when he pictured Poppy like that.
"Guys, I'm sure she's going to be fine by tomorrow." Branch tried to calm the gang down, but he only met more angry eyes. "Oh fine, I'll go talk to her."
"You cheer her up!" Smidge demanded, "If we have to call a Poppy 911 I'm blaming you!"
'I don't really get why it's my responsibility to cheer her up,' Branch thought as he made his way towards Poppy's pod. The moonlight cleared the way so he could pass safely through the traps he had set. 'If she misses her ex the best we can do is to leave her alone.' He jumped at her door and took a deep breath, 'here goes nothing' he knocked.
The sight before him broke his heart. Poppy had red teary eyes when she opened the door. He could tell she was acting as if nothing was wrong. She quickly closed the door behind her, so he couldn't see what was going on inside.
"Hey, Branch..." She said quietly. "Do you need any help?"
"I... hm... I just..." He didn't really think of a reason to disturb her in the middle of the night. "Okay, here goes the truth," it was way better than coming up with a lie, right? "The gang is worried you're getting all depressed because of Satin and Aspen's date." He could swear he heard Smidge's voice threatening to kill him in a bush down below.
"I'm..." Poppy was taken by surprise, but she let out a quick giggle. "I'm going to be fine."
"You know... I..." He couldn't let her lock herself inside again. "I planned this cheer up party to keep you company."
"Aw, Branch, it's lovely, but I don't think..."
"You know... we all need somebody to lean on." He could have danced if he wasn't so worried. It was a surprise to knowledge she was suffering and still didn't ask for help. She tried to wave him off, turning around to get inside again. "I've got Karaoke!" That got her attention.
"I'll change really quickly. Wait here." She jumped inside and he heard -relieved -as she went through her belongings. In less than a minute later, she opened the door and stood there with a small pink backpack. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
He chuckled as he let her walk ahead of him towards the bunker, hopping excitedly.
"What have you planned?" She asked, curiously. She wasn't bouncing like she would when she was happy, but she certainly wasn't depressed anymore.
"I... hm... Have a karaoke..." He remembered what he had stored that afternoon, "Chocolate... giggleyum..." That didn't sound very happy to him and he saw as her shoulders slowly fell as if she was having second thoughts. He tried to make something up, but when they arrived in front of his doormat they found a crate with several bottles of the village's finest wine. He looked around, angrily. If he caught the gang at that moment he would...
"Now we're talking." Poppy sighed in relief, surprising Branch out of thoughts. She hurriedly opened his door and closed it on top of their heads before looking at him with pleading eyes. "Can you please switch your security to Paranoid Hermit?"
"Wha...?" He gulped. "Why would you want that?"
"Because..." She picked the crate with her hair, "I have a queen image to maintain. I don't want anyone walking in on me."
"But... what about me?" He asked, fearing she was going to lock him outside.
"Branch..." She stepped out of the elevator as they stopped in his living room. "... if there's a troll in this village I trust, it's you." Okay... awkward. He was caught in a mix of emotions. He was proud that she trusted him that much, but at the same time he was worried about what she had in mind.
She put the crate on his table and picked a bottle to pop it open. Branch hurriedly picked it up, seeing it was a red one, so he turned to his cupboard and fetched the right glass. She looked at him in awe. He was full of surprises, the last thing she expected was for him to know which was the right wine glass to use... but again... Branch was refined in his own survivalist kind of way.
"I don't think this grape goes with chocolate", he said, savoring it before filling her glass. "But it's smooth enough to harmonize with cheese Danish... which I baked just this afternoon." He put a full plate in front of her. "Knock yourself out."
"Branch..." Her voice was just above a whisper and he could swear he saw a tear just before she jumped on him in a big hug. "You're the best. You're so caring sometimes I..."
"Don't finish it." He hurried before she said something that would remind him he had been friendzone-d. While she sipped her wine, he went to prepare some coffee for himself, since it seemed like he was getting a long night.
"Coffee? But I thought we were going to drink." She protested;
"You'll drink, I'll keep an eye on you."
"Don't be a prude..." She whined. The way she was acting, Branch noticed, was almost... flirtatious. "I wanted to play a drinking game." He rolled his eyes, leaving the coffee behind and picking another glass. "I've never..." She started and he interrupted her.
"That isn't exactly the kind of game I play..." He said, "I don't want to get drunk, I need to be fully alert since I'm guarding the Queen."
"I don't need a bodyguard, Branch..." She took one big gulp, "I'm in desperate need of a friend."
She won. She didn't need to say anything else. Touche-d, he sat down on a fuzzy rug he had put on the floor to warm up for winter. She kneeled beside him like a happy child.
"I've never... worn a leaf vest." Grinning at his indignant protest, she saw as he took a sip of his wine.
"I've never drank in front of people."
"Really?" That was quite a discovery, she figured as she took a big sip. "I've never written poetry." In awkward silence, he took a sip. "Will you let me read them?"
"Absolutely not." He raised his voice, just to put her back in her place. How dare she. He was able to goof out some questions at her that made her relax and even giggle a little. His heart felt warm when he realized he was actually helping her forget the heartbreak. It itched his tongue to ask her about the Tenor, but he held himself back... there is, until they were almost emptying the second bottle of wine. He started feeling a little bold for his own good. "I've never... dated anyone."
"Oh..." She looked down at her red wine, seeing the tears fall smoothly on the glass, creamy and sweet like every fruity wine should be. She took one big gulp.
"Who was he?" He dared, sitting a little closer.
"I've never danced with my broom."
He took a sip, wondering when she had seen that. "I've never been kissed." Oh dear... did he just say that?
Poppy's eyes couldn't have been wider.
"How is it even possible?" She asked him, "You're... you're..." But she didn't dare to voice her thoughts at him. He was such a gentleman, such a handsome boy, how could anyone let him pass anonymously?
"Drink," He commanded and she obeyed, realizing it was better than to keep chatting about his looks. "Who was he?" He pressed on.
"I've never... set a trap." She was running out of ideas, but Branch seemed to know exactly where he was getting into.
He drank.
"I've never been jealous of my friend's date." He saw as she stood up and emptied her bottle in one angry gulp.
"I'm not jealous!" She groaned, realizing she had stood up too fast. "Where's that freakin' Karaoke?" She demanded. He stood up as well and got the old machine from the deposit in the next room.
"What do you call all this, then?" He insisted when he realized it was safer to press her a little further.
"It's not jealousy, Branch!" She grabbed the mic and waited for him to turn it on. "It's more like... longing." He showed her a list of the songs and watched her closely. "I wonder if I'll ever feel like that again..." She said in a low voice, almost inaudible to Branch. He remained quiet. "We're sooo singing a duet."
"No, we're not. I'm sitting on the couch, you sing the whole night if you want."
"ohhh, okay... I'll sing a duet... by myself!"
"Picture, perfect memories
Scattered all around the floor
Reaching for the phone 'cause
I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind"
He sat on the couch, looking at her as she read the lyrics on the screen. He knew she was just keeping her eyes in there so she wouldn't have to look at him. She was teasing him... she was sure he wouldn't be able sit quiet at his part.
"For me it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one
I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call
But I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now"
Emptying his own bottle he looked at the clock on the opposite wall. It was past one in the morning and Poppy looked like she was fighting sleep with an extra energetic burst. He felt the urge to stand up and hug her, "Oh, hair... Just give me the mic."
" Another shot of whisky
Can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping
In the way you did before
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me, it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one
I'm a little drunk
And I need you now
Said I wouldn't call
But I lost all control and I need you now"
And she smiled that warm, soft and toothy smile at him, knowing she had won the battle, he had given in and joined her in song. She just loved his voice.
"Guess, I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all
It's a quarter after one
I'm all alone and I need you now."
Moving forward, she grabbed his hand and he pulled it to spin her around. She giggled and returned to her spot to watch him as he sang his part.
"And I said I wouldn't call
But I'm a little drunk and I need you now"
He couldn't help but laugh as well, it ended up turning into a great sleepover of two. He was having fun like he had never had before. His heart was light, he didn't have a care in the world but to keep that joy in her face.
" And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
I just need you now
Oh, baby, I need you now"
They finished together. She engulfed him in a tight hug, thanking him over and over again under her breath. He tried to hold her back, but he accidently tripped on the mic on the floor and they ended up on the couch, laughing even harder at their clumsiness. She looked so refreshed and her strawberry scent made him feel incredibly comfortable.
They snuggled each other a little, calming the fit of laughter. He felt so light-headed and he could tell that she felt the same way when she leaned over his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Notes:
Go to my Instagram to see Branch's face when he realized she felt asleep snuggling him. Lol;