Chapter Summary: Branch did not expect so much ado when his morning had started out so pleasant.

Branch was gathering supplies one foggy morning, which he found odd since he didn't remember fog being in the weather report (which he made himself, so he would know), when suddenly-

"Branch, you gotta help me!" Cloud Guy practically shouts, popping up next to Branch from seemingly nowhere and making him drop his pile of sticks out of surprise. "Also, you gotta put on this ring." He adds, holding up the most garish thing Branch has ever seen.

"First, -ew- no I don't. Second, what are you going on about?" The teal troll asks as he starts picking up his fallen supplies.

"Well, long story short, I kinda told all my family and friends that we're engaged and now they've decided to come down and meet you. Today." Cloud Guy says with an innocent smile, batting eyelashes that suddenly appeared.

"...And why, pray tell, would you do that?" Branch asks after several seconds of incomprehension had passed.

"Well, all of them are paired up and they're always getting on me about finding someone for myself and eventually I got so fed up with it that I told them I recently got engaged to a troll." Cloud Guy says all in one go.

"Okaaay, but why a troll? Why not, oh I don't know, another of your species?" Branch asks, so done by this point.

"Uh, because every cloud knows every cloud?" He haughted, as if it were obvious and Branch was just dumb. "If I said I was with another of them they would know I was lying."

"So just pick another troll and leave me out of this." Branch says as he searches for a path to take through the steadily thickening fog.

"Yeah, I would, but I might've been just the tinsiest tiniest itty bitty bit extremely specific." Cloud Guy admits, gesturing with his hands pressed together and pointed towards Branch in a so-this-is-what's-going-on type of manner.

"Well why would you pick me to describe in intricate detail?!" Branch practically yells as he throws his precious cargo into the air out of frustration.

"It just happened okay?!" Cloud Guy sidesteps, casually avoiding being hit by falling debris. "They asked for the deets and you were the first troll that came to mind since we're always hanging out."

"We don't 'hang out'; you follow me around and pester me when I'm trying to gather supplies. Like right now." Branch points out.

"Eh, semantics." Cloud Guy waves him off.

"Also, you're forgetting something." Branch says with the beginnings of a smirk playing at his lips.

"Which is?" Cloud Guy asks in curiosity.

"I don't need to help you." The doomsday prepper answers, arms crossed over his chest, full smirk now on display.

"Good point, which I will ignore." Cloud Guy says as he practically teleports next to Branch and slips an arm across the blue troll's shoulders. "So, quick warning: things are about to get crazy."

"Uh, no they're not," Branch says as he ducks out from under the noodley arm. "because I'm gonna go hide out in my bunker until this all blows over." He finishes as he turns and starts heading off.

"Yeah, one problem with that." Cloud Guy says to his retreating form.

"Which is?" Branch asks, looking askance back over his shoulder.

"They're already here." Cloud Guy says ominously.

The fog that had been slowly building around them materializes into a multitude of separate puffs, which suddenly sprout limbs and features. Branch was not prepared for that, and he definitely wasn't prepared for what happened next.

In less than a second Branch was suddenly in the center of a cacophonous frenzy of jabbering, pulling and prodding, and rapid-fire questions and comments.

"Aw, he's even cuter than Cloud Guy described!"

"And just as grumpy-looking!"

"Wow, he's so multi-chromatic!"

"And solid; I can't push my hand through him!" Branch tries to bat away a hand prodding his side.

"How does his hair stand up like that? Is it super gel?" A firm tug on blue locks has Branch yelp in surprise.

"Can't be, it's so soft." Someone yanks it away and starts rubbing their face against the fine plumage.

"Are these actual leaves, or some kind of fabric that just looks like them?" Someone pulls at his vest

"The poor dear must be starving, he's nothing but hair and bones! Not a single roll on him!"

"Wait, why isn't he wearing his ring?" A Cloud asks and suddenly everything falls silent enough that you could hear a pin drop.

Cloud Guy can only stand like a swag stag in spotlights as suddenly everyone is staring at him, waiting for an explanation. "Oh, well you know how he is." Cloud Guy begins nervously. "Such a worry wart he doesn't want to chance losing it, so he keeps it stashed away." He waves them off.

Branch would've objected if it weren't for his cheeks being currently stretched in opposite directions by a grandma-looking cloud wanting to pinch his 'cute face'.

…

And the cacophony begins anew.

"Oh yes, of course!"

"That does sound just like him!"

"Aw, that's so sweet!"

"Classic Branch move!"

"He's so thoughtful!"

"Well, time's a wasting, let's get going!"

Suddenly Branch is no longer being pulled in three different directions, but his relief for that is short-lived as he finds himself instead being raised into the air amid a bunch of turbulence. "Wait, what the heck is happening‽" Branch shouts as he's jostled to and fro before everything falls still and he finds himself now sitting atop a bed of solid cloud formed by all the Cloud People (aka his harassers) linking together.

Cloud Guy casually floats down next to him, posing all 'draw me like a French girl' style. "Well hello darling, fancy meeting you here." He purrs. Branch growls in response then quickly tries to clamber to the side to get off as he hears what sounds like engine noises start up, only to be rolled right back into the center, ending with his face mere inches from Cloud Guy's. "Hi." Is said with a toothy grin.

Branch hopes his glare bores holes into that stupid fluffy forehead. "You have five seconds to tell me where we're 'going' before I find your neck and wring it."

"Ooh, I like it when you talk dirty to me~" Cloud Guy says before throwing up a placating hand when Branch's started to move toward him menacingly, and hurries to continue (very much preferring his body parts remain un-wrung). "Ever heard of Cloudapolis?"

"Clouda-whatta now?" Branch asks in confusion before juttering accompanies the engine sounds that suddenly get louder.

"Hold onto your non-existent socks, cuz here we go!" Cloud Guy shouts as the puffy white platform takes off at what feels like rocket-speed, taking them heavenward.

Branch would claim you were lying if you said he latched onto Cloud Guy for dear life. Even though it was true. He would readily admit to the high-pitched shriek he let out though.

A/N: Well, there's chapter one! Lemme know what you think and I just may end up posting chap 2 (which is most of the way done)~