Posted on ArchiveofOurOwn but might as well toss this here as well, I haven't written in a while so please bear with me if this is a tad bit wonky! I'm trying to get back into the swing... Anyhow, Poppy and Branch are really cute so I wanted to write something about them, enjoy!

" I'm scared."

Poppy turned her attention away from the nursery decor she was currently hanging to study her partner's face as the words hung heavily in the air.

Branch was currently knelt in front of the makeshift nest the couple had built for their special bundle's arrival, studying the colorful egg placed inside it with a worrisome expression itched on his features.

" Don't worry, Dad told me it's super quick and not gross." Poppy answered, thinking he was worried about the hatching process. " He also said if they're anything like me, we'll be wishing it was back in there the moment it pops out."

Branch glanced up to meet her gaze confused in regards to her answer for a second before chuckling. He could only imagine the headache King Peppy had had raising an overly energetic baby Poppy all on his own whilst running a kingdom. How the man had done it and had hair left over was a miracle in of itself.

" That's not what I meant."

"Oh?" Poppy raised a brow in question, stopping her decorating efforts to take a seat beside him. " What did you mean then?"

Branch let out a deep sigh, attempting to pep talk himself into explaining himself as thoroughly as possible while Poppy patiently waited for him to collect his thoughts. He averted his gaze to anywhere but her face feeling somewhat disgusted with himself.

He was supposed to be just as happy as she was in light of the news, and he had been at first, but the happiness had soon contorted into paranoia and self doubt he was sure that he wasn't supposed to be feeling at the prospect of raising a child with his life partner. But there were so many factors that could go wrong, and as Branch had mauled over each and everyone of them he could think of, the end results had always been that he was the problem in the equation. He wasn't a suitable partner to raise a child with.

"Branch? Are you okay? You're making your skin turn white ." Poppy stated gently interrupting his suffocating thoughts.

He blinked noting she was right, he had been squeezing the skin around his knee much too tightly out of nerves. He coughed clearing his throat and relaxing his hands.

" Yeah I just, I- I'm" He began fumbling his words as he met her eye. " I'm scared that, well actually I'm terrified but -" He groaned in frustration why was this is so hard. " What I mean to say is, what if, what if I'm not a good parent?"

" Um, why wouldn't you be?" Poppy asked not understanding his train of thought.

" I don't know, I just worry is all. What if I do it all wrong? What if I'm too overprotective or insensitive? I'm not exactly a good role model of what a troll should be like considering my history."

Poppy's expression dropped slightly at his words watching him recoil into himself, ears drooping.

" Just because you lost your colors for a bit doesn't make you any less of a troll. Or not a good one for that matter! You've always had good qualities that trolls admire, bravery, loyalty, resourcefulness, and above all, you always had them in here." She probed his chest gently with her index finger where his heart would be. " Colors or no colors."

Branch felt his cheeks burn, making them a deep shade of violet.

" Y-you really mean that?" He asked ears perking up a tad.

" Of course silly." Poppy giggled enveloping him in a tight hug before planting a soft kiss to his very flushed cheek, making it a shade darker.

" Don't be scared Branch, I know you're going to be a really great dad." She stated confidently taking his hand in her own with a sweet smile plastered on her face.

Branch felt his gut swarm with warmth at Poppy's smile, her smile had always had that effect on him from the moment he had seen it. He supposed the effect would never wear off seeing as he had been rather smitten with her for as long as he could remember.

" Well, I know you're going to be a great mom." Branch said sweetly giving Poppy's hand a soft squeeze in return. "There's no doubt about that."

" Aww, well then, together we're going to be a pretty darn good team of parents then huh?"

Together, they had been practically inseparable since that fated day in Bergen Town. Once the village had been saved and a peace treaty had been made between the two enemies, things had escalated from there until they were basically tiptoeing around the obvious fact that there was something going on between them. It had all come together after their misadventure with the other troll tribes when Poppy had confessed she loved him. From there, after dating many moons and a blessing from King Peppy, Branch had finally worked up the courage to ask Poppy to marry him to which she had agreed before he had even gotten all the words out. Apparently had he waited any longer to pop the question, she would have proposed herself and a part of him lamented on having missed out on what a proposal from Poppy would have entailed.

Branch had never thought he would reach so many milestones so quickly, he felt he had blinked and suddenly it was their wedding day, and then his coronation and now, a baby.

So many things had changed and yet not at the same time. The demons that had crafted themselves throughout his many years of isolation for one, hadn't gone away, no matter how involved he had become in the community, he still worried he was unwelcome in the village and only tolerated because of his tie to Poppy. It wasn't as if he had magically changed overnight, despite his colors having returned, he was still the same person inside who a lot of trolls had disliked. Now obviously they had to tolerate him because their marriage had made him their king, Poppy had reassured him that this was not the case, but irrational fears could not be reasoned with so easily. Despite the difficulty this presented, Poppy was always there to help him get through his insecurities as best as she could.

When he looked back on it, Poppy had always been there for him in some shape or form even before this. Whether it had been making sure he felt included by inviting him to her parties or simply greeting him when she saw him passing by, she had always made him feel like he mattered even if he had been too caught up in his inner turmoil to truly appreciate it until much later. And now, being married to her with the prospect of a child on the way, she was still there offering the same support and care she had always provided and this time he realized would be no different he wasn't going to be left to drown with this new change, she was still going to be there with him to overcome the obstacle as a team just as they had been doing now.

" Yeah," He said softly turning his gaze upon the egg once more. " I think we will be."

He felt Poppy's head rest against his shoulder.

" I'm proud of you Branch."

" Huh? What for?"

" For always pushing through, even when you're scared. I know it's hard to be brave."

He rested his cheek against the top of her head feeling his heart race at the confession he was about to utter.

" It's not so hard to be brave when I'm doing it for you."

Poppy felt her cheeks warm as another soft smile wound itself on her face. Branch could be so genuinely sweet and romantic when he wanted to be.

" Will you do me a favor then brave husband of mine?"

"Hm?"

" Will you get up on the ladder and hang the string of lights? I'm scared of heights and we have lots more decorating to do if we want this place looking good before the baby arrives."

Branch rolled his eyes feigning annoyance at the task but gave her a soft smile.

" For you my queen? Anything."