Sexy Branch Back

With only a few hours away from The Battle of Piñatas, Poppy decided to drop by the bunker to check on Branch. His passion for engineering and competition was most likely going to keep him awake the whole night, tossing, turning and eventually getting up from his warm bed to check on a possible flaw in his piñata bot design.

She found the bunker in full lockdown mode, which alone was a sign that something odd was going on. It wasn't necessary to keep their battle bots a secret, unless Branch, in his endless paranoid and security strategies, was fearing some espionage issues. Struggling with curiosity and willing to find out, Poppy took her copies of the bunker's keys and unlocked the trapdoor.

Branch wasn't in the lounge room or in his bedroom. His bed, by the way, was neatly made, meaning he hadn't grabbed a wink of sleep even if it was past the time he usually laid down. So, Poppy put a finger on her chin and analyzed the situation. Her boyfriend was probably working on last adjustments without his teammates. It was the most Branch-like thing he would do.

She took the second elevator that would take her one floor down to his building site. It was an extra floor, under his home, where he made a garage and additional meeting rooms so he could invite other trolls inside and still keep his privacy.

Everything could be reasonably explained and expected from her boyfriend until that point, nothing looked suspicious until Poppy stepped out of the platform and Branch's voice echoed in what seemed a very happy and excited song.

"I'm bringin' sexy back (yeah)

Them other boys don't know how to act (yeah)

I think it's special, what's behind your back (yeah)

So turn around and I'll pick up the slack (yeah)

Take 'em to the bridge (that's it)"

It was Branch's voice all right. Poppy was paralyzed for a few seconds. In the shadow that hid her inside the walls of the elevator, she could see a bear-like piñata being hammered and welded with an additional demolition ball.

"Oh, frosting." Branch cursed and took off the face shield so he could see the damage he had just made on his leaf vest. Apparently, he had stained it with oil and decided to take it off displaying a mouth-watering amount of flesh for his girlfriend in her hiding place.

Hair… his back was glistening with sweat and when he picked up the hammer again, the muscles hardened, the triceps seemed very well-defined when he raised his arms again. The loud sound of metal didn't bother her at all and Branch returned to his enthusiastic song.

"Dirty babe (uh-huh)

You see these shackles baby, I'm your slave (uh-huh)

I'll let you whip me, if I misbehave (uh-huh)

It's just that no one makes me feel this way (uh-huh)

Take 'em to the chorus"

He probably had barely eaten that day because his pants were looser than usual. The waistband was falling on the side, showing his white briefs almost halfway down.

Poppy felt a rush of heat climbing from her stomach to flush her face. She knew the heat wasn't from the welding fire.

A teasing drop of sweat sparkled from Branch's hair and it rolled down his neck, pooling on his shoulder blades where it stayed for a while. He raised his arm once again and the drop slid down, taking all the smaller droplets with it, tracing his spine until it reached his bright white underwear.

The scent of green apples and salty mist seemed to entice her nose. Poppy closed her eyes to fully take in the delicious and natural smell of her boyfriend.

Natural being the key-word there. She opened her eyes again to watch him in the environment he felt most comfortable in. Designing, planning, building. The whole engineering process made him shine his brightest side.

And alone.

The song; the way he moved with full certainty of what he was doing, with no one to question his methods; he was spontaneous. Branch was handsome. It was a side of him that she wished he would display for her, even if it was only for her and no one else. She wanted to experience all that freedom with him.

And along the way, running her hands on that slick back sounded like a dream as well.

Deciding to push her most intimate desires aside, Poppy discreetly stepped on the elevator again, quietly pushing the lever while an unsuspicious Branch continued his song.

He was happy, he was working and he was concentrating on winning the battle the next day. Poppy wouldn't take it from him. So, she left the bunker, locked it up again and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Hair… her boyfriend was one sexy troll.

A/N – Because I need to appreciate Branch from time to time. Shameless, baby.