a/n: some recent reviews really helped me muster up the courage to post some stuff I've been writing over the past year! thanks guys. those really helped! here's a self-indulgent Elf au a few days after Christmas!

v. elf au

Poppy is an elf. Well, no, wait, scratch that. She's a human raised by elves. Also Santa! Santa raised her, too! Papa Elf told her not many humans are raised at the North Pole. The North Pole is cold, loud, and busy! New York City is cold, loud, and busy too, so Poppy didn't understand why the elves and Santa wanted her to venture back to her roots. Well..she didn't understand until now.

She chews on her lower lip, her heart feeling like melted marshmallows in steaming hot cocoa. Because standing on a ladder, mutely hanging well-thought decorations on a Christmas tree, is an angel dressed in elf's clothes. He's beautiful. And his eyes, they were so blue. Poppy has never seen such an electrifying blue in all of her life, the only blue that came close was when Biggie the Elf got hypothermia and had to cut off one of his toes.

The beautiful man sets one last dazzling ornament on the tree, and she's too amazed to stand by.

"Wow," Poppy bounces forward, admiring his work with a grin before admiring the rest of God's work that is his person, "My man, you are really good at decorating that Christmas tree."

With furrowed brows, he frowns and glances down at her, his eyes flicking Poppy up and down. "Who the hell are you?" She opens her mouth to speak, but he continues, "Are you messing with me? Did Guy put you up to this?"

Poppy tilts her head eagerly, "Who's Guy?"

He's cautious, "Right. You know what, I don't even have the patience for this," He climbs down the ladder, the bell on his elf hat jingling. Poppy gets a whiff of freshly baked cookies when he brushes past her to adjust the presents under the tree.

Holy shit! He smells like cookies too! What kind of Christmas miracle?!-

Poppy grins, tentatively stepping closer, "I'm Poppy! What's your name?"

She hears a faint scoff and he whirls around, a little incredulous as he answers her question anyways, "I'm Branch. Can we get back to work now?"

Gee, he was a bit of a grumpy-pants but...

Branch. Branch. Her heart sang. Maybe traveling to New York City was meant to be after all!

Branch blinks adorably from the ground, as if waiting for her to answer.

"Hm?" Poppy giggles, caught in an endless giddy sway.

His dead-set face softens, and Poppy's heart swells in her chest. Lookin' all warm and nice like that is definitely a good look on him.

"I uh," Branch clears his throat. "I said we should get back to work."

"Ooo! Okay! That's fun!" She kneels down next to him quickly, "What should I do first? How many etch-a-sketches do ya need?"

He frowns, "None? We got a shipment in this morning. I guess.." Branch glances away, surveying the room, his eyelashes dark and oh roasted chestnuts he had little tiny freckles dusted on his cheeks. "You could help cut ribbon. Chef is really anal about ribbon."

"I'm amazing at ribbon!" Poppy squeals. She takes his hand and drags him to his feet.

"Great," Branch wheezes, oddly fixated on their intertwined hands.

She always held peoples' hands but..she has to admit, his hands feel practically perfect. Obviously their fingers fit like puzzle pieces, so why does Branch look so perplexed about it? Poppy tugs on his arm confusedly. "Hey-ah? Branch? Where's the ribbon at?"

"It's over hands -" He flinches, that permanent glare gashing through their moment. He rips his hand from hers, briskly walking to the station. "It's over here."

Branch begins to meticulously cut the crimson ribbon over a festive table, and Poppy skips over to join him, giggling to herself.

"Over hands," She mumbles cheekily, flat-out laughing at Branch's leer.

"Six-inches," Branch snaps. He yanks the ribbon she cut too long and with a snip of his scissors, Branch precisely shortens it to the desired length.

Hot damn.

"Psh," She rolls her eyes, snatching it back, but Poppy grins the moment she sees the tiniest hint of a smile grace his lips.

She likes New York City. She might even love it. And maybe, just maybe, someone needed her just as much as she needed him.