A Confession

The strawberry scent was everywhere. Slowly rising to consciousness, Branch sighed with happiness. A lazy rush of warmth welcomed his body in the fuzzy blankets and he turned to the side to hug the source of the smell.

Only, he didn't meet his girlfriend, but her cold pillow that hadn't been used for weeks. The happiness melted into the lingering feeling. Hugging her first thing in the morning was a daily dose of joy. The cuddling was nothing more than a memory now and the perfume was faint, but still present in the pillowcase he hadn't changed in a long time.

"My darling," Branch growled at the mockingly sweet voice that came from his mind, "you won't get rid of me unless you confess."

Rock Poppy seemed to be right there. Like every morning, she teased him, sitting on the edge of his bed, contemplating him with a naughty smile. The transparency of her skin was the proof of his delicate state of mind.

The voluptuous curves invited him to stare without the risk of being caught.

His toes were numb, probably because he slept the entire night with them curled. So, Branch stirred and wiggled them, pushing the sleep away and leaving the foggy world of morning laziness where reality and dreams seemed to coexist.

Poppy's perfume was still on the pillow, though.

He missed cuddling with her until they fell asleep. Waking up tangled in one another the next morning would reassure him that everything was okay.

Branch poured two cups of coffee before remembering he was having breakfast alone. During his lonely days, he had made her toast more than once before noticing she wasn't there.

The limit was drawing near. Being with her during the day and hiding like a scared rabbit during the night was starting to become unbearable. The fear of Poppy seeing a side of him he wasn't proud of was diminishing when missing her became too great.

A more optimistic thought recalled that his girlfriend was the most understanding troll he knew. She probably wouldn't even be surprised to find out he had needs and that he was having dreams about her.

"It's the pretty outcome of a much more complicated story, isn't it, lover-boy?" Rock Poppy's voice mocked him again before he could block the unwelcomed product of his mind.

The coffee tasted bitter. Indeed, how understanding could Poppy be once he told her he had fallen inside one of the alternate universes?

The weight of that secret was driving him insane. Quite literally.

Maybe he should spy on Poppy and see if she was having a good day. If she was bright in her cupcakes and rainbows mood, then he could work on the courage to tell her about that little slip…

The pink pod was empty and welcomingly silent. From the last time Branch had been there the silence was a big difference, after all he had heard Cooper's laughter ringing in his ears for a long time after he left.

The bed was made and the kitchen was clean. The scrapbook supplies were organized on the shelf and Poppy's queen mantle was hanging with other clothes she didn't use so often.

So, it meant she wasn't out on a royal duty and she had enough time to arrange everything in its place before leaving. Meaning, Poppy wasn't in a hurry and was probably out having fun with her friends.

So, she was having a good day!

Usually in the mornings Poppy would have breakfast with him or with her Helper -Smidge. It was past four hug times already so Branch thought it was most likely she had already ended any speech and moved on to the next item in her list.

She wasn't at Classical Crest, but it was a surprise for Minuet to see him there. Branch didn't visit often and it was rumored he was working on some big project.

Uh… the lie he told Poppy had spread.

"I am a little surprised Poppy would miss her class today," Minuet placed the violin aside and chose another instrument to practice. "She was so focused on lyrical singing I thought she'd come every day."

Branch was surprised, too. He had no idea Poppy had any interest in learning about lyrical music. Trollstopia had indeed worked on their curiosity.

"I guess she's just tired after the musical, yesterday." Minuet ended the conversation there and focused her attention on the big Cello.

Yes, Branch had almost forgotten about the musical. Poppy had visited him with that fancy dress - his cheeks flushed when he remembered the mind-blowing kiss - and it was true she might be tired.

So, Branch went straight to Hard Rock Hollow where he found most of the Rock trolls looking tired as if they were just waking up. His hug watch indicated it was near noon already so it wasn't like he was visiting early, right?

"Hey, Val." Branch spotted the sleepy troll rubbing her eyes with a toothbrush in her mouth.

"I'm not in a good mood this early, Branch." She replied in annoyance.

"It is almost lunchtime,'' the teal troll pointed out.

"Not for me. I've spent the entire night playing hard core rock to wipe that Hairaldine out of my mind. Eww." And, offering no further explanation, she walked into the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth.

So many trolls around and no sign of Poppy. Branch took a frappuccino on his way back. It had been hours he was searching; he was hungry - which made him cranky - and still not even a sugary dose of caffeine seemed to completely fix his problem.

It had been a while since he felt alone in a crowd. Everyone was walking around, talking, smiling, having fun, and he passed by them completely invisible. It was a relief at some point, but also, it reminded him of who he really was: the Bergen-obsessed gray troll who lived underground.

No. He wasn't that troll anymore. He was Poppy's boyfriend and he needed to find her to put an end to his rising isolation habits.

He was getting too comfortable by himself.

The warm orange light gently touched his cold skin, breathing a little more energy into his tired body. His feet hurt after a day walking every place he thought Poppy could be.

It was a small relief to see King Peppy emerging from the shrubs, dusting off his clothes with a satisfied smile.

"Hello, King Peppy." Branch approached, deciding he would try one more time before returning home to a much-needed bath.

"Hey there, Branch." The former king opened a wide smile and put his cane on the ground. Patiently, he studied the younger troll before speaking up, "are you looking for Poppy?

"Yes, sir. I've been after her the entire day." Was it so obvious what he was doing?

"Ah, well. She's just behind these plants, on the beach. Hurry and cheer her up, will you?" Chuckling to himself, King Peppy patted Branch on the back and went away, saying something about how delightful it would be to have another Swag Stag hunt.

Branch didn't waste time to wonder what the King meant by cheering up. He just assumed it was the concerns of an overprotective father and hurried to go around the plants to find his beloved girlfriend sitting with her eyes closed and face turned towards the sun.

His stiff shoulders relaxed; Branch exhaled in relief and melted into an uneasy feeling that settled in his heart. He saw Poppy's eyebrows slightly arched and the ghost of a rehearsed smile was on her lips.

Melancholy didn't suit her well.

"Hey…" Branch approached, rubbing his hands together, not really knowing if he was welcomed or not.

Poppy, of course, opened her eyes and smiled widely at him. His self-esteem stepped up a few degrees after her reaction. It was proof he could make her feel better just by being there.

It worked both ways.

"Hey there." Poppy gave room to him, sitting on the fluffy sand and hugging her knees. "I was just thinking about you."

"Oh," good, because she was on his mind the entire time. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I mean," she blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously, "I need you to listen to what I have to say…"

Branch wanted to hug her, she looked desolated, but at same time, it wasn't something she could fix.

"I'm a little worried that something I've done may soon reach everyone's ears and I want you to hear it from me." Poppy explained. Branch sat closely, arms brushing and with her hair softly flying all over his back, involuntarily tangling its strands with his.

"I'm here for you." Branch offered her a smile and she turned to stare at the water.

"I needed to correct a troll." Poppy began, with her voice less sad and more certain, Branch's breath was taken away by the queen vibe that was slowly overtaking her. "I confess I was a little sneaky. It took me weeks snooping into conversations to be sure who it was that was speaking bad things about you."

Branch's face fell a little. He didn't even remember there had been rumors about their relationship. He thought it was over; a closed chapter. Poppy made sure he understood her love was unbreakable, so why was she digging up old ghosts?

"I'll never let anyone speak badly of you and go on thinking they can get away with it." Poppy explained, "I'll always fight for you in any way I can."

"Poppy…" His eyes were a little foggy, hearing her words made him slowly shiver.

"Since she was an elder, I was a little worried I was harsh, but… I'm sure I was fair." Branch's brows shot up, he understood that Poppy had gone after that first old lady who he had overheard saying he was paranoid. In silence, and not knowing what to say, he reached his hand to grab her pink one, "I wouldn't end a friendship if it wasn't necessary, but it was. And in case you hear I was mean… well… it was called for."

Her fingers were cold and she was trembling a little. The wind blew, making goosebumps rise all over her arms and legs.

Branch felt an immense love taking over his heart. Poppy had gone beyond her happy ways to defend him and he was grateful she told him that. She went to extreme ends to make a troll smile, but she wouldn't allow anyone to take his precious happiness away.

"Would you…," His voice failed and he cleared his throat before continuing, "would you like to stay over tonight?"

"Oh no," Poppy quickly shook her head, "I don't want to intrude in your project."

"You won't." Branch firmly said, making her protests die, "I miss you. Please?"

After hearing her confession, he decided he could wait to tell her about his own problems. Poppy had gone through a lot and she had grown to be even more appreciated, if possible.

Branch needed to open his heart for her as well.

But perhaps, just for that night, he could try to cuddle with her and hope to have a peaceful sleep.