A Secret Passage

"I'm feeling awful."

"I feel worse,"

Holly Darling sat down next to Val. Trollex had just gone away with DJ Suki and Poppy was now discreetly leaning on Branch's shoulder, hiding the tears that stubbornly insisted to slide down her cheeks.

"The getawaycation was a flop, Poppy fell off a cliff and got seriously hurt, I told her secret to her boyfriend and now she lost a friend." Val sighed in frustration.

"Well… she didn't lose a friend. DJ will be back in a year." Holly tried to cheer Val up, but it didn't seem to work, after all, she was also in a low vibe. "And today I lose the bet."

That made Val smile.

"Told ya."

Holly crossed her arms. Branch and Poppy seemed to speak at a small distance from each other. Anyone with an eye could see that they were together, they even sang about it during the Holidays, and still… no one saw one small kiss in public.

Discretion sucked.

"Smidge said they were getting cozy in the royal pod last week." Val chuckled. "But since we bet on a PUBLIC display of affection, then…"

Oh yes. Winning made her mood improve.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Their spot under the tree seemed to be discreet enough. Branch cupped Poppy's cheeks and wiped another tear that insisted on escaping the corner of her eyes. Poppy forced a smile and leaned into his hand.

His hand was so big it covered half of her face. A perfect pillow.

"I'm not good with goodbye." Poppy was feeling guilty for not being able to control herself. Branch could see it clearly. "But Trollstopia is worth it. The idea of everyone living together is spreading and…"

"This is the biggest proof that your idea is brilliant." Branch collected yet another tear. "Let it spread out."

Poppy smacked her lips and furrowed her brows.

"I guess I like having everyone under my wings, you know."

"Ha! A possessive queen." Branch teased to light up the mood.

"A concerned queen," Poppy tried to correct him, but with one doubtful raise of an eyebrow and she knew she wasn't fooling him. She was possessive, all right.

"I guess we have that in common as well." Branch took her hand, pulling her towards her pod, while everyone else seemed to return to their games.

"You're not possessive." Poppy corrected him.

"Uh, hello? Bunker. Rations."

"You're concerned about our safety." Poppy still insisted.

"And control and make sure everyone is protected." Branch landed them on her front door, but they didn't go inside. He held Poppy in place and looked around. It seemed no one was paying attention to them. "I like keeping things to myself."

The survivalist walked along the tree branch and knelt down. Curious, Poppy followed him and saw a small handle on the ground.

"A trap door?" She whispered into his ear.

"I have a surprise for you."

He intended on showing her his work in a more romantic way, but it was a good way to make her smile after an emotionally draining day.

Branch pulled the handle and Poppy gasped.

A trap door opened, illuminating a small staircase.

"What is it?" Poppy asked, edging with excitement.

"I thought," Branch blushed, "we could use a more discreet way to see each other."

Crossing the village from the bunker to the pod and vice versa attracted unwanted attention. Several times Branch changed paths and stopped to get something to eat just to avoid the knowing looks he received when walking to his girlfriend's home. Nothing could be done when he walked out of there early in the morning.

The staircase led them into the tree and down the trunk in a tunnel that was spacious enough for both of them. Branch thought about making a slide or an elevator as an alternative way to get down, but he calculated that the trepidation could damage the tree.

"Branch!" Poppy was in awe. She could hardly believe that they were walking inside the tree. "You carved the wood to make us a secret passage!"

"Months of fun work." He tightened the grip on her hand and led the way out of the roots and into the underground tunnels that Poppy was familiar with. "Voilà," he opened a door that ended in his lounge room.

"Oh, my Hair!" Poppy squealed. "Branch, this is amazing! You went through all the trouble to…"

"To get us some alone time without peering eyes." He concluded. He was also proud to see that Poppy was successfully cheered up. "Crazy prepared, as always."

"Crazy prepared for smooches!" Her tiny hands grabbed his vest and pulled him down. She didn't hesitate before attacking him with mind-blowing kisses that took his breath away.

Well… yeah… the smooches were the general idea behind the tunnel connecting their homes. He wouldn't complain. Although, he was a bit surprised when she sandwiched him between the wall and pressed herself against him. He was very aware of her squashed boops on his chest.

"Poppy wait," he heard her groan in frustration. Again. "I've been planning this."

The queen backed away from him, trying to control her breath and her patience. It made Branch nervous.

"I want this to be perfect." To prove his point he walked to the side table where he had a small cherry cupcake. "When the time comes, I'll put a cupcake on the trapdoor on the tree."

Frustrated, but excited with the idea of finally getting what she wanted, Poppy smiled in a rare display of patience and understanding.

"I could just jump you now."

"Nope," he chucked, "I have to work on the rose petals and the candles…"

"By all that is trolly," Poppy giggled, "You're so corny!"

But yeah… she loved that about him. And she could wait.

The hidden passage was proof that her fears were pointless. Branch wouldn't lock her out if he planned on adding more ways for her to get in. First, she was given a key, and now her own way in. Her boyfriend didn't plan to lock her out, no matter how vivid her fears felt.

"Poppy?"

She snapped out of her daydream and smiled at Branch, hoping he hadn't asked her a question that wouldn't be answered with a straight smile.

"You spaced out." Oh dear… he noticed.

"Sorry," Poppy blushed and sat down on the couch. Branch quickly joined her. "I'm still thinking about losing my friends, I guess."

"Oh…" the survivalist quickly held her hand. It never stopped amazing her, how soft and caring he was with such big hands. "DJ is going to have a lot of fun," Branch reassured her. "She was looking forward to this. Techno is like… her favorite beat, you know."

"I know…" Poppy sighed. "I'll write to her every day."

"Can you see how you changed the troll kingdom for good?" Branch kept going, not seeing any upgrades in her mood. "If every tribe tries to build their own exchange program we'll need roads and stations and… hair, there will be so much building and…"

And Branch was excited about the construction part. Poppy smiled at her boyfriend. Seeing him getting pumped up always helped her relax.

"We'll always be together, right?" The queen sniffed one last time and dried her eyes.

"Of course," Branch quickly answered. "I wouldn't leave Trollstopia even if I was called to build the widest bridge to Lonesome Flats." Wait. "Is that why you're worried? You thought I'd leave you?"

"Oh, no." Poppy tried to dismiss his worry, but his eyes bore into hers to dig out the truth. "It's just…" Well… he asked. "I've had this constant feeling that you're pushing me away."

Poppy knew her fears weren't unfounded then. Branch released her hands and looked at the brown wall that he had carved years before, during his decade of isolation.

"It's not just about the make out…" she insisted.

"I know," Branch bit inside his cheeks to refrain from speaking too much at once. "I'm trying to do better."

"Better than what?" Poppy was confused. He had been nothing but perfect.

"Better than myself." He said and quickly explained what he meant. "I don't want to do anything that would hurt so badly that I'd need to go back to the past and fix it."

It was at that moment that Poppy realized that her boyfriend was fighting an internal battle. He had strong reasons to believe he'd mess up because at some point he had done something so bad he found no other way to fix it other than time-traveling.

Poppy knew he couldn't live in the shadow of a mistake he had already solved.

"Branch," pink fingers slowly trailed down his face to cup his chin. He had a pained look when he turned to face her. It wasn't about the Mating Festival. It wasn't jealousy or possessiveness. He was just afraid he would disappoint her. "I think we both have our own ghosts to fight." Hair knew how much she had been thinking about therapy since they talked to Barnald. "But even if we have to face them on our own… we can still do it together."

They could talk about it. They could tell each other their thoughts, fears, and challenging situations. They could be there to listen and offer a hug.

"You're my boyfriend… and my best friend."

Branch smiled, understanding what Poppy meant without requiring too much explanation.

The pink girl's heart soared when her boyfriend closed his eyes and moved forward. It was the sweetest and most reassuring kiss they ever shared. Poppy could feel that he agreed with her and that they needed one another.

Silently, as their lips caressed each other, as her hands disappeared in his hair, Poppy noticed that he felt lighter, that he was breathing deeper. He had agreed that talking about their problems was the only way to build a strong and trust-based relationship.

"I can't wait to see that cupcake on the trapdoor."