The day was coming.

Poppy mindlessly bit her fingernails as she walked by a lingerie shop. Some rock troll thought it would be a good idea to open that kind of store full of bras and panties made of leather or black or red lace… A dark purple one caught Poppy's attention when she walked close to the shop's window.

It didn't help when Holly was showing her how to tame a wild adorabull and the country girl's blouse slightly fell off her shoulder, revealing a surprisingly bright red stripe.

Even Holly had new lingerie.

It was unmentionable that Val was the one who caused the frenzy over the lingerie store. She decided to expose hers during the latest Girls' Night because she couldn't figure out if she looked hard-core or simply too girly with half of a leather bra showing under a ripped shirt. The outfit was supposed to be for a performance, but it seemed to instigate some primitive feminine instinct in the girls.

The lingerie made them all feel amazing. Or so they said once they all got a pair.

Poppy firmly resisted the urge to get a dozen of those small pieces of fabric. Too small. It was nothing like she had worn before. They didn't have cupcake patterns, pink hearts, or ruffles.

They were…. The Hair!... They were sexy! That was the word she was struggling with. Sexy. Devilicious. It made her wonder if Branch would ever bite them off.

Oh, fudge. Her mind didn't go there. Not in the middle of Trollstopia while she was standing in line to get some hot chocolate.

Her boyfriend was testing her nerves. He was probably trying to find the snapping point. Poppy checked the trapdoor next to her pod daily and there were no cupcakes. Nada. Niente

"Do you want this one?" The rock troll who worked on the unspeakable store suddenly appeared at her side.

Poppy blinked a couple of times and looked around. She had walked into the store and she had that purple piece of fabric in her hands. Beautiful matching panties and bra… so silky…

"You have a good eye, Queen Poppy," the rock girl smiled knowingly at her. "This one was made with mystic purple threads. They say it makes your inner wishes come true."

"Oh… wishing panties. How curious." Poppy tried to joke but failed miserably. She put the pair in her hair in a blink, hoping nobody had seen her taking them other than the seller.

"Tell me if they work."

If the lingerie really made wishes (dirty wishes, maybe?) come true, Poppy couldn't know. But hair… they did make her look amazing.

Who would have known she could pull some purple color so well?

"Mystic purple, uh?" The queen stood in front of a full-body mirror in her pod. She had closed the curtains so no one would see her standing there… analyzing herself from every angle.

Poppy decided that it was going to be worn on the day she and her beloved Branch would take their relationship to the next level. Maybe the lingerie could work some magic on the anxiety that was building up. Perhaps the way her butt seemed magnificent in that color could make her insecurities diminish to a mere wisp of tension before the big leap.

She wasn't going to be nervous about it.

"Poppy?" Branch knocked on the door. Being a lovely perceptive troll, he noticed it wasn't appropriate to barge in when she had the windows closed. "Are you in there?"

The queen quickly put on her dress, hiding the lingerie completely.

"I am. Come in." She replied, holding her breath.

Hair… Branch looked gorgeous that day. He stepped in, hesitant since he was sure he was interrupting her. The light of the late afternoon made his hair look bluer than before and his eyes sparkled once he spotted her.

He was happy.

"What can I do for you?" Poppy clasped her fingers on her back and balanced herself with a tiny hop on her toes.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm low on trollsberry and I'm going to pick some fresh ones." Branch looked nervous. He played with the strap of his backpack while stammering the words out.

Poppy was confused at first. He didn't have to tell her that. It wasn't a big trip and he would probably be back by nightfall so… she wouldn't even notice he was gone. Unless… he was inviting her to come along.

"There's a nice river on the way and I thought we could have a picnic…"

"Oh, Branch!" Her arms quickly went around her boyfriend to give him a bone-cracking hug. "Of course, I'll go with you! Uh! I love picnics!"

A bathing suit and clean clothes were mindlessly put into a bag along with a couple of snacks. The queen was ready in five minutes, ignoring the surprised look Branch was giving her. Maybe she was too eager to go?

"What are you waiting for?" She asked before jumping out of her pod.

The best thing about trollsberry was that they grew on a field not far away from the village, but the yummiest ones were a couple of hours farther. Most trolls didn't go there, but Hair, this was Branch and he loved to put his survival skills to practice. Not to mention the sight of the pink trollsberry trees was going to be breathtakingly romantic.

Of course, he had brought a dozen traps and he kept setting them on strategic places. Yep, Branch was multitasking. Poppy held back comments on how they were unnecessary. Branch seemed to fall back into his crazy prepared ways after the horrible experience with Barnald.

Poppy sighed and walked in front of him, commenting on beautiful flowers and bouncing happily, and doing her best to ignore the tension between them.

The queen had never gone that far for the trollsberry. Even if it was her favorite smoothie, she preferred to pick the closest ones so she wouldn't miss any parties. Well… shame on her because after two hours walking, Branch pushed some twigs out of the way to reveal a refreshing view of a river with calm and deep blue water, the greenest grass on the riverbank full of delicious fruits to be picked.

"Wow…" Poppy blinked, taking in the view and filling her lungs with the sweet humid air.

"Yeah…" Branch replied, proud of himself. "Thought you'd like it." He walked close to her and his hand slid across her lower back, pulling her into a side hug. Poppy's heart started beating wildly in anticipation.

"Thank you." She whispered. Poppy turned to face him, his hand was still on her hip and his cheeks flushed. He looked so cute she could barely hold herself back. The queen kissed his lips lightly. She didn't expect him to kiss her back, so she was shocked when he took a deep breath and wove his fingers into her hair, parting her lips with a kind of courage that seemed to be lacking in their last meetings.

It made her toes curl and filled her stomach with butterflies. His hug was so inviting and his lips were so sweet she lost track of time. She could stay there forever. There is… until he abruptly stopped.

Poppy opened her eyes to see her boyfriend staring at her shoulder. The pink girl noticed somehow her dress sleeve had slipped off, revealing the purple strap of her bra.

Oh… sugar. There was a piece of lace that could be seen as well.

Branch took a step back and looked at the glistening water, obviously trying to distract himself. Poppy hoped he didn't think she wanted to use that trip as an excuse to seduce him. Well… it was a good idea, but she wasn't. Not premeditatedly.

"So…" high-pitched, Poppy tried to ease the mood. "I'll put the blanket over there. We can pick the berries and get a snack."

"Sounds like a plan." Branch grinned. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and dropped the backpack on top of the blanket. It was a really hot day. "I'll pick the berries, then."

The grumpy survivalist was happy. Despite the sudden shock at the glimpse of purple lace, Poppy could see that her boyfriend was a totally different troll from the one who helped her save her friends from the Bergens.

Branch could fake smiles and hugs, he could hide a moody attitude behind a puffed chest and smirk, but he couldn't fool her. His hair was indeed a brighter shade of blue. His skin was a bit lighter as well. His frown lines had softened and his eyes sparkled with joy even when he tried to hide it.

Perhaps she had done it. She had finally seen the happy troll bloom right in front of her.

"Are you done?" Branch asked, coming back towards her with his arms full of berries.

Sugar, he had caught her staring. It was a good thing she had at least managed to straighten the blanket and put the sandwiches on the plates, even if he was a very distracting sight. Oh, how she wished he would continue with the smooches… it was the perfect scenario. All alone, in the middle of nowhere.

"Yes. The food is ready if you want to grab a bite."

It was indeed a hot day. She could feel the sweat dripping down her back.

"I'll go change," Poppy announced, grabbing her clothes and disappearing behind a tree.

It was a relief to wear the yellow bathing suit. The purple lingerie was neatly packed so she could save it for the right occasion. Poppy wouldn't put any more pressure on Branch. He would be ready when he would be ready.

The queen heard a splash and came from behind the tree. To her surprise, she saw Branch's vest and shorts on the blanket, but the troll was nowhere to be seen. His half-eaten sandwich was still on the plate.

She grinned the second her boyfriend broke the surface to breathe. That was one dreamy sight. A handsome and wet troll cooling off.

She could eat later.

"Wait for me!" She giggled, jumping into the river right next to him.

"The water is great." Branch wiped his face and swam towards her. "It's a great reward after picking the berries."

Poppy laughed at how difficult it was to put her hair up again and when she finally managed to do it, her boyfriend was so close she accidentally bumped her nose on his chest.

Okay… the tension was building too much to be ignored. Was he doing it on purpose?

His lips were dangerously close again. His eyes narrowed and his piercing blue eyes seemed to read into her soul. What was going on with Branch? He looked so seductive all of sudden.

Hypnotized, Poppy closed her eyes when he the distance between them and kissed her once more. It was with gladness that she noticed he led her into it, with no moment of hesitation. Her body was completely glued to him. His hands slid from her shoulders to her hips, causing delicious shivers to run down her spine.

The pressure was building up again. She had felt it before when they made out in her pod. It was like the butterflies in her stomach melted and tingled down her body, wishing for touch and relief. Whatever it was, it seemed to be building up like some hot eruption from a Volcano that had awakened.

Branch's kiss seemed so perfect. The right dosage of hug and hot exploring. They hadn't bumped their teeth or noses this time. They were becoming really good at it.

Poppy felt him once more. Down his red swimming shorts, it made her break their kiss and lean her forehead on his. She wanted more and she also needed to breathe. Her half-closed eyes watched him when she hooked her legs on his hips. He frowned in curiosity but held her in place.

Her hands held firmly on his shoulders and the queen tentatively rubbed against him. It was one tiny trial, but she could contemplate a heavenly feeling that promised to be only the beginning of something amazing. She couldn't keep from pushing again, feeling him completely as if layers of clothes weren't separating them.

It was electrifying.

Her legs gave out. She wasn't expecting the feeling to be so intense. She didn't even notice when a moan escaped her lips and Branch looked at her, startled. Scandalously aware of her behavior, she hid her face in his neck, feeling his rapid pulse against her cheek.

Poppy was ready to back away, say she was sorry that she seemed to be pressuring him again. But as soon as she relaxed her grip on his neck, she felt his hands travel from her back to the soft and sensitive skin of her thighs, which were still tightly wrapped around him. Her whole body shuddered from his small touch.

His breath was hot on her cheek. From the corner of her eyes, Poppy saw him parting his lips before giving a gentle suck on her neck. Branch wasn't gentle and he seemed to come to his senses when he groaned and muttered a small sorry.

"Are you okay?" He asked after a while. He kept still as a rock, holding her limp body as if she would drown if he let go.

Hair… better than okay.

"Yeah," was her quiet answer. She couldn't meet his eyes. It was so intense and interesting. She didn't trust herself to keep her hands from him. "You should finish your sandwich."

The quick change of subject made him relax. He let go of her legs and Poppy set her feet on the fluffy sand again.

"I should…" he half laughed as she swam to the shore. "I'll be out in a second."

Poppy bit her lower lip and stepped out of the water, pretending she didn't know what he meant.

It was enjoyable to eat trollsberries, relax under the sun, and talk about silly things like their favorite shower songs.

"Thanks for bringing me here," Poppy stretched. It was just what she needed after a tense week. It was very reassuring to know she could count on Branch to come up with romantic trips.

"You looked like you needed some time off." Her boyfriend replied. Hair, could he look more handsome? Sitting up, arms loosely supported on his knees, breathing deeply and so relaxed that Poppy wished she could frame that picture and look at it every day.

"What makes you say that? Was I jumping you too much?" She grinned teasingly.

"No." Branch smirked, lingering on a mystery memory of one of their recent makeout. "It has more to do with DJ leaving."

Yeah… he noticed, Poppy realized. She still wasn't fully recovered from the blow to her skills to keep her friends close. Cooper leaving to spend a few days with his native tribe didn't help her mood, either.

"I'm scared Trollstopia isn't going to hold everyone forever." Poppy shrugged.

"It probably won't." Branch nodded, being down to his rational side and throwing a metaphorical cold water bucket on her head. "Everyone will eventually want to visit their families and other cultures may be intriguing for them like it was for DJ."

"Oh, great…" Poppy sniffed, looking away.

"Hey," He moved a bit closer, holding her chin to make her look at him, just like that first time when he so gently started singing to her inside that fateful cooking pan. "But they will come back. You've built roads, not borders. You're the queen who planted the Big Troll Nation idea. And they all love it."

"Oh…" It was getting too natural to smile after shedding a couple of tears. "That's a good perspective."

"I've learned from the best." His big hands slowly reached out for hers, intertwining their fingers. "And I'll always be here to help you. No matter what."

Talkative, jolly, and gleeful Poppy was shut in stunned silence. Who was that magnificent troll and what had he done with her boyfriend?

A soft breeze ruffled their hair bringing the sweet scent of the trollsberry blossoms. Poppy leaned forward, expressing all her gratitude with a kiss that was eagerly responded to.

Poppy tried not to think about the mystic lingerie and the part it played in their romantic afternoon.