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Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter 57

Morning Encounters

Once outside the DreamSage's pod, Poppy and Branch used their hair to swing down to the ground. Branch began to walk purposely forward, only to slow and stop. The impatient irritation on his face faded into a lost, bewildered expression as he looked around them.

Poppy looked, too. All around the village square dozens of trolls wandered, their eyes glued to their surroundings. She hadn't noticed earlier, but now it was obvious that they were searching for something; and quite diligently, too. Pride for her people warmed her heart.

Then, beside her, she heard Branch sigh. Uh oh. She knew that sigh. It was never a good sign. Branch was unhappy.

"Branch, what's wrong?"

In the past he would have buried his true feelings under anger, and lashed out at her or someone else. But now he was able to let his sadness and disappointment show, and ask for the comfort he needed.

"I missed it, Poppy," he said in a low, dejected tone. "I missed the opening ceremony of Cleanup Day."

Aww, my poor Pookie. His shoulders and ears were drooping. He looked so forlorn that Poppy wanted to gather him in her arms and kiss his pain away. Since they were in public, she couldn't kiss him, but she could still hug him. Even if it wasn't quite Hug Time yet, she didn't care. He needed one.

Just as she reached for him- Ting! Glowing flowers in a rainbow of colors appeared on the wrists of everyone around them. The young queen's bright beam rivaled their radiance as she said sang out, "Nine o'clock Hug Time!" She embraced Branch happily. Now he'll feel better.

But he didn't hug her back. After a moment, her grip on him loosened uncertainly. "Branch?" Is he mad at me? Just as she opened her mouth to apologize, he sighed again. His arms came up around her, and he tilted his head to bury his nose under her cheek.

"Aww, Branch."Poppy gave him a sympathetic squeeze, then snuggled her body into his and held him close. She breathed in his beloved sugar-spice scent and let her body relax, knowing it would help him relax, too.

It did. Gradually she felt the tension leaving him. His breathing grew slow and deep as he gave himself over to the enjoyment of the hug. Finally he lifted his bowed head and pressed his cheek to hers.

"Feeling better?" she asked softly.

"Mm-hm," he replied, sounding much more content now. "I can't believe I ever used to dislike hugs."

Poppy smiled at that. Then she said sincerely, "I'm sorry, Branch."

"For what?"

"This is my fault. I made you miss the opening ceremony. I know how much you were looking forward to this holiday. We should have come earlier, like you said." She sighed regretfully. "I should have realized that this year might be different, because of what happened to me yesterday."

She felt him hesitate. The old Branch would have said, "I told you so" or "You should have listened to me". But now, he chose kindness instead. "That's okay," he replied, rubbing her back a little to let her know she was forgiven. "I didn't think of it, either."

His body warmth and soothing strokes on her back felt good, and his love even moreso. "You really like keeping things clean and neat, don't you, sweetie?" she said fondly.

"It's not just that, Poppy." He lifted his face so he could look her in the eye as he explained, "Cleanup Day is… It's my holiday. My one real contribution to the village to keep everyone safe. The one and only time my voice mattered."

Her eyes widened. Is that really how he feels? "Branch…"

"Cleanup Day has always been the one day out of the year when at least some of the other trolls were on my side." A pang went through her chest at the wistfulness in his voice. She felt him wilt a little as he added, "Whether they knew it or not."

Poppy remembered then that Branch had told her he'd asked the king not to tell who had come up with the idea for a village-wide, year-long cleanup plan. He said it was because it was embarrassing to imagine everyone making a big deal out it, but I wonder now if it was because he was afraid that if the other trolls knew he was behind it, they wouldn't have chosen to participate.

As she imagined that, her heart seemed to shrivel a little inside her. It hurt. It hurt even more when she realized that this was how her poor sweetheart must have felt all these years. So isolated, always on the fringes of the group he wanted so badly to be a part of. Wanting to feel valued and cherished. "Oh, Branch…" she said sadly, her voice husky with feeling. "I'm so sorry."

His slumped posture straightened as her misery brought out his protective side. "Hey. Hey, it's okay, Poppy." He let her go and stepped back to take her hands in his. "There is a silver lining. At least we can be fairly sure that everyone will take Cleanup Day a little more seriously from now on. I'm grateful for that."

As she gazed at him, he really did seem to be happy. Looking into his smiling face, the young queen was mesmerized by her boyfriend's vivid blue eyes; so clear and sincere, unclouded by bitterness or regret. A silver lining indeed.

Once upon a time the troll before her had been gray and pessimistic, never able to see the bright side of things. But that troll had learned to see the world through new eyes, and she had never been more proud of him. "I'm grateful, too, Branch," she said softly. "I'm so, so grateful to have you in my life."

His earnest expression softened into tenderness. "Poppy…"

As they gazed at each other, the loving look in her boyfriend's eyes deepened into intention. After spending the night with him, she knew just what that look meant. Her heart began to race. Tingles rushed up her spine into her hair. Branch was going to kiss her right here in front of everyone!

And when he did, she would kiss him back. Everyone would know just how their queen felt about the troll who'd once been so overlooked. Once surly and secretive, with a little love and support the gray troll had blossomed into the wonderful person she'd always sensed he could be. His True Colors were finally right there for everyone to see. Branch was so sweet and caring, so dedicated to protecting everyone from harm. He was brave and smart and kind and cute, and now everyone would know just how truly special he was. To the village…and to her.

The young couple leaned toward each other, their lips getting closer and closer…

"Branch! There you are." Both of them started. Branch actually yelped and jumped into the air.

The female voice continued, "I just wanted to remind you that we have an appointment next week."

They turned to see Doctor Plum standing there, smiling at them. In place of her usual white lab coat, she wore orange shorts and a light pink T-shirt, which made her look much less formal than Poppy was used to seeing her. She must have dressed like that for Cleanup Day.

Beside her, Branch gathered his scattered wits and stammered, "Oh, uh, yeah."

"Nine o'clock Monday morning. Don't forget now, all right? It's important."

"Sure. I'll be there."

The plum-colored female waved a friendly hand and moved on, her keen violet eyes scanning a small clump of nearby bushes.

Branch stared after the doctor for a few seconds, then looked all around them, noting the dozens of trolls nearby, many of whom were looking at them curiously. He flushed a little, then reached for her hand and led her to a relatively private spot under a giant, floppy leaf whose edges touched the ground. In its cool shade, he said, "I'm sorry, Poppy."

She blinked. "For what?"

"I almost gave us away. I almost kissed you right in front of everyone. I was feeling the magic, and I just- I'm sorry."

"Branch," she said gently. "What did we say last night? Don't ever be sorry for wanting to show me you love me, okay?"

His hangdog expression lightened into one of those looks that was uniquely Branch. A sad smile; one that held both happiness and melancholy. How he managed that, she didn't know.

It's a step in the right direction, but he still looks like he thinks he's done something wrong. What else can I do to make him feel better? She imagined asking her father, and heard his wise voice in her head. Communication brings closeness, my dear.

Maybe Branch just needed to hear what was going on in her mind. A little flirting might help, too…

She put her hands behind her back and leaned toward her boyfriend, tilting her head to the side as she murmured amorously, "I was totally going to kiss you back, you know."

She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at him. He blinked, and then-

"Ah, there it is," she said in affectionate satisfaction. She wanted to touch the smile of shy pleasure that pushed his cheeks upward, and so she did, setting her hands on either side of his face and patting gently. "I feel the magic too, sweetie. Every time you kiss me, it feels so, so good."

He made a soft noise through his nose that could have been a chuckle, or a note of agreement, or just a hum of love and happiness. Maybe all three.

In the past she might have left it at that, but Poppy was getting better at recognizing when to ask for more information. He needed to communicate more, too. Now that she knew more about his past, she understood that after spending nearly half his life with no one to talk to other than a journal that couldn't respond back, it was natural for him to keep his thoughts to himself. Especially when self-doubt tangled them.

But he has me now. If something's bothering him, we can work it out together.

"Hey, Branch?" she asked softly. "Do you have something on your mind?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, and sighed. "I just wish I could kiss you without having everybody make a big deal out of it. I mean, I know we agreed not to hide how we feel about each other. And I do want everybody to be happy for us. I really do. It's just that…"

Poppy waited, but he didn't seem to know how to finish. She understood. Part of her honestly wanted to share their happiness with the other trolls, but another part of her was thoroughly enjoying the secrecy. Like most trolls other than Branch, Poppy wasn't very good at keeping secrets for long, which made this one all the more special. Secrets were exciting, mysterious, intimate. They might be surrounded by hundreds of trolls, but she and Branch were in their own little world, just the two of them. It felt so right to be there.

"You want to change the game? Works for me," she said cheerfully. "Secrets are fun."

He blinked. "Really? But I thought you said hiding how we feel about each other from the other trolls makes you feel guilty."

"Well, I don't want to lie about our relationship, no. That would make me feel really guilty." She thought for a moment. "But mainly, I guess I thought the other trolls would feel neglected if I started spending a lot of time with just you. I thought they'd be upset. But so far, every troll who's found out about us has seemed to take it for granted that I want to be alone with you. That makes me feel better."

"That's what I was trying to explain to you earlier, about dating." Branch spread his hands wide. "I remember you saying you were worried that you were being selfish because you wanted me to love you more than anybody else. But the thing is, Poppy, that's what being in a romantic relationship is. It's natural to have special feelings for a sweetheart. In fact, if you don't develop those special feelings, it's a sign that you shouldn't be in a relationship with them."

He dropped his hands to his sides and shrugged his shoulders. "At least that's how I understand it, from what I've seen and read. Actually, it kinda surprises me that you need to have this explained to you. You're so much more social than me."

"I know, but well, I am the queen. It's different for me."

Branch reached out, took her hand in his, and brought it to his mouth. Slowly, sensuously, he kissed her knuckles. "Not as different as you thought, my love. Remember, everybody wants to see you happy."

As always, his affection made her melt like gladnut butter. "Oh, I am definitely happy."

"Mmmgood," he murmured, kissing his way across her hand, then moving up her arm. His gentle lips sent her off into gleeful giggles, her toes wiggling madly as she struggled to hold still. How she loved it when he did stuff like this to her!It was all she could do to keep from jumping around and squealing at the top of her lungs. So exciting!

From the deep, wide smile on his face, Branch was amused at her excitement. As she watched breathlessly, his lips made their way up to her shoulder, leaving a trail of tingles in his wake. There he hesitated.

A tiny sound of protest escaped from her mouth before she could stop herself. Their eyes met; each troll checking to make sure the other was comfortable with what was happening between them. Sensing no fear in her partner, she pleaded eagerly, "Don't stop."

Branch let out a soft chuckle and let her go. "Believe me, I don't want to. If I could kiss you like this all day…"

"Then why don't you?" she said boldly. "Remember last night when I said I had a surprise for you?"

"Oh, boy. Which surprise are we talking about?" His face twisted into a pondering expression, but underneath she could sense a hint of the wry humor she loved in him. "How many surprises are we up to now?"

"Um…three, I think."

"'You think'?"

"Three that I said I out loud, anyway. I'm sure there's lots more ideas floating around in my brain," she said blithely. "They'll come out when they're ready."

"Great. I can't wait." His arms were crossed and his tone deadpan, but he was smiling. "So, what's your idea?"

Poppy laughed. "I don't want to wait 'til the end of Cleanup Day to kiss you, so I was thinking… What if…" She didn't hear anyone nearby, but in keeping with the spirit of the game, she lowered her voice. "What if we kiss each other when nobody's looking?"

"Sneaking kisses on the sly? In public?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know…"

Poppy wasn't fooled – her boyfriend was intrigued. From the spark in his eye, he was already planning schemes and strategies. Branch loved a good challenge.

And I love my man.

Back in their old roles once again, the perky pink troll giggled and booped her trusty companion's nose. "Come on, Branchifer. What do you say? Wanna sneakiss with me?"

"Sneakiss – oh. Sneaky kiss. Cute." He rolled his eyes and she giggled again. The aquamarine troll held up a cautious finger, opened his mouth, then paused. She waited, holding her breath, her teeth gripping her lower lip in hopeful anticipation. Finally he shrugged and grinned at her. "Oh, what the hey. Let the sneakissing commence."

"Really? Yesss!" Immediately Poppy attached her lips to his. Branch responded strongly, cupping her cheek in one hand and using the other to press her into him at the base of her spine. "Mmmph," she groaned sensually, a little surprised at how quickly he was getting into this. Maybe because he knew anyone could interrupt them at any moment, so it felt like they had to hurry?

Whatever the reason, secrecy made kissing more exciting! She was going to go with the flow before something stopped them. And by the feel of it, so was he.

"Poppy…" he murmured in between kisses. "Poppy… Oh, Poppy…"

"Branch…" she responded happily. "You're being so not-you. So daring. I like it."

"Well, Sunshine… I may not like to take risks…but in this case, the reward is worth it."

"Aww, Branch." How precious she felt in his eyes! "My sweet loverboy. To think, we held off on doing this all day yesterday."

"Yeah, but to be fair… Yesterday…we didn't know what we were missing…" Branch gently tilted her head a little to the side so he could bring his lips along the side of her face. "Also…we may not get another chance for a while. I'm taking…the opportunity…to stock up."

"Ah, there's the Branch I know and love," Poppy teased, dancing her lips around his cheek and up over one eyebrow.

"Mm-hm," he mumbled, pressing his lips to her chin. She tilted her face up and he obligingly began to kiss her throat. Slowly, gently, he moved across the site of her former trauma, his warm breath tickling her skin. She felt the flick of his tongue, teasing her, and couldn't help but giggle. It never once occurred to her to be nervous. She trusted her lover with all her heart and soul.

Her body began to heat up. Words left her. Her breathing went quick and erratic, snatched in between long, warm kisses. Her belly tumbled, and she had an impulse to get closer to him somehow, so she slid a hand under his vest. His skin felt as hot as she did.

"Poppy…" His deep moan flared her inner heat even higher.

"Yes, I thought I saw Poppy and Branch come this way!" someone shouted right outside their sheltering leaf.

The young lovers started and yanked away from one another, only to find their hair all tangled up together. Frantically they began to unravel themselves.

"They've got to be around here somewhere!" said the same voice, which Poppy recognized as Cooper's, said at the top of his lungs.

As their hair came apart, Branch shook his head vehemently. His scattered tufts smoothed back into his normal, neat hairstyle. He glanced at her and his eyes flashed alarm. "Poppy, your hair!" he whispered hoarsely, pointing at his own head.

She became aware that her hair felt all clumpy and messy, just as Cooper' voice blasted, "But not under that big leaf. No reason at all to look there!"

Panicking, Poppy tried to move her hair to fix it but her hair tie was getting in the way. As usual Branch spotted the problem and leaped into action. Swiftly he pulled the hair tie from her head, used his own hair to scoop hers up into its usual topknot and retied her hair in three seconds flat.

Just as he let her hair go, the leaf over them moved to one side and Cooper appeared. Fizzy the dessert vendor was with him. "Oh, there you are, Branch. I was looking for you," said the plum-colored troll cheerfully. His bright red-orange hair was curved into a hook, from which a large basket hung. It was half-full of beads of all shapes and sizes.

"Heh heh, I guess you found me," Branch said lamely.

Poppy and her boyfriend waited breathlessly for Fizzy to ask why she and Branch had been hiding together under the leaf, but he only said, "King Peppy wants to see you, Branch."

"Me?" His voice squeaked, and he coughed and cleared his throat. He shot Poppy a look of alarm. "W-why would your dad want to see me, Poppy? I thought he was okay with our-" Branch used yesterday's code word, "-ice cream."

"You make ice cream too, Branch?" Fizzy asked in delight.

"He is," she reassured her boyfriend. Eyeing Fizzy's basket, she suggested, "It's probably something to do with Cleanup Day."

"Oh." Branch looked relieved. "Oh, right. Cleanup Day. That makes sense."

Fizzy looked back and forth between them, his face a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "Uh, say, Branch, I had something I wanted to talk to you about. If you're not busy."

Poppy gulped. Had Fizzy figured out that she and Branch had been doing more than hunting for beads beneath the leaf? Branch's eyes widened, and he took a step back. "Well a-a-actually, Poppy and I should probably go find the king right now. Maybe later, okay?"

"Sure, Branch. I'll be around," Fizzy said in a friendly manner. He lifted his hand in a little goodbye wave, then turned and walked away.

"Thank you for coming to look for us, Fizzy," Poppy called after him.

"You're welcome, Queen Poppy."

Poppy turned to her long-necked friend. "And Cooper, thank you for – you know."

"Yes, thanks for the hair's-up," Branch said gratefully.

Cooper gave them an exaggerated wink. "No problem."

As they left the shelter of the overhanging leaf, Poppy looked around at the searching trolls and beamed at Branch. "Look at them all, working so hard. I'm so proud of everyone. Leafe said most of the village volunteered to join Cleanup Day. Hey, maybe we'll get done early!" If we could finish with plenty of time for what I've got planned for Branch this afternoon, that would be great!

"You think so?" Branch rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of that. My original Cleanup Day plan was based on an estimated group of only fifty trolls. Maybe I should revise-"

"Fifty? I thought the village cleanup teams were in groups of twenty. Isn't that what the plan you gave my dad calls for?"

"For most of the year, yes. But on Cleanup Day, I generally estimate for about thirty or so extra volunteers, including you and our other friends. Thirty trolls, not over two hundred."

Poppy caught his troubled expression. "Why is your face looking like that? Having extra volunteers is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, but it's not very efficient." Branch ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great that everyone wants to help, but we need to get organized. Otherwise, like yesterday, there's a good chance that this is all going to end up as one gigantic hairball."

"What do you mean?"

"Too many trolls in some areas, and not enough in others. Some areas might get overlooked entirely. The point of Cleanup Day is to find as many beads as possible, right? So I'd like to institute strict search patterns to make sure that doesn't happen."

Strict search patterns, eh? Poppy expected to feel her usual irritation at Branch's normal response to chaos – to corral it, restrict it, control it. But after what had happened to her the previous day, she couldn't deny that Branch made a good point. Almost choking to death was an awful, awful experience that I never want to let happen to any other troll. It nearly did, eight years ago, to sweet little Kiki.

"Okay, but just remember to keep it fun, Branch," she reminded him. "Think of it like the Double-Helix dance. You made a fantastic dance caller yesterday. Everybody loved you!"

Reminded of how much he'd enjoyed mixing organization and fun yesterday, Branch gave her a big, happy grin. "Right." He began to take long, purposeful strides. "Do you see your dad anywhere?"

Poppy scanned the crowd, looking for a head of shaggy magenta hair streaked with silver. She didn't see her dad, but she did spot a group of very familiar faces.

As they walked past the group, Branch's eyes passed over them, his mind focused inward. "Hey, Cooper, while Poppy's looking for her dad, can you look for the rest of our friends?"

"Okay," said Cooper. He put a light blue handfoot up to shade his eyes, peering around at the rest of their friends. He pointed at them and began to gleefully bounce up and down. "I found them! I won! I won! Hee hee hee!"

"Won what?" Branch asked absently.

Six voices called out, "Hi, Branch!"

He jumped into the air. "Ah!"

Poppy tried not to laugh at her boyfriend, whose mind had been so preoccupied he hadn't even realized he'd been staring at the very people he was looking for!

"Hide and seek! You asked me to find them and I did, so I won!"

"I wasn't – I didn't mean-" Branch sighed. "Oh, never mind. Okay, fine. Cooper, you won. Good job."

"Yay!" Cooper cheered, then cupped his handfoot around his mouth. "But between you and me, it really wasn't all that hard. I love our friends, but their hiding skills need work. I almost feel guilty for finding them so fast!"

Branch groaned, and Poppy chuckled.

"Well, I just want to say thanks, Branch," said Smidge in a cranky tone.

"You're wel-"

"Thanks for making me lose my bet."

"Bet? What bet? What are you talking about?"

"I bet Guy a dozen of his Super-Duper-Scrumptious Glitter-Cream cupcakes, the ones he only makes during Frolic Festival season, that you guys would kiss during Hug Time this morning. We were all watching you. I was this close. This close to tasting those mouth-wateringly delicious cupcakes," she held her thumb and finger an inch apart, "and now I'm gonna have to wait! Frolic season doesn't start for five whole weeks!" She groaned loudly.

Copper laughed and said, "Talk about a slow-burn relationship."

Branch scowled and indignantly put his hands on his hips. "Oh, yeah? Well, for your information, people, Poppy and I have already kissed!"

Everyone gasped, including Poppy. He said it. Right in front of everyone!

Eyes bulging, Branch slapped a hand over his mouth. He whipped his head from side to side so fast his ears bent. Poppy looked, too. After a moment she sighed in relief as the trolls wandering around the village square paid no attention to them. Looks like they didn't hear him.

Their friends certainly had. They cheered, and Smidge slapped Branch so hard he stumbled forward. "That's great, man! Really great. Way to go!"

"Yes, way to make progreEeEeEess, Branch!" Guy enthusiastically shot off a round of glitter bursts to make a sparkling arc over the young couple.

As silver glitter fluttered down to land on everyone, Biggie said in delight, "Isn't this romantic,Mister Dinkles?"

"Meep."

DJ said eagerly, "Tell us all about your first kiss."

"Shh!" His face bright lavender, Branch waved his hands in the air, whispering urgently, "Not now! Not here!"

They protested, "No…"

"Aw, man…"

"Come on, don't leave us hanging."

Surrounded by pouty lower lips and big puppy-dog eyes, Branch gave Poppy a desperate look. She giggled and said, "I'll show you the scrapbook I made later. For now, let me just tell you that Branch is a wonderful kisser, guys. He's sweet, and gentle, and romantic…"

"Awww…" everyone chorused, hearts shining in their eyes.

Poppy winked at her boyfriend. "And sexy, too."

Branch blushed and looked away, but anyone could see that he was also happy with her praise.

Grinning, Satin nudged Branch with her elbow. "I told you those shorts would get her in the mood."

Now Poppy was blushing, too.

"Yeah, I have to admit that for once, Satin had a good idea," Chenille confirmed.

"Chenille!"

Ignoring the twins, Smidge said enthusiastically, "Well, if you liked kissing, you'll love frolicking."

"Yeah, it's a lotta fun." DJ smiled complacently at the young couple, whose fierce blushes intensified. A little more and they'd literally be glowing. Again.

Guy said helpfully, "If either of you ever want some tips on how to give another troll pleasure, my door is always open. I'm a fantabuloOoOoOous lover. Ask anyone."

"Yeah, he is," the twins and Cooper said together.

Poppy blinked and Branch's mouth dropped open. They looked back and forth between the preening silver glitter troll and his former frolic partners. Poppy found herself trying to picture the various unions – and just as quickly decided she didn't want to know. All of them were too much like brothers and sisters to feel comfortable with the direction this conversation was going.

Branch obviously felt the same. "Too much information, guys!" Branch's voice wobbled as he stared hard at the ground, as if he wanted to dig another bunker right there. His ears were bright lavender all the way out to the tips. "Waaay too much information."

"Thank you for the offer, though," Poppy added with desperate politeness. "Maybe later."

"Oh, you two are so cute." Biggie put a hand on his cheek, gazing affectionately at his two friends, and the others chuckled warmly.

After an agonizingly long moment, Smidge took pity on them and changed the subject. "So, we saw Doctor Plum talking to you this morning. Are you feeling okay, Poppy?"

"I'm fine. She just wanted to remind Branch about his upcoming checkup. Probably because – you know."

To Branch's obvious surprise, everyone laughed.

Branch gave his friends a look of mild surprise. "Is she really that serious about checkups?"

"I don't think it's that kind of checkup." Poppy traded amused glances with their friends.

"Heh heh heh," Smidge chuckled.

Branch looked from one to the other, his face scrunching up in confusion. Then he crossed his arms. "Okay, what am I missing? Guys?"

They laughed harder.

"Can't you guess?" Chenille giggled.

He stood there looking peeved for a minute before finally saying, "Okay, normally I like guessing games, but this is starting to freak me out a little. Come on, guys. Just tell me. Please?"

DJ relented. "Aw, the Doc probably just wants to discuss family planning with you."

"Family pla- Oh." Once again, Branch blushed.

Biggie added, "You are starting your first relationship, after all. We all had to have that talk with one of the village doctors."

"What's there to talk about?" Branch rolled his eyes. "Heartflower berries. I get it," he said flatly.

Giggling, the twins sang together, "That's not all you talk about..."

"It's not? What else is there?" Branch looked at Poppy, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Well, you talk about…" She gave him an almost apologetic smile, and his face dropped.

"Oh, no. Don't tell me."

"…your feelings."

"Ugh. I asked you not to tell me."

Cooper suggested, "Maybe the Doc thinks you're gonna miss your appointment-" he ducked his head and his voice lowered to a sneaky whisper, "on purpose."

Branch looked uncomfortable, as if he'd been thinking of doing just that.

I wonder if Plum thinks the same thing. Branch hasn't exactly been forthcoming with her in the past. Poppy had a mental image of a crying Branch lashing out at Plum during that long-ago Frolic Festival where he'd finally given up on Poppy for good before running home to grieve all alone. The pink troll winced sympathetically.

"Face it, Branch, we all know you hate talking about feEeEeEelings," Guy trilled, with an odd mix of smugness and sympathy.

"Aw, it's no big deal, Branch," Smidge said casually. "Not everyone is as good at expressing their feelings as I am."

Poppy watched the dismay on her boyfriend's face shift to indignation. "Hey, what are you talking about? What about the poems I shared with you last night? You all seemed pretty impressed by my eloquence then!"

"Oh my gad; you're right!" Smidge slapped a hand to her forehead. "What was I thinking?"

Poppy hid her smile. Thanks, Smidge. Now Branch will be too busy proving himself to remember to be nervous, or embarrassed.

The others seemed to get the idea. "Your beautiful words moved my heart." Satin put a hand on her chest.

Chenille put both of her hands over her own heart. "You moved my heart more."

"No, he moved my heart more!"

The twins fell to squabbling with one another. Branch looked from one to the other, as if he wanted to intervene but wasn't sure if he should.

Then Biggie took his attention away, as the cobalt-blue troll said with admiration to the glow-worm in his arms, "Any troll who could craft such a precious scrapbook page will surely have the words to express himself well, right, Mister Dinkles?"

"Meep."

"Scrapbook page?" asked Branch.

"Yes, the one in Poppy's pod. We went there looking for you two this morning and found it. We didn't recognize the style, so we guessed it was yours."

"Oh." From the dismay on his face, he'd forgotten about that page. He was probably wondering how many other trolls had seen it, too. Poppy smiled sentimentally as she recalled his sincere, awkward attempt to express his feelings for her; how he'd wanted to share his hopes and dreams for a future together. With her.

DJ said enthusiastically, "Yeah, there were these cute little trollings in yours and Poppy's colors-"

Biggie sniffled. "I remember when you were both hatched, and now you're all grown up and ready to make egglings of your own. Oh, it's so beautiful!"

Branch held up a hand. "Well, not right away, but someday…"

Their friends gaped at him, all teasing forgotten. Branch looked around at their flabbergasted faces. "What?"

"You're really serious about her, aren't you, Branch?" Guy's unmodulated voice held an uncharacteristic note of awe. "This isn't just a fling to you, is it? You want to start a family with Poppy, and be with her forever."

Poppy thought that Branch would get embarrassed yet again, but instead his expression softened as he turned to gaze lovingly at her. "I sure do."

There was a long silence. Poppy's entire body was tingling. She was so touched that she couldn't move. Or think. Or breathe. And she didn't mind at all.

Finally Smidge broke the silence. "Aw, now that you and Poppy are an item, I guess I missed my chance. I should've asked you to the last Frolic Festival, Branch."

"Us, too," Satin and Chenille said together.

"I did ask him, and he said 'no'." With a touch of his usual arrogance, Guy tossed his glittery white mane. "I couldn't understand why at the time – no one ever turns down the chance to frolic with Guy Diamond. But I see now. It was Poppy you were interested in all along."

Branch nodded, his expression relaxed and serene now. "Yes. I've been in love with her for a long time."

"Aww," everyone cooed.

Guy seemed satisfied. "Then I'm happy to concede defeat to a fine rival."

Poppy was glad Guy didn't feel the need to cause a scene. She was pretty sure he wasn't seriously interested in Branch, but their glittery friend often felt the need to defend his image, more than their other friends did.

"Ohhh, I get it now. That scrapbook page… Yeah…" For once, Cooper seemed serious. He tiled his head to one side, his blue dreadlocks swinging as he observed, "You're already kinda like a dad."

Branch looked from one face to another as everyone nodded in agreement. Judging by the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, he didn't seem to know whether to be flattered or annoyed by that. "Uh… Thank you?" he said finally. Changing the subject, he added, "Hey, speaking of dads, have any of you seen Poppy's?"

"Sure thing, dude. I saw him a few minutes ago, waiting in line at Fizzy's ice cream stand. The line was pretty long, so he's probably still there."

"Thanks, DJ."

And they were off again.

-O-

It didn't take long for them to find the king. Branch plunged right into his plans, going so far as to pull a folding chalkboard from his hair, drawing overly-complex, super-elaborate diagrams. Poppy listened only long enough to understand her own role and then relaxed, waiting patiently for Branch to finish. She watched her father with amusement, as he stroked his moustache and murmured, "Mm-hm…" every so often. Knowing him, Branch probably already lost him a while back.

She didn't know how her dad kept up that look of thoughtful concentration on his face, but neither of them would have dreamed of interrupting Branch. Like Poppy herself, her father was very happy that the former recluse had finally begun to involve himself in village affairs.

As she waited, her mind kind of fuzzed out and began to drift. I had no idea so many of our friends were attracted to Branch. Maybe they never said anything because they sensed that he was devoted to me. Oh yeah, and they suspected I'd had a crush on him when I was fourteen. I wonder what it would have been like, if I'd invited him to the Frolic Festival back then…

-O-

Frolic Festival seasons. Celebrated for an entire month each, twice a year, during the months of Merrymaking and Dally-dance. Punsters called them the Marry-making and Dalliance months.

It was a time of great love and joy for all. No school. Smiles on everyone's faces. Glorious decorations everywhere. Banners held familiar slogans for the holiday, including "Hang Loose" (Silhouettes of two trolls hanging from their hair and kissing) and "Frolic Fun" (Silhouettes of two trolls laying down and embracing with no space at all between their bodies. Their hair was in a spiral, with the very tips in the shape of a heart, and hairbloom sparkles drifted in the air around them).

It was expected that most trolls' minds would be on love, romance, and frolicking. Love songs and hairblooms filled the air. It was indeed a special time of year, when pleasurable encounters often blossomed into new relationships. New friendships, new lovers, or even new families. The spring Frolic Festival also signaled endings as well as beginnings, as new students began school and others graduated. Most celebrated their new adulthood by moving into pods of their own.

Singing, dancing, and games abounded. There were kissing games, dating games, and couple's games, like Spin the Wheel for the romantically adventurous, to win a mystery date. The games were run by volunteers, often married couples who wanted to spend time apart to let their anticipation grow for when they reunited. As she grew older, Poppy usually ran multiple activities herself.

The village had a few ace trolls who often volunteered as well, although even they sometimes chose to participate if they found themselves experiencing new desires due to the mating hormones. Even those who normally might not feel much need for frolicking the rest of the year would sometimes indulge in a playful romp or two. Married couples where one or both partners were ace found it easy to enjoy starting a family during mating season.

There were three areas to every Frolic Festival: 'Looking', 'Found', and 'No, Thanks'. As one of the trolls who set up the activities, Poppy knew that many of them were exactly the same. There was no reason for anyone to miss out, no matter which area they were in. The only exceptions were some of the games in the No, Thanks area.

No one was barred from attending any part of the Frolic Festival. Trollings were free to wander in if they chose, but since most of them weren't very interested in adult games yet, they just tended to do a brief tour through the entire Festival at the beginning of each season to satisfy their curiosity. Then they went back to the games with their friends in the No, Thanks area, which taught love, trust, respect and consideration for their friends and future partners.

Most young trollings' need for intimacy was satisfied with just hugging, and kissing on the cheek. Adults kept an eye out for the telltale spiraling hair-twist of those older trollings who were getting a little too caught up in each other. They were gently encouraged to cool down.

For those teens whose hormones were surging, they were laughingly advised to head back home to share the fun and games with each other. Or they could visit one of the Love Nests, small temporary pods, each one creatively themed, for an exciting tryst. It was something of a rite of passage when young trolls grew up enough to have an adult teasingly reminding them, "Did you eat your heartflower berries this morning?

During the MerryDally months, at breakfast and throughout the day, treats of all kinds made from heartflower berries were plentifully available everywhere in the village. Eating just a few berries kept both male and female trolls from having to worry about making trollings for three days, although most trolls ate many more than that, simply because they were delicious.

Every troll knew about heartflower berries. It was one of the first songs every parent taught their trollings. All adult trolls went through a ten-day period at some point during each Frolic Festival season when they were able to make trollings, if they wanted to. No two trolls had the exact same cycle, so to make sure the holiday included everyone, each fertile season was considered to be a full month long, with the days all trolls were the most fertile in the middle of the month.

Trolls knew when frolic season was coming even without a calendar, as most trolls, even some who identified as ace, began to have rather amorous dreams. The heartflower berry bushes began to bloom. Hairblooms were also more common then; a cool way to impress a potential frolic partner.

Glitter trolls were the only exception. They didn't have set mating times. They reproduced by self-cloning, which meant that births could happen at any time of the year. They often took a new parent by surprise, although Poppy had yet to see a glitter troll who wasn't delighted by a new little addition to their family.

-O-

Remembering her own glitter friend's oddly serious reaction earlier, Poppy mused, I wonder when it'll be Guy Diamond's turn to be a dad? He can't choose to have a trolling of his own like the rest of us can. He never seemed to care before, but now… It almost seemed like that bothers him.

Well, maybe that's a sign that he's ready to be a dad, she thought optimistically. And if that's the case, who knows? It could happen any day now.

She grinned. It's just as well that Branch isn't a glitter troll. It must be a load off his mind to know that he has control over when he becomes a dad. She giggled. Cooper was right; I can totally see him as a dad. He's always had that protective streak, ever since we were trollings. He even managed to keep his practice-eggling safe.

-O-

To ensure safe experimentation as teenagers, when they were little, trollings were taught how baby trolls were made and why it was important not to have them until they were adults. To be sure they understood the very real work and long-term responsibility involved in taking care of one, they were given practice-egglings to take care of.

The eggs were purposely made of a more fragile material than real troll eggs, in order to teach the trollings to be careful with them. As one might expect, they often ended up broken, exposing the small wooden baby troll inside. Poppy winced as she recalled the fate of her own practice-eggling, its bright-colored shell shattered, and big painted tears rolling down its sad little face.

Older trolls often got genuinely upset at the sight of a broken 'baby', especially those who were parents. Their great distress made a big impression on the trollings, who remembered it well during their teenage years when the time came for their own romantic adventures.

Poppy remembered that Branch had been the only trolling in his class whose practice-eggling had remained intact by the end of the week. He'd carried it in his hair just like adults did. He had even sewn a cushioned eggling blanket to keep it warm and safe. Everyone had praised him highly, and he'd looked so pleased with himself. He'd gotten a lot of extra hugs that day that he actually hadn't seemed to mind.

"You're gonna be a great daddy some day, Branch," she had told him, beaming with pride.

He'd looked down at the ground and blushed. "Thanks, Poppy."

He was so cute.

-O-

By the time I finished discussing things with King Peppy, I was all revved up and ready to go. Near the end of our talk, King Peppy told me that he had decided to leave the matter to me. "I can see that you know what you're doing, my boy."

"Thanks," I said, pleased at his show of trust. "I promise, this will be the best Cleanup Day ever."

As I turned to leave, my brain swirling with patterns and plans, Fizzy asked, "Hey, Branch? Do you have some time to talk now? I have some questions I'd like to ask you."

"About what?" I asked curiously.

The eighteen-year-old shrugged. "Oh, nothing that important."

I exchanged a look with Poppy, then turned back to the plum-colored troll. "Um, well, I've really got a lot to do right now. Can it wait?"

"Sure," Fizzy agreed. "That's fine. I was about to close up my stand so I can join the bead-hunters anyway. I'll talk to you later."

"Anything I can do for you?" Poppy offered.

"No, I'm good. Happy Cleanup Day."

"Happy Cleanup Day," we answered.

As we headed off toward the big mushroom stage, I gave Poppy a look of confusion. "What was that all about?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess we'll find out later."

He said it's not important. Maybe he wants me to taste-test some more chocolates or something. But for right now… "Come on, Poppy. King Peppy put me in change, so I-"

That's when it hit me. I jerked to a stop. "Oh, man."

"What's wrong, Branch?"

"King Peppy put me in charge."

Author's Note:

When Cherry Blossom Dreamcrafter married Leafe Sage, they chose to merge their names, into the family name DreamSage.

Poppy's "sneakiss" idea is the one she got during chapter 44, when she mentioned having "an even better idea".

Sorry if I made anybody uncomfortable about the idea of Guy Diamond having sex with Cooper or the twins. I figured that of the group, those three would be the most adventurous, the ones most likely to look for unusual partners. I thought about Smidge, too, but if you go by the TV series, she likes shy, sweet trolls. That's so not Guy Diamond, lol.

This story takes place before Trolls World Tour. When Guy Diamond became a father, I was surprised at how quickly his former self-centered personality did a complete turnaround to become an ultra-devoted dad. He didn't seem upset at all to have something so monumental happen to him out of nowhere. So I decided it was because, on some level, he was ready for fatherhood.

The same goes for Jaunty, BTW. Being a glitter troll, he is capable of self-cloning. Until he and Courtley took Branchkin in, they were more focused on each other, and on coaching a dozen sports teams. Jaunty worried a lot about Courtley, who had lost two brothers to the bergens and still suffered from occasional nightmares, even twenty years later. They missed Branchkin so much after he chose to leave them that Jaunty was finally mentally and emotionally ready for parenthood, and soon their family of two became three once more. Not such good news for poor Branchkin, but whether he realized it or not, he gave them a gift.