-O-

Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter Fifty

Alone for the Holiday

"If you were counting on me to teach you about frolicking, maybe it was just as well that you didn't ask me to be your Frolic Festival partner, both of us being newbies and all." Poppy grinned at the aquamarine troll lying propped up on his elbow beside her and used her hair to playfully nudge him in the ribs. "Although I still think we would've had a lot of fun figuring it out together."

Branch smirked at her, one eyebrow raising. "Oh, really?" Then his tone deepened to the soft, sexy murmur he only used with her, the special tone that signaled that he wanted to be intimate. "What kind of fun?"

Tilting his head, he let his gaze drift down her body and back up to meet her eyes. Poppy's breath caught. She recognized that look. Every time he looked at her like that, something inside her responded to his unspoken invitation with a thrilling wave of heat and lightning. Her skin fizzed. Her belly fluttered. She became hyperaware of everything about him; every movement from the way he breathed to the tiniest flicker of an eyelash.

His low voice was like water ripples, stirring something still and deep within her awake. Would their flirting lead to something more this time? Her heart began to race, and her brain went into full babble-mode. Maybe it will! He's more used to the idea of romance between us than I thought - I had no idea he'd had such a big crush on me as a teenager. I never would have guessed he spent an entire Festival season pretend-courting me. He even made love to me in his dreams - gosh, I'm literally his dream girl. Oh, it's sooo romantic! Eeeee!

The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement as her boyfriend watched various expressions of glee, hope and elation chase each other across her face. Flushing, Poppy cleared her throat and tried her best to imitate the deep, sultry tone her friend Bridget had used when she was courting Gristle. "You know what kind of fun, handsome."

She failed miserably, as her high soprano cracked with barely-suppressed anticipation. She didn't care.

"You mean, like this?" Branch reached out and took her hand. Her racing heart began to thump so hard she was surprised he couldn't see it through her bunny pajamas, and a delicious tingle went right up her back into her hair. Eagerly the pink troll followed his graceful movements as he brought her hand to his mouth. His ardent blue eyes never left hers as he began to kiss her skin; slow, sweet kisses that made her knees feel weak. And she wasn't even standing up!

"Exactly like that…" She sighed longingly. Had it really only been a day since she found out he loved her? It seemed as if she'd been waiting forever! "You're a fast learner."

"I try." He chuckled, and she shivered in pleasure as the puff of warm air hit her skin. He could even make her react without touching her!

"Oh, Branch…" she moaned happily, ready to enjoy whatever he might do to her. His lips lingered in the same spot for a long moment while she waited with breathless anticipation, her eyes squinched shut.

Finally he pressed his lips to her palm. The tip of his tongue flicked across sensitive skin and she jumped and squeaked a little. He laughed, and released her hand. "When the time is right, we'll make a game of it," he said softly. "Okay, Sunshine?"

"Okay…"

She waited, but he didn't touch her again. She was so awash in lovey-dovey bliss it took her a moment to realize Branch was saying 'no'.

"Wait, what?" Her eyes snapped open and she blinked a few times in confusion. The aquamarine troll chuckled quietly, his eyes twinkling. How that boy loved to tease her! Well, two can play that game.

"Um, I mean-" Grinning sheepishly, Poppy scrambled for the right reply. "You're on, lover boy. I'll be ready."

Turnabout is fair play, right? And he's always up for a challenge.

"So, Branch, tell me…" She lowered her voice again. "Any idea when 'the right time' is going to be?"

The young queen took her boyfriend's big hand in hers and pressed her own lips to his palm, peeking mischievously at him to see how he reacted. From his sly expression, he knew very well that she was trying to tempt him to choose 'right now'. And he was delighted to let her try.

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "…And is there anything I can do to make it arrive a little faster?"

He smiled, then closed his eyes as she let her lips trail down the inside of his wrist. "Mmm… Keep doing that and mayybe an idea will come to me."

He spoke lightly, playfully, but underneath she could sense that he was just as eager as she was. Caution and control on the surface, vigor and passion inside. He'd always been like that. It was one of the things that had always attracted her to him. Something in her responded to that hidden, secret passion, inspiring a yearning to seek it out, no matter how he'd protested. And now that he was finally responding to her, the more he let her see, the more she yearned. No other troll had ever made her feel this way.

"Oh, I'd love it if you'd get some ideas, if you know what I mean…" Half of her was trying to sound sexy, and the other half was trying not to laugh. Romance was so much fun! "Come on, lover boy, didn't you just tell me you used to play all sorts of games with me? Well, with our game-characters."

That sparked a thought. "Yeah, we have definitely got to play that game soon, Branch. It sounds like it was a big part of who you were back then. I think it would be a great way to, you know, connect with you." She winked at him, and he looked to the side. Now it was his turn to wear a sheepish grin.

"Those figures I found in your toy chest are so adorable… And so are you, my sweet Sugarfruit. I can just see you playing with them." Poppy used her hair to create two troll-shaped figures on the bed between them. "Hello, Poppy," she said in a high-pitched imitation of her boyfriend's voice. "It's a lovely day out, isn't it?"

"Why yes, it is, Branch."

"But the weather's not as lovely as you. Have I ever told you how much I admire your uh – your hair? It's so pink. Like, it's dark pink, but somehow still bright, like a sunrise. Oh, but not in a way that hurts my eyes-"

Branch snorted and rolled his eyes. "Amateur."

Poppy giggled. "Hey, I may not be a poet, but my practice-dates usually went well."

"Practice-dates?" He looked confused. "What practice-dates?"

"Roleplaying, sort of like what you did with your board game, but in school instead."

Branch looked away. "Oh, right. That was around the time I stopped attending class. My first practice-dates…didn't go well." After a moment, he rolled from his side onto his back, staring up at the dark ceiling.

Anxiety pinched her at the sight of his somber expression, like all the light had gone out of him. Her face tensed and she bit her lip. Once again, she'd said something wrong and made him unhappy.

Quickly Poppy added, "Don't feel bad, Branch. My practice-dates didn't alwaysgo well, either. One time, I sneezed and accidentally sprayed soup all over DJ. She laughed, but I was really embarrassed at the time."

As she'd hoped, Branch laughed too. "Thanks. It's comforting to be reminded that nobody is perfect." He rolled toward her again, lifting himself onto his elbow to mirror her position. "So what else did they do in class?" he asked with interest, tilting his ears forward slightly to listen. "Maybe I could pick up a few tips."

His easy manner reassured her, easing the flare-up of alarm. "Well, let's see. One of the first things we did was practice how to ask someone out on a date."

"Oh." He frowned lightly. "I think I remember that. I wasn't interested at the time, but that sure would have come in handy over the last few months. What else?"

"Oh, Basic- and Advanced-level Empathy. Conflict Resolution and Compromise. Healthy Boundaries."

"Healthy boundaries?"

Branch looked puzzled, his face scrunching up in that cute way of his that made his carelines appear at the corners of his eyes. Without really thinking, Poppy reached out to touch them as she explained, "Yes; how to decide what's important to you, how to make your boundaries clear to others, and how to respect boundaries set by other trolls."

Her boyfriend's eyes followed the gentle movement of her fingers as she idly explored one side of his face, then the other. His mouth curved into a wry smile. "I'll bet you had a hard time with that."

Poppy froze, looked guiltily at her hand, then pulled it away and laughed ruefully. "You got me. Although to be honest, most trolls have a hard time with limits, except for you. You would've done a lot better than me in that class. Hey, remember how freaked out Bridget and Gristle got when I tried to make them like our troll holidays? You tried to tell me to back off, but I didn't want to listen, and then…" She shrugged a shoulder and gave him a sheepish smile. "You're good at respecting other people's boundaries. I can learn a lot from you."

"Maybe so, but…" His face softened as he took her hand and placed it back on his cheek. "Don't ever be afraid to reach out to me, Poppy. I actually really need that, to help me break out of my own boundaries. You see, sometimes I see boundaries between me and the other trolls that don't really exist. Boundaries that are only in my mind. So I appreciate it when you reach out to me. I really, really do," he said earnestly.

"Aww." Suddenly the space between them was too much. She scooched across the bed and put her arm over his body, snuggling into his warmth. His own arm was a comforting weight on her as he pulled her close. As she rested her cheek against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat soothed the last of her unease.

I feel so safe with him, so warm and comfy. Very relaxing…

Maybe too relaxing, as a sudden urge to yawn came over her. She tried to suppress it, clamping her lips together and letting it out as a long, slow sigh through her nose instead. Thankfully, he couldn't see her face from this angle. She didn't want him to think she was getting bored, or sleepy. If she yawned, he was sure to stop talking and tell her to go to sleep. Not yet! I need to know how his story ends.

She was about to ask him to continue, but he spoke first. "So what else did you cover in class?"

"Um..." His keen interest surprised her. After all, they were already dating. Maybe it was just his usual thoroughness, or curiosity of the unknown?

Hmm, what else would he like to hear about? She grinned as more memories surfaced. "Well, we learned a lot of sexy dances. They were a lot of fun. You'd be great at them, handsome."

"Ooo." He sounded thoughtful. "Maybe I ought to ask Cheery or Leafe for some remedial tutoring."

"You could…" She kissed his shoulder under her cheek. "Or we could make up our own sexy dances, Smooth Stepper."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "Yeah… I'm up for that. Anything else?"

Poppy recalled their morning together, and answered happily, "Well, we did a lot of makeovers. It's a good way to figure out what attracts the troll you're interested in."

"You must've loved that," he teased her.

"You know it!" she agreed happily. Her record for changing outfits during the same party was a gloriously impressive sixteen. Only the twins had ever surpassed her, but then, they absolutely lived for designing clothes.

"But honestly Branch, you're pretty good at it yourself. Earlier today in the twins' tent, I was sooo impressed by my super hot boyfriend," she gushed enthusiastically.

Branch let out a funny sound halfway between a snort and a sputter, as if he wanted to be derisive but had ended up flattered along the way. "Thanks. But Satin did most of the work."

Was he blushing? Poppy slid away from him, hating to break their cuddle, but she wanted to see his face. "Oh, come on. Don't be so modest, Captain Dreamboat. You totally pulled off every one of those looks, even though they were all so different from each other. And that takes talent, my man."

"Thank you." This time she was sure he was blushing, even in the room's dim light. So cute!

Her boyfriend cleared his throat. "Uh, was there anything else?"

She wanted to keep teasing him, but then he'd never get around to telling her how his story ended, so she opted for a short list. "Good personal grooming. Table manners. Um, The Top Ten Ways to Flirt."

Branch looked amused. "I'll bet you were the head of that class."

"Bzzt! Incorrect! It was actually Guy Diamond."

Branch blinked, then looked thoughtful. "Actually, that makes sense. Now, what-"

Poppy felt another yawn coming on and managed to disguise it by turning it into a groan of impatience. "Come on, Branch! We can talk about that later. Please finish your story."

"Oh, right. Right. Um… Well there's not much more to tell, really. I spent the rest of the Festival season in my bunker doing my hobbies, and I didn't go out."

"Oh." Poppy was a little disappointed. Is that all? Why does it feel like there ought to have been more? "Well…I'm glad you had such a nice time, then. If it were me, I would have been really lonely."

Branch looked away, and his ears drooped a little.

Uh oh. Poppy's stomach dropped. "What is it, Branch?"

He was silent for a long moment, and then he sighed. "Well… It wasn't all fun and games, actually…"

-O-

Between my hobbies and romancing Poppy through fantasy game-play, I spent that Festival season pleasantly content, for the most part. But there were times when things weren't so pleasant. Times when no amount of pretend-romance could distract me from the aching desolation deep inside. After all, Frolic Festival season was supposed to be shared with a Special Someone. And for once, I actually had one.

Yet I was so very, very alone. For the first time, my bunker was the last place I wanted to be. Poppy wasn't here, and with no chance of seeing her, my bunker felt cold, dark and gloomy. A home without cheer, and without love.

When I got to this stage, it was easy to feel sorry for myself, especially without Poppy around to cheer me up. I spent the better part of one afternoon sitting miserably curled up on the floor with my arms around my knees, fighting a losing battle against my tears. When I gave in to the old instinct to cocoon myself in my hair, something hadn't done since I was a trolling, the familiar, comforting warmth and supportive pressure was the last hair. I broke down and sobbed my heart out.

I cried harder than I had in years, since the early days of living in my bunker, homesick and grieving the loss of yet another person I'd come to love without meaning to. Just because I wanted to be self-sufficient didn't mean I wanted to be completely alone!

"Oh, why does it have to be this way?" I whimpered.

-O-

"Oh, sweetie," Poppy said sympathetically as she moved to snuggled herself against me again, tucking my head under her chin.

"Poppy." I pressed my face against her body and held her close to me, feeling incredibly glad she was there. My chest ached as all the misery I'd gone through that day so long ago came rushing back as if it was only yesterday. I'd buried that wretched, broken memory in the deepest part of my heart, the hidden abyss where my darkest memories dwelled, never to be brought into the light.

Then I sniffled, shocked to find myself on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry. I haven't thought about that day in years. I don't know why I'm even telling you this."

"You're telling me this because you finally have someone to listen," Poppy said softly. "I'm here for you, sweetheart. From now on, I'll always be here."

Her earnest words filled the cold emptiness in my heart with a warm, fuzzy glow. Gladness curved my mouth into a grateful smile. "Thank you."

My sweet girlfriend stroked my hair and hummed to me. With her arms around me, I lay still, utterly content to let her comfort me. I listened to her heart beating against my ear and felt like the luckiest troll in the world.

Poppy wanted to share my pain. Trolls shared many things, including tales of misfortune, but it was one thing to talk about losing a favorite hairbow or dropping a tray of cupcakes in the dirt. For her to genuinely want to listen to twenty years' worth of sadness, anger, fear and loneliness… I had no words to express my gratitude.

…Or did I? Sounds like the perfect theme for a song…

-O-

Oh, Branch. This is all my fault. You wouldn't have thought about it at all if I hadn't insisted on hearing about your crush on me. I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would make you so sad.

The pink troll slipped back and forth between sorrow and an odd sense of tranquility. She sensed another important breakthrough was finally happening. Some of her sweetheart's past needs were finally being attended to. He was being cared for, the way he should have been all along.

This was a story you needed to tell. Just like when you told us about your grandma, your pain won't go away unless it's shared. And I want to do everything I can to make it easier for you.

For a little while, the troll queen held her beloved world-weary warrior, protecting him for a change. She began to run her fingers through his hair, deeply grateful that she had learned some new ways to soothe him. Softly, she began to hum the song he had sung to her earlier. It was such a beautiful song, and no one else even knew it existed. Her lover-to-be had created it just for the two of them, their own special love song.

As she hummed, she felt the tension leave him all at once as he gave himself over into her care. A surge of love filled her heart and she kissed his forehead. He seems calmer now. Happier. A twinge of guilt wrinkled her own forehead. Maybe we should stop for now. As much as I want to know everything there is to know about him, it's not fair to make him relive every single bad thing that's ever happened to him all in one day. We can take it in stages.

"Branch," she said quietly, "I'm really glad you feel comfortable sharing this with me, but I just want you to know, you don't have to force yourself to keep talking if you don't want to. It's fine if you want to stop for now."

-O-

She wants me to stop? My eyes popped open as I heard her oddly restrained request. I thought she was so gung-ho about me finishing my story. Has she had enough?

A little worried, I leaned my head back to study her expression but saw no hint of reluctance, only concern for me. My face relaxed into a smile, and the stress lines on her face eased as she smiled back.

As always, having her undivided attention felt really good, emboldening me. I'd already told her so many things today that I'd never told anyone. In fact, unburdening myself felt so good, I wanted to say even more. The question is, can she handle it?

Her acceptance of all the bad things I kept telling her felt almost like a challenge. I had a lot of bad memories stored up. If we stayed together, sooner or later they'd all come out. I'd just proven that. Maybe now is a good time to see if she can handle a boyfriend whose past isn't all cupcakes and rainbows…

Finally I said in a neutral tone, "I guess I could keep going. If you want me to."

"Oh, thank goodness! I was afraid you were just gonna leave me hanging!" she exclaimed, surprising a laugh out of me.

Of course Poppy wanted me to keep talking. Why had I ever thought otherwise?

"I've got you hooked, huh?" I would have given anything for her to be hanging on my every word like this back then. But in some ways her offer to wait, out of consideration for my feelings, felt even sweeter.

"Okay then, I'll keep going," I said warmly. I gave her a quick, affectionate squeeze and let go. We settled down on the pillow a comfortable distance apart; close enough to hold hands but just far enough away to keep from going cross-eyed. "But I'm just letting you know; this part isn't going to be fun to hear."

Her hand tenderly caressed my cheek. "That's okay. I know this was really important to you, just like my first crush on you was for me."

-O-

I found myself re-reading my Love List. With every point I read, anguish slashed my heart. Not because they seemed silly or illogical, but because they made so much sense. All the reasons I'd carefully compiled for why Poppy and I would make an awesome couple, written with my heart so light and full of hope – those reasons still seemed so valid. So right.

And yet, the more I read, the bigger the lump in my throat became. "Number Ten: I'm lonely. I want someone in my life to care about, and I want-" My voice broke. "Someone who cares about me."

My eyes began to sting, and I shook my head fiercely. Stop it, Branch!

Triggered, I threw my journal on the floor. Then I kicked it under my bed and crumpled into a ball, my arms wrapped tightly around my body. I began to rock back and forth to distract myself, focusing my attention firmly on the cold floor under my butt. It was an old trick I'd often used when I was younger, to detach from the chasm of raw vulnerability deep inside me before it swallowed me whole.

You know what, it's fine. Whatever. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care… I told myself over and over. It was one of the things I did to calm down. I'd block off my feelings and retreat behind the shield of cynicism I'd used since I was a small trolling, being shuffled from pod to pod by adults who couldn't understand me, and didn't want to have to deal with my outbursts of pain.

Not that I blame them. I made their lives as miserable as mine. Of course they couldn't love me. Not for long, anyway.

When am I going to learn that I just can't hold on to love? I wouldn't be in here if I could. I'd be out there, naively searching for romance like the rest of them. As if anyone would possibly be interested in me. I'm Branch, after all, the most un-fun troll the village has ever had.

Deep down, I believed it was wrong to spread my negativity to others. That was one of the reasons I'd moved out of the village and separated myself from everyone else, for their sake. They didn't deserve to be exposed to such a gloomy grump, no matter how lonely I was. It's my own fault, so I shouldn't whine about it. If I really wanted company, I could fake it. I could put on an act and pretend to be someone fun-loving and totally impractical. But what's the point? I'd be living a lie. And sooner or later, my true colors, gray and black, would show through. Then everyone would turn away from me. They'd leave me, just like they always have.

Poppy is the only one who… I shook my head. No, we're just friends. I must have been mistaken about her interest in me. I mean… I don't know for sure, but… Maybe I should go out and ask her-

"Listen to yourself!"I said sharply. "Even if for some strange reason Poppy is interested in you, it would never work out in the long run. Face the facts, Branch. Your feelings for Poppy are due to a false premise. A frooofi." I sneered the word. "You may feel like you're in love, but it's just temporary. You know frofis rarely last."

And if that was the case, I would rather not waste my time (or my heart) on a relationship that ultimately went nowhere. Again, what was the point? How useful could having a relationship be? Was it supposed to change the way I saw the world, bring my trolly colors back, and make me truly happy for the first time since I lost my grandma?

Yeah, right. It's been over thirteen years. If I was gonna get happy, I think it would have happened by now. I'm just not a good fit for Troll Village. It's no use hoping for more…

If I kept this up, I was going to start crying again. I didn't want to spend the rest of my vacation curled up in my hair and moaning about my life. I took a deep, shaky breath, and then another, deeper one, trying to calm myself down."All right. You need to be realistic, Branch. You need to forget about chasing foolish dreams and just be glad for everything that you do have."

As true as that was, it was hard to make myself believe it. During the times when I was at my lowest, even my game characters were real downers, reflecting my own negativity back at me.

"You're being silly. Poppy never had a crush on you."

"You only saw what you wanted to see."

"No one wants a gray troll."

With every soul-crushing comment, my self-esteem took a blow. Creek was especially mean, saying in that smarmy, fake-friendly tone I hated so much, "It's for the best, mate. You did the right thing, leaving the Festival before you confessed to her. After all, it's not as though the village princess could date a hermit, now could she?"

-O-

"Don't listen to Creek," Poppy said quickly. Then she blinked. "I mean-"

I laughed. "Forgot I was talking about a game character, huh?"

"Yeah." She looked a little embarrassed, but added, "But still, don't listen to him. He's wrong. The village princess would be delighted to date the kind, smart, strong, brave…" To my delight, she got up on her elbow to lean over me, and began to kiss my face. "…handsome…"

Her voice was rich and husky, stirring my own sense of playtime. I closed my eyes, happily surrendering to her kisses. My girlfriend's warm lips followed a lazy, wandering path over my eyebrows, nose and cheeks. "…mysterious…"

A delicate touch on my eyelids. A peck on my chin.

"…talented…"

Finally, her journey ended as she landed with reassuring confidence on my lips. Just like in my dream, I could have flown into the sky. Poppy kissed me like she had no doubts about us at all. "…hunky survivalist. Creek could never compare to you."

Sublimely happy, I didn't even try to stop my mouth from spreading out into a wide, goofy grin. "Thanks."

"Mmm…" Her voice was a velvet purr. "Just think, if you'd confessed to me back then, we could have been doing this all this time…"

"Yeah…" I said dreamily. "You and me, alone together, forever and ever…"

Something about that familiar phrase bothered me. I'd ended most of my Trial Run adventures with the two of us in love, and Poppy moving into my bunker with me. My own version of Happily Ever After. But now it sounded…wrong.

I frowned, and of course Poppy noticed. "What?"

"You know, the more I think of it, the more confessing to you back then probably would have been a bad idea."

Poppy blinked. "Really? What do you mean?"

"Well…" It took me a minute to find the words to explain. "I've thought about my past a lot during the last six months. My life is so different now, and not just because I have my colors back. The looming threat of death and destruction at the claws of the bergens is finally gone. I actually have friends besides you. I even sing and dance now, and it feels good."

I sighed almost desperately as discomfort built up inside me. "But back then, I was a different person. Self-centered. Immature. I- The troll I was then would probably have tried to- Tried to-" I broke off and looked away. "I can't."

"Can't what?" Concern for me colored her tone. "Branch? What is it, sweetie?"

I tilted my head down to look at the space between us, too ashamed to look her in the eye.

Gentle fingertips lifted my chin to meet her soft, loving gaze, just as I had once done for a forlorn gray princess in a bleak bergen pot. I'd wanted to help her with all my heart, and in doing so, she had also helped me. On that day, Poppy had changed my life forever. I had my colors back, and my world had expanded to include so much more than I'd ever dreamed as a lonely, isolated boy in a bunker.

"Branch?" she said softly. "You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

I did know that. Poppy loved me. She was my girlfriend. And in my dark, quiet bedroom deep underground, it felt like we were the only two trolls in all the world.

I sighed again, and finally muttered, "If we'd become a couple, I'd probably have tried to seclude you from the rest of the world. To keep you safe, and also because… Because I… Well, I wouldn't have liked sharing you. With anybody."

I began to talk faster, to get it over with before Poppy started asking questions. "I had this rosy image of the two of us living happily together - here in the bunker, not the village. You'd stay by my side, and love me just like Cherry Blossom loved Leafe. Oh, we'd take care of the village and protect it from the bergens and other threats, and do social stuff, but mostly you would just want to be with me. I'd be more important to you than anyone else."

I waited tensely while Poppy processed my confession, but in the end, all she said was a quiet, "Oh."

My ears drooped in shame. "Yeah," I muttered. "'Oh.'"

We were both silent for a minute. Then Poppy said something I never would have expected. "Do you remember what I said this morning, Branch? About whether it was okay for me to be selfish about wanting you to love me more than anybody else?"

"Yeah, I remember." My eyebrows went up, and my mouth dropped open. "Wait, that sounds kinda like...me. Wow. You do understand."

"Uh huh." She nodded and gave me that cute smile of hers, and suddenly I felt a lot better.

Encouraged, I said in a stronger tone, "I do still want you to love me the most, but it's different now, Poppy. I don't want to keep you away from the other trolls, and I don't want only your love. Because I'm not alone anymore. I have other friends that I enjoy spending time with; people who really care about me. And I care about them, too. You see, back then I didn't have anyone else but you. I couldn't imagine my life with other trolls in it, or see them wanting mein theirlives. I couldn't imagine any troll but you being genuinely interested in me."

"I see. Then I'm really glad I've been able to help you make connections since then, sweetheart," she said kindly, "and I promise I'll do everything I can to help you in the future. I want the whole village to be your friend!"

I laughed out loud, enjoying the sweet release. "We'll see about that. But if anyone can help me do it, you can, Sunshine. As long as I have you by my side, I can do anything."

I reached out to link my fingers with hers, gazing thoughtfully down at the bands of alternating pink and aqua, proof of our own connection, then drew her arm toward me so I could kiss the back of her hand.

Not to be outdone, Poppy turned our joined hands over and did the same to me, slowly kissing each of my fingers, then the back of my hand, and even my wrist. Enjoying her attention, I relaxed and let my face do what it wanted, strongly suspecting from her amused smile that I looked totally goofy, but not caring in the slightest. You can make a fool of me anytime, Poppy.

The more kisses she gave me, the more my stomach fluttered. As she reached my wrist, a thrill went up the back of my neck, right out to the tips of my hair. Shocks of pleasure raced through me; a thoroughly delightful sensation.

I wanted more. I let out of heated huff of air and reached for her, then caught myself. Whoa, boy. I'm getting in the mood, and all she did was kiss my hand. Ah, no one else can make me react the way you do, Sunshine. Definitive proof that you're the one for me.

I think I knew it all along.

-O-

When Frolic Festival season was over and I could safely emerge from my bunker, I took a deep breath of fresh, sweet air and sighed in relief. I'm glad that's over. Despite a few bad times, it had been a good holiday for me. Probably the best Festival season I'd ever had. But now that it was over, I was eager to get back to work.

I'd spent the previous day cleaning up the remnants of the holiday. I'd packed up my temporary pallet to bring to the inferno flower to be incinerated, and put away my hobby supplies.

My bunker was full of Poppy-related keepsakes that embarrassed me to look at. It was a good thing no one but me would ever see them. I was still fond of Poppy, but with the waning of my hormones over the past week, the feeling had become less intense, more like the usual affectionate friendliness I'd always felt toward my friend.

Or so I told myself. But the very first time I saw Poppy after that, glowing and beautiful, her hair blowing in the wind, my heart practically combusted in my chest.

She used her hair to swoop down from the tree limb she was standing on, landing at my feet with her usual energetic bounce. "Hi, Branch! Long time no see. I missed you, buddy."

"I missed you, too," I heard myself say. I froze in surprise.

Poppy's eyes widened. Then she beamed at me in delight, and I felt my insides turn to mush.

"Guess what, Branch? The gang and I are gonna go leaf-sledding. Want to come along?"

I opened my mouth to refuse. "Yes. I'd be delighted."

"Really? Great!"

I slapped both hands over my mouth in horror. What am I saying?

Poppy didn't notice. She had already started bouncing away on the nearest mushroom spring, back toward the village. And like the lovesick fool I was, I followed.

Author's Note:

When Branch felt like Poppy didn't want to hear him talk, he decided to test her, to see whether he could trust her with his feelings. I feel like loyalty is important to Branch, and that he thinks of himself as trustworthy (although cartoon-series Branch does lie a lot, so that version of Branch may not be as trustworthy as he thinks), but at the slightest doubt, Branch would question someone's loyalty to him, or make judgments about their character. Unless, of course, they actually did something to harm his trust. More on that later.

I think most of us probably do this, to some degree. I did some research on that sort of thing to see whether testing in relationships is a good idea or not. Mostly, it doesn't seem to be a good idea, because it does more to damage the trust each partner has in the other. The person who tests their partner thinks that if their partner passes the tests, it's okay to keep trusting them. That sounds good, doesn't it?

But from what I gather, the actual testing itself is a sign that the person doing the testing has trust issues, poor self-esteem, or other issues that prevent them from developing trust in another person. So, unless those underlying issues are addressed, the person will just keep testing and testing, over and over. The relationship may or may not last, but if it does last, it's not likely to be a very happy one for either partner.

We know from World Tour that Branch definitely has trust issues – Poppy literally tells him that. Branch has had to learn to give his trust, to take risks. I was proud of him for trying harder, after his conversation with Poppy, to trust Hickory. It was a very good sign to me, that Branch has recognized that he may be unjustly mistrustful of others and is consciously working on allowing himself to trust others more. The fact that Hickory is a complete stranger makes it all the more significant.

(Yes, Branch was right to be suspicious of Hickory's motives. But just the fact that Branch was willing to try trusting Hickory made me proud of all the progress Branch has made.) 😊

Branch also tried to trust Poppy more, by continuing to go along with what she said was the right course of action. Yes, eventually he does stand up and refuse to follow her, after he tries things her way, but he does try.

I think it's a good thing that he will stand up and say something when he feels he needs to, though. Walking away is an example of enforcing his boundaries. I also like that Poppy respected his boundaries and didn't try to make him go with her. She let him leave, because his values told him it was the right thing for him to do.

(Note that her values in this case were different, but I actually like that each person respected that and didn't try to force the other one to go along with them, even though it made them upset to be apart from one another.)

I wonder if part of the reason Branch's colors are still not as bright as most trolls' is to reflect his level of happiness, and in a more subtle way, his level of trust in others. He's also still more apt to look on the dark side than Poppy is.

I feel that Poppy is more the type to be trustful, because she's learned if you give others the chance to prove themselves, people will often step up. She can be too trusting, but one of the keys to happiness lies in trusting more, not less. At least, that's what I've read in my research. One of the hallmarks of happy people is that they tend to be more trusting, even if they occasionally get taken advantage of. Apparently, being untrustful causes health problems, anxiety, and just a lot of wear and tear on your nerves in general. 😉

Studies have shown that people who are more trusting tend to live happier lives than those who are less trusting. Low trust is associated with higher levels of anxiety. That's definitely Branch. When we saw Branch drinking the cappuccino Hickory made, it surprised me at first. But I reasoned that Branch has been trying to change from his old grumpy persona, so when Poppy basically accused him of not trusting anyone, he made the conscious choice to trust Hickory more, even though it went against his instincts.

Although we learn later that Branch was right, that Hickory was hiding his true motives (and a whole other person!), in the end, Poppy's choice to trust Hickory turned out to be the right one. And it wasn't even that Poppy had blind faith in Hickory's good character so much as it was her trust / positive attitude influenced Hickory, whether he wanted her to or not. Much like Branch. I believe that part of the reason Hickory ended up being trustworthy was because Poppy trusted him first. She extended the hand of friendship to him, and he became her friend despite his other motives, and acted to protect her and her cause even over his own, in the end.

Just as our own gray troll did in the first movie, against his instincts. And both trolls were rewarded for their trust with not only Poppy's trust/friendship, but with a ripple effect, where Poppy's efforts to befriend everyone actually made that happen. All the tribes became friends. It took a single person to start the process, but it spread, and made a real difference to all the local cultures.

Branch has seen this pattern with the bergens, too. Extending trust can be a powerful way to motivate others to become trustworthy. I can see why he'd try to trust Hickory more, even to go so far as to open up to him about his feelings for Poppy. And for all we know, another reason Hickory chose Poppy's side was because he thought about Branch, and how much the aquamarine troll loved Poppy, and probably was able to feel close to Branch, too. I wondered if Hickory has been in Branch's position himself, and could thus sympathize with him. There's nothing like being vulnerable with someone to make them feel closer to you, I guess.

Now, in PBR, it's still a part of Branch's psyche to be on the lookout for danger, which includes potential betrayal and loss, and to prepare himself for that. To look for it, by testing Poppy. I'm going to address that issue further on, since it's something they really need to talk about before things can really progress much further in their relationship.

Branch has already made some progress, though. Even when she did let him down, when she read his journal without asking him, he didn't really start to distrust her. Instead, he told her exactly what he was feeling. He communicated; he was vulnerable with her. And she apologized and promised not to do it again unless he said she could. So, I'm showing that he's willing to keep trusting her even when she disappoints him. And as long as she's willing to respect his feelings and follow through on her promises, she's worthy of his trust.