AN: Hiya, guys! I know, it's been a while, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm back with Broppy fluff!!!
My babies deserved some happiness after the third movie, so, here we are. Enjoy!
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Scrapbook shenanigans
Branch sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by colorful paper, glitter, and stickers as he tried to make sense of what he was supposed to do. Poppy flitted around him, her enthusiasm contagious. "Okay, Branch, let's move on to the next page! We'll make it super sparkly and fun!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Sparkly again? You know that's not really my style."
His girlfriend pouted playfully. "Come on, Branch! It's a scrapbook! We're preserving memories! And memories are sparkly!"
He chuckled, reaching for a pink sheet of paper. "Fine. Sparkly it is."
Together, they cut out letters for the title: "Branch and Poppy's Adventures." Poppy added tiny flowers around the edges, while Branch focused on making sure the letters were straight.
"See? You're a natural," Poppy said, nudging him.
Branch smirked. "I've had practice with precision."
Poppy rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Serious. Now let's add some pictures!" She pulled out a stack of photos - moments from their different moments through Pop Village, hugging, singing, dancing at parties and concerts, and even a few stolen kisses.
The blue troll's heart warmed as he looked at the snapshots. Poppy had, probably unknowingly, brought color into his life in more ways than one, ways he couldn't even think were possible.
"Remember this?" said girl asked eagerly, pointing to a picture of them laughing under a rainbow.
"Yeah," he whispered. "The day my stupid brothers decided to spy on us."
Her smile widened. "You were good at making flower crowns, though!"
He leaned closer, their noses almost touching. "Really?"
Poppy blushed but didn't back down. "Really." She muttered a small 'Boop' as she nudged her partner, earning a content smile from him.
They glued the photos onto the pages, sharing stories about each one - the time they saved Cooper from a glitter avalanche or the time they decided to throw another big, loud, crazy party, which, of course, ended in a colorful, glittering mess.
Branch didn't even realize how much he had missed her. Things weren't like before. With their siblings back, and Poppy doing her queenly duties, the couple hadn't gotten to spend much time together like they used to do, something that's been eating him from inside. But now they were together, and that's all that mattered to him.
"Hey, Branch." Her voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up to find his girlfriend holding out two identical e's in front of his face. "Should the glitter come out from this one, or this one?"
Branch thought for a moment. "What's the word you're making?"
"'Branchifer' and 'Popifer'," Poppy replied with a smile, not even waiting for an answer before exclaiming, "Or both! Glitter will come out from both of them!"
He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "As you like, Pops."
And so they worked, Poppy following her experience in scrapbooking while Branch followed the faint track he drew around the figures, with the pink troll usually being the one to break the silence whenever it grew uncomfortable.
She grinned, her hands still working on their craft. "Remember when you sang to me at that Trollstice?"
Branch nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "How can I forget? That was the first time I sang since twenty years."
"You have a good voice, you know?"
He blushed. "Thanks."
"Can't believe you kept that for yourself for twenty years."
His blush deepened.
Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Remember when we went on that crazy Rock apocalypse?"
The blue troll nodded, his tongue sticking out as he tried to glue the pieces right. "That was, like, two months ago?"
"Yet it still feels like it was yesterday," she said. "Everything does, honestly."
Branch shrugged. "Just a few months ago, we were basically rivals."
His girlfriend chuckled. "You kept my invites, Branch."
"So? Just because we were rivals doesn't mean I disliked you or anything."
"Even when I kept singing and dancing?"
He locked their gazes. "Especially when you kept singing and dancing."
Poppy looked into his eyes, then let out a small giggle that made Branch's heart start racing. He watched as his partner carefully cut out a piece of paper and placed it on the page, showing him how to arrange the photos and add embellishments like glitter and ribbons.
As they continued working on their scrapbook, Poppy explained the importance of capturing memories and preserving them in a creative way. "It's like magic, Branch. Each page tells a story that we can look back on and cherish forever." She held his hands, slowly guiding them when she noticed the distressed expression on his face. "You're doing great. Now you just need to glue that picture there and write a little note about how you felt during that moment."
Branch followed her instructions, feeling a sense of accomplishment as he saw the page come together. "This is actually kinda fun."
"I told you so!" she exclaimed,handing him another picture, "Now glue this picture here and add a heart!"
Branch carefully followed her instructions, his concentration evident in his furrowed brow.
"Perfect!" Poppy exclaimed, admiring their handiwork. "Look at our first scrapbook coming together!"
Branch looked at the page with a mix of pride and a little bit of confusion. "It's not done yet?"
"Nope!"
"What else–oh..." Branch's voice trailed off as he remembered their very first, real kiss. "Right."
An even wider grin tugged at the corner of the pink troll's lips. "Now let's add that page! Ready, Branchifer?"
"Ay, ay, Popifer."
—--
Poppy leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder, her bright pink hair brushing his dull blue cheek. "This is fun," she mumbled.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Fun."
They finished the scrapbook late into the night. The cover sparkled with memories - rainbows, hugs, and shared secrets.
The girl yawned and stretched. "We did it!"
Branch closed the book gently. "Yeah." He hesitated before adding, "Thanks for teaching me how to do this."
She kissed his cheek. "Anytime, Branchifer." And with that, she was fast asleep against him.
Branch smiled, tightening his grip around his girlfriend and pulling her closer, his own eyes fluttering shut. He stole one last glance at her before his head lolled, slowly falling above hers.