-O-

Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter Thirty

Hurting and Healing

As we headed up the dark trail to my bunker, I eyed Poppy, wondering if some of the odd behavior and strangely complimentary comments our friends had given me were her doing. I wouldn't put it past her to have put them up to it.

Then I shrugged, unwilling to keep stressing out about something relatively minor. Oh, well. I'm sure they'll make up for it later. Maybe after we've actually done something worth teasing us about…

My ears went hot. I avoided looking at Poppy, awkwardly recalling not just my friends' bantering words but also my own hopeful aspirations from my conversation with Cherry Blossom.

What would happen tonight, when I was all alone with the girl of my dreams?

Poppy and I been a couple for a full day now, but we still hadn't kissed, not really. The best I'd been able to manage was a kiss on her nose, and her forehead. And lapping at her arm, like some kind of puppy. Why could I do that, but not kiss her properly?

Why, oh why had I insisted that we wait again?

Oh. Right. I'd told her I wanted to save it for our first official date, in the most romantic spot I could think of, secretly hoping it would make her fall in love with me for good. I wanted it to be a kiss she would remember for the rest of her life, the way Cherry Blossom remembered hers.

And because something in me seemed to believe that as long as we didn't kiss, there was some chance of salvaging our friendship if our romantic relationship crashed and burned.

Poppy had a lot more courage than I did. After all, she'd nearly kissed me earlier, right in front of everyone. And I'd nearly let her, but some instinct made me dodge her at the last second and then come up with a distraction that had worked a lot better than I'd thought it would. Heh. Ice cream: the ultimate distraction.

I glanced at my girlfriend, and she caught the movement and smiled, clearly happy just to be here with me. I acknowledged her sweet smile with one of my own before letting my focus lapse inward again.

She must've forgotten her promise about waiting. But honestly, after everything she's just been through, including me picking a fight with her, I'm not about to hold it against her. Besides, I kind of envy her bravery.

What am I so afraid of? I berated myself. The other trolls? Her dad, the king himself, had actually seemed okay with us dating, and so had Acorn and the doctor.

But maybe they might not be, after they've had time to consider where it might lead. Or maybe they figure that this is just a harmless fling. Poppy and our friends did all say I was pretty good-looking, after all. Maybe that's all this is. Physical infatuation. A lot of trolls become attracted to one another temporarily, and then after a while their interest cools. Sometimes they stay friends and sometimes they move on, with mildly fond memories of a passing fancy.

But I don't want to be just a passing fancy. And I know Poppy wants to be closer. Maybe deep down I believe that holding back will keep her interested in me.

But my rational mind saw the problem with that. If that's all she's interested in, would I even want to be in a relationship with her?

But that didn't ring true. Poppy cared about me; really, truly cared. When something hurt me, it hurt her, and vice versa. We were best friends. I knew her.

I was still scared. For whatever reason, at that moment, something inside me had shouted Danger! and I'd reacted automatically. It was too late now, but if I could have, maybe I'd have let her kiss me and then taken whatever fallout came from the others.

Unless I had a panic attack in public. Yeaah, no. The last thing I need is to give everyone a reminder of the paranoid bergen-obsessed hermit I used to be.

Then secrecy was still the best option for now. I just had to come up with ways to prove myself to everyone. It'd take time, but for Poppy I'd do just about anything.

But in the meantime I still had to do what I could to show her I wanted her, too. Otherwise she'd be disappointed and hurt, and after what I'd just done, the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt her again. Eventually she'd have no choice but conclude that I wasn't as interested in her as she'd hoped, and that would be the end.

No! Oh, please…

Come on, dude! Cooper's voice echoed in my head, surprising me.

There's nothing to be scared of, chorused the twins, winking at me.

Yeah, what are you waiting for? the others said encouragingly, with Guy Diamond's silvery ripple in the background.

I had to smile a little at that. Having my friends' support really meant a lot to me, since they actually knew me. They knew how much I'd changed, and how much I hadn't. I was happy now, but I was still Branch, and always would be. Even for Poppy, I didn't want to stop being me. If she couldn't deal with that, then it really would be better to be friends then try to make it work as a couple…

Okay, my thinking was definitely going in circles again. Time for a change of subject.

-O-

"Cherry Blossom asked me to be a teacher," Branch said suddenly.

Poppy blinked at this random bit of news. "She did?" The pink troll beamed at him. "That's great!"

Branch smiled at her, and she added enthusiastically, "Is that what she wanted to talk to you about earlier? Because at the doctor's pod I was thinking about how you and Leafe seemed to be having so much fun teaching your class and the way you and Acorn got along so well-"

He stopped short. "What do you know about me and Acorn?"

She faltered at his sharp tone. "Well…not much. I know you used to be close friends, and then for some reason you…weren't, anymore."

He stared at her a moment longer, and then he let out a slow breath. His posture sagged and he put a hand up to cover his eyes. "Yeah."

Neither of them spoke for a moment, and then Poppy bit her lip. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Not right now," he said quietly. His shoulders tensed and then he pulled his hand away from his face and started walking again. "Ac-actually, you know what, Poppy, I don't think teaching is such a great idea after all."

He was going so fast she almost had to trot to keep up with him. "What are you talking about? I saw you with Leafe," she said eagerly. "You guys were so groovy together."

"Really?" He paused, his face brightening for a moment. Then his enthusiasm faded and he looked away, his eyes dark. He shrugged. "Well, anyway, I already told Cherry Blossom 'no'."

She put a hand on her hip, not willing to leave it at that. "But why, Branch? Does this have something to do with Acorn?"

"No, no, it's just that I want to focus on us right now," he said, holding up his hands placatingly.

She eyed him skeptically. "Branch, that's not the whole truth, is it?"

He grimaced, knowing he was caught. "It's just, what if…" he trailed off, then he gave his head a shake and said hurriedly, "Well, y-y-you know, I'm just trying to keep a low profile here, so people won't pay much attention to our relationship and start to notice that we're a little bit more than best friends now. Being a teacher – creating personal ties to entire groups of trolls - is pretty much the opposite of keeping a low profile."

Poppy had the distinct impression that wasn't what he'd meant to say. "Well, we may not have a choice, if whoever saw us earlier spreads it around the village," she reminded him. "Besides, I'd rather tell the entire village than have you close yourself off from everyone again." She was starting to get alarmed now. "That's not a good thing, Branch!"

"Wait, wait, wait." He held up his hands. "That's not what I meant. I'm not going to go back to the way I used to be, Poppy. I couldn't." He reached for her hands, his face softening. "I could never give you up."

She couldn't help but smile at that.

"Or our friends, either," Branch added, turning to continue onward, still holding one of her hands and gently pulling her after him. "I'm not the same guy anymore, Poppy. You don't have to worry about that."

"I know," she said gladly. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

She moved a little faster until she was walking beside him, appreciating the warmth of his big hand in the coolness of the early evening. "I'm glad you want to hang out with our friends, but what about your old friends? Like Leafe and Cherry Blossom?"

He sighed. "The more I'm around them, the more I'm reminded of the troll I used to be. He… I made a lot of mistakes, like with Ac- I – I mean, I doubt the other trolls would want me teaching their trollings, anyway."

He looked off into the distance and Poppy caught the unmistakable waft of melancholy from him before he shook his head and cleared his throat. "I told you, I want to make a fresh start. I want to stay positive, and that's easier to do without reminders."

"But they're your friends. Wouldn't you like them to get to know the new, happier you?"

He opened his mouth and hesitated. Encouraged, Poppy continued, "Because he's a pretty special guy, you know?" and booped his nose.

At her touch, he softened, allowing himself to smile. It was a clear sign of how much he had changed. The old Branch had usually ignored nose-boops, or gotten irritated.

"I do want to see them again," he admitted. "I just don't want them to pressure me about this whole teaching thing."

"I'm sure they'll understand," she said sympathetically. "Just ask them to give you some time."

"Well, maybe…." He trailed off, looking thoughtful.

Hand-in-hand, the young couple walked most of the way to the bunker in peaceful silence before Poppy remembered something. "Speaking of teaching, can I ask a question?"

"What?"

"What's 'stuffie-with-an-i-e'? Is it some kind of song? Can you teach it to me?"

Poppy couldn't make out his expression well in the near-darkness, but his tone was decidedly sly as he replied, "You know what? I think I'll let that one be a mystery for a while."

"What? Hey!"

He waved a teasing finger in front of her nose. "Ah-ah, Poppy. Call it payback for earlier."

She imitated one of his growls, pretending to be more annoyed than she felt, but secretly she was glad to see his playful side emerge.

Her boyfriend held her hand all the way down the lift into the bunker, where he led her to the small chamber that he used as a living room. "Have a seat," he said, stepping back and gesturing to the small couch that sat against the wall. "I'll be right back."

She sat obligingly. "Where are you going?"

"Just to my bathroom. I need to get the arnica salve."

"Oh, well, I'll come with you," she said cheerfully, putting a toe to the ground.

Branch held up an admonishing finger. "Up–bup-bup- Stay! I also need to- you know." He looked slightly embarrassed, and then something seemed to occur to him. "Unless you need to go first?"

"Oh. No, I went while I was at the doctor's pod. But thank you."

He nodded and began to head out of the room, only to turn back. "Stay here," he repeated, spreading his palms toward the ground. "And…try not to touch anything, okay?"

She gave him an innocent smile. "Sure thing, Branch. I'll try my hardest."

He rolled his eyes, the wry half-smile on his face saying he knew exactly what she had most expressly just not promised, and left the room. She heard the lift begin to move, taking him away from her, and the sunny smile she'd produced for him faded. The room seemed a little dimmer after he left, as though he'd taken the light with him.

Trying to be patient, the pink troll swung her feet, humming, bobbing her head and slapping her hands rhythmically on her legs as she looked around the little room for something to interest her. There were the usual piles of corked ceramic pots and other items piled around the edges of the room, with more supplies neatly packed into wall niches.

It wasn't long before she got up to take a closer look. Hey, I only promised to try, Branch. And I did. And don't give me that look – you phrased your request the way you did for a reason, she thought, grinning at the Branch in her mind, who stood with his arms crossed and a look of disapproval on his face as he shook his head at her. You know me well.

Poppy wandered around the room for a while, opening jars and sampling the contents of a few that contained sweet things like honey or jelly, which only made her hungrier.

Oh, here's some scrapbooks behind this curtain. She scanned their titles, but her interest died when she realized they were all technical textbooks, user's manuals, and how-to guides. Even the book covers were in dull, boring colors. Wow. If this is all he had for reading material, she thought, half concerned, half amused, it's no wonder Branch had such a hard time being happy.

A few minutes later her patience ran out. What is taking him so long? I'm gonna go look for him.

She went down the hall to the nearby bathroom, but he wasn't there. "Branch?" she called, but only silence answered her, pressing in on her ears. She wandered down the narrow, twisty hallways to their ends, checking his bedroom and all the storage rooms, but no Branch.

On the way back, she gave in to the temptation to take a longer look around Branch's bedroom. The sight of his familiar green-and-brown terry-moss bathrobe hanging from a hook on the wall made her smile fondly, remembering his tousled bed-head from past visits, and especially from this morning. When you're almost more attracted to him when he's all sleepy and rumpled-looking than you are normally, that's when you know for sure you're in love…

"Eeee!" she squealed, slapping her hands to her rosy-red cheeks and twirling in delirious, lovesick circles to throw herself backward onto his sturdy bed, her belly quivering with bubbly bliss.

The fuzzy mattress-cushions were surprisingly bouncy. She'd almost have expected him to sleep on just a plain slab of wood, or maybe on the braided rug covering the ground. It was a surprisingly pretty rug, soft and plush, its vivid purple, navy and periwinkle colors contrasting dramatically with the burnt sienna earth around it and adding some much-needed energy to the room, to the pink troll's way of thinking. Matching purple curtains over some of the wall niches gave the room a less-cluttered look. Branch really did have good taste.

Poppy rolled over and buried her face in the soft, heavyweight brown blanket. It smelled like him; mildly sweet, as all trolls did, but with a trace of something tangy and spicy and indefinably Branch. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, and for a moment it was like her boyfriend was here with her, bringing a deep feeling of comfort that eased the strangely restless, uneasy feeling that had been with her since she'd had the popcorn accident.

A faint memory of her romantic dream floated around the edges of her mind, the dream where she and Branch were lifelong companions; partners, soulmates, and yes, lovers. It wasn't the first time she'd ever dreamed about a troll she'd had a crush on, but it was the first time she'd ever had one that was so…sensual. Even though she'd mostly forgotten it after she'd awakened, she'd still felt a strong need to act on it, when the chance came, to reach out to the young man her heart had chosen. That had never happened before, not even with Creek.

What if Branch hadn't been in love with me? When I saw him get out of the bathtub and wanted to touch him, what if he'd rejected me, or friend-zoned me? What if he'd said he liked someone else?

She was quiet for a moment, but then she shrugged. I guess I'd have had to court him, then. Serenading him, giving him compliments and gifts and spending lots of time with him… She chuckled. Kinda like what I'm doing right now. Except without the gifts. Hmmm…

She set her elbows on the bed and rested her chin on her interlaced fingers, looking around the room for clues. "Maybe I could…get him some new books? Something more fun to read?" she mused aloud, reaching out with her hair to pull aside the small curtain covering the upper wall niche near the bed.

Instead of books, a jumbled assortment of multicolored invitations threatened to spill out onto the floor. "Oh my gosh!" Her mouth dropped open and she scrambled to her knees. Those are from me! But I thought he – wait. His scrapbook yesterday – this must be what he meant about treasuring my 'hand-crafted entreaties'.

Her heart soared with tenderness for her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, who had worried so much about putting up a strong front with the other trolls, even to the point that he would pretend he didn't like her invitations, and yet, here they were.

"Aww, Branch…" She hugged herself, touched beyond measure. "You really did have a crush on me, didn't you?"

Even when they were younger, Poppy had always known that her grumpy gray friend had had a hidden side. A certain vulnerability that came out in random acts of kindness or advice toward her or the other trolls, often not long after they'd had a disagreement. She knew it was his way of apologizing.

She'd spent a lot of time trying to figure him out, especially around the time she'd had her own crush on him, but now his tendency to pull back whenever she'd caught a glimpse of gentleness in him finally made sense. Those brief glimpses had only made her want to look for more.

And the more she looked, the more reasons she found to love him.

Her interest piqued, she slid off the bed and opened the curtain on a lower niche to reveal not more cards but books; both scrapbooks and ink-and-paper books, whose covers were of considerably brighter colors than the ones in the living room.

Her eyes widened as she read the titles. "Whoa, Branch! Looks like you weren't kidding when you said you were passionate about romance!" she laughed. "A Trollmance for the Ages. My Sweet Gumdrop. 105 Ways to Impress a Potential Mate. Assembling a Successful Relationship. Aww… How cute! In a nerdy, Branch sort of way."

She focused on a set of matching books, all with a familiar troll's face on the spine. "Ooo! What do we have here?" Humming a cheerful little tune and ignoring the voice in her head telling her that Branch wouldn't appreciate her going through his things, she pulled the first one out.

The eager grin on her face faded as the gray-skinned, black-haired felted troll on the cover glared back at her, his mouth and eyebrows set in straight, uncompromising lines. Her ears wilted slightly. These books must have been created years ago, when he was still lonely and miserable.

Her conscience piped up again, and for once the young queen hesitated. Maybe… She started to return the book, but her curiosity got the better of her. We're dating now. He won't mind.

Slowly she opened the cover to see a neat block of text.

In this, Volume One of The Bunker Journals, I, Branch of Troll Village, will be detailing the process as I work my way through the setup of this survival bunker, meant to prepare for the day when the bergens or some other disaster strikes.

She turned the page, her attention catching on the Table of Contents:

Chapter One: Lighting. Chapter Two: Ventilation. Chapter Three: Running Water…

"Man, even his personal journal reads like a set of instructions," Poppy smirked.

Idly she flipped through the first few pages, which were full of diagrams carefully labeled with measurements, only to stop at a colored-pencil sketch of Branch himself, gray and black, with a sad expression and a big blue teardrop falling from one eye as he gazed at a group of colorful, happy trolls dancing off in the distance. Underneath, it said, I wish things didn't have to be like this, but I know it's for the best. This way, no one gets hurt.

Unexpected sorrow hit her so hard she bent over the book. Her eyes stung and her throat ached as the stricken queen whimpered, a rush of anguish and guilt engulfing her. Poor Branch... How could I not have seen how much he was suffering?

But as the wave passed, she knew that that wasn't entirely true. She'd always known Branch needed cheering up. It was just that pain like his had been so far out of her realm of experience that she had never been able to fully relate to him, or figure out how to reach him.

Still, from what he'd told her last night, he'd appreciated how she kept on trying.

"It's always been you, Poppy. You've always been special to me. You reached out to me, no matter how much I tried to push everyone away. You cared about me."

That made her feel a little bit better.

Sitting up, she gently closed the book before she could see any more and hugged it to her chest, wishing he was there to hug, too. Then she carefully put it back in its place and went back to his bed, curling up on her side and wrapping her arms around her legs.

You were wrong, Branch. You got hurt.

Just like today.

It might have been an accident, but today was definitely her fault. She'd traumatized him, herself, and everyone else. She wondered if, in the dim twilight, Branch had realized that she'd been losing her colors. Again. For the second time that day. I guess we both have reasons for going gray. She smiled a little. And you saved me again, Branch. What would I do without you?

Suddenly his anguished voice echoed in her head. 'What would I do if I lost you, after finally getting to tell you that I loved you?'

She remembered how his voice had broken as he'd wailed the word 'love'. Her lower lip began to tremble, and she bit it to hold it still, burying her face in her knees. He was right to be angry with me. One brief moment of carelessness, and Troll Village would have lost its queen.

And the loneliest troll in the village would have lost his best friend, the person he's made so many sacrifices for, just to stay by her side, like he promised. Branch opened his heart to me. He's trusting me not to hurt him.

She sighed unhappily, feeling a heavy weight in her belly. I really have to start taking better care of myself, for his sake, and everyone else's. Maybe I could ask Branch for safety lessons, or something. Or maybe I should start spending more time down here, where it's safe. Now that we're together, I'll be visiting him a lot, anyway.

Optimistic as always, Poppy perked up as she realized that for the first time, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. Branch lived here, after all, and he found it perfectly comfortable. Like she'd told Doctor Plum, to Branch, the bunker was home.

Curious now, she sat up and looked around his room with new eyes. It was the same as ever: still, silent, safe.

Boring.

But…it was also kind of peaceful. And private. And how boring could it be, if Branch was here with her?

She eyed her surroundings with a contemplative eye.

You know, with a little decoration, this place might not be so bad. The twins' scenery outfits are a good start, and he's added some pretty rugs and things since the first time I saw the place. It still needs more, though. More rugs, more pictures, more color. More light, too. Lucky for Branch, decorating is my jam.

It was true that compared to daylight or even the inside of a pod, the little room was dimly lit, its only light coming from various glowing mushrooms planted here and there. They gave the room a soft yellow glow, similar to candlelight, or firelight. Maybe if she planted more of them? No, she'd need something that made bright white light, to be able to see the colors of her scrapbooking materials accurately. How about a skylight or three?

Actually…candlelight is romantic. She cocked her head as she studied the area. Seen that way, the little room suddenly seemed cozy. You know, I can see why Branch feels safe here. The outside world seems so far away. I've never understood the appeal of that before, but I kind of get it now. And Branch promised that nothing bad would happen to me here…

Feeling better now, Poppy lay back on her boyfriend's pillow, contentedly breathing in his scent as she recalled a conversation she'd had with Branch not long after he'd regained his true colors.

-O-

"Thanks for the flowers, Poppy," Branch had said, placing the fuchsia, orange and gold-colored flowers she'd brought to help brighten up the place into a small brown pot. As their sweet scent permeated the air, Poppy couldn't help but notice the difference.

Unlike the airy troll pods, Branch's home smelled cool and earthy, of stone and minerals and the faint tang of fresh air from the air ducts. It wasn't a bad smell, just very different from the scents she associated with home.

"Hey, Branch, whatever gave you the idea to live underground, anyway?" she'd asked curiously.

"Well, being underground has always given me a deep sense of security," he'd replied, and quirked an eyebrow in her direction. "Pun intended."

"Hey!" Caught off guard at his newfound sense of humor, she laughed. "I thought you didn't like puns!"

"I like awesome ones."

He grinned teasingly at her and she pursed her lips to one side and set a hand on her hip. Well, two can play that game.

"Then I guess I'll just have to dig some up," she countered.

"Nice try." He snorted in amusement. "Well, anyway, I think I've always associated being underground with safety because that's how we got away from the bergens. Through the root tunnel."

"Right," Poppy agreed. "I teach that to the trollings every year."

"So, years ago, when I stumbled upon the entrance to a small cave," he pointed off to the side, rather than toward the lift shaft he usually used to get to the surface, "it didn't take me long to realize the potential. For the first time in my life, I had all the privacy I wanted. No one could see me; no one knew I was even here. And if I expanded and reinforced the tunnel system, it would also be a great place for storing supplies. It's climate-controlled, and unlike pods, there's no danger of…"

He trailed off and she knew he was referring to the time his own pod had fallen. It had been scary for her, at eight years old, visiting her friend in the doctor's pod to see him covered in bandages, with his face all bruised and scraped and his arm and leg in white plaster casts. She had never seen anyone so badly hurt before.

Twelve-year-old Branch himself had been a little scary, his eyes dark and his mood subdued, as if deeply grieving for his lost home. She had done her best to cheer him up, decorating his casts in brightly-colored stickers, but he was so profoundly not-happy he didn't even complain about it. She had never seen him so despondent.

Even after he went to live with Leafe, his loss still haunted him. He was more distant than he used to be, brooding and aloof, as if some of the fight in him had been knocked out by his fall.

-O-

Now she knew that it had been Jaunty and Courtley he had been grieving over, not his pod.

I learned to be really pushy with him after that, to make him come out of his shell. I know he resented it sometimes, but it was better to have him get angry at me than watch him just…fade away. He was my friend, after all. And I felt so bad for him. Poppy put a hand to her chest, unconsciously rubbing the bruise near her heart as she recalled how sad it had made her to see her friend's indomitable spirit broken.

But he did get better eventually, and start to react with some of his old energy. He and Leafe became friends, and then Leafe began dating Cherry Blossom, so at least he wasn't alone. Then Branch and Acorn became close, and he was doing really well for a while, being all social and everything. Then for some reason, he stopped.

Come to think of it, didn't he follow the same pattern again later, right before he came to live down here for good? I never understood why, before.

But I'm going to. I'll make sure of that.

-O-

Never one to sit still for very long, Poppy soon got up and headed back out to look for her wayward boyfriend. Where could he be? Maybe that arnica salve he wants me to try is kept somewhere else? But I thought he said it was in his bathroom.

Only then did she remember that she'd heard the sound of the lift moving after he left the room. Maybe he has a second bathroom on another floor?

She headed to the central core of the bunker, staring down into the dark depths of the empty lift shaft, mushrooms creating occasional pools of light here and there, and then looked upward. "Branch?" she called again, and when there was no answer she shrugged and used her hair to start swinging upward. At every juncture she stopped and called out to him, but only loneliness answered her.

When she got to the top of the lift shaft, she had a thought. What if he went outside? Maybe he was out of the salve and decided to make a quick trip to his herb garden to get more? How long does it take to make salve, anyway?

She undid the locks and flipped open the trap door, using her hair to push herself up and out. It was full dark now; the moon a mere crescent that didn't shed much light. She oriented herself and headed toward Branch's garden plots, which were even further away from the village.

It was dark enough that she had to watch where she stepped. With her focus on the ground beneath her feet, she started and cried out when there was a loud rustle in the nearby grassfronds.

Maybe it was another troll. "Hello?" she called out.

No one answered. After a moment, when nothing attacked her or burst into song, she shrugged and moved on.

The pink troll lit up her hair and walked a little quicker now, making a point to pay more attention to her surroundings. A variety of bug and animal noises were all around her; some she recognized, some she didn't. Why does he have to live so far from the village? she grumbled to herself, aware of the fact that she was beginning to feel creeped out and her heart rate was up, and not liking it one bit. I never feel like this during nighttime parties.

A minute later she jumped again, at a wild, repeating screech that seemed to come from all sides before she realized it was several different creatures, calling to each other.

Were they predators, surrounding her?

She doused her hair, her head twisting in rapid jerks, and then caught herself and smiled determinedly. Come on, Poppy. You're beginning to sound like Branch.

Suddenly something big began forcing its way through a nearby thicket, snapping sticks and giving deep, guttural grunts. She stumbled back a few steps, alarm zinging through every muscle.

You know what? I think I'll just wait for him inside.

She spun on her heel and bolted for the bunker, ready to dive headfirst into the welcoming golden glow of home.

-O-

Once I was done with the first order of business, I washed my hands and then my face, and even brushed my teeth, for good measure. Every girl appreciates good hygiene, right?

Then I noticed the splatter my toothpaste had left behind and decided to give the sink a quick cleaning, and once I got going I ended up doing the rest of the bathroom too. I cleaned my bathrooms regularly, but good impressions are important. The state of someone's bathroom says a lot about a person.

Finally I grabbed the small pot of arnica salve and some other supplies and got back on the lift, riding it up to the main level where I had my living quarters. Before I'd even reached it, I heard Poppy yell at the top of her lungs, "Branch!"

My head shot up. "Poppy?" I shouted back. I threw the lift into high-speed mode, jerked it to a stop as it approached the main level and leaped off. I called out in a panic, "Poppy? Where are you? What's wrong?"

I heard rapid running footsteps, and soon she came into view, throwing herself into my arms."Where were you?" she cried.

"The bathroom on the bottom level-" I began, then cut myself off. "Never mind that - are you okay?" Using years of hug-evading experience I twisted out of her tight grip so I could run my hands over her body, lifting her arms and turning her this way and that, checking for blood or other injuries.

"I'm okay, Branch," she answered, letting me manhandle her. She was panting and sweating, but otherwise she seemed to be all right.

Finally, really confused now, I let her go and stepped back. What gives? She was running flat-out. "Poppy, what happened?" I gestured outward.

"Oh. Nothing really, I just, um…" Now she looked distinctly sheepish, rubbing one elbow with her other hand.

I scowled, irritation displacing my concern. If there's no emergency, then… I crossed my arms and gave her a stern look. "Okay, what did you break?"

"Nothing!" She looked so astonished that I realized she was telling the truth.

"Nothing? Then…" I let my arms drop to my sides and scrunched my face up, totally bewildered now. "Poppy, what's going on? Why are you acting so weird?"

She looked away. "I'm not acting weird."

There was a long moment of silence between us. I didn't know if I should keep pushing the issue or let it slide. Man, relationships are so confusing...

Finally, feeling slightly shaky from the adrenaline rush, I blew out a breath and complained in the same world-weary tone I often found myself using with her at times like this, "First in the twins' tent, then you choking, and now…" I put a hand to my pulsing chest. "Poppy, you've really gotta stop scaring me like this. My heart is still pounding."

To my surprise, she wilted, curling her arms toward herself and looking at the floor. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," she said in a small voice.

My eyes widened. Something must be seriously wrong for her to act so meek. I reached for her hands. "Poppy, whatever it is, you can tell me. I won't be mad at you. Promise," I said gently.

"Well, I…I got lonely, so I went looking for you and couldn't find you."

I waited, but she seemed to be finished. "…That's it?" I blinked and then gave her a skeptical look, but she wouldn't meet my eyes. "That's what happened? What, did you get lost or something?"

"Uh, yeah…" She pulled away from me and asked, "Branch, why didn't you tell me you had more than one bathroom? And why didn't you answer me when I called for you?" Her tone still seemed a little subdued to me. Maybe she was embarrassed about getting lost?

"I didn't know you didn't know. And I was cleaning it and singing," I responded, answering her questions in chronological order. "I guess between me singing and the water running, I couldn't hear you calling," I explained apologetically. "I don't get a lot of guests. It's not like I've really ever had to listen for anyone else before. I'm sorry, Sunshine." I gave her a little grin, trying to brighten her uncharacteristic frown. "I guess this place can be a bit of a maze until you get used to the layout. I should give you a tour sometime."

To my surprise she perked right up, brushing her bangs back from her sweaty forehead and beaming brightly at me. "A tour of your bunker? Sure! Let's go!"

I blinked. "Right now? Don't you want to get home so you can eat first?"

"I can wait. I had that ice cream… Unless you want to go eat, of course."

I was hungry, but I was also curious to see where this was going. Poppy had never shown this much interest in my bunker before.

I shrugged. "Actually, I have to put together a basic travel kit, anyway. I figure I'm going to be doing a lot of traveling between your place and mine, so now's as good a time as any. But first, let's get some salve on that bruise."

Only then did I realize the salve pot wasn't in my hands, so I checked the ground and then thought to look toward the lift, which sat awkwardly in midair, halfway between the floor and ceiling. The crude misalignment grated on my nerves, but Poppy was more important.

Sure enough, the shallow ceramic salve pot was there. I hoped the fall hadn't broken it.I'd been too panicked to even notice I'd dropped it.

Fortunately, it was intact; its abrupt landing had been cushioned by the other items I'd been carrying.I picked it up and twisted the wide cork out, showing Poppy the light golden-green herbal salve inside.

She leaned forward and sniffed. "Ooo! It smells like coconut…and mint?"

"Mint?" I frowned. "There shouldn't be any mint in this salve." I took a sniff myself. "I don't smell any…" As I began to speak, I caught a faint hint of the scent in question and stopped, puzzled. Then I remembered. "Oh. That's me you smell. I just brushed my teeth," I explained.

"Really?" She gave me a curious look. "Branch, you brush your teeth before dinner?"

"Well, no, I was just thinking about my breath," I said without thinking. Then I clamped my mouth shut and turned away, astonished at my own words. My face couldn't get any hotter if an inferno flower blasted me with its firey breath.

Then I heard a huff of air and looked back in surprise at Poppy, whose hand was at her face, testing her own breath. Above her hand, her eyes went big and round and her cheeks, what I could see of them, flushed as brightly as mine. So did her ears.

Each of us gave awkward laughs and looked to the side, our hands going to the backs of our heads at the exact same moment. I was oddly pleased to see that even in our embarrassment, we were in sync.

As the heat in my face faded, I cleared my throat and changed the subject, gluing my eyes to the pot and cork in my hands. "So uh, Doctor Plum didn't offer you some kind of medicine to help with your bruise?"

"Oh, she probably would have, but I told her I was-"

"'Fine'?" I finished for her, smiling wryly.

She looked sheepish. "Yeah. I guess I just didn't want her to make a big deal out of it." Poppy shrugged. "I don't know why… It's only a bruise, right?"

I felt my face soften in compassion. "Poppy… It's not just a bruise. And of course it bothers you. You may not like to dwell on the bad parts of life, but you know that that bruise is a reminder of what could have happened. And how that would have affected not only your life, but the lives of everyone around you."

In my head I heard the echo of my grandmother's scream, the last sound I would ever hear from her. But I hadn't been the only one to lose her that day. She'd been such a big part of so many other trolls' lives; a teacher, a leader, a confidant, a friend. I remembered seeing so many gray trolls after it happened. Even King Peppy.

"Life can change in an instant, you know," I said softly. "So fast it leaves you reeling and broken, wondering how you'll ever go on." My ears wilted a little as I stared regretfully off into the distance.

"Oh, Branch." Sympathy and sadness spread over Poppy's face. She put her hands on my cheeks and her brilliant rose-colored eyes looked deep into mine, bringing me back to the present. "I feel really, really bad for all the pain I caused you and everyone else today. If I could take it all back, I would." Her voice was rough, as if she wanted to cry again.

I wanted to comfort her, but since both my hands were full I leaned forward to boop my nose against hers. "Hey. I forgive you."

Her breath rushed out in sort of happy sobbing, sweet and warm and slightly chocolate-scented. "Oh, Braaanch… Thank you."

I gave her a gentle smile, glad that things were okay between us again and happy I'd made her happy.

And then my extraordinary girl whispered, "You know what, Branch? She forgives you, too."

I stared at her in shock, and then my vision swam and I squeezed my eyes shut as something in me burst and dissolved, followed by a rush of heat and relief and love. I gave a little happy sob of my own. "Oh, Sunshine, I love you."

"I love you too, Branch."

Her warm hands on my cheeks gently tilted my head downward so she could press her forehead against mine. We stood there for a minute, comforting each other, our breaths meeting and merging before she let me go.

"Okay, so let's do this! Then you can take me on that tour you promised me."

I had to smile. Give her some affection, and she sounds completely back to normal. What a girl.

I offered her the salve pot, but she just looked at it for a moment and then back at me, smiling entreatingly. "Would you mind putting it on me while I hold my blouse up?" she asked politely, grasping the bottom hem of her flowing, off-the-shoulder blouse and lifting it a little to expose a strip of pink skin. "It's a little awkward to do by myself."

I swallowed. "Y-you want me to…" My eyes flicked back and forth from her face to her belly to her face again, to the wall, to my own hands clutching the cork and salve pot, and back to her face. We both knew she could free her hands simply by removing her blouse, but that wasn't the point. She wanted me to touch her.

Why was I sweating? You'd think I've never touched her before. I'm only applying medicine to a wound. Yeah. That's it. But I knew it was a lot more than that. This was one of those intimacy things, like brushing each other's hair.

Poppy seemed to be perfectly at ease, but then she shuffled her feet a little and I got the sense that she wasn't quite as nonchalant as she was acting. For some reason, that made me feel better.

Well, if she can be nonchalant, so can I.

I shrugged. "Okay. Sure."

I can do this.

-O-

Branch collected his medical supplies from the floor of the abandoned lift platform, showing no signs that its haphazard parking job was bothering him. The young queen felt a big, satisfied smile spread over her face. If I'd ever needed proof that he loved me, there it is.

"Okay, here. Hold still," her boyfriend instructed calmly, kneeling down in front of her.

Poppy was unexpectedly struck by the memory of the first time he'd ever done that. Trapped in the cold, dark confines of a much bleaker pot, he'd gazed up at her with such beautiful, caring blue eyes, openly letting her see for the first time just how very much she meant to him.

She tilted her head. Something else about this seems familiar. Just then the little fantasy she'd had earlier that day came back to her, when he was eating chocolates and she'd imagined his lips on her body. Suddenly flustered, she glanced away, hoping she wasn't blushing. Again.

Fortunately Branch was looking down. He dipped two fingers into the salve and then gave her an expectant look. "Poppy?"

"What? Oh, sorry." She grabbed the fluttery yellow and green tiers of her new blouse and lifted them up to expose her belly, using both hands to hold the lightweight cotton high up on her chest. Fortunately her skirt sat low enough to not get in his way.

She didn't miss his wince at the sight of the big, embarrassing, ugly, painful-looking bruise discoloring her skin. "Ouch," he said sympathetically.

She shrugged and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at it or keep talking about it anymore.

His big fingers were as delicate as dandelion fluff as they tentatively dabbed at her skin. There was a brief pause and then a delicious, tingly puff of air hit her belly as he let out a long breath.

Another pause, a long one.

Then his soft voice drifted to her ears. "Is this okay?"

She opened her eyes to see that he looked concerned, his eyes creasing at the corners. Then she noticed that most of the thick, waxy salve was still stuck to his fingers and recognized the problem – he probably needed to apply more pressure to make the salve stick, but he was afraid of hurting her. "It's okay to touch me, Branch," she reassured him, smiling lovingly down at him.

His eyebrows went up and his mouth dropped open. His eyes traveled down the pink body right in front of his nose and then back up, his cheeks flushing a vivid lavender. "Uh…"

Poppy's own cheeks flared as she realized how her words sounded. "Oh my gosh, that totally didn't come out right!" She clutched the cloth she was holding to her chest, fleetingly wishing she could use her hands to cover her face. Really flustered now, she babbled, "That's not – I meant to say – If you – Aw, come on, you know what I meant!"

"Actually, I'm not sure. What did you mean?"

Just for a moment, she was fooled by his innocent expression. "Well, I meant to say-" Then she spotted the smirk he was trying to hide, and rolled her eyes. "Branch! I meant, touch me harder… Ack!"

Too late, she caught herself. Poppy let out a classic Branch groan, slamming her hair down to hide her burning face as her boyfriend sputtered and then let out a great burst of laughter. "If you think…I'm ever gonna let you live that one down…" he said breathlessly, his giggling voice so dizzy and high-pitched it squeaked.

Poppy lost it, hooting right along with him, thrilling inside as she always did to hear him so happy. She didn't even care that he was laughing at her if it broke the tension between them.

In a playful mood now, Branch smiled at her with twinkling eyes, tilting his head and letting his teasing gaze glide over her in a way that she somehow enjoyed even though it made butterflies tickle her insides. Poppy felt an odd desire to tuck her hair behind her ear, and her teeth gripped her lower lip in a weird, silly grin. She tried to resist the urge to squirm delightedly under the heat of his interest, but judging by his own grin, she wasn't successful. She didn't really mind.

Finally he chuckled, shook his head and looked down to go back to his task. How is he doing that? she wondered. If she got this weak in the knees from him just looking at her, how was she going to keep it together when thingsreally heated up between them? They couldn't both freak out, after all…

Funny how Branch lost his self-consciousness when she was the one who was embarrassed or uncertain. Maybe it brought out his protective side. I never would have thought I'd be so bashful. I guess it's true what they say, that being in a relationship brings out sides of yourself that you didn't know existed. Poppy chuckled inwardly. Well, live and learn.

When Branch touched her this time, she felt the difference immediately. Now it was a caress, slow and warm and soothing, gliding smoothly across her tender skin. It made her feel good, relaxed and a little excited, too. The sweet scent of coconut drifted up to her nose, stirring her appetite in more ways than one.

With his luxurious thatch of dark hair moving gently in front of her, she wanted to touch him back. The man she loved more than anyone else was right there in front of her; so close, so temptingly close. But after all the mistakes she'd made today, she wanted everything to go right between them tonight. She'd come so close to kissing him right in front of everyone, too caught up in the moment to think about her promise, and even though she knew he would have forgiven her, her sweetheart deserved to have his beautiful dream come true. To have their first kiss in what had to be the most romantic place in the world, if Branch had his heart set on it.

Besides, the closer that moment came, the more curious she was becoming. What had he said earlier? 'The longer the wait, the sweeter the prize.' Considering she'd tried to get a certain elusive gray troll to let her in for nearly her entire life, now that he had, was the prize worth the wait?

She let her eyes drift closed and gave a dreamy sigh. He certainly is.

She could have stayed there all evening, relishing his gentle hand on her body and the light, tantalizing touch of his minty breath teasing goosebumps on her skin, but far too soon his hand went away. She heard a slight squeak as he corked the salve pot, and then into the pure deep silence came his quiet voice. "I'm going to put a bandage over it to keep the salve from rubbing off on your clothes."

She opened her eyes and nodded, content to let him keep touching her however he wanted.

The pink troll watched as the survivalist in Branch came to the fore, wiping salve off his hand with a handkerchief and then cutting a length of gauze. "Okay, take a deep breath, then breathe out and hold it."

She complied, and he smoothly wrapped the soft gauze around her torso, twice. He used part of his hair to hold the bandage in place while another hair segment skillfully manipulated scissors to snip off a piece of papery tan-colored tape held stretched between his hands. A quick switch with hands and hair and the loose end was neatly secured. "Okay, you can breathe now."

As she did so, he murmured in an undertone, "How does that feel? Not too tight?"

Silently she shook her head, not wanting to break fragile spell of closeness between them with words.

One of his legs moved and he tensed as if to stand up, but then he paused and sat back. A contemplative expression crossed his face, and then an aquamarine hand slowly reached out toward her. It hovered at the last moment, then made contact, resting lightly on the bandage over her bruised skin. With a gentle expression Branch ran his palm softly over her bandage, smoothing it one last time, and then his fingertips slowly trailed downward across her belly.

Time slowed.

She tried to breathe normally, to not do anything that would call attention to what he was doing as almost idly he let his fingers swirl across her skin in much the same manner she had yesterday, wanting to know the person who meant so much to her in every way possible.

But it wasn't easy.

His touch was glitter-tickles and magic; she wanted to jump and sing and grab him and hug him and kiss him and more, but it was also kind of fun to just hold still and let him indulge his curiosity. She and her friends used to touch like this when they were trollings, drawing imaginary pictures on one another with their fingers, tickling each other or blowing raspberries on each other's bellies. But not Branch. For as long as she could remember, he'd always kept himself apart.

Finally he let his palm settle on her bare belly, his hand so big it almost covered her completely. As his warmth began to soak into her, only then did he look up to meet her eyes. A shy little smile appeared on his lips and she read the question in his gaze.

She answered his tentative gesture of affection with one of her own, sliding her fingers into his hair. Her blouse dropped over his hand and he withdrew it, his eyes widening, then closing in pleasure. Then he bowed his head, offering up his silky locks to her.

She almost squealed with excitement, but at the last second she held it in, trying to hide the way her muscles were fizzing, almost quivering with joy. This moment was too precious to risk scaring him off with a burst of emotions.

As she ran her fingers through his thick mane, Branch took a deep, deep breath, and then a soft, strangely wistful sound emerged, somewhere between a sigh and a song, of longing and bliss.

It almost broke her heart. How long had he waited for someone to come along and give him all the love he deserved? How much of his old grumpy nature had masked such loneliness? If only she had… If only she hadn't… Maybe he wouldn't have responded, but if anything could have thawed his cold, untrusting heart, she might have tried harder to win his affection, way back when. Her teenage self had been right all along.

I guess I'll just have to spend the rest of my life making it up to him. The thought made her smile.

Then the back of her hand brushed against his ear and she remembered the way he'd responded yesterday, practically melting with delight. He'd never said she couldn't touch him there, had he?

Poppy took his ears lovingly in her hands, sliding them between her fingers as softly and sensually as she knew how. He stiffened, scrunching his eyes even more tightly closed and clenching his hands against his thighs, but he didn't object. So she kept going, playing gently with his ears while he stayed still and silent.

Then he began to breathe harder, and Poppy began to worry.

Is he having another panic attack? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Branch?" she asked quietly, not wanting to startle him. "Is this okay?"

-O-

In spite of growing up in the most touchy-feely village ever, no one had ever touched my ears before. Not the way she was touching them, tentative and tender, wanting to share her love, to please me and make me feel good.

Last night, being cuddled in bed had brought back such a complicated, roiling mix of feelings and memories. Thousands of tiresome, unwanted, overenthusiastic hugs. Claustrophobic group hugs. Other trolls' breath in my face. Too close, too intimate, too much!

But I also remembered the awkward comfort of being hugged by my friends; by Cherry Blossom and Leafe and Laurel and others, and especially, by my foster dads. I remembered so strongly the first and last time I'd ever been able to ask to share their bed, and let them soothe me when I got stressed out about the Trollstice anniversary. Feeling so warm and safe and secure with them…and the cold desolation of their loss soon after. They hadn't died, as my parents and grandma had, but to me, they might as well have. I still carried the heartache of our separation with me to this day.

Maybe someday I could approach them, and ask how they were doing or something. Talking about them with Poppy had shown me that maybe I could, in fact, face my old memories from my new perspective and not be overwhelmed with feelings. Like Cherry Blossom had said, I'd grown more than I'd realized.

And most of it was thanks to Poppy. I was still coming to terms with how fast I wanted our relationship to proceed, but I also wanted to give her what she needed from me, and one thing I could do was let her know I welcomed her touch, the way she'd welcomed mine just now.

More than welcomed it – I had a curious weakness for the feel of her skin on mine, a yearning unlike anything I'd ever felt before. Her touch was lightning and rain and silk and flower petals. A simple caress from her and I was nearly paralyzed, both wanting and not wanting her to stop, fearing the control she had over me and how much I craved it.

But this…this kind of touch I could handle.

"Branch?" she whispered.

I was still afraid of loss, in some ways even moreso now than from when I was younger, because I'd tried so hard then not to care, but…

"Is this okay?" I could hear the loving concern in her tone.

This felt safe. This felt good.

And like the time in King Peppy's pod when I'd been introduced to the two men I'd come to think of as my fathers, I was tired of trying to hold myself apart.

-O-

When her boyfriend's face grew troubled and plaintive, Poppy regretfully let him go. "I'm sorry if I-"

Suddenly he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against her belly just below her bandage and wrapping his arms around her.

"Don't stop," he pleaded.

Poppy melted. "Aww…"

Gladly she let her fingers roam where they wished, gliding through sleek hair and along warm, gracefully curved ears as he nuzzled his face against her belly, knowing that she wouldn't trade a second of this time with him for all the parties in the world.

When the sweet smell of coconut from her heated skin drifted to her nose, she was caught by surprise when her stomach let out a massive rumbling growl right against his face.

The spell broken, the young couple blinked at one another.

Then Branch laughed. "Okay, okay, I hear you loud and clear. Come on." He got to his feet. "The tour can wait. Let's get you taken care of."

He began to walk and she followed, embarrassed and frustrated at the interruption. It was going so well!

Then Branch turned back and held out his hand to her. She took it and smiled as he said, his blue eyes shining with love, "Thank you."

Author's Note:

"She forgives you" refers to Branch's grandma. I wanted to show that Poppy knew him well enough to know that he was thinking about her, so I left it vague on purpose; sorry if that made it confusing.

New song suggestion from itsthat1kid (sorry, the site won't let me post your username with periods) that I like a lot is Moon and Back by Alice Kristiansen. There's a refrain: "When your skies are gray/and your whole world is shaking/To the moon and back/I love you more than that." I can totally imagine a poignant scene where Poppy is singing, "When your skin is gray". Ahhh, so beautiful!

For those who might be worrying, nothing creepy happened between Branch and Acorn. Branch just basically acquired a hero-worshipping little brother for a while, until certain circumstances happened that I'll reveal eventually.

After seeing Trolls World Tour and seeing Branch's bedroom, I've decided for the purposes of my story that while his bed the same strong, sturdy, practical Branch design, it's larger than the one in the movie. Big enough for two, you might say ;)