"How are you not cold?" Branch asks as he stares at Poppy's outfit in disbelief. All she has on over her clothes is a light jacket and a pair of gloves. He on the other hand is wearing: two coats, a scarf, gloves and earmuffs on this cold winter night as the two of them walk down the street together.
The Pop Queen turns to him and gives a casual shrug of her shoulders in response. "The cold doesn't really bother me." The lamppost behind her illuminates her face and makes her pink eyes shimmer under the moonlight, making him stop just to look at her.
The teal troll removes the plaid scarf he's wearing, slips it around her back and shoulders, and gently pulls her towards him with it. The Pop Queen gives him a coy smile right before she leans in for a kiss. Their lips meet and Branch can taste her vanilla flavored chap stick .
When they pull apart, Branch rests his forehead against hers and lets out a small chuckle, the puff of air from his breath is visible in the cool night air. He can feel her eyebrows raise up in confusion at his action.
"What?"
"Your lips are warm even in winter."
Poppy rolls her eyes and pulls back so she can look at him. She shakes her head. "You are such a dork sometimes."
Branch tilts his head and smirks at her. "I try." The wind then starts to pick up momentarily, which sends a cold shiver down his spine and makes his teeth start to chatter. Poppy then takes the scarf and places it back around her boyfriends neck once again, to keep him warm. Branch smiles at the gesture.
The Pop Queen then takes his gloved hand in hers and gives it a slight tug forward after they lace their fingers together. "Come on Gum Drop, let's go get some hot chocolate before you freeze out here."
Branch makes a face at her choice of nickname for him. "Really, Stretch? Gum Drop? You gotta start working on your winter themed nicknames"
Poppy shoots him a look and puts her other hand on her hip expectantly as she stares at him, eyes slightly narrowed. "And what would you have gone with then?" Poppy challenges.
Branch ponders it over a moment before answering. "A nickname for me? Probably... Frosty, I guess." He answers with a small shrug. "But a winter one for you? Snowflake." The teal troll says definitively, with a nod of his head.
"Huh." Poppy muses quietly at his selection. Branch hums a question in return, curious about her reaction. "Snowflake. I actually like that one." She tells him with a smile on her face.
Branch closes the gap between them until they are shoulder to shoulder as they walk down the sidewalk back to his place. "I'm glad."
Branch thinks to himself, out of all his nicknames for her, Snowflake might be the most fitting. To most people, it appears cold and icy, but it's actually complex, beautiful and one of a kind. Just like Poppy.
