The sun had finally disappeared beyond the horizon, the sky now enveloping the world in its dark embrace. The glow of the city could be seen in the distance, far enough away that the stars were beautifully visible as they twinkled silver. Snowflakes danced as they fell from the sky – crystalized ballarinas putting on a show for those willing to take the time to watch. The dusting of snow that littered the old pines surrounding the small clearing glittered in the lamplight coming from the porch.
Queen Poppy and Branch were holed up inside the cabin, the gentle warmth from the heated floors licking at their legs in the sweetest of ways. The two of them were seated in front of the fire place, sharing a wool blanket that was the color of the bark of the trees outside. In one corner of the blanket were their names, embroided gold – a gift from Viva. Branch sat behind Poppy, arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. He'd asked Poppy to read to him once the two of them had gotten back from their hike earlier in the evening. The Pop Queen lost track of how long she'd been reading at this point, not that she cared. The Pop Queen was surrounded by all the things she really loved: books, Branch, and the tranquil wintery nature outside.
Finally she began to trail off as Poppy reached the end of the most recent chapter she'd been reading. Branch made no objections to the soft silence that settled around the both of them. And there they two sat for a few minutes, simply enjoying the company of the person she were lucky enough to spend the holidays with. After a few more moments, however, Poppy began to stir. Getting up from between Branch's legs – a small chill licking up her arms at the loss of body heat – The Pop Queen went over to the stereo that was seated in the corner of the room and began to play a playlist filled with their favorite calm holiday songs.
Walking back over to Branch, The Pop Queen held out her hand. Branch took it and smiled as Poppy pulled him to his feet. His arms came to rest on your hips instinctively while hers wrapped around his torso, pulling him into something reminiscent of a hug. Slowly the two of them began to sway to the beat of the song, letting the piano of the music wash over them. Poppy rested her cheek against Branch's chest, head turned so they could look out the window and take in the beauty of the world outside. As Poppy did so Branch tilted his head so it rested against the crown of her own and in that moment Poppy could have sworn she felt their hearts beat in sync.
"I love you," Poppy whispered.
The Pop Queen felt Branch move just slightly, followed by the brushing of his lips against her forehead.
"Always."