Chapter Text
It had been almost a year after the Bergens and the Trolls made peace and Poppy decided to visit the Bergens twice a week. After convincing Branch to tag along with her, she felt like nothing could go wrong!
A song started to spring into action in Bergen town, making everyone dance to the rhythm. Poppy ran to the middle of the street, bouncing with enthusiasm. She officially started the song, painting the streets with vivid colors with every step she danced and every note she sang. Branch enthusiastically front-flipped off a mushroom, joining Poppy as he painted the dull buildings once more with bright colors. Their faces lit up when they saw each other, and they instantly began singing in harmony. There wasn’t a note that wasn’t synchronized between them as they danced along the streets, earning a wink from the new Bergen couple, Gristle and Bridget.
Branch ended the song with an angelic high note as the sunset to reveal a milky lavender sky with the faintest stars. A sweet maple scent filled the air as the wind whistled across from where Poppy and Branch were lying, exhausted. They laid next to each other in silence, panting heavily under the emerald tree that was once made of nothing but stray leaves and used recycle bags. The lampposts flickered as a slight breeze caressed the air. Branch looked at the radiant beauty before him as he played with the thought of holding her hand but quickly dismissed it.
“Y’know,” Poppy started, finally breaking the silence that had filled the empty streets. Her eyes were still glued on the misty lavender sky “You really do have the voice of an angel” Branch’s cheeks and the tips of his ears flushed, causing it to turn to a light shade of purple.
“T-Thanks.” He stammered, his voice was barely above a whisper compared to Poppy’s energetic one. “You really think so?” He questioned, playing with the back of his blue hair nervously.
“Of course!” Poppy assured, now laying on her side to face Branch, “Your voice puts Justin Timberlake to shame.” Branch gave a small chuckle as he slowly turned his body to Poppy, their eyes locking instantly. Poppy immediately got lost in the everlasting shine of Branch’s midnight eyes. It was as bright as the sun, yet it was as deep as the ocean. They seemed to mesmerize her, sending butterflies to her stomach and summoning a dreamy smile. She was so wrapped in the sight, that she didn’t even realize that Branch was doing the same.
“So,” Poppy cleared her throat, blinking rapidly to break their gaze after a few minutes. She continued staring at the depths of the creamy sky. “You're happy now!”
“Y-yeah!” Branch responded, now getting up to rest on one of his arms but not daring to stop looking at Poppy, even if she wasn’t looking at him in return. “I guess I am, aren’t I?” It felt like yesterday that he had regained his colors.
He stared at Poppy with a soft smile, taking in that he WAS indeed happy,
And it was all because of her.
Poppy gave a light chuckle when she caught Branch staring at her with awe and gave him a reassuring squeeze when he tried to hide his purple face by laying the other way.
“I’m just teasing Branch.” Poppy whispered and he could feel her breath at the back of his neck, tickling ears.
He relaxed in her arms, instantly being sent to a daze of her strawberry scent and the soft smell of syrup that filled Bergen town. He fluttered his eye’s shut for a moment, letting the soft wind brush their hair and take in the sweetness that flew around them. It felt so good to have Poppy wrapped around him, transcendent even. Like a million feathers were dusting away the bitterness from his heart to reveal his true colors. He let out a soft sigh. Was this how it felt to be happy? If so, he wanted to feel this way forever.
Hovering his eyes open, he turned his body to face Poppy, a small smile pulling the corners of his mouth. She looked at him quizzically, confused as to why he was smiling all of a sudden.
“What’s so funny?” Poppy asked, grinning at his smile. Every time her eyes caught hold of his smiles, it would send tidal waves of happiness down her spine, making her lips automatically return it. But not until this moment did she think that his smile actually MEANT something to her.
But here they were…
Smiling into each other's soles.
“Can’t I enjoy the view?” Branch whispered, staring into her ruby pink eyes. How he wished he could just dive in and never come up for air, but alas, his embarrassment would get the best of him. Poppy glanced at the sky that seemed to be more of a violet than a lavender now, trying to hide her flushed pink cheeks.
So he was a smooth talker too!
Looks like she still has some discovering to do...
“What’s so funny about the view?” She joked, pointing to the streaks of clouds. Branch gave a small chuckle.
“Not that view,” He used his hand to gently bring Poppy’s face towards his. “This one.”
His last words came out as no more than a low whisper as Branch softly caressed her face, making her eyes flutter winningly. Without a second thought, Branch brushed her bangs away, staring into her cotton candy shaded eyes.
For a moment, they just stayed like that, staring into the depths of each other's eyes as their breath hit one another’s faces. The violet sky set to transform into yet another darker color as the stars shone upon the street of Bergen town, the buildings still highlighted in an array of colors as the lampposts shut off for the night. Poppy’s heart melted as her fingers slowly made their way towards Branch’s chest, hesitating slightly before gently stroking his small chest hair. Branch continued to stare into the endless void of Poppy’s rubellite eyes while unconsciously brushing her bangs away with two fingers. His smile grew wider but softer and he licked his bottom lip fortuitously.
That’s when it hit him. They were alone under a navy blue sky as the stars shone upon them and the wind whistled a soft tune. Of course, he knew how big of a risk he was taking by proceeding without double-checking that their feeling’s mutual- as they had only confessed almost a year ago and never spoke about it again- But…. At the same time…….
Hair, he really wanted her.
He wanted her body against his, pounding affectionately. He wanted to discover what she really tasted like. He wanted orgasm after orgasm after orgasm. He wanted sweat dripping off their foreheads by the time they were done. He wanted a memory of endless intimacy shared by the troll he loved most.
And so…. He continued.
Seeing his opportunity, he returned to softly caress her cheek, making her eyes flutter once more as Poppy let out a dreamy sigh. How this troll had power over her. She slowly slid her hand inside his leaf vest and through Branch’s back, making sure to enjoy every inch of skin that passed by until she reached the back of his head.
“Whoever knew your true colors would be blue?” Poppy’s voice was barely audible as she pulled the little strands of hair that led to his back, causing him to suck in a deep, quick breath.
“Whoever knew the village grump, would fall in love with the happiest troll alive?” Branch licked his lips, his thumb stroking the bottom of her lip. He smiled when he saw the temptation in her eyes. And it was at this moment, that Branch wanted to pat himself on the back for giving the others instructions on how to get back to the village safely without his or Poppy’s help.
Poppy’s heart once again melted as her hands wandered deeper into his hair, tugging it lightly as she brought them closer. Branch gave a soft moan. How he loved it when she played with his hair like that! Poppy touching him alone was enough to drive him crazy, but when she played with his hair, so soft and gentle, it was like she was teasing his temptation for more passion! “Poppy, you’re turning me on!” She was starting to send Branch into overdrive and it took every single muscle in his body to make sure he didn’t strip her right then and there. “Patience,” He told himself, “All good things come with time.”
Branch moved his hand to Poppy’s chin, caressing it before gently bringing it up higher. Their faces came closer, and closer until their noses were touching. Their breath tenderly hit each other’s faces as they both got lost in one another’s eyes. The temptation was growing without recognition of its power. Branch gently pulled her in closer as emerald leaves rained above them.
Poppy’s hand dug deeper into his royal blue hair as she dived farther into his eyes. Hair, she just wanted to kiss him! And she was certain that if he didn’t do it in the next 2 seconds, she would drive him deep into the void of endless love and affection. Poppy nuzzled their noses against each other softly, not even realizing that her cheeks were burning a light shade of red. She continued to stare at the now blue troll before her, a small smile forming on her lips.
She moved her face closer, their lips nearly hovering over each other. Branch’s breath hitched for no more than a second as he ventured his free hand to softly touch her inner thigh. He lovingly rubbed it, making Poppy gasp.
He wanted more.
Ignoring his conscience, he slid his hand higher, locating it a few inches from the bottom of her dress, and tenderly squeezed her upper thigh.
Poppy bit her lip, her eyes rolling back to her skull as she failed to contain another gasp. Oh, hair! The lust was starting to get to her, causing her to grip onto Branch’s hair tighter. The light touches, the tenderness, the desire that was spread through every gasp….
And they hadn’t even kissed yet!
Poppy bit her lip harder as her eyes trailed back to Branch’s, who still kept his gaze with a naughty smile spread across his face. She licked her lips at how much passion was revealed through his eyes, and eyes alone. They were both thinking the same thing, and their breath hitched at the thought of it. She had never felt an attraction this strong with another troll before!
It was so close to somewhat resemble the ones of Creek’s………
Creek.
Her mind trailed off past the moment, instantly turning a new page of memories. His sky blue eyes shined deep inside her conscience, forcing her to think of the smile he would make that seemed to capture the light of the sun. How he would always find a way to cheer her up even on her most darkest days. He was her lantern in the dark when she had no light…
That’s when she realized something……
She was still in love with him.
Even if he had tried to kill her……. She….
She was still in love with him.
Poppy blinked, unsure of where she was but was soon reminded when she felt a tender hand on her cheek.
“Branch!”
There was one last coffee-scented breath before his face moved closer, their lips enticed to collide with one another. Poppy abruptly released her grip from his hair, shoving him away forcefully. Leaping onto her feet, she took one last look at him before hastily retreating to the other side of the tree, refusing to acknowledge his reaction.
Branch just sat there stunned. Had he done something wrong? With the setting and all the hinting she was giving him, he just assumed what was going to happen. Everything seemed to be going well from the start…. So what possibly could have gone wrong?
Was it the touching?
No. Poppy seemed to be liking the way he played with her, her actions didn’t say otherwise.
Maybe she panicked?
No.. that didn’t seem right either. If she panicked, she would have run away the second he rubbed her inner thigh… Right? He would have considered the thought that she freaked out when he was about to kiss her if Poppy wasn’t the one who made the first move.
Another soft breeze carried two strands of emerald leaves as he let his body fall on his thighs. His fingers buried themselves in his temples while the cold grass tickled his calves. He hit his head with his palm, trying to figure out what happened but only drew blanks.
Maybe she did panic…?
Releasing his gaze, he stared at the streaks of violet that remained on the navy blue sky and watched as the stars competed on who could shine brightest. Sighing, he ran a hand through his Prussian blue hair, a smile threatening to escape when he saw his blue arm.
He scoffed. This was no time to be thinking about his happiness, not when there was clearly something going on with Poppy. There was another gust of wind when a possibility struck him, immediately filling his body with doubt and confusion.
“Does Poppy just not see me that way?”
He shook his head forcefully, trying to get the thought out of his mind. There was no way Poppy thought of him as ‘just a friend’. They had sung a song together only a few weeks ago, revealing their love for one another inside the Bergen pot before they were supposed to be EATEN. Even if they hadn’t talked about the meaning of the song since then! There was absolutely no chance!..
And yet….
Branch still had this feeling of doubt inside himself, telling him that Poppy didn’t love him. He hit himself with his palm again, this time, cursing himself for jumping into accusations.
__________________
Poppy sat on the soft grass, cradling herself as she rested her head against the bark of the large Oak tree, and even though she was well aware of what she had just done, it wasn’t Branch that filled her mind at that moment, it was Creek. Every moment, every memory of them together filled her mind, causing her to be lost in thought.
FLASHBACK
“Creek, stop it!” Poppy laughed as Creek devoured her in a layer of tickles. Poppy cried out of laughter as she tried to find ways to escape.
“Not a chance.” He replied, giggling at her struggle to escape. The pod echoed in a ray of laughter as the night sky dimmed a cool pink. “Say you’re sorry!” He joked, tickling her harder.
“Never!” Creek flipped Poppy on her stomach to get her most ticklish spot, her lower back.
“Say it!” Poppy waved her hands hysterically, gasping for air as she tried to make another attempt of escaping.
“Ok, ok!” She yelled, seeing her attempts had failed “I’m sorry!” In one last resort, Poppy kicked her legs unconsciously, hitting Creek in the face with her bunny-unicorn slippers, making him flip over the side of the couch, and into the haired ground face first.
The laughter quickly stopped as Poppy sprinted to the arm of the couch, realizing what she had just done.
“Creek!” She yelped, peaking over the pink velvet couch to look at her best friend on the floor with a hand on his nose. Her face scrunched up. “Are you ok?” Poppy’s question was barely above a whisper. Creek removed his hand and Poppy winced when she saw the amount of blood that she had created.
“You really are a feisty one, aren’t you?” He stood, trying to wipe away the bits of blood that dripped on his pajama shirt as Poppy gave a slight smile.
“I’m so sorry.” She got up, hesitant to move to his side in case he might be mad at her.
“Don’t worry about it, Poppy.” He said reassuringly, wiping the blood from his nose on a handkerchief that was hidden in his gray pajama pants “That was fun!” He shot his hands in the air reassuringly while whipping his turquoise hair around when he realized her doubt.
“If you say so….” She mumbled, still unsure if his reaction was just a fraud hiding his real feelings. Poppy fiddled with her fingernails as Creek got the remote off the floor and plumped himself on the couch. She hesitantly made her way over but quickly stopped when she realized that he was taking up all the space. He signaled that it was ok if she laid on top of him, but she refused, awkwardly sitting crisscrossed on the floor with her back to him as she waited for the TV to un-pause.
There was a moment of silence and Poppy’s face was getting hotter by the second. How could she have kicked her best friend in the face!? Especially when she was sure she was growing feelings for him!? She buried her hands in her face, making a poor attempt to rub off her blush off.
“ Why am I such an idiot!” She wondered, shaking her head in her hands. “ Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stu-” Her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of arms around her, comforting her in a warm embrace.
“I really am ok, Poppy.” She felt Creek’s warm breath on her neck, “Don’t worry about me, ok?”
“Ok.” She responded after a few seconds, lightheaded from the realization of how close Creek was to her. He wrapped his legs around her waist, giving gentle kisses to Poppy’s neck, occasionally moving up to the side of her jaw. Of course, she didn’t jump into accusations they were actually kisses or just the warmth of his breath.
Ignoring the movie, Poppy sunk into the pecks, not realizing when she let a few soft moans escape, and tilted her head slightly to the side to fully appease it.
It was a couple of seconds later of ‘kisses’ when Creek announced that he wanted to get a blanket from her room. Poppy had offered to go with him, but he insisted that she continued to watch the film as he had already seen the movie. She hesitantly agreed and after a few directions, he was off.
Poppy exhaled deeply when she realized he was out of sight and she blinked, wondering what had just happened. One moment Creek was surely upset, but the next, he was kissing her neck in the most soothing way she’d ever experienced. Or maybe, he truly wasn’t upset. Maybe he was truly fine.
Her eyes fluttered at the memories of the ardor that was poured into the kisses- if they even were kisses, she certainly wasn’t jumping into any accusations- as her mind spun wildly. She placed her hands on her cheeks, trying to get her thoughts back together and her eyes immediately widened when she realized that her face was burning hot.
She slapped herself, hoping the blush would cease to exist as she smelled her breath only to find out that it smelled like ice cream and sprinkles. Certainly, her first kiss wasn’t going to taste like a 5-year-olds breakfast. She quickly sprang to the kitchen, opening a cabinet, and shoving three mints in her mouth.
Wait…. What was she doing? Creek probably wasn’t kissing her at all!.......
Probably
Poppy quickly shoved four more mint’s in her mouth after discovering her breath still smelled a little like sprinkles.
“Well, you definitely aren’t going to bed soon.” She jumped at the sudden voice and slowly turned to face Creek holding a velvet blue blanket with white fur sticking out from the side. “Ready to finish the movie?” He cocked his head towards the living room. Poppy nodded silently in response, afraid for Creek to find out that she had mint’s hidden in her mouth.
A few minutes later, they were wrapped together in a heavy blue blanket, perfect for the night. The movie continued, but none of them were listening. They were staring into each other's eyes, and before she knew it, he was leaning in...
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Poppy grinned as she tasted Creek’s elderberry breath, daring to include her tongue to truly indulge the kiss as things escalated. There were quick, sharp breaths shared by both of them as their lips collided in the most fiercest way. She gasped when Creek decided to take things further and took off Poppy’s unicorn hood, slowly unzipping her onesie. She was ready to let it all out for this troll. She had been crushing too hard and for too long. She wanted him now! In every square inch of her body, she wanted him- no, not wanted…. She needed him. She needed him closer to her. She needed to feel loved.
She let out a quiet moan as he kissed her neck, mesmerizing her in his lust as he stroked her now bare waist, enjoying her curves. He grinned at her as he slowly took off the rest of her pajama. Poppy quickly fell on her back, assisting him to take off the remaining parts of clothing that were restraining them from moving further. He tossed the unicorn onesie to the couch blindly, for he was only paying attention to one troll right now, and that one troll was laying right in front of him, begging with her eyes for him to come closer as her curves were highlighted by the dim light of the TV behind them.
He slickly slithered on top of her, whispering “I love you” before devouring her in another round of hot kisses. Their bodies crashed together as Poppy decided that his pajama shirt was getting in the way. She rolled it up slowly, taking it off as she ran her fingers through his thick chest hair. Her breath hitched when Creek dragged her lip with a subtle bite.
Poppy was ready. She knew she was. This is the troll of her dreams! She would give anything up for him!.....
And yet….
Her conscious was telling her that she WASN’T ready. That this WASN’T the troll of her dreams. That this was not the troll she should lose her virginity to. Realizing this, she tried to pull away but his grip on her waist was too strong.
“Creek.” She called, putting her hands on his chest, signaling that she wanted to stop. “Creek.” She tried again, shoving him lightly this time. A few seconds passed before Poppy decided that she needed to be more aggressive.
“Cree-ah!” Creek soothingly bit her lower neck, sending waves of desire down her spine before she could raise her voice.
One bite.
One bite was all it took for her to turn back. He kissed her shoulder, going down towards her breasts, making her gasp more. Releasing his grip from her waists, he slowly undid her bra, biting her breasts as she gasped with delight. Poppy’s legs wrapped around his waist, her eyes rolling into her skull as his teeth stretched the skin of her breasts.
She cried with affection as he extended her nipples with his teeth fiercely, sending her mind to a whole other place. He moaned passionately, moving his waist closer to her as he impatiently took off his pajama pants. Poppy could feel his erection bulging through his boxers and pressing hard against her body, once more summoning a tsunami of pleasure down her spine.
He returned to her face, giving her an endearing kiss before resuming to lick her breasts, tenderly sucking her neck along the way. She dug her fingers into his hair, as she tried to brace herself for what was going to happen next.
His hands threatened to remove her underwear as he made his way down her legs to lick her inner thighs. Poppy squirmed and giggled at the sudden movement. They both moaned with pleasure while Poppy’s heart started to beat a different pattern. A faster, much graceful pattern that made her moan louder. Was this how it felt like to have passion this close to you?
Yes!…..
No?
She still felt like something was wrong. Like she was with the wrong troll.
“Creek, stop.” She grabbed his hair to get his attention but realized she sent the wrong message when Creek returned to stretch the skin on her breasts. There was another soft moan from Poppy when he bit her nipple, making her feel lightheaded.
She blinked, her conscious speaking to her again “Creek…” She started, placing her hands on his bare chest, struggling to not caress the hair “Creek, stop.” She once again shoved him but his rhythm remained the same, roughly sucking her neck as his hand slid inside her white underwear without the slightest bit of hesitation. She tried not to give in to his lust as he rubbed her but couldn’t contain another soft moan. She bit the inside of her lip, determined to break free.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Creek, I said STOP!” She nearly yelled, shoving him into the haired ground with a hard push. Creek glared at her, surprised that she had broken their moment.
“What was that for?” He asked, looking annoyed. The room filled with silence as Creek’s glare intensified. “I said,” He repeated, his voice rising with anger when she didn't give a response. “What was that for?”
Poppy opened her mouth, trying to force her response out but her lips betrayed her, cursing her with nothing more than inaudible words.
“I’m not ready yet.” She finally mumbled, taking the heavy blue blanket to wrap her nearly naked body as Creek looked at her questionably.
“What do you mean you're not ready?” He boomed, rising to his feet to thunder over Poppy. She stayed silent, unsure of what to say next.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was barely audible as she stared at the ground, feeling desperate for clothes. Her bra was right next to her but she didn’t feel right dressing in front of him. He rolled his eyes, placing two fingers on her forehead.
“You better be sorry.” He scoffed, pushing her forehead so forcefully it tipped her over. He stomped over to the couch, angrily pulling his pajama pants over his boxers as he took his pajama shirt and tossed it over his shoulder. He took one last look at her, eyeing her in disgust before spitting on the haired floor and slamming the door to reveal his exit.
For a few moments, she just laid there on her side, the TV light shadowing her as she scanned her clothes that were spread across the floor. Her eyes landed on her onesie, which was carelessly thrown on the pink velvet couch next to her bunny slippers.
She glanced under the blanket, her eyes widening when she’d realized how far they’d gone. Only her cotton underwear remained on her exposed, pink body. She tried to rise on her feet, but her legs failed her. Her mind replayed the moment, tricking her into thinking that SHE did something to make him mad at her. Her eyes watered and she gripped the edges of the blanket tightly in an attempt to stop the streams of tears that were threatening to escape, but unsucceeded. She squeezed herself into a ball, her heart aching as she finally let the tears flow down her cheeks.
FLASHBACK OVER
The next day, Creek had apologized for making her feel uncomfortable the night before, saying that he was just not in a good mood that day. Poppy, of course, forgave him, even if she knew that his excuse was nothing but lies. She instead decided to blame the whole situation on her 19-year-old mind and the movie they were watching, 365 days.
She stared into the navy blue sky as she recalled the memory in her head, scoffing lightly. How could she still be in love with him? After all, he had done to her. Sexually harassing her, abusing her, sacrificing her to be eaten alive by the Bergens!
ALL that…..
And she STILL loves him.
She buried her face in her hands, her eyes staining red as tears soaked her palms.
“Why?” She wondered, her sob increasing in size “What have I ever done to you?”
The moon shined on Poppy as the air complimented the town in a cold breeze, the dark streets of Bergen town remaining empty.
___________________________________________________
Branch laid his head on the bark of the Oaktree, exhausted from all the singing and dancing he had done today as his mind argued with itself over Poppy’s feelings towards him.
The grass tickled the sole of his feet, reminding him that he wasn’t alone. Hair, he wanted to run to the other side of the tree and ask her if she was ok, better yet, ask what had happened. They were having such a beautiful moment and Branch was still unsure of why she had shoved him away.
I mean, of course, there was always that OTHER thought, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to accept that possibility. It was worse than the previous ones he thought of before!
His face fell when something clicked inside his brain. A different, more reasonable possibility that Branch could cope with better. Well, not completely, but it was certainly better than thinking that Poppy didn’t have feelings for him.
“Creek….” He exhaled, closing his eyes to fully accept the possibility. This caught Poppy off guard and her eyes widened with surprise.
“What?” She cleared her hoarse throat, subtly turning her head to make sure she heard him clearly.
The tips of Branch’s ears burned a dark purple when he realized he had said his thoughts out loud.
“You're not..” He hesitated as he hit his head on the bark of the tree, trying to force the words to come out “You’re not over Creek…. Are you?” His voice was quiet and soft, it almost seemed like he was talking to himself.
Poppy froze hearing that name again and shook her head slowly, trying to convince herself that she WAS over him but once again failed.
“I’m so sorry Branch.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I should be the one apologizing Poppy. I didn’t even stop to think that you’re probably still heartbroken. I mean, why wouldn’t you be!? The troll that you loved tried to kill you!” Branch paused, staring at the stars above him. “I’m so sorry you had to experience that.” He finally said after a couple of seconds.
“Thank you, Branch.” A soft smile tempted her lips. There was a moment of silence as they listened to the leaves rustle against each other.
“I, uh…” Branch started eventually, fiddling with his fingernails nervously “I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable… Y’know, with all the touching-”
“It’s ok Branch.” Poppy cut him off, placing a hand on the tree. “The touching….. It, uh…” She fumbled over her words, her mind briefly replaying their moment. “It felt nice.” She finally said, her face heating up the second the words passed her lips. Poppy let out a small chuckle when she heard Branch stammering from the other side of the tree.
“Anyways,” She continued, moving past the moment. “I’m sorry for pushing you away like you were the plague.” Branch’s face scrunched.
“You can’t touch the plague. Mostly because it isn't necessarily a living organism but also because if you touch it, you are most likely to get it yourself. Did you know that another name for the plague is ‘black death’? It originated from-”
“You're such a nerd!” She groaned, rolling her eyes
“You’re the one that brought out the nerd in me!” He defended
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” She objected “You were a nerd WAY before we even MET. YOU brought out the nerd in YOURSELF.”
Branch nodded, agreeing with her point before another round of silence filled the air. He inhaled after a couple of moments, asking a question that he should have started the conversation with.
“Poppy… Are you ok?” He blurted, scratching the back of his head.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She sniffled, wiping away her remaining tears “I mean, I guess I’m a little heartbroken but…” She shrugged, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked
“Not really.”
“Ok...” He said, understanding her reason “Well then, do you want me to walk you home?” He offered
“I..” She cleared her throat “I would like that.” He smiled as he got up, dusting his pants before making his way to the other side of the tree but that smile quickly turned into a gasp when he saw Poppy’s condition.
She cradled herself upright against the tree as she blankly stared into the sky. She was still slightly trembling as she had just experienced a recent wave of horrifying flashbacks and her eyes were nearly as red as blood.
“Poppy…” He started, offering his hand to help her up. “Are you sure you’re-”
“I’m fine!” She interrupted, refusing his offer. She tried to get up herself but failed, stumbling when she realized her legs were asleep. Branch quickly caught her in his arms, looking at her remorsefully. “I’m fine!” She continued, trying to pull away from his grip. Branch brought her into a warm hug, tight enough that she wouldn’t be able to escape. “I’m fine! I’m fine! I’m-I’m-I’m…” Her voice trailed off as a pit clogged her throat, preventing her from talking any further. Her lips started to tremble faster, forcing a tear from the corner of her eye to break free.
She tried to conquer the more tears that threatened escape, but between the pit in her throat and the flashbacks, she had just recently relieved….. MULTIPLIED by the warmth of Branch’s embrace….. It was impossible. It wasn't long before her dam broke and she released her weight in his arms.
She buried her face in his chest, gripping his leaf vest tightly. Branch slowly dropped their bodies to the grass, resting his hand on the back of her head as his other soothingly rubbed her back.
“I’m not fine, Branch!” She hyperventilated, shaking her head in his blue chest “I’m not fine!”
“I know,” He whispered, closing his eyes to try to share her pain “I know.” The empty streets filled with the sounds of wailing and it felt like hours before her breathing relaxed. Her eyes were puffy and her breath was shaky by the time she stopped.
“I’m so sorry.” She mumbled, her grip on his vest getting softer.
“Don’t be.” They stayed there for another couple of minutes, enjoying the relaxing sounds of the leaves susurrating. “We should probably head back to the village now. Your dad and the Snack Pack are probably wondering where you are.”
“Yeah,” She agreed as Branch raised them both up from the grass. “The Snack Pack are probably going to start thinking we had sex if we don’t make it back by tomorrow.” Branch’s face turned a deep shade of purple but she ignored that as she cleared her hoarse throat once more.
“Are you sure you're ok?” He used his thumbs to wipe off the streams of hot tears on her face, trying his best to not get lost in her eyes. She only nodded, forcing a small smile as she pulled him into another hug. He enthusiastically returned it, submerging his face in her strawberry scented hair. As they hugged, he thought he heard her whisper “I’m fine now that I’m with you.”
But he was almost certain that was his imagination.
Almost.