#both of them share trauma of losing a loved one to bergens | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

geekgirles · 5 years

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Family

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Word Count: 16090

Inspired by @evaroze 's AU in tumblr. Years of solitude had made Branch very cynical towards the idea of having a family of his own. In fact, if anyone had told him back when he was still grey that his, then, unattainable crush, Princess Poppy would not only be his Queen but also bearing his children, he would've laughed at them and warned them to not go out unless they wanted their over imaginative mind to get them eaten by the bergens. Now? Now he wouldn't change what he had for the world.

@foxlanaeshrek @eva-93 @tipolover22 I think you guys wanted to read this ;)

As unusual as it was, Poppy was actually worried.

And, yes, it was a unusual sensation, considering she’s always faced any trouble, any challenge, with nothing but hope, optimism, and confidence.

But, then again, this wasn’t just any challenge. She was about to break some earth shaking news to the love of her life. News that greatly affected both of them. News that would soon affect the whole kingdom, too. And the troll who held her heart was well-known for his tendency of overreacting about the most insignificant thing.

And this wasn’t insignificant, this was huge.

The pink queen trusted her husband, more than anyone in the world. But she knew that her news were something closely related to the core of years of self-loathing, sadness, and survivor guilt. They were related to the utterly devastating feeling that was loss, an irrational fear that only increased tenfold when one was at the receiving end. But just as loss awakened paranoia and dread, it also awakened the primal instinct of protection and care inside of everyone.

And, as paranoid and over-cautious Branch could be, he was twice as protective and caring.

There were simply no words to describe how wonderful he truly was.

That actually helped her ease her mind. All she needed to do to find her usual confidence was think about every single piece of proof that showed that her king wouldn’t act like she’d just told him she was cheating or him, or about to die, or sacrificing herself to the bergens in order to keep the kingdom safe…

And, Hair, was she glad her thoughts had nothing to do with any of that.

So instead, she focused on all the fond memories she shared with the former grey troll. The way he threw away everything he had ever believed in just to make sure she was safe during their adventure saving the village from the bergens. How, during said journey, he’d finally let her in and confided in her his fears and memories that haunted him. The way he slowly but surely came to embrace his inner troll. Or the way he took the greatest step of his life, forgetting all about his hopelessness and trauma just to cheer her up, to bring her back from the pit of emptiness that was her own sadness. Oh, when he sang for the first time in twenty years just for her. When he sang about how much he loved her! With nothing but adoration on his face as he uttered those three, magical words!

There truly were no words that would make justice to the infinite love and gratitude she felt for having Branch in her life.

But it wasn’t just the things he did during their adventures that made her heart flutter; it was also every little detail about him and their relationship. Like every night she felt fussy about something that might go wrong with one of her latest projects for her kingdom, when he would sing the sweetest ballads to her just to help her calm down. Or how reliable he was to entrust their people’s safety in his hands, always with moderation, of course. The way their voices would match effortlessly whenever they sang together. The velvety tone of his voice whenever he whispered sweet nothings into her ear, swearing his undying devotion to her in the form of the most moving and beautiful verses she could’ve ever imagined. How their bodies became two pieces of a puzzle everytime they danced or met each other in the night, it was as if they were two star-crossed lovers, finally reuniting with their beloved after years apart, yearning for one another.

Poppy chuckled at that, it was exactly that connection what had put them in the predicament they were in.

But that wasn’t important. What mattered was that, no matter what, Branch would always be the one that held her heart, and he held it so protectively, so close to his own…

All of her previous worries had vanished and were now replaced with thrill.

Poppy made her way through her husband’s underground bunker. If anyone had told her a few years ago that she would be living in there, married to the, then, grumpy, grey survivalist who would now be happy and colourful, she would’ve asked for an intervention to help the poor unfortunate soul that had just lost their mind.

But, alas, there she was. Living in a bunker and happily married to the grump. She finally made it to the living room, now decorated with a mix of Branch’s old artefacts, and her bright and colourful items. The Snack Pack never failed to comment on the hilarity of finding jars full of glitter, muffin trays, and dozens of bright-coloured scrapbooks in the same room as jars full of sweat, weapons, and books on survival techniques.

She found him there, seated on his chair and going over some blueprints for one of the many buildings and plans he had to improve the village. He was so handsome, with his new royal robes. Ever since they got together, the twins had made sure that he had tons of clothes, even more so the moment they told the Snack Pack they were getting married. The twins’ wedding gift had been an entire wardrobe with king-fitting garments; capes, pants, leather fingerless gloves, shirts, blazers… You name it.

And he looked stunning in whatever he wore. This time, he was wearing his old leaf vest‒”It’s the most comfortable thing I own, Poppy!”, he’d told her once‒and some brown pants he’d received from the fashionistas.

Not like her own wardrobe hadn’t changed, though. Ever since she became queen, Satin and Chenille had been providing her with dozens of dresses befitting of her role. But, she was still a Pop Troll, meaning she also had the need to stay true to herself and close to her subjects, and wear simpler clothes.

Like the dress she had put on that day; a simple, sleeveless white sundress with blue, embroidered diamonds adorning its hem and matching knee-length boots. Her hair, high in a ponytail but slightly curly and adorned with her crown. The perfect blend between regal and approachable.

Seeing as Branch was far too immersed in his duties, she called him, “Branch.”

At the mention of his name, he immediately looked up, “Oh, Poppy. Sorry, I didn’t see you there. What’s up?”

“Um,” she took a deep breath, she had to tell him, “can we please talk? It’s important.”

He had already stood up and was by her side the moment she said that, making him feel uneasy. “Poppy, is there anything wrong?” He asked her as he took one of her hands and rested his other hand on her cheek, reassuringly, “C’mon, what is it? You know you can always count on me.”

Yes, she knew. Still, she was so nervous she could barely look him in the eye, unintentionally worrying her husband further. “It’s just… It’s something very important for the both of us, and for the village! A-and, it’s huge, Branch, I swear. But I don’t even know where to begin!”

“Poppy, my love, what’s going on?” The survivalist was at the verge of hyperventilating. It wasn’t like his Queen to beat around the bush like that. At all.

“Well, i-it’s just that…”, the pink troll stopped again, not sure if that was the proper way to bring up the topic, “Sorry, I mean, uh, remember how odd I’ve been feeling lately? Morning sickness, some dizzy spells, and the like?” She tilted her head to the side, hoping she’d finally picked the right way to break the news to him.

“Yeah, we thought you might’ve been coming down with something.” The uneasy feeling in his chest was only becoming stronger and more suffocating by the second. If there was something the blue king didn’t like one bit, that was Poppy not acting like herself.

“W-well, it’s actually something more serious than that-“, Poppy stopped mid-sentence at the sight of a worried sick Branch. Oh, why couldn’t she just tell him!? At this rate he was gonna have a heart attack without even knowing!

Branch began to gently stroke her cheek with his thumb, mimicking the action with his other hand and caressing his wife’s. Now he truly feared for the worst. “Poppy, please, what’s going on? Are you okay?!” His voice was desperate, his heartbeat going a mile a minute, and his eyes only showed one emotion; panic. Oh, if anything happened to Poppy he knew he’d never forgive himself. He just couldn’t.

Seeing her partner’s reaction, the young queen knew she’d only messed up again. She really needed to tell him, but words proved themselves useless. Argh, why couldn’t she be as good with them as Branch was?!

That’s when it clicked.

Maybe Poppy wasn’t a poetess, or a smooth-talker like her husband, but she was a troll of action. Why using words when you can just show what you mean? After all, an image had always been worth more than a thousand words. That was the reason she scrapbooked‒well, and also because it was incredibly fun and she was so damn good at it. But, of course, it just had to be that day, of all days, that she hadn’t made a scrapbook to show to Branch…

As her king and beloved was losing his mind, calling out her name several times to get her attention, she was looking at everywhere but him, trying to find a better way to fess up. That’s when her eyes landed on his hand, the one that was tenderly holding her cheek.

“His hand, of course!”, thought Poppy, the perfect solution materialising in her mind.

“Poppy?” Branch called out to her for the twentieth time in a row, “Please, answer me! What’s wrong?!” Surprise came over him the moment the worry on his wife’s face was replaced with a tender look and a sweeter smile, finally looking at him straight in the eye.

Even to this day, her eyes were hypnotising. Luring him into getting lost into the infinite abyss of space that was hidden behind them and never coming back.

“Nothing’s wrong, Branch.” She said as she took his hand from her face and held it in both of hers. “I just want to show you something.”

Before the practical troll could do so much as ask, the optimistic half of him moved his hand in front of her, placing it onto her belly. He allowed himself to cast a glance at the source of his happiness. The look of pure bliss she wore, accompanied by a beautiful smile made his mind go blank.

Branch had always felt pride in his vast knowledge on Poppy’s facial expressions, especially her different smiles. What had once been one of his best-kept, most embarrassing secrets, had soon proven itself to be one of the most useful tools he had when it came to his romantic interest. He could describe and categorise each and every one of her smirks, grins, and smiles in depth; and he could tell when she was faking one from a mile away. So at this point he was convinced he knew all of them by heart.

The smile she wore now, however, it was one he’d never seen before. Full of love, of hope, of promises of an even better future waiting for them. It wasn’t even a toothy grin, but it was just so wide, and so warm, and so beautiful. But it wasn’t just beautiful, it was stunning. It was breathtaking. It was heartstopping. It was gorgeous. She was gorgeous. When Branch looked at that smile, he was pretty sure he was looking at happiness itself.

It was that smile and the sudden, comforting warmth he felt from her belly that made him understand. He finally understood.

There were so many things he wanted to say at that moment, but his mouth was suddenly very dry and words failed him. It was finally a miracle when he managed to utter, “P-Poppy…? A-are you…?”

“Yes, Branch. I’m pregnant.” She finished for him, the smile never leaving her face. “We’re gonna be parents.” She was at the verge of tears. She was gonna be a mother! Even better, she was going to make Branch a father!

Oh, she just hoped he was as overjoyed as she was.

Her answer came in the shape of some very familiar and addicting lips crashing into hers at the same time as a pair of strong arms enveloped her. The kiss was sweet, and slow, but just as passionate and full of love as the ones they shared on nights like the one they’ve conceived their soon-to-be child.There was no doubt he was as happy as she felt.

She couldn’t help but grin widely when they had to break the kiss for air, “So, I take it you liked my news?” She teased, still in his arms.

“Poppy, my sweet and pink queen, everytime I think I can’t possibly love you any more, you always manage to prove me wrong.” He hugged her again, resting his head onto her shoulder, “I’m gonna be a dad!”

The royal couple just stood there for a few minutes, in silence, happily enjoying each other’s presence along with the new life forming within the queen of the Pop Trolls. When they pulled apart to look at one another, they both had tears of pure happiness in their eyes.

“We’re gonna be parents,” the survivalist whispered, smiling.

“Yeah,” his wife smiled back at him.

“We’re gonna be parents!”

“Yeah!”

“Oh my Gem! We’re going to be parents!” Branch suddenly panicked.

“Yeah?” Poppy repeated, raising and eyebrow at the blue troll’s reaction and feeling slightly uneasy. “I thought that was a good thing…Isn’t it?”

The worry and‒was that fear?‒in his partner’s voice stopped him in his tracks, realising how his outburst could have sounded like. “Yes! Of course!” he accidentally shouted, making Poppy flinch slightly, “Sorry. But Poppy, seriously, it is a great thing. Don’t get me wrong! I am beyond happy. I-I’m thrilled, really.”

“Then why did you just act like me being pregnant were the end of the world?” She took a few steps back, distancing herself from him and crossing her arms, an eyebrow raised. Waiting for an answer.

“It’s not that, Poppy. You being pregnant is the best thing that happened to me since you married me!”

“But…?” she urged him.

“But… I’ve just realised I have to make the bunker a safer place for the kid. I already worry myself to death whenever you get too close to one of my weapons or traps, I can’t stand the thought of our baby getting near them.” He explained, his hand resting on his chin in a contemplative manner, “I should probably check the village too…” He whispered that last part to himself.

“Okay, yeah. That makes sense.” Poppy nodded.

“And I should also establish a perimeter for crawling babies, and go on regular patrols to make sure the area is safe for whatever outdoor activities we want the baby to participate in, and soundproof the bunker so no noises wake, scare, or disturb them, and…‒”

“Oh, no. You don’t!” The optimistic troll interrupted, slightly glaring at him, “Don’t you dare go full on overprotective and paranoid mode on me and the baby, Branch!” She warned him.

“But…”

“Shhhh! Listen, Branch. I know you just want to make sure our family is safe, and believe me, that’s one of the things I love most about you. But we can’t obsess over it either! We’re bound to mess up at some point, but we’re still gonna do our best and are going to love the baby and each other more than anything in the world, alright?” The royal troll told her husband as she leaned closer to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

They stayed like that, lovingly gazing into their eyes. Poppy was already leaning in for a kiss when Branch spoke up,”But I’m still gonna soundproof the bunker!” And with that, he got up and went to the elevator to make his way to the village and buy the materials he would need.

“Branch, come back here!” Poppy shouted after him, but to no avail.

The Pop Troll sighed, it was going to be a long pregnancy. She smiled, one she was looking forward to.

………

“The Maple Tree” was one of the few official bars in Troll Village, a custom they’d picked up from the Hard Rock Trolls that still needed to be fully accepted. The differences between both tribes was laughable; while you could count the exact amount of pubs the Pop Trolls had with one hand, the Rock Trolls had one every 109 inhabitants. And Volcano Rock City was a very big city.

Of course, those differences also meant that places like “The Maple Tree” were a lot more pleasant and welcoming than the rowdy businesses Queen Barb’s kingdom possessed.

The bar was carved into a tree, that was, however, not a maple. Because of that, the furniture was all made of the tree’s wood and padded with rose coloured cushions. The benches were attached to the walls, just like the counter was. The counter, on the other hand, was filled with colourful bottles, glasses, and drinks, most of the latter being more classic Pop Troll drinks‒such as fruit and berry juices, or candy flavoured refreshments‒ than actual alcoholic drinks. And finally, the bar was famous for its stage, which welcomed bands of any tribe to play and fill the atmosphere with their music as a sign of diversity, peace, and acceptance.

At the moment, the young king of the Pop Trolls and soon-to-be father was sitting on one of the stools surrounding the counter, and downing his third shot of the evening. Just because the Pop Trolls’ taste surpassed the rest of the tribes’, it didn’t mean that the owner of the pub wasn’t curious of the other types of refreshments and dishes the other trolls would have in their homelands.

As Branch enjoyed the scenery and his drink, he kept looking at a picture in his hand. One he took everywhere with him; his wedding photo.

He remembered quite fondly that day. Even as he and Poppy had work as an unstoppable and perfectly coordinated team when they were doing the arrangements for the ceremony, the reception, and the after-party; once the day came, he had been a nervous wreck. He spent hours second-guessing everything, wondering if, perhaps, Poppy had thought better of it and would call off the wedding after regaining her senses. Or even worse, that it was a terrible mistake and he was about to ruin Poppy’s life and lead the kingdom to its doom.

But the moment he saw Poppy down at the aisle, his heart stopped, his mind went blank, and all his worries faded away. There she was, as beautiful as ever. Looking up at him from behind the veil with so much eagerness and adoration he almost thought he was looking at a reflection of his own soul.

She was perfect.

She was real.

She loved him.

He loved her.

They loved each other.

And they were getting married, that wasn’t a mistake. That was one of the best decisions he had ever made in his life, and she agreed to it. They were in this together, the two of them against the whole world. As always.

After they’d said their respective vows and the blessed “I do’s”, everything was a blur. He remembered Poppy kissing him senseless, with so much vigor and passion he thought his knees would fail him for a moment. He remembered dancing exclusively with each other for hours on end, both slow dances and upbeat songs. He remembered singing to her a song he’d written for the occasion; “Mirrors”, he’d called it. Because it represented how the two of them were the reflection of the other, their other half. They completed each other.

I don’t wanna lose you know

I’m lookin’ right at the other half of me

The vacancy that sat in my heart

Is a space that now you hold

Show me how to fight for now

And I’ll tell you, baby, it was easy

Comin’ back here to you once I figured it out

You were right here all along

It’s like you’re my mirror

My mirror staring back at me

I couldn’t get any bigger

With anyone else beside of me

And now it’s clear as this promise

That we’re making

Two reflections into one

‘Cause it’s like you’re my mirror

My mirror staring back at me

Staring back at me

And, of course, he remembered taking that picture. But looking at it now, knowing his family was about to grow more that he could’ve ever imagined, filled him with so much joy he could cry any moment now.

That photo truly was one of his favourites. The twins had done an astounding job with Poppy and him. He wore a simple, yet, elegant black tuxedo with a buttoned-up white shirt and a royal blue tie. And Poppy…

Hair, Poppy was a vision of loveliness.

Her hair was tied in a long braid that reached down her waist and was adorned with pearls and flowers; white daisies, pink, blue, and purple roses (symbolising their love)… Her dress was a beautiful white ball gown with a queen Anne cleavage, its collar made of tulle. Her loose strands were in place thanks to the pearl tiara that was also part of the veil. And the look of pure happiness she wore during the entire day was the best accessory imaginable.

In other words, she was a divine creature that had descended from Paradise to captivate them all with her presence.

And she was his wife and bearing his, their, child.

As Branch lost himself in his own little world, he failed to notice that someone was looking over his shoulder, stealing a peek of the picture he had in hand, “The Queen and ya were looking hairy fancy that day, Yer Highness.” Said a gruff voice with a Southern accent.

Branch jumped from his stool the moment the voice spoke. Luckily, it belonged to someone he knew all too well. Leaning on one arm on top of the counter, stood a troll with bronze skin, a fiery orange mane, and a yellow nose. His knowing eyes were the same warm colour as his hair. The troll wore a flannel shirt and blue jeans, and he was the owner of the bar‒ Maple, hence the name of “The Maple Tree.”

“Sorry, if I scared ya, Yer Majesty. I just couldn’t help myself! You looked so happy, both in and out of the picture!” The bartender laughed as he served him another shot, the sound of his, rather loud, laughter echoing around the place.

“Ha-ha. Very funny, Maple.” Branch deadpanned. “For your information, I am very happy. Thank you very much. And, please,” he scoffed, “it’s not like you didn’t have the same stupid grin on your face the day you married Cindy Lou. I should know, Poppy and I gave you our blessing, along with Delta.”

Ever since the different tribes of trolls had learned to coexist, it wasn’t so uncommon for them to befriend, date, or even marry followers of another type of music. In Maple’s case, he’d found himself his soul mate and partner for life in Cindy Lou; a country troll with cornflower blue skin, wheat-coloured braids, and four beautiful, brown and white spotted horse legs. Not to mention, his own sister was in a long-term relationship with a rock troll.

“That ya did, King Branch. That ya did.” Maple chuckled. “So, what’s got ya so chirpy?”

The former gray troll froze. On the one hand, he and Poppy had agreed on telling the kingdom together in a party Poppy had spent three days planning that was supposed to take place in two days time. But on the other hand, he’d already had four shots of a not-so-light drink, and he was known for not being very good at keeping secrets when drunk. Because of a few beers, he’d gone and confessed to Poppy that he kept all the invitations she’d ever made him, and where he kept them.

Summing up, he was frosted.

“Uh… Y’know, the usual. J-just came up with a-a new… defense system… for the village.” Branch tried to lie.

“Really now?” Maple raised an eyebrow at him, “Is that why ya decided to take today, of all days, yer wedding picture‒the one ya never leave outta yer sight, might I add‒ out of yer hair in the middle of my bar? Because ya came up with a new defense system? Really selling it, pal.” The bartender smirked at him with his arms crossed.

The survivalist really hated it when other Pop Trolls used sarcasm on him. Like, how did they even learn how to use it?!

Seeing no way out, given Maple had served him enough drinks to be able to blackmail him with way too many embarrassing stories of him, Branch sighed. There was only one thing he could do. “If I tell you, you have to hair swear you won’t tell anyone.” The look in his eyes was dead serious.

“Hair swear?” Maple’s eyes widened.

The King of the Pop Trolls nodded.

“Very well.”

After they’d completed the oath, Branch took a deep breath and fessed up, “This is something Poppy and I wanted to share to the whole village later but…” he smiled, “we’re having a baby. Troll Village will soon have a new little prince or princess.”

The orange haired troll gasped, delighted, “Yer Highness, that’s great! I can’t wait to meet the little trolling. I’m sure the whole village will be happier than a country troll dancing to the sound of “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, ironically”, Maple gushed, “Oh, I can’t wait to tell my Apple Pie!”

“Don’t you dare!” Branch hissed, making the other customers turn around to look at him, “You can’t tell a soul, Maple. Not even Cindy Lou, you’ve hair sworn.” He whispered-shouted.

“Alright, alright. Yer the boss.” The owner of the bar raised his hands up in defeat. “But really, congratulations. I’m sure Queen Poppy and ya will be some groovy parents.”

“I hope so too.”

The next morning, a loud banging noise coming from outside the bunker woke both Poppy and Branch up, they soon recognised the noise as someone knocking on their door. Startled, they exchanged glances and made it to the elevator. The moment they stepped out of their home, they were greeted with half of Troll Village, grinning from ear to ear.

“Congratulations!” Every troll present shouted at the top of their lungs.

King Peppy took a step forward, “Aww, Poppy! I can’t believe my little princess is finally going to start her own family,” the old king sniffled, “I’m so proud!”

“Dad, I’m 25. And I have been queen for three years now, and a married woman for two.” She deadpanned, “But how did you guys find out? You weren’t supposed to know until tomorrow at the party.”

“Oh, Maple told us.” A voice from the back yelled.

“Only because His Majesty spilled the beans first!” The bronze skinned troll defended himself.

“Maple!” Branch hissed, “I told you to keep it a secret. You hair swore! Do the sparkles, glitter and dew drops mean nothing to you!?”

“Hey, it’s not like I pinkie promised…” The orange haired troll shrugged.

His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched, the blue troll was about to give the other troll a good talking-to when his wife’s voice stopped him dead on his tracks, “Branch? You told them about the baby?”

Yup, he was most definitely frosted.

“I’m so sorry, Poppy. But I’d drunk a little bit more than I should have, and you know how I can get that happens, and then Maple appeared, and you know how he can get when he wants in in the gossip, and‒”

“Hon, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Really?”

Poppy nodded.

“But I ruined the surprise, t-the whole point of tomorrow’s party…”

“It’s not like we can’t celebrate tomorrow anyways,” she shrugged, “Besides, I can’t really blame you, guess it was too big a secret to keep to ourselves.”

“Oh, Poppy. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you‒, wait a moment”, he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, crossing his arms and impatiently tapping his foot at the same time, “You’re the goddess of surprises, you hate it when someone blows them…”

“W-what do you mean?” she started fidgeting with her hands, shrinking from his gaze.

“Poppy, have you told anyone about it?”

Before his Queen could answer, the other half of the village led by the Snack Pack appeared in front of the bunker, holding a huge banner that read “Congratulations on the baby!”

Her husband raised an eyebrow at her, “It slipped as part of the lyrics of the morning song.” She laughed awkwardly. “But, hey, one less thing to worry about, right?”

Branch chuckled, shaking his head with a grin. Sometimes, Poppy made it impossible to be mad at her and her quirks.

………

Trolls pregnancies were very different from those of other species. While most mammals would develop in their mothers wombs for months until they were finally ready to be born, or oviparous in eggs; trolls were born very differently.

It even changed depending on the type of troll, actually.

The most famous case were glitter trolls. They didn’t need a partner to be parents, so genitals weren’t as big a deal for them as other trolls. Hair, they didn’t even show them! Reason why they were always naked and Guy Diamond had given birth to Tiny Diamond all on his own.

Rainbow trolls, however, did need a mate. But the way Rainbow trollings came to be was just as surprising. The mother-to-be would spend the first trimester pregnant, carrying the forming egg in her womb. Then, once the first three months of the pregnancy were over, she would go into labour and lay an egg. That egg would then spend the remaining six months of its development surrounded by materials meant to keep it warm and healthy, namely its parents hair. And finally, at the ninth month, a trolling would be born from the egg.

Even if Rainbow trolls didn’t spend as much time with their forming babies as other species did, it still was of great importance that the mother was kept safe and comfortable, far away from unnecessary stress. For their emotions were still closely connected to the baby’s well-being even when they had already laid the egg.

Unfortunately for Poppy, who was roughly into her second month, that meant that Branch was on overcautious, overprotective husband/father mode 24/7.

The pink troll was currently resting on her chair in the bunker, working on what she already considered one of her finest works. Just like she’d made scrapbooks of her and Branch’s relationship (she had entire albums dedicated solely to certain dates and their wedding), she’d decided to do a scrapbook of her future baby.

So far, it didn’t have much. She wouldn’t be able to add the best stuff until the baby was actually there. But she still worked with what she was given; like sweet moments she’d experienced while pregnant. Mainly little details Branch had done for her.

It was funny, being an expecting mother. She knew nothing about her baby, and she already loved them more than her own life.

As she was adding the last remaining touches to the page she’d been working on, her husband made it back to the bunker after a long day ruling over the village.

“Poppy, love! I’m home!”

“Oh! Hey, honey!” she greeted him, slowly getting up from the chair, “How was your day?”

The moment he saw her standing up, he was there by her side. Putting one hand on her back and the other taking hers, to support her, “The festival’s coming along. But some trolls are way more helpful than others…” He sighed, “I’ve had to look for Keith three times in an hour because he was never where he was supposed to be!”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yeah, and then, I was reminded for the umpteenth time that the village tends to get the safety codes mixed up…” He rested his index finger and his thumb on the bridge of his nose, exasperated, “Seriously, I don’t understand how I keep forgetting that I have to give them a crash course about that. I mean, it’s been an issue since before we started dating!”

“Well… Maybe you could try with a different approach?” Poppy offered.

“Like what?”

“You see, most of us haven’t spent a little over a decade in an underground bunker, devouring practical books as the best way to pass time,” she smirked at the fake offended look he sent her, “so we’re not very good with numbers.”

“Oh, than what do you suggest I do, oh, all-knowing Queen Poppy?” He sent her a look, barely managing to suppress his laughter.

“How about, instead of numbers, you used colours?” She got closer to him, tempting him as they bantered.

“Colours, you say?” he got closer as well, sending her a sly smile, “What do you have in mind?”

Poppy began to tenderly kiss his neck, his cheek, his ears (a soft spot of his), “Just come up with something like, “Code Magenta: fire hazard” or “Code Periwinkle: cupcake shortage”. Y’know, something like that…”, she practically purred into his ear.

Branch could feel himself becoming putty in her hands. If there was one thing he was sure of, that was that his wife, especially his flirty wife, was his greatest weakness. And he had the pregnancy and her hormones to thank for.

An expecting mother’s symptoms were incredibly varied and unpredictable: mood swings, cravings, soreness in different parts of the body, strange abilities one could only dream of… For Poppy, the most present ones so far were mood swings and cravings. The mood swings constantly had Branch on the lookout; one minute, Poppy could be her usual self; perky and positive, and the other; she could be either a pink ball of barely-contained fury or a disconsolate crying mess.

He honestly didn’t know which one he dreaded the most.

On the bright side, her mood swings could also bring pleasant surprises. Like moments when she would be extremely affectionate (and Branch never rejected a chance at having his adorable wife’s undivided attention and endless kisses), or she could be extremely… erhm… eager. Which he would be able to smell thanks to his enhanced senses and feel his heart melt and his knees buckle from a mile away. Just like at that very moment.

The cravings, on the other hand, were manageable or a handful depending on the moment. Granted, it wasn’t the same thing going emergency grocery shopping at 3PM as going at 3AM. But his sweetheart needed him and he’d be frosted if he ever said he wouldn’t get her what she wanted. He just couldn’t say no to her.

The thing about them, though, was that they were always something sweet. Always. Hormones had given Poppy an even bigger sweet tooth than before. Everything had to have at least three spoonfuls of sugar now that she was expecting.

He’d been worried sick about a possible diabetes until Dr Plum Plimsy had assured him that it was normal, and that her body would be able to deal with all that sugar on its own.

Speaking of sweets… As much as he wanted to lose himself in his beloved’s affections, he had something for her, and if he didn’t give it to her before dancing a good ol’ tango, the angry mood swing was sure to come.

“Hey, Pops”.

“Hm?”

“I’ve got something for you.” He said as he slowly untangled himself from her loving embrace. Grabbing a paper bag from his hair, he handed it to her, “Your favourite.”

The moment he said those words, the queen of the Pop Trolls squealed like a teenage girl, “Oh, babe! You remembered!” She all but gushed as she took one of Biggie’s extraspecial, hyper-exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime cupcakes. Strawberry, no less. Her favourite indeed.

“I love you so, so much!” She squealed right before her lips came crashing onto his. Their favourite way of thanking each other.

“I love you too.” Branch smiled at her. “Now, sit down and eat your cupcake. I don’t want you to overexert yourself.”

“Hey, that’s my line!” Poppy reprimanded him.

“I… I beg your pardon?” Now Branch was beyond confused. What had he done? Had he triggered furious Poppy by accident?

“I said, ‘that’s my line’”, the pink troll repeated, now fully facing her husband with a pointed look, “Branch, ever since we told the village I’m pregnant, you’ve been doing everything on your own! You don’t let me take part in the negotiations with the other tribe leaders, you don’t let me organise nowhere near as many events and parties as before; the sole idea of me going on a walk alone sounds completely insane to you!” She’d unknowingly been raising her voice as she spoke, clearly frustrated.

The former gray troll started fidgeting with his hands, doing everything in his power to avoid her questioning gaze, “I… I just want to make sure you and the baby are safe and stress free…”

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Her shout made him look her in the eye. The frown on her face was bad news, “It took us a whole lot of work to help you evolve from paranoid hermit to slightly-disgruntled-but-all-in-all-caring husband and king! No way I’m letting you go back to neurotic lover!”

“…N-n-neurotic lover?” Branch managed to utter, still taken aback by Poppy’s sudden outburst.

“It’s the best middle ground I could come up with.”

“Oh”.

“My point is”, Poppy continued, “as much as I appreciate what you’re doing for me, ‒because, believe me, I appreciate everything that you do a whole lot‒, you have to give me my own space. You know, you outta let me do things on my own.

“I might be pregnant, but I can take care of myself. Besides, “she snorted, “this is Troll Village. What’s gonna happen to me here that’s actually dangerous?” She laughed.

The young king couldn’t help but laugh himself, “I guess you’re right. Sorry, Pops.”

“It’s fine, my king. Just… Control yourself a little bit more in the future. ‘Kay?”

“Hey, I’m not that overprotective!”

“Literally, the only thing you haven’t done is lifting me up whenever you see a puddle of mud‒!”

“See? Not that overprotective.”

“You didn’t let me finish. As I was saying, because you throw yourself to the mud and form a staircase with your hair whenever you see one!”

“Can’t let Cloud Guy get ahead of me again…” He muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing!” He sighed, “Look, Poppy. I’m sorry. It’s just, I’m so excited about us being parents that the mere thought of anything happening to any of you is enough to keep me up all night. But I get it, I should give you some space. I’m sorry, really.”

“Oh, Branch…” His wife cooed at him, “I love you.” She closed the gap between them and kissed him.

“I love you too.” He said in between kisses. When they finally pulled away, he asked, “Any idea on the gender of the baby? According to… Basically every experienced female troll I’ve talked to and any book I’ve read on the matter, you mothers have a pretty good instinct when it comes to these things.”

The optimistic troll looked down at her breasts, which were growing quickly to be able to feed the baby when they were born, “I don’t know the gender, but I’m pretty sure the baby’ll be a hungry one. These two are huge!”

“The baby isn’t the only one who’s hungry.” Branch teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Poppy couldn’t help but blush deep red. To this day, she could barely keep herself from blushing, and sighing, and just acting like a teenage girl in love whenever her husband was romantic or recited poetry to her. So, whenever he opted for a more… intimate route, she was a goner.

So there she was, blushing like an idiot as Branch took one of her hands and started to leave the lightest of kisses on her knuckles, “I’ve heard that some marriages lose their spark as soon as children are involved, things such as husbands losing interest in their wives because of their bodies changing and becoming distant as a result…” he chuckled, amused beyond belief, “However, as soon as I gaze at you, angel of mine, I can only wonder how a heartstopping vision such as this”, Poppy could feel him practically devouring her with his eyes, “can drive a sane man away.” He finished by kissing the back of her hand intently.

“G-guess t-they’re not so s-sane after all, a-are they?” The queen stuttered, overwhelmed by her husband’s affections.

Turning the tables and turning Poppy into a huge mess for once always brought a sly smile to Branch’s face, “Not so sane in the least.”

Without much of a warning, the teal troll rested his free hand on his wife’s back and the one that had previously held hers right behind her legs, lifting her up‒as gently as posible, of course‒, and carrying her bridal style to their couch. Once seated, Branch allowed Poppy to nestle herself in between his legs, her back pressed to his chest as his hands rested on top of her growing belly.

A comfortable silence settled between them, the love they had for each other covering them up from any possible cold, with their heartbeat as the best background music; all of it combined created the perfect atmosphere for an expecting young couple of lovers.

But silence never sat well with Poppy.

“Branch?” she called.

Her husband hummed in acknowledgement.

“Could you please sing to me? There’s nothing I crave more than your voice, especially when you’re away all day…” she whimpered, turning slightly to meet his gaze.

Branch chuckled, for it was true. The one thing Poppy would never fail to ask for, besides sweets, was for him to serenade them. She claimed it calmed her and the baby. Made them feel safe.

Leaving aside what he usually thought of her antics, her wish was his command. So he began to sing, from the heart, as an attempt to express how much she meant to him. For only that could ever get close to making the true depth of his feelings for his beloved, and pink, and perfect wife any justice.

Although loneliness has always been a friend of mine,

I’m leaving my life in your hands

People say I’m crazy and that I am blind

Risking it all in a glance

And how you got me blind is still a mystery

I can’t get you out of my head

Don’t care what is written in your history

As long as you’re here with me

I don’t care who you are

Where you’re from

What you did

As long as you love me

Who you are

Where you’re from

Don’t care what you did

As long as you love me…

With every verse, Poppy just made herself more and more comfortable in Branch’s arms. If there was one thing she could call Paradise, that were moments like this. She could only think of one way to make it better; to have a little trolling in her arms.

“Funny that you would choose a Backstreet Boys’ song, “she teased him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “considering you have practically the same voice as Justin Timberlake from Nsync…”

“Remember me why are we together again?” He deadpanned at such a poorly joke. She knew he hated being compared to Justin Timberlake. That was a low blow, even for their usual banter!

“Heh,” she shrugged nonchalantly, “you liked it and you put a ring on it, so...” The pink troll emphasised her point by pointing at the finger that, sure enough, wielded her wedding band.

“Are you quoting songs again?”

“You don’t like it when I make my points through song and you don’t like it when I quote songs. There’s no winning with you.” She sighed in an over-the-top manner.

“And then I’m the dramatic one…” Branch rolled his eyes.

“Oh, you bet you are!” Poppy turned then to face him, resting her waist on her bent knees and unconsciously giving Branch anxiety, “Every time‒and I do mean every. Single. Time‒, something wakes you up abruptly you yell “Hide the coconuts!” And I ask you, my love, why? Just why? Who hurt you with a coconut, Branch?”

They stayed in silence until a roar of laughter escaped the both of them. It only got louder the moment Branch grabbed Poppy by the waist and dipped her, kissing her deeply. Once they separated to breathe, they went back to their original posture, affectionately nuzzling each other’s cheeks.

………

As unexpected as it could sound to foreigners, the nights in Troll Village could get very cold. The low temperature and occasional howling winds always invited the citizens to stay in, protected by the warm, fuzzy hair the pods were made of. Branch’s bunker, on the other hand, as advanced and well-developed as it was, still lacked such protection; so the nights could, indeed, get very cold.

The survivalist thought he had that problem solved the day Poppy moved in to live with him and start a new life together. Each other’s warmth proving to be all they needed to comfortably survive the night.

Therefore, the moment he noticed the heat that radiated from a figure that should be lying beside him missing, he panicked. Before he opened his eyes, he tried reaching to Poppy with his hand, but her side of the bed was empty. Sure enough, when he finally looked at it, searching for his wife, he realised she was nowhere to be found.

She wasn’t in the bunker.

She was a pregnant female.

There were predators in the forest!

A lump in his throat, he rushed out of the covers of their bed, put on his robe, and began to frantically search for his pink muse.

He searched everywhere in his bunker, just to be sure. She wasn’t in her favourite spots, she wasn’t in his favourite spots, she wasn’t in the kitchen, getting a late night snack; she wasn’t in the chocolate stash, she wasn’t in the reformed armory (although, admittedly, he wasn’t sure why he thought she could be there in the first place). Just where was she?!

With a feeling of dread tugging at his heart strings, he got out of his bunker to search for her in the woods. With a lantern in hand, he kept calling her name, hoping she would answer him. Finally, right before he decided to turn around and alert the village of their missing pregnant queen to initiate a search party, he found her. But the state he found her in was most unnerving.

The upside of it was that Poppy seemed to be completely unscathed, she had no visible injuries nor she appeared to be in pain. In fact, she was merely sitting on a rock in the middle of a clearing and gazing at the night sky. The downside of it was the distant look she wore when she looked at the stars shining high above her. Her pensive frown and melancholy eyes reflected a whole new level of depth inside of Poppy. The manner in which she stared at the stars held such reverence and humility it almost appeared as if Poppy was begging the stars to allow her to become one of them; to give her the chance of being as beautiful and carefree as them.

Branch soon decided that such a look didn’t belong on Poppy’s face. It should be the stars looking at her that way, not the other way around.

As carefully as he could, in an attempt to not startle her, he called her, “Poppy?”

Poppy just kept staring at the night lights like she hadn’t even heard him, which didn’t help him calm down his growing anxiety.

“Poppy, please, what’s wrong?” he tried again, this time getting closer to her. Lantern in hand, he carefully positioned himself right beside her, as they agreed they should always be; right next to each other, but instead of sitting on top of the rock with her, he opted to sit on the grass, to give her some space in case something was wrong. Which, judging by her unresponsive state, was very much the case. “Precious, it’s me, Branch. Please, my love, what are you doing here so late in the night? It’s very dangerous, you know it is.”

No matter what he did, the worried husband just couldn’t get his wife as so much as acknowledge his presence. Branch could feel the desperation getting to the best of him, it was maddening. In a last, desperate attempt, he leaned a little closer, tried to look her in the eyes, and attempted to reason with her, “Poppy, if something happens to you what’s gonna be of the baby? What’s gonna be of me?”

That seemed to stir something inside her. An answer at last! Only it wasn’t the kind of answer the blue troll had been expecting. In fact, it was actually way worse than momentarily losing sight of Poppy; she was crying. As soon as he’d finished his last sentence, the pink queen started hiccuping and sniffing softly, as the same time as tears made their way to her magenta eyes, reddening them quickly.

Before Branch could do so much as embrace her in hopes of consoling his wife, she spoke up, her voice wobbly and frail, “Branch, what if I don’t make it?”

Her question took him aback, “What do you mean?”

She shallowed thickly, “What if I die giving birth, Branch?”

She, then, turned to face him. She was so vulnerable at that moment and she felt so utterly lost. The idea of dying terrified her! Not only because she knew she still had too much to live for, but because she couldn’t bear the thought of living her loved ones behind so soon! If she died prematurely, who was going to make peace between Satin and Chenille when their sibling bickering went too far? Who was going to scrapbook with Biggie everything that Mr. Dinkles had done during the day? Who was going to babysit Tiny Diamond when Guy was busy? And most importantly, who was going to be there for Branch and their child, her dear lovable grump and soon-to-be ray of sunshine, when ruling the kingdom became too much?!

At those thoughts, her quiet cries turned into loud, heartbreaking sobs that she tried to hide by shielding her face with her hands. The sight was devastating indeed, and Branch could only stare at his crying wife while he felt his own heart breaking in two.

That definitely wasn’t the answer he was looking for.

“Poppy. Poppy. Poppy, please, look at me!” he pleaded as he gingerly guided his morning angel’s face with one of his hands, very much like he did when she lost her colours all those years ago. He just hoped this wasn’t going to be a repeat of that time, “Where’s all this coming from? Just this afternoon, you were completely over the moon with the idea of giving birth.”

Her magenta orbs were suddenly focused on the floor, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world, “I… I had a nightmare, Branch.” Again, she swallowed thickly, in a futile attempt to get rid of the uncomfortable lump in her throat, “And… It brought unpleasant feelings back.”

“You? Unpleasant feelings? Okay, Pops, now you’re freaking me out. Seriously, what’s this all about?”

She finally held his gaze, and hair, were her eyes filled with sadness and fear. It killed him to see her like that. “It reminded me that my mother died when giving birth to me.”

Oh. Branch’s eyes widened. Oh.

Now that was unexpected. Neither Poppy or King Peppy ever spoke of Poppy’s mother, late Queen Holly, in such a way. Normally, their voices would be filled with care and longing, clearly reflecting the loss they carried. But never did they sound as serious as Poppy did then. Usually, if the late Queen was ever brought up, the royal family would convey their feelings in a way that was best described as bittersweet; it was clear they missed her, but at the same time they knew Queen Holly would want them to be happy, even if she was no longer with them. This time, however, the grief in Poppy’s voice was palpable, like no other time. It actually reminded Branch of when he reminisced his grandmother.

But it was true, Queen Holly had passed the day she laid Poppy’s egg. Branch remembered her vaguely, but such a presence could never be forgotten altogether. Queen Holly was a Rainbow troll with party pink skin, covered in glitter freckles and moles all over it‒of which Poppy had only inherited some moles and the glitter freckles on her cheeks‒; denim blue, silky hair; and a violet pair of eyes and nose. For the very brief encounters Branch had had with her before her passing, she could be best described as a toned-down Poppy. She was as calm, collected, and regal as she was optimistic, kind, and caring. No wonder King Peppy loved her madly, or that the kingdom had mourned her loss like they would grieve the most fateful Trollstice.

He also remembered King Peppy constantly mentioning how, in contrast to the eccentricities he’d passed down on her, his little girl had received her mother’s smile. And for that, Branch was eternally grateful.

All in all, Branch should have known that the loss of her mother would have affected Poppy greatly, still… It was easy to forget such a detail with Poppy’s upbeat and positive attitude indicating anything but loss.

But now, the familiar feeling of mourning and misery he had lived with for so many years presented itself in Poppy’s features, making it clear that not even her, the happiest troll to ever live, wasn’t immune to their effect. And that certainly didn’t suit Poppy, at all.

The questioning look on his wife’s face, though, brought him back to the real world. She had asked him a question, a query whose answer probably meant so much to her that it was practically like her sanity and ease of mind depended on it. Which they probably did.

What if I die giving birth, Branch?, her words resonated inside his skull, raising questions he hoped with all his being he didn’t have to answer. But it was apparent he had no other choice.

“Just what would I do if Poppy passes?”, he wondered. His most sentimental side knew that a part of him would die with Poppy if she didn’t survive, for she was his hope, his love, his saving light guiding him through the darkness he’d been facing all alone for years. Poppy was his happiness, and there is nothing harder to cope with than the loss of a source of happiness; especially if it came from a loved one.

But, his rational side knew that he would never be truly alone if Poppy left them. He’d been close friends with the Snack Pack ever since they befriended the bergens, after regaining his colours he even made friends of his own, and, most importantly, Poppy would leave him the most precious gift to remember her by: their child.

There were just so many factors to take into account, all of them as devastating as they were hopeful. As fulfilling as they felt selfish. As comforting as they were painful. But, above all, none of them succeeded at conveying what they were supposed to; none of them would truly ease Poppy’s fears.

Taking a deep breath, the former grey troll braced himself for one of his biggest challenges to date. He moved a little closer to the pink troll, took one of her hands from her lap and, squeezing it a little in a comforting manner, he spoke, “Poppy, in all honesty, I have no idea what I’d do if I lost you. Probably go mad,” he eyed her curiously for a minute, but when he saw his poor attempt at a joke had been fruitless, he quickly resumed to comforting her, “You do mean the world to me Poppy, and now that I know what it feels like to have the world, I could never go back to accepting anything else.

“However, I know I wouldn’t be alone. And, while it’s true a whole kingdom is quite the heavy burden on a lone troll’s shoulders‒you know that better than anyone‒, you’ve also taught me that I’m never truly alone. Thanks to you, my delicate flower, I have friends I can count on no matter what. Thanks to you, I have enough experience to handle any issue that might arise in our community. And, most importantly, thanks to you, my love, I have the family I’d been yearning for since I was a kid who’d just lost his grandma. And I’m forever grateful for all that, Poppy.”

“It’s good to see you’ll be okay if I’m gone…” She tried to smile, but it came out forced, giving the queen’s true feelings away. Luckily, his husband knew just how to fix that.

“Ah, ah, ah!” He wagged a finger from his free hand at her, halfheartedly admonishing her, “You didn’t let me finish.”

“By all means, go ahead.” She chuckled weakly.

“Above all, if there’s something I’ve learned after years of knowing you, Poppy, that is that you will always, always, get back up again. Always. So I highly doubt laying an egg would ever be enough to take you down,” he smirked at her, “I mean, you ventured into the forest on your own to save your friends from our natural predators, did everything in your power to make peace with said predators and succeeded, and the most challenging thing of them all“, his gaze softened as he uttered those last words, “you never gave up when it came to winning over the village’s reclusive grump. And you didn’t just win him over! You won his heart, and now he doesn’t want it back.” He finished at the same time as he kissed the back of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers.

Hearing such beautiful words, Poppy couldn’t hold her tears back anymore, but before Branch could panic again, she closed the gap between them with a deep kiss, embracing him as she went on with the lip-locking, her hands playing with the nape of his head as his roamed her back; their hair intertwining as only troll lovers’ would.

Once again Poppy’s conviction was reaffirmed; no matter the challenge, she would always be able to face it with Branch by her side.

………

If anyone had told the Snack Pack a few years ago that their dear Poppy would be happily married to the village grump and bearing his child, they would’ve looked at each other and agree that person was wackier than Cooper.

However, now they loved Branch just as much as if he’d been a member of their group his whole life, and where immensely happy for him and their queen. Although it is true they all had different opinions on their relationship at first.

At the beginning, they would all agree that Poppy tried too hard to involve Branch and to befriend him, especially considering the latter’s knack for ignoring, refusing, and even destroying her scrapbooked invitations and attempts. The heathen!

“Poppy, he’s way more trouble than what he’s worth!”, they would tell the, then, princess over and over.

Admittedly, though, even if they weren’t as observant as Poppy was when it came to the reclusive troll’s secret desire for company, they certainly were more observant than she was of his numerous hints of his secret feelings for her. They never mentioned it because they weren’t really sure how to bring such a topic up to Poppy, and because they low-key thought it was a lost cause, too. After all, there was no way two trolls so different from one another could make a relationship work!

Nowadays, however, they were glad they’d been so sorely mistaken. Poppy and Branch were an unstoppable team, and an even cuter couple! They were literally the whole village’s OTP.

When it came to Branch’s feelings, of the whole Snack Pack, Smidge was the first one to pick up on them; but she was also the hardest to convince to give the boy a chance. Having spent so much time near Poppy, with that of being her right hand in practically everything since they met, the Teaspoon troll didn’t take it lightly whenever Branch made Poppy doubt her own leadership and skills with his harsh words. And she couldn’t just forgive someone who tore a perfectly good invitation just for the sake of it! Just what in hairnation was Branch, an animal?!

Luckily, she soon started to warm up to him the moment he proved he’d do anything for Poppy, and she would always respect a fellow Poppy defender.

The first one of the group of friends who actually shipped them was Biggie. He even played dress up with Mr. Dinkles pretending to be them, and if, by any chance, you were to witness such thing, it was easy to notice the romantic atmosphere their games would head to. But it was to be expected; Biggie was a huge romantic and an even bigger supporter of the “opposites attract” trope.

Guy Diamond, on the other hand, didn’t really think much of it. If they ended up together, they would work things out themselves; if they didn’t, it just wasn’t meant to be. Although he was positively appalled to find out Biggie had been roleplaying as them and hadn’t invited an actor of Guy’s caliber to participate.

Satin and Chenille were conflicted. It was undeniable that Branch’s fashion sense was an insult to everything they believed in, but his ability to sew his own garments was impressive. Besides, they could totally see why Poppy could be interested in someone like him; he had quite the nice build, a sturdy body with defined muscles from years of hard work, and a pretty handsome face. In other words, he was fine model material with zero clothing expertise.

Cooper was simple enough in his approach. Before Poppy and Branch saved them from the bergens he was slightly afraid of Branch and felt really bummed out by his buzzkill attitude, but then, as soon as they decided to take a step forward and become a couple, his whole reasoning could be summarised by saying “If Poppy’s happy, so am I.” Which, honestly, was the wisest thing to do, otherwise, he’d tell you absolutely everything there is to know about him. And some things you just don’t want to know.

No matter their original views on the matter, now they could all agree those two were the perfect couple. Because you only needed to watch them for a little while to appreciate the way they would dance with each other, so intimate it felt like intruding in their private time. It took so little to be moved by the sweet, sweet ballads they would sing to each other and nobody else, capable of bringing anyone to tears. Because anybody could melt at the sight of the smiles they reserved for the other; in Poppy’s case, even if she smiled for practically anything, no smile, grin, or smirk could even begin to cover the beauty of the ones she sent Branch. And, in Branch’s case, though he did get better with time, any other smile would look like he was about to barf compared to the grin he shared exclusively with Poppy.

Yes, those two were their best friends. And they were the most beautiful married couple they’d ever see, of that they were sure.

………

Saying the day the egg was laid had been an emotional rollercoaster would be a vast understatement.

It had been a winter afternoon. Poppy and Branch were out supervising the construction of some new homes for the trolls from the other tribes that decided to live there, either because they liked the idea of a change of scenery, or because they’d met and fallen in love with a Pop troll and had decided to live in their partner’s homeland.

As Branch kept talking to the troll in charge about the best course of action to take when building or checking the blueprints to see if they needed some last minute modifications, Poppy was just looking down at the trollings playing around the area.

Soon, she’d be down there with her own little bundle of happiness and love, her dear, attentive husband close by. Oh, she couldn’t wait to walk hand in hand with Branch as they cooed at their little one, to watch Branch’s proud face and his dopey smile when he played with them, to sing and hug the precious little gift they were about to receive. To watch them grow up! A wide grin made its way to her face, oh, she just couldn’t wait!

And apparently, she wouldn’t have to.

As Poppy kept gazing at the village below her, she suddenly felt herself moist. Like she had peed herself. But that didn’t make sense! Ever since she found out she was pregnant she kept needing to use the bathroom regularly, she would’ve known if she needed to go!

That’s when the pain, along with the realisation, came.

This was it. Her water broke. She was going to lay the egg! She had to tell Branch!

“B-Branch? H-honey?”

“Yes, darling?” he replied absentmindedly, focused on the blueprints before him.

“My water broke.”

The moment those words left Poppy’s mouth and registered in his brain, his heart did a somersault and his eyes widened. Oh, cupcakes. The baby was coming! He immediately shoved the blueprints to the troll he had been talking to and ran next to Poppy. Taking her hand and positioning his other one on her lower back, he started to guide her towards their home.

“Someone call for Dr. Plum Plimsy!” he cried.

Aside from the obvious help they’d need from the village’s doctor, it was imperative that the mother laid the egg in the parents’ house, for they were to constantly watch over it until it hatched. Problem was, Branch never really thought about starting a family when he first started building his bunker. In the middle of the forest. A good half an hour from the village!

If he didn’t have his wife about to give birth with him at that very instant, he would be working on a time machine to go back in time and smack his former anti-social self in the face.

“Easy there, Poppy.” he tried calming her down, “Just breathe in and breathe out, like the doctor taught you to.” He said while panting himself, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the pink troll.

“Oh, I’m breathing alright! It’s you who’s about to pass out!”

When they finally made it to the bunker and down the elevator Branch wasted no time in preparing the “nest” Poppy would be using to lay the egg. Those nests were made of warm and soft materials to keep the mother and the soon-to-be child comfortable during the delivery and the remaining six months; respectively.

As soon as Branch was done, he gently took Poppy by the hand and led her to the finished nest he’d made with the blanket and pillows they’d bought over the last three months specifically for that day. With Poppy comfortably located, all that was left was to wait for Dr. Plum to appear and guide them in the process.

Poppy just kept breathing and squeezing Branch’s hand, who feared he might lose the circulation of his hand from how strong his queen’s hold was. Finally, Dr. Plum made it to the bunker’s living room, “How are we feeling today, Your Highness?”

“Is giving birth a mood? Because then, yes, that is how I’m feeling today.”

Alright, sarcastic Poppy. Yup, she was in a lot of pain. But she knew better than to be a brat towards the doctor. “Sorry, I’m just in a bit of pain…”

“A bit?!” Branch choked out, because he was sure he wouldn’t be able to use his right hand after that day.

“Worry not, Your Majesty. I have dealt with far worse.” The Doctor assured with a gente smile, “My Queen, this is a very simple process, actually. All you need to do is push when I tell you as you breathe in and out. Are you ready?”

“I think so.”

“Good. Now, push!” she ordered.

Poppy did as she was told. It hurt a lot, although Branch’s face was probably a lot worse than hers… Still, she could feel something moving inside her. After the first push, Dr. Plum asked her to breath.

This process repeated itself several times; the Doctor would tell the expecting mother to push, she would do as she was told, and then she had a few instants to breathe. Until finally…

“Push!” screamed the doctor.

Poppy was screaming at the top of her lungs with that last push. She could feel her insides stretching to impossible lengths as the egg made its way through. Just how big was that thing?! But despite the struggle, she finally made it; she’d laid the egg and survived.

“Poppy…”, her husband’s voice broke her away from her thoughts, “you did it… And it’s beautiful!”

From the corner of her eye she could she the tears in his eyes, and when he gently handed her the egg, allowing her to hold their future kid in her arms; she soon felt like crying herself! The egg was beautiful, just like Branch said. It had six different, pastel colours, laid in a horizontal position; purple, orange, yellow, pink, blue, and green. It was also coated with a thin layer of glitter than shined depending on the angle the light reflected on it, it also had a tuff of rainbow hair. And it was big.

“Uh…Dr?” Poppy called.

“Hm?”

“Are eggs supposed to be this big? Because the last one I saw was Tiny Diamond’s and I could’ve sworn his certainly wasn’t this big…”

The Doctor, resting her hands behind her back, just chuckled, “No, they’re not.”

That caused Branch to panic, “What‒? I-is there anything wrong with our kid, Doctor?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Your Highness,” she waved a dismissive hand at the royal couple, “Just that this isn’t a kid.”

“What, are you saying Poppy just gave birth to a colourful, glittery rock?” Branch deadpanned, sarcasm back at full force.

But Plum merely laughed, “Not at all, Branch. I’m just saying that you’re probably going to have more than one kid.”

“What?!” they both yelled.

“Yup, that’s why the egg is so big. It has more than one trolling inside!”

The king and queen just stared at her, both of their jaws just a few inches away from touching the floor, “Anyway, I should be leaving. Poppy, do make sure you rest a lot. You deserve it after this, and I’ll be coming regularly to check on the kids”, she made sure to stress that word, “Call me if anything happens!”

And with that, she was gone.

Poppy’s mind was blank. Sure, she’d always hoped she would have more than one kid, but she never expected they would come together. Still, those were some very good news, and the egg was finally there, and she had survived! The thought alone made the pink troll want to cry from happiness all over again. Despite her talk to Branch and his reassuring words a few weeks back, the idea of leaving her loved ones behind just like it happened to her own mother still terrified her. But that was water under the river now, she was in pain, if a little tired, and all that was left to do was watch over the egg until it hatched. And if there was something she knew, that was that Branch wouldn’t keep his eyes off of it.

“Well, that was… Something,” she chuckled weakly, “But can you believe it, Branch?! In just a few months we’ll be parents!” When a few seconds passed and she didn’t receive a reply from her husband, Poppy turned to look at him, “Branch?”

There he was, lying unconscious on the floor. He had fainted.

“Oh, come on…”, she rolled her eyes in exasperation. Although a small part of her was actually amused by her grumpy man’s antics.

As soon as the news about the queen laying the egg had got out, the entire village was at the bunker’s door, asking how it went; if Queen Poppy was alright; how they felt… Of course, the Snack Pack were fiercely defending their place and right as the first ones to know, taking full advantage of Smidge’s intimidating presence and strength. Yes, they would be the first ones to find out… After Peppy, but he was the only exception!

The old king, on his part, had kissed and hugged Poppy over a thousand times the very instant he’d been able to visit them. He’d told her over and over just how happy and proud he was of her for everything she had accomplished with tears in his eyes, even mentioning that her mother, Queen Holly, would be proud too. Peppy had congratulated Branch too, and he’d almost hugged him until the former grey troll couldn’t breathe. Branch would never admit it, but a few tears had escaped his eyes when Peppy told him he was like a son to him and that he was incredibly honoured to be capable of calling him his son-in-law.

The Snack Pack gushed, cooed, and generally lost their minds as soon as they saw the egg. Satin and Chenille immediately announced they would be working on a unisex clothing line for the babies. Guy Diamond offered to be their babysitter, given he already had experience with his own child, Tiny Diamond. Biggie promised to help Poppy with her scrapbook of the babies, taking as many photos of them as she pleased. Smidge had sworn she would be the kids bodyguard, and that Hair saved whoever considered, even for just a second, to lay a finger on them. DJ Suki, on her part, told them she would help them create some lullabies for when the babies were fuzzy and didn’t fall asleep easily. And Cooper… Well, they had all birthday cakes until the children had their own kids sorted out with him.

The months that followed were stressful, but wholesome for the expecting parents. They decided they would take turns in watching over the egg and ruling over Troll Village, which included one of them would have to miss out on important celebrations; but their subjects were very understanding, they were going to have the future royal kids, after all!

Whenever it was Poppy’s turn to watch over their growing kids, she would bring her scrapbook supplies, some food and a blanket or two; one for her, the other to keep the egg warm. And even if she certainly was excited and overjoyed about her ever-growing family, she did get anxious from time to time, and certainly took her responsibilities very seriously.

Branch… Was Branch. When he was at his calmest, he would follow Poppy’s example and do whatever chores he had ‒that were safe, of course‒, in the living room, around the egg. But when, for whatever reason (generally nightmares that brought back fears from his grey days), he would feel extra panicky, he would basically make a bunker inside his bunker. To ensure the kids’ safety.

They both were very excited about being parents, but they were very worried, too. Luckily, it only took each other a talk with their soulmate to ease their minds. And every time it happened, Poppy and Branch would keep watch over the egg during the night together, usually falling asleep with their heads resting on top of the other’s.

Then, one Summer morning, the day finally came.

Poppy was in the living room, keeping an eye on the egg, as Branch was in the kitchen making lunch, probably a healthy and light pasta salad; perfect for the hot weather. Poppy was working on a scrapbook based on the Glitter Palooza Festival that had taken place recently when, suddenly, she thought she heard a noise.

Looking around, she saw nothing out of the extraordinary, “Branch? Did you say something?”

When he replied that no, he hadn’t uttered a word, the pink queen just shrugged and resumed her scrapbooking. As she was cutting a piece of plush into a troll, however, she heard the noise again. It was some kind of rattle mixed with a creak. Curious beyond compare, she set her materials and scissors down and focused on finding the source of the noise. Maybe she didn’t have Branch’s accute senses, but she sure as Frosting wasn’t deaf, either.

When she finally heard the noise for a third time, she turned her head to the direction it came from, and she gasped. There, right beside her, was her egg, which was moving slightly and had a little crack on its shell.

This was it, the babies were coming!

She wasted no time calling her husband, “Branch! Come quick!”

At the sound of Poppy’s frantic voice, Branch came rushing in, “What happened? Is everything alright?”

“Branch, look!” she motioned to their nest, “The egg is hatching!”

When he turned to see that, indeed, the egg was hatching, his breath hitched. They were about to be parents. He was about to be the father of Poppy’s children. His Poppy, his beautiful, kind, happy, and wonderful Poppy who seemed so unattainable just a few years back. He was so happy he could feel his colours shining brighter than ever, Poppy’s too.

Slowly, they sat down on the floor, just in front of the egg and never taking the eyes off of it. Finally, it cracked completely. And what they saw left them speechless.

Inside the egg there weren’t two, or even three children. There were six! All of them girls, and each of them was of one colour reflected on the, now, broken shell; purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, and pink. And they were perfect!

Tentatively, as it to not hurt them by accident, Poppy and Branch held them in their arms, admiring the beautiful gift they’d just received. There was no stopping the tears that threatened to escape the both of them. They did it, they were parents.

………

Ever since the girls had been born, life had been more of a blessing to the residents of Troll Village than ever, especially to the kids’ parents.

For the last few years, Poppy and Branch had done everything in their power to balance their personal and professional lives, so, as much as it pained them to, they had to ask for babysitters now and then, since they couldn’t afford rescheduling or having one of the too missing important meetings constantly. But, all in all, even if their life was crazier and busier than ever, it was also happier. Withouht a doubt.

The girls had brought them so much joy!

The funniest thing was that, not only were they all of a different colour, they also had quite different personalities. Even from their parents’! It was almost as if they’d taken a personality trait from Poppy and Branch each and turned it into their core way of being. And just like that one could define the six young princesses: Violet, Rosie, Aster, Daisy, Lily, and Pansy.

Violet was a light purple trolling with slightly tousled, dark purple hair, a pink nose and bluebell eyes. She was, without a doubt, the diva of the sisters. She simply loved fancy outfits, shiny things, and absolutely loathed getting dirty. She was, in fact, the only sister who didn’t mind not being able to go to expeditions to the forest with her father. And she was a sucker for attention, the kid simply lived for being in the middle of the spotlight. Honestly, if Poppy didn’t know any better, she’d say Violet was the twins’ and Guy Diamond’s kid; who, by the way, simply adored the little princess, and constantly asked if she could model for them, or take part in his plays; respectively.

Rosie was a hot pink little girl with silky flamingo pink hair, a green nose, and green eyes. Rosie, despite being the most physically similar of the girls to her mother, had inherited her father’s shy personality and his tendency to snitch on trolls she was suspicious of. But she made up for it by being incredibly gentle and kind, as well as a hopeless romantic. And, oddly enough, she seemed to be attracted towards Rock trolls and their music, which her father hoped was just a phase…

Aster was the opposite of Rosie. That is to say, physically speaking, she was the one whose colours were closest to Branch’s, for she had periwinkle skin and wild, curly sapphire hair whose bangs covered her eyes, and a fuchsia nose. Their fashion sense was quite similar, too. However, she was nowhere near as cautious as him; in fact, she loved adventure, all types of sports, and challenging herself. Just like her mother did, in her own way. And, although some would define her as somewhat of a tomboy, she was simply fascinated by butterflies.

Daisy was a little Poppy 2.0. Sure, her colour palette was nothing like Poppy’s, having orange skin and hair, her dad’s purple nose, and green eyes, alongside an adorable gap in her two front teeth; but her personality and hobbies were 100% Poppy. Daisy was always on the move, she was the life of the party, and got pretty upset whenever her parents would tell her she couldn’t go to certain events because she was too young. But she was just as artistic, constantly drawing and hanging decorations… It wouldn’t be the first time Poppy and Branch were forced to scold her for drawing in the walls when she should be sleeping.

Lily was the cool girl. She was a neon green trolling with yellowish green, shaggy hair, with a bang of it covering her right eye, and an yellow nose. Her down-to-earth personality was best defined as what Poppy and Branch could accomplish if they put both their minds to it. However, the girl had almost as much of a hard time opening up as her dad, only ever really being honest about her feelings and worries to her parents, who were always there to listen and encourage her to try and trust new people. And she was a huge plant nerd. She and Branch would spend hours in their greenhouse studying and looking after the vines there.

And, last but not least, Pansy. She was entirely yellow, except for her orange nose. Pansy simply loved facts, every single day she would get close to whoever was willing to listen and talk their ear off about any fact, about any topic: botany, art, survival skills, origami…; you name it. She adored learning new things, so she spent as much time as posible in the library. Everyone was convinced she’d live there if she could. On the other hand, her endless curiousity led her to yearning to become an explorer, always down to discover new places, which made her the most upset and disappointed when Branch told the girls they couldn’t come with him to the forest.

Despite their differences all six princesses had something in common: they had all inherited their mother’s glitter frackles and a varietion of her famous bangs, and their father’s ears.

Although Poppy had started her princesses’ scrapbook even before laying their egg, it was to be expected that it would only get bigger and bigger as soon as they were born. The moment the girls hatched from the egg ‒after both parents had gushed over them to their hearts’ content as well as crying like there was no tomorrow, that is‒, Poppy had picked up some remains of the shell and glued them to the scrapbook.

She did the same with practically every memorable moment in the girls’ life: the day their hair grew for the first time ‒second, if you count the strand they had to plant in order to grow their Troll Gem‒, the first party they ever went to, the first time they met Mommy and Daddy’s Friends and loved ones, their first visit to Bergen Town and other troll tribes… But, as the girls started manifesting their different interests and personalities, Poppy had to add more sections. One dedicated to a daughter each.

She just didn’t expect she would have to add a seventh section anytime soon, though. But she did.

Again, she found herself in quite a pickle. Not because they were bad news but because… They were shocking. And, to this day, her dear husband still had a lot to improve when it came to receiving shocking news. Not to mention, now it wasn’t only telling Branch. Now, they had six daughters to get explain the whole situation to.

But first, she had to tell the troll who was supposed to be better at handling such information. Key words being “supposed to.”

The Queen of the Pop Trolls decided it’d be best to tell him at nap time, when the girls would be asleep and it’d still be telling him as soon as possible. She found him in his office, where he would go to to work on blueprints and plans for the kingdom. In a way, it was very similar to the day she told him she was pregnant for the first time.

“Branch?” she called him, “Can we talk?”

Looking up from his desk, he smiled at the sight of his wife, “Sure, my sweet. What’s up?”

“What’s up is… Um… I… I… I, well…”, she stuttered, “I wanted to tell you that… I’m…”

“Poppy?”, he asked, one eyebrow raised at her, “Are you ok?”

Oh, words be frosted! Frustrated beyond belief, she did the only thing she could think of that was effective; she took her husband’s hand and placed it on top of her belly. Just like she’d done the first time. The look of realisation and pure shock in his eyes was proof enough that he’d finally got it.

“Huh. I’m gonna register a patent on that move. It’s foolproof.” She joked.

Blinking hard, Branch tried to collect his thoughts. “Poppy… Are you pregnant again?”

“Yup”, she popped the ‘p’.

His jaw all but dropped.

“But, how?!”, given the pointed look his wife was sending him, he quickly tried to amend the slip-up, “Ok, yeah. I know how. Don’t answer that.” That was certainly too much, so, sitting back down at his desk, they both stayed in silence for a few minutes, “I just… I can’t believe it! I mean, we already have six kids!”

“Glad to see you still remember how to count.” Poppy smirked at him.

Her joke wasn’t well received, though, for it only made her husband scowl lightheartedly at her, “I’m supposed to be the sarcastic one of the two, that’s basically my thing! Don’t steal it, it’s not natural when it comes from you. Stop it. Seriously, stop it.”

Chuckling, she made her way to the wooden desk. She leaned ever so slightly over it to make herself comfortable, all the while finding the situation to be quite amusing, “Sorry, couldn’t resist. Are you finally over it? Or do you need a few more minutes to be shocked?”

“I’m gonna take you up on that.” He sighed, “It’s just… Wow. Seven kids, Poppy. Seven!”

“Branch, unless you want me to ‘steal your thing’”, she air-quoted, “you really ought to stop making it so easy.”

“Right. Sorry. But, oh my Gem!” he threw his hands up in the air at the same time as he reclined on his chair, “Before I became the King of the Pop Trolls I used to be the King of Safety…”

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen, am I right, Hot Stuff?” Poppy couldn’t help but snicker at the glare Branch was sending her.

His frown only deepened at her laughter, “Stop it.”

Once she managed to calm down, she rested her hands on his shoulders and started massaging them in an attempt to soothe him, “You’re freaking out over the wrong thing, my king. Having another kid should be the last of your problems.”

“Oh, yeah? And what, do tell, should be at the top in my list of problems, according to you?”

“Telling the girls they’re going to have a baby brother or sister who’ll probably have to receive a lot of attention instead of them. I’m sure our little Violet, a.k.a. the biggest attention seeker in Troll Village will simply love that.”

“Oh, cupcakes.”

“Oh, cupcakes, indeed.” As excited as she was, Poppy still felt a little uneasy over starting that new chapter in their lives all over again, this time, with six other kids. She was rubbing her temples, trying to figure out what to do, when a pair strong but incredibly gentle arms hugged her from behind.

“It’ll be fine, gorgeous.” Her king whispered in her ear, “We can do it. And as for the girls, we just gotta assure them that we’ll always love them just as much, even with the new baby.” He left the lightest kiss on her temple, “It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

“Thank you, honey. You always manage to calm me down.” She turned slightly to meet his eyes, “So? Are you ready to be a for the second/seventh time?”

“With you? Always.”

Turns out, telling the girls hadn’t been as much of an ordeal as they thought. Sure, they had to explain to them ‒as vaguely as possible‒ how their mum had got pregnant and the pregnancy process. And sure, they’d had to assure them over a dozen times, especially Violet, that even if the baby needed a lot of attention for quite some time, they would still love them all no matter what. But, overall, their daughters were mostly excited; asking about just when the baby was going to be born, if they could play dress up with them, if they could sing and dance with them…

It was the cutest thing ever for their parents.

Just like it happened when they were expecting for the first time, the village, the Snack Pack, and Peppy were overjoyed, although none wasted any time to tease Branch about his hypocrisy when it came to safety and protection. But, of course, they were just joking goodnaturedly, and quickly offered their help for whatever they might need.

As the months passed, the girls would do their very best to help in any way they could. They tried to not get in any trouble; to not worry their mum. They spent as much time as possible with Poppy, trying to learn more about the baby. They would give a hand to their father in any chore they could help at, because they knew he was also very busy and stressed with ruling over the kingdom as well as taking care of his family.

When the day finally came for Poppy to lay the egg, Branch had agreed with Guy Diamond that he would watch over Rosie, Aster, Pansy, Daisy, Violet, and Lily while Poppy laid the egg. After all, none of the girls in his life needed that extra stress. Saying they were reluctant to be away from their mum and their future brother or sister during such a crucial moment would be an understatement. But alas, if they could help mummy that way…

When they finally came back home and got a chance to see the egg for the first time, they all gushed and squealed like there was no tomorrow. The egg, which was much smaller that time, meaning it only held one troll; was of a mint colour, coated slightly in glitter, and with a tuff of green hair. Poppy had promised the girls that, as soon as the baby was born, they could help her with the baby’s section in the family scrapbook.

After months of waiting and “Are they here yet?’s” from six very impatient soon-to-be older sisters, the time finally came one Winter day. This time, it had been Pansy the one who noticed the egg shaking and cracking slightly. And, since she already knew quite a lot about eggs from reading so much, she soon notified her whole family.

It was difficult to tell who was more excited, the kids or their parents. One thing was for sure, the best way to describe the feeling they all got as soon as the baby arrived would, indubitably, be with on word: happiness.

That was the feeling that reigned when little Sticks was born.

And a bit from smugness from Poppy’s part, actually. She had won a bet and now Branch owed her a hundred cupcakes.

………

Now that little Sticks was two years old and a lot less fuzzy than when he was just a newborn ‒the baby boy was adorable as they come, but he sure took after his father; he was a grumpy bear‒, the King and Queen of the Pop Trolls had decided it was time to update a tradition of the royal family.

They were going to take a picture for the family portrait.

It was a tradition as old as time, even older than the days of the Trollstice. As the members of the royal family grew older, they would take those portraits to commemorate how for they’d come. From the little princes and princesses as toddlers with their parents, the kings and queens, to the day when the heirs to the throne would start a family of their own.

In Poppy’s case, she had several portraits where it was just her and her dad, the closest she’d ever been to her mother being the photo Peppy and Holly had taken when she was still pregnant. But as soon as she decided to share her life with Branch, he would appear in every single one of them, and she no longer felt so alone. The first photo they’d taken was from after they got married, which both signaled the beginning of their own family and the rise to the throne of the Pop Trolls’ new king. Then, they had their own photograph with Poppy pregnant, something she’d insisted on back when she was still scared of not surviving. As soon as the girls were born, they’d posed for a few pictures with them, from when they were newborns to just before they’d found out a new addition to the family was on its way. And, finally, they were going to include little Sticks in their family tradition.

Their little boy, who was contently resting in his mother’s arms for he was a huge mama’s boy, added even more colour to their family. Sticks had mint skin, neon green hair, and a light yellow nose. And, of course, Poppy’s freckles as well as Branch’s ears. He was the missing piece to complete the rainbow the royal children formed together.

“Alright, guys…” Biggie, who was in charge of the photoshoot, said, “Smile and say ‘cheese!’”

“Cheese!”

From that day on, whenever they looked at that picture they would all smile, no matter the circumstances; if they’d argued with each other, if they felt sad, if they were over the moon with an upcoming party… It didn’t matter. Because whenever they looked at that picture, they’d be reminded of the most important thing of all: they were a family.

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