Grown-Up Stuff

Close Call

A/N: I promised myself the next update to this collection would be Cliva, so here it is finally ^_^

Based on an idea suggested by chipmunkfanno1love on Tumblr :)

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"Viva! Viva, Viva, VIVA!!!"

Poppy's voice burst with excitement in the same manner that she so enthusiastically burst into her sister's room from their shared pod. The Pop Queen twirled on the spot, doing a little jig, allowing the Putt Putt Queen just the fractions of time she needed in order to conceal what she had to.

Viva popped up from under the duvet, sitting straight up in her bed. Sheets were wrapped tightly around her body and being held up against her chest with one hand, while the other was planted firmly on the blankets that were beside her.

"Oh! H-hey, Poppy!"

"Viva!" Poppy cried again, trembling with joy. "I'm getting married! TODAY!!"

"Yeah! I know!" Viva said, plastering a smile onto her face that she hoped didn't go off revealing the nerves that the younger Troll didn't even seem to notice were there. "I am, like, soooo excited for you! This is the most fantast-amazing thing ever!" Then, in a more hushed voice that she directed at the blankets, she hissed, "DON'T move."

Poppy cocked her head, breaking out of her happiness for a few seconds to be confused. "Huh?"

Viva's eyes widened, startled at the thought that Poppy might've caught on, but she brushed it off with what she believed to be a convincing explanation. "Oh, sis, don'tcha know? Sometimes I gotta talk to myself! Like, if I was to jump outta bed right now, you would totally not be able to breathe with the hugenormous hug I would give ya since, y'know... you're getting married!"

She was a little proud of her new made up word, and that the mention of the marriage worked exactly like the charm that she thought it would be.

Poppy beamed, and she squealed. "I know, right?! I can hardly believe it! EEEEE!!"

"YEAH!" Viva agreed, tilting her golden-curled head (perhaps a little more tussled than usual if Poppy had been paying closer attention) meaningfully over toward the door. "You should get going. The dress isn't going to put itself on!" she giggled.

"But Veevs, aren't you coming?" Poppy extended her hand out, about to grab her sister by the wrist and haul her up, though Viva scooted away before she did.

"NO!" she yelped, a little too loudly at first, enough to perhaps raise suspicions, but she quickly recovered, clearing her throat. "I - I mean, I'll join you in a sec, sis, gotta take a morning stretch, gather up all my energy if I wanna have enough so we can hit the dance floor later on!"

"And also so you can jump up and grab the flower bouquet," the Pop Queen said with enough suggestion to make Viva blush.

She tittered shyly. "Oh, you know me too well, Pops!"

Poppy put her hands on her hips and eyed the pink Troll playfully. "Uh-huh, and I also know you're probably thinking about Clay right now!"

Viva quickly turned it around before her blush could get any redder. "Oh, and you're not thinking about Branch? And how surprised he'll be when you show up on the altar in your usual getup?" she asked teasingly.

Poppy put her hands up. "Oh yeah, you got me there, hehe! I'll see you in a bit, Veev!"

She bounced off merrily, bringing the Putt Putt Queen relief. She exhaled a sigh as the tension of the nerves disappeared. "Phew! That was close..."

"Please tell me I can come out now."

Viva giggled at the mix of desperation and annoyance in the muffled voice, and tugged the blankets from the bed away. In its place sat up Clay, wearing nothing more than the relief that was on his face. "Thank goodness," he mumbled, and then quickly amended. "I, um, I mean, nothing against your sister, V! I like when she's around, just, um, not after... um... not..."

"Not like this," Viva finished, nodding in understanding, gesturing at themselves. "Totally get it."

She averted his gaze timidly, twirling the end of one of her curls, and he averted hers, scratching at his bare chest.

"Uhh... she didn't know I was here, right?" he asked after a minute of awkward silence.

"No, Clay," Viva assured, chuckling as she patted his hand. "You are so cute when you worry." Then she got up, retrieving her leotard and legwarmers from the floor and tossing his cardigan at him. "You better put this back on if you don't want Pops to suddenly burst in here again and find you au natural." She laughed when he peeled the romper off his face, the item of clothing having landed right on his nose and hanging from there.

Clay smirked. "Huh. I'm surprised she didn't even notice our stuff in the first place," he said.

Viva shrugged. "What can I say? Poppy's like that!" she giggled. "When she's hyper, she doesn't notice much of anything except what excites her."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Clay said jokingly. "You might know her too. Loves strawberry milkshakes, and braiding hair, and - "

"When green-haired dorks shut their mouths for a sec so she can kiss him already?" Viva cut in, batting her lashes and leaning towards him.

Clay grinned, leaning in to fill the gap and answering her.

"Yeah... that."