BROPPY ONE-SHOTS

Your Shoulder To Lean On

PRE - TROLLS

Prompt; Poppy relentlessly tries to get Branch to coexist with the rest of Troll Village, and with each attempt, Branch would harshly reject every invite. After an intense argument, Branch for once feels ashamed, and tries to apologize.a

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  WITH a heavy sigh, Branch plucked another moonflower from his garden, gently twirling it around with the tip of his fingers. He eyed the delicate petals, a ghost of a smile on his lips: hopefully, she'll accept his poorly made bouquet for an apology.

  After delivering a low blow, Poppy left the scene with falling tears. He couldn't forget the broken look on her face; it filled him with guilt, gnawing at his insides, until he could no longer feel anything else but intense guilt. So, here Branch was, tampering with his beautiful, organized garden just for her.

  And even so, he believed this wasn't enough.

  "Maybe I should name a star after her." Branch lightly laughed at himself, glancing towards the sky above, catching a glimpse of the twinkling stars. They shone their brightest at night, illuminating the darkness with its vibrancy. He loved starry nights.

He picked himself up, grabbing the plucked out flowers with a hand, and headed towards his bunker.

"FUCKING shit!" Branch jerked back, leaning against a wall as he clenched a fistful of his vest in his palm. He nearly threw the messy bouquet at the intruder in self defense. "You scared me, Poppy!" He hissed, exhaling heavy breaths.

  Poppy apologetically smiled and stepped aside. "I am so sorry, Branch. I thought you were home." She said, following after him. She eyed the moonflowers in his hands, her mind wandering to who those possibly could be for.

  "Regardless, you shouldn't have entered someone's home without permission. That's a crime."

  "Yeah, yeah." She looked off to the side, taking interest in his home decor rather than their conversation. Her ears tuned out his voice, replacing it with a melody from her favorite song. She quietly hummed to herself, gently moving her hips to the nonexistent beat.

  Branch turned his head to look at her, stopping his lecture halfway. "Uh, what are you doing?" He asked, worried. His hand gripped tighter around the bouquet, and as he did, he was reminded of it.

  Poppy stopped the song in her head and pointed towards the moonflowers. "Hey, who are those for? Someone special?" She wiggled her brows, nudging his shoulder with her own. Branch rolled his eyes and scoffed, turning his body fully to her.

  "Well, I guess you can say that," His voice trailed off, lifting the flowers towards her, "They're for you." He timidly smiled, a lopsided one, but he tried.

  Poppy lit up immediately, accepting the bouquet with a wide toothy grin. She twirled them around before bringing them closer to her face, taking a small whiff of the sweet scent.

  She ran her fingers through the petals, carefully as to not tempt them to fall. "Oh Branch! You didn't have to, and now I'm curious to know why." Poppy faced him, her grin faltering into a soft smile.

  Purple painted his ears, quickly turning away as he floundered for a response. He inhaled calmly, "Well, I wanted to apologize for this afternoon," Branch visibly cringed at the memory, "I was really out of line, I only spoke out of anger. I didn't mean any of it."

  "Oh, yes. This afternoon," She whispered, realizing that she hadn't mentioned it like she intended to. After all, she came to his bunker for the same reason. "I also wanted to apologize-" Poppy stepped forward, but was cut off by his voice.

  "Why? You didn't do anything wrong."

  "I also said some things that might have been really insensitive. So, I apologize for that." Poppy placed the bouquet aside on a nearby chair, lifting her arms for a hug. Branch eyed her weirdly before giving in, awkwardly placing his arms around her.

  However, the warmth was enough to loosen him up, melting into her touch with a small smile. It's been far too long since he's hugged someone, and lord knows, he desperately needed one.

Hot tears stained her shoulder, willing her to slightly pull back and take a look. He hastily brought an arm over his eyes, shielding her from witnessing his vulnerability. But, he was three seconds too late, Poppy had already caught a glimpse of his glossy eyes.

She gently placed her hand over him, lowering his arm with a sympathetic expression. "Hey, it's okay. You don't need to hide away from me, I will be your shoulder to lean on." Her usual high voice lowered into a quiet, gentle tone.

Branch nodded slowly, allowing her past his barrier. His breath hitched as her fingers grazed the side of his face, wiping away his tears. He leaned into her touch, his eyes staring into hers.

Her hand remained on his cheek, fingers gently brushing his skin in an attempt for comfort. They didn't utter a word, just listening to the other breathe with small smiles.