Let Your Smile Show

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REVERSED AU

Prompt; Prince Branch attempts every possible way to get closer to Poppy: the only gray troll in Troll Village. With every attempt, a piece of her heart goes with him. And, with the next, he might just have stolen her heart completely.

  POPPY stared down at the clear seamless river, watching as it swayed towards the edge of the cliff. She dipped a few fingers, a cool breeze hitting against her saturated gray skin, sucking in a sharp breath at the contact. She continued to slide her hand under the water, softly smiling.

  "Knew I'd find you here." A familiar upbeat voice joined in, breaking the peaceful silence she was previously seeking comfort in. Poppy only hummed in response, keeping her gaze on the river, slowly retracting her hand and dropping it on her lap, along with her smile.

  Branch filled the empty space beside her, crossing his legs, and faced her with a dopey expression. It's no secret that he held feelings for Poppy Starlight, and no matter how many times he's been warned about her, his opinion on her didn't change.

  In fact, it only motivated him to get closer, dangerously placing his heart within her reach. If he succeeded, he'll finally be able to put those nasty rumors to rest. The world would see the Poppy he saw, a beautiful troll with a sweet heart.

  "Why are you here, again? Why do you still bother?" Poppy asked quietly, leaning back and placing her arms behind her for support. She closed her eyes, nose up in the air as the chilly air circled around her.

  "I'm pretty sure I've answered that question more times than I can count."

  "Then you won't have any trouble giving me a proper answer this time."

  Branch softened, his gaze on the cloudy sky. "Poppy, we have been friends, as how I see it, for a year now. Every day, it's something new with you, and it's exhilarating. I can never get tired of your company, you are one of a kind." He rested his hand over hers, tempting her to slide her fingers through his to interlock them. But, she didn't.

  Instead, she carefully backed away, with a light frown. "Why must you string me along by feeding me these lies? You taint the truth with a blinded opinion." Poppy felt the insecurity dump over her like a waterfall, wrapping her arms over her body and slightly turning away from him, covering the "beauty" Branch claimed to see.

"I won't pressure you to understand how I see you, I get it.. you need time to lower your guard. After what you went through, I don't blame you." He softly spoke, shifting closer to her side as he lifted a hand towards her chin, tilting it to meet her eyes.

  They brimmed with warm tears, miserably failing to blink them away. His fingers glided over her cheek, delicately grazing her lips. His touch ignited a flame in her heart, desperately hoping to reach out to his own, to finally be able to connect. Her heart prevailed over her mind, which continued to scream at her to get away from a potential heartbreak.

  Branch leaned closer, brushing his lips against hers before pressing them together into a kiss. Poppy's throat hitched cold air, unfamiliar to the feeling. She felt her heart race, fearing that it'll jump right out of her chest. Reluctantly, Poppy placed her small hand on his cheek, bringing him closer.

  She felt him smile against her lips, arms wrapped her waist affectionately. That was enough to allow herself to melt into him, granting him the first step into her life.

And, it was too late to go back.

  Colorful hues painted her gray world; and for a few seconds, her skin glowed pink against his blue shade,

creating a beautiful mixture of purple.

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