"What's dating like?"
"...Well–!"
———————————————————
Branch casually strolled by, smirking as he reached over and plucked Poppy’s ponytail from her head, dropping it on the ground without breaking stride.
"Hey!" Poppy yelped, spinning around to glare at him.
Branch shrugged with mock innocence. "Oops," he said, his smirk widening.
Poppy narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "You’re gonna regret that."
Branch shot her a playful glance over his shoulder. "Looking forward to it."
———————————————————
Poppy spotted Branch deep in concentration, focused on his task. With a sly grin, she reached over and gently tugged on his vest, causing it to slide halfway down his arm.
"Hey, hot stuff," she whispered teasingly.
Branch froze, eyes widening for a second before he huffed, pulling the vest back into place. "Poppy," he grumbled, cheeks flushing slightly, "Go away!"
"Make me," she shot back, grinning as she lingered just long enough to watch him squirm.
———————————————————
Poppy stood confidently on stage, delivering a heartfelt speech to the gathered crowd. But from the corner of her eye, she saw Branch, lurking off to the side, making the most ridiculous faces—cheeks puffed, eyes crossed, tongue out.
She tried to hold it together, but a snort of laughter escaped. Quickly, she bit her lip, forcing herself to stay focused, but each time she looked, Branch's expressions became more absurd. Soon, she was giggling uncontrollably, her speech completely forgotten.
"Uh... sorry, everyone," she stammered between laughs, "I just..." She glanced back at Branch, who winked. Poppy shook her head and waved her notes in surrender. "You know what? Forget it, everyone's doing great. Just go home."
She tossed her notes into the air and walked off the stage, still laughing. The audience exchanged confused glances as Branch, hiding in the shadows, shot her a victorious grin.
———————————————————
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Branch, trying to focus on his work, clenched his jaw as Poppy continued to poke his arm without mercy. Finally, he snapped—literally. Without warning, he turned and gently bit her finger.
"AAAH, RABID BEAST!" Poppy shrieked, yanking her hand back dramatically, stumbling a few steps in mock horror.
Branch raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You asked for it."
Poppy glared at him, shaking her finger. "You better hope I don’t need a rabies shot!"
———————————————————
Poppy was sitting at her desk, busy crafting invitations, letters, and scrapbooks, her pen scratching away on the paper as she hummed to herself.
“You know,” she muttered aloud while writing, “you would of been better off just substituting the almonds with peanuts, maybe. But—”
