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“You won’t last a day out there.”
Those bitterly spat words echoed as loudly as Branch’s current hollers for the hug-happy trolls below to get off and get out. Poppy closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh through her nose, trying to ease her nerves and focus instead on the steady whir of the bunker’s elevator. Everyone was safe. Everyone who had escaped, anyway. There were definitely a bunch of very special, very cherished, very missed trolls out there who were not safe at all in that moment. Which was why Poppy knew she absolutely had to last more than a day out there. Even if she had to go alone.
Alone was fine. No Branch? No problem. She could handle herself just fine! This was just a fun adventure! Those hungry monsters with sharp teeth were…potential new friends! That totally would be down for not eating her. Totally.
Poppy almost didn’t realize she was at the bunker’s entrance until a bright flash of red caught the corner of her eye, causing her to whip around with a frazzled squeak.
“Suki! You’re supposed to be-”
“He said no, didn’t he?”
Poppy was taken aback. “How did you…? DJ, you need to get down into the bunker with everyone else, it’s not safe up there!”
Suki’s expression darkened with worry as she stepped closer to Poppy, who had not moved from beside the elevator lever. “I know it isn’t. Which is why if I’m going down into the bunker, you gotta come with me.”
Shock doubling, Poppy shook her head vigorously. “I can’t just hide, I have to go save our friends!”
“So you expect me to sit and wait while you go off by yourself?” Poppy’s attempt at an assertive nod didn’t faze Suki. “No way. If you’re going, I am right behind you.”
“I can do this!” Poppy said, almost snappishly. “I can make it. I can save them, I know I can!”
Suki took another step forward, reaching out and taking Poppy’s tensed hand firmly in her own. Her expression softened as she felt the tremors from the pink troll. Seeing that her feigned confidence was not fooling Suki in the slightest, Poppy shut her eyes, grabbing at the hem of her dress and fighting to keep her voice from breaking.
“I-I can’t just leave them behind…” Poppy whispered, head bowed. “I have to try…I have to…”
“I know,” Suki said, her own voice starting to quake with the pressure of the situation. “I know you can do it, Poppy. I just…I don’t want you to have to do it on your own.”
Suki reached a hand up, aiming to tilt Poppy’s head up to bring their eyes to a meet, but was beat to the punch when Poppy suddenly grabbed the sides of Suki’s face and pulled her in for a desperate, clamoring kiss. Matching the pink troll’s fervor in an instant, Suki wrapped her arms around Poppy, lifting her off her feet as she was mashed right up against Suki’s body. The princess’s finger’s dug into Suki’s locks, clinging to her like she was the last troll on earth in that moment. Teeth clashed, toes dug into the soil, hair intertwined. It was a raw, frantic, emotion filled kiss that seemed to make sparks explode silently in the heavy air. It told each other more than words ever could have about what needed to be done.
Pulling back just enough so that their lips were barely grazing each other, Poppy drew in a sharp breath and peeked her eyes open. Suki’s pink eyes met her own, their mistiness impossible for her to miss.
“Please, Suki,” Poppy murmured shakily, pressing her forehead into Suki’s; one hand cupped firmly around the red troll’s jaw, the other still buried in her dreads. “I need you.”
A wavering breath caught in Suki’s throat as she curled her fingers into Poppy’s wrinkling dress. “I need you too, Poppy. I can’t…I need to go with you. Please.”
The pause that followed those hoarse words grated against Suki’s ears, the tension in that small dark pocket in the earth thicker than anything she’d ever experienced as she waited for the princess’s decision. Finally, Poppy’s shoulders fell, eyes glancing up once more to meet Suki’s. A familiar fire sparked in those irises, making Suki’s heart skip. Unwavering determination seeped from her intense gaze. It was one of Poppy’s traits that the treasure troll found insanely attractive, even in their current circumstances.
Grins spread over their faces simultaneously, lips still just barely touching.
“Alright. Let’s go save our friends.”