Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Branch sighed, staring at his unresponsive computer. “Poppy?” He called into the other room. “Can I use your computer real quick?”

“Of course!” She called from the other room. “The password’s on a sticky note!”

He placed his laptop down on the coffee table and grabbed hers. It, of course, was decorated with colorful stickers, including many inspirational quotations and cats. The sticky note with her password was also decorated with colorful hearts and stars. He huffed in amusement as he typed the password in.

The screen unlocked, and…

He froze.

“Oh! I just remembered that I left something open!” Poppy called in. “Could you just close it for me?” When she didn't receive a response, she slowly poked her head out of the other room. “Branch?”

When she saw him shocked still, she flushed. “It's not serious, it's just for fun, I mean, sure I get comments on it and update regularly, but-”

“Poppy,” Branch said, his face serious. “You write BroZone fanfics?”

“It's just a hobby!” She defended, frantically. “I-!”

He laughed. “Poppy!” He interrupted her. “I'm not mad.”

She pouted at him. “No, but it feels like you're making fun of me.”

“It's not that you write fanfic,” he defended. “It's that you wrote a ‘sold to the band’ fanfic.”

“What about it?” She retorted, her arms crossed. 

He stared at her in disbelief. “Poppy, you're a princess! If anything, you'd own BroZone!”

“If I wrote anything like that, people would know it was me,” she protested. “If I say anything publicly, and something happens, I'll feel like it's because I'm the princess. With this, I'm just another fan, but something about me was intriguing. I don't know.” She frowned, wrapping her arms around herself.

Branch's face fell. “I'm sorry for teasing you,” he said, opening his arms. She sat down on the couch next to him, and the two of them leaned against each other. “I didn't realize how you felt about this. It just felt so absurd, that you'd be pining after someone. I mean, you're Poppy!”

“I know,” she grumbled. “I'm the princess. I get everything I want handed to me.”

“No,” He moved, so she was forced to face him. “I mean- you're Poppy , the most kind, quick-witted, and determined person I know. You are the most talented crafter I've ever met, your friends all trust you with their lives, and you got me to talk to my brothers again.” He grabbed her hands. “You're the most amazing person I know. I've already noticed you for you, and you don't need fanfiction for that.”

Her face flushed. “I- That's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me,” she admitted. “I still like writing the fanfics, though. It's a good stress relief.” She shifted, as if embarrassed to admit it. “Besides, I don't think I'd ever really want to date Bitty B. I mean, I don't really know him, just what he presents publicly. I don't know if he'd be anywhere near as sweet as you.” 

A wheeze interrupted her, and she turned over to see Branch with a strange expression on his face. “Are you okay, Branch?” She questioned.

He nodded frantically. “Yeah, I uh… just remembered I promised to call my brother. I'll be right back.” He practically fled from the room, leaving his girlfriend staring at his back in surprise.

She pouted, wondering if she took it too far with the flirting, and curled around a pillow where her boyfriend was suddenly absent. She grabbed her laptop and opened up a new file, and began a new fic. Branch's speech echoed in her head.

Once he was in a room where she wouldn't be able to hear him, Branch dialed Floyd's number.

“Hey, you're on-”

“Poppy doesn't know I'm Bitty B, and I just found out she writes fanfics about him- me!” Branch burst out in a panic.

It was silent before there was a roar of laughter from over the phone. 

Branch sat on the ground, pressing his face into his knees. “You're hanging out with John, aren't you?”

There was a distant ‘fanfics!’ before he heard Floyd again.

“Yeah. I was trying to say that you were on speakerphone when you interrupted me,” his brother explained. Branch wanted to be angry, but he could practically hear the apologetic face Floyd was making.

“Gimme!” John called out, voice coming out more clearly as he took the phone. “I can't believe you haven't told her! This is hilarious!”

“I thought she knew!” Branch defended himself. “Should we break up?!”

“Whoah!” Both of his brothers exclaimed.

“Absolutely not!” John yelled into the speaker.

“There's no need to be hasty,” Floyd tried to say calmly.

“I've never even met her and she's my favorite person ever!”

“Let's take a step back and evalua-”

“You guys are my OTP!”

“John Dory!” Floyd snapped. “If you're not being helpful, butt out!”

Branch heard only static for a second before John huffed. 

“Fine.”

“Okay,” Floyd continued, much calmer. “Branch, why do you think you need to break up with her?”

“I mean…” he struggled to think of how to explain it. “Isn't it a weird power dynamic? That she's a fan of me but doesn't know it's me?”

“Why didn't you tell her it was you long ago?” Floyd prompted. “Did you feel the need to hide it?”

He sputtered. “No! I thought she knew! I told her all about how ‘me and my brothers used to be in a band’ and I thought she figured it out!”

Floyd hummed. “So, what I'm hearing is that it's a matter of miscommunication rather than purposely withheld information. That doesn't seem break-up worthy to me.”

“But isn't it still a weird power dynamic considering she's one of my fans?” He tried to argue.

Floyd sighed. “First of all, if she didn't even know you're Bitty B, then it's not like she sought you out because of that. You were any other person to her. Second of all, she's a princess. Your relationship was bound to have weird power dynamics anyways.”

Branch nodded slowly. “I- I guess. That kinda makes sense.”

“You just need to sit down and talk this through,” Floyd explained. “You guys can get through this together.”

“Or!”

“John Dory!”

“I'm just saying! This is a perfect opportunity to make someone's dreams come true!” John protested. “What type of fanfics does she write?”

“I don't know,” Branch admitted. “I only saw one of them. …she did say she would love to be singled out of a crowd of others just like her. Like she's not inherently special, but someone notices something about her.”

“That's great!” John cheered. “Our next concert is in your town, just invite her and do that!”

“No!” Floyd protested. “Do not! Some people enjoy public grand gestures, but some people don't. You don’t want to spring that on her in front of millions of people. Just talk to her.”

“Yeah!” John chimed in. “See how she is with surprises, then plan it!”

Floyd let out a noise of offense. “I'm going to have to let you go,” he said, attention elsewhere. “I need to have a talk with John Dory.”

“Before you do,” Branch cut in, nervously. “If I did want to do some elaborate gesture for Poppy, could I do it at a concert? I don't want to ruin our image.”

“Kiddo, I'm almost 40. If that hasn't already ruined our image, I don't think much will,” John joked softly. “It's not like it was back when we were all younger. Frankly, I think the two of you being adorable might boost our ratings. If you want to put something together for Popstar, just let us know, and we can help you out.”

“Don't call me kiddo,” Branch said. “...but, thanks.”

They said their goodbyes, and he hung up. He sat in silence for a moment before heading back out to where he had left Poppy.

When he peeked into the room, he noticed her absorbed in her laptop. “Hey,” he spoke up sheepishly.

She instantly shot up, putting her laptop on the coffee table. “Hey! Sorry if I freaked you out!” She said. “I didn't want to stop the conversation, I just was thinking about your speech and-!”

“It's okay,” Branch interrupted. “Don't worry about it. I just… realized something.” She sent him a look, but didn't protest. “I just…” he debated something mentally before continuing. “I feel like you don't really know my past. I feel like I know your whole life story, but you've never even met my brothers.”

Poppy relaxed, a small smile growing on her face. “I thought I did something wrong,” she admitted sheepishly. “Honestly, my dad kinda prepared me for this. Anyone I date would know more about me than I do about them, due to my status as princess,” she explained. “But when we met, you very clearly didn't care about my status. You didn't treat me any nicer than you treated anyone else, and you never used my status for anything.” She blushed. “Honestly, it felt like a fanfiction moment.”

He flushed as well, clearing his throat. “Well… uh, would you want to meet my brothers? I feel bad that you don't know such a big part of my life.”

She perked up. “Of course! I love learning things about you!”

“That's… okay, cool,” he said, quickly. “I'll just, uh, go message them.” Blushing, he rushed from the room.

Poppy watched with a small smile. 

—

Later that night, while they were sitting for dinner, Poppy's phone went off. She glanced at it and smiled, before putting it back down.

“Was that..?” Branch questioned, nervously. 

“Hmm? Oh, that was just a comment on my fic,” she said. Since he already knew she wrote fics, it was a little less embarrassing to admit.

He hummed consideringly in return, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before he spoke again. “Would it be okay… if I read your fics?” He asked. “I just- you said they're stress relief so I don't want to intrude-!”

“It's fine,” she said. “Do I have competition for Bitty B?” She teased.

“Absolutely not.”

—

“So… you write a lot about elaborate public displays…”

“Yeah! I hate it from strangers, but I love the idea of someone I care about doing that for me!”

“Okay, thanks.”

“You're welcome? Are you taking notes?”

“Don't worry about it.”

—

“What's your favorite color?”

“Blue! The same shade as your eyes.”

“... cool.”

“Was that a voice crack?!” 

“No.”

—

Poppy grew confused as the questions continued. It all came to a point when he approached her one day while he held something behind his back.

“So,” he began nervously, “I was wondering, since my brothers will be in town for the BroZone concert, would you want to meet them there?”

She gasped. “That would be so exciting!” She cheered, before faltering. “But I couldn't get tickets. They've been sold out since the tour was announced. We could meet while they're in town, though!” She tried to remain positive.

“What if the tickets were taken care of?” Branch said. He pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing an envelope. “I got floor tickets for you and your friends. Me and my brothers will be elsewhere in the stadium, but we can meet up partly though-”

Poppy squealed. “There's no way!” She shouted excitedly. “How'd you get tickets?!” She eyed the envelope excitedly, clearly wanting to inspect the tickets.

He handed them over, and she began to leaf through the papers. “I know the openers,” he said, trying to be casual.

She squealed again. “I can't believe this!” She cheered. She jumped forwards, practically tackling him in a hug. He stumbled, but caught them, a smile on his face. “Thank you so much!!”

“It was no problem, really,” he dismissed. “I already talked to Satin and Chenille, and they're preparing an outfit for you so you can blend in better.”

“Branch,” she stated, suddenly serious. “I am so in love with you right now.”

He blushed. “Just remember me when you're being dazzled at the concert,” he teased.

She nodded frantically. “I'm going to call my friends now, we're going to yell, and then afterwards, I'm taking you on a date as a thank you.”

“Oh, you don't have to-”

“I can, and I will.”

—

Branch ended up leaving early the morning of the concert to meet up with his brothers, so he told Poppy her friends were welcome to get ready in their apartment, since it was so close to the stadium.

When Poppy saw what her friends had prepared for her, she laughed. 

“Guys, this is the exact outfit I described in one of my fanfics but blue,” she told them.

They grinned at her. 

“We know,” Satin said.

“That's the point,” Chenille finished the thought.

They smiled again, holding the outfit aloft.

“When you're changed,” Smidge spoke up. “I'm doing your hair and Guy's doing your makeup. We want to make your boyfriend faint when he sees you tonight,” she joked, smiling widely.

Poppy blushed. “You really don't have too!”

“Yes we do,” Guy said. “Your man got us floor tickets to BroZone. We're doing this for him, not you.”

“Guy!” Satin scolded him. “You weren't supposed to say that!”

Poppy blushed even brighter. “Not too crazy!” She protested. “I'm also meeting his brothers tonight!”

Smidge smirked at her. “Don't want them falling for you, too?”

“Ew! No!” Poppy exclaimed. “He said they're, like, old! The eldest is almost 40! It's more like meeting his parents!”

“Hey, most of BroZone is near that age, and I'd be down to date them,” Guy Diamond said.

“Sorry, Pops,” Satin teased.

“You're going to be gorgeous, no matter what you want,” Chenille finished.

Her friends pushed the outfit into her hands, and pushed her down the hallway. Poppy rolled her eyes, knowing that there was no stopping her friends at that point, but conceded.

(Though, she knew, if she had instead indicated she was genuinely upset, they would know to back off, which made her feel nice.)

When the look was complete, she found herself staring at her reflection. She looked different. Not like herself.

“Branch mentioned that you didn't want to be singled out for being the princess,” Smidge explained. “So we tried to make you look like a different person.”

“We can change it, though,” Guy explained. “We have a look planned for your usual face.”

Poppy stared at herself in the mirror for a second before shaking her head. “No, I like it. I feel like I'm dressed up as my character. I want to be a part of the crowd… but, later, could you do that when it's just us?”

Guy smiled at her. “Gotcha.”

Soon, the rest of them were dressed and ready to go.

It was a short walk over to the stadium, and they went early enough that lines hadn't formed yet.

“Branch said he knew the openers,” Poppy explained. “So I want to be there for them too.”

“I'm always down for more music!” Smidge cheered.

The rest of them agreed happily, making Poppy feel better about bringing them so early.

The concert went like all the other concerts they'd gone to, which was to say that they had a blast. The stadium filled rapidly while the second opener was playing, and soon, their little spot had shrunk, and they were pushed further back.

It didn't matter much to them; their tickets were free, they were still having fun, and they didn't feel any particular need to be crushed against the barriers.

The lights dimmed, and BroZone's biggest hit began playing. The crowd started screaming in joy, and the band burst onto stage, singing about a girl.

Seeing him in real life for the first time, Poppy was struck with the thought that Bitty B looked a lot like Branch. Maybe she had a type…

The song finished and the house lights raised slightly, causing the crowd to begin to murmur.

John Dory stepped forwards, grinning widely. “For this reunion tour, we've taken some time during each show to talk about either the band from the good old days or our sad lives now,” he joked. There was a smattering of laughter in the crowd. “This show, though, we're recognizing someone special.”

Spruce smiled, leaning on his older brother's shoulders. “First of all, my life is not sad- my kids are a joy I cherish every day.” The crowd cooed at the cuteness. “Second of all, I think someone else should do the announcement. You all are probably tired of our voices. But you know who's never been heard not singing? Please welcome, Bitty B!”

The crowd began screaming, Poppy and her friends included. Bitty B was known for his beautiful singing voice, but he was too young for interviews during the band's initial run, and was frequently unavailable during the reunion run.

The blue-haired man stepped forwards, smiling. “Hello, everyone.” The crowd all gasped and began screaming again. “Yes, I know. My talking voice is deeper than my singing voice,” he joked.

It really was. It sounded so different, it almost sounded like… Branch? But that was an odd coincidence, considering he also looked like Branch.

“Can we make an aisle here on the floor?” He asked. The crowd quickly moved, and (with the help of security volunteers) made a walking path down the middle of the floor. “I noticed someone in the crowd tonight. She's been singing and dancing since the first opening song.” Spotlights roamed the crowd, people cheering loudly, hoping to get noticed. “And her smile … The sun itself turns jealous and refuses to come out from behind the clouds.”

…she knows that line. It's in her fanfic. Because Branch said it to her before they started dating.

The spotlight stopped on her, and the whole crowd turned. Her eyes, though, were locked on one person's.

He smiled at her, growing shy. “I noticed you,” he echoed. He gestured her forwards.

Without a moment's hesitation, she ran forwards, accepting the security's help to climb up on the stage as the crowd screamed and cheered. (She distantly heard someone crying.)

Branch smiled at her, holding out his hand. She took it with an overexcited smile (her face hurt from smiling so much).

“I love you so much, I want to declare it to the world,” he said. “Your eyes are pools, so deep, I fear if I dive in, I might never come up for air. The years I've spent dating you have been, by far, the best parts of my life. You're the reason the band got back together, that we're all here today.” He got down on one knee. “Will you do me the honor of staying with me for the rest of my life?”

“YES!!” She yelled, excitedly. 

He stood, placing the ring on her finger and the stadium erupted in screams and cheers.

She looked at it in wonder, before looking back up at him. “Would it be totally weird if I passed out right now?”

“What?” He asked, not expecting that. 

Before he could say anything else, she started falling limply backwards, and he rushed to catch her.

Floyd came forwards as well, trying to help. 

“While they deal with that offstage -” Bruce said, indicating with his head. Branch nodded, slowly picking up his girlfriend and carrying her offstage. “We'll sing something from our early discography, from before B was in the band.”

“Did you guys expect her to pass out?” Floyd asked, incredulously.

“No, but I expected something ,” John admitted. “That girl's fanfiction dreams just got fulfilled in front of millions of people.”

“Let's just start the next song,” Clay said. “We've only got the venue until 11.”

Backstage, Branch gently placed Poppy on a chaise someone had grabbed when she passed out. Not even a minute passed before she was blinking her eyes open.

When she saw who was in front of her, she gasped. “Please tell me that wasn't a dream! Branch!”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “I was a bit nervous, but I wanted to do this for you.” He grabbed her hand, lifting it so they could see the ring she was wearing.

Her face fell slightly as she realized something. “But, what about my sister and dad? I wanted them to be there when I got engaged.”

“I know. They're here, just in a VIP box,” he explained. “I didn't want to give the surprise away.”

She began tearing up, and his face fell in panic. 

“If I did something wrong, I'm-”

She tackled him in a hug. “It's everything I ever dreamed of,” she confessed, in tears. “I don't deserve this- I don't deserve you !”

He clutched her back. “Yes, you do. You're everything I ever dreamed of,” he admitted. “I meant it when I said I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

They hugged for a bit before separating.

“I have to get back on stage,” he said, sadly. “But I'll see you after the show?”

She nodded furiously. “I still have to meet your brothers!”

When she got up, stage hands quickly returned the couch to the green room, clearing up backstage. 

“Here,” Branch directed her. He stopped her in one specific spot so she had a perfect view of the stage. “I'll be back at the end of the show.”

The song finished, and he headed back out. The crowd cheered and he smiled and waved, ignoring his brothers shooting him knowing looks.

Watching from backstage was awesome . Every time he turned towards her, Branch smiled a little wider.

During one song, though, someone tapped her shoulder and pulled her attention away from the stage.

“Hey,” the guy said. “I have a message for you from John Dory.”

She read it and glanced up at the guy again, a confused expression on her face. “Are you sure?”

“I don't know what's even on that, man,” the guy said. “I just play the drums for the opener.”

“Oh!” Poppy chimed in, remembering. “Riff, right?”

The guy stared at her in confusion. “Yeah? You remembered?”

She nodded, excitedly. “Maybe Branch can introduce us later, it seems I have something to do real quick, though!” She waved excitedly, skipping towards the green room.

When Branch next turned, he almost faltered when he noticed Poppy was gone. Of course, he was a professional, so he didn't, but he felt like the confusion might be showing on his face.

During one of his turns, he noticed Bruce smirking at him. 

Then, the song was over and Poppy still hadn't appeared. The transition for the next song only included a fade to black for long enough for them to change positions to prepare for the next dance.

It was a newer one, higher energy, so he didn't have time to look for her again. He felt his show smile falling and hoped nobody noticed.

He had just moved to center stage when a new voice joined in their song. He stopped short in awe, turning to stare in wonder at his girlfriend [fiancée!!] as she walked towards him. She was wearing a dress in his signature color, which looked gorgeous with her pink hair.

She smiled nervously at him as she sang, and he remembered he had to sing too. He joined back in, though his dance moves were less elaborate. Instead, he and Poppy circled each other, both in awe.

He had heard the harmony before when she was crafting one day. The song had played, and she sang a higher part that felt like it should have always been in the song. He had immediately called Bruce to tell him about it. 

Watching her sing on stage, he felt betrayed. Those idiots knew he wouldn't be able to function with her like this. 

She paused across from him, letting out a small, sly, smile, before doing the exact dance he was supposed to be doing, perfectly on beat. 

He laughed silently, before joining her.

Before they knew it, the song, and subsequently, the concert, were done. The crowd was screaming and crying all at the same time.

Chapter Text

Almost immediately, posts started going up online, trying to figure out who this mystery woman was. People suggested that maybe she truly was someone random in the crowd, but then someone else pointed out that Bitty B had implied they had been dating for a while.

Which started a new discussion of ‘why the theatrics?’

Someone suggested that was how they met the first time: him noticing her during a BroZone concert. Others pointed out that Bitty B had been exactly that: Bitty. He was also largely shielded from the fans during the band's initial run. 

So, everyone on the internet was scratching their heads as they tried to figure out why the two had done the proposal in such a way.

Until… someone found it.

I knew that line sounded familiar! They had posted. It's a line from a BroZone fanfic!

It was probably added by someone who was at the concert . Someone else argued.

No, look, because I thought it was so cute, I took a screenshot and sent it to my friend years ago, when it was first published! 

That could easily be faked.

And thus, the argument began.

Meanwhile, Poppy was near giddy as she reunited with her friends and family backstage. She presented the ring (silver with blue gems) and Viva began to squeal.

“That's so fantastamazing !!” She cheered. “I mean, I knew this would happen, but seeing it was-!” She cut herself off with a squeal, which Poppy soon joined.

“Look at you, girl!” Satin said, enthusiastically. 

“That was amazing!” Chenille agreed. “When you got on stage like that-”

“It was every fangirl's dream!” Satin ended.

“Look at you!” Smidge said, putting her hands on either side of Poppy’s face. “My little girl has grown up!”

Behind her, King Peppy cleared his throat. “I believe that’s my line,” he said, pointedly.

The short girl waved him off. “We raised her together,” she said, dismissively.

“Smidge,” Poppy said, scoldingly (but not without a laugh). “Stop antagonizing my dad.”

Viva interrupted the conversation, scooping her sister in for a hug. “We’ll see you tomorrow morning!” She said. “But you’ve got plans for tonight!” She teased.

“I do?”

Her friends all balk at her. 

“Pop, you get to meet BroZone, ” Guy said, pointedly. “Speaking of- if you want to put in a good word-”

“ And we’re going,” Satin said, grabbing his hands. “Have fun-”

“-and give us all the details tomorrow afternoon,” Chenille finished, grabbing Smidge’s hand.

Guy pouted. “Are you sure I can’t-”

“You in particular have a toddler to get home to,” Satin scolded him.

“You’re just pulling us out because you’re both lesbians,” Guy complained. “You don’t understand -”

“You’re right,” Chenille said, flatly. “I don’t. Let’s go.”

Poppy laughed as her friends left (some more dramatically than others), before turning to her family. “Tomorrow morning for brunch?” She asked, nervously.

Her dad nodded. “Of course! We have to start wedding planning right away!”

She flushed at the reminder, pulling up her hand to look at her ring again. “Before you go, Viva-”

“Already got it,” her sister teased, pulling a small box out of her pocket. Poppy took it, quickly hiding it.

“You know, I think a summer wedding,” Peppy said to Viva, turning to walk away. 

“Way ahead of you, Daddy,” Viva said. The two of them chattered excitedly as they left, Poppy watching with a fond smile.

“Poppifer?”

“Yes, Branchifer?” Poppy said, turning with a teasing smile. 

He flushed. “I just- you were gorgeous out there,” he said, nervously.

“You weren’t too bad yourself, Mr. Boyband,” she flirted. “Speaking of-” Her face shifted as she grabbed his vest, pulling him forwards. “ WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE IN BROZONE?!”  

“I- uh… forgot?”

Her eyes narrowed. “How do you forget to tell me you’re in BroZone?!”  

He winced. “I thought you already knew?” He said, nervously. “I never said the official name, but I talked about enough that I thought you pieced it together before we even started dating.”

“ Music ,” Poppy cursed. “Your ‘shithead brother’ was John Dory!?!”  

“Wow. Thanks Bitty,” a new voice cut in. She whirled around to find the rest of the brothers, changed into casual clothing, holding back laughs as the eldest sighed deeply. “And here I thought you loved me.”

Behind Poppy, Branch straightened himself out, brushing invisible dirt off his vest. “Maybe if you didn’t call me ‘Bitty,’” he said, flatly. “I’m taller than you now, you know.”

“All of us are taller than him,” Floyd said, making their older brother’s face fall with grief. “Hello, Princess Poppy, wonderful to meet you.” He bowed.

“Oh, no need to bow,” Poppy said, casually. “You’re family now!” She smiled brightly, holding up her hand with the engagement ring.

“Look at that!” Bruce said, a wide smile on his face. “It’s in B’s color, too!”

“It’s her favorite color,” he excused, blushing. 

Poppy leaned forwards, smirking. “It’s my favorite because it’s the color of his eyes.”

The brothers all chorused coos as Branch buried his face in his hands. 

“This is why I never wanted you guys to meet,” he said, mournfully. 

Clay snorted. “Too late.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Bruce said, not sorry at all. “But could we maybe get a move on? I would like some food. I’m eager to have my own plate of food without either my wife or kids stealing the best parts.”

Poppy laughed, smiling brightly. “Of course! Is there anywhere you want to go? Branch is pretty familiar with the restaurants around here if you need ideas.”

Around them, stage hands rushed around, cleaning up the backstage area. A few of them stopped to stare, but quickly kept moving to strike the set in a timely manner. One teen pulled out their phone, snapping a quick picture and sending it to their friend before running off to begin strike.

—

[Image description: a pink haired woman in an elegant blue dress, pictured from behind. Next to her was Bitty B of BroZone, his face looking at her fondly. In front of them were the other four members of BroZone, smiling brightly as they chatted.]

Music4Lyfe: My friend sent me this is confidence, but OMG how could I not share this??? Only close-up picture of Mystery Woman!!! #BroZone #MysteryWoman #BetterPlaceTour

BroZone-d_in: OMG OMG OMG OMG

PillowPetDinosaur: Dude, you just got your friend fired

Within minutes, the picture was circulating all of the fan spheres imaginable, as people tried to figure out who the woman was. 

Some people were investigating any option with pink hair, while others tried to figure out if the hair was a wig. Some people suggested that her hair could have been dyed for the event, and as such, they would have to wait for pictures from the next day to get a more complete picture of which BroZone fans had pink hair.

Unfortunately for them, once pictures started circulating, BroZone fans everywhere started dying their hair pink, hunched over their bathroom sinks late at night, trying to get the exact color the woman had. It became a fad in an instant.

Someone suggested the famous pink-haired princess, but that person got mocked off of the discussion, since there was no way a princess was in the pit of a BroZone concert.

—

In the end, the group chose a nice sit-down restaurant that wasn’t too fancy, but fancy enough where they would be more likely to be ignored.

The whole way there, Poppy was enraptured by the brothers telling stories of Branch’s childhood.

“-and then he looked up at me and said: ‘do you think you’ll ever find someone who likes you?’” Bruce shared with a laugh.

“You told me that dates were for finding someone you like!” Branch tried to defend himself. “And I was FIVE !!”

“Don’t worry, B,” Bruce said, teasingly. “My wife likes me a whole lot .”

“Oh my gosh!” Poppy said, excitedly. “I totally have to meet her!!” 

“You sure?” John Dory asked, mockingly. “Because you’re probably going to also have to deal with his insane amount of children.”

Bruce glared at him, but before they started arguing, Poppy gasped excitedly. “I have so many nieces and nephews to meet!!” She said, excitedly. 

“Only one niece-”

“I’m going to be the cool aunt!” She said excitedly. “Branch, you have to introduce me!” 

He smiled fondly at her and lifted her hand. “Well, you’ll at least meet them at the wedding.”

She forced their hands down, glaring him in the eye. “You better introduce me a lot sooner than that!” She demanded. “They’re going to think: ‘oh, who is this strange woman who we have to sit and be quiet for’ and then, they won’t like me as much, because my first meeting with them, I’ll be all dressed-up and busy, and then they’re not going to want to play when I see them next, since I’m going to be another stuffy adult!!” She said, in a rush.

Behind her, the rest of the brothers glanced at each other.

“You done?” Branch asked, flatly.

She nodded. “Yep! Totally cool!”

He sighed, pulling on their still-connected hands in order to pull her against his side. “I’ll introduce you to my niece and nephews soon, I promise.”

With that, he used his other hand to push open the door of the restaurant, leading the group inside. Without their costumes and stage-makeup, it was harder for the boys to be recognized, even with Floyd’s dark pink hair.

They were seated immediately (since it was a little late for a dinner crowd) and the menus were placed in front of them. 

Poppy immediately scanned the items, eyes wide in amazement. 

“Choose whatever you want,” John Dory said, indulgingly. “It’s on my tab tonight!”

“In that case,” Clay said, mockingly. “I’ll have the lobster with a side of caviar and-”

The eldest let out a noise of protest. “You don’t even like seafood!” He argued. “And I was talking to our honored guest!!”

Poppy giggled at the antics while Branch rolled his eyes tiredly. 

“Just let her get the group’s tab,” he said, tiredly. “Or she’ll keep trying to make it up to you.”

“Awe, c’mon Popstar,” John whined. “We’re doing pretty good right now, it won’t be that much of a dent.” He shot a look at his middle brother. “Even if someone is being a brat .”

“Dude.” Clay shot him a look back. “I don’t think it will even make a scratch let alone ‘dent’ for her to pay.”

There was a moment of silence before the eldest remembered who, exactly, Branch’s fiancee was. 

“You know,” Floyd said, as if the previous conversation hadn’t happened. “I’m thinking of trying the lobster.” He turned to Poppy. “Anything catch your eye?”

She nodded, vigorously, but didn’t offer up any answers. 

Soon, the waitress, a teen girl, arrived to take their orders. The brothers each ordered their dishes, and then it was time for Branch and Poppy.

“I’ll have one black coffee,” he said, flatly.

The waitress paused. “I’m sorry sir, but I’m already asking for entree orders.”

“I know.”

The girl paused, but wrote the item down, before turning to the last table member.

Poppy lit up excitedly. “Okay, so, I want to try the crab cakes, an order of the stuffed shells, a cup of your chicken and rice soup, and also- oh! Can I try some fried octopus?”

Frantically, the poor girl rushed to get everything down, looking a bit shocked by the order. “I’m sorry, crab cakes, stuffed shells, fried octopus, and what soup?”

“Chicken and rice,” Poppy repeated, a bit more calmly.

Bruce whistled from across the table. “That’s a hefty order for one person,” he commented. Each item was its own entree, and this place wasn’t so fancy that they called one bite of food a meal.

“Oh, I know,” she said. “I just thought everything looked so good, and I just had to try as much as I could!”

“And I’m going to split it with her,” Branch explained.

She shot him a look. “Says who?”

“Says your history of doing this every time we go out to eat,” he responded. “You get too excited about trying things, order too much, and then try to pawn it off on me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know you love it.”

He sighed, but pulled up her hand and kissed the new ring. “I do,” he agreed.

All around the table, the brothers cooed at the adorable scene, making him flush.

“You know, they just got engaged a few hours ago,” John said, leaning over to the waitress. “We’re actually here celebrating it!”

“Oh!” The girl said, nervousness growing on her face. “Would you like a complimentary lava cake to celebrate?”

“No, it’s fine,” Poppy said, waving her off. “My sister just texted that my dad has started stress-baking wedding cake options.”

The girl relaxed with a small laugh. “Okay! I’ll get those dishes started for you!” Slightly more relaxed, she walked into the kitchen.

“So…” Bruce teased, quiet enough that they wouldn’t be overheard from other tables. “King Peppy stress bakes?”

 “You already know this,” Branch grumbled. 

“I know!” His brother teased. “I just wanted to know if I could get a sample.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Poppy said, cheerfully. “Now that you’re officially part of the family, expect to have baked goods show up at least once every few weeks!”

He raised an eyebrow. “I live in a different city.”

“And my dad is very persistent,” Poppy insisted. “Besides, since I’m going to be taking over soon, he’s been trying to find new hobbies.”

They continued talking and joking for a while, before Poppy stood and excused herself to the bathroom. 

“You know the food’s gonna arrive while you’re gone,” Branch teased her. She shoved his head forwards as she walked past, making him and his brothers laugh.

It was when she went to turn the corner to exit the dining room that disaster struck. Right as she turned the corner, so did their waitress, balancing too many plates of food to see her or maneuver out of the way in time. 

There was a loud clatter, and the girl was knocked on the ground, hot food dripping down the front of Poppy’s dress from the plates she had been carrying. 

“I’m so sorry-” the girl apologized, frantically. “I’m so- I’m sorry- I’m sorry- I-”

“Hey, hey,” Poppy said, her voice soft. “It’s okay, accidents happen. Are you okay? That was quite the fall.”

Desperately, the girl pulled napkins out of her apron, trying to hand them over. Poppy took them, but gently grabbed the girl’s wrist and turned her palm upwards. “You must have fallen on a broken plate,” she said, calmly. “Is there a first aid kit in the kitchen you could use?”

“Oh fuck- oh no- I’m so sorry-” The girl began blabbering out apologies again. “I spilled food everywhere, I ruined your dress-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Poppy continued, her voice the same cadence. “My fiance has a change of clothes for me- it’s just fabric. You’re the one injured here.”

Branch had arrived at that point, pulling things out of his messenger bag. “I can clean this up, but you should probably get this looked at,” he said. The girl flinched, and he froze.

“This is my fiance, remember?” Poppy said, calmly. “He’s an EMT, he can help. Is that okay?”

Shakily, the girl nodded. As he began helping her, a man in a crisp suit stormed out from the kitchen.

“I apologize, ma'am, for the mess my employee created. “I assure you, there’s no need to get your dress even more dirty -”

“I’m sorry,” she said, firmly, standing to look the manager in the eye. “But one of your employees was injured, that should be your first priority.”

The manager nodded. “And we’ll take care of that right away!” He promised. “If you could just head back to your table, we’ll be happy to give you a complimentary dessert to apologize for her behavior.”

On the floor, the teen girl curled in on herself. 

“We will be sure to take disciplinary action, and the cost of the ruined food will come from her paycheck, rather than your bill.”

On the ground, the girl nearly broke out in sobs again when the man dressing her hands chuckled lowly. “Oh, now he’s done it.”

She was confused, until she glanced up and saw the look in the woman’s eye. And then, the woman opened her mouth.

—

I think I just met a guardian angel with pink hair.  

I know, dramatic title, but stick with me here. Lately, my mom’s been sick, and me and my sister have been working a lot to try to make up for the lost earnings. I got a job at a higher-end restaurant as a waitress. So, you know, a lot of entitled customers, and a boss who uses every excuse in the book to talk down to you.

So, this one particular Saturday, I’m working the night shift, it’s late at night, I was up early doing homework, so I’m tired, and I got the absolutely wonderful news that my mom’s treatment wasn’t going well. My sister has been snappy all week, my boss even snappier. The money is the only thing keeping me from curling into a ball in the back room and never coming out. The usual dinner rush is even worse, because there’s a BroZone concert in town- within walking distance of the place I work- so, of course, already not a great day.

So, the dinner rush eventually calms down, but I still can’t leave, so I get put with this group of 6. 5 guys, one woman. Turns out, one of the guys and the woman got engaged that day, like, hours before hand, so they went out to eat with his brothers to celebrate. She’s all dressed-up, and they guys are all wearing nicer clothes, so, special-special occasion.

I take their orders, go to the kitchen, run around to other tables. Finally, their food is ready.

Unfortunately, the entrance to the dining room of my work has a blindspot. So, I’m carrying these plates (probably too many at once, but my boss would yell at me if it takes too long) and she’s getting up for something, and we collide.

I get hot food all over her nice dress, and I tumble to the ground.

I expect I’m about to be yelled at, and I nearly have a panic attack right there. I ruined this lady’s engagement dress and dinner in front of her family and a whole bunch of people (because the restaurant was calm, not empty ), and I probably burned her with some of the food. 

Instead, she assures me it’s okay, that she has a change of clothes. Her fiance comes over, and he just sits next to me, because I cut my hands when I fell, and he was an EMT? I guess?

So, I’m not freaking out as much, which is the perfect time for my manager to come storming out of the kitchen. He’s talking down to me and trying to butter up to this woman at the same time, and she tells him once that he should be checking on me, not her, and then she’s just standing there, silently, as he berates me.

I don’t even remember what he said anymore, but I remember how her fiance laughed at my manager, like he was a fool, and then I looked up just in time to see this woman lay into this man. 

Her pink hair is a beautiful halo around her head, catching every beam of light in the room, and her body language was so strong, I felt like I should be bowing down to her. And, looking like a goddess, she tells off my manager for not following safety regulations, not properly addressing a workplace injury, defrauding employees out of payment (side note: I did not know they’re not allowed to deduct pay for things like the food being sent back, or a dine-n-dasher), etc. 

So, whoever this mystery pink-haired woman is, thank you.

Edit: her fiance (the EMT) told me to go to this one clinic nearby, and when I went, they told me the woman had covered my bill???? Thank you again, mystery woman!!!

Somehow, someone had tagged the post with the same tag that the BroZone fans had been using to talk about the mystery woman at the concert. People were quick to try to put it together- but that would mean that Bitty B was an EMT as his day job? And BroZone just went to dinner and no one noticed?

It was submitted as evidence, but most of the fans ignored it.

—

The next morning, Poppy was scrolling through social media when she realized she had missed an update on her fanfic. She pulled up the chapter she had written, copied it onto the website, and checked it one more time for errors before adding on an author's note and uploading.

—

Hey guys! Sorry for not updating as planned! I actually got engaged!!!

So, as you can expect, I'll be taking some time off to, you know, get married !!! I'm really excited about this, but unfortunately, with everything going on, I don't know if I'll be able to write my fics anymore.

Thank you all so much for the support you gave me, though!

—

—

With that uploaded, she put her phone down, checking the time.

“ Branch?” She yelled up the stairs. “Are you almost ready?”

There was a thunk, and then he came rushing down the stairs. “Does this outfit look good?” He asked, nervously. 

She glanced over and stopped. “Branch, you look like you’re about to have a job interview.”

He flushed. “It’s not nice enough, is it?” He turned to go back upstairs to change his clothes when Poppy rushed to stop him. 

“Babe, it’s just brunch with my family,” she said, tiredly. “You’ve met them before, it’s fine.” She pulled at the suit jacket, which he reluctantly relinquished, leaving him in a dress shirt and slacks. “This is fine, we need to go, though.”

“Fine?” He asked, nervously. “Should I dress nicer?”

She forcefully turned him towards the door, trying to push him outside. “No, if we had time, I would make you change into jeans .” She rolled her eyes. “It’ll be fine !”

“You don’t-” 

“Branch.”

“Fine!” He burst out. “We can leave!”

“Before we go-” Poppy said, nervously. Branch sent her an exasperated look, but waited. “-I know you already did the big part, but I wanted you to have this.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

He gasped as she revealed a ring, almost a perfect opposite to the one he got her- it was rose gold with pink gems, in the same pattern as hers.

“I was planning to propose this morning, anyways,” she admitted sheepishly. “You just ended up beating me to it.”

—

Despite their detour they ended up arriving before brunch was ready. Viva pulled Poppy away to talk in her room, both yelling excitedly about her engagement. Branch, meanwhile, sat stiffly at the table, across from where King Peppy was looking through his mail.

“So, how was dinner last night?” Peppy asked, curiously.

Branch tensed. “I mean, Poppy got along really well with my brothers,” he said, nervously. “There was an accident, though, and Poppy ran into our waitress. The girl’s hands got all scraped up.”

“Oh?” Peppy asked, putting his letters down as his eyes narrowed in concern. “Was she okay?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t that bad,” Branch assured him. “Her manager tried to pull something, though, and Poppy lectured him in front of the entire restaurant.”

“That’s my girl,” Peppy said, proudly. “Speaking of, I just got a message that brunch is ready for pick up- would you like to walk with me?”

Branch tensed. “Should we ask Poppy and Viva?”

The old king waved him off, grabbing his cane. “It’s fine, my boy,” he said. “They’re talking wedding plans.”

Branch flushed, but followed the old king outside and down to a nearby bakery.

It was a slower walk, as Peppy hobbled down the street. Despite Branch’s nerves, it was a nice day. The streets were calm that early in the morning, the pavement not yet warmed by the sun. The whole street was lined with flowers and plants- half personally planted by Poppy herself- that were blooming in the summer sun.

He knew that, before she had taken an interest in gardening, the city had been lined with flower beds and trees that served only aesthetic purposes and had to be cared for near constantly. But, since Poppy had attended a random gardening class at a local college, she had decided the current system had to go. Instead, she chose pollinator flowers and plants that had nutritional yield. Not only could people collect food as they walked around the city, during peak harvest time, Poppy had created a festival celebrating it all. It became a tourist attraction, further boosting the economy for the locals, and it was all because Poppy cared to change something.

She was perfect - sometimes Branch felt his boyband and even EMT careers were nothing next to all she did.

“You know,” Peppy said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “When you guys get married, you’re going to have some changes in responsibility,” he said, pretending to be casual. 

“I know,” Branch admitted. He sat in silence for a moment before continuing. “But, I trust that Poppy will always be by my side, and I will always be by hers. She’s been training for this her entire life, and I’ve seen the dedication she has for the betterment of her people. I know that, even if she ruled alone, she would make this kingdom a better place. I hope that I’ll be able to alleviate her stress, and be her partner in everything.”

Peppy smiled at him. “That’s good. I’m glad she found you.”

He opened the door to the bakery, and the two walked inside. 

—

The fan forums went crazy. 

The author’s note from the fanfiction writer who knew what Bitty B was going to say before he ever said it got engaged, just like B and his girlfriend did.

Then, there were pictures of B walking with King Peppy.

Viva laughed as she scrolled through her alternative account, Poppy burying her face in embarrassment.

“‘Guys! You’re missing the most likely explanation!’” She read. “‘Maybe BroZone is just asking for permission to use the castle gardens for B’s wedding to fanfiction girl! He looks like he’s dressed for a business meeting, not a meeting with the parent!’”

“‘No, he’s clearly marrying Princess Poppy! She needs to get married to become Queen!’”

“That’s not even true ,” Poppy complained, pouting.

“It’s funny!” Viva protested. “I can’t believe you accidentally created a secret identity for yourself!”

“I can’t protest my fanfics ever again!” Poppy whined. “I’ll have to delete my account and orphan all of my works!”

“Or!” Viva suggested. “You tell everyone the truth!”

“Viva!!”

“Here me out!!”

—

PrincessPoppyOfficial

[Image description: Princess Poppy, with her characteristic pink hair, presses a kiss to Bitty B from BroZone’s lips, both holding their hands out to the camera. On each of their ring fingers was an elegant ring- the princess’ was silver with blue gems, Bitty B’s was rose gold with pink gems.]

He made all my fanfiction dreams come true! 

Predictably, the website went down for hours.