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Bright afternoon sunlight poured through the large open windows of the Pop Village crafting hall while colorful paper scraps, glitter jars, ribbons, stickers, and markers covered nearly every available surface inside.
The room smelled faintly like glue, flowers, and sugar thanks to the snacks Poppy had enthusiastically prepared for what she proudly called “The First Intertribe Scrapbooking Experience.” Cheerful music drifted softly from a nearby speaker while enormous albums and craft supplies sat stacked in organized little piles around the room.
Poppy stood at the center of it all absolutely glowing with excitement.
“This,” she announced dramatically while holding up a glitter covered scrapbook, “is one of the most important forms of emotional memory preservation in Pop culture.”
Val Thundershock stared at the scrapbook like it had personally offended her.
“…It’s paper.”
Poppy gasped softly. “It’s memories.”
Val folded her arms. “No Hard Rock Troll would ever think this is cool.”
Across the table, Holly Darling immediately raised her hand excitedly. “I do!”
Val looked betrayed. “You don’t count. You’re adorable.”
Holly beamed proudly while flipping through one of the example albums Poppy had laid out. “This is amazing! The Country Trolls are gonna love this!”
Poppy brightened instantly. “Really?!”
“Yes! We already love collecting keepsakes and photos and decorating things.” Holly pointed excitedly at a page covered in glitter stars. “Oh my gosh, and this page has tiny pockets!”
“Those are for concert tickets and flowers and friendship notes,” Poppy explained proudly.
Val looked deeply unconvinced. “You people glue garbage into books for fun.”
“It’s sentimental,” Poppy corrected.
“It’s arts and crafts emotional warfare.”
Before Poppy could dramatically defend scrapbooking further, familiar footsteps echoed from the hallway.
She turned automatically.
And immediately forgot what she was saying.
Branch leaned casually against the doorway with his arms folded, dark vest slightly unzipped from the warm weather outside while sunlight framed him from behind. His expression softened the second his eyes landed on Poppy, and that tiny smile he reserved almost entirely for her tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Poppy’s entire face immediately turned pink.
Val noticed instantly.
“Oh,” Val muttered. “Here we go.”
Holly looked delighted already.
Branch walked into the room slowly, eyes never leaving Poppy. “Hey.”
Poppy smiled helplessly. “Hi.”
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Enough that Val groaned quietly while Holly watched with sparkling fascinated eyes.
Poppy cleared her throat quickly and tried to return to teaching mode. “Okay! So scrapbooking is all about preserving special moments and sharing memories with people you love.”
Branch came to stand beside her.
Very close beside her.
“So basically,” Val interrupted dryly, “it’s emotional hoarding.”
“Memory keeping,” Poppy corrected.
“Mhm.”
Poppy grabbed another scrapbook quickly while trying not to focus on the fact that Branch’s hand had settled lightly against the small of her back.
“You can organize pages by themes,” she continued brightly. “Like friendships or adventures or family—”
Branch leaned down suddenly and kissed her cheek.
Very quick.
Very casual.
Completely devastating.
Poppy stopped mid sentence.
Val blinked slowly.
Holly quietly squealed into both hands.
Branch pulled back with a suspiciously innocent expression. “Sorry. Continue.”
Poppy stared at him for half a second while blushing furiously. “You are distracting me.”
“I said sorry.”
“You absolutely are not sorry.”
Branch shrugged slightly. “Fair.”
Val pointed between them. “Can you two survive one conversation without flirting?”
“No,” Holly answered immediately.
Poppy laughed nervously while Branch looked entirely unapologetic.
Trying to regain focus, Poppy quickly flipped open another scrapbook page. “Anyway! One of the best parts is decorating together with people you care about.”
“Mhm,” Branch murmured beside her.
Poppy glanced sideways suspiciously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like…” Her face heated further. “Like that.”
Branch smiled slowly. “You’re cute when you teach.”
Val gagged dramatically.
Holly looked like she was watching the greatest romance movie of her life.
Poppy tried very hard to continue speaking normally.
“Scrapbooks can also include photos and little personal notes and…”
Her voice faded slightly as Branch’s fingers brushed lightly against her waist beneath the table.
Poppy inhaled sharply.
Branch looked entirely calm.
Val immediately noticed.
“Oh my gosh,” she muttered. “He’s doing this on purpose.”
“Doing what?” Branch asked innocently.
“You know exactly what.”
Poppy’s face was now bright pink while Holly practically vibrated with excitement.
“This is so romantic,” Holly whispered.
Poppy attempted to continue teaching despite the fact that Branch had apparently decided her concentration no longer mattered.
“So if you take colored paper and layer the textures together—”
Branch kissed her temple.
Poppy froze again.
Then laughed helplessly under her breath.
“Branch.”
“Yes, Poppy?”
“You are impossible.”
“And yet you like me anyway.”
Val leaned heavily against the table. “I suddenly understand why Pop Trolls are Like This all the time.”
Holly sighed dreamily. “I want somebody to look at me the way Branch looks at Poppy.”
Unfortunately for Poppy, Branch heard that too.
His expression softened immediately while his thumb traced lightly along her side.
“I can’t help it,” he said quietly while looking directly at her.
Poppy’s brain nearly stopped functioning.
Val pointed dramatically. “See? This is exactly what I’m talking about.”
Poppy covered part of her face with one hand while laughing softly. “Okay. Everybody calm down.”
Branch leaned closer toward her ear. “You’re blushing.”
“That’s your fault.”
“Probably.”
Poppy tried to focus on the scrapbook materials spread across the table.
Really tried.
Unfortunately, Branch apparently had no intention of behaving himself today.
Every few minutes he found another excuse to touch her.
A hand resting gently at her waist.
Fingers brushing hers while reaching for scissors.
A quick kiss against her shoulder when Val and Holly got distracted with stickers.
And every single time, Poppy melted a little more.
“You know,” Val observed dryly while cutting paper shapes aggressively, “I thought this class would be boring.”
“And now?” Poppy asked hopefully.
“Now I’m witnessing whatever emotionally charged thing this is.”
Holly giggled. “I think it’s cute.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
“It’s love,” Holly corrected happily.
Poppy smiled shyly while Branch looked way too pleased with himself.
At one point Holly proudly held up a scrapbook page she’d decorated with flowers and tiny music notes. “I can’t wait to show this to the Country Trolls! They’re gonna freak out.”
Poppy gasped excitedly. “Holly, this is amazing!”
Val stared at the page thoughtfully. “…Okay maybe the tiny music notes are kind of cool.”
Holly looked triumphant.
Poppy turned to Branch proudly. “See? I’m converting people.”
Branch’s eyes flicked slowly over her face before he smirked faintly.
“You’re very persuasive.”
Poppy narrowed her eyes immediately. “That sounded flirtier than necessary.”
“It was exactly as flirty as necessary.”
Val dropped her scissors onto the table dramatically. “I need emotional compensation for being trapped in this room.”
Before Poppy could respond, Branch suddenly leaned close enough for his lips to brush lightly near her ear.
“Meet me at the bunker later,” he murmured softly.
Poppy’s breath caught instantly.
Then Branch winked.
Actually winked.
Poppy nearly dropped the glue stick she was holding.
Val saw the entire thing happen in real time.
“Oh wow,” she said slowly. “She’s gone.”
Holly blinked at Poppy’s face. “Poppy, you’re literally red.”
“I am not.”
“You absolutely are,” Val informed her.
Poppy tried desperately to recover her dignity while Branch stepped back looking entirely too smug for someone who had just emotionally ambushed his girlfriend during arts and crafts.
“What did he say?” Holly asked excitedly.
“Nothing!”
Branch bit back a laugh.
Val narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “That was definitely not a nothing face.”
Poppy avoided everyone’s gaze while aggressively reorganizing paper scraps for no reason whatsoever.
The problem was that now she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Meet me at the bunker later.
Combined with the wink?
Absolutely unfair.
And Branch knew exactly what he was doing to her.
Poppy tried to continue the lesson, but her focus was completely destroyed now.
“So then you can… um…”
Val watched her struggle for a moment before smirking knowingly.
“You wanna leave, don’t you?”
Poppy looked horrified. “What? No!”
“Yes you do,” Val replied immediately.
Holly giggled. “You kinda have heart eyes right now.”
“I do not have heart eyes!”
Branch casually leaned against the wall nearby looking deeply entertained.
“You definitely do,” he added.
Poppy pointed at him dramatically. “You are the problem.”
“Mhm.”
“And smug.”
“Also true.”
Val exchanged a look with Holly.
Then sighed dramatically.
“You know what? Let’s reschedule.”
Poppy blinked. “What?”
“We can finish tomorrow,” Val said while gathering supplies. “Because clearly your brain stopped functioning like fifteen minutes ago.”
Holly nodded supportively. “Yeah, and honestly I already learned enough to emotionally devastate the Country Trolls with scrapbooks.”
Poppy looked flustered beyond belief. “Guys, I don’t have to—”
“Go,” Val interrupted immediately. “Your boyfriend has been staring at you like he wants to kidnap you emotionally this entire class.”
Branch looked mildly offended. “Emotionally kidnap?”
“You know what I mean.”
Poppy buried her face in her hands while Holly laughed brightly.
“This was still super fun!” Holly announced happily. “Tomorrow we can do glitter layering!”
Val groaned softly while helping pack supplies away.
The second everything was cleaned up enough to count as acceptable, Poppy practically fled the room.
Unfortunately for her dignity, Branch followed casually behind while Val and Holly watched them leave.
Holly sighed dreamily. “They’re so in love.”
Val shook her head slowly. “It’s honestly kind of terrifying.”
Outside, the late afternoon air felt warm and golden as Poppy hurried through Pop Village trying very hard not to think about the fact that she was absolutely rushing to meet Branch for a make out session.
Which she absolutely was.
“You know,” Branch called casually from beside her, “you didn’t have to sprint.”
Poppy glanced at him with burning cheeks. “You winked at me.”
“That’s true.”
“You knew exactly what that would do.”
Branch grinned slowly. “Maybe.”
Poppy groaned softly while Branch laughed under his breath.
By the time they reached the bunker, Poppy’s heart was pounding almost embarrassingly fast.
The second the door closed behind them, Branch gently grabbed her waist and pulled her against him.
“There’s my distracted scrapbook teacher,” he murmured softly.
Poppy immediately melted.
“You sabotaged my class.”
“You were adorable.”
“That doesn’t excuse anything.”
Branch tilted her chin upward gently. “No?”
“No,” Poppy whispered weakly.
Then he kissed her.
Warm.
Slow.
Completely consuming.
Poppy sighed softly against his lips while her arms wrapped automatically around his neck, pulling herself closer until there was barely any space left between them.
And honestly?
She completely forgot scrapbooking existed for a while after that.