Work Text:
Branch surprises Poppy with a romantic picnic date at the butterfly garden. Poppy notices that Branch is really nervous until he leads her to a gazebo full of flowers and decorations. Branch gets down on one knee and asks Poppy to marry him.
The morning had started strangely.
Not bad strange.
Just suspiciously sweet strange.
Poppy realized something was unusual the second she woke up in the bunker and found a handwritten note sitting carefully on her pillow beside her.
Wear something pretty today.
I’m stealing you for a few hours.
Love, Branch.
Poppy had stared at the note for nearly thirty full seconds before grinning so hard her cheeks hurt.
Then she’d immediately sat upright and yelled, “BRANCH!”
From somewhere deeper in the bunker came his muffled response.
“No questions!”
Which, naturally, made her want to ask approximately a thousand questions.
Now, several hours later, Poppy walked beside Branch through one of the winding paths near the edge of Pop Village while sunlight streamed warmly through the trees overhead. The breeze carried the scent of flowers and fresh grass through the air, and butterflies drifted lazily between colorful bushes surrounding the path. Everything felt peaceful and dreamlike.
And Branch was acting weird.
Not bad weird.
Nervous weird.
Poppy glanced sideways at him for probably the fifteenth time in ten minutes while they walked together hand in hand.
“You’re doing the thing,” she said finally.
Branch blinked quickly. “What thing?”
“The nervous thing.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“You’ve fixed your vest six times.”
Branch immediately dropped his hand from his vest. “That means nothing.”
Poppy smiled suspiciously while squeezing his hand gently. “Branch…”
“I’m fine.”
“You reorganized the snack basket twice before we left.”
“That was preparation.”
“You also checked your hair in a spoon.”
Branch looked deeply offended. “That happened one time.”
“It happened today.”
He sighed dramatically while Poppy laughed softly beside him.
Honestly, though?
The nervousness was kind of adorable.
Especially because Branch was trying so hard to hide it.
Poppy leaned lightly against his shoulder as they walked. “You know you can tell me if something’s wrong, right?”
Branch’s entire expression softened instantly.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Then why do you look like you’re emotionally preparing for battle?”
He glanced down at her and smiled faintly. “Maybe I am.”
Poppy blinked at him curiously while butterflies fluttered through the warm sunlight around them.
The butterfly garden sat farther away from the main village, tucked into a peaceful hidden area overflowing with flowers and winding stone paths. It had always been one of Poppy’s favorite places because everything there felt calm and magical at the same time. Bright flowers stretched in every direction while soft music from distant wind chimes drifted through the air.
And somehow…
Today looked even prettier than usual.
Poppy slowed slightly as they entered the garden fully.
“Whoa.”
Flower petals had been scattered carefully along the pathway ahead.
Lanterns hung from tree branches despite the daylight.
Tiny glowing crystals shimmered softly among the flowers.
And Branch suddenly looked significantly more nervous.
Poppy turned toward him slowly.
“…Branch.”
“I know,” he said quickly. “Okay. I know this probably looks intense.”
“Did you decorate the butterfly garden?”
“Maybe a little.”
Poppy stared at him in disbelief while warmth spread through her chest so intensely it almost hurt.
“A little?!”
Branch rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I wanted it to feel special.”
Poppy’s heart immediately melted.
“You did all this for me?”
His answer came quietly.
“Always.”
The sincerity in his voice made her chest ache.
Poppy stepped closer automatically and cupped his face gently in both hands before kissing him softly beneath the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Branch relaxed slightly against her immediately, one hand settling at her waist while he kissed her back slowly.
When they pulled apart, Poppy smiled warmly at him.
“You’re ridiculously romantic.”
“You seem surprised every time.”
“Because you keep getting more romantic.”
Branch laughed softly under his breath before leaning forward and kissing the corner of her mouth again quickly.
“Come on,” he murmured.
Still holding her hand tightly, he guided her farther through the garden.
The farther they walked, the more details Poppy noticed.
Flower arrangements she recognized from her favorites around the village.
Tiny candles resting safely inside glass lanterns.
Soft blankets spread beneath nearby trees.
And butterflies everywhere.
Bright colorful wings drifting through the air around them like living confetti.
Poppy’s entire expression softened more and more with every step.
“This is beautiful,” she whispered.
Branch glanced at her carefully. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He visibly relaxed hearing that.
Which only made Poppy more suspicious that something huge was happening.
Then they rounded the final curve in the garden path.
And Poppy stopped walking completely.
At the center of the garden stood a large white gazebo wrapped in flowers and glowing lights. Roses climbed the pillars in soft colorful spirals while ribbons drifted gently in the breeze overhead. More lanterns glowed softly beneath the shaded roof, and flower petals covered the wooden floor completely.
It looked magical.
Like something straight out of a dream.
Poppy’s breath caught instantly.
“Oh my gosh.”
Beside her, Branch looked moments away from combusting from nerves.
Poppy turned slowly toward him. “Branch…”
“I know,” he said weakly. “I maybe overdid it.”
“Overdid it?!”
Poppy laughed breathlessly in disbelief before grabbing both of his hands tightly.
“This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done.”
Relief flickered across his face immediately.
“Really?”
“Yes!”
Poppy looked back toward the gazebo with wide sparkling eyes before looking at him again.
“You did all this yourself?”
Branch shrugged awkwardly. “Mostly.”
“Branch…”
He smiled nervously. “You deserve nice things.”
That sentence nearly emotionally destroyed her on the spot.
Poppy pulled him into another kiss immediately.
This one deeper.
Warmer.
Full of overwhelming affection.
Branch kissed her back instantly while wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her closer beneath the drifting butterflies around them. Poppy melted against him completely, fingers curling into the front of his vest while her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
When they finally pulled apart, Branch rested his forehead gently against hers.
“You have no idea how hard it’s been not to tell you about this.”
Poppy laughed softly. “I knew something was going on.”
“Was it the panic?”
“It was definitely the panic.”
Branch groaned dramatically while she smiled up at him.
“You’re cute when you’re nervous.”
“That’s deeply embarrassing information.”
Poppy kissed him again quickly. “No. It’s adorable.”
Branch looked at her for a long quiet moment after that.
Like he was trying to memorize every detail of her expression.
Then slowly, he took her hand again and led her inside the gazebo.
Poppy’s heart started racing harder immediately.
Because now she really knew.
The way he was looking at her.
The way his hands trembled slightly.
The way he kept taking nervous little breaths.
And suddenly Poppy felt emotional too.
Branch stopped at the center of the flower covered gazebo while butterflies drifted lazily around them in the warm afternoon light.
Then he turned toward her fully.
And got down on one knee.
Poppy’s hands flew immediately to her mouth.
“Oh my gosh.”
Branch looked absolutely terrified now.
But also completely sincere.
Completely in love.
He held a tiny velvet box carefully in his hands while looking up at her like she was the most important thing in the entire world.
“Poppy,” he began softly.
His voice shook slightly.
Which somehow made everything even more emotional.
“You changed my life.”
Poppy’s eyes instantly filled with tears.
Branch laughed nervously under his breath. “Okay, wow, you crying immediately is not helping my composure.”
Poppy laughed through tears while covering her face.
“You’re too sweet!”
Branch smiled softly before continuing.
“I spent so much of my life alone. And honestly… I thought that was just how things were gonna stay.” His expression softened deeply while looking at her. “Then you crashed into my life singing loudly and refusing to leave me alone.”
Poppy sniffled while laughing helplessly.
“And somehow,” Branch continued quietly, “you made everything brighter.”
His thumb brushed nervously against the velvet ring box.
“You make every place feel like home to me.” He smiled shakily. “You make me happier than I ever thought I could be.”
Poppy was crying openly now.
Branch laughed softly again. “Okay, now I’m emotional too. Great.”
“You’re doing amazing,” Poppy whispered tearfully.
He took one steadying breath before looking directly into her eyes again.
“I love you more than literally anything.” His voice softened further. “And I want every future memory I have to include you.”
Poppy’s heart felt like it might burst.
“Poppy…” Branch smiled nervously. “Will you marry me?”
There was not even half a second of hesitation.
“Yes!”
Branch blinked rapidly.
“Yes?!” he repeated.
“Yes!”
Poppy laughed and cried at the same time before dropping immediately to her knees in front of him and throwing both arms around his neck.
“Yes yes yes yes!”
Branch laughed breathlessly while hugging her tightly against him.
“You’re saying yes really fast.”
“I was gonna say yes before you even finished asking!”
Relief crashed across his face so powerfully it almost looked unreal.
Then Poppy kissed him.
Hard.
Passionate.
Completely overwhelming.
Branch kissed her back instantly with just as much emotion, hands trembling slightly as they held each other tightly in the middle of the flower filled gazebo while butterflies swirled around them.
Neither of them cared anymore about trying to stay composed.
Poppy cupped his face while kissing him again and again between happy emotional laughs.
“We’re getting married,” she whispered excitedly.
Branch grinned helplessly against her lips. “Yeah. We are.”
Poppy laughed brightly before kissing him again.
And again.
And again.
Every kiss full of happiness and relief and overwhelming love.
Eventually Branch gently slid the ring onto her finger while Poppy stared at it like it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered.
Then immediately:
“We have to tell everybody.”
Branch laughed softly. “There it is.”
Poppy gasped dramatically. “We need a list!”
“A list?”
“Yes!” She grabbed both his hands excitedly. “Okay. First obviously Viva.”
“Obviously.”
“Then Smidge because she’ll attack us emotionally if she hears from someone else.”
“Very true.”
“Then Satin and Chenille.”
“Prepare for screaming.”
“Biggie’s gonna cry.”
“Definitely.”
Poppy gasped again. “Your brothers!”
Branch smiled warmly. “Yeah.”
“They’re gonna lose their minds!”
“They absolutely are.”
Poppy looked so overwhelmingly happy that Branch physically couldn’t stop himself from kissing her again.
Slowly this time.
Tenderly.
His hand resting against her cheek while her fingers curled around the front of his vest.
“I seriously can’t believe you said yes,” he murmured softly.
Poppy smiled against his lips. “Branch. I would always say yes to you.”
That expression on his face afterward nearly ruined her emotionally all over again.
So naturally she kissed him again beneath the flowers and butterflies while sunlight shimmered warmly through the garden around them and the future stretched bright and beautiful ahead of both of them.