Poppy's POV:

As I woke up I slowly realized I was in the embrace of Branch cold arms. It had been raining all night but Poppy wasn't cold one bit. Branch's arm had kept her warm through the rain.

Poor Branch... His arms are so cold because he was keeping me warm...I wonder if there's a blanket somewhere here..

I looked around for something to keep him warm after all he had done for me.

I scratched my hair-
Wait!! That's it! My hair!

I tiptoed quietly back to him and lay next to him. I stretched my hair enough to cover him so that he wouldn't freeze.

"Don't bother... I'm fine..." I heard him mumble as his eyes drifted up to me.

"Are you sure you're not cold? I can cover you. I'm ok with that really." I sincerely asked.

"Yea-

COUGH! COUGH! COUGH! SNEEZE! ACCHOO!!! BLAHH! BLECK BRERH!

" OMG....Branch are u ok?? Hehe....." I asked him after his sneezing/coughing orchestra melody.
"Ow." He mumbled to himself.
"Can I get u anything?" I asked.
"Nah..I'm*sneeze* good*sneeze* for now*sneeze*" He answered.

"Oh..ok?" I answered.
"But." He started.
"Yea?" I asked curiously.
"I guess I am kind of hungry.." He looked at me.
"Oh goody! I'll get something!" I answered joyously.
"I'll come with u..if..u want?" He said.
"You want to come with me??" I replied in shock.
"Well Y-yea.. Maybe...I guess?" He stuttered.
"Of course!!!! I um..mean..pff,sure..yea..I mean if you insist." I shrugged.

"Ok let's*sneeze* go.." Branch got up and wiped his nose.

"Okay..heh...I think I saw some berries or something over there." I pointed to the left of me.
"Berries?! I'm tired of berries! *sneeze* We have berries all the time Poppy!" Branch complained.
"Stop complaining about the food, Branch." I retorted.
"Yea yea. Let's find something else." He suggested.
"I'm in the mood for something sweet." I answered.
"Like you..I mean um...yea...m-me too..." He stuttered.
"Hunh? Never mind. I wonder if there's any fruit trees around here? Or if there are some mushrooms." I asked.
"Mushrooms taste bad." He stuck out his tongue.
"I don't care. Oh! Over there!" I pointed to a tree filled with weird fruit looking things and right under the tree was a patch of mushrooms.

"You're taller can you reach them?" I asked him.
"Use your hair idiot." He rolled his eyes.
"Oh yea." I blankly answered.

Once we'd gotten enough for two we sat down under a willow tree next to a pretty little river.

Branch's POV :

"Let's play a game" I heard her say.
"What game?" I asked.
"We'll say something about each other that we think." She smiled.
"You look like a mushroom." I said.
"Hey! Well I think you're snobby." She answered.
"That's rhymes with snotty. Like your nose." I said back to her.
"At least my ears aren't flooded with earwax!" She yelled back.

"Ew." Said a worm passing by.

"Is earwax that yellow thing I found you eating the other day?" I snapped.
"Hey! We're getting off topic! Anyways. I think ur skin is a nice tone." She smiled.
"Yea I think its a nice tone too. I like how smart I am." I answered.
"You're supposed to say something about me." She said.
"I like how you don't eat the turtles that pass by." I said.
"Uh..ok? I like how your hair lights up in the dark." She said.
"No it doesn't" I disagreed.

"I like how ur hair curls around like my grandma's noodle soup." I said.
"But its in a ponytail?" She replied confused.
"Oh..I like how your hair sticks up like those ugly palm trees that the leaves are falling out." I added.
"Oh gosh...I like how daring you are." She said.
"Me too. I like how..you're really...n-nice to me..." I blushed.

Poppy's POV:
I saw how his cheeks flushed red as he said that which gave me a warm feeling inside. Every minute I spend with him gets me thinking that he likes me..

"O-oh...thanks..Branch..hehehehe..." I giggled nervously

"Yea..." His eyes became large and he suddenly backed away slowly.

"Branch? What's the-

" shh...be quiet and do not move whatever you do... " he whispered.

I stood still like a statue and he came closer to me and then something soft and scaled wrapped around my hand and then I realized it was a snake's tail...except it wasn't any snake..it was a black mamba....

"Don't worry..I'll protect you..I promise..shhh...." He shushed me and I stood still......