...

When the stars light up my room
I sit by myself...

Talking to the moon...!
Trying to get to you....!

She walked along the corridor with her bandage well installed, leaning on a crutch. She could hear her dear, alive and well, companion's voice singing that lonely song as she advanced toward the closed door through the hallway.

In hopes you're on the other side
talking to me too
Or am I a fool...
... who sits alone...

... talking to the moon?
Oh-oh~

Her hand gently gripped the door handle and turned it, opening the way that leaded to him. Branch shut down his melody and their gazes met like two lost polar cuddlebears that had been searching each other for days and days, but couldn't notice each other in the white landscape of snow. It froze them on the spot, afterall winter wasn't the coldest season for nothing.

- Hey... She murmured.

- Hey... His voice sounded so quiet she wondered if this whole event had permenent effect on his voice.

The pink princess of Pop walked closer to him, their gaze never leaving each other, her hands gripping on each other and rubbing her fingers against each other. They were just both very quiet in this akward moment.

Branch didn't know what to say; he was just glad he had the chance to see her again. Someone, somewhere had decided he could get a second chance at life.

A short breathe of relief went out of his airways as she stand close of the hospital bed, making her jump slighlty, every breathe he took in front of her teary eyes was like a burning feeling shooting through her body, passing through her beating heart. It was good. It was great, she just needed one last comfirmation all of this was real...

- C-Can I hug you? She requested quietly between two sobs.

Branch blinked, he could see the tears building up in her clear magenta eyes; why was she crying? He was doing okay now, he was safe and his wound were healing well according to the doctor. Was she hurting? He looked down at his chest; the bandage were holding him straight like a plank of iron, still she was afraid she would hurt him, of course she was. She was such a sweet and caring being even for the creatures that didn't deserved that kidness in any way. He was without any doubt one of them.

- Yeah, he accepted her offer with a little smile, looking up, Yeah, that would be great.

After just a few seconds, she crashed into his warm and safe embrace. The sigh she let out in the crook of his neck tickled him and he moved, burrying his nose into her shaking shoulder. He wanted to squeeze her harder, but he knew they couldn't get more closer; even with his broken rib that forced them to be careful, a sheet of paper wouldn't fit between their flesh.

For long minutes it was just the two of them, shaking and holding into each other as if one of them would dissapear if they let go for even a second. Branch felt the princess' tears against the dull skin of his cheek, rubbing them closer. His heart squeezed; he had caused her so much fear, so much pain, he needed to apologies, for not speaking her the truth.

- Poppy I.... He started.

But she cut him midsentence, with a loud, heartbreaking cry;

- You fucking IDIOT!!

She squeezed him harder as she cursed, hurting him a little. But he endured it. He hesisted to speak, and shut down in shame as he heard her cries and need to feel he was alive. An idiot... That's what he was, she was right. She was so right. He was such an idiot. He started to tear up again, his fingers traced her shoulder blades. He messed up. He messed up so bad, he was such a dumbass.

Silence...

...

Silence is another word to pain

It can't even let been quietly rain

Down its cavern heart would rather

Write sorrow down on paper

But it goes through the throat

Goes against the laws

Running,

Crying,

Hurting,

It has been betrayed.

The silence itself can't take

Damn it poetry.

He held her close. Held her until the silence itself could take, until the silence would be let quietly rain. Until the heart would read the words on the paper, and finally, finally harmonize with the silence. Two being one.

- Branch... Poppy's voice murmured, why did you... Her voiced cracked, a sob escaped from his own throat, why did you not told me anything about your rib ? She asked, I was sure you were... You were gonna die Branch! You were dying ! I couldn't- I can't believe you-

Shame, pain, he wants to run, he wants to cry and he's hurting. He betrayed her trust, he can't take... He is an idiot, he messed up so bad. He still wished to be sincere.

- I'm sorry, I'm s-so sorry Poppy I... I thought I was p-protecting you...

- Protecting me?!

She's mad, she's really mad. He messed up. Branch looked down in so much shame, he knows, he knows!! He was not being logical, he wasn't protecting her! He had been.. He had been hurting her!! So bad!

- You thought you DYING would make me feel home anyway ? She told him, gesturing to Trollstopia outside the window.

He sobbed;

- I-I just... Thought I.... I don't know...

He burried his face into his hands. Before, he thought him dying wouldn't affect anyone. That the world would be better off without him. But now, he had Poppy, and his stupid ass had not thought about this...

If HE couldn't live without her, all this time, could Poppy feel the same way? As if she couldn't live without him? How could had he be so cruel?

And he had been the biggest idiot, thinking it wouldn't affect her. She couldn't live without him. She loves him.

She loves him.

She loved him so much seeing him in that state softened her heart. She loved him so much she sat on the bed and took his hands away from his face, and met his gaze. She loved him so much she pushed a lock of charcoal hair back up on his head. She loved him so damn much she knew scold him wouldn't lead them anywhere. To be in a healthy relashionship they needed to communicate each other their needs. Her need was for Branch to be honest with her.

- Branch, I told you, many, many times, so many times that I'm here for you, she told him, her thumb caressing the back of his hand, I can't listen to you if you don't speak to me... If you keep everything to yourself, someday that's what happens... She touched the bandage on his chest, tracing the place she knew where his broken rib was, Your own body becomes a trap and.. And you stop to breath, Branch...

Her eyes filled with more tears, and she looked down at their hands;

- I can't handle this, Branch... I can't...

There was another silence, the gray troll squeezed her hands into his. He was there, he was breathing now. He would tell her the truth...she needed him to be honest, he wasn't in danger anymore.

- It was the grossums, he explained, when I fell down the hill, m-my side fell on a huge rock...I...I should have told you...

She nodded, the most adorable smile of relief streched her lips. She used the back of her hand to chase her salty tears, Branch raised a hand to do it for her.

Branch is there, Poppy is there, they are finally home.

Finally.

- I'm still a dumbass, right? Branch joked.

She laughed, a bright chuckle of joy and love.

- You are my dumbass, she corrected before she left a kiss on his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck.

...

In the days that followed their return in Trollstopia, the princess of Pop had spend much of her time at her boyfriend's side. He had to stay at the hospital for a few days but she refused to let him alone in his room. She would bring him cupcakes or cute scrapbooks. She even brought him back some books from his bunker, and a remote control that Darnell had found close the river in Branch's stuff.

- That little thing saved both of you, the prince of Hip Hop and Funk music said, Branch had a tracker on it.

Apparently Gary Herman had trully send them help, in its own manner.

Branch and her would spend hours in the hospital room playing games. He was impossible to beat at chess! But quickly she found out the best game she could beat him at was guessing cards game.

- Something delicious and made of way too much sugar-

- CUPCAKE!

Yeahhh, maybe the game was easy since Branch would be very precise on his descriptions.

For sure, Flowers Days was getting closer and the pop girl hadn't talk to Branch yet about the dance everyone wanted them to participate to.. She knew Branch didn't need this pression on his shoulders for now. He was already nervous about the trolls knowing about their relashionship;

- I don't like trolls knowing all about me... It's still new, you know?
She understood of course. Trolls knew about Branch and her, but for now question about how they got together was their bussiness for now. She would ask him later about the dance.

Still, she was the princess, and it was her duty to prepare the party, even though everyone told her to rest; there she was walking on a leg with a huge bandage over it, covered with the names of her friends. It didn't hurt, so she was back to work! Her people needed her, and later, she would go see Branch to bring him a scrapbook she made for him last night.

While she was helping a troll install flowers on top of their stand at the market, whispers caught her attention, her ear twitched; it was a group of teenagers giggling in a corner as they ate some berries;

- No doubt, Poppy is so lucky!

- Imagine the joy they must share!

- I wish I had a boyfriend too, the youngest said.

Poppy blushed, remembering; everyone knew now that her and Branch were a thing. What was worrying her still was... What were they thinking of this? She didn't want Branch's old reputation to scare her people... After a whole week lost in a forest with him, she had discover underneath his rock shell, there was a sweet, caring and loving guardian angel... That cursed a lot, but she had grow used and attach to it.

She thought that, once Branch was out of the hospital, dance with him at Flowers Day would maybe rassure the Trolls of his sweetness. At same time, it was Branch's choice; if he refused to dance she would be fine with it as well. Her thoughts got lost at a possible yes from him... The gray troll was holding her close, his hands on her hips, his lips were brushing hers as they danced a slow in the middle of the dance floor, she wore her most elegante dress and he had this cute little bowtie around his neck...

- Princess Poppy? Princess Poppy, hello!

She blinked when the troll she was helping called for her attention. Oops... Mental scrapbook! She grabbed another basket of flowers and started to place them on the sign above their heads.

- That poor boy...

- He went through so much!!

.... Wait.

It was still the teenagers. One of their friends had come over and a girl of the group had the Trollstopia's newspaper in her hands. Poppy's eyes widened at the sight of the picture on the first article.

'' The Princess of Pop & The Silence Troll Dating! Everything to Know! "

It was Branch, laying in that hospital bed, being carried away inside the hospital while she was holding into his arm, while she had her lips pressed over his. For the entiere Trollstopia to see.

She jumped off the ladder, and rushed to the newspaper the troll she helped was selling; she opened the page where a whole article about them was, feeling her heart beating so hard inside her chest it hurted.

The title wasn't lying a single bit; it really told everything.

Her previous fights with Branch, the way they fell in the river, there was Poppy's explainations to her friends quoated, in plus of ACTUAL pictures of when Barb and her search team found them inside the cave.

There was an actual picture of a dead Branch in the newspaper!!

And that wasn't even the worst part... Somehow, another troll had learned about Branch's backstory. There, wrote black on white; there was a whole passage about Branch's childhood, including the way his family died, the way his grandma gave her life to save him, and even the way another gray troll that had died few years ago had raised him to be 'a monster', before Poppy's love saved him.

Anger rushed through her veins... If something Herman had never raised Branch to be a monster! How could someone disrespect such a courageous man that had FIGHT the mean, nasty stereotypes only so Branch would have a family again, he had been like a father for Branch for all that is trolly !!! Silence trolls weren't a thing! It was a disrespect to a troll's scars!

YET there was this sentence describing the man that had took care of him as a monster!

Quick, she had to throw away all those lies! She grabbed the whole pile and hide it inside her pink hair. Every newspaper she found, she did the same.

- Give me this! She told a rock troll as she took him the paper he was holding.

Barb suddendly grabbed her wrist, making her jump;

- Poppy wait I have to-- the lilac troll started

- I'm kinda busy!!

She shaked the trash in front of the Queen of rock. The red-haired female blinked, trying calm her down;

- Poppy, It's about Branch he-

- Oh no, maybe he already saw it!

Without waiting, she rushed to the hospital to go see him... He was already nervous before about trolls getting to know him.. But now the whole village knew about his past.

And she was too late. The hospital room was empty.

Branch had left the hospital room a few minutes earlier, she had found the newspaper on his bed... Oh no, oh no!! What if he thought she was the one that had exposed his life this way?? She could never do that to him!

.... Who wrote this in the newspaper though?

Poppy quickly grabbed the news and wsnt back to the pages... There. At the bottom of the page, there was the name of the author.

Creek.

She throwed the log away... He had said lies, so much lies even before, and it was enough. She was done crying; now that one troll was gonna have a piece of her mind!