"Who's ready to PARTY!?" Poppy yelled out to the crowd from where she stood atop the big mushroom stage, everyone in the area immediately cheering loudly in anticipated excitement at the sound of her enthusiastic words. "Good... because thanks to Branch... we now have music for you all!"
"YAY!" the audience screamed out at the top of their lungs, jumping all around the dance floor in exhilaration, everyone waiting expectantly for the fun to start up once again with the announcement their princess was about to give...
Well... not exactly everyone...
Out in the crowd of wildly raging trolls, Branch stood off to the side, the young boy paying more attention to the snack table than the 'spectacularly amazing' declaration his girlfriend was currently shouting out to the world and everyone in it, all the fun loving trolls at the party now respectfully giving the former village grump the space that he needed as he casually sipped on some punch...
"And now..." Poppy exclaimed with a large smile, her voice echoing through the microphone she currently held in both hands. "Put your hands together for the troll about to perform for your enjoyment... the one... the only... BRAAAANCH!"
At the sound of the young princess' totally preposterous proclamation, Branch couldn't help but immediately spit out his drink in complete and utter shock, the liquid accidentally splattering all over a nearby troll...
"Me!?" the survivalist choked out between desperate coughs for air, his wide eyes locked on the pink troll up on stage in total disbelief. "Yes you!" Poppy yelled over to him with a large smile and small giggle. "Now get your butt up here and play!"
"But... but... but..."
But... before he could even properly argue... the snack pack suddenly snuck up from behind, beginning to push the helpless troll up onto the stage against his will, excited smiles locked on their faces as if they were doing him a favor!
Shoving the clearly frightened introllvert up onto the large mushroom stage, Branch accidentally stumbled into Poppy who chuckled softly at his clumsiness before handing over the mic to her boyfriend...
"You'll do great..." the young princess whispered reassuringly to him with a comforting smile. "But... but, Poppy..." Branch started in pure worry. "I... I don't sing... remember?"
"You sang to me..."
"But that was different! It was the first time I've sung in years, Poppy! And it was just for you... not the entire frosting village!"
Hugging him gently, Poppy ignored the clear fear in her best friend's voice as she softly whispered something in his left ear...
"You're ok, Branch... I know you can do this..." she assured, sure that the simple words would just magically make him forget his major anxiety producing stage fright. "I believe in you..."
And with that, Poppy walked away, giving the village grump two thumbs up as she left him completely alone up on stage... in front... of... everyone!
With a silent gulp of pure and utter terror, Branch slowly turned his gaze to the audience, all eyes now locked directly on him...
"Uh..." he muttered softly, the young boy hesitantly raising the microphone up to his mouth with trembling hands, a loud squeal of feedback erupting from the thing as he quickly moved it away from himself, everyone in the audience wincing in pain at the horrible sound. "Um... s... sorry..."
"Branch!" he suddenly heard in a yelled whisper, the survivalist immediately looking over to see Poppy standing out in the crowd with a calming smile on her face, the young princess signaling him to just breath...
Nodding, Branch took a deep calming breath as instructed before once again raising the mic up to his mouth, the blue troll slowly beginning to sing...
"I'm at a party I don't wanna be at..." Branch began with another gulp, his voice low as it barely echoed through the speakers, the contentious hermit looking around himself in complete panic, everyone staring directly back at him as his nervous gaze moved from person to person... his heart rapidly pounding inside his seemingly constricting chest... "And I don't ever wear a suit and tie, yeah... Wondering if I could sneak out the back..." He took a small step backwards, shrinking down slightly to try and get out of the spotlight that seemed to follow him across the stage...
Oh god... he couldn't do this...
He was about to take off running... ruining everything for everyone once again... but... taking one last glance around the crowed... Branch's wide shifting eyes suddenly caught sight of Poppy... the young princess smiling right up at him in the most comforting manner he had ever seen...
Smiling slightly, Branch locked eyes with his girlfriend, only focusing on her as he began singing a bit more confidently... the rest of his unwanted audience fading away from his mind...
"Then you take my hand, finish my drink, say, "Shall we dance?" hair, yeah! You know I love you, did I ever tell you? You make it better like that!"
Everyone was in absolute awe of Branch's voice, none of them having ever heard anything quite as beautiful... and yet... Branch wasn't sinking in the applause that now roared loudly through the area just for him... no... instead he was still only focused on Poppy... almost as if it were only the two of them there...
"Don't think I fit in at this party. Everyone's got so much to say," Branch shrugged, still singing directly to the love of his life, his voice getting a bit louder with the confidence he was beginning to gain as the applause heightened. "I always feel like I'm nobody... who wants to fit in anyway?"
Jumping off the stage with a strange amount of reckless abandon, Branch ran right over to his girlfriend without caring who saw or what conspiracies it might cause for him to be seen doing so, the survivalist immediately beginning to dance along to the beat of his song with the absolutely gorgeous pink troll now beside him, the young princess giggling softly before starting to dance right along with him... the two of them enjoying each other's company despite all the millions of eyes watching them...
"Cause I don't care... when I'm with my baby, yeah! All the bad things disappear! And you're making me feel like maybe I am somebody. I can deal with the bad nights... when I'm with my baby, yeah! Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!"
Taking Poppy into his arms, Branch spun the young princess smoothly around in a tight circle, everyone cheering for the spectacular performance they were lucky enough to be receiving...
"Cause I don't care... as long as you just hold me near," Branch sang beautifully, he and Poppy wrapped in a calming hug with one another, large smiles plastered on both their faces. "You can take me anywhere... and you're making me feel like I'm loved by somebody! I can deal with the bad nights... when I'm with my baby, yeah! Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!"
The sound of cheering finally breaking through to his ears, his brain snapping right back into reality, Branch looked up from his love's eyes, suddenly remembering he was currently singing in front of everyone... all eyes locked on him...
Oh god...
"We at a party I don't wanna be at... tryna talk, but we can't hear ourselves. Read your lips, I'd rather kiss 'em right back. With all these people all around, I'm crippled with anxiety..." Branch continued, suddenly seeming quite nervous yet again as his body shook in terror, the young boy slowly backing away from the crowd until he crashed right into Poppy's gentle arms, the blue troll turning back towards her with a slight smile, feeling one thousand times better knowing she was still right there with him. "But I'm told it's where I'm supposed to be... you know what? It's kinda crazy 'cause I really don't mind... when you make it better like that!"
Taking Poppy back into his arms, Branch didn't even mind the crowd any more... He was happy just simply being with his beautiful girlfriend...
"Cause I don't care... when I'm with my baby, yeah! All the bad things disappear! Yeah, you're making me feel like maybe I am somebody. I can deal with the bad nights... when I'm with my baby, yeah! Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh! Cause I don't care ... as long as you just hold me near! You can take me anywhere! Yeah, you're making me feel like I'm loved by somebody! I can deal with the bad nights... when I'm with my baby, yeah! Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!"
The song finally coming to an end, Branch smiled once again at the magnificent pink troll still hugged snuggly in his arms, the two of them gazing lovingly at one another as the young boy slowly began to lean forwards, his lips softly colliding with the princess', both trolls closing their eyes in pure content...
A loud collective gasp flooded from the audience, every single one of the trolls watching the sene shocked by what they were witnessing for only a moment before suddenly awing in adoration, thinking that the newly revealed couple was absolutely adorable together...
Finally pulling away from the kiss, Branch smiled lightly as he gazed straight into his loves beautiful pink eyes...
"Thank you, Poppy..." the light blue troll suddenly whispered, gaining himself a slightly confused look from his girlfriend in the process. "For what?" Poppy questioned, not understanding her boyfriend's words in the slightest. "For... showing me how to be... happy..." he informed, the young princess smiling wide at his whispered words. "All my life... I never thought I'd ever get my colors back... I never thought I would ever have friends again... and I most certainly never thought I'd have the most beautiful, absolutely perfect in every way troll as my girlfriend... But you certainly proved me wrong..." Poppy giggled, Branch laughing right along as he kept his loving gaze locked on her. "I love you, Poppy... thanks for... never giving up on me..."
Hugging Branch tight yet again, Poppy buried her head into her boyfriend's chest... wanting to be as close to him as physically possible...
"I love you too, Branchie..." she whispered right back, Branch laying his head on top of hers, the young princess' poofy ponytail tickling his nose slightly as he did so. "And I always will... forever and always..."