A/N: 😏

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It was precisely three things that were serving as a distraction to Branch that night.

One was the incredibly delicious marshmallows in his hands, plopped into his mouth every few minutes so he could experience its chewy, fluffy goodness in between the songs that he and his brothers were harmonizing to. Another was Poppy, sitting across him from the campfire alongside her sister Viva. Her deep, fuschia eyes - sparkling with the reflection of the crackling orange flames - remained trained to his blue whenever she spared a glance his way, letting him know by the intense gaze that there was something other than flames crackling between them.

Tension.

And it was one that was continuing to build as the evening progressed, all because of a small tidbit of information that was so graciously dumped upon them during the idle conversation among the group of friends. The information in itself being the third distraction.

Patience was not proving to be a virtue, however, and he and Poppy had to be pulled out of their dazed infatuation with one another several times - Viva nudging her sister with a giggle and Floyd nudging Branch wearing his own little smirk.

After what did feel like hours of happily enduring laughter, songs, stories and other shenanigans that could only ensue among siblings, the first yawn finally was emitted, coming out of Floyd. It in turn caused everybody else to realize just how tired they were, too. So when the other yawns and tired stretches followed suit to confirm it was true, Branch nearly felt like pulling his brother in for a hug. His favorite bro had come to his aid, even if he may not have known it! But while the fun between the seven friends had just concluded, the heated glint in Poppy's eyes told him that their fun was just beginning.

Just as Branch's thoughts began to wander somewhere ungentlemanly, John Dory's loud voice broke through. "I don't know about you all, but I'm bushed!" To demonstrate his point, he plopped down flat on his back upon his sleeping bag. "Guess it was pretty fun singing and roasting marshmallows after all, eh?" he chuckled after a moment.

Bruce hummed in agreement, munching on the last few in his possession. "Mmm-mmm! I gotta tell Brandy we should add these to the dessert menu," he said, referring to his wife of whom he ran Vacay Island's cantina with.

"Imma be the first one in line if you do that!" Clay exclaimed, exchanging a fist bump with the purple-haired Troll.

"Count me in on that, too!" Viva giggled. She too really loved marshmallows - her couch back in Putt Putt Village, in fact, was a marshmallow! And only now did it really occur to her to wonder how in the world she'd managed not to consume it for all those years living there. Shrugging it off, she turned to the gang with a large grin. "He's right though," she said, gesturing a thumb at John Dory. "This really was fun! I'd love for us to all hang again sometime!"

Floyd nodded his head, agreeing. "That would be nice." He turned to Branch, seeking his younger bro's opinion.

"Yeah," the blue Troll responded, hoping he didn't sound too breathless when he answered, his gaze still fixed on Poppy.

The Pop Queen, in a similar fashion, concurred with a little dazed "Uh-huh."

Good nights were bid, sleeping bags unzipped, and wrappers to the Jumbo-sized marshmallow bags disposed of. As Branch went to go put out the campfire, he silently mouthed the words to Poppy that would let her know when they could get the ball rolling.

Five minutes.

He accompanied the words with hand gestures - one going forward, as though he were making the motion for the word "after," and then another gesture tucking his hands under one side of his head, to make it look as though he were laying down to sleep. Poppy understood right away, confirming with a little wink and followed by a half-lidded gaze that made a tingle go down his spine. He tried to ignore it as he laid down in his sleeping bag, for the sake of surviving those next five minutes without her in his arms already, but found he couldn't. Poppy's effect was too strong, and the desires manifested themselves in delicious fantasies for what he ached to do with her. Fantasies of which would soon become a reality.

Branch lay until he was sure that he heard the sounds of heavy cadences of breathing and light, steady snoring. He waited an extra thirty seconds or so afterwards, just to be extra sure and, upon hearing no signs of activity, allowed himself to rise up and out of his sleeping bag, careful to take the utmost caution in not making any noise whatsoever.

Poppy, also having waited the allotted time, made to get out of her sleeping bag, too. In her haste to reach Branch's side, she accidentally crunched on a dry leaf, the crinkling noise resounding around them. Both froze. With this number of Trolls snoozing in the vicinity, someone was bound to stir. And stir someone did.

Clay shifted in his bag, and Branch held his breath, fully expecting his older brother to blink his eyes open and catch the two of them sneaking off. But to his relief, the lime-green-haired Troll drowsily mumbled something about tax evasion and then snuggled back into his blanket. Poppy met her boyfriend's eyes and scrunched her shoulders, a little blush tinting her cheeks and a quiet giggle escaping her. Branch rolled his eyes playfully, and simply extended his hand for her to take, a little smirk on his face. She squeezed it softly as he tugged them along, padding against the soft dirt floor underneath them to reach their destination. Once they got just outside of JD's beloved caterbus pet, he released from her grip, bringing his hand up to her face so he could pull her in for the kiss he'd been dying to share with her. Poppy obliged him willingly, parting her lips slightly to deepen it. He pulled away with some reluctance after several seconds, resting his forehead against hers. Branch's voice was hushed and eager when he spoke, finally addressing that one point of crucial information in the earlier conversation that had been so easily glossed over by the others, even his brother - JD - himself, who had revealed it.

"Do you really think that Rhonda is completely soundproof?"

The question itself wasn't so crude, but for the purpose that he was asking it made his cheeks grow warm. He couldn't help but think back to the time when John Dory had made the very confident-sounding claim that Rhonda was waterproof, but it hadn't turned out to be so.

Poppy however didn't seem bothered, and snickered. "I mean, even if she isn't, I'm sure she'll make sure nobody bothers us. Won't you, girl?"

Branch gave a short gasp when he felt a rumble of a trill behind him in response, only coming to just realize that Rhonda had been awakened and was panting happily at the couple. She wagged her stumpy green tail, seeming to have understood what Poppy had said and more than willing to be of help.

Branch still looked a little bit uncertain, suddenly rethinking this little venture. Even with as much as he wanted this to happen, would it be wise?

"Poppy," he said, pausing to think of what he was going to point out to her first. That perhaps they shouldn't be partaking in these type of activities within a caterbus that was not theirs? With not one, nor two, or even three or four, but FIVE other Trolls who had the chance of waking up and catching them in the act? And what kind of mess would they leave behind on the bed? Branch couldn't imagine the embarrassment that he would have to face if confronted by John Dory for anything that was leftover upon the sheets...

But Poppy was quick to already reply. And reply she did. "Brrranch..." His name was a teasing growl, the 'r' drawn arousingly as she opened Rhonda's side door, batted her lashes and gingerly stepped foot inside.

Branch sighed. That's it.

In a move that suddenly startled her, he swept in, hauling her up and off her feet and hoisting her in a bridal carry that had her doing her best to not squeal in surprise. As he toted her into the caterbus, he hoped Poppy wasn't prepared to sleep.

Because Branch sure wasn't.

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A loud, thumping in the night is what awakened him.

Floyd startled, a little groggy as he registered that it was still pitch black, the morning not broken through yet. He attempted to shut his eyes again and doze off, but a sudden rumbling in his stomach caught him off guard, letting the magenta-haired Troll know loud and clear that it was hungry.

One midnight snack will do, he thought. Or... whatever time it is. Floyd had no way of knowing in particular what hour it was. It could very well be past midnight, or just a few minutes before the crack of dawn. He went back and forth reasoning which of the two it could be as he made his light, tip-toeing steps towards Rhonda. JD had lots of goodies packed in his fridge and cabinets, so there was bound to be something to sedate him.

As his hand reached for the knob of Rhonda's door, prepared to turn, he stopped short at the sound of the thumping again, more pronounced. Floyd blinked. Was that coming from inside of the caterbus? He strained to listen, and heard a rapid creaking noise, as though springs were being pressed down upon over and over, accompanied with a long, drawn noise of some sort. A moan, he realized, the longer he had his ear perked to attention.

Wait a minute... He thought he recognized that voice. Was that... Poppy? Floyd blinked. Why? Had something happened to her? He glanced over to where the other Trolls had been sleeping, seeing for the first time that her sleeping bag was indeed empty...

...And so was Branch's.

Suddenly, the magenta Troll's brain began to put two and two together, the cogs shifting in his brain right as another thumping was heard, and a new moan that bore a resemblance to the name of his youngest bro resonated.

Something had happened to Poppy all right. But it wasn't anything bad.

It was...

They were...

"Oh!" he gasped. Floyd suddenly felt blood rush to his face, his appetite vanishing entirely and his stomach turning queasy. He hurriedly turned his heel, trying to dash as quickly as he could back to his sleeping bag before he had an accident, but failing as he tripped over one of his brothers.

"Ow," a drowsy mumble came from Bruce, and he began to sit up and rub his eyes at the disturbance. "Floyd? Dude, what's going on?"

Floyd waved his hands in a panic. "No! Bruce, go back to sleep. Please!"

"Huh?" Bruce cocked his head. "What are you talking abou - " His sentence was cut off by the sound of a shout, one that sounded an awful lot like their youngest brother. More thumping followed, and Bruce raised an eyebrow, clueless for a second, until realization dawned upon him. "Ohhhh," he said, cracking a smile once his thoughts were confirmed upon seeing the lack of Branch and Poppy in their respective sleeping bags. Rhonda affirmed it further, cutting her narrowed eyes at him as if daring him to try and intrude the private moment. So that's what they were up to. Bruce shook his head, fondly remembering a time when he and Brandy were younger, and would get up to their own share of frisky business. "Well, I'll tell you one thing for sure," he told Floyd, "If there was ever any doubt that Branch isn't a man, there certainly isn't one now."

Two responses met the purple-haired Troll. One was another loud moan coming from the caterbus. The other was a groan of dismay from his magenta-haired brother.

"Didn't John Dory say she was soundproofed?" Floyd whimpered in mortification, pointing at Rhonda.

Bruce laughed. "Bro, Rhonda's not soundproof. JD just sleeps like a rock. See?" The brothers looked over at their eldest bro who indeed looked like a content stone just laying there. Un-rock-like though, he snored, drooling some from the side of his open mouth.

Of course, Floyd thought with a roll of his eyes. He cast a worried glance at Bruce. "Okay, but, um, what should we do? I'd love to go back to sleep, but not if I'm going to listen to... um... to..." He tried to think of the right word to describe what was happening without outright saying it, but found he didn't have to. He grimaced when Poppy cried out, making him shudder. "To that," he finished.

Bruce understood and patted a hand reassuringly on Floyd's shoulder. "Not to worry, bro. I got you covered. Here, gimme your hand." Floyd extended his palm out, and Bruce reached into his hair, pulling out a couple of small objects.

Floyd was perplexed when he realized what it was. "Gumdrops?" he asked.

"Hey, I know they're delish, but they're also 100% soundproof, guaranteed."

Floyd narrowed his eyes, unable to help feeling skeptical. "You sure?"

Bruce nodded. "Yep! Trust me, I stuff them in my kids' ears every night right after they've gone to sleep, in case the wife and I ever get in the mood. So far, they haven't been disturbed a peep!"

Floyd felt his stomach lurch and then nodded. "Okay! Alright, I'll take them."

Bruce chuckled, putting his own gumdrops in his ears and snuggling back down. He dozed off once more, and Floyd soon after, the magenta-haired Troll relieved that true to his brother's word, he heard nothing but the sound of silence.

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Poppy found the brilliant sun the following morning a perfect compliment to the equally sunny attitude she had. She stretched, recomposed herself, and took a great big whiff of the fresh air once she stepped out of Rhonda. Right as she began to replay the events of the previous night, she felt a pair of hands slink around her waist, belonging to the Troll she'd shared the wonderful experience with. She giggled a little as his caress lightly tickled her sides, and she turned to face him, bestowing a quick peck upon his lips.

"Morning," he whispered.

"Morning," she replied. She licked her lips with a little hum, noting the flavor he'd left behind on them. "I take it coffee's brewing?" she asked.

"Mmm-hmm," he confirmed, tipping his messy-haired blue head back towards Rhonda. "Want a cup?"

"In a little bit," she said. "Think I'm gonna stretch my legs out here a bit first. I'm, uh... still a bit sore." She admitted it with a blush that made Branch chuckle.

"All right." He better adjusted his leafy vest to conceal the purplish mark on the base of his neck, bruise-like in appearance if not for the indentations indicative of teeth, if one were to look closely enough - evidence of the Pop Queen's handiwork, no doubt.

They exchanged another sweet peck, and then Poppy was off at her sister's side in a couple of wobbly bounds.

"Wakey, wakey!" she chirped, shaking her shoulder.

Viva gave a short yawn and grinned when her sights set on her sister. "Hey, you!" she giggled, throwing her arms around her for a hug. Taking note of her messy pink hair and worried she'd tossed and turned through the night, Viva questioned her. "You sleep okay?"

"Yeah," Poppy replied. Better than okay, actually, she added silently, remembering Branch's arms around her and how expertly they'd handled her.

"Oh, good!" Viva breathed out. "Um, you do know your leg warmers are inside out, right?"

Poppy grinned sheepishly when she realized her sister was right. But she couldn't help be disoriented, not after the way Branch made her so drunk on his love. She shrugged, grateful when Clay's awakening interrupted them.

"Ah, man, I had the best dream ever!" he declared as he stretched, sitting up in his sleeping bag.

Viva rolled her eyes. "This isn't the one where you're drinking hot cocoa and finishing everyone's taxes, is it?"

Clay raised a hand. "Guilty, and quite happy to be found so!" he laughed.

Viva chuckled and turned to her sister. "That's Clay for ya!"

Poppy shook her head with a little grin and then spotted Floyd and Bruce. "Hey, guys!" she called. "Branch is at the caterbus brewing some coffee. Want some?"

Poppy then witnessed something peculiar. At the mention of their youngest bro, Floyd's eyes widened and he exchanged a look with Bruce. The purple-haired Troll calmly replied for the two. "I'll take a cup, Poppy, but I think Floyd's gonna pass. He was a little sick last night, and he's still not up to par just yet."

Poppy's eyebrows creased in worry. "Oh, no! Really?" She looked to the magenta-haired Troll for an answer.

"I'll be fine," Floyd squeaked, clearing his throat afterwards in hopes that nobody would question him further for his strange behavior. Attention was drawn from him when John Dory leapt upon his feet, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"Wassup, fam!" he cried, snapping his fingers. "I don't know about you all, but I slept like a baby! A baby Branch that is." He chuckled at his own joke, until the voice of his youngest brother stopped him.

"I thought I told you to refrain from calling me that!" Branch grumbled as he stepped towards them, sipping a cup of coffee.

"I was just playing, bro." His expression then switched to a serious one. "For real though, dude, are you all right?"

Branch looked at him with confusion. "What'd you mean?"

John Dory exhaled. "Huh, I dunno if I was dreaming or something, but I coulda sworn I heard some screaming from you last night. And y'know, come to think of it, you too, Poppy!" JD scratched his head. "Were y'all having nightmares or something?"

In that instant, Poppy felt all the color rush to her face. Branch gagged midsip of the coffee he was drinking, and Floyd moaned, a hint of green tinting his face as he rushed into the bushes to heave what was in his stomach.

"NIghtmares!" Poppy laughed. "Nightmares he says!" She laughed until she felt herself grow light-headed, and then faint.

Not in much of a better state, Branch stood, frozen in shock and unresponsive to his surroundings, blue eyes open wide but unseeing.

"Uhhh... I feel like I missed something here," JD said, puzzled.

Clay and Viva murmured their agreement as the former waved a hand in front of his little bro's face and Viva fanned Poppy, who was still splayed on the ground.

"I didn't," Bruce mumbled.

JD's head shot towards him. "What?"

"Nevermind," the purple-haired Troll quickly said, plastering a nothing-is-wrong grin on his face. "Now, who wants gumdrops?"