The Greatest Gift to Give

A/N: I finally saw the new "Trolls" holiday special, "Holiday in Harmony", only about a few days ago, and I just loved it! The last part of the short film reminded me of another scene that I love from another one of my favorite franchises, which is funny enough from Dreamworks as well, "Dreamworks Dragons: Race to the Edge". It was also between another one of my favorite shippings ever.

When I thought of the similarities between the two scenes, I wondered about Poppy's point of view during the holiday special, since she said that she did have some trouble with finding the perfect gift for Branch as well. I wondered how that could have gone, and when I was thinking about her struggle, and with that scene from "Race to the Edge" in my mind, this little one-shot of holiday romance was created.

I hope you guys like it! And action!

Poppy couldn't be any more excited, the wide and bright smile threatening to split her face in two. She got Branch! She got her boyfriend as her Secret Person! She was practically bursting at the seams with joy and excitement as she practically skipped over to her pod to come up with an idea on what to give him for the Holiday Gift Swap.

When she arrived, she quickly closed the door behind her and then jumped onto her bed, grabbing her pillow and squealing loudly into it, feet kicking rapidly as if she was a lovestruck teenage girl again. True, she and Branch had only been dating for a few months, but they were the best months of her life, without a doubt.

Yes, maybe not a whole lot has changed in their relationship, at least significantly. They were still the best of friends, but there was a new level of intimacy between them. Nothing intense or seductive, but it was new and very much welcomed. They're more playful, more understanding of each than they ever thought possible, and definitely more flirty.

Maybe they're taking things a little slower than most other couples, but she respects that, knowing that Branch is not overly touchy-feely due to him isolating himself from everyone for pretty much his whole life. But he is very thoughtful and romantic, so the cute and little things he does for her definitely makes up for that.

Yes, maybe she would like them to be kissing more, but despite her longing for more physical contact and Branch's romanticism, they both still are shy about things like that, since neither of them had ever been in a serious relationship before. The brief little "mutual" attraction she had with Creek didn't count.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, and then removed the pillow from her face. "Okay." She said, a more determined smile replacing her joyous one. "I gotta find Branch the most awesome and perfect gift ever! For our first holiday celebration as boyfriend and girlfriend."

Poppy went over to her desk, took out a notepad and her favorite purple glitter pen. She then started to think about what to give the coolest Troll she had ever known. Well, Branch always was a bit on the mysterious side, even back in his bunker days, but once Poppy really got to know him after he started to open up little by little, she learned that he definitely wasn't your average Pop Troll. But in a good way. The best way.

The pink Pop queen then started to put her glitter pen to paper, eager to come up with an idea on possible gifts for her sweet and adorable boyfriend. He deserved nothing but the best.

*****************

Four hours had passed, and Poppy was surrounded by mountains of crumpled up papers piling her desk. Most of them were blank, while a few had visible purple glittery marks on them.

"Nothing!" She exclaimed, banging her head on the desk multiple times. "No ideas! Useless, empty brain!"

There was a knock on her pod door, and her father came in. "Poppy?" Peppy called out to his daughter. "Is everything okay?"

"NO!" Poppy exclaimed in frustration, balls of crumpled up papers flying everywhere. "Dad, if this has something to do with the gift for my Secret Person, the one I haven't gotten him yet, the one I have no clue where to start-!"

"Him?" Peppy asked, cutting off his daughter's rant.

Poppy sighed and took a deep breath, knowing that she can't really hide anything from her father. "I got Branch as my Secret Person." She admitted.

Peppy just raised a brow in amusement and understanding. "Ah, I see." He replied, trying his best to hide an equally amused smile.

He knew that Branch was one of the only reasons why his daughter would be driving up the wall like this, even back when they were just children. That boy definitely has made his mark since his and Poppy's first adventure that finally ended Trollstice for good, and not just on Poppy's heart, but on the rest of Pop Village and on the other Music Tribes.

Peppy had always felt a little guilty that he hadn't tried harder to help Branch overcome his heartbreak and sorrow back when he was a gray little orphan. But when Poppy had first and formally introduced the now teal colored Troll as her boyfriend to him, Branch forgave him and also admitted that he was also partially to blame because he never seeked out help and instead just closed himself off from the rest of society.

As Peppy watched Branch continue to blossom and grow in leaps and bounds from afar as he interacted more with his daughter and the other denizens of Pop Village, he realized that the young and almost-silent gray trolling he once knew had become a kind, caring and protective young adult, always helping Poppy in her duties and trying to keep her from going too far over the edge with her schemes; him trying his best to be a good friend towards other Trolls of all kinds of music, and being a worthy protector of them as well.

The former Pop king had a feeling that one day, since he knew that his daughter was very much enamored with the bunker-dwelling hermit, and he with her; Peppy would one day call that fine young Troll his son-in-law and the new King of Pop.

"I'm pretty sure that you're fretting over nothing, sweetheart." Peppy said, trying to comfort her. "You're an amazing gift-giver. Branch will love anything that you give him."

Poppy sighed as she pushed herself away from her desk, got out of her chair and then flopped backward onto her bed.

"I know, Dad." She said, looking up at her ceiling. "But that's the problem. Branch is not like every other Pop Troll."

She then peeled herself off her bed and started pacing around her room, pointing out things that made her boyfriend unique compared to most other Trolls.

"He has insane survival skills. He is a talented builder, having made his bunker with pretty much his bare hands. He made an entire complex security system in both the bunker and the village, and he is pretty much the most talented Troll I know. He can sing, dance, paint, cook, build, and defend himself and others."

Once she was done, she stopped pacing and looked down at the plush floor beneath her feet. After hearing his daughter both sing praises about Branch and lament about her situation, Peppy just sighed.

"I know very well that he is different from most other Trolls, but you know him better than anyone." He said. "I'm positive that you'll think of something."

Sensing that Poppy needed some time to think, her father gently patted her shoulder and then left the pod. Once he was gone, the pink Pop queen let her imagination come up with ways to find the perfect gift for the most amazing Troll she ever knew. Soon, an idea came to her.

"I'll just get a giant gift box and decorate it." She said to herself. "Then, I can help others with their presents so that I can get an idea about what to give to Branch."

It seemed like a good idea, plus the Gift Swap was in three days. That would be plenty of time for her to figure out the perfect gift.

**************

Three days had passed, and Poppy was still stumped on what to get her boyfriend. Barb and Val had almost hit the nail right on the head earlier when they saw her decorating the huge, but empty, gift box and learned that she got Branch as her Secret Person, saying it must be a lot of pressure for her since he is her boyfriend, but she quickly changed their minds by pretending to act so confident when it came to gift giving.

Then, she had a really close call almost an hour later when Branch suddenly appeared and acted much more awkward than usual. He had almost seen that the giant box had his name on the tag, but thanks to Delta Dawn and Holly Darlin', the secret was kept.

But even after all that, and all the advice she gave to other Trolls about their gifts, she still had no idea what to give to her boyfriend. The pink Pop queen stared up at the giant and beautifully decorated gift box, magenta eyes glued to the name tag that said, "To: Branch. From: Poppy." A twinge of guilt and worry began pooling in her stomach again, knowing that the gift box was still empty inside.

Just then, she heard the Country Mayor speak to her from behind her. "You always know just what to get to make someone feel special." She said as Poppy turned to face her. "Don't you, Poppy?"

The pink Pop Troll just chuckled in embarrassment, a shy smile on her face. "I'm sure Branch is going to love his gift." Delta added before she walked away, grabbing Holly's present for her.

Poppy watched Delta walk away, and then faced the giant gift box that still held nothing inside. "Yeah." She answered, trying her best to sound enthusiastic so that her nervousness would be hidden. "I hope you're right."

But she knew that that was a lie. She didn't even have a gift to give to Branch. It took everything she had to keep her cheerful demeanor up in public, and to keep herself from turning gray from the shame and guilt whenever she was alone. With a heavy heart, Poppy started to leave the area, her head down, eyes glued to the ground.

"Poppy?" A voice asked.

The Pop queen immediately snapped her head back up and saw her father standing there. "Is everything alright?"

Instinctively, Poppy opened her mouth to assure him, but then she closed it and sadly shook her head. Peppy then took a guess as to why his daughter was feeling this way.

"Still have no idea on what to give to Branch?" He asked.

Poppy slowly nodded, hugging her arms and looking back at the ground beneath her. "Well, you still have until tonight." Peppy tried to assure her. "You can still find something for him."

"Dad, let's face it." Poppy cut him off, directing her saddened gaze back up to him. "Maybe I just need to accept the facts. There's nothing I could get Branch that he doesn't have, doesn't want, or doesn't need. I'm useless."

Not wanting to hear more, Poppy immediately left the area, ignoring her father's calls as she headed to her pod.

She can't cry. She can't cry right now. She just needs to get through this increasingly imposing holiday event before she accepts her fate as the worst girlfriend in the history of the world, who couldn't even think of what to get for her special man in her life. Honestly, Poppy wouldn't be entirely too surprised if Branch decided to break up with her after this.

Of course, there was the chance that she might turn gray for the rest of her life after that, but she would berate anyone who dared to accuse him. This was all her fault, and she deserved it. But hopefully, Branch will let her explain her lack of a gift. At least he does listen to her when she needs to explain something.

********************

For Poppy, those three seconds of awkward silence felt like an eternity as Branch and the entire crowd stared at the now open and empty gift box that Poppy decorated. This only made the knife of shame and guilt in her heart twist even further.

And to think, this happened after Branch, who had gotten her name in an odd but very amusing twist of fate, gave her one of the most meaningful gifts she had ever gotten in her life.

He made her a slightly burned scrapbook that showed all of the moments that they shared during their adventures, causing a brief trip down memory lane. Despite the somewhat crude drawings and the slightly burned papers and pictures, Poppy felt so touched that he did all of that for her, even though he still kind of has something against scrapbooking. Probably because she gave him a few too many glitter bombs in the scrapbooked invitations she had given to him over the years. But it was one of the best things he could ever give her, which at least gave her enough courage to admit the truth.

"I-" She started shakily before bravely swallowing the small lump in her throat and mustering up the rest of the courage she needed, making eye contact with her boyfriend as she slowly made her way back over to him.

"I didn't get you anything. Because when I tried to think about what to get the coolest Troll in the whole world, I-I totally drew a blank! I mean, what do you even give someone who is so sweet, and so funny, and kind and cute and like, weirdly over-prepared for everything?"

She would have loved to relish in the fact that she made Branch blush from all of her compliments, but Poppy needed to tell him the truth and assure him that the reason why she was stumped on what to give him was because she was so crazy in love with him. He could make pretty much anything if he wanted, which was another reason why it was so difficult to find him a gift. When she finally came in front of him, he gave her a sweet little crooked grin, sky blue eyes sparkling with comfort and love.

"You know, the thing I like most about the holidays is just... being together." He said, holding out his hands to her, and she copied the action by holding his hands in hers, an overwhelming wave of relief and love washing over her.

"With you." He added, making the perky Pop queen smile lovingly at him, a small, dark rosy blush on her face.

As Poppy took him in her arms and hugged him, she barely acknowledged the crowd "aww-hing" at the little cute moment that she and Branch had in front of them. She only focused on her boyfriend's warm and loving embrace, his heart beating in tandem with hers. As much as she just wanted to stay there in his gentle, strong arms forever, the Pop queen felt a song coming on and got ready to sing.

************

After their holiday musical number, and as snow started to fall, Poppy watched Pop Village get progressively smaller as she and Branch went off in another balloon ride, their free hands intertwined while their other hands held onto the ropes. The two Pop Trolls smiled at each other before placing their foreheads against each other lovingly.

Once they jumped back into the basket, Poppy reached into her hair and pulled out a little bottle along with a Q-tip.

"Give me your hand." She said to her boyfriend.

Branch raised a brow. "What for?" He asked.

"I don't think you would want to have two of your fingers stuck together forever." Poppy lightly teased him as she sat down.

Branch chuckled as he sat down beside her, and Poppy carefully dabbed some of the solution onto the Q-tip.

"Why exactly do you have something like that in your hair?" He questioned.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how many times I got glue stuck on me whenever I scrapbook, mister." Poppy answered with a raised brow of her own, to which both she and Branch started laughing.

Then, she started to work, gently wiping the solution onto Branch's glued fingers, even making sure that some of it went in between the crease of them.

Once she was done, the survivalist happily wiggled his free fingers. "Thanks." He said, a crooked, beaming smile on his face.

Poppy just smiled back at him as she put the stuff back in her hair. She then thought that now was a good time to get a little bit of clarification.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked.

Branch nodded. "Shoot." He responded.

"Um, I did understand what you meant by what you told me earlier." Poppy began. "After I told you why I was stumped on what to give you. But now that no one is around, is there... more you would like to say about that?"

Branch just smiled. "Well, you see, when you told me that you couldn't figure out what to give me and why, what you didn't realize was that you already did get me something."

Poppy raised a brow. "I did?" She asked.

Her boyfriend nodded while gently taking her hand. "Poppy, you got me the greatest gift I could ever ask, or even hope for: you."

Branch's words only made Poppy melt as she gave a soft and loving smile. "You here, with me. That's the only gift I need."

As much as Poppy wanted to kiss him again and render him into a blushing mess that turned him into a lovestruck teenager again, this moment was too special. Plus, if he ever did that to her, she probably would have acted the same way, except she would be squealing like crazy.

Instead, she just smiled at him, grateful tears in her eyes as she hugged him tight. Branch returned it, strong arms gently wrapping around her waist.

"You have no idea how much that means to me." She said, slightly pulling away to look at her boyfriend's handsome face. "I guess I was kind of freaking out about it because.... you deserve so much. After everything you've been through. I wanted to show you.... that you are loved."

Branch smiled at her lovingly, a cute light lavender blush on his cheeks. "But this, Poppy. Just this." He slightly gestured between the two of them.

"This is more than I could ever have hoped for. You have given that gift to me every day since our crazy rescue mission to Bergen Town."

Poppy returned his smile as she leaned against his shoulder as they laid down on the bottom of the basket. "Same here." She replied. "Although it did take me a bit longer to realize that. But just remember, now that I do know, I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon."

Branch lightly rolled his eyes as he gently rubbed his thumb on the top of her hand. "Neither am I." He added. "We're pretty much stuck together now."

"And I wouldn't want it any other way." Poppy responded as she snuggled closer to her boyfriend, his free hand placed on her waist, gently pulling her closer to him as she stared up at the stars that they could see from their current angle.

Now this truly seemed like the best holiday ever. Poppy and Branch will always be a team; they'll always have each other no matter what, and they both know that nothing could ever change that.

A/N: Yep. Just try to guess what scene from "Race to the Edge" that I found pretty similar with the main last scene of the special. It should be pretty obvious, if you guys are big DreamWorks fans like me.

This is just the first part of my little holiday surprise for you guys. The other part will be another update for "Feeling the Love Tonight" that will be coming tomorrow, on Christmas Day. I hope that you guys like it.

Well then, I'll see you guys next time! Please leave a comment about you think, and remember to stay healthy! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Got to fly! ;)