"How about another balloon ride over Troll Kingdom?"

Branch's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. He'd heard something along the lines of this before, when Poppy had suggested a picnic between the two of them as they cruised over Pop Village and the rest of the musical tribes. Their balloon ride had happened, but it had happened alongside a venture to deliver the various invitations for the holiday gift swap. Meaning, Branch had not had the alone time that he had anticipated with the Pop Queen. Would that same misunderstanding happen again?

"No multitasking?" he asked cautiously.

To his great relief, Poppy shook her head. "Nope! Just you... and me."

Just you and me. For whatever reason, those words made Branch feel like he could soar to the moon and back – perhaps even beyond it! Suddenly, he felt his love for the Queen overflow him. Caught up in the heat of the moment, Branch leaned forward in a swift motion, allowing his lips to press quickly but gently over her soft pink, freckled cheek. It lasted only a couple of seconds, not even - more like a few milliseconds - in a peck that ended as soon as it began. But it was enough to stir a reaction - from him, in the way he suddenly became aware of his bold move and felt his face flush scarlet - and from Poppy.

The Pop Queen gasped, looking quite so utterly stunned for a second that Branch swore he'd made a grave mistake. He'd felt brave, unusually so, when he'd decided to just go for it and kiss the girl he hadn't even really accomplished going on one date with yet. But it seemed like he hadn't made a mistake. Poppy was stunned, her lips parted slightly and an adorable expression of awe on her face before resorting back to her usual personality and letting out an enormous squeal. Her limbs all flew into action - right hand pressing against the spot where her skin had been blessed with his sweet little peck, left hand scrunched into a fist that she shook with great excitement, and her legs bending up and down as she jumped for joy on the spot. Apparently, Poppy would take a kiss from Branch any time, any day!

And such a sweet gesture couldn't go unrewarded. The Pop Queen didn't need a Hug Time chime to tell her when it was a great time to embrace her beloved, and she certainly needed no encouragement. Before Branch could manage to blink, Poppy's arms had already locked around him, her face burrowed into the crook of his neck, squeezing against him in a perfect fit that could only be accomplished by her and her alone. "Branch!" she exclaimed, but, unable to think of anything else to say that could express how wonderful she felt inside, she just resorted to snuggling with a content little hum. He smiled, a goofy little giggle of his own escaping him in a response to the cute one that Poppy was currently delivering, evident by the tremble in her body that had absolutely nothing to do with the cold.

For the chill winter air had nothing against the hug, warm with the giddy love she had for him, and the love he had for her. A hug that they remained entangled in all throughout that wonderful balloon ride that was even better than he'd hoped for it to be.

                            __________________________________________________

A/N: I know it probably wouldn't have made that huge of a difference, but I wanted to know what things would've been like if it had been the other way around :)