Chapter Text
Branch sighed, staring at his unresponsive computer. “Poppy?” He called into the other room. “Can I use your computer real quick?”
“Of course!” She called from the other room. “The password’s on a sticky note!”
He placed his laptop down on the coffee table and grabbed hers. It, of course, was decorated with colorful stickers, including many inspirational quotations and cats. The sticky note with her password was also decorated with colorful hearts and stars. He huffed in amusement as he typed the password in.
The screen unlocked, and…
He froze.
“Oh! I just remembered that I left something open!” Poppy called in. “Could you just close it for me?” When she didn't receive a response, she slowly poked her head out of the other room. “Branch?”
When she saw him shocked still, she flushed. “It's not serious, it's just for fun, I mean, sure I get comments on it and update regularly, but-”
“Poppy,” Branch said, his face serious. “You write BroZone fanfics?”
“It's just a hobby!” She defended, frantically. “I-!”
He laughed. “Poppy!” He interrupted her. “I'm not mad.”
She pouted at him. “No, but it feels like you're making fun of me.”
“It's not that you write fanfic,” he defended. “It's that you wrote a ‘sold to the band’ fanfic.”
“What about it?” She retorted, her arms crossed.
He stared at her in disbelief. “Poppy, you're a princess! If anything, you'd own BroZone!”
“If I wrote anything like that, people would know it was me,” she protested. “If I say anything publicly, and something happens, I'll feel like it's because I'm the princess. With this, I'm just another fan, but something about me was intriguing. I don't know.” She frowned, wrapping her arms around herself.
Branch's face fell. “I'm sorry for teasing you,” he said, opening his arms. She sat down on the couch next to him, and the two of them leaned against each other. “I didn't realize how you felt about this. It just felt so absurd, that you'd be pining after someone. I mean, you're Poppy!”
“I know,” she grumbled. “I'm the princess. I get everything I want handed to me.”
“No,” He moved, so she was forced to face him. “I mean- you're Poppy , the most kind, quick-witted, and determined person I know. You are the most talented crafter I've ever met, your friends all trust you with their lives, and you got me to talk to my brothers again.” He grabbed her hands. “You're the most amazing person I know. I've already noticed you for you, and you don't need fanfiction for that.”
Her face flushed. “I- That's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me,” she admitted. “I still like writing the fanfics, though. It's a good stress relief.” She shifted, as if embarrassed to admit it. “Besides, I don't think I'd ever really want to date Bitty B. I mean, I don't really know him, just what he presents publicly. I don't know if he'd be anywhere near as sweet as you.”
A wheeze interrupted her, and she turned over to see Branch with a strange expression on his face. “Are you okay, Branch?” She questioned.
He nodded frantically. “Yeah, I uh… just remembered I promised to call my brother. I'll be right back.” He practically fled from the room, leaving his girlfriend staring at his back in surprise.
She pouted, wondering if she took it too far with the flirting, and curled around a pillow where her boyfriend was suddenly absent. She grabbed her laptop and opened up a new file, and began a new fic. Branch's speech echoed in her head.
Once he was in a room where she wouldn't be able to hear him, Branch dialed Floyd's number.
“Hey, you're on-”
“Poppy doesn't know I'm Bitty B, and I just found out she writes fanfics about him- me!” Branch burst out in a panic.
It was silent before there was a roar of laughter from over the phone.
Branch sat on the ground, pressing his face into his knees. “You're hanging out with John, aren't you?”
There was a distant ‘fanfics!’ before he heard Floyd again.
“Yeah. I was trying to say that you were on speakerphone when you interrupted me,” his brother explained. Branch wanted to be angry, but he could practically hear the apologetic face Floyd was making.
“Gimme!” John called out, voice coming out more clearly as he took the phone. “I can't believe you haven't told her! This is hilarious!”
“I thought she knew!” Branch defended himself. “Should we break up?!”
“Whoah!” Both of his brothers exclaimed.
“Absolutely not!” John yelled into the speaker.
“There's no need to be hasty,” Floyd tried to say calmly.
“I've never even met her and she's my favorite person ever!”
“Let's take a step back and evalua-”
“You guys are my OTP!”
“John Dory!” Floyd snapped. “If you're not being helpful, butt out!”
Branch heard only static for a second before John huffed.
“Fine.”
“Okay,” Floyd continued, much calmer. “Branch, why do you think you need to break up with her?”
“I mean…” he struggled to think of how to explain it. “Isn't it a weird power dynamic? That she's a fan of me but doesn't know it's me?”
“Why didn't you tell her it was you long ago?” Floyd prompted. “Did you feel the need to hide it?”
He sputtered. “No! I thought she knew! I told her all about how ‘me and my brothers used to be in a band’ and I thought she figured it out!”
Floyd hummed. “So, what I'm hearing is that it's a matter of miscommunication rather than purposely withheld information. That doesn't seem break-up worthy to me.”
“But isn't it still a weird power dynamic considering she's one of my fans?” He tried to argue.
Floyd sighed. “First of all, if she didn't even know you're Bitty B, then it's not like she sought you out because of that. You were any other person to her. Second of all, she's a princess. Your relationship was bound to have weird power dynamics anyways.”
Branch nodded slowly. “I- I guess. That kinda makes sense.”
“You just need to sit down and talk this through,” Floyd explained. “You guys can get through this together.”
“Or!”
“John Dory!”
“I'm just saying! This is a perfect opportunity to make someone's dreams come true!” John protested. “What type of fanfics does she write?”
“I don't know,” Branch admitted. “I only saw one of them. …she did say she would love to be singled out of a crowd of others just like her. Like she's not inherently special, but someone notices something about her.”
“That's great!” John cheered. “Our next concert is in your town, just invite her and do that!”
“No!” Floyd protested. “Do not! Some people enjoy public grand gestures, but some people don't. You don’t want to spring that on her in front of millions of people. Just talk to her.”
“Yeah!” John chimed in. “See how she is with surprises, then plan it!”
Floyd let out a noise of offense. “I'm going to have to let you go,” he said, attention elsewhere. “I need to have a talk with John Dory.”
“Before you do,” Branch cut in, nervously. “If I did want to do some elaborate gesture for Poppy, could I do it at a concert? I don't want to ruin our image.”
“Kiddo, I'm almost 40. If that hasn't already ruined our image, I don't think much will,” John joked softly. “It's not like it was back when we were all younger. Frankly, I think the two of you being adorable might boost our ratings. If you want to put something together for Popstar, just let us know, and we can help you out.”
“Don't call me kiddo,” Branch said. “...but, thanks.”
They said their goodbyes, and he hung up. He sat in silence for a moment before heading back out to where he had left Poppy.
When he peeked into the room, he noticed her absorbed in her laptop. “Hey,” he spoke up sheepishly.
She instantly shot up, putting her laptop on the coffee table. “Hey! Sorry if I freaked you out!” She said. “I didn't want to stop the conversation, I just was thinking about your speech and-!”
“It's okay,” Branch interrupted. “Don't worry about it. I just… realized something.” She sent him a look, but didn't protest. “I just…” he debated something mentally before continuing. “I feel like you don't really know my past. I feel like I know your whole life story, but you've never even met my brothers.”
Poppy relaxed, a small smile growing on her face. “I thought I did something wrong,” she admitted sheepishly. “Honestly, my dad kinda prepared me for this. Anyone I date would know more about me than I do about them, due to my status as princess,” she explained. “But when we met, you very clearly didn't care about my status. You didn't treat me any nicer than you treated anyone else, and you never used my status for anything.” She blushed. “Honestly, it felt like a fanfiction moment.”
He flushed as well, clearing his throat. “Well… uh, would you want to meet my brothers? I feel bad that you don't know such a big part of my life.”
She perked up. “Of course! I love learning things about you!”
“That's… okay, cool,” he said, quickly. “I'll just, uh, go message them.” Blushing, he rushed from the room.
Poppy watched with a small smile.
—
Later that night, while they were sitting for dinner, Poppy's phone went off. She glanced at it and smiled, before putting it back down.
“Was that..?” Branch questioned, nervously.
“Hmm? Oh, that was just a comment on my fic,” she said. Since he already knew she wrote fics, it was a little less embarrassing to admit.
He hummed consideringly in return, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before he spoke again. “Would it be okay… if I read your fics?” He asked. “I just- you said they're stress relief so I don't want to intrude-!”
“It's fine,” she said. “Do I have competition for Bitty B?” She teased.
“Absolutely not.”
—
“So… you write a lot about elaborate public displays…”
“Yeah! I hate it from strangers, but I love the idea of someone I care about doing that for me!”
“Okay, thanks.”
“You're welcome? Are you taking notes?”
“Don't worry about it.”
—
“What's your favorite color?”
“Blue! The same shade as your eyes.”
“... cool.”
“Was that a voice crack?!”
“No.”
—
Poppy grew confused as the questions continued. It all came to a point when he approached her one day while he held something behind his back.
“So,” he began nervously, “I was wondering, since my brothers will be in town for the BroZone concert, would you want to meet them there?”
She gasped. “That would be so exciting!” She cheered, before faltering. “But I couldn't get tickets. They've been sold out since the tour was announced. We could meet while they're in town, though!” She tried to remain positive.
“What if the tickets were taken care of?” Branch said. He pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing an envelope. “I got floor tickets for you and your friends. Me and my brothers will be elsewhere in the stadium, but we can meet up partly though-”
Poppy squealed. “There's no way!” She shouted excitedly. “How'd you get tickets?!” She eyed the envelope excitedly, clearly wanting to inspect the tickets.
He handed them over, and she began to leaf through the papers. “I know the openers,” he said, trying to be casual.
She squealed again. “I can't believe this!” She cheered. She jumped forwards, practically tackling him in a hug. He stumbled, but caught them, a smile on his face. “Thank you so much!!”
“It was no problem, really,” he dismissed. “I already talked to Satin and Chenille, and they're preparing an outfit for you so you can blend in better.”
“Branch,” she stated, suddenly serious. “I am so in love with you right now.”
He blushed. “Just remember me when you're being dazzled at the concert,” he teased.
She nodded frantically. “I'm going to call my friends now, we're going to yell, and then afterwards, I'm taking you on a date as a thank you.”
“Oh, you don't have to-”
“I can, and I will.”
—
Branch ended up leaving early the morning of the concert to meet up with his brothers, so he told Poppy her friends were welcome to get ready in their apartment, since it was so close to the stadium.
When Poppy saw what her friends had prepared for her, she laughed.
“Guys, this is the exact outfit I described in one of my fanfics but blue,” she told them.
They grinned at her.
“We know,” Satin said.
“That's the point,” Chenille finished the thought.
They smiled again, holding the outfit aloft.
“When you're changed,” Smidge spoke up. “I'm doing your hair and Guy's doing your makeup. We want to make your boyfriend faint when he sees you tonight,” she joked, smiling widely.
Poppy blushed. “You really don't have too!”
“Yes we do,” Guy said. “Your man got us floor tickets to BroZone. We're doing this for him, not you.”
“Guy!” Satin scolded him. “You weren't supposed to say that!”
Poppy blushed even brighter. “Not too crazy!” She protested. “I'm also meeting his brothers tonight!”
Smidge smirked at her. “Don't want them falling for you, too?”
“Ew! No!” Poppy exclaimed. “He said they're, like, old! The eldest is almost 40! It's more like meeting his parents!”
“Hey, most of BroZone is near that age, and I'd be down to date them,” Guy Diamond said.
“Sorry, Pops,” Satin teased.
“You're going to be gorgeous, no matter what you want,” Chenille finished.
Her friends pushed the outfit into her hands, and pushed her down the hallway. Poppy rolled her eyes, knowing that there was no stopping her friends at that point, but conceded.
(Though, she knew, if she had instead indicated she was genuinely upset, they would know to back off, which made her feel nice.)
When the look was complete, she found herself staring at her reflection. She looked different. Not like herself.
“Branch mentioned that you didn't want to be singled out for being the princess,” Smidge explained. “So we tried to make you look like a different person.”
“We can change it, though,” Guy explained. “We have a look planned for your usual face.”
Poppy stared at herself in the mirror for a second before shaking her head. “No, I like it. I feel like I'm dressed up as my character. I want to be a part of the crowd… but, later, could you do that when it's just us?”
Guy smiled at her. “Gotcha.”
Soon, the rest of them were dressed and ready to go.
It was a short walk over to the stadium, and they went early enough that lines hadn't formed yet.
“Branch said he knew the openers,” Poppy explained. “So I want to be there for them too.”
“I'm always down for more music!” Smidge cheered.
The rest of them agreed happily, making Poppy feel better about bringing them so early.
The concert went like all the other concerts they'd gone to, which was to say that they had a blast. The stadium filled rapidly while the second opener was playing, and soon, their little spot had shrunk, and they were pushed further back.
It didn't matter much to them; their tickets were free, they were still having fun, and they didn't feel any particular need to be crushed against the barriers.
The lights dimmed, and BroZone's biggest hit began playing. The crowd started screaming in joy, and the band burst onto stage, singing about a girl.
Seeing him in real life for the first time, Poppy was struck with the thought that Bitty B looked a lot like Branch. Maybe she had a type…
The song finished and the house lights raised slightly, causing the crowd to begin to murmur.
John Dory stepped forwards, grinning widely. “For this reunion tour, we've taken some time during each show to talk about either the band from the good old days or our sad lives now,” he joked. There was a smattering of laughter in the crowd. “This show, though, we're recognizing someone special.”
Spruce smiled, leaning on his older brother's shoulders. “First of all, my life is not sad- my kids are a joy I cherish every day.” The crowd cooed at the cuteness. “Second of all, I think someone else should do the announcement. You all are probably tired of our voices. But you know who's never been heard not singing? Please welcome, Bitty B!”
The crowd began screaming, Poppy and her friends included. Bitty B was known for his beautiful singing voice, but he was too young for interviews during the band's initial run, and was frequently unavailable during the reunion run.
The blue-haired man stepped forwards, smiling. “Hello, everyone.” The crowd all gasped and began screaming again. “Yes, I know. My talking voice is deeper than my singing voice,” he joked.
It really was. It sounded so different, it almost sounded like… Branch? But that was an odd coincidence, considering he also looked like Branch.
“Can we make an aisle here on the floor?” He asked. The crowd quickly moved, and (with the help of security volunteers) made a walking path down the middle of the floor. “I noticed someone in the crowd tonight. She's been singing and dancing since the first opening song.” Spotlights roamed the crowd, people cheering loudly, hoping to get noticed. “And her smile … The sun itself turns jealous and refuses to come out from behind the clouds.”
…she knows that line. It's in her fanfic. Because Branch said it to her before they started dating.
The spotlight stopped on her, and the whole crowd turned. Her eyes, though, were locked on one person's.
He smiled at her, growing shy. “I noticed you,” he echoed. He gestured her forwards.
Without a moment's hesitation, she ran forwards, accepting the security's help to climb up on the stage as the crowd screamed and cheered. (She distantly heard someone crying.)
Branch smiled at her, holding out his hand. She took it with an overexcited smile (her face hurt from smiling so much).
“I love you so much, I want to declare it to the world,” he said. “Your eyes are pools, so deep, I fear if I dive in, I might never come up for air. The years I've spent dating you have been, by far, the best parts of my life. You're the reason the band got back together, that we're all here today.” He got down on one knee. “Will you do me the honor of staying with me for the rest of my life?”
“YES!!” She yelled, excitedly.
He stood, placing the ring on her finger and the stadium erupted in screams and cheers.
She looked at it in wonder, before looking back up at him. “Would it be totally weird if I passed out right now?”
“What?” He asked, not expecting that.
Before he could say anything else, she started falling limply backwards, and he rushed to catch her.
Floyd came forwards as well, trying to help.
“While they deal with that offstage -” Bruce said, indicating with his head. Branch nodded, slowly picking up his girlfriend and carrying her offstage. “We'll sing something from our early discography, from before B was in the band.”
“Did you guys expect her to pass out?” Floyd asked, incredulously.
“No, but I expected something ,” John admitted. “That girl's fanfiction dreams just got fulfilled in front of millions of people.”
“Let's just start the next song,” Clay said. “We've only got the venue until 11.”
Backstage, Branch gently placed Poppy on a chaise someone had grabbed when she passed out. Not even a minute passed before she was blinking her eyes open.
When she saw who was in front of her, she gasped. “Please tell me that wasn't a dream! Branch!”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “I was a bit nervous, but I wanted to do this for you.” He grabbed her hand, lifting it so they could see the ring she was wearing.
Her face fell slightly as she realized something. “But, what about my sister and dad? I wanted them to be there when I got engaged.”
“I know. They're here, just in a VIP box,” he explained. “I didn't want to give the surprise away.”
She began tearing up, and his face fell in panic.
“If I did something wrong, I'm-”
She tackled him in a hug. “It's everything I ever dreamed of,” she confessed, in tears. “I don't deserve this- I don't deserve you !”
He clutched her back. “Yes, you do. You're everything I ever dreamed of,” he admitted. “I meant it when I said I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
They hugged for a bit before separating.
“I have to get back on stage,” he said, sadly. “But I'll see you after the show?”
She nodded furiously. “I still have to meet your brothers!”
When she got up, stage hands quickly returned the couch to the green room, clearing up backstage.
“Here,” Branch directed her. He stopped her in one specific spot so she had a perfect view of the stage. “I'll be back at the end of the show.”
The song finished, and he headed back out. The crowd cheered and he smiled and waved, ignoring his brothers shooting him knowing looks.
Watching from backstage was awesome . Every time he turned towards her, Branch smiled a little wider.
During one song, though, someone tapped her shoulder and pulled her attention away from the stage.
“Hey,” the guy said. “I have a message for you from John Dory.”
She read it and glanced up at the guy again, a confused expression on her face. “Are you sure?”
“I don't know what's even on that, man,” the guy said. “I just play the drums for the opener.”
“Oh!” Poppy chimed in, remembering. “Riff, right?”
The guy stared at her in confusion. “Yeah? You remembered?”
She nodded, excitedly. “Maybe Branch can introduce us later, it seems I have something to do real quick, though!” She waved excitedly, skipping towards the green room.
When Branch next turned, he almost faltered when he noticed Poppy was gone. Of course, he was a professional, so he didn't, but he felt like the confusion might be showing on his face.
During one of his turns, he noticed Bruce smirking at him.
Then, the song was over and Poppy still hadn't appeared. The transition for the next song only included a fade to black for long enough for them to change positions to prepare for the next dance.
It was a newer one, higher energy, so he didn't have time to look for her again. He felt his show smile falling and hoped nobody noticed.
He had just moved to center stage when a new voice joined in their song. He stopped short in awe, turning to stare in wonder at his girlfriend [fiancée!!] as she walked towards him. She was wearing a dress in his signature color, which looked gorgeous with her pink hair.
She smiled nervously at him as she sang, and he remembered he had to sing too. He joined back in, though his dance moves were less elaborate. Instead, he and Poppy circled each other, both in awe.
He had heard the harmony before when she was crafting one day. The song had played, and she sang a higher part that felt like it should have always been in the song. He had immediately called Bruce to tell him about it.
Watching her sing on stage, he felt betrayed. Those idiots knew he wouldn't be able to function with her like this.
She paused across from him, letting out a small, sly, smile, before doing the exact dance he was supposed to be doing, perfectly on beat.
He laughed silently, before joining her.
Before they knew it, the song, and subsequently, the concert, were done. The crowd was screaming and crying all at the same time.