"Congratulations, sweetheart, another perfect score." Peppy said proudly, putting the royal review tokens away in their case for another year.

"Thanks, Dad. I've only got...50 odd years left before I can beat your score." Poppy said, looking up from her scrap book with a cheeky grin. The day was drawing to a close, and Poppy was unwinding in her typical fashion.

"I'm not that old." Peppy objected, sitting down next to his daughter. "I'm not even a granddad yet!"

Poppy rolled her eyes. "Then it's a good thing you are still young, since I'm not having kids any time soon." Her scissors went back into action, delicately snipping teal felt into shape. Poppy had been wondering when this would come up. Peppy had increasingly been going out of his way to mention upcoming weddings and new arrivals to her.

"Poppy, you can't put it off forever. As queen you have to provide an heir to the crown." Peppy said seriously. Pretty much nothing seemed to embarrass him.

"Daaaaad! I'm not even seeing anyone!" Poppy objected. She was much too busy. Between her royal duties and spending time with her friends there was really no room for romance.

"That's exactly my point, sweetheart. I'm not saying you have to settle down right now, but shouldn't you at least try going on a few dates?"

Poppy saw her father's hopeful expression and gave him a resigned smile. It was better for Peppy to think she was on it, before he took it upon himself to set her up.

"Ok, Dad. If it'll make you happy I'll go on a date."

Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the conversation.

"How about him?" Peppy pointed to the figure Poppy had just glued into her scrap book. "You spend all your time together already."

"Branch?" Poppy snorted. That was hilarious. "He's still getting the hang of friendship. I doubt he's ready for anything as personal as dating."

Peppy shrugged, smiling tolerantly. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Poppy looked down at the felt Branch. It was true they did spend a lot of time together. In fact every time she had a problem, or a brilliant idea to try, or even if she just had nothing better to do he was the first one she went to. But somehow the idea of even discussing her Dad's dating mandate with Branch made her want to curl up and die. This was one area where she could definitely do without his caustic humour.

So it was that she found herself assembling the Snack Pack in her pod the next day without swinging by the bunker.

"Alright guys, I need your help with something." Poppy began.

"Shouldn't we wait for Branch?" Biggy politely suggested.

"No. This is something...outside his field of expertise." Poppy said firmly. She took a deep breath. "I promised my Dad I'd start dating." The reaction was not entirely what she was expecting.

"That's cool," DJ Suki grinned.

"About time you and Branch made it official. " Biggy said excitedly.

"I thought they already were?" Guy Diamond asked.

"Meep!" Mr Dinkles added.

"Guys! I'm not dating Branch! Why does everyone think that?" Poppy complained.

"Oh my God!" Smidge exclaimed.

"You mean, you really are just friends?" Guy Diamond asked disbelievingly.

"So, Branch is single?" Satin asked. Chenille elbowed her.

"I already told you, I don't care how hot he is, I am not living in that bunker."

"Can we please focus on my problem?" Poppy said, feeling surprisingly irritated by the turn things had taken.

"So what's the plan? We going out on the pull tonight?" DJ asked.

"While that would be fun, if I haven't bumped into the perfect guy at a party already then I doubt I will tonight. I think we need to be a bit more proactive." Poppy said thoughtfully.

"Alright," Biggy got out a note pad. "How about you give us a description of what you're looking for, and maybe we can suggest someone?"

"Great plan! Let's see," Poppy thought for a moment. She was normally so busy running the kingdom that she hardly ever thought about romance. "Well, obviously a good voice would be a plus," singing was her greatest passion after all. "Oh, if he could write songs that would be cool. Someone sweet, but not a doormat. Smart is good, maybe good with his hands."

Chenille snorted and Satin sniggered behind her hand.

"Not like that. Although...no I meant if he could make stuff." Poppy could feel her cheeks getting heated. Trying to be practical she added; "and since whoever I date might be King some day he needs to be responsible, good in a crisis, brave. But, you know what I really like? Hidden depths. Someone who can surprise me. Yeah, now just find me someone like that and we have a winner."

Cooper looked at the list over Biggy's shoulder.

"You do know you're just describing Branch, right?"

"How is that a description of Branch?" Poppy sputtered.

"He does have a great voice." Guy pointed out.

"And he writes poetry, so lyrics wouldn't be a stretch." DJ added.

"He designed and built that whole bunker, and all those hidden defences." Biggy listed.

"He's got guts." Smidge approved.

"Alright, alright! Clearly I've been spending too much time with Branch and it's affected my judgment. Although if you want to make that list really accurate you should add paranoid, antisocial, stubborn, arrogant and unhealthily obsessed with his remote control!" Poppy paused, a little shocked at herself. Sure Branch could drive her mad sometimes, but to list a friend's faults like that was downright mean. Just what had gotten into her? Her friends also looked surprised. Biggy had even covered Mr Dinkles's ears. The only exception was DJ Suki, who was now napping on the couch.

Chenille broke the awkward silence.

"I think it's time to try a different approach."

"Can't be any worse than this one." Cooper said.

A little while later Poppy was sat in front of Harper.

"Physical attraction is crucial in any relationship." Chenille began.

"Just describe what you like and Harper will work up a composite sketch. " Satin finished.

Poppy laughed nervously. "I've honestly never really thought about it. I guess, muscles are nice, but not over the top. Just toned."

Harper's pencil began scratching on the paper.

"Features?" Harper prompted.

"Expressive. You know, like a simple smile can say 'you're being totally crazy but hey, I must be too because I can't say no to you'." Poppy warmed to her subject. "Handsome, but in a real way, you know? A little rough around the edges. Oh, and maybe something a bit unusual, like...um..." Poppy stalled, feeling a little embarrassed to admit her secret fetish.

"Pointed ears?" Harper filled in.

"How'd you guess?" Poppy asked, stunned.

"Call it artist's intuition." Harper smirked. "Colouring?"

"I like..." Poppy managed to stop herself just before she said 'teal'. It was a beautiful colour, but she actually couldn't remember seeing a single other troll besides Branch who had that particular shade, and the last thing she wanted to do was set them off again.

"You know what, colour doesn't matter. I guess I do prefer dark hair though." That seemed safe.

"Uh huh," Harper shaded in the hair on her sketch. "Here you go." She handed over the finished picture, and Poppy scowled.

"That's exactly what you described, right down to the ears." Harper shrugged.

"Even Satin isn't into his ears." Chenille said.

"It's fine as long as he doesn't start moving them separately. Ears should always stay symmetrical." Satin said defensively.

Poppy was looking at a picture of Branch. Branch smirking in that affectionate teasing way she found so endearing. Branch vest-less, showing the results of a decade of hard physical labour, digging out the extensive bunker. Honestly, she had no idea why 'get ripped' was on his bunker list. In Poppy's opinion he could have ticked that off a long time ago. She could keep this picture, right?

Poppy felt her jaw drop, face burning like the sun.

"And there we go." Chenille said smugly.

"The look of someone who's just realised all that antagonism was actually raw attraction. I know that feeling." Smidge nodded sagely.

"Make me a copy." Satin mouthed at Harper.

Poppy stood up calmly.

"Excuse me for one moment." She matched into the bedroom and moments later her waiting friends heard a muffled scream.

"Holy freaking cupcakes I'm in love with Branch!"

There was silence, then the sound of furious scissor snipping, the pop of tiny confetti cannons, and finally the slam of a scrap book being closed. Suki stretched and sat up rubbing her eyes.

Poppy emerged from her room, wearing one of her most terrifying in-the-face-of-adversity smiles.

"Ok. Sorry about that. New plan. How can I get Branch to ask me out?"

"How long was I asleep?" Suki asked, confused.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Smidge said, as usual pointing out the most direct route.

"No. This is Branch we're talking about. If I'm the one to ask him he will never let me forget it." Poppy said firmly. "But if he asks me I get to hold it over him."

"But if he hasn't asked you out in all this time..." Guy trailed off and shrugged.q

Maybe he doesn't want to. Poppy shook her head to dispel the unwelcome thought. There was no way Branch wasn't interested. He'd even told her she was the most important person in his life. Remembering that day gave Poppy an idea.

"He just needs a bit of...motivation."

"I gotcha." Smidge grinned, pounding her fist into her palm.

"Let's...keep that as a last resort." Poppy said diplomatically. "I meant I'll make him jealous. He was too nervous to ask me for my hug day hug until he saw me hugging Cloud Guy. So if he thinks I'm going out with someone else..."

"He'll step up to win you back!" Biggy said enthusiastically.

"Exactly." Poppy said.

"So you're going to date Cloud Guy?" DJ asked, still trying to work out what she'd missed.

"Oh I've got someone even better." Poppy said, smirking.

It was mid morning, and Poppy was standing next to a waterfall.

"So, to be clear, you don't actually want to go on a date with me?" Creek had listened to Poppy's request without breaking his meditation pose. Now he uncrossed his legs and stood.

Poppy laughed nervously. She'd been so set on who would cause Branch the most jealousy that she hadn't really stopped to consider Creek's feelings.

"Well, you know, we're such old friends, it would be kind of weird." Which was a blatant lie as they used to flirt all the time, but it was still nicer than saying 'Sorry, I just haven't felt the same about you ever since you sold us out to save yourself.'

Creek diplomatically let it go.

"But you're going to tell Branch that we are dating, and you want me to rub his face in it?"

"I know it's kind of mean, but..."

"Alright." Creek agreed easily. "I'm happy to do that, for you of course. But there is one condition."

"What's that?" Poppy asked.

"If by any chance you've misread Branch's feelings, and he doesn't ask you out, you and I will go on the date tonight as planned. Deal?" Creek said, giving her his most charming smile.

Poppy considered. She and Creek really hadn't spent that much time together recently. And if Branch was going to be stupid enough not to intervene then it would serve him right if she did go out with Creek.

"That sounds fair. I really appreciate you helping me." Poppy said.

Creek pulled a comb and began brushing his smooth hair.

"I will do my best. Anything for you, love." He reached out and touched the tip of hid comb to her nose.

"Boop!"

A/N: This is my first time posting a fan fic, hope it's ok and not too many typos. I think there will be 3/4 chapters total. Please let me know what you think.

Sorry I didn't represent Guy's voice properly, I really wasn't confident typing the autotune effect.

I actually watched the show before the movie, so the continuity and characterisation are very much taken from TBGO.

Citations: The opening scene is meant to set the story a year after the first season, as I'm assuming the 'Royal review' is an annual thing. Satin's crush on Branch is based on her describing him as smooth in the episode 'Sorry not sorry' and the fact that she offered to do anything for him in 'Model behaviour'. Obviously though she's not serious, she knows he belongs to Poppy xD

When Smidge says she knows the feeling it's a reference to the episode 'Crushing it'. Harper's ability to draw an acurate portrait from a vague description is taken from 'The giver', the effect topless Branch has on the ladies (along with the 'bunker list') is also from 'Model behaviour' lol, and lastly Poppy practically describes the plot of 'Cloudy with a chance of hugs'.