Branch POV:
When I came back to my bunker, after my little- accident, everyone was gone, and my machine, still looked like a failed project.
I let out a deep sigh, before grabbing a broom to clean this mess up. I shoved my whole vision board in a bin, each of the drawn papers and all the planing, wasted, I had nothing.
I slowly lowered myself down, to sit on the cold floor, not able to get Juniper out of my head. I still have no present, the Gift-Swap is in a few hours. The disappointment flowing on Juniper's face, is printed in my eyesight. I dropped the broom at my side, crossing my arms over my knees on the floor. "Look through the Clutter." I repeated Tiny's words. My eyes landed on a pile of papers, i haven't shoved in the bin. I leaned out to grab them, when I noticed one picture. It was ripped into two halves, I picked both halves up, revealing a picture of Juniper and Me, we were holding hands, but that wasn't visible no more.
I looked sadly down at the pictures, but then got an idea I was sure Juniper was gonna like, or maybe not. But it's better than approaching with nothing.
~~~
Juniper POV:
The sun was going down, but I was still stood, in front of the big present box. In a few hours I must reveal what's inside this gift, Branch's feelings for me, was hanging in a thin thread. I sighed out loud, my gaze moving over the details on the box, the pink wrapping paper, the red gems, the darker pink shade on the ribbon. My thoughts got pushed aside as I heard footsteps behind me, someone walking past.
"You and Poppy always know how to make someone feel special, don't you Juniper?" I turned to the voices owner, as I was met with Delta's blue eyes. I chuckled lightly at her words, not knowing what to respond, I was doubting on this gift, and it is for my boyfriend...
Delta seemed to notice my nervousness, she carefully placed the gift she was holding in her hands, down on the ground. She approached me and pulled me in for a tight embrace, a long one, it was just what I needed.
"I'm sure Branch is gonna love his gift." She spoke in the hug, before pulling away. We let go of each other, as she walked back to her present, picking it back up. "Yeah.." I spoke, our eyes were still connected, until I turned my head back, to look at my gift. Delta got the message, and walked off, giving me the space she thought I needed. "I hope you're right." I spoke again, once she was out of sight. I inhaled a long breath, before turning my heel and walked back to my hut, preparing my outfit for tonight.
~~~
"Hello Everyone! Who's ready for the Holiday Gift-Swap!" Poppy yelled out, the both of us, stood on a the big mushroom we always use, it was practical because everyone could see and hear us.
I stood with Mr. Dinkles in my embrace, before giving him to Poppy. She pointed his head in the air, before he fired. A big firework shot up in the air, as it made an explosion of a blue colour.
Everyone cheered in the crowd, before they started walking around, excitedly looking for their secret Person.
"Come on, Dad. Let's go!" Barb yelled to our dad in the crowd. Her head turned to me, she stood on her tippy toes, waving, making sure I could see her. I waved just as energetic back to her.
My dad started rolling forward in his wheelchair, but his present got revealed as the wrapping paper, cracked around it. The pony he has wrapped in paper, simply walked off, as he hasn't noticed.
Poppy jumped down from beside me, running out to find her person to give a present to. My eyes wandering around the crowd, seeking for Branch. My eye gaze shifted to Poppy again, as she has approached my dad. "Here you go King Juniper's dad." She spoke to him, sweetly, handing him his gift.
He couldn't open it that fast, but he managed to. His face lightened up as he looked down at the keyboard. "I've painted some skulls and guitars on it, as I thought I would make it more Rock." Poppy rambled, fiddling with her fingers, but my dad seemed to love how she has decorated it. "Thank you miss Poppy, I also have a gift for you." My dad spoke, he finally turned around as he now noticed the Pony was gone. "Well- you have to catch her." He told her, Poppy squealing as an answer, the happiness shown in her eyes. I chucked at her reaction, when she ran off, looking for her Pony.
My gaze shifted to Barb in the crowd. She placed a tiny hat with a strap on, on Mr. Dinkles. Making sure it wouldn't fly away again. "Here you go, little dude." She smiled to him as Mr. Dinkles mewed, thanking her. I smiled at the sight. But my thoughts got cut off, when I felt a presence behind me. I turned, to be met with Branch, he has crawled up on the mushroom beside me, without me even noticing.

He seemed very nervous. "So um-" I started as he turned his gaze to me.
"Who did you get?"
"Who did you get?"
We both ranted out at the same time, the both of us chuckled afterwards. Everyone in the crowd became silent, as all of their gazes shifted to us.
"I'll tell you if you tell me~" Branch spoke, wanting me to start.
"Uh- both of us at the same time?" I chuckled nervously again.
"One, two three- You!-"
"One, two three- You!-"
We both said synchronously, once again, both of us pulling out our Yellow straps, revealing each other's names.
"Okay um-" This was getting a bit awkward, there hasn't been awkward tension between me and Branch before, at least not at this level.
"Do you wanna go first?" I then asked, shaking out of my thoughts. He looked away for a second before looking back into my green eyes. He was building up the courage. "Well, I made you this really, really cool thing." He started. "I'm sure it's great!" I answered excitedly, leaning closer to him.
"But it exploded and blew me into a tree."
"Oh that's not.. not so great..." I then said, my smile faded, looking apologising at him.
"Yeah, I may have overdone it a bit..." He spoke, his eyes dropping to the ground, before his eyes shifted up, meeting mine again, opening his mouth to speak again. "Anyway, this is all I could scrape together." He reached a hand up in his hair, pulling out a thick book and held it out for me to take. "Here."
I could hear the disappointment flowing in his voice. I carefully reached out, grabbing the book out of his hands. Looking down at it, examining it. "I know it's kinda lame..." he spoke again, fiddling with his fingers. I ran my hand over the front page, before flipping through the pages. There was a lot of pictures of me and him and how we met. The night we slept In the forest together, when we met Bridget and turned her into Lady Glittersparkles, when we danced in the Troll Pot, forgetting the situation, and only lived in the moment.
I flipped more pages, still in complete surprise over his gift.
I landed on a page quoting, 'you make me happy' and a scrapbooked version of us kissing for the first time, the day we became official.
"Branch... you scrapbooked, for me?" I spoke up, my head tilting to the side, as my gaze was back up at him.
"Yeah. I wanted to show you how much our relationship means to me. But I think I permanently glued two of my fingers together doing it-" he then spoke up, showing me his hand, and the two of his fingers, who was stuck up against one another. I chuckled lightly, but looked back down at the scrapbook in my hand. "I love it! It's a gift only you could give me!" I spoke, holding the book close to my chest.
My words made him smile, all his nerves leaving in a heartbeat, the sudden relief rushing over him.
Branch stepped closer, placing his palm on my cheek and kissed the other. I heard Trolls, in the crowd beneath us, awing at the sight.
"Okay um. Now it's my turn." I spoke up, stepping back, nearing the big gift I've placed, on the edge of the mushroom. Another reaction was heard from the crowd, as they gasped excitedly.
Branch's gaze shifted to the gift as well. I put the Scrapbook in my hair, to protect it. I then reached for a rope, pulling it, making the sides of the present open up.
It revealed... nothing.
Seeing Branch's expression turn from an excited one, to a confused one, made my gaze fall. It broke my heart, to see the disappointment he must feel.
"Well, that sucks." I heard Cooper speak up, he knew me very well, but this stunt, he never guessed would happen.
Branch heard Cooper's comment, his gaze turning from the empty box, to the crowd, seeing everyone's confused gazes at me. My own at the ground. He gazed back at me, and saw my face expression, as he spoke up again. "Oh, h-hey, cool! An invisible mountain bike?" He tried excusing for my sake.
"I-" I started, with a sigh in between. "I didn't get you anything. Because, when I tried to think about what to get the coolest Troll in the whole world, I totally dew a blank." I started, walking back to him, approaching him slowly. His confusion, mixed with a slight frown, suddenly turned into a surprised one, his smile growing with each word I said.
"I mean, what do you even get someone who is sooo sweet, and so funny, and kind, and cute and like, weirdly overprepared for everything?" I finished now standing right in front of him, I could see his cheeks has gone red, from blushing, but he tried hiding it by looking down at the ground. He looked up at me once again, shining a big smirk at me, with his beautiful blue eyes looking into my green ones.
"You know, the thing I like most about the holiday is just being together." He spoke up, holding out his hands for mine to place in. As I did he spoke up again. "With you." I couldn't help but smile bigger, I was so in love with this Troll, I couldn't even explain it.
I didn't hesitate to lean in and kiss his lips firmly, him gladly accepting it, shortly after.
"Bruniper forever!" Poppy shouted from the crowd, which made me giggle in the kiss, Branch pulling back, the both of us looking down at her, her chuckling nervously in response. She quickly made her way up beside me and Branch as she held a ukulele.
"Uke me Poppy!" I spoke, turning my head to her. She started playing a melody on the ukulele.
🎵You always wanted to be hiding, Like no one wants you around-🎵I sang to Branch, walking around him, his smirk never leaving his face. His face fell, looking down at the ground, rubbing his arm nervously. 🎵Hold your head a little higher! It's pretty simple-🎵
I nudged his shoulder, making him look back up at me.
🎵I'm in luck, I'm in luck, I'm in luck, 'Cause we're together now!🎵 The Trolls in the crowd began holding hands, wrapping their arms around each other, swaying with the melody of the Ukulele. 🎵Never stop looking up, if it's love, Don't even mess around.🎵 Branch twirled me around as we now stood in front of each other, his hand never letting go of mine. Mr. Dinkles held a mistletoe in between us, Branch noticing right away. I took a hold of his chin, he closed his eyes, waiting for me to kiss his cheek. I patted his cheek instead, his eyes shot open at the loss of contact, when I ran off to Poppy.
🎵Together now🎵 I took the Ukulele from Poppy as I started playing on it, I stuck my tongue out, concentrating. As I turned around Branch stood in front of me, taking my waist with a big smirk on his face. My eyes widened in response. 🎵I said I didn't wanna light up🎵 Branch sang with, letting go of my waist once again, as he made a dance move, me still playing. 🎵so turn the radio down, Maybe I was in denial? But I've changed a little-🎵 Trolls started playing on their own instruments, making me throw the Ukulele away and danced hand in hand with Branch. 🎵I'm in luck, I'm in luck, I'm in luck, 'Cause we're together now! Looking up, looking up, looking up, Don't need to look around! 'Cause I know-🎵 We stopped our movements, when small firefly's were forming a heart around us. They then made a path for us to take, we took each others hand, walking over them, as they lightened up at every step we took. 🎵I'm in luck, I'm in luck, I'm in luck, 'Cause we're together now.🎵
🎵Oh, 'cause we're together now, 'cause we're together now!🎵 King Trollex sang, wrapping both his arms around two Trolls on his side. Under us came Tiny Diamond. 🎵We got together better than a snowflake on a sweater! Or a Tiny Diamond verse on my daddy's favourite record. Now my journey's finally over, wow. I just wanna say Bla-Dow! Through rain and stormy weather. How we'll always be together now!🎵 He finished his rap, finishing it, by popping out of a gift box, his dad was holding. Tiny jumped up and embraced his dad in a hug. "Oh, I love you, Daddy!"
"I love you too, son." Guy answered.
"It feels so good to see you again, you know?" Prince D then spoke up, he turned his head to look at Cooper. "Yeah!" Cooper answered, smiling at his Twin Brother. They haven't known each other for long, but they are inseparable, just like me and Branch, me and Barb, me and Poppy.
"Ha, come here!" Prince D laughed, as he laid an arm around Cooper, pulling him closer.
🎵Together now! The bad days are over, 'Cause we come together!🎵 I sang loud and clear, Branch and I, each stood on a firefly, they flew us closer, we grabbed each other's hands once again.
🎵The bad days are over, 'Cause we don't stop!🎵 And then we jumped, two Trolls stretched their hair out and Satin and Chenille used their hair to make a swing for us. 🎵Looking up, looking up, looking up, Don't need to look around. 'Cause I know. I'm in luck, I'm in luck, I'm in luck, 'Cause we're together now!🎵 We jumped off, the swing made us jump high up into the sky, our palms touched, before our bodies began nearing the ground again.
🎵Together now, now, now. Together now, now, now🎵 We kept repeating with the crowd. Some Trolls gathered around my dad as he sat in his wheelchair, they made a heart shape and he shot fireworks in the air.
🎵Together now🎵 We finished, our hands were connected, when we landed back on the mushroom, in front of the crowd.
Everyone started cheering as this Gift Swap has been a success. Both me and Branch, looked out at them in awe, seeing Poppy was the one who was jumping the highest.
"Wow, Juniper, maybe next year we exchange songs instead of gifts." He smiled, looking back into my eyes. "I love that idea." I smiled back, looking at my amazing boyfriend I wouldn't trade for anything.
Our eye contact broke as snow started falling from the sky, we both looked up in awe, never letting go of each other's one hand.
"I hope you guys don't mind I brought a few of my buddies" Cloud Guy spoke up, in the sky was him and a lot of other clouds, with red cloaks on.
I looked in confusion now, as Branch let go of my hand. "Everyone, Everyone, keep your mouths closed! We don't know where that's coming from!" Branch shouted out to everyone, taking the responsibility as he usually does.
"Heh- wait what?" Riff spoke up, his voice sounded muffled, as his tongue was sticking out, a mountain of snow on top. Poppy stood beside, her own mouth open and tongue sticking out, but she quickly closed it, when she heard Branch's words.
"Guys, wait-" He was about to jump down into the crowd, but I quickly took his arm, stopping him.
"Branch. How about another Balloon ride over Troll Kingdom?" I asked, he looked skeptical at me before answering. "No Multitasking?"
"Nope, just you and me." I then answered and leaned in to kiss his cheek lovingly.
"You missed." He answered in a whisper, when my lips left his cheek. He leaned the rest of the way in and kissed my lips lovingly, me gladly accepting, as always.
We pulled away again, when we heard the Hot air Balloon in the distance, its laugh getting more clear as it neared.
"Oh yeah! Team Bruniper all the way!" She crackled, picking us up on her way, into her basket and flew off with us.
I ran to the edge, looking down at Troll Kingdom, I noticed Trolls waving after us, others running around in the snow, having fun.
Branch and I shared a gaze at one another, as he approached me.
He connecting our foreheads together. Our love for each other couldn't be explained with explained with words, all we needed was each other's presence.
But misunderstandings could be made, but even the biggest mistakes, wouldn't break us apart.
THE END.