Her eyes caught on the scar on his jaw, the one she'd kissed some time ago. Poppy moved, ghosting her lips just above his skin, until her mouth was over the blemish.
She whispered. "Did this one hurt?"
Branch swallowed thickly and croaked. "Y-yes."
Poppy kissed it more firmly than she'd kissed his neck. Branch shivered under her.

A thick haze of excitement flooded her mind, smothering out all her concerns about retaliation.
Steadying herself, Poppy placed one hand on the back of the couch and the other on Branch's shoulder. She watched his face, appreciating every detail. He fascinated her all the time, but right now, like this, there was no combination of words to describe how captivated she was. She could do this forever.
Slowly, she moved again, finding a small mark on his cheek. "Did this-"
"Yeah." His quiet reply came before she'd finished her question. Poppy kissed his cheek.
Hands slowly, lightly settled on her waist. Poppy scooted closer, closing what little space had been between them.

Branch was watching her through the corner of his eye, scrutinizing. Apprehensive. And something else.
Poppy turned her head a tiny bit towards him. He moved, tilting his head back down from how she'd positioned him earlier.
They moved like this, incrementally orienting themselves to the other. However much time passed as they did this, Poppy didn't know. It didn't matter.
Facing each other directly, Poppy's lips hovered over Branch's. She licked hers. He licked his. Her heart slammed against her small rib cage at an intense speed.

Poppy asked, in a surprisingly small voice, "have you ever gotten hurt here?"
Branch's reply was as quiet as her inquiry. "Yeah."