Chapter Text
Branch couldn’t remember being so content, oh hair, so happy… ever.
He had his colours back, he had friends, he had Poppy, and now he even had his brothers back. Something he had never imagined would happen.
Things weren’t perfect. Floyd was still weak and healing from the diamond prison, John Dory was struggling to find the balance between protectiveness and overbearing. Clay and Bruce would still automatically react towards him with hostility, but they were both learning to stop and take a deep breath.
For all accounts, this was the best his life had been in over twenty years.
Branch placed the toolbox of the platform of the elevator before pulling the lever, humming softly to himself.
“Hey, B. Everything get fixed?” Floyd asked from his seat on the couch.
“Yeah, Cooper’s bathroom sink is probably better than it was before.” Branch smirked as he put the toolbox away.
“I think Bruce said he was almost done cooking, so-“
“Floydy, you want dinner out there, or are you up to eating at the table?!” JD’s voice called from the kitchen. Floyd huffed a small laugh.
“Coming!” He called back, pushing the blanket off his lap. “Um, I’ll be okay in there, but- uh-“ Floyd’s face flushed, and Branch just smiled warmly.
Walking over, he offered Floyd his arm and helped him into the kitchen where the others were setting the table.
“Hey! Branch’s back too! You have fun, bro-bro?” Clay greeted.
So why did those words make his stomach twist in such a weird way?
~~~
Poppy was inspecting a patch of flowers, debating on if they were good enough to gather for one of the trolls in the village who had fallen ill. Branch was used to stuff like this interrupting their hikes, and he watched on fondly as she debated the pros and cons of the flowers with herself.
She finally settled on a patch that were slightly better than the others, pulling a pair of her crafting scissors out of her hair and carefully cutting them. Branch held each flower as it was cut for her until she was done. He handed the bundle of flowers over, smiling brighter as Poppy used her free hand to hold his as they continued their walk.
“Thanks for waiting, Branch. I know you don’t always get when I rant about this stuff.” Poppy said, squeezing his hand.
“You want to get the nicest flowers to help someone feel better, even if I don’t know a ton about the flowers themselves, I don’t mind listening. You listen to my rants about things you don’t understand.” He said simply. “So while I don’t get flowers, I do understand irrigation. The way the ground was slanted back there means these flowers would have had the most water when it rained, so you definitely picked the best ones.”
Poppy bounced on her toes for a moment, giggling. They continued their walk, circling around until they were eventually heading back towards the village. As they made their way into the main clearing, some younger teenage trolls came running up.
“Queen Poppy! Mr Branch! Some of the trollings were trying to make a cake for their teacher but it got burnt and now they have nothing to celebrate the teachers birthday!”
“That’s terrible!” Poppy gasped. She glanced down at the flowers in her hand, biting her lip.
“Hey, I can take the flowers to Jasmine.” He offered.
“Really?”
“Yeah, of course. I don’t mind.”
Branch suddenly found himself with an armful of girlfriend, and he chuckled as he returned the hug.
“Branch, you are the best boyfriend ever! I’ll see you later for dinner with the Snack Pack!” She said, before heading off with the teenagers.
He watched her go before heading towards Jasmine’s pod, an odd feeling twisting in his stomach. It didn’t seem to be annoyance at their walk cut short, but he couldn’t think of anything else it could be.
~~~
“Hi Branch!” Biggie called.
“Oh, hey Biggie. Hey Mr Dinkles.” Branch greeted. “What can I do for you guys?”
“Well, I know you’re not always super open about stuff, so if you don’t want to, I’ll totally understand.” Biggie started, making Branch smile softly. He was doing his best to be more integrated in the village, and he couldn’t help but feel warmed when others in the village saw his attempts, and approached him in ways he would be more comfortable with.
“But I was wondering if you had any cool stories from being in a boy band?”
Branch blinked, not quite expecting that question.
“Uh, I wasn’t really in the band for that long.” He said. He was used to an uncomfortable feeling when asked about his past, but this squeeze felt… different. Despite what he had said, he could think of a few stories he could tell Biggie, and he didn’t feel the usual urge to push the person asking away. But there was still a knot in his stomach, one he didn’t know how to place.
“That’s okay! I was just curious. Boy band life sounds so different than village life.” Biggie said. He didn’t look disappointed, but Branch still felt… something.
“But- um- if you wanna help me with the rest of my veggie patch, you can come to dinner and my brothers will probably have a bunch of stories to tell?” Branch offered. Biggie beamed at him, and Branch returned the smile, relieved.
“Sure, I’d love to lend a hand! Which of the veggies are we harvesting?” Biggie asked, placing Mr Dinkles in a basket.
Biggie was one of the easiest of the Snack Pack to get along with. He seemed to understand Branch better after traveling the world together during the world tour. Together they made fairly quick work of his veggie garden, and Branch was given the honour of holding Mr Dinkles on the way back to the bunker.
Lowering down into the bunker, Branch smiled as his brothers all turned and greeted him.
“Bitty B!”
“Branchie!”
“Hey man!”
“Hi Branch, and who’s this?” Floyd asked. There was that knot again, the one that he couldn’t identify, but he pushed it aside for now.
“This is Biggie, and this is Mr Dinkles. He’s one of-“ he hesitated for a moment, glancing at Mr Dinkles and up at Biggie. “He’s one of my friends.” He finished.
There was a little excited ‘eee!’ from Biggie, but he reigned in a big show.
“Hi there!”
“He helped out in the garden, so I invited him for dinner.”
“Amazing! We’ve been meaning to come and introduce ourselves to everyone! I’m John Dory, but you can call me JD.” His oldest brother came over and took one of the baskets from Biggie.
An embarrassed giggle answered that, and Bruce and JD got swept up in entertaining an obvious fan. Branch went and joined Floyd on the couch.
“Sorry, I know you’re not at your best. It all just kind of- happened-“
“It’s alright, B.” Floyd said, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “If I’m not up for going out, I don’t mind meeting your friends down here. In fact, I’d really like it.”
Branch relaxed, smiling at Floyd.
“Well, you’re gonna love this little guy. He’s definitely my best friend.” He joked, switching which arm was holding Mr Dinkles so Floyd could see him better. Floyd chuckled, reaching over to fake tickle the worm’s cheek with a finger.
“Very nice to meet you, Mr Dinkles.” Floyd said.
“Mew.”
“Oh my gosh, he’s soo cute!” Floyd laughed. The noise kind of shocked Branch. He hadn’t heard Floyd give a real laugh since they had reunited. Small chuckles, yes, but not full laughter.
“Almost as cute as a little brother.” Floyd continued with a teasing grin, nudging Brach’s side.
The knot in his stomach twisted again, while at the same time his heart beat faster in joy. Ugh, just when he thought he’d been getting the hang of having all his emotions back, whatever this was had to come and throw a curve ball at him.
“Whatever.” He managed to say back, rolling his eyes with a smile on his face.
“Can I hold him?”
“Uh, hang on. Biggie’s very protective. Biggie! Can Floyd hold Mr Dinkles?”
Biggie visibly hesitated, pursing his lips.
“You’ll supervise, right, Branch?”
“Of course.”
“Well, alright then. I trust you and your judgement. If you think Floyd can handle it, go ahead!” Biggie smiled, making Branch blink in surprise. He knew, on some level, that the others trusted and liked him, but he was still blown away everytime one of them did or said something that proved that.
“Branch?” Floyd questioned softly. Branch blinked again, coming down from his thoughts.
“Right, sorry, here. One Mr Dinkles for your cuddling pleasure.” He said, carefully handing over the worm. Floyd seemed to melt, looking the most relaxed they’d seen him since finding him again. He made a mental note to talk to Milton who ran the critter hospital to see if they could bring one or two animals down for Floyd every so often.
“Hey bros, I’ve got dinner ready.” Clay said, stepping out of the kitchen.
Twist.
Oh, this was gonna be a long night.
~~~
Dear my super handsome boyfriend Branch!
I am inviting you to the annual Celebration of Boyfriends and Husbands! As my boyfriend!
Excited to hear your reply!
Your girlfriend,
Queen Poppy 💖
The knot in Branch’s stomach had worked its way from a knot into a tangle of grip vines clawing at his insides over the last few weeks. Every time his brothers greeted him, everytime someone talked about him being in Brozone, everytime someone referred to him as Poppy’s boyfriend, including when Poppy did it.
Getting this invite made him want to throw up.
Okay, this was getting serious. He needed to Talk About His Feelings.
“Uh, hey guys?” Branch said, stepping into the living room.
“Hey Bitty-Bro. What’s up?” JD asked. Ow.
“I’m gonna go hang out with Poppy for a while, I don’t know if I’ll be back for dinner.”
“No worries, B. We’ll make a serve just in case, and if you don’t come back, we’ll have leftovers.” Clay said. Branch smiled, hoping it didn’t look too forced.
“You guys know where to find me if you need something.” He said, making his way to the elevator.
He waved and said casual hello’s to the trolls he ran into on the way to Poppy’s pod. A far cry from his days as a hermit. Sometimes it was hard to believe how far he had come.
He knocked on Poppy’s door, and couldn’t help but smile as his girlfriend opened it and pulled him into a hug.
“Branch! Did you get my invitation?! You didn’t have to come straight away, though it’s very sweet.” She said excitedly.
“I- yeah. I got it. Can I come in?” He asked.
Poppy pulled back, looking at his face. She must have seen some hint of… everything, because she just nodded, squeezing his hand comfortingly as she led them both inside. Sitting them both on her couch, Poppy held both his hands in hers.
“Before you get too much in your own head, I want you to know that I’m glad you’re coming to me for help with whatever’s going on.” She said.
Branch chuckled weakly.
“You’ve been able to tell this whole time, haven’t you?”
“I have, but I know pushing you doesn’t work. If I noticed it getting really bad I would have approached, but so far, I was willing to wait until you were ready.” She said. Branch sighed, squeezing her hands.
“You’re amazing, Poppy.” He said thankfully.
A few deep breaths to prepare himself for actually saying something before he began.
“Poppy, I’m… having… feelings.” He said lamely. Poppy nodded, waiting patiently for him to continue. “Ugh. Confusing feelings. About… seemingly normal things? It’s- it’s different from- from the occasional hurt and anger that’s still lingering from being left behind. It’s a hurt and- and confusion? But a different hurt?” He let out a long breath, even just that confession taking a lot out of him.
“You said it’s about seemingly normal things, what kind of things?” Poppy prompted gently. Branch took another deep breath.
“When- when my brothers greet me. When the trollings greet me. When people talk about me being one of the brothers in Brozone. When-“ he hesitated, not wanting to hurt Poppy’s feelings. “When people call me your boyfriend…” he admitted, unable to meet her gaze.
Poppy squeezed his hands.
“Greeting you… anytime your brothers greet you?”
“Um, I think so? It feels like. With Floyd the least.” He said. Poppy hummed thoughtfully.
“And with the trollings, when they call you Mr Branch?”
“Uh. Yeah?”
“And when people talk about you being a brother, and a boyfriend?”
“I- yeah. Yeah. It- feels… bad. Twisty.”
Branch felt a momentary spike of panic as Poppy let go of one of his hands, but it calmed again as she cupped his cheek and directed his gaze back to her.
“Okay, given what you’ve told me, I might have an idea what’s going on. But it’s not something I have personal experience with. However, I do know someone that, if I’m right, has gone through the same thing. If you want- and only if you want. I won’t push you. I can go talk to them, and see if they would be willing to talk to you about this. But you would need to talk to them about all this too.”
His stomach twisted with a different anxiety this time.
“I- I don’t-“ Talking with Poppy was one thing, but someone else? Someone who could potentionally be a stranger?
“It’s someone from the Snack Pack, if that helps. Someone you know.” Poppy added on, stroking his cheek. Branch let out a breath at that. That- that was a bit less intimidating.
“What- what if I can’t do it?” He asked quietly.
“If you can’t manage to do it, that’s okay. I could try and help you, or we can wait until you’re ready. Whatever you’re comfortable with, Branch.”
Falling silent, Branch looked away, thinking over the idea. Being vulnerable was hard but- hair, he really just wanted some answers.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah. Let’s try.” Branch nodded, looking back at her. Poppy beamed, looking proud. She stood up, then leaned over to press a kiss to his forehead.
“Just know that whatever happens, I’m always gonna be here. I love you, Branch.” She said firmly. He melted a little, soothed by her sweet words.
“I love you too, Poppy.”
“I won’t be long, okay? Sit tight.” She said, before giving his hands one last squeeze and leaving.
Branch continued to sit on the couch, nervously tapping his hands against his knees. He took deep breaths to try and keep his nerves at bay. True to her word, Poppy was back not long later, Smidge in tow.
“How about a hot drink to make this a bit less formal. Branch, tea, Smidge, hot chocolate?”
“Sure, yeah, mhm.”
“Yeah, hot chocolate sounds awesome. Thanks Poppy.”
They all moved into the kitchen to sit at the small table, so no one had to sit on the floor with the others on the couch. Poppy set the hot drinks in front of them, before taking her seat. Branch took a sip of tea, feeling the warmth spread through him.
“Thanks, Pop.”
“Course, Branch. So-“
“Poppy said you were having some confusing feelings you hadn’t had before, and that I might be able to help. I hope I can, you’re a good friend, Branch, and I’d love to repay you.”
“Re- what?”
“Branch, you saved the whole village from Burgens, and from the rock-pocalypse. You saved my life, and the lives of all my friends and family.”
Branch felt his cheeks heat up.
“I- anyone would have-“
“No, not anyone would have.” Smidge replied seriously. “But you did. And I want to try and help you, if you’re open to that.”
He stared at the smaller troll for a few long moments, before the story came out all over again. This version was more ramble-y, with less hesitation and more specific examples as he rushed to get the weight of all this off his chest.
Smidge had a thoughtful look on her face as his story came to an end.
“Okay, I’m gonna try something. It might seem out there, but really give it some thought.” She said. She turned towards Poppy, taking a sip of her drink. “So, how’s your girlfriend Branch going?”
“Oh, she’s great! Recently found her brothers and they’re all reunited again!”
Branch watched them, his mouth dropping open a little.
“What-“
“Is it true that she’s the only girl in Brozone?”
“Yup! The baby sister. Soo cute, right?”
His- her mouth snapped shut. She? Sister? Girlfriend? It seemed crazy, but- but it did release some of that tension in his- her stomach. Being transgender was pretty common. An egg came out of a trolls hair and hatched a baby. There weren’t a lot of physical differences between male and female trolls, it was literally all in how you felt. Sometimes trollings made mistakes, or were influenced by the people closest to them. If a trolling was raised by a single mother or single father, they might think for a while that being a girl or a boy was the only way to be. Branch had certainly been raised around a lot of brothers, but.
“But- but trolls normally figure this out when they’re teenagers! Some even as trollings still! I’m- I’m pushing thirty- there’s- there’s no-“ He- she protested in confusion, wrapping his- her arms around himself- herself.
“Sure, a lot do. Not all of them. Some don’t figure it out until their twenties.” Smidge said calmly.
“Young twenties.” He- she said.
“Branch.” Poppy said gently, reaching for his- her hand. Branch took it, swallowing thickly. “You’ve been in survival mode for at least twenty years. Longer. You didn’t have the emotional headspace to worry about your gender, all your energy was going into staying alive, staying afloat. But now you’ve got your colours back, you’ve got friends, a home, and you have your family back. There’s nothing left for you to be worried about, so you finally have the space and the time to think about yourself.”
He- she let out a long breath, gaze drifting to the table as he- she processed all that. He- she wasn’t sure how long he- she sat there for, but neither Poppy or Smidge interrupted his- her thought process.
“I’m- I’m not sure. I mean- I guess it makes sense? But-“
“But there’s no rush.” Smidge said. “You don’t need to decide right here and now. Take some time to think about it. I made a guess at she/her pronouns, but you might take the time to think and decide you like they/them, or maybe you’re a bit of both, and you’re just feeling a bit smothered by only being called the one option. Or maybe we’re totally wrong, and there’s something else wrong. Whatever you do decide, when you’re ready, the rest of us will be here to support you.”
Branch blinked back a few tears, taking another shaky breath.
“Thank you, Smidge.”
“Anytime, really. We’re friends, and I like helping my friends.” She smiled. Branch smiled back weakly, feeling exhausted.
“Do you want me to walk you back home?” Poppy asked, rubbing his- her arm.
“Yeah. Please.”
“Hey, it’s no trouble. You okay, Smidge?”
“Yeah, I can wash up the cups before heading home.”
“Aw, thanks! And thank you for coming to help.”
He- she fell into step with Poppy as she led him- her back to the bunker, exhaustion creeping down to his- her bones like he hadn’t felt since he- she was grey. As the bunker came into sight, he- she groaned.
“Oh my god, my brothers. They’re gonna be worried.”
“I can say you’re looking after something?”
“No, I told them I was going to hang out with you.”
“I’ll just tell them you’re tired. I’ll make sure they understand to leave you for the night.” Poppy said simply. He- she sighed, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.
“Thanks, Pop.”
Branch was asleep before Poppy finished tucking the blankets around her.
~~~
Branch was standing outside Smidge’s pod, chewing his- her lip nervously as he- she debated knocking. She- he had raised and lowered his- her hand at least a dozen times, and still hadn’t come to a decision.
“Branch?” A familiar deep voice sounded, making her- him yelp a bit.
“Oh, haha, hey Smidge. Fancy running into you here?” He- she said awkwardly.
“In front of my pod?” Smidge deadpanned.
“Umm…”
“I’m totally kidding. Come in.” She laughed, bouncing up to her door and opening it. “I was gonna shower after my morning workout, can you wait a few, or is it urgent?”
“Oh, right, yeah, I can wait.” Branch nodded, shutting the door behind her- him.
Smidge set a coffee machine to start brewing.
“Pour yourself a cup if it finishes before I’m out. I’ll try not to take too long.” She said, heading to her bathroom. Branch stood awkwardly in her living room while she- he waited, still anxiety ridden on if this was a good idea. He- she watched the coffee brew, feeling frozen once it finished. Luckily Smidge came out just a minute later, and poured Branch a mug.
“How was your work out?” Branch asked, taking a sip of coffee. “Oh, wow, this is really good.” He- she added before she could answer, looking down at the mug in surprise.
“I have the beans imported from techno land.” Smidge answered. “I have an extra bag you can keep.”
“Huh? Oh, I can’t ask that-“
“Good thing you’re not asking.” She snickered, grabbing the bag off the top shelf with her hair. “Besides, I have a new package of them coming this week, I have enough to last me until then. Take it.”
He- she hesitated, but took the bag.
“Thanks, Smidge.” She- he said, smiling warmly.
“You’re welcome! Now, you really wanna hear about my workout, or were you stalling?”
“Can’t a troll do both?” He- she said, chuckling a little as Smidge laughed. He- she was surprised how easy it was to joke with her.
“Actually, um, if we’re gonna talk anyway…” She- he said, tapping the mug nervously. “I’ve… been thinking about… what you said. But just thinking isn’t getting me anywhere. I’m quite good at thinking up a lot of different scenarios that can go a lot of different ways, I- I think I- well-“
“You’re a troll of logic. You want something a bit more concrete before coming to a decision.” Smidge finished for him- her.
“Yeah.” She- he sighed.
“So you wanna try and have a conversation where I use a different set of pronouns so you can get a grip on how they feel.”
“Yeah.” He- she sighed again.
“Which ones?”
“Uh, she her today?”
“Sure thing, girlfriend.” Smidge grinned, using her hair to lift her up to the bench so she could sit on top of it swinging her feet. Branch sat at one of the stools at the bench, absently wondering why the bench was so high for the small troll.
“Okay, so I was on my way to get my usual pre workout smoothie…”
~~~
“Hey, Branch?” Floyd said, hovering in her doorway.
“Oh, hey Floyd. What’s up?” Branch asked, pausing in the packing of her backpack. His- her brother hesitated for a moment.
“Can I come in and talk?”
“Yeah- yeah lemme just-“ Branch moved the supplies she’d been packing to the table, then sat back on the bed to talk comfortably.
Floyd joined her, still looking uncertain.
“Are you okay?” He- she asked, frowning slightly.
“Oh, me? I’m- well, you know I’m not okay, but I’m… working through it. With you guys.” Floyd smiled softly. “I just…” he sighed, before going for it. “I don’t know if I’m overstepping anymore. I’m your brother, but I still left you, for- for way too long. And I… I noticed that something’s been up, with you, but I don’t know if me reaching out now would help or… make things worse.”
Branch blinked, finding tears in her eyes.
“O- oh.” She breathed, taking a deep breath.
“Oh, oh Branch, I’m so sorry-“
“No! No, no, this is um-“ Branch sniffled, cheeks turning purple in embarrassment. “These are… good tears? Just- remembering that you’re back, that you want to be back. That you still know me.” He- she explained. Floyd smiled, though there were tears in his own eyes. When he held out his arms, Branch folded instantly, snuggling into her big brothers arms.
“I do want to be back. I promise. I want to stay, and be the brother you deserve. I hope one day I can prove that to you.” Floyd murmured, stroking her hair. “I know I haven’t earned it yet, but if there is something going on… I hope you know you can come to me.”
“There… there is. A something. And it’s not that I… that I don’t trust you, it’s just… that it’s really new. Even to me. I’m figuring it out.” She said softly.
Floyd drew in a breath as if to speak, but then just let it go.
“I’ll be here, once you do.” He eventually said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t around to help, B.” She was released from the hug eventually, Floyd cupping his- her cheek. “I love you, Branch.”
“I love you too, Floyd.” She smiled softly. “Do you need anything else before I go meet Poppy and Smidge?”
“Nah, I’ll be okay. You have fun on your picnic.” Floyd said with a smile.
Branch nodded. Promising to be back for dinner, she made her way to the elevator. She had to wait for it, since Bruce was on his way down with groceries for dinner.
“Hey, what’s up Bitty-Bro?” Twist. Ow. Ugh, why did her brothers have to constantly talk like this.
“Not much, just heading out to see Poppy and Smidge for lunch.”
“Ooh, well have fun. I know you always let us know if you can’t, but try and be home for dinner tonight, yeah? I think JD is finally gonna ask about a reunion concert.” He chuckled. “Can’t have a Brozone reunion without the littlest bro.” He continued, jokingly, teasingly, and entirely unaware of the turmoil he had just caused. “See ya!”
Oh. Ow ow ow ow. His- her- his stomach was clenching like it hadn’t in weeks. She- he numbly stepped onto the elevator, and made it all the way to the secluded clearing where the three of them were meeting, before he- she- huh? fell to their knees and had a panic attack.
~~~
Poppy helped calm her- him down, though Branch was still shaky and anxious, he- she wasn’t fully panicking.
“S- sorry. ‘M sorry.”
“Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry for.” Poppy said gently, still rubbing his- her back. “You ready to tell us what happened?” She asked, making Branch notice Smidge for the first time.
“It’s… it’s called Brozone.”
“With you so far.”
“They- they can’t have Brozone without one of the bros.”
“Ah. Yikes.”
“This didn’t bother you earlier.” Smidge said. “We were even joking about it.”
That was true. Branch swallowed thickly, looking down at the grass.
“Bruce said it.” He- she answered.
“Okay, Branch, sweetie, I know that’s probably disastrous for you right now, but do you want me to lay out the facts for you?” Poppy said, a genuine offer. If facts were too much right now, she’d lean more into the emotional stuff.
“… like facts.” She- he mumbled.
“Good, that’s good. Branch, my love. Bruce only said that, because he doesn’t know.”
Branch blinked, looking up to meet Poppy’s eyes.
“Think about it, really think about it. Past all the panic. Bruce is one of the sweetest, most accepting trolls out there. The only reason he would ever hurt someone like that was if he didn’t know, and he doesn’t.” Poppy insisted. Branch’s stomach still flipped.
“He already left the band because of me once.”
“Hey, hey, none of that. You guys have talked about this. Why did Bruce really leave?”
“… because he couldn’t handle the pressure JD put him under.”
“That’s right.”
Her friends encouraged her to take deep breaths until she was calmer, no longer shaking.
“Should- should I tell them?” She asked quietly, picking at a frayed patch in her pants.
“You don’t have to tell anyone until you’re ready.” Smidge declared firmly.
“Except for you, apparently.” She smirked, widening into a grin as Smidge burst into bright laughter.
~~~
This was so stupid.
Poppy had put a flower in her hair while they were out gathering supplies, saying she looked “sooo pretty” with it. Branch had rolled her eyes, but left it in, far too fond of her sweet girlfriend. She helped Poppy deliver the supplies before kissing her cheek and heading back towards the bunker.
“Yo, Bitty-B!” Clay called, and Branch slowed so her brother could catch up. Clay wrapped an arm around her shoulders, continuing towards the bunker.
“How’s Viva?” Branch asked.
“She’s good, she’s finally thinking about building her own pod.”
“Oh, that’s awesome. Good for her.”
“What about you?”
“Me?” She questioned, frowning in confusion. She’d been trying to tone it down since Floyd said he noticed something up. Was she being obvious? Oh hair-
“Yeah, you. I haven’t seen you since I left for Viv’s last night. Whatcha been up to today?”
“Oh, right.” Branch huffed softly, shaking her head at herself. “It’s someone’s wedding anniversary, and Poppy was helping with the supplies, so I went with her. I found some blackberries while we were out, so I was gonna drop them with Floyd before heading to the twins place to help them put up a new shelf in their store.” She smiled up at Clay, feeling comfortably warm under his arm.
“Aw, you’re so cute, Bitty-B. But you don’t need to go so far out of your way. I can take the berries to Floyd, and you can go help the girls with their shelf without doubling back.”
“No, that’s okay, I can-“ Branch paused, taking a deep breath. “Actually, yeah. I’d appreciate that.” She said, pausing to take off her backpack. Clay looked stunned for a moment, before beaming. She handed over the berries, and swung her bag of tools back on. “Thanks, Cl- oop!” Her brother had scooped her up in a hug. “Clay!” She half heartedly complained, though there was laughter in her voice.
“You won’t regret this, Branch. I’ll be the best berry deliverer you’ve ever seen!” Clay cheered.
“Put me down!” Branch said, firm, though still laughing. Clay did as asked, pinching one of her cheeks.
“I won’t let you down, Pretty-Bitty. Nice flower, by the way.”
Branch felt her whole face burn with an embarrassed flush. She was probably glowing lavender, ugh.
This was so stupid.
Her face was still hot when she got to Satin and Chenille’s shop, and they giggled when they noticed.
“Branch! What’s got you looking like a lilac?” Satin asked.
“It’s noth- ugh.” She closed her eyes and let out a huff. “My brother just gave me this stupid nickname? Are siblings always like this?” She asked.
“Yup!” Both twins answered at the same time, laughing as Branch groaned.
“What did he call you?” Chenille asked.
“Ughh.”
“Braaanch.”
“Mmm.”
“Branchie.”
“Nooo.”
“Branch.”
“Pretty-Bitty! He called me Pretty-Bitty!” Branch sighed, dropping her face onto their counter. The twins squealed with giggles.
“Noo, come on, Branch. Head up. You’ll crush that flower. It does make you look pretty!” Satin implored, shaking her shoulder. She let out one more sigh before lifting her head up.
“Where do you guys need this shelf?”
Branch liked working with her hands, building things, fixing things. Since reintegrating back into the village, she had become a sort of handyman. The twins dropped off an ice filled mug near where she was working.
“Here, Branch. That raspberry tea you like, but iced since it’s so hot today.” Satin said, making Branch blink over at her.
“You- you know what kind of tea I like?”
“Sure we do, you have it all the time!” Chenille said, waving a hand like it was nothing. “You probably know our smoothie order by now.”
“Banana mango trollberry and Strawberry raspberry blackberry.” She recited, surprising herself. “Oh… huh.”
The twins chuckled, but not meanly.
“Do you have anywhere else to be after you’re done? We want to offer you a proper thank you.”
“You don’t have-“
“We know we don’t have to, but we want to! We promise it’s nothing crazy.”
“I… sure. I don’t have anywhere to be.” She caved. It felt strange to accept thanks for something she thought was just… everyday stuff. But if her friends were so excited to show her something, who was she to tell them no?
Still feels strange actually admitting she has friends.
Once Branch was finished with the new shelf, Satin and Chenille dragged her into the back room.
“Okay, I know we’ve tried to give you clothes before, but we swear this is different. We were thinking about what the average troll would like, but you sir, are no average troll.” Satin said.
“And we mean that sincerely, not like an insult.” Chenille added on.
“Yes. So we really thought hard about this. We think it’s still you, just a sort of- elevated version.” Satin explained.
“I mean, we love you, Branch, but you’re the queen’s boyfriend and you have patches on your pants.” Chenille chuckled fondly.
Branch’s stomach and chest were doing somersaults inside her. Conflicting from feeling grateful for this gift she was about to get, to dread that they kept using those words. Would she feel weird if the clothes felt too… manly? How could she reject them again?
The twins opened the fitting room door, displaying the outfit they had made for her. There was a deep green vest, with two gold buttons, and gold embroidery making patterns of leaves and vines. Earthy maroon pants, the belt buckle matching the gold of the buttons.
“Woah…” she breathed, stepping forward to inspect them closer. She gently brushed her fingers over the material, smooth and soft against her fingers.
“These- these are- I- oh hair-“ Branch swallowed thickly, hurriedly taking a few steps back. “I- I can’t accept these! They’re so- so nice!”
“You don’t have to wear them everyday, you can save them for special occasions if that makes you feel better. But we did craft these with you in mind. The material of the pants is thick, with some stretch, so you can climb trees and get up and down in your garden without worrying about getting holes or tears. The vest material is lighter, but still tough. It’ll keep you cool in summer, and I know the embroidery looks delicate, but we’ve been doing this for years. It’ll last.” Chinelle explained.
Branch hesitated. The clothes were so nice, and she did want them…
“At the very least I can’t accept these as a thank you.”
“Sure you can!” They both said. Branch huffed, starting to think of how to thank them for their thank you.
“Ooh. This is a thank you gift circle, isn’t it?” She said, smiling as the twins giggled.
“Sure looks like it!”
“Poppy’s either gonna be proud that you’re finally in one, or upset she wasn’t the first.”
The twins boxed up the clothes, and she took it reverently. She didn’t want to put it in her backpack in case her tools got loose and wrecked them.
“It’s really okay for me to have these? Just like that?”
“Just like that! Branch, are you kidding! Look at this shelf you made! It’s strong and gorgeous! Making you one outfit is not going to set us back at all.”
Taking the box back to her room, Branch shut the door before setting it on the bed and opening it up. She pulled the clothes on, before going to check how she looked in the mirror.
“Oh, wow…” she whispered, her eyes going wide. Her nice, neat new clothes, and Poppy’s flower still in her hair…
“I’m so pretty.” Branch whispered to herself, bursting into delighted giggles.
So stupid. (But her voice was fond in her own head)
~~~
“Floyd, are you feeling up to a short walk outside?” Branch asked.
“Oh hair, I would love a walk outside.” Floyd sighed, making Branch grin. Just a few weeks ago the idea of just being outside seemed to exhaust Floyd. Branch had already packed her bag in anticipation of this, and simply offered her brother an arm to hold.
It was slow going, but they eventually made it to a nearby creek. It was where Branch got the water supply for the bunker. She helped Floyd sit, then rolled up the bottoms of her new pants so she could sit with her feet in the water. They both just sat for a while, enjoying the sounds of the forest around them.
“Hey… Floyd?” Branch started, fiddling with her thumbs in her lap.
“Yeah?”
“I… I don’t think I’m your brother.”
“Wait- what?!” Floyd’s voice was so panicked and heartbroken all at once that Branch couldn’t help but look up at him. “Branch, whatever I did to make you feel like that, I’m so, so sorry. I know I shouldn’t have-“
“What? No- no! Floyd, ugh!” She buried her head in her hands. “No, not like that. That came out all wrong. You’re my brother, I love you. I just-“
Branch took a deep breath, lowering her hands. Floyd still looked worried, but not as panicked.
“I just… don’t feel like your brother… because I’m pretty sure I’m your sister.” She said, her voice shaking a little. All the tension left Floyd in an instant, her older brother letting out a groan as he lay back against the grass.
“Girl, do not scare me like that again.” He said, making Branch giggle.
Floyd smiled up at her, reaching over to hold one of her hands.
“Is this what you’ve been figuring out?” He asked, his voice simply curious and kind.
“Yeah. Smidge and Poppy were helping me.” She said. “It’s… been a lot.”
“I can only imagine.” Floyd said, squeezing her hand. “But you can tell me, if you want.”
“Oh my hair, have you ever noticed how often the others greet us specifically as bro or brother?! What’s wrong with a simple ‘hey Branch!’, you manage it well enough!” Branch gushed, smiling down at her brother as Floyd burst out laughing. “Clay actually came up with a different nickname the other day, and I just about died, but in a good way? Poppy had put a flower in my hair, and he leaves to bring you those berries, and he calls me ‘Pretty-Bitty’. I was still blushing when I got to the twins place.”
Her brother tugs her down into an embrace, and she hugs him tight.
“Who else knows?” He asked softly.
“Uh, just you. Poppy and Smidge, as well, I mean, they helped me figure it out. But, yeah. Just you.” Branch blinked as the arms around her tightened, turning her face up to look at Floyd.
“You- you really told me first?” He whispered, expression filled with awe.
A dozen occasions suddenly ran through her mind, finally seeing herself from the other side. “I trust you and your judgement.” “Good thing you’re not asking.” “That raspberry tea you like.”
“Floyd, of course I did. You’re my brother. You’re-…” Branch swallowed thickly, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re the only one who said goodbye.”
Floyd’s eyes filled with tears, and he pulled her back in for another tight hug. Branch returned the embrace, clutching onto him as if he might disappear. The two of them just hugged, taking in the time together. Branch felt an arm move to start stroking her hair, when Floyd gasped softly.
“Floyd?”
“Your hair…”
Pushing back a little, Branch moved her hair down so she could see it. The colour was brighter, more blue than black. Her cheeks warmed, and she smiled up at Floyd.
“Um, yeah. That happens sometimes. My colours tend to fluctuate based on… how happy I am.” She explained, letting her hair go. Floyd finally broke, the tears spilling over as he reached out to cup her cheek.
“I’m so sorry, Branch.”
“I know. I forgive you. We’re okay, Floyd.”
They didn’t stay for too much longer. Just enough for Floyd to pull himself together.
“Thanks, Branch. I missed being outside.” He sighed.
“I’ll talk with the others about bringing you out more often since you’re doing better. We don’t need another family hermit.”
As the bunker appeared in their sights, Floyd sucked in a breath.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just…” there was a twinkle in Floyd’s eyes. “What’s your plan to tell the others?”
“I’m not totally sure yet, but it’ll probably be soon. I don’t know how many more bro-bros I can take.”
“Branch, I have a favour to ask.” Floyd said, stopping so he could face Brach full on. “Please let me be there when you tell them.”
Branch laughed, shaking her head.
“Sure, I think we can arrange that.”
~~~
Poppy tackled her the next morning, squealing in excitement.
“Branchie! I missed you yesterday!” She cheered, making Branch laugh.
“Yeah, I missed you too.” She grinned. Poppy pulled back a bit, allowing Branch to free her arms and tackle Poppy in return. Poppy’s eyes sparkled, and the two of them ended up tussling playfully in the grass.
The pink troll won, declaring her victory before they both flopped to the ground to catch their breath. Branch reached over to squeeze her hand, grinning giddily into the sky.
“I told Floyd yesterday.” She said, laughing as Poppy let out another happy squeal.
“How did it go? Tell me everything!”
Branch pulled the picnic basket closer to them with her hair, passing Poppy her drink and taking a sip of her own before the whole story tumbled out of her mouth. She thought she would be more nervous, but it’s actually a relief. Getting some of that pressure off, no longer feeling hidden.
Huh. Who would have thought one day she would like the idea of not being hidden.
“I just- now I don’t know who to tell next. Of course my brothers need to know, but so do our friends, you know?” Her girlfriend's face was doing a thing. “What?”
“You called the Snack Pack our friends.” Poppy beamed, very obviously holding back an excited squeal.
“I… yeah. Just…” she started to trace some of the gold embroidery on her vest. “Figured out that it wasn’t as one sided as I thought. Oof-“
Poppy had tackled her in another hug, Branch’s face being smooshed into the ground. She giggled, sighing away any remaining tension as she let herself be cuddled.
~~~
Poppy had suggested a party- a small one, but even the idea of trying to deal with the Snack Pack’s and her brother’s reactions at the same time was overwhelming, so they passed on that suggestion.
Bruce had to leave next week, and Branch really wanted her brother to at the very least know her before he left. So even though she was still nervous, she made the decision to tell her brothers today. Now. At breakfast. Oh hair.
The coffee Smidge had given her was brewing while she piled a serving plate with pancakes.
“Woah, quite the spread here little b-“
“Hi John!” Branch greeted forcefully before the oldest could finish.
“Uh, hi?” John blinked at her in confusion.
“Can you let the others know breakfast is almost ready?” She asked, steaming ahead.
“Sure.” John said, giving her a weird look before heading back out towards the living room.
Clay came in soon after, smiling sleepily at Branch before going around and setting the table for everyone.
“Morning, Clay.”
“Hey B.” He said, grabbing some juice from the fridge.
“You want some coffee?”
“Oh my hair, yes. I would love some.” Clay groaned, rubbing his eyes. Branch chuckled, pouring them both a mug. She added honey to both, and milk to Clay’s, and handed it over.
“Thanks, Branch, you got milk a- oh. You added it already.” Clay’s sleepy face lit up as he looked up at Branch. “Aw, you remembered…” He was getting that look he got when he was overwhelmed with Branch’s whole thing and wanted to squeeze her face.
Branch sighed good naturedly.
“No face squishing, but if you must express your affection-“
“I must.”
“-then I can offer you a cheek kiss. A cheek kiss. One.” She lifted her eyebrows at him, but Clay just nodded eagerly. She dropped the arm not holding her mug to allow him close, unable to help the fond smile on her face as Clay stepped forward and left a long, overly dramatic kiss on her cheek, pulling away with a ‘muah!’.
“Oh my gosh, are we doing baby bro hugs?” Bruce asked with a laugh. Her stomach twisted, but hopefully that was about to all be over.
“Clay is, because he helped set the table.” Branch said, batting Clay off of her. “And he’s done now.”
“Aw.” Clay whined, but did back off. Floyd chuckled in the doorway, patting John’s hand before letting go to sit on his own.
“Everything looks great, Branch. Thank you.”
The brothers and Branch settled around the table, everyone grabbing pancakes and toppings. Branch was able to eat and mingle normally until her third pancake, when the nerves finally overtook her.
“Uh, hey, I… I have something… to tell you?” She started hesitantly, staring at the chocolate chip pancake on her plate. The chatter around her died down, even the sound of cutlery stopped.
“What’s on your mind, Branch?” Bruce asked in a gentle voice, not sounding worried or pushy, but just… open. Supportive. It made something warm stir in her chest.
“I’m… I’m actually your sister…” Branch said, not bothering with the preamble this time. She did not want a repeat of Floyd’s panic.
“Oh my god, dude, how long have we been misgendering you?” John said.
“Oooh, I thought you were still pissed at us. No wonder you look mildly constipated whenever we greet you.” Clay nodded as he worked it out in his head.
“Are you keeping your name?” Bruce asked in that same voice, Branch nodding once.
“Oh, Branch.” Bruce sighed, holding out a hand. Branch reached out and took it, looking up shyly as her brother squeezed. “I won’t overlook how much trust it took to be able to tell us after everything that’s happened. It means the world to me that you’re willing to open up to us, and I swear I’m going to do my best to keep myself worthy of that trust.”
Branch felt dizzy, her breath catching in her throat.
“O- oh?” She whimpered, before her brothers disappeared behind a wave of tears. There were arms around her, holding her, but it didn’t feel suffocating. It felt safe. Her brothers held her close, stroking her hair, holding her hands, rubbing her back. She sobbed into their arms, overwhelmed by the support. Sure, her brothers had come back, but there had still been that small, broken part of her that was always worried they would leave. But they weren’t. They wouldn’t.
They were here.
As she started becoming aware of her surroundings again, she felt a strong presence at her back. John Dory, holding her in his lap. Bruce was holding her right hand, and Clay holding her left. Clay rubbing her arm, and Bruce stroking her hair. Floyd was in front of her, gently wiping all the tears off her face.
“There you are.” Floyd murmured softly. “It’s okay, you’re okay.”
“We got you, B.” Bruce soothed. “Always.”
“Yeah… you do, don’t you…” Branch answered, letting out a small, wet giggle as John’s arms tightened around her waist.
Once everyone had calmed down, they settled around the table again to talk and finish breakfast. Before the conversation really started, Floyd got that twinkle in his eye from before, twirling his hair around a finger.
“Oh, Bruce, brother dearest?” He said coyly, smirking wickedly.
“Uh… yes?”
“I want my glow sticks back.”
There was silence, Branch looking around in confusion, while understanding dawned on her brothers faces.
“f*ck!” Bruce slapped his hand on the table in annoyance. “And I gotta make muffins too, huh?”
“You sure do.” Floyd continued, his smirk still in place. Clay burst into laughter, clutching his sides.
“What… is happening right now?” Branch questioned.
“We made a bet while you were still an egg, or, well, Bruce and Floyd made a bet, and Clay and I took sides.” John was shaking his head in wonder, laughter in his voice. “If you were a boy, Floyd had to give Bruce his glow sticks, if you were a girl, Bruce had to make Floyd muffins.”
“Banoffee is still my favourite flavour, in case you were wondering.” Floyd said, struggling to keep the smirk on his face as his shoulders started to shake with laughter.
“Wait- this is why you wanted to be here when I told them?!” Branch snapped, unsure if she was annoyed or amazed. All four of her brothers broke into loud laughter and, yup. Definitely annoyed. “Ugh. I hate you guys. I’m never sharing a secret again.” She groaned.
“Even if we share the muffins?” Floyd offered. Branch pursed her lips.
“Hm. Maybe. But they better be the best muffins I’ve ever had.”
“Aw, don’t you worry, Pretty-Bitty. Bruce will make sure they are.” Clay said fondly. Branch felt her face heat at the nickname, which made Clay squee excitedly. All four of the brothers locked onto her face, identical gleams in their eyes.
“Oh no.”
“Oh, Pretty-Bitty!” Floyd cooed, and Branch covered her cheeks with her hands.
“Traitor!”
“Sorry to break it to you, Branchie, but Floyd’s always wanted a sister. He’s gonna succumb to the Baby Branch Sydrome.” John chuckled, slinging an arm around her shoulders.
“Ugh. No ones gonna take me seriously ever again, are they?”
“Nope, sorry baby.”
“Ughhhh.”
~~~
“Oh Branch! Are you feeling better?” DJ Suki asked as she entered the clearing to join the Snack Pack for their picnic, Floyd and Bruce trailing behind her.
“Sorry?” She asked, confused.
“Poppy said you weren’t feeling well yesterday.” Cooper said.
“Yes, yesterday, I know you were really disappointed to not be able to make the Celebration of boyfriends and husbands.” Poppy said, catching her up.
“Oh, right, yeah, I…” She looked around, at all her friends' faces looking so concerned if she was okay or not.
“Actually, I couldn’t make it because I’m Poppy’s girlfriend.”
Branch laughed at the multiple excited screams, her friends coming up to hug and congratulate her. When she met Poppy’s eyes over Guy’s shoulder, her girlfriend looked so proud that she almost had to look away. Almost.
“It’s about time the Snack Pack had another gay gal.” Suki said as they all gathered on the giant picnic blanket again. Branch frowned.
“Another..- oh my god, I’m gay now.” She blinked as she processed that information, smiling faintly as everyone laughed at her. She could tell now that the laughter wasn’t mean. Floyd ruffled her hair as he passed to sit, Branch poking her tongue out at him.
“You guys want some ‘I-lost-a-bet’ muffins? They’re banoffee.” Bruce said, opening the basket he had.
“Ooh, yes please.” Biggie grinned, the others chiming in as well.
Branch took her muffin, sitting with her friends and family, and finally felt not just happy, but relaxed.
And she can’t help but think that maybe everything was worth it, if it got her here.
