#Brozone Never Disbanded AU | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

geekgirles · 9 months

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Something Like You

Summary:

There were many things Branch expected from being forced to go on a date with the winner of Brozone's latest contest: boredom, forced smiles, awkwardness, the looming possibility that he might meet his end tonight at the hands of an obsessive fan...

Never in a million years would he have expected falling in love with her, however. Or the many other surprises that meeting would entail.

Word count: 8959 words

Pairings: Broppy, BrandyxBruce

Read on AO3

As he wriggled in his seat in a futile attempt to make himself comfortable, his fingers drumming impatiently on the mushroom table, all Branch could think of was one thing:

He sincerely hoped Spruce—or Bruce, if he went through with it and changed his name—and Brandy didn’t last.

At first he had been ecstatic when his brother told him and their siblings the news. How could they not be happy for him? He had finally found a girlfriend who seemed to like him beyond his role as Brozone’s Heartthrob! Moreover, one that had accepted his proposal to marry him! That was all Spruce could ask for ever since he hit puberty and trolls started noticing him, and vice versa.

Sure, Brandy wasn’t even a troll to begin with—truth be told, Branch wasn’t even sure what she was—, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she made his big brother happy. Even if she towered over all her in-laws and the lucky couple wasn’t even sure if they could have kids together, it was okay. Because Branch had never seen Spruce as happy or in love as he was with Brandy. And he should know; he had been seeing his second-oldest brother change partners almost as often as he worked on his exquisitely chiselled abs since he was a baby!

And now he had finally found the one whom he wanted to settle down with…

At least, that was how Branch had felt before the terrible fate that awaited him dawned on him.

Boy, did Spruce leave behind a string of broken hearts! Seeing all the sobbing, heartbroken fans who wailed after him once it had been officially announced Spruce had entered a serious relationship and would no longer be going on dates with the winners of Brozone’s numerous contests, a part of Branch couldn’t help but be slightly alarmed at John Dory’s reaction to it. Such a calm, collected demeanour in the face of such a major shaking of their established status quo did not match the eldest brother’s usual control freak nature. At all.

Even though he never particularly cared about sales—just as well, seeing as those contests and other Spruce-related paraphernalia made up about 75% of the band’s income—, John Dory was a well-known perfectionist. Branch could distinctly remember his very first tour as a baby. John Dory almost blew a gasket when they couldn’t reach the Perfect Family Harmony!

Even today, Branch knew that, if it hadn’t been for Floyd intervening, Brozone would have disbanded that night for good.

Which was all the more reason to grow unnerved at his nonplussed reaction to his younger brother publicly announcing he was officially off-the-market and, though he would still be Brozone’s Heartthrob, had explicitly entered ‘you can look, but you can’t touch’ territory. It was so out-of-character of him, all four younger siblings had convened to have Floyd use his psychology training to talk to John Dory and figure out what was going on.

“Looking back, I really should have seen this coming…” Branch grumbled quietly to himself with a roll of his eyes.

It wouldn’t be until relatively recently that they would come to understand the reason why John Dory was taking Spruce’s decision so well. Sure, John Dory’s role as The Leader meant he was usually too busy for this sort of thing anyway; and Clay had long written the whole experience off after the last fan thought it would be a good idea to sign him up on Open Mic Night at a stand-up comedy club to perform, seeing as he was The Fun Guy and all…; and Floyd, aside from only really meeting up with a very specific side of their demography, could get overwhelmed easily by the experience, so he couldn’t really take on Spruce’s role, either.

…which left Branch as the fill-in for their dear Heartthrob and the prize to win in their contests. Because, why not? It wasn’t like despite his public persona as Brozone’s youngest and cutest member he, alongside Clay, could be quite cynical and hated putting up a façade for longer than necessary. Or that, like Floyd, he was quite introverted and usually preferred to spend his free time on a Friday night inside their shared bunker—which he built almost single-handedly, thank you very much—reading a good book and drinking a steaming mug of coffee in his bathrobe.

No, of course not! Putting on a fake, strained smile on his face for hours on end as he risked meeting his very own personal stalker and potential kidnapper (or murderer!) was his ideal date plan!

Did he mention sarcasm also ran in the family?

Lamenting his luck and cursing his eldest brother for the umpteenth time that evening, Branch quickly checked the time on his Hug Time Bracelet. “Quarter-to-Hug. She really should be here by now…” Putting aside the slight annoyance he felt, he ultimately shrugged it off before popping a fry into his mouth. “Then again, as humiliating as it would be to be stood up by the very person who competed to win a date with me, it’s not like I can complain. It’s way better than the alternative…”

Although Branch had to admit, the whole thing had been a little weird. John Dory had instructed him to be on his best behaviour and listen intently to what the girl (because apparently the winner was a girl—good to know, not like he cared) had to say, because of course he had. That was pretty much the drill with these dates. And yet, there was something about him that seemed…off. Almost like this was somehow more important to him than just leaving a lasting, positive impression on one of their fans.

Could it be that this girl was rich, or something? Maybe she actually spent a fortune in…in whatever it was contestants were required to do to get their date this time. Maybe she was one of Spruce’s hardcore fans and this was their one chance to convince her to remain loyal to the band even after her favourite became unobtainable. Or maybe—

“Oh, my Troll Tree! I’m so sorry I’m late! I was held up in a meeting.”

Ears twitching at the sound of the new, oddly melodic voice, Branch did his best to push down the urge to roll his eyes or make a sarcastic comment at her expense. Instead, he put on his most charming smile and finally turned to face the troll he’d be spending the next several hours with.

Only for his heart to stop at the sight of her.

He had to be dreaming, there was simply no way this was really happening. At least, not to him. For some reason, he suddenly got Perfect stuck in his head.

The troll before him wasn’t just a troll; she was a vision of loveliness. A creature so divine and angelic he couldn’t stop his eyes from quickly scanning her up and down in search of her golden halo or a pair of fluffy, white wings.

She wasn’t real, she just couldn’t be! Someone so breathtakingly beautiful only existed within the passionate, sugary-sweet lyrics they so often sang about. This girl before him was more enchanting than the subjects of Girl, Baby, Baby; Baby, Baby, Girl; and Baby, Baby, Girl, Woman combined! Frosting, her mere presence was enough to inspire the poet inside of him a thousand sonnets, let alone love songs!

In fact, she alone was pure poetry. An ode to everything beautiful and good in this world.

Her skin was the loveliest shade of pink, that which adorned the sky during the very first hours of the morning and made it a little easier to look at everything through rose-coloured glasses. In contrast, the countless glittery freckles on her face, shining even under the pod’s faint light, looked like she had quite literally reached out for the stars and used them to accentuate her blush.

Her nose, a darker shade of pink than the rest of her skin, wrinkled in the cutest way, reminding him of a small critter, as she brushed her fringe behind her delightfully round ears, almost shyly. And her hair, her bright, magenta hair that she wore loose except for a deceptively simple braided headband consisting of felt leaves and twigs, looked like silk. He suddenly had a very strong urge to intertwine his own cobalt locks around hers and test out if it was truly as soft as it looked.

She was just—

“Hi, I’m Poppy!” She introduced herself, breaking him out of his trance. She gestured at the booth he had been occupying for the last twenty minutes. “Mind if I sit down next to you?”

It took a moment for Branch’s brain to reboot itself. When it finally did, he practically jumped to his feet, startling his date—Poppy— slightly and making a few other patrons look at him oddly.

“Yes, yes! Of course!” He blurted out, a little louder than he had intended. Noticing Poppy’s slightly uncomfortable stance, he forced himself to calm down. He cleared his throat with forced nonchalance and exited the booth. Just as the pink troll was about to ask him what was wrong, he bowed politely and gestured to the seat he had just vacated. “After you, my lady.”

Looking back and forth between his gentlemanly pose and the seat he was gesturing at, Poppy couldn’t help but giggle cutely at his actions, unknowingly letting loose a hurricane of butterflies in his stomach. He was such a gentleman. There was a reason why he was her favourite.

She’d been right; he’d be the perfect choice to explain her plan to.

“Why, thank you.” She said with a curtsy of her own. Walking right past him, she got inside the booth, wriggling herself between the cushions until she made herself comfortable, not unlike Branch had done earlier.

Once she was comfortable enough, Poppy laced her hands over the table and sent a grateful smile at the blue troll watching her attentively.

Branch remained standing for a few more seconds, just committing the expression on Poppy’s face to memory. When her smile dimmed in confusion, however, he realised he was taking way longer than necessary and scrambled to sit next to her with as much dignity as he could muster.

Now that he was by her side, the smile returned to Poppy’s face. “I really can’t thank you enough for agreeing to meet up with me, Branch.” She told him honestly. “I understand you must be very busy, yet you made some time for me. Thank you so much.”

Branch almost told her it was the least he could do after how much she’d been supporting Brozone, the automatic response he gave to all their fans almost rolling off his tongue, but thankfully stopped himself. He couldn’t saddle Poppy up with every other troll who won a date with them and give her a half-hearted response; not when her mere presence made Branch feel like he was the winner. She deserved so much more.

With a boldness he didn’t know he possessed, he reached out and gently placed his hand on hers. As the pink beauty looked down in surprise, the loveliest shade of pink dusting her features and making her freckles stand out even more, Branch said, “Trust me, Poppy, the pleasure is all mine.”

If he felt like a winner before, the moment her smile widened in appreciation, Branch felt like he was on top of the world.

The loud thumping on his chest echoing in his eardrums, his own face probably turning lavender at this point, the youngest member of Brozone hurried to appear as nonchalant as possible, clearing his throat awkwardly and stammering a bit.

“I-I know this-this must be a little o-overwhelming for you.” He swallowed loudly. “B-but, you have nothing to worry about. Deep down I’m just like any other troll. One with several Double Platinum Records and over a dozen music awards, true, but just a normal troll, nonetheless.”

“Frosting!” Branch cursed to himself. “Did that sound too braggy? Does she think I’m a show-off, now? I mean, she is a Brozone fan, so she must know all that already but, still, that’s not the kind of information you just blurt out in the middle of your first date! …wait a minute. Does this even count as an actual date? What’s the actual difference between this and having a back-stage pass?”

As Branch was too busy panicking and overthinking his own words, he couldn’t help but avert his eyes, his blue irises darting back and forth the pod they were in yet refusing to land on Poppy, too afraid of her reaction to take that chance. Had he allowed his eyes to land on her, however, he would have noticed the slightly perplexed expression on her face.

“Wait, does he think I’m nervous because he’s a member of Brozone?” She blinked, not quite sure what to make of the situation. “But I’m the—!”

Before she could finish her train of thought, their waitress for the night finally arrived, ready to take their order. “Well, can I get you, you lovebirds—?” Her words got stuck in her throat when she lifted her eyes from her notepad and took a good look at her customers, mouth slightly agape as her eyes glanced back and forth from Branch to Poppy.

The troll’s own awkward behaviour was all it took for Branch to get a hold of himself. Though a little surprised at first by her reaction, it didn’t take him long to understand everything. He nodded in understanding. Of course she was taken aback. She most likely hadn’t noticed she’d be serving a member of Brozone, after all. Let alone one that was on a date—he still wasn’t quite sure if that applied to their case, but let’s call it one to keep things simple.

With a good-natured roll of his eyes, he opened up his menu. “Yeah, she’s with me. It’s no big deal.” Taking notice of Poppy’s own surprised face at his comment, he dared to be a little bold again and sent her a playful wink. The adorable little sound she made when she chuckled immediately engraved itself onto his memory. “So, yeah, I’ll have a root beer and the roasted mushroom with marshtato tots. And the lady…?”

“Will have a chocolate milkshake and some chicken finger puppets, please.” Poppy replied, handing her menu back to their waitress with a quick ‘thank you’ and a smile as Branch did the same.

That seemed to break the waitress out of her daze. “Right. Got it. Coming right up!”

“Hope that didn’t make you uncomfortable.” Branch said once their waitress was out of earshot. He was used to people losing their minds over his mere presence, but Poppy was probably wholly unprepared for something like that ever happening to her. He wanted to make sure she was okay.

To his immense surprise and slight mirth, Poppy just made a psh! sound as she waved him off, as if the mere notion was ridiculous. “Don’t worry! It’s no big deal, really. Happens all the time, am I right?”

At that last part, she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him, almost like they shared a secret. It made Branch chuckle; she probably meant she should expect that from spending time with him.

With a playful roll of his eyes, Branch leaned closer to her, his face resting on his propped up arm. “Don’t I know it?”

The two shared a small laugh at that, and Hair if Poppy’s cute giggling didn’t suddenly become the reason blood even pumped through Branch’s veins. Seriously, at this rate, that little sound she made when she laughed would kill him.

But as he momentarily got lost in his own daydreams, the pink troll’s expectant expression brought him back to Earth with a start. It took a lot out of him to keep his expression even and not show the slight panic he was feeling as realisation hit him. The one supposed to be enjoying the date was Poppy, not him! And though he was extremely grateful for getting to know her, he should never put himself before their fans’ enjoyment.

John Dory would kill him if word got out that Poppy didn’t have a good time.

Clearing his throat slightly—and lamenting, not for the first time, his suave persona only really came up when he was on stage—, he tried breaking the ice. “So, this night is all about you, Poppy. Anything you need from me?”

“Oh!” Poppy exclaimed, a little surprised by his question. Then again, he was right; there was a reason she was here, after all, and it had to do with him. Taking a minute to think about her answer, she finally said, “Well, I suppose there is something…”

For the first time since he became a member of Brozone—basically his whole entire life—Branch found himself thinking he, for once, wouldn’t be opposed to fulfilling her request if Poppy asked for a kiss.

He wasn’t that lucky. “I was wondering if you think it’d be feasible for Brozone to sing at a special event?”

Oh.

Wait, what?

“...I’m sorry?” The conversation had taken a turn he wasn’t expecting. At all.

“Yeah! I mean…” Poppy floundered for words. Maybe she went in for the kill a little too early, her fidgeting hands betraying her nervousness. “I guess I was wondering if you guys would be opposed to singing outside of your concerts. I know each of you has been trying to do your own thing aside from the band for a while now, so you don’t make as many public appearances as before anymore. And now that Spruce is officially engaged, things are probably going to be even more hectic and there’ll be more changes, so…”

Bright, blue eyes stared intently at the beautiful troll before him as she rambled. He could feel she had a point with this, she wouldn’t have brought it up if she didn’t, but Branch was struggling to figure out what it really was. His ears perked up at the mention of Bruce, his confused expression giving way to realisation.

“You’re worried about the future of the band, aren’t you?” He questioned, his tone soft and understanding.

At that, Poppy stopped talking, staring back at him with wide eyes. After a few seconds of silence, her shoulders relaxed a little as she let out a nervous giggle. “You could say that?” She chuckled again. “I’m sorry, I know I’m asking for a lot, it’s just—”

Before she could say more, Branch shushed her gently. Almost instinctively, he reached for her hand again, giving it a reassuring squeeze to get her to look at him. His heart skipped a bit when those pools of pink met his gaze, beckoning him to drown in them.

“It’s okay, Poppy. I understand.”

“Really?” She asked, her voice sounding so hopeful it tugged at his heartstrings in a way that was almost painful.

How could he not understand? Everything she said was true. Back when his brothers were teenagers and he was just a baby, then a child, Brozone was pretty much everything they had going on. Whenever they weren’t at home, taking care of Grandma Rosiepuff (and getting totally demolished at cards), they would be busy with the band. JD would organise everything—and be a tad bossy about it, of course— and compose the lyrics for their upcoming singles and albums. Spruce would work on his physique and his public relations skills, as his role as their Heartthrob meant he was essentially their face to the public. Clay would be thinking up new Fun Guy routines whilst working on the perfect choreography to go along JD’s latest song. And Floyd would be up to the hair both trying to keep the peace between his bickering brothers and adding the melody to their soon-to-be latest hit.

And of course, as Branch grew, he too ended up having his own responsibilities and obligations. His single-minded goal of building their bunker helped morph him into a troll with a natural talent for architecture, technical support, lighting, acoustics…; which he then applied to their performances. He was essentially the band’s own stage technician! And when he hit puberty and hormones started acting up, they discovered a new talent of his: poetry.

And just like that, the youngest sibling became the group’s composer, too. Not like his new position and the respect it commanded prevented his brothers from teasing him about the countless poems he was sure to recite to whoever caught his eye—looking at Poppy now and thinking back to the twenty-something poems and songs he’d come up about her already, a part of him hated to admit his brothers did indeed know him well.

Seemingly overnight, Branch ended up being the brother with the most responsibilities, even though both Clay and JD, thankfully, helped him with their respective processes. And Floyd was always there to offer emotional support, too, of course.

Point is, Poppy’s worries were understandable. The group was changing, they all had different interests now. John Dory, perfectionist tendencies aside, spent a lot of his time working on Rhonda and travelling around Troll Kingdom, even if he claimed it was to gain inspiration for new songs. Spruce was going to get married, and he already spent long periods of time helping Brandy out at her restaurant in her native Vacay Island. Clay was a licensed CPA, as into safety procedures as Branch was, and he moderated Pop Village’s Sad Book Club. And Floyd put years of mediating his brothers’ arguments to good use and underwent psychology training, as well as branched out to other genres and became the lead vocalist of an indie death metal band.

…Branch had to admit the last one took him aback more than it should have.

And with Brozone-related activities and concerts becoming more and more far and in between, it was no wonder their fans feared they might be retiring soon.

“Of course, I do.” He told her honestly, a kind smile playing on his lips. “That’s essentially my life you’re talking about!”

Poppy’s expression turned sheepish. “Oh! Well, I suppose, when you put it like that, you’d obviously understand…” She trailed off, chuckling awkwardly. Somehow, this meeting was both going exactly as she’d ever dreamed of, and not at all like she’d been expecting…

Maybe agreeing to meet up with her celebrity crush had not been the smartest move on her part. Her brain felt like mush whenever she stared into vibrant blue.

Sensing her discomfort, Branch went on, trying to ease her into the conversation. “Again, I do. But I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about; Brozone isn’t going anywhere in a long time.” Pausing for a second to think, he added, “In fact, I’d say we could really use some more impromptu performances. Show our fans we’re still here for them.”

“Trust me, I know a troll or two that would kill to see more of you guys.” Poppy added knowingly. She rolled her eyes with a good-natured shake of her head at what appeared to be some interesting memories.

Fully aware of the level of overzealousness some of their fans could reach, the blue troll gulped, feeling no inclination to know what his lovely companion was thinking about when her fond expression turned disturbed.

Finally, she dispelled whatever unsettling thoughts she was having with a frantic wave of her hands. “Anywho, I was thinking you guys might try performing in celebrations. At least, the ones that don’t overlap with your busy schedules.” She added after a beat, almost like an afterthought.

“‘Celebrations’?” Branch echoed, an eyebrow raised, intrigued. “What kind of celebrations? Because, full disclosure, John Dory is very adamant in not going back to singing for things like birthday parties, weddings, or funerals unless they’re a really big deal—like King Peppy’s fun-birthday! King Peppy’s super fun birthday party!”, he caught himself before he could say anything insensitive. Trolls did not take kindly to the mention of their leaders dying. And was it his imagination or did Poppy perk up slightly at the mention of the king? “He feels we’ve come too far to go back to our roots like that.”

Although JD’s sense of self-importance definitely played a key part in the band’s decision to only perform in their concerts or very specific events, Branch made a point to omit the fact that they weren’t exactly welcomed into such gatherings, either. At least not since he left a lasting impression on Uncle Ron Sr.’s wife during her birthday, her wedding, and her husband’s funeral…

Boy, looking back, that woman had some very intense couple of years.

Shaking his head from such thoughts, he let his gaze fall on Poppy, an action that was becoming second nature at that point, when she continued, “Yeah, I know. But I mean, do you think you guys would be opposed to singing in big events?”

“Poppy, we’re trolls. Everything we do is a big event.” He couldn’t help but deadpan. JD would surely call him out on it if he found out, but seriously, he once saw some trolls throwing a rager after realising they’d managed to divide their pizza equally, without the need to fight for the last slice.

Luckily for him, she seemed to take his words in stride, biting her lip as she giggled cutely and giving the boy band member a first row seat to the string of pearly white peeking from behind. How was it possible that this girl got more adorable by the second?

“Can’t argue with you there. But I was actually thinking about, say, performing live at the Electric Foam Parade?” She said coyly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Branch’s jaw dropped in shock. “Are you kidding me? Of course we’d love to! The Electric Foam Parade is essentially the event of the year for musicians. Biggest show after the Trollings’ Choice Awards and the Glittery Awards ceremony!” As a wild grin overtook his face, he leaned a little closer to Poppy, his voice lowering into a whisper as if he were about to divulge some well-kept secret. “Between you and me, John Dory considers losing our spot to the TrollsTree Boys fifteen years ago to be his greatest failure.”

“Ugh, I’m so with him there!” Poppy agreed with a laugh. When she took notice of the blue troll’s questioning gaze, she hurriedly tried to correct herself. “Not on the ‘greatest failure’ part, of course. I-I-I I’m sure he did his best and you all worked very hard for it, just that finding out the TrollsTree Boys would be performing instead of you was such a total bummer.”

Branch allowed a playful smirk to tug at his lips. “Bet you refused to go the moment you found out.”

To his surprise, despite her laughter, Poppy actually shook her head. “I would’ve loved to. You know, standing with my favourite band in solidarity, as any good fan ought to do, but I just couldn’t. I was supposed to be there and couldn’t skip, you know?” She threw her head back, a groan escaping her throat. “Man, responsibilities sometimes suck, right?”

Even though Branch was nodding, as he honestly agreed with her assessment, a part of him couldn’t help but be puzzled at Poppy’s words. She was supposed to be at the Electric Foam Parade? How was that even possible? As much as any troll loved a good party, it wasn’t like they were morally obligated to attend them.

It wasn’t as if Poppy was King Peppy, for crying out loud!

Once again, his train of thought skidded to a halt when Poppy spoke up, unaware of the many questions circling around his mind. “Anyway, all the more reason to redeem yourselves and give it a try, right?” She gave a gentle nudge as she flashed him a smirk.

He smiled back. “Trust me, nothing would please my brothers more. Especially JD. And Spruce,” he added after a beat. “Oddly, he developed a sort of rivalry with the TrollsTree Boys’ own Heartthrob when his biggest fan left him for him.”

“The betrayal!” Poppy gasped, a hand over her heart.

“Tell me about it… You’d think he’d been actually dumped with the way he acted back then.”

“So? Isn’t that all the more reason to give it a try? To show everyone Brozone’s all set and ready to bro?”

“Hey, don't look at me!” Branch raised his hands up in surrender. “That’s not up to us, but rather, we’re granted the honour by King Peppy.”

“But what if you were granted the honour?” Poppy insisted, and the shimmering glint in her pink eyes betrayed a thousand thoughts going on behind them. Her body was practically buzzing with excitement, her grin stretched so wide Branch would have worried it might hurt her hadn’t he been so distracted by his heart thumping wildly in his ribcage. “Branch, what I’m trying to say is—.”

She never got to finish her sentence.

“Here you go! Roasted mushroom with marshtato tots and root beer for the gentleman, and chicken finger puppets with a chocolate milkshake for the lady!” Their waitress announced happily, setting down their food to enjoy. Smiling widely at the pair, she jabbed her thumb behind her, and for the first time that night, Branch took notice of the small stage in the centre of the room. “Today’s your lucky day; it’s karaoke night!” She sent a wink Poppy’s way. “You might get to listen to Mr. Popular over here sing you a song!”

As she left the two to enjoy their food and tend to the other customers, a grin spread over Branch’s face. She’d just given him a great idea.

Turning back to face Poppy, he found her staring down at their food in interest, the hunger reflected in her eyes. As she gingerly picked up a piece of chicken and dipped it into the honey mustard sauce—after a brief enactment of Hamlet, of course; it was only proper etiquette—, he caught her eye. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she noticed he wasn’t eating.

Taking a bite out of her food and swallowing, she asked, “Everything okay? Is your mushroom too well done, or not done enough?”

“Oh, no. It’s alright, don’t worry.” He answered, absentmindedly poking at the offending fungi with his fork. Setting the utensil aside, he cleared his throat. He could already feel his insides tingling at what he was about to do. “Hey, Poppy?” He called out to her. As soon as the captivating pink of her eyes met his gaze, he continued, “I was thinking that maybe I could do something to make your night really worth it. After all, you’re a Brozoner! It’s the least I can do to thank you for your support! It really means a lot, you know.”

The youngest member of Brozone felt an odd sense of accomplishment when her freckles got accentuated by the blush spreading across her cheeks. “Oh, Branch… You really don’t have to. You agreeing to meet up with me is more than enough already!”

She tried to brush his offer off with a modest wave of her hand. What she wasn’t counting on, however, was Branch gently taking her hand in his for the third—or was it fourth?— time that evening and looking at her like she was made out of glitter.

“Just let me take you to a better place.” He told her, his velvety voice impossibly soft.

Poppy could only nod dumbly at his request, her eyes wide and shimmering under the faint light as the handsome troll she had admired for so long wordlessly left the booth and made his way towards the little stage located in the middle of the pod. She let out a gasp. Was he really…?

As if on cue, her silent question was answered by Branch’s voice resonating throughout the space, immediately bringing all eyes on him like the superstar he was.

“Good evening, everyone! How’re we doing tonight?”

A cacophony of cheers and even cat calls answered back, making the blue troll chuckle fondly. Grabbing the mic and taking it off its stand, he spoke into the device. “I hope you don’t mind me hogging the spotlight for a little while. You see, I’m with a very special troll tonight,” as the words left his mouth, all eyes turned to follow his own gaze, which hadn’t strayed away from Poppy since they first met.

He absentmindedly noted how weird their silent astonishment at the sight of her was. Normally, when one of them went out on a date with one of their fans, trolls would be congratulating or even lightly teasing the lucky troll, but it wasn’t the case with Poppy. For some reason, they seemed surprised, but not as much as they would have been. Perhaps they were finally getting used to seeing fans around their idols?

Shaking those thoughts away, he went on. “We’re supposed to be having a good time, but I can’t help but feel like I haven’t exactly delivered. So, here’s to rectify such terrible oversight on my part.” He threw a wink the pink beauty’s way, causing the trolls gathered to squeal and swoon at the display. “This one’s for you, Poppy.”

Taking a deep breath, he let his velvety notes be carried over around the space. His tone, soulful and rich, strived to reflect his innermost feelings with each vibration of his voice. As he let himself be lost to the memory, his eyes searched Poppy’s, silently pleading for her mere presence to be his anchor and keep him grounded.

“So, many times

I thought, I held it in my hands

But just like, grains of sand

Love slipped, through my fingers

So, many nights

I asked, the Lord above

Please, make me lucky enough

To find a Love, that lingers”

It wasn’t Brozone’s most popular song. In fact, it technically wasn’t even one of their songs! At least not officially; they had never recorded it, let alone released it to the public. Despite how powerful of a melody it was, they just couldn’t bring themselves to capitalise on it.

It was the last thing they had of their parents, after all.

“Something, keeps tellin' me

That you could be, my answered prayer

You must be Heaven sent, I swear...

'Cause…”

Grandma Rosiepuff used to say their father had written that song to propose to their mother, and their parents would sing it to their precious trollings when they couldn’t sleep. Branch had been the only exception, his parents’ being taken barely a few days before he hatched. But his brothers and Grandma made sure he never forgot how much their parents loved each other and their family.

And now, something deep within his bones compelled him to sing it to Poppy. He doubled his efforts when he reached the chorus, desperate to properly convey the depths of his soul to the tantalising troll staring at him with so much awe in her eyes, it made him feel more important than a million fans screaming his name in a concert.

“Something happens when you look at me, I forget to speak

Something happens when you kiss my mouth, my knees get so weak

Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me

'Cause, baby I can't believe

That something, like you

...Could happen to me

Yeah-yeah...

Something, like you…”

It was like all her childhood fantasies had suddenly come true. Oh, how many nights had she dreamed of something like this? Of Brozone singing exclusively for her? Of Branch, her favourite by a long shot, dedicating her a song? All trolls longed for their special someone to serenade them, but should she dare believe Branch could be doing this beyond a sense of obligation given who she was?

For the moment, she chose not to care. Her eyes never leaving his dashing figure as he danced and sang his heart out on stage—all for her.

“Girl, in your eyes

I feel your fire burn (feel your fire burn)

Oh, your secrets, I will learn

Even if it takes forever...

With you, by my side

I can do, anything (can do, anything)

I don't care what tomorrow, brings

As long, as we're together”

Even as the other patrons cheered for him and swayed to the music, clearly enjoying the show and choice of song, Branch’s blue eyes were dead set on Poppy. Scrutinising her expression, her every move. She looked so happy, so touched. Almost as if this were the first time anyone ever broke into song just to let her know how utterly wonderful she was.

That wouldn’t do. If someone as enchanting as Poppy had never had anyone serenade her, what chances did the rest of us, mere mortals, have? He laced his voice with newfound intensity, a burning desire to make that pink angel feel as special as she was.

“My heart is tellin' me

That you could be, my meant to be

I know it, more each time we touch...

'Cause...

Somethin' happens when you look at me, I forget to speak

Something happens when you kiss my mouth, my knees get so weak

Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me

'Cause, baby I can't believe

That something, like you

Could happen to me”

Feeling the song coming to a close, Poppy followed her instincts, allowing her feet to guide her through the crowd of enthused viewers and closer to the wonderful troll turning what was supposed to be a simple meeting into one of the most spectacular nights of her life.

Coming up to the stage, she leaned against it, her head resting on her crossed forearms as she stared up at Branch adoringly. Surely, this wasn’t creepy or too obvious, was it? He was bound to have had countless fans do the same thing before, right?

For his part, upon noticing Poppy’s figure expertly and politely avoiding crashing into his small audience until she finally reached him, Branch crouched down next to her so their faces could be close enough for her to see the devotion shining behind his eyes. Surely, this was okay, right? There was nothing wrong with showing this beautiful, sweet, incredible troll that he cared, now was it? As long as Poppy had fun tonight, not even John Dory could reprimand him for anything.

“Something magical (something magical)

Something spiritual (something spiritual)

Something stronger than the two of us alone

...Yeah

Something physical

...Something undeniable (undeniable)

Nothing, like anything (anything)

That, I've ever known...

'Cause...

Something happens

When you look at me, I forget to speak

Something happens

When you kiss my mouth, my knees get so weak

Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me”

As the blue-haired troll allowed himself to get lost in Poppy’s stunning pink eyes, her captivating smile drawing him closer and shining so bright it could eclipse the sun, all Branch could think of was one thing:

He sincerely hoped Bruce had a wonderful marriage to Brandy and they had many kids. Like, a lot. Maybe something like twelve boys and one daughter.

It was the least they deserved for giving him the chance to meet the reason his heart beat at all.

“'Cause, baby I can't believe ...No

(That something, like you) Something, like you

(Something, like you)

That something, like you...

...Could happen to me

Can't believe, that you happened to me.”

.......................

After the spell the both of them seemed to be under was broken by the other patrons' raucous cheering and rounds of applause, Poppy and Branch went back to enjoy their dinner. They exchanged stories and playfully teased each other, with Poppy practically eating up each and every piece of gossip Branch could tell her about his brothers without really breaking their trust. In turn, Poppy, who seemed to be quite the adventurer, shared her own anecdotes of her time away from Pop Village. That one time she unknowingly ate a ballberry and blew up like a balloon was equal parts hilarious and disconcerting.

Oddly enough, she kept bringing up the idea of Brozone singing at all kinds of holidays, which if you knew Pop Village, were a lot. But understanding she was just a fan eager to see some more of her favourite boy band, Branch shrugged it off. If he were being honest with himself, knowing his siblings, especially their leader, they’d probably be down for it.

As the night drew to a close, Branch found himself escorting Poppy back to her pod, both out of gentlemanly obligation and uncontrollable desire to prolong the night as much as possible. Glancing around, he surmised the reason John Dory was so adamant the night was perfect was indeed because she had to have money; she certainly lived in one of the nicest parts of the village.

When they finally reached the door to her pod, it was clear neither wanted the night to end.

“I had a wonderful time, Branch. Thank you so much.” Poppy told him honestly, her appreciation reflected in her eyes and the grin playing on her lips.

“Trust me, Poppy. The pleasure was all mine.” He smiled back at her.

“And, um, please, do think about what we’ve talked about tonight, okay?” She pleaded, brushing her fringe away from her face shyly.

His smile morphing into a playful smirk, Branch pretended to think, tapping a finger against his chin. “What we’ve talked about tonight?” He asked no one in particular. Seeing Poppy’s suddenly distressed expression, he chuckled, letting go of the ruse. “Of course I remember, Poppy. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to my brothers about singing at some celebrations.”

The pink beauty let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank Troll! For a moment there I genuinely thought you’d forgotten! I’m…I’m really looking forward to seeing you all perform soon.”

Then, mustering her characteristic boldness, she closed the space between the two of them and planted a soft, sweet kiss on her beloved idol’s cheek. Her ears perking up when she heard him let out an almost inaudible gasp.

As Branch stood there, completely frozen, a hand tentatively reaching out to touch the spot where Poppy had just kissed him—it felt like it was on fire under his touch—, Poppy thanked him one last time for everything and went inside her pod, bidding him good night.

It took more time than Branch cared to admit for his brain to catch up with reality and for him to gain enough presence of mind to stop standing on Poppy’s door like a stalker and begin the trek back home. But Branch couldn’t care less. He was on cloud nine!

Who would’ve thought he’d find the love of his life in one of Brozone’s contests? Just waiting for him to notice her?

He was in such a good mood, upon descending into their bunker’s living room, one of the communal rooms it possessed, his brothers immediately perked up, taking notice of their baby brother’s unusual behaviour.

“I take it everything went well?” Floyd, ever the observant one, asked Branch as he flopped down next to him on the sofa. The magenta-haired brother had to admit it was a little weird seeing his younger brother look so happy, his smile hadn’t been so wide since he reached puberty, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

If anyone deserved to be smiling like a fool for once, it was Branch.

“It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.” Branch replied, his voice steeped in utter bliss.

“Oooooh, I know that look!” Spruce exclaimed, a knowing smirk planting itself on his features. With a few purposeful strides, he strutted over to the sofa, leaning against the armrest and peering down at his little brothers, but especially at Branch. “Somebody’s got a crush!”

That immediately got Branch on the defensive. “What?! No! I-I-I I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

If his stammering sounded suspicious to his ears, no doubt it sounded off to his brothers, too. Still, refusing to admit defeat, the blue-haired sibling crossed his eyes and resolutely avoided eye contact with Spruce, not unlike when he was a child pouting at something his brothers said.

“How cute! He’s blushing lavender!” Clay pointed out, looking up from his novel.

“Shouldn’t you be reading?” Branch snapped. To his chagrin, his blush only deepened.

To be honest, the middle child was behind on his Sad Book Club book of the month, but his catching up could wait. Teasing Branch was always such a delight, and the idea of his baby brother finally getting himself a girlfriend was too good to pass up on.

Unfortunately, just as he was about to quip back, their eldest brother’s voice interrupted their bickering.

“Oh, Branch. You’re back.” John Dory half-heartedly greeted him, looking up from the stack of documents in his hands for a second as he entered the room. Pulling a pen out of his hair, he worked diligently on the papers in his hands for a short while before returning his focus on his little brother. “Hey, listen man, thank you so much for filling in for me tonight. I swear, I would’ve gone myself, but these last few days work just kept piling up and if I didn’t finish making the last adjustments to Baby, You Drive Me Wild But I Think Our Relationship Is Fuelled Only by Excitement and Won’t Last tonight, it just wouldn’t be ready on time to be included in our next album!”

Branch was about to wave it off when something he said caught him off-guard.

“Wait, I was filling in for you?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Why? Is there a problem?”

“No, not really. I just thought I was filling in for Spruce, now that he’s off the market and all that…”

“And you are.” John Dory confirmed. At the same time as Spruce said, “And I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”

“But that’s only when we hold a contest among our fans and the prize is a date with one of us.” Their turquoise-haired leader continued, his eyes squinting in confusion at their baby brother.

“But you just said I was filling in for you tonight.” Branch insisted, his own confusion apparent.

“And you were!” John Dory threw his hands to his sides, not following. Seriously, they were going ‘round in circles.

As usual, it was Floyd who came to their rescue. Turning to Branch, he asked cautiously. “Branch, what did you think you were doing tonight?”

Branch was a little taken aback by the way Floyd phrased his question. It was almost like he knew something he didn’t. “Going on a date with the winner of our latest contest…” He said uneasily, suddenly hyper-aware of the astonished looks on his siblings’ faces.

“What?!” John Dory finally exploded. Taking a deep breath to force himself to calm down, he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Branch, for the love of everything trolly, please, tell me you didn’t treat Poppy like any other of our fans.”

Branch could confidently say he had not treated Poppy just like any other fan. “I…really didn’t.” Then, thinking back to her insistence that he tell his brothers her idea, he perked up. “Oh, she also had the greatest idea! She thinks we should totally perform during the village’s celebrations. And, you’d like to hear, JD,” he turned to his brother with a smirk, “she thinks we could be the main event at the Electric Foam Parade.”

And just like that, all the tension left their leader’s body. “Oh, thank frosting! I knew talking to Poppy about this was a good idea!”

“Dude, what are you talking about?” Spruce sent him a pointed look. “It was her who came looking for you, not the other way around. And you almost dismissed her as just another fan asking for an autograph!”

“And, you forget it was per my suggestion she came looking for you at all.” Clay pointed out, matter-of-factly. “It’s all thanks to me we even have this opportunity.”

As their three older siblings bickered amongst themselves, it was Floyd who noticed the utter confusion on his baby brother’s face. Staring intently at his face, and taking special note of the way his eyes lit up at the mention of the pink troll, his eyes widened when he connected the dots.

“Branch, is the girl you’ve fallen in love with Poppy?” He gasped.

The moment Floyd’s question registered in their ears, all three oldest brothers halted their childish argument, turning to stare owlishly in astonishment at their baby brother. Silently asking for confirmation.

His face turning a furious shade of lavender was all the answer they needed.

And their cue to lose their collective minds.

“Look at my baby bro! All grown up!” Spruce said proudly, wiping a fake tear off the corner of his eye. “And he has such great taste, too! A chip off the old block…”

“If you were his father!” Clay corrected.

“Hey, I basically raised you three! I can say whatever I want!”

Meanwhile, John Dory kept muttering to himself. “This was supposed to be just a meeting…How did this happen? I mean, Poppy is obviously a keeper but I just can’t seem to wrap my head around it…”

“All I know”, Clay began, his voice carrying over the room and over his brothers’, “is that Viva’s going to be ecstatic to hear my little brother and his little sister might end up together.”

At that, Floyd left his spot on the couch to put a sympathetic hand on the yellow-haired troll’s shoulder. Knowing Viva and her boundless energy, Clay was in for a long couple of weeks, at the very least.

“Wait, Viva?” Branch interrupted his siblings’ ramblings. “What does Viva and her sister have to do with anything?”

All four trolls exchanged a glance. “Um, Viva’s sister is Poppy?”

Branch made a psh! sound, incredulous. “That can’t be right. It can’t be my Poppy.” Ignoring the way his brothers cooed and teased him about referring to Poppy as his, he went on. “It’s gotta be some other troll.”

“I can very much assure you it’s not.” Clay insisted. “It’s the same Poppy.”

“C’mon, it’s gotta be a coincidence. Many trolls are named Poppy!”

“Do you know any?” This time, it was Floyd who spoke, gently encouraging him to realise what was truly going on.

“But that’s impossible! Because if Poppy is Viva’s sister that means…that means…” He trailed off, his voice tapering off and his eyes widening as he finally connected the dots.

Everything made so much sense now.

Everyone’s shocked yet polite reactions at seeing them together wasn’t because of him, it was all her! The way she kept bringing up matters that only the Royal family had any power over, like deciding the groups that would perform at Pop Village’s most prestigious celebrations. John Dory was right; it was never meant to be a date, it was an important meeting! …which also explained his insistence on everything going perfectly tonight; there was way too much on the line.

Not to mention, the way Poppy carried herself with an air of grace and elegance, yet had this aura that let you know she was perfectly approachable. No, scratch that. She was like a beacon of light, guiding and warming up your soul with a mere smile. Drawing you in like a moth to a flame.

Floyd exchanged worried glances with his brothers when Branch froze up like a Swag Stag in headlights. Their concern only skyrocketed when their baby brother hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face in them.

Just as he was about to ask if he was okay, Branch threw his head back, his hands rubbing down his face. “I can’t believe I'm in love with the Pop Princess, of all people. Talk about a frosting cliché.”

“Hey, language.” John Dory admonished lightly.

“If it’s any consolation, I mean it when I say you’ve got good taste.” Spruce tried to lighten up the mood. “I met her with JD, and she’s an absolute sweetheart.”

“Oh, a total keeper.” The eldest agreed.

Just then, an impish smile made its way to the sensitive brother’s face. “You know, I haven’t really interacted with Poppy all that much,” Floyd admitted, “but I remember her face when JD told her she would have to meet up with you.”

Despite himself, Branch’s ear perked up at that, listening with interest.

Floyd smiled to himself. “She was ecstatic! Seriously, like a trolling on their quarter-half-birthday! So I wouldn’t be too surprised if it turned out the Pop Princess is also in love with you.”

As always, Floyd knew just what to say to make him feel better. His mind going back to the look of utter adoration on her face as he sang to her, Branch dared to believe, even if just for a moment, that Poppy could ever come to love him, too, and her admiration wasn’t based solely on her love for Brozone.

Maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t made himself a complete fool in front of their princess.

“You know, she’s actually the Queen, now.” Clay reminded them. “Her coronation happened a few weeks ago, but we couldn’t make it due to incompatible schedules.”

Branch could feel his eye twitch.

“I boasted in front of the freaking Queen?!”

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pinkrose787 · 2 months

Text

Amnesia Branch AU! Chapter 3

After a long wait, I have finally finished writing chapter 3! I hope you enjoy! :D

AO3 Link

Chapter 3:

Silence used to be normal in the bunker. It’s only inhabitant, Branch, never made much noise, aside from him occasionally talking to himself. Even then he never talked too loudly, for fear that an enemy might manage to hear him deep underground.

That was before things changed. When Branch’s color returned, he brought sound to the bunker. Singing to himself, playing music, even having friends over. The silence started to become more unusual until it disappeared entirely when his brothers moved in.

But now, the silence is back. Clay and Floyd sit at the dinner table in the kitchen not saying anything to each other. They aren’t really sure what they should say. John Dory is too focused on cooking dinner to start a conversation. He’s thankful that he has a task that takes his mind off the day’s events, even if it is only for a brief moment in time.

John Dory puts the finishing touch on dinner. He dreads being done. Cooking has been meditative for him. But he can’t come up with a good reason to continue. After all, he’s already cooked enough food to feed ten trolls a full three-course meal and still have leftovers for a week.

He plates all the food for his brothers. From past experience, he knows that if Clay and Floyd were to do it themselves, they wouldn’t give themselves enough to eat.

As he piles the food onto the plates, an unwanted memory pops up of what they were like right after their parents got eaten, a time just before Branch’s egg hatched. His brothers were despondent, much like they are now. John Dory was depressed too, but he didn’t give in to his depression because he told himself that he had to be the one to care for his brothers.

The hardest task was getting them to eat anything. John Dory tried to make his food taste amazing, hoping that it would encourage them to eat something. Though often times, it didn’t matter how delicious his food tasted. His brothers would still refuse to eat it. Now, he’s faced with the same herculean task as all those years ago.

“Soup’s up!” John Dory says. His voice projects a positivity that he isn’t really feeling. He places the plates of food in front of Floyd and Clay.

The two of them barely look at the food. Floyd pushes his plate away. “I’m not really hungry,” he says.

“Yeah, me too,” Clay adds.

This reaction from the two of them doesn’t surprise him one bit. “I know neither of you have eaten since breakfast.” John Dory pushes the plate back towards Floyd. “So, eat.” His voice is a lot sterner than it was before.

“I went without food for two months. I’ll be fine missing dinner,” Floyd says.

“We went without food all time at the golf course. I’ll be fine too.” Clay pushes away his plate like Floyd did.

John Dory finds both those statements concerning. He worked hard to keep them fed back when they lived at the Troll Tree. Hearing that they were used to hunger is distressing. But that’s something that he’ll address later. Right now, he needs to get them to eat dinner. “You two are acting like children. Just eat your dinner,” he says.

“Well maybe, I’m acting like a child, cause you’re treating me like one,” Clay says. He crosses his arms in the same way he did when he was mad at John Dory as a kid.

“I’m not treating you like a child,” John Dory responds. He knows that’s a lie. The way he’s acting is the same way he did as a teenager before BroZone disbanded. But he feels like he has to be the leader again, or else these two are going to fall apart. “I worked really hard on making dinner for you, and I can’t believe that you’re not eating it.”

Clay jumps out of his chair. He starts to get in John Dory’s face. It takes all of John Dory’s self-control not to push Clay away. “Well, I didn’t ask for you to—”

“Guys, can we not do this?” Floyd says, cutting Clay off. “Look, I know we’re all worried about Branch, but us fighting won’t help him. Let’s all just sit down and eat.”

“Whatever.” Clay sulks back into his chair with a huff. He pulls the plate of food towards him and starts eating.

John Dory sits down at the table, and eats with his brothers. Though the meal he made tastes amazing, he barely wants to eat any of it. He wants to push the plate away like his brothers did. But if he did, they’d immediately call him out on his hypocrisy. So, it takes all of his mental strength to fight against his melancholy and take a few bites of his food.

The three of them eat in silence. Their silverware clinking against the plates as they eat. None of them are really looking at each other. Floyd is pushing his food around the plate with his fork. “I can’t stop thinking about what Poppy said,” he says.

“What that Branch hates us and doesn’t want to see us ever again?” Clay says, not looking up from his food.

“She didn’t say that he hates us,” John Dory says.

“No, that was just implied,” Clay says.

Floyd shakes his head. “I’m not talking about that!” He rises from his chair. Slamming his hands on the table. The sound causes John Dory and Clay to jump. “I mean what she said about us not being there for Branch when he needed us the most.”

Clay lowers his head. He starts to fidget with his hands. “I tried to, but I couldn’t leave the Putt Putt trolls behind…” he mumbles under his breath.

“That’s not fair.” John Dory stands up. “I tried to come back. When I did everyone was gone.” He’s said this almost a thousand times. Yet no one seems to listen or care about the fact that he really did try.

Floyd looks at John Dory. His expression is sympathetic. It’s not what John Dory expected. He expected rage or sadness, but Floyd seems to understand. “I know that you did. And I did too, but when I came back everyone was already gone.”

“So, you get it.” He didn’t know that Floyd came back. In the year that they’ve all been reconnected, he never mentioned it. Then again John Dory never asked him if he tried to come back. “We didn’t know they escaped. We thought the bergens had eaten them.” John Dory says.

“I know that, but before that,” Floyd says. John Dory thinks he know where Floyd is going with this, and he really doesn’t want him to say it. But he doesn’t stop Floyd from asking the dreaded question. “Do you know how long we had to go back to visit Branch after BroZone broke up?”

John Dory knows. He tries not to think about that period of time. Every time he does his brain is flooded with what ifs. What if he came back before Grandma died? What if he had found Branch afterwards? What if he had never left? When the night is quiet and he’s all alone, these questions haunt him.

But John Dory knows the reality. He missed his opportunity to come back, and Branch grew up alone. There’s nothing he can do about that. The past has occurred and now he must deal with the present. “Over two years.” His voice is low.

“That isn’t very long,” Clay protests. “I was on a mission of self-discovery. Trying to find my place with other trolls. There wasn’t any time to go back.”

Floyd sighs. “I know it wasn’t long. But we still should have at least checked up on him.” John Dory knows that’s true. Leaving a baby with an elderly woman wasn’t the best idea. But they were all just kids themselves. They couldn’t be expected to raise Branch.

“Well, we didn’t.” John Dory’s voice is a growl. “And you know what? I thought that out of all of us,” He points at Floyd. “You would have been the one to go back for him.”

Floyd looks down at his plate, avoiding John Dory’s accusatory gaze.

“None of us went back for him,” Clay adds. “Not you, not me, not Floyd, and not Bruce.”

There’s silence for a second. The mention of Bruce made John Dory remember that they forgot to do something important. Looking at his brothers he can tell that they suddenly remembered too. “Oh my God. We never told Bruce that Branch is in the hospital,” he says.

“Should we tell him?” Clay asks, voicing the question that John Dory is thinking about. “He’s got a lot on his plate with the restaurant and his kids. Telling him would only freak him out.”

Floyd looks at Clay shocked that he could even suggest that. “I think he should know. If I were him, I’d want to know.”

“Floyd’s right. We should tell him.” John Dory says. Even though he himself is not very keen on the idea of telling him. Leaving one of their brothers behind is what lead them to this horrible situation in the first place.

He heads over to the holophone, a piece of tech from the Funk Trolls that allows for phone calls with holographic imagery. It doesn’t take long for John Dory to find Bruce’s name on the list of contacts. There really isn’t anyone that they need to talk to that is too far to do it in-person.

Every time John Dory looks at the contact list, he’s always shocked with how many names of royalty there are. From Queen Barb of the Hard Rock Tribe, Prince D of the Funk Trolls, and even King Gristle and Queen Bridget of Bergen Town. Branch really did make an impact while they were separated.

He clicks on Bruce’s name. The holophone starts to ring. Its ring echoes throughout the bunker.

Soon, a holographic version of Bruce appears. He looks a little disheveled. Behind him are sounds of clattering plates, clinking silverware, and kids running around. “Hey John Dory. Why are calling so late? We just started closing up for the night.”

John Dory shifts uncomfortably. He really doesn’t want to give Bruce the bad news, especially since it seems like Bruce is so busy. “Sorry, but there’s something we need to tell you.” His voice is somber.

Bruce seems to pick up on John Dory’s tone. His eyes are wide. “Is everything alright? Did someone get hurt?”

“Well,” John Dory clasps his hands together. He takes a deep breath. Telling bad news has never been his strong suit. “Branch is in the hospital, right now.”

“What?” Bruce jumps upon hearing that news. “How did he get hurt? How bad is it? Is he going to be okay?”

The barrage of questions knocks John Dory off his rhythm. “Branch is going to be fine… physically.”

Bruce sighs like he was holding in his breath. “Oh, thank God.”

“But…” John Dory finds that he’s struggling to tell him about Branch’s amnesia. Saying it out loud makes it feel too real. He still can’t believe that only yesterday, Branch was here with them in the bunker perfectly fine, and now he’s in the hospital.

“But what?” Bruce asks.

Thankfully, he doesn’t need to say it. “Branch has amnesia. He doesn’t remember anything from the last four years,” Floyd says.

Bruce silently stands there for a second. John Dory doesn’t say anything to him. He knows that he has to give Bruce some time to process. This is as much of shock for him, as it was for the rest of them. The only difference is that he’s hearing it over 12 hours later. “Are you sure?” Bruce asks.

“Yeah. Four years of memory are just gone. Poppy said that he apparently doesn’t even remember that they’re dating.” John Dory says.

“Poppy told you? Did you see him?” Bruce asks.

“Nope. He wouldn’t let us. He hates us now,” Clay says, leaning back in his chair.

Floyd glares at Clay, who is unfazed by Floyd’s cold look. “He doesn’t hate us. It just might take some time for him to adjust to us being back.”

“Because he hates us,” Clay adds.

“He hates us?” Bruce looks hurt.

John Dory hates seeing his brothers all hurt like this, and he hates that there’s nothing that he can do about it. There’s nothing that he can say that will make anything right. No words will make Branch regain his memories and heal his injuries. And as much as he wants to refute Clay’s claim that Branch hates them, he’s not sure he can. “It’s more complicated than that…” he adds.

But is it really? He remembers how angry Branch was when they first reunited. How Branch barely looked at him. How he said that none of them were his brothers anymore.

At the time, John Dory was shocked to see his little brother acting that way. He truly believed that Branch would have been happy to see him. And that was supposedly Branch at his happiest. He can’t possibly imagine what Branch felt towards them at his lowest.

Bruce sighs. “You know what. It doesn’t matter. If I leave now, I could be there tomorrow morning.”

John Dory looks at Bruce. He can see the determination in Bruce’s eyes. “You don’t have to. There’s a chance that you won’t even be able to see him.”

“That doesn’t matter. If Branch is in the hospital, then I need to be there,” Bruce says.

John Dory sighs. He knows that there’s nothing that he can say to dissuade Bruce from coming. “Alright. But don’t blame me if you don’t see Branch.”

Bruce ends the call. Leaving them alone in silence.

--------

It’s not unusual for Poppy’s pod to be filled with trolls. Being the queen and one of the most popular trolls in the village, she always has a revolving door of friends coming to visit her. Sometimes they come with problems that they want her help with. But more often than not, they come just to hang out with her.

Tonight isn’t too different. Poppy is surrounded by her friends, more so than usual. Normally being surrounded by all her friends would normally excite her. Not tonight. She can’t find it in her to be even ten percent as peppy as she normally is.

Poppy sits on her bed clutching one of her pillows. Cooper, Smidge, Biggie, Holly, and Val sit on bean bag chairs strewn about the pod. Viva, who’s sitting next to Poppy on the bed, gathered all of them to help support her. She’s braiding and unbraiding Poppy’s hair.

“This is unbelievable. He doesn’t even remember that he’s dating you?” Smidge asks.

Poppy nods her head. “He’s just like how he used to be. So grumpy. So angry.”

“How bad can he be? We’ve got lots of grumpy trolls in the Hard Rock Tribe. He can’t be any worse than any of them,” Val says.

“I’ve never met a grumpy troll that I couldn’t cheer up lickety-split!” Holly proclaims.

Smidge, Cooper, and Biggie share looks of shock. Poppy doesn’t share that feeling. She knows that most trolls that never met the gray version of Branch cannot comprehend exactly how miserable he was. “You don’t understand. Branch wasn’t like any grouchy troll you’ve ever met,” Biggie says.

“Yeah, he was the ultimate party-pooper!” Cooper says.

“It took Poppy years of nonstop trying to get through to him.” Smidge says. “Even then, he didn’t become happy until we were almost eaten.”

Val and Holly’s jaws are on the floor. “Until all y’all were almost eaten?” Holly repeats. She looks around for some answers. “Did I hear you say that correctly?”

“Yeah.” Smidge nods her head.

“I couldn’t understand it at the time, but then there was so much about Branch I didn’t understand.” Poppy smiles a bit at the memory. Seeing Branch happy for the first time after trying to help him for so long was amazing. “That night was the first time I ever heard Branch sing. His voice is what pulled me from my despair.”

Poppy sighs. “I’m really going to miss hearing him sing.”

“Me too.” Smidge nods sympathetically. “He has such a nice voice. Who knows when we’re going to hear him sing again.”

“C’mon y’all, this is Branch we’re talking about. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that boy not sing. He can’t keep up this silence for long,” Holly says.

“All we gotta do is get Branch somewhere where he has to sing! Like make him the headliner of a major music festival. Having all the pressure on him will get him to sing for sure!” Val says.

Poppy shakes her head. “No. That won’t work. I’ve already tried it.”

“Oh my guh. The Stoutberry Festival was a disaster that year,” Smidge says, looking into the distance with a thousand-yard stare.

Biggie puts his hand on Smidge’s shoulder. “We do not talk about what happened at that year’s Stoutberry Festival,” he says with a solemn voice.

“Maybe if we get his brothers together, we could do another BroZone reunion concert He’d probably go for that,” Viva says, while still fidgeting with Poppy’s hair. “Clay told me all about how when Branch was a baby, all he wanted to do was perform with his brothers.”

“I don’t think that would work. Branch is still so mad at his brothers.” She clutches the pillow closer to her. The memory of how angry Branch sounded when he said that he didn’t want to see them replays in her mind. Never in all her time of knowing him did he sound so angry.

“Can you blame him?” Val leans forward in her beanbag chair. “They left him as a baby for over twenty years. If I had siblings that did that to me, I’d be pissed too.”

Viva stops braiding Poppy’s hair for a second. “That’s not fair. Clay wanted to go back, but he was too busy helping me lead the Putt Putt Trolls.”

“But what was he doing before that? Because from what I heard, there were at least two years between BroZone breaking up and the Putt Putt trolls getting separated from the rest of the Pop Trolls.” Val’s voice is filled with venom. It’s a tone Poppy has only heard a few times, usually it’s when Val is defending her friends. “He couldn’t have at least bothered to visit his baby brother for one day?”

Val’s anger isn’t surprising to Poppy. She was there when Branch explained the whole BroZone thing to her. When he brought up how they never came back, she was furious at his brothers and livid that Branch forgave them so easily. It took the combined efforts of Branch, Poppy, and a few other trolls to keep Val from confronting Branch’s brothers herself.

Viva is a different story. Despite both her and Val being close with Poppy, the two of them have never particularly gotten along, not for lack of trying. Though up until tonight, they’ve always been at least friendly with each other. “Clay was on a journey of self-discovery. He didn’t have time to go back.”

“Well, it seems like he discovered that he’s a bad brother,” Val says.

Viva jumps off the bed. She marches over to Val. “Clay is not and never has been a bad brother. Clay was great to his brothers.”

Val sits back in her beanbag chair, unbothered by Viva’s attempt at intimidation. She laughs a little. “Yeah, he was such a great brother that none of his brothers talked to him for twenty years.” Val crosses her arms.

“I cannot believe this!” Viva points at Val. “You don’t understand, because you’re an only child!”

Val rolls her eyes. She rises out of her beanbag chair. Points right back at Viva. “I don’t need to have siblings to understand that you don’t just leave them behind without a word.”

Viva gets in Val’s face. Everyone in the room is watching them. Waiting for the impending fight. No one dares to get between them for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. “He didn’t just-”

“Stop!” Poppy shouts.

Everyone looks at Poppy, who had been quiet for most of the night. Poppy sighs. “Can we not fight please?” She sounds like she’s on the verge of tears, because she is. Seeing two people so close to her fight is painful.

Immediately, Viva and Val stand down. “Sorry, Poppy,” Val says. She doesn’t apologize to Viva though. In fact, she doesn’t even glance at Viva. She sits back down in her beanbag chair in a huff.

Viva climbs back on the bed, next to Poppy. “I’m sorry too.” She gives Poppy a hug. “I just can’t stand to hear people talk badly about Clay knowing everything that he’s been through.”

“I know,” Poppy says. But she knows that there’s more to Viva’s anger than simply defending Clay. Even though she never says it, Poppy knows that she still feels guilty about never venturing out from the golf course to find her. Hearing Val talk about Clay being a bad brother must have brought all those feelings back.

The atmosphere in the room is oppressive. Trolls don’t usually fight like this, especially this group of trolls. No one’s too sure about what to do or what to say. All of them are exchanging glances, waiting for someone to say something.

Holly Darling is the one to break the silence. “You know what would cheer Branch right up? Making him some get well soon cards!” She pulls out some construction paper from her hair.

Though that’s slightly unnecessary, given that Poppy’s pod is filled with construction paper. It’s on the floor, on every surface, and in every single drawer. Branch once spent days at Poppy’s pod trying to organize all of her scrapbooking supplies, only for it all to be undone in less than a week. Still, Poppy appreciated the effort, but most of all she loved that she got to spend so much time with Branch.

Thinking of Branch, Poppy smiles. Even though helping Branch through his recovery is going to be incredibly difficult, she has to be strong. She has to be there for him. Because if the roles were reversed and she had been the one to lose her memory, he would be there every step of the way for her. She doesn’t have a single doubt in her mind about that.

“Yeah, that sounds fun,” Poppy says.

The atmosphere in the room lightens. Everyone grabs different scrapbooking materials and gets to work. The sound of scissors cutting paper fills the room. Soon, Smidge starts talking about the latest gossip that she heard.

And for a brief second, Poppy feels like everything is normal. Like Branch could walk in with his vibrant blue colors that Poppy loves so much, and sit down next to her. Maybe he would join in on the crafts. Usually not. Usually, he was contented to sit next to Poppy and join in on the conversation.

As they work on the cards, Poppy can’t help but feel a bit sad. Normally, when Poppy gets too stressed or upset, Branch is able to bring her back with ease. He had an understanding of grief and pain that most trolls don’t. Not only that, he understood Poppy better than anyone else. But he’s not here.

It’s taken six of her closest friends to cheer her up half as well as Branch could. She feels a bit guilty for feeling so dissatisfied with how they’ve helped her. Of course, she appreciates their efforts. She loves them all so much for trying. But no amount of their efforts are going to ever be able to fully replace Branch.

------

Spending the night in the hospital was not as restful as Branch thought it would be. Nurses kept coming in and out checking on his vitals, giving him medicine, or whatever random reason they had to barge in. He felt more like a medical experiment than a patient.

Even if the nurses left him alone, he doubts that he would have gotten any rest. The events of yesterday run through his mind on repeat. It still all feels like some strange dream that he expects to wake up from. Poppy really can’t be his girlfriend. Can she? And his brothers are back?

He read some of the scrapbooks that Poppy left for him. She wasn’t kidding when she said so much has changed. Bergens and trolls being friends is something he still can’t fully understand. They used to eat trolls every year. Did everyone collectively forget that? Did he forget that? Because it feels like he forgot that with how many of the scrapbooks show him being all buddy-buddy with the bergens.

While reading the first scrapbook, he felt a small amount of vindication to learn that everything he’d ever suspected about Creek was correct. That Creek is selfish jerk who doesn’t really care about anyone but himself. Though he never thought that Creek would go so far as sell everyone in Pop Village out to be eaten. That’s too far even for him. No wonder Poppy doesn’t like him anymore.

Thinking of Poppy, Branch wonders when she’s going to visit. Normally, Branch would push away the idea of her visiting as ridiculous, but yesterday she promised to come visit him. When Poppy makes a promise to someone she doesn’t break it.

There’s a first for everything though. Maybe she won’t come. Branch hopes she doesn’t. At the same time, Branch feels like trash for hoping that. Every part of him yearns to see her again. He just isn’t sure with everything he’s learned that he could handle being around with her without breaking into a thousand pieces.

How is he supposed to act normal around her when he knows that they were in love? When he knows that he isn’t the same troll that she’s in love with? He’s bitter. He’s angry. He’s nothing like this happy troll that he’s read about in the scrapbooks. The one who is probably a million times more pleasant to be around than him.

And shouldn’t she have better things to do than come visit him? She is the queen after all. There must be hundreds of tasks that demand her attention at any given time. Visiting him really shouldn’t be a high priority.

He looks at the brown scrapbook that lays on his bedside table in all its poorly constructed glory. It’s the one scrapbook he’s read through the most, and it’s the one that he loathes the most. The whole scrapbook is one big reminder of what he’s lost. He wants to throw it into the garbage, light it on fire, tear it apart, anything to get rid of it.

The only thing stopping him is how much that scrapbook means to Poppy. As much as it is a reminds him of the life he doesn’t remember, it’s the only thing that Poppy has left of the one she lost. That scrapbook is the only thing left standing of the thoughts and memories of the troll that Branch was before. A troll that Branch knows he will never truly be again.

Thinking of what he’s heard about his life before, how much he changed, how much he healed. It feels like he walked a thousand miles only to wake up right back where he started. Simply thinking about the amount of effort it’s going to take to even be half of what Branch was before the accident is exhausting. How he did it once before is beyond him.

The door to Branch’s room opens. At first, he thinks it’s a nurse there to do some medical thing to him, so he doesn’t really look at who entered. “Hey, Branch!” Poppy says in an incredibly cheerful tone given the circumstances.

Hearing Poppy’s voice, Branch’s heart skips a beat. He looks at her, and he’s shocked at what he sees. She looks so tired. There are bags under her eyes that she’s clearly tried to hide with make-up. Her hair is in a ponytail like it usually is, but it’s so frazzled. He wonders if she got any sleep at all last night.

“Hey,” Branch says back. He notices that Poppy is holding two more tote bags. Both of them are filled to the brim, though they don’t seem to be as heavy as the scrapbook tote bag. “What’s in the bags?”

“They’re ‘Get Well Soon’ cards!” Poppy holds up one of the bags. Branch can see that they are filled with Get Well Soon cards of all different shapes and colors. There’s so many that it seems like there’s one from every single troll in TrollsTopia. “When people heard that you were in the hospital, they kept giving me cards so that I could give them to you!”

Branch has barely been in the hospital for over 24 hours. The fact that so many trolls thought to give him “Get Well Soon” cards is almost unfathomable. Sure, every time a troll ends up in the hospital they get quite a few. Mostly from their friends and family. But never are there usually this many, especially not so soon. “There’s seems to be a lot.”

“There are!” Poppy sits in the chair next to the bed. She pulls out a few cards from the bag and starts handing them to him. “This one’s from Viva, this one’s from Cooper, this one’s from Val. Oh! And this one is from Tiny Diamond!”

She hands Branch a card that is covered in silver glitter. Branch learned about Tiny from the scrapbooks. He’s Guy Diamond’s son. It’s strange to think about Guy Diamond as a father. Even stranger that Tiny doesn’t have another parent. Though he isn’t surprised to find out that Guy Diamond is Tiny’s only parent. If trolls have a big enough ego, they can make a kid all by themselves. And Guy Diamond definitely has more than a big enough ego.

Branch looks at the other cards in the tote bags. There’s so many names that he doesn’t recognize. But he feels like even if he did have his memories, he still wouldn’t know most of these names. There’s no way he could have known so many trolls. Most of them are probably Poppy’s friends who know him via her.

Poppy digs through her bag. She pulls out a pink card covered in glitter. “I made this one for you!” Though that’s completely obvious to Branch. He’d be able to recognize her cards anywhere. After all, he’s kept every single card and invitation that she’s ever given him.

“Thanks.” Branch gently takes the card from her.

He looks at it. There’s a little cut out of Branch in a hospital bed. A little cut out of Poppy is dressed in a doctor’s outfit. The words “Get Well Soon” are on the top of the card. At the bottom of the card in Poppy’s cute handwriting is written, “I’ll be right by your side, no matter what! I love you!” with a little heart next to it.

Looking at the card, Branch wants to cry. Poppy’s cards have always drawn emotion from him. Mostly because she was the only one who bothered to invite him to anything. But this one feels so special. “I love you.” Those three words haven’t been said to him since his grandma died. And here is Poppy, the most special and wonderful troll of all time, telling him that she loves him.

“I mean what I wrote. I love you,” Poppy says. She takes Branch’s hand. “And it doesn’t matter what happens, no matter how hard you try to push me away, I will be right by your side through everything.”

Branch’s heart rate rises through the roof. The golden morning light streaming through the hospital room’s large window illuminates Poppy making her look like she’s sent straight from the heavens. With her being the only kind troll to him, she might as well be.

As much as he loves Poppy, he doesn’t know if he can say “I love you” back. There’s too many emotions tied up in those words. Too many emotions that he doesn’t like dealing with. Saying that one three word phrase feels too vulnerable. It feels like there’s an army of bergens searching for him and he’s trapped in an open field. How is he supposed to express love when all he’s ever known when it comes to love is abandonment? And with what’s happened, it probably isn’t going to be too long before Poppy abandons him too.

Sure, she tells him that she’ll always be by his side, but how long can that last really? Because soon she’s going to realize that the Branch she knew and loved is gone and never going to come back. And when she does, she’s going to leave Branch behind and find some other better troll who is far more deserving of her. Someone who isn’t him.

“I know,” Branch says in response. That’s all he can say. Anything more and he’d say the wrong, hurting her. It seems like every word and every action that Branch takes now could end up hurting her. Maybe that’s all he’s capable of doing. Were they even a good couple before or did he constantly say the wrong thing and hurt her?

Even then it seems like his tepid response hurt her. Poppy’s smile drops a little. Not much but enough. Most trolls wouldn’t even notice the change, but Branch does. He’s seen the change in her smile when he’s turned down her invitations a hundred times before, usually being ruder than he should be.

“Well, I also have great news!” Poppy says. Branch can tell that she’s trying really hard to continue being positive. The way her smile doesn’t fully reach her eyes. The strain in her voice. The way she’s using her free hand to fidget with her dress. It’s so unlike her. In fact, it’s so like him.

Oh, God. Has spending time with Branch brought Poppy down? Has he destroyed the one good thing in the world by simply being around her? He hopes not. He hopes that maybe Poppy is just having a couple of bad days. But she’s Poppy. She should never have bad days. In fact, the only reason that she’s been having bad days is because of him. He really is bringing her down.

“What is it?” he asks, trying to sound calm and not at all freaked out by the revelation he just had.

“Bruce just arrived in TrollsTopia about an hour ago,” Poppy says.

Oh right, Spruce had changed his name to Bruce. Branch wasn’t really sure why he changed it, just that he did. But what Branch really doesn’t get is why would he come all the way here. From what he read in the scrapbooks, Bruce lives so far away and has so much going on in his life. Why would he bother to come visit Branch while he’s in the hospital when he didn’t bother to come back after their grandma died?

“Is he here? In the hospital?” Branch asks.

Poppy nods. “He’s here with the rest of your brothers.” She squeezes his hand. “You don’t have to see them if you don’t want to.”

There’s two sides to Branch right now. The side that is still a little kid sitting alone in his grandma’s pod staring at the door. Desperately wishing that his brothers would walk through it and end his loneliness. And the other side that’s an adult sitting alone in the bunker he designed for him and his brothers, filled with anger knowing that they never came back. Deciding that if they never wanted to see him again, then he never wants to see them again either.

But as conflicted as he is, he knows that he can’t avoid his brothers forever. Three of them live in the same village as him now, and it seems like two of them live in the bunker with him. They aren’t going to be easy to avoid. It’s probably the best that he sees them again in here where he can kick them out if they piss him off. “No, I want to see them,” Branch lies.

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