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Boom had lost family to a Trollstice before the Great Escape. He wasn't the only one, really. Far from the only orphaned trolling in the tree. He'd been living for a few years in a crevice deep within the tree, with other trollings either orphaned like him, or sick in some way, or this one guy in his friend group.
Branch was a gray troll, found curled up out in the grass after an unexpected collecting of trolls. Boom and the rest of their friend group weren't letting him be without friends. And Branch liked them all, too. Well, he seemed like he did. Branch hadn't gotten any less gray in the years since escaping the tree. But he pushed just about everyone else away who tried to make friends with him. But he let Boom and Trickee and Ablaze and Hype be around him. So that was something.
It probably helped that they didn't try to force him to sing. They whistled. Whistling can be made to sound like bird noises! Branch could make so many different bird noises! "What about a bluebird?" Hype requested.
Branch whistled a noise. Hype bounced in place. "What about a swallow?" Hype had just gotten a book on different types of birds. And he was ever so eager to hear for himself what each one sounded like.
Branch made a different whistle noise. Boom wondered for a second how the gray troll managed to learn all of them. They sure were learning it in school, and Branch ditched most days, anyway. "What about—"
Before Hype could finish his request, the large shadow of a bird passed over them. Boom found himself looking up.
"Woooaaah!" Boom stared up at the majestic creature with shining, wide eyes. If he was paying attention to it, he'd have noticed his friends had started running. "What kinda bird is this? It's—" He was cut off by Branch yanking his yank and pulling him running in the other direction. "Hey! Wha—"
"Hawk!" Branch offered as an explanation. "Big bird!"
"Yeah! So?"
"Hawks eat tiny things like us!"
Boom blinked. "Oh." His heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't think there would be things that eat trolls that close to the village, but Branch knew birds better than him. And Boom trusted Branch. Branch was nice to him, and he knew that most about nature out of anyone Boom had ever met.
The two boys ran through the trees. "C'mon! Bunker!"
Bunker? Like the Bunker? Branch's special Bunker that he made all by himself? The Bunker that he's practically let no one into? He was bringing Boom to it? Boom's heart pounded in his chest. Well, yeah. Hearts did that when you did exercise like running. Why would he just notice that now?
Branch opened the door to his bunker with a swift motion. He dived in, pulling Boom down with him. They sat there, catching their breaths. "Hey—"
"Sh!" Branch put a hand over Boom's mouth. His eyes flicked up to the ceiling, waiting and listening. Boom's heart kept pounding. Branch was leaning close to him. Was it getting hot in here? Boom felt like it was getting hot in here.
Branch let out a relieved sigh. He removed his hand from Boom, and drew back. "Alright, I don't think it followed us..."
"Okay..." Boom's heart was still pounding. He wished Branch would get close to him again. Branch was nice. Branch was interesting. Branch was...
Branch was someone Boom wanted to be around a lot more. Didn't that usually mean you wanted to be friends? When you felt like that towards another person? But Boom and Branch already were friends! Branch was one of his best friends, even! How did two people get to be more friends than that?
Boom was too young to understand at that point. Or maybe it wasn't an age thing. He knew there was something other than friends that two trolls could be. He'd just never seen boy trolls date anything other than girl trolls. Or maybe he did, he'd just never seen two boys kiss. He didn't even learn that was an option until that one day of health class.
It was easiest for a boy troll and a girl troll to have a baby, sure. But... but two boys could, too. (so could two girls, but Boom wasn't focused on that.)
"It's stupid!" One of the other meaner kids in their class started talking. He was probably about to say something that would have either Trickee or Ablaze punch him again. "If it's so hard for them to make babies, then why even bother?"
"Because they loooove each other!" One of the other kids in the class cooed. " Roooooomance."
The mean kid huffed and crossed his arms. "Well, my mom said that it's supposed to be survival of the fittest! And if we choose the hardest way to have kids, then trolls won't have enough kids!"
"Hey! That sounds totally dumb!" Ablaze called out from his seat next to Boom.
"Now, now!" The teacher attempted to get control of the class, before things went out of hand and a fight broke out. "Randy, in your father's time, he might have wanted to have as many kids as he physically could. But that's not a concern anymore! It's totally normal for two boys or—"
"It is not! it'd lead to the downfall of society!"
"Oh no!" Trickee said, dripping with sarcasm. "Two boys kissing! Total anarchy!"
Could...
Could two boys kiss?
Was it allowed? Was it even possible? Could Boom... kiss Branch?
Boom wanted to kiss Branch. Boom was thirteen years old, lying down on the floor of the clubhouse they were still in the process of building. He was looking over at Branch, who was talking about building a defense system for the clubhouse, just in case. The realization hit him like a double-decker caterbus, and he thought couldn't breath for a second. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss one of his best friends in the entire world.
Boom wanted to kiss Branch.
"Boom?"
Boom blinked. Branch was staring at him. Either he realized the young glitter troll was just staring at him, or he'd just asked something and Boom wasn't answering for some reason. "Hm?"
"Are you... good?"
Ah, so he was caught staring. How embarrassing. "Yes! Fine!" Boom answered quickly. He turned his head to face up to the dirt ceiling and threw his arms up into the air. "You know what would be cool? A kitchen! We should put a kitchen in here somewhere!"
"Oh!" Boom jumped a bit when Hype spoke. He'd honestly forgotten anyone but him and Branch were there. "Then you could make us snacks without having to leave for home! Or asking permission!"
"Hm... It'd have to be pretty small..." Branch hummed thoughtfully. Boom's heart hammered in his chest.
Oh God, he liked Branch. He liked Branch so much, and he wanted to kiss him, and hug him, and fall asleep next to him, and be with him forever and ever and ever. Boom had a crush on Branch.
He didn't have the slightest idea of what to do about having a crush. And he couldn't ask his friends for advice, because one of them was the troll he had a crush on. The next thought he had was a caretaker or a teacher. But how the heck does he start off the question. I just realized I have a crush on one of my best friends and I don't know what to do about it please help? Well, maybe something like that.
The librarian! He could ask the librarian. She knew lots and lots of things. And what she didn't, she could show him in a book.
"I have a crush on... on someone, but I don't know what to do about it."
The librarian gave him a kind smile. "I think I know just the kind of book to help!"
And of course, she found the perfect book for him. It even had a nice list of steps to confess feelings, and ways to do it. The first thing that stood out to him in the book was letting your crush gradually become aware of your feelings through your actions, rather than bluntly saying it out of nowhere. Boom made all sorts of treats for Branch. He went out of his way to "accidentally" bump into him while he was getting supplies for his bunker. He even brought Branch's missed homework to the Bunker, even though it had been months since Branch had even attended school.
Boom was trying very hard to spend as much time as he could with Branch. The gray troll was pulling away, but he was pulling away from everyone. It wasn't just Boom! It wasn't because Branch realized his friend had a crush on him! It wasn't because Branch was offended at the idea of another boy having a crush on him!
...Right?
"Guys, have any of you seen Branch around?" Boom asked in a moment the rest of their friend group was gathered together.
Trickee hummed. "I don't know... last time I asked him to hang out, he kinda yelled about wanting to be left alone..."
"You're the one that goes out to hang out with him the most," Ablaze pointed out. "I'd think you'd have the best idea of where to find him."
"What? What are you talking about!" Boom suddenly felt embarrassed. He wasn't that obvious, right? They'd have brought it up already if it was that obvious! Though... though they were bringing it up now. "I'll go find him! I had something to give to him!"
"More treats?" Hype asked.
"Mm-hm!" Boom nodded, even though he absolutely did not have any snacks or homemade treats to gift today. What he had today, hidden in one of the inner pockets of his vest, was a note. A special note. He felt like now was as good a time as any to give it to Branch.
Branch had been seen less and less these days. He skipped school all the time. Whenever he was seen out and about, he always had something he was busy doing. It could get to a point where Branch would only ever come out of his bunker if he really needed to. And with the way he supplied and stocked things down there, it'd be entirely possible for him to stay down there for years and there'd be no seeing him again.
Boom couldn't risk Branch disappearing for so long without at least trying to confess what his feelings were. If Branch virtually disappeared from his life, Boom didn't know what he would do. Boom liked Branch so much. He could probably even dare say he loved Branch. Actually, he did. In the note. The note where he laid all his feelings out in the open.
There was no telling if Branch would ever feel the same way about him. Heck, there was no telling if Branch would even like boys. But Boom had to try. Boom had to try. Right?
Finding Branch didn't prove too hard. Boom knew well by that point the places he tended to go to gather supplies. Branch was walking by, bundle of sticks in hand. Okay, now or never. "Hey, Branch!"
Branch startled. He nearly dropped his bundle of sticks, but managed to catch them all again. He looked over to Boom, and nodded to acknowledge him. "Hey, Boom. Did you need something?"
"Oh, I uh..." Boom nervously held his hands behind his back. "I just wanted to see you. Don't see you around so much these days."
"I've been busy." Branch gestured with his head towards his bundle of sticks. "I don't have time for games."
"Oh." Boom kicked the ground. "You, uh... Did you know there's a Hearts Day Dance coming up at school?"
"I don't go to school anymore."
"Well... you could still go to the dance. If you wanted."
"I don't want to." Branch scoffed. "I don't do parties, remember?"
"I... yeah.... I do..." Boom found his eyes were starting to sting, for some reason. Branch had never been a person for parties. What was he expecting? But he could still give Branch the note. Maybe the day of the dance, they could both hang out in the Bunker or the clubhouse. That would be nice. Boom held the opening ends of his vest, ready to quickly reach in and grab the note. "Maybe—"
"And even if I did, girls don't want to date me. Going to a Hearts Day Dance without a date would be embarrassing."
Girls. Girls. But what about boys, Branch? What about me?
Boom held his hands at the ready to grab in the note. He could just reach in and grab it. He could just shove it in his arms, and then run off and cry. Cry for some reason that Boom didn't have the slightest idea about.
Branch stared at him. His face went from indifferent to confused to concerned. "Are you okay? You kinda look like you're about to cry."
"I'm fine!" Boom dropped his hands to his side. He laughed a bit. "Sorry! You're right! I didn't mean to bother you. You're busy."
"Boom—"
Boom turned on his heels before he could burst into tears. "I'll catch you later, Branch." And Boom ran off like the coward he is. He ran off to somewhere else on the outskirts of the village. He found a good tree and sank down to the ground leaning against it. He gasped to catch his breath, tears stinging at his eyes. He yanked the letter out of his vest. It was still in the envelope, a big red heart on the front. He stared at it. He scowled at it.
"Stupid." Boom ripped it in half. "Stupid!" He ripped it in half again. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! " He ripped it again and again and again. Tears escaped his eyes. He ripped the letter until it was in the tiniest pieces. Then he threw the pieces out in front of him. They fell down like confetti. Confetti was the last thing he wanted right now. Confetti was happy and fun. Boom wasn't at all happy right now.
Branch didn't think of boys like that. Maybe if one of them was a girl, it would be better. If Boom was a girl, he could have immediately responded to Branch that there was one girl, at least, that wanted to date him. If Branch was a girl, then he would care more about boys wanting to date him than of girls. But would Boom have even felt about him the way he did if one of them was a girl?
Boom sobbed. He curled up and buried his face in his knees. "Such a stupid idiot."
Branch would draw himself further and further away from them all. Boom stopped going out of his way to be around him, as selfish as that was. Branch would never feel the same way. And it only hurt to be around the boy he could never have, no matter how much he still cared about him. Branch had turned into the village hermit, occasionally seen panicking about Bergens or gathering supplies. It would be a long while before the troll would reach out to his old friends again, colors nice and blue.
Boom had gotten over his little crush by then. Really, he was. He'd dated guys in the years since. But still. Boom noticed the way Branch would at the newly crowned Queen Poppy. The way his eyes followed her when he walked by. Something about it made him pained for the teen who ripped up his own love confession.
Maybe someday, Boom would find a guy who'd look at him like that. Because that look on Branch's face made his heart ache.