Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Teal Beach

Today was a big day for Trollstopia, the first Cultural Exchange Party sponsored by the city in the hopes to integrate better the different cultures into eachother’s lives. The whole thing was thoroughly planed out as to make the experience authentic and fun for everyone involved with the help of many trolls and each tribe giving their own input on the party as to make it comfortable for everyone

The idea was that so each week a party would be hosted by a different genre, that way the trolls of each culture could interact and experience the many kinds of music and fun. Of course, no one was forced to go to them, but it was really encouraged in hopes to bring trolls together like before the split

The first ones to start would be the techno tribe, followed by funk, country, classical and rock. As everyone had at this point experienced pop culture seeing that the city was built around pop village, they would be the last ones to host the culture exchange party, rock would be the second last because everyone was still a bit skittish of rock music since the rock world tour

The party location would be hosted in a beach a few minutes away from the city as to make the experience feel the most authentic possible for all, the techno trolls would finally have a great space of salt water to swim freely and the other genres wouldn’t have to use diving gear to experience the party, the best of both worlds!

Which leads us to now…

“hey Synth! Where do we leave these lasers?!” a random troll asked on the distance, they were so far he was actually surprised anyone could notice him in the middle of the ocean

“leave it close to the DJ stand! My guys will take care of it!” he screamed towards the beach before disappearing beneath the waves. He missed this, god how he missed this, the feeling of the warm water on his scales, the smell of salt, the kelp brushing his body as he swam around

It felt almost like home…

Almost

But it was close enough for him

Don’t get him wrong the place he and the other techno trolls got back in Trollstopia was great! But nothing beats the ocean, he could breath better here, he felt refreshed in a way he didn’t even think was possible, he felt energy coursing through his veins like he was a small little guppy again

And so did the other techno trolls, as he saw schools of his friend swimming around happily, darting between coral and kelp taking full advantage from the free space, yes techno lagoon was pretty big, but it was not deep enough for a lot of things, here they could again play in the currents, feel the pressure on their bodies be free

This idea Poppy had is fantastic! For the first time in a while they would be able to rave like they were home, and with more trolls than ever! they all had parties back in Trollstopia but it was pretty clear that many still were a bit askeptical about other genres making music together, with these cultural exchange parties they would be able to show harmony between the tribes was not only possible, but sometimes even better than the original

He wanted to spend the whole day down here, but being an ambassador, he has his own set of chores to do

“hey Laguna! Get some sea urchin quills for me to use later please?” he said looking at the light blue down at the sea bed collecting the spiky creatures, they nodded their head and gave Synth a thumbs up before going deeper into the kelp looking for the better ones to use

Getting out of the water, Synth saw just how big of a party this will really be, the size of the DJ boot was insane, this rave would most likely than not only be surpassed by one of Trollex’s raves back home, it filled Synth with excitement about the night to come, he would be the DJ as usual but to him this would be a great milestone on his career

It also filled Synth with dread

He had to make everything perfect, he had to select the best of the best, the shiniest of the glowsticks, the greatest fog machines, the most awesome lasers! He even borrowed an holo-projector from Trollex after he explained everything to him!

They just had to set up everything right and this party was bound to be the greatest rave Synth had ever DJed ever!

It took a while to get everything up, there were a few minor hiccups with the cables of the subwoofers and a few of the LED decorations were faulty, but with the whole of the techno lagoon helping plus a bit of repairs made by some funk trolls, it was all right where it should be

Synth couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of accomplishment looking at it, he dreamed of an opportunity like this since he was just a guppy and now he would finally do it, he would be the DJ for the whole city

To say he was happy was an understatement, he was downright ecstatic about it, everyone was!

 And there was still time to have some fun before everything started, with all of the funk gadgets, the ability to fly of the classicals and the strength and endurance of country and rock they were pretty damn ahead of time on the schedule

That could only mean one thing

“BEACH DAY!” he heard Poppy scream to everyone beating him to it, the afternoon sun was warm and the water was refreshing for everyone, he could see the trolls that had already completed their assigned duties now putting down umbrellas and changing into better clothes for a swim

Poppy and Val were already in bikinis splashing eachother in the shallow water while smidge and Lowtone destroyed some random trolls in a beach volley match. Holly was sunbathing relaxed in a beach lounger

The waves here were nowhere as big as on Techno Reef but they were just big enough for Synth to show off his moves to everyone, he needed to be in the best headspace possible and nothing better than a bit of surfing for him…

And a certain teal troll he knew…

Thinking about it, where even was he? He saw Branch helping out with, well, everything seeing that he was very familiar with setting up electronics and making places secure, but now that the work was over he didn’t even catch a glimpse of his friend

He couldn’t have gone back to the city, he kept telling Synth just how awesome the party would be and how he wouldn’t lose it for anything, but he also couldn’t see him anywhere in the beach

Had he gone underwater? Nah, Branch wouldn’t just go alone down there

What if he is* with someone?

Maybe he went out to explore the shoreline? It was a beautiful day and while Synth didn’t think it was all that special it must be pretty damn cool for the trolls that don’t see the beach everyday

Being dragged around by some creep trying to take him away from the party…

Before Synth could get too caught up on his mind he finally located his friend sat under the shade of some palm trees, he was farther away than everyone else, and even though he sometimes just acted like that Synth felt a bitter taste on his mouth seeing him all alone here, this was supposed to be fun for everyone, not everyone but Branch

As Synth approached he could see that Branch hadn’t changed into more beach appropriate clothes, nor had he even got himself a chair or parasol. At first, he thought the teal troll was actually sleeping because of how still he was, a part of Synth wanted to prank him just to lighten up the mood and start it off a playful manner

he crouched down the best he could and started to creep towards Branch the best he could, his flippers glided over the sand in silence as he approached his victim with mischievous intent

Synth was just a few steps away from Branch, he was so close! Oh this is going to be fu-

“Synth, can you stop? You’re giving me the creeps acting like some kind of kidnapper…” Branch said without even looking at Synth. The techno troll deflated like a balloon from having his sneak attack uncovered

“Wha- how? I didn’t even make any noise?!” he asked incredulous, he was the best at spooking people like this! He even got Val once, though it did come with consequences, he remembered rubbing his still a bit sore ribs

“well you are a tall, bright purple talking tuna that breathes as loud as an angry puffalo, quite hard to miss…” Branch said not missing a beat smirking at the opportunity to tease Synth with the nickname

“you done?” Synth huffed in fond annoyance, when they first met Branch refrained from using sarcasm or teasing humor with Synth as he was not sure how the techno ambassador would react, but as time went on and their relationship grew he got a lot more comfortable

Sometimes to the detriment of Synth’s pride in sneaking up on people…

Branch could only let out a chuckle at his friend’s failed attempt to scare him, after all you don’t survive in the jungle for more than seventeen years by being clueless to your surroundings

“sooo… what you doin’?” Synth asked “not going to have a ‘beach day’ as you land trolls love to call it?” he mocked in a playful manner how even though this was a very mundane thing to him, the trolls that couldn’t breathe underwater treated it like it was a holyday or great event

“last time I’ve checked you are the one who has been spending most time here out of water, bothering me, so I think you are one of us ‘land trolls’ already” Branch sassed to Synth, they both loved these playful talks with each other, Branch was elated that someone else appreciated his kind of humor, and Synth felt refreshed from not having to measure his words with everyone else seeing he was in fact the ambassador of his people

“like you’re one to talk, I swear if you keep going down to techno lagoon everyday you will grow fins soon enough” Synth said turning the tables

He had to admit, the mental image made Synth blush a bit…

“yeah, okay you win this round…” Branch chuckled before letting out a sigh looking again to the beach

“c’mon dubstep! The waves are real nice for a bit of surfing!” Synth said grabbing his friend by the hand and dragging him towards the beach

Branch seemed uneasy at the prospect of going for a swim while Synth brought him along, but went with him anyway. Before Synth could jump in the water dragging Branch along, he felt a hard pull back making him face plant in the wet sand

“What is it now man?” he asked not bothering to look at Branch’s most likely smug face

“I’m not in a swimsuit” he said though missing a bit of his cheerful nature

“That looks like a you problem” was all warning Synth gave before splashing a bit of water on Branch’s face using his powers, Branch sputtered a bit not expecting the salt water attack before letting out a sigh, so much for trying to keep his clothes dry…

“Go change, then we will show these guys what real surfing looks like” the techno ambassador said trying to hype up his friend. Branch was acting a bit weird today, he sometimes did like to spend time alone but today he was acting like he didn’t want to go into the water at all

“yeah… sure” he said, uneasiness dripping from his tone, Synth watched as the teal troll walked away and a pit on his stomach formed, he didn’t like to see Branch like this, today was going to be the greatest rave his friend has ever been part of, he needed to cheer up Branch so he could experience the party to the fullest

Looking back at the ocean he watched as the other techno trolls played and jumped out of water, a rainbow of shining colors amidst the sea surface. It made him happy that everyone else was enjoying their time here

“s-so what are we waiting for?” he heard Branch say from his side, looking at him Synth noticed he was wearing a full body black swimsuit, while yes, it was the recommended clothing for a swim Synth couldn’t shake off the weird feeling he got seeing Branch all covered up

It just felt wrong to him…

Techno trolls along with a few other subgenres and the glitter trolls didn’t wear clothes, at all, and they really preferred that way, their bodies were a way to express themselves, to show to the world who they are and how proud they are

Sure, he didn’t expect Branch to see it that way, but any time they went out to surf on the whirlpool or when he went underwater for the 4 A.M rave he never hid his body this much, he showed himself with pride along him and the other techno trolls

Synth had noticed something very peculiar with Branch, well not only him all the ambassadors noticed it, Branch always seemed more at ease with them than any other pop troll. At first, he they all thought they were just projecting on him seeing that he was a really nice guy and a good friend

But as time passed some signs showed themselves, Holly recalling how he liked Delta’s song even though it was the first time he had ever heard different music compared to the reaction of his group, Val noticing him being one of the few pop trolls that went to her shows and bought the CDs, Lowtone seeing him so at ease on his ship compared to the tense way he sometimes acted on his own village, hair! Branch woke up everyday at four A.M to go underwater and rave with him!

Synth knew there was something bothering the teal troll, but as always, he chose to keep it secret from him

It honestly hurt Synth a bit…

But if he didn’t want to talk about it he wasn’t going to push, he could now only stay with his friend and hope to make him feel a bit better for today

“took you long enough dubstep! Let’s show them what surfing techno stile looks like” he said with a grin. Both rented their boards on a small cabin before running back to the water

The waves closer to the shore were too small to surf on, Synth dragged the boards with Branch on top to the deeper part of the beach were the waves came in a good size before crashing

“ready for it dubstep?” Synth edged on, a big wave was forming a little bit behind them and with Synth’s powers they would be able to ride it all the way back to shore

“always” Branch said showing a bit more of his playful side, the wave was already halfway formed, gaining size and speed by the second, both trolls watched it grow with barely contained excitement

Slowly at first their boards were being pushed by the wave, gliding across the water before they stood up and really started to surf

With the help of Synth’s power the wave grew and grew but never threatened to crumble on top of them, both darted with speed on it as droplets of water came flying around them making the whole scene even more magical

It was a great feeling for both, of being free for a single moment, nothing outside the wave, only them and peace, their hearts beating with vigor out of excitement yet never feeling anxious at all

Synth watched as Branch laughed at, well, nothing, just for the fun of it, just because it felt good, the water making his skin shine in the light and the reflection of the water on his swimsuit made it even prettier

It made his heart swell in a way that was way better than just surfing…

Before the wave crashed into the trolls relaxing at the beach, Synth made the water slowly lose its momentum making the great wave go from a mighty wall of water, to but a shallow ripple in a few seconds

They both repeated this a few times, sometimes getting a bit too close to the people on the beach lounging and sunbathing for both their and Branch’s liking, seeing the sun slowly go down Branch finally noticed how long it had been

“Hey... just this one more and we have to stop, you don’t want to be late for your rave now do you?” Branch asked looking at Synth’s eyes, they were beautiful, deep as the sea

 “our rave dubstep, you still haven’t experienced what a true rave is and believe me; after today I think you will turn into a true techno troll” he chuckled as he pulled the boards

They went again to the deepest parts of the beach, again waited for the wave, again did it come, but this time it felt different, wrong, Synth felt his heart heavy as the wave got bigger in size

Without his help…

It was as if the sea itself felt mad at Synth for playing with it the whole day, the water came in raw, uncaged fury. To the outsider, and even most techno trolls, this was just an ordinary wave like any other, but Synth could feel that it was wrong, the best way he could describe it was as if there was some great creature slowly charging at them

Branch was none the wiser…

Synth felt his limbs grow heavy and his mind foggy, struggling to keep the raging water under control

He noticed too late that he wouldn’t be able to stop it

“DUBSTE-“ his voice cut from the roar of water as the wave crashed down like a hammer on an anvil

His whole world spun as he lost control, the sheer force of the wave sent him very far underwater in the middle of the coral reef

It took but a single second for him to regain his bearings

And even less to start to panic

They were too far away from everyone

And he couldn’t see Branch

Synth immediately started to look everywhere around the coral fearing he hit his head or hurt himself badly

That and the fact that he couldn’t breathe underwater made everything even more nerve wrecking

He darted over coral and rock, swatted kelp away every time it got on his way, all in the hopes that if he found Branch everything would be fine

It was strange, he felt he was crying as he desperately looked for his friend, yet the tears never blurred his vision, his eyes just continued to sting more and more

This was not how thing were supposed to go

He just wanted to cheer up Branch

Where was he?

Why couldn’t he find him?

It was hard to breathe…

He was so stupid

He should have never brought Branch here

This was a mistake

He was a mistake

Why?

Chapter Text

Teal Beach

The water was cold, realisation setting in on what had happened…

Synth started painfully pulling the strands of his hair as he felt the overwhelming weight of the situation he got them in, his eyes stung and his breathing became ragged as freezing panic poisoned his mind

He didn’t feel as a strong hand grabbed his arm and started to pull him upwards, shock clouded Synth’s mind as every horrible outcome came to life inside his head, he only noticed it after he felt his body transitioned from gill to lung function

He looked around trying to understand what was happening until he saw the color he came to love the most

teal

“Synth! Talk to me! You alright?” his panicked voice talked to him as Branch started to check the techno ambassador for any wounds or scrapes, thankfully it seems the hard scales on his body protected him from any damage

Branch could do nothing as Synth enveloped him in a hug like a snake while they floated on the board, waves sloshed and broke around them as Synth clung to his friend with all his might, afraid even a slight shift on their positions would make Branch slip and disappear below the waves

He could have died

They both could

He could have been the reason Branch died

Because he was stupid…

Synth felt hiccups and sobs try to break out of him but he never let them, focusing on Branch and Branch only. Hot burning tears slowly ran down his cheeks now unable to dissipate into the water, instead dripping into Branch’s crook of the neck

“Synth… y-you are hurting me…” came a small whimper from between his arms as his hard scales dug on the teal troll’s skin from how strongly he was squeezing his friend, it fell on deaf ears, turning into only random noise to Synth as the techno ambassador was still in shock, both unable and unwilling to let go

Branch could sense this, he could feel the dark purple troll’s distress as shivers rocketed and shook his whole body, he could hear his ragged breathing and the frenetic beating of his heart while pressed against the techno’s chest

Seeing that he would be unable to escape, Branch slowly started to paddle with his one free hand on the water hoping to get at least closer to the shore were he could examine Synth better

It was a slow for both of them, while Synth did stop squeezing the life out of Branch he never let go of the suffocating hug, Branch also noticed his heart had also calmed down a bit by how it stopped drumming against his ear

Both were at an awkward angle, the hug and Synth’s sheer size made it difficult for Branch to be able to see where they were going, his only clue they were on the right track being a bit of white sand he could see between the cracks of the hug

When the wave hit, Branch immediately went into auto-pilot mode, he had researched what to do, he had this happen before on the vortex in a lesser scale…

That didn’t mean it was any less nerve wrecking…

The first thing he did was go further away from were the waves were breaking into calmer waters in a shallower part, then he found one of their boards floating and started to search for Synth

Of course, he wasn’t afraid of him drowning but if he hit his head in one of the rocks or scraped himself badly then things could have gone south very fast, it took a while but he finally found a dark purple glow darting around below the waves, he had never seen Synth swim so fast in his life, and then suddenly he stopped

Branch took that opportunity to go down there and drag him above water so he could check if Synth had hurt himself, though it seems the damage was mostly emotional…

Branch was… used to these kind of things, of almost dying, he spent most of his life alone on the forests around pop village and he sometimes got hurt…

Really hurt…

He never told anyone about it because it just was not something that comes up and also because he doesn’t want to remember, only Moonbloom and a few other doctors know what he hides under his vest… what he really looks like…

Synth was not used to these kinds of things, he was clearly shaken up, much more than Branch expected him to be, the little he knew about techno troll culture outside of raves was that they were pacifists by nature, avoiding conflict and dangerous situations always seeking a better alternative

He liked that about Synth, no matter how bad things might look or how close a fight is to break out he always knows what to do and say to restore the ‘vibe’ as he likes to call it

with him by his side there was no need to be on edge everyday about what if some jerk decides to be a handful today? What if Branch says something at the wrong time and people get mad? Synth always calmed things down and always made everything right

but now Synth was the one that needed calming down, and Branch wasn’t very sure of himself with that, he knew how to survive any predator attack, how to start a fire in less than thirty seconds, how to patch up wounds and cure a few minor illnesses

this… he had no idea of what to do…

the beach was close now, the white sand now an orange hue because of the setting sun, trolls where still playing and enjoying themselves unaware of the almost tragedy that happened a few minutes back

they could have died

and it would have been Branch’s fault…

if he hadn’t said that he wanted to go one more time they would have been fine

if he hadn’t been acting gloomy like a child that didn’t want to do something they would be fine

Synth could have died because he wanted to waste his time with Branch

He should have known better than to try and be friends with someone who didn’t deserve them…

No

This is not the time nor the place, after he gets Synth safe and calmed down he can entertain this part of his mind, for now Synth is the priority…

They were close now thankfully as both his arm and the palm of Branch’s hand were burning already, out of tiredness and because of the small cuts and scrapes he got at some coral reef he ended up touching

As the water got shallow he could see a few trolls coming up to him with smiles and teasing looks on their faces before slowly contorting into worried expressions and apprehensive looks

“Branch! What happened? why is Synth crying?! Where were you guys?” Poppy was the first to voice her concerns, he couldn’t blame her, in one second your friends are having fun an on the other you find them in shock as if they just watched someone die

“yeah man! I thought you guys were just going surfing not disappearing into the sea! We got worried” Val said behind her trying but failing to not show that she got worried

“look I’m sorry, we were just surfing and then there was this big wave, and then we got separated… Synth is still pretty shaken up but I think we need to get him somewhere more private to calm him down” he tried giving an explanation, it wasn’t a very good one but it did the job well enough for his friends

“can you guys help me out with him?” Branch could feel that Synth was starting to panic again, why he didn’t know, but the grip he had on him was growing stronger by the second

“okay guys give me some space” a gruff voice said as Smidge showed herself, Branch was thankful for that, he was already feeling tired from getting them here and the whole surfing they just had, not to mention he had to take care of his little back problem right now…

Smidge’s sky blue hair started to slowly creep and engulf Synth to take him to somewhere calmer going into the cracks and gaps of the hug between the two trolls in hopes to prying them apart

Synth didn’t like that

As soon as she started to pull him a way Synth squeezed Branch again with all his might not wanting him to go anywhere, making the teal troll hiss in pain as his hard scales stated to dig into his flesh and rip his swimsuit again

“stop! Stop!” Branch heard Lowtone say as he got closer to the scene, Smidge complied much to Synth and Branch’s relief but for very different reasons

“what is happening? He doesn’t want to let go!” Poppy said worried, by the look on Branch’s face that hurt quite a bit

“look, he’s clearly still in shock and it seems he doesn’t want Branch to go away for now, it’s better if we can calm him down before we try to separate them” he explained though that clearly did little to help ease their worry

“Synth, bro, you’re okay, it’s just us, you are safe now” Lowtone started trying to reassure the techno ambassador still coiled around Branch protectively

No response

“Synth, I know whatever happened was scary but you are fine now, you can let go of Bran-“ he tried again putting his hand on Synth’s shoulder to get his attention and help him get his bearings

In immediate response a low growl came from Synth’s throat shocking everyone present, he also started to hug tighter Branch but this time nowhere near the bone crushing hug he was giving Branch a few seconds ago

“oh damn, he was really shaken up…” Lowtone said backing away while watching as Synth now buried his face on Branch’s neck while tears streamed down his face again and his body shook with hiccups

“wha-what do you mean? We can’t just leave him like this” Smidge argued, Branch was feeling drained from this whole altercation and seeing his friends make Synth cry again was not helping things

Slowly he gattered up all the strength he had and got up lifting Synth alongside him, thankfully the hug was making all this a lot easier for him, at first everyone stopped, trying to understand what he was doing, and then offering help to carry Synth to wherever place Branch was taking him only for Synth to growl at their approach

And again they stopped talking once his back was fully turned to them…

“Branch… what… what is this?” he heard Poppy say slightly above a whisper from behind him, he knew that he owed an explanation to her, she was his best friend after all, but he knew she would understand if he delayed this talk a bit

“something that is not important right now… I will tell you all but only after Synth is safe…” he said not up to any debate as he slowly took the techno troll away to one of the beach cabins not far away

The path was full of trolls that watched and glanced with faces that went from simple worry to almost horror as he passed by them, Branch didn’t care, only Synth mattered right now

He opened the door to one of the beach cabins intended to host those that would sleep at the beach and then go back to Trollstopia in the morning, or for those that simply were tired from all the work from today, quite a few were already occupied as trolls hoped that if they took a nap now they’d have more energy to party later at night

It was dark and small, a single bed and a couch in the single room building, he turned on the lights and felt as Synth relaxed a bit on his arms. Branch took him to the couch where he thought it would be the comfiest place instead of the cheap bed that most surely was as hard as a rock and as soft to lay on as a cactus

With the door closed and both of them sat upon the couch, Branch finally took note of how Synth really looked, he was still clearly shaken, eyes glossy and bloodshot with dilated pupils, his grip on Branch’s swimsuit tattered remains never faltered

He didn’t know what to do, few came to him for any kind of emotional reassurance seeing that he was only good in giving advice to more practical problems. But seeing Synth like this… even though he was a lot bigger than Branch he looked so small

Branch did the only thing he could, for the first time since the wave he hugged Synth back, he wanted to make him feel better, to protect him from everything that was out there, it was just a wave and he could have lost Synth in the blink of an eye

Sniffs started to come from the techno troll as the floodgates of his tears were finally allowed to run free and not trickle down in the cracks of his façade, Synth sobbed and hiccupped while clinging to Branch as if he would disappear at any moment blabbing intelligible sounds and apologies

Branch stayed there with him trying to soothe his pain and calm him down whispering his own apologies to Synth as he now too silently cried while holding his friend

“it’s okay Synth I’m here for you” he said tightening the hug both for Synth’s and his own comfort. Both stayed there in comfortable silence calming eachother down, it took a while but Synth had broken out of his stupor enough to start apologising for what was ultimately not his fault

“Synth it’s okay, I’m not hurt, we are fine…” he tried to reassure his friend still very much distressed

“i-if i… if I h-had kept c-control of t-the wave…” he tried to talk between hiccups and gasps only to be shushed by Branch, his heart was already breaking seeing Synth crying if he kept blaming himself he wouldn’t be able to keep his composure

“it’s okay Synth, It wasn’t your fault, you just wanted to cheer me up a bit…” he said cupping Synth’s face trying to make him focus only on Branch’s words

“y-you knew?” Branch wasn’t dumb, he figured it out immediately that Synth hadn’t liked the way he was moping around, by all means this was all technicaly Branch’s fault

“yeah… and thank you, it really made me felt better, well before the whole almost drowning thing” he tried to crack a joke to lighten up the mood

This did not work as Synth’s eyes got filled with tears in less than a second and he was again crying on Branch’s shoulder

“I should’ve guessed it was too soon…” he said to himself with a sigh

“you don’t wanna rave with me anymore?” Synth asked muffled for pressing his face on Branch’s shoulder

“wha-why wouldn’t I want to rave with you?” Branch took Synth’s hands trying to understand what did he mean by that

“y-you were mad earlier, was it because you don’t want to rave today?” Synth whispered as if afraid of Branch’s reaction

“no, no, of course not” he assured Synth “I want to rave with you, it’s just… I felt bad coming here to the beach” maybe if he explained everything things from now on would be easier

“i… I didn’t want to come to the beach because… I don’t like that people look at me” this was hard for him to say but Synth wasn’t rushing him or demanding anything, as always he knew how to make Branch feel safe…

“but you are beautiful…” the response made Branch’s heart twist in pain

“I am not…” no matter how many times he said it to himself, that it doesn’t matter, that people will not judge him, that his friend won’t judge him, it did nothing to shut up the tiny voice always whispering at the back of his mind

He slowly pushed Synth away, maybe this way he would understand…

Synth watched with a worried expression as Branch slowly got up from the couch and started to take off the top of his now tattered swimsuit, at first it was just a small rip, but because of his movements and Synth’s not so delicate hugging the tear was big enough you could see his back pretty clear…

And that was what Branch showed him

Synth looked in shock as Branch turned around and showed a heavily scarred back, some were so small they were almost imperceptible, others as big as Synth’s palm littering his friend’s skin with untold stories that he most likely would rather forget

Claw marks, bites, cuts from falls and accidents, Branch had it all, even one on his side that seemed to made by a stab wound

The scars broke the teal color of his back in haunting patterns, places had lighter patches were the fur had grown wrong and twisted never to be the same as before

His chest was mostly the same though in a lesser extent as it was harder to hurt him head on

Synth said nothing too worried and stunned to say anything, what could he even say? What could he even do? Branch had been hurt, badly but while the scars showed that his body healed it was clear that his mind had not

Synth did the only thing he thought he could do

He also got up and slowly enveloped him with his arms

Another hug, yes today it seems he just can’t keep his hands to himself

But this one was much more, both of them knew that, felt that, Synth’s glowing heart pressed against Branch’s back as if it would be able to wash away the scars, tears again ran freely for them both but in quiet happiness

Synth didn’t think any less of Branch, didn’t pity nor shunned him in any way, he just saw him by who he was now, someone that had been hurt, someone that was healing and surely will get better

Branch didn’t think any less of Synth, didn’t blame him for what happened, didn’t get annoyed by his clinginess, and saw him by who he was, someone deeply emotional that cared a lot about his friends

It was simple acknowledgement that they accepted eachother by who they are

“thank you Synth” Branch said turning back again seeing a much calmer troll, he cupped his face and touched foreheads with him

While Synth didn’t know if this was a pop troll thing or a Branch thing he understood that this was deeply personal to him, to them, and he felt his heart leaping that Branch considered him so much

“so, we still need to get ready for the rave, don’t we?” Synth asked a bit sad their little moment would be cut short

“nah, they can wait a bit…” Branch said pulling Synth back to the couch to snuggle