Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Branch let out a yawn, his body arching out as another wave of tiredness washed over him. It had been a long day, helping Poppy, getting the Bergens a new holiday, and celebrating with the Bergens over this newfound holiday they made to celebrate their friendship with the trolls. A little over a year ago Branch would have considered all this to be impossible. Friendship between Trolls and the Bergens? No way no how. Bergens had eaten Trolls for so long it seemed impossible for them to be anything but enemies.

But that was then and this was now.

And now they were friends with the Bergens, which was cause for celebration. Sometimes it was all too much for him to wrap his head around.

It was with his sleepiness that he departed from the caterbus -receiving a goodbye hug from Poppy on his way- and headed back to his bunker. Branch trudged out of the village, his feet dragging and his head drooping. For someone who had spent the vast majority of his life alone, it was difficult for him to have the social battery that most trolls -especially Poppy- had.

“Ah, it’ll be nice to just go to bed,” he mumbled.

At least he had nothing major lined up for his schedule tomorrow. The day could be spent sleeping in and then a little practice session with the rest of his Kismet band members in the evening. Hype, Boom, Ablaze and Trickee were all pretty laid back, happy trolls, and he was lucky to have them. It was with this in mind that he carefully pulled open the hatch to his bunker and slipped inside.

The ride down on the lift was slow yet peaceful. Branch hardly paid the many levels he passed any mind, used to seeing them each day. He ignored the floors with those little hidden touches that had came back in recent months. So many of these floors used to be for storage of rations, meant to prepare Branch for the end of times. But now he didn’t need all that anymore. There were no giant monsters coming to get Branch now, and while some part of him would always air on the side of caution, he knew the rations were not necessary. The weapons were still scattered in special closets, but that was always going to be the case and he was content with that. Poppy had told him that if being prepared made him feel safe then there was nothing wrong with it, especially if it kept him from letting fear rule his life.

The newly restored areas stood out in his vision. These were the locations of the library, indoor garden, workout room and recording studio. They were special places, meant for trolls who never came home but he still yearned for even now. Branch sighed as he stared at them. Years ago, a much smaller Branch had created those spaces with John Dory, Bruce, Clay and Floyd in mind. He had wanted the Bunker to be as much of a home as it was a safe space.

‘But they never came home. What if they never do?’

It was best to assume he would be living without them forever. Some part of him, in darker days, had even entertained the possibility they were well and truly gone. That they had died at some point in those twenty years of separation. But that had been a Branch who was full of anger and despair. As he was now, there was still lingering anger but none of the despair which bore down on him so heavily in his teenage years.

Ten years had passed since a little troll’s dreams had died. Ten years had passed since a wave of despair so fierce had almost killed him.

But Branch knew better than to think about that time of his life, better than to remember it. So Branch let his thoughts return to the present as the lift finally reached the living space floor. The twelfth floor was where he mainly dwelled, a perfect space with its living room, kitchen, dining room, multiple bathrooms, bedrooms, a few storage rooms, and of course that small room at the end of the hall -a recent edition- full of memorabilia. Kismet and BroZone items were carefully stored there. It was the perfect place to go when he felt sentimental about BroZone. Sometimes, just sometimes, those memories were able to brighten his day instead of making him sad.

He wandered off the lift, humming sleepily as he got a glass of water from the kitchen. The small sips he took from his glass helped him begin to unwind. Branch was so distracted he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice.

“Branchy! That you?”

He looked around, gaze swinging before it landed on a familiar yellow glitter troll. Boom was not dressed in his Kismet attire today, instead donning a soft robe and comfy sweatpants that were an unusual -for Boom at least- gray. Branch didn’t have to look too closely to realize they were his. He took it with stride, as usual.

“Boom, what’re you doing here?”

Boom pulled him into a quick hug, his warmth pooling out of him in the embrace. Branch soaked it in, the gesture a balm to his tiredness. When Boom pulled away he was rubbing his hands up and down Branch’s cold arms. Branch had almost forgotten how cold he had gotten from the low temperatures outside.

“I’m here for you of course! And so are the rest of the guys!” Boom cheerfully replied.

“The rest of the guys.” Branch echoed, looking over Boom’s shoulder expecting them to pop up in a similar fashion to Boom.

Boom met his gaze and laughed. “They aren’t in the living room silly Branchy, they’re in your room.”

“My room?” He questioned.

Maybe it was just how tired he was but Boom was not making much sense at the moment. Most trolls did not go into his room in general. Kismet wasn’t exactly most trolls however. There had been enough times that Boom, Trickee, Ablaze and Hype had been in there. Whether it was to wake Branch up, take care of him when he was sick or help Branch prepare for an upcoming show, those four trolls were always there for him. Branch deeply appreciated it even if he struggled to articulate his thanks out loud.

“Yeah, you said you were going on that thing with Poppy today. And since we know how much the queen means to our Branchy, we wanted to be here when you got back so you could tell us ALL about it.” Boom explained happily.

Branch blushed at the thought of Poppy. Yes, he did have a crush on her. Yes, Kismet was very well aware of this. Did they tease him for it? Also yes.

He still loved his friends even with all their teasing.

“Oh. Well, I dunno if I’m feeling up to gossip hour.” He admitted with a yawn. The sluggishness in his limbs left him ready to sleep, not chatter.

Boom took in his response, looking him over. Despite how some trolls in the village thought Boom was not that smart -he was the sweetheart of the group, not branded a genius like some of Kismet- Branch knew better. Each of the members of Kismet had their own intelligence, and the same could be said about Boom. Boom was very observant, and topped with how emotionally intelligent Boom was he was probably the best troll to bring along to any confrontation.

Not to mention Boom was also super strong.

Most trolls seemed to forget that too.

“That’s okay if you’re not Branchy. We can always talk another time. But . . .”

“But what?” He asked.

Boom grinned softly at him, patting Branch’s dark hair with a gentle touch. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a cuddle pile!”

“Sure. I’m down.”

~~~~~~~

Boom happily pulled Branch along with him the rest of the way to Branch’s room. They passed by a plethora of photos as they went, most of them of Branch and Poppy but a few of Branch with Grandma Rosiepuff, then there was ones with Branch and the snack pack, followed by a picture of five blue trolls with different colored hair standing together. Branch didn’t have to look at it to remember it from his BroZone days. Barely any of those photos were out in the open for Poppy to potentially stumble upon. This was one of them, blurry enough to not be easily recognized by an avid fan but familiar to Branch in all the sentimentality it held. It was a shot of them all from behind, one of the few where Branch was wearing a puffy blue vest matching his brothers with their own uniquely colored ones. He was supposed to have gotten his own adult vest when he got older and truly found his place in the band.

Of course, that never happened.

“Branch? You okay?”

He looked at Boom who was eyeing him worriedly. Branch gave a small nod. Best not to worry his friend.

“Yeah man, just got lost in thought. Not all memories are positive.” He told his friend, hopeful Boom would understand.

Boom gave a small nod back. “Yeah, you’re right. But, remember you have us to make plenty of happy memories with.”

“Mhmm. I’ll keep that in mind Boombox,” Branch said.

“Good. Let’s get inside then, the others are waiting for us.” Boom told him.

Branch nodded again and Boom opened the door to Branch’s room. What greeted him was the sight of the remaining three members of Kismet sprawled on his bed. Trickee was reading a Trollsbeat magazine with Kismet on the front cover, Ablaze was using a lint roller to get some loose string off of his vest, and Hype had a songbook out, the book opened to a page half-filled with song lyrics with Hype’s pen poised over the blank half of the page. They all looked up as Branch and Boom came into the room. Their assessing stares took one once over of Branch and seemed to come to a decision.

“No gossip time tonight?” Trickee pouted a little, his magazine slipping shut.

“Yeah. Not tonight I’m afraid. Just want to sleep.” Branch admitted.

“Mmm fine by me. Only you three are into drama anyways.” Ablaze remarked, receiving huffy “no we’re nots” from Hype, Boom and Trickee.

Branch laughed, the sound a little sleepy. Ablaze, being the heartthrob of their group, was also subject to plenty of teasing for girls and guys that approached him all the time to flirt with him or hoping he’d say something to make them swoon. Ablaze wasn’t really interested in dating any of the potential suitors thrown his way at the moment, which made the many admirers he had all the more amusing. It was nice to have an ally in the romance department however. Someone who wasn’t determined to tease him about Poppy as much.

Not to say he didn’t still do it to some degree however.

“Thanks ‘Blaze.”

“Don’t mention it B.” Ablaze reached forward and ruffled his navy hair. Being the eldest of their little group, the redhead troll was always great at comforting the younger members with his innate kindness. Really all of the band was like that in their own way which left him warm all over.

“Okay so no gossip. That’s fine. Can we cuddle?” Hype made grabby hands towards Boom and Branch, his songbook forgotten.

“Sure sure. Just let me get changed first, and put the songbook away.” Branch agreed easily.

Hype stuffed the notebook back into his hair, and Trickee did the same with his magazine. Branch hummed a little song under his breath as he walked to the bathroom, snatching a set of pajamas on the way. A quick brushing of his teeth and rinse in the shower left him ready to dry off and get dressed. He carefully folded up his treasured leaf vest. Even after twenty long years it still was in pristine condition. Branch remembered learning how to sow just to keep it looking as nice as it was the day Floyd had given it to him.

He was supposed to wear it whenever he missed Floyd.

Nowadays he wore it all the time, not that it really fixed the long standing ache in his heart.

He pushed that wellspring of feelings down before it rose to the surface. Night time had a way of making him contemplative. And his friends were here, he needed to be a good host for them. Putting on a smile Branch stepped back out into his bedroom. Boom had joined Hype, Trickee, and Ablaze on the bed. The four of them had left a space in the middle of the bed open for him. Branch found himself once again relieved that he had a bed big enough for so many trolls to fit onto comfortably. It was becoming something of a tradition for Kismet to have cuddle piles at Branch’s bunker after a show, and also whenever Branch went on a trip or adventure of some kind with Poppy. Today was no different.

“Thanks for waiting for me.” Branch let out a little yawn, setting his vest down on the dresser where it would be safe.

“Course B, anytime.” Hype offered, making grabby motions. “Now get yourself over here.”

His friends adjusted slightly as Branch got onto the bed and crawled carefully over sprawled out limbs to the available spot in the middle. It was already so warm since Trickee had been lying there a few minutes earlier. Branch let out a relaxed little sigh as he sank into the mattress.

Boom was carefully pulling the covers up with Ablaze’s help, while Trickee ran a soothing hand through his hair and Hype hugged him from behind nuzzling into Branch with a happy hum. Glitter trolls and their tendency to want the most affection ran true wherever Hype and Boom were involved. It seemed Hype had won the rock paper scissors match on which of them would get to cuddle closest to Branch tonight.

After Branch had been grey for twenty years this was their way of helping him regain some of the affection he’d missed out on over the years. Branch leaned into the relaxing hold, knowing Hype was there let him unwind just a little bit more. If he closed his eyes he could almost imagine a different set of arms holding him, belonging to a reddish pink haired troll. Regardless, the embrace made him start to drift off. Sensing this the rest of Kismet began to sink into the cuddle fest as well, someone turning off the lights.

“Goodnight guys.” Branch murmured sleepily.

“Night!”

“Goodnight Branchy, Hype, Trick, Blaze.”

“Night night.”

“Goodnight everyone, get some rest.”

And that was how the members of Kismet fell asleep that night, holding each other close as their worries washed away.

Chapter Text

20 years ago . . .

“Perfect, Perfect, Perfect”

“Harmony so gold”

“And you’ll never ever wanna let it go . . .”

“Go . . .”

“Go . . .”

“Go . . .”

Go . . . !”

The brothers posed, holding that note to the perfection it was meant to be. It was only when John Dory, with his teal hair and orange goggles clapped his hands together that the song finally went off and they could all catch their breaths. The five brothers were in a hollow in the troll tree. After the many fan mobs they had experienced in the early years of the band, John Dory and Spruce had been adamant about finding a spot that was safe and hidden for them all to practice. While this had not been the first spot they had found, it was the spot they ended up sticking with in the long run for BroZone practices, especially once Floyd and Baby Branch had joined.

Floyd because of his stage fright and anxiety.

And Branch because of his baby status.

Regardless, this space was like a second home to the BroZone brothers. It had great acoustics , the wood flooring was comfortable to move around on, it was spacious, and with all the small pockets of space in the hollow there was always the potential for storing things here. The little sparkle Branch got in his eyes whenever he stared at the architecture was also amusing for all of his older brothers to watch. And from how many times Branch had whipped out a little folded up piece of paper and doodled on it with that thoughtful little hum he did while concentrating, it was clear he got inspiration from the comfy space for whatever he was planning to do on that paper. Only Floyd seemed to know about it, the fourth youngest very tight lipped about Branch’s secret drawing.

John Dory was watching Branch now, the little trolling swaying on his tiny feet, eyes blinking slower and slower. He cooed over his adorable little brother, noting how Spruce, Clay and Floyd were doing the same as they put down their water bottles. Baby Branch was too cute, especially in his Bitty B getup. While there had been some disagreements over roles in the band lately, there was something about Branch being so happy to just be in BroZone with them that brought them all together.

“Bitty B, doing alright over there?” He asked.

The little trolling looked up at him, blinking owlishly with those big eyes. John Dory resisted the urge to snap a photo with the camera tucked in his hair. The flash would likely only startle his baby brother- the last thing he wanted. The little trolling swayed a little more, hands fiddling with the bottle he was holding.

“Hehehe yeah. I’m k Johnny.” Branch smiled at him, pure contentment on his features.

“That’s good little B. You did an awesome job today.” Clay complimented, coming over with Spruce, the two of them always moving together during practices and often at home as well. He totally was not jealous of how a certain purple haired brother used to always be with him, and now he was always with Clay. Totally not sad about how often the middle child of the family would glare at him, scowling instead of smiling like he used to. It made him yearn for the days Clay truly loved to just goof around and be fun. Where had they gone?

“Yeah Baby B, nice work.” Spruce agreed, patting Baby Branch on the head.

“Hehe thanks Sprucie!”

Branch didn’t shy away from the touch as he quietly giggled, though he did sit down slightly unsteady, his padded bottom landing with a soft thud. It had been a long enough night practice. Branch’s slipping to the ground was to be expected at this point.

Floyd came over next, also running a hand through Branch’s hair. His deft fingers ran shooting a soothing warmth through Branch that had him relaxing just a little bit more.

“I’d say it’s about bedtime for you isn’t it Branch?” Floyd asked, meeting John Dory’s gaze with his own warm one.

“Sounds about right. Bitty B you think you can walk home or-“

Branch’s grabby hands towards him and sleepy “Johnny” cut off the rest of his sentence, his trolling little brother gazing up at him hopefully. John Dory did his best not to coo over how adorable Branch was, a better feeling to focus on than the lingering sadness that the rest of his little brothers weren’t interested in being carried around anymore, nor did they call him “Johnny” these days, outside of Floyd on exceedingly rare occasions. He hoped Branch never stopped needing him if it meant at least one of his brothers would express affection to him and love him so openly still.

“Okay little bud, I’ve gotcha,” John Dory said, reaching down and scooping up the youngest. Branch snuggled into him almost immediately, letting out a content sigh.

Floyd chuckled, and even Spruce and Clay shot a grin in his direction. Clay carefully reached over to remove Branch’s glasses, putting him in his hair for safekeeping. And then the brothers were heading home back to Grandma Rosiepuff’s pod. John Dory took the lead with Branch, the rest of his younger brothers filing after him as Branch wrapped his tiny arms around his neck.

“We’ll be home soon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was one of the rare days that Grandma Rosiepuff was spending the night at one of her friend’s houses, meaning that the BroZone brothers had the place all to themselves. And like always, that meant John Dory knew exactly what Branch was going to ask the second they got inside the door. A sleepy head rose to meet his gaze, Branch’s little hands on his chest as blue eyes met a similar blue.

“Can we sleep in Grandma’s room tonight?”

The question was asked with such a hopeful expression, eyes wide and pleading. It was that big eyed look that was always so hard to resist. John Dory knew the other three had been teaching Branch how to use it properly, turning it into even more of a bribery weapon for moments like these.

For their part, Floyd, Spruce and Clay also looked a little eager for his answer, but tried to hide it. To his credit, only Spruce was somewhat successful. Clay and Floyd were far too obvious with their perked ears, the way they stilled as they took off their puffy jackets to switch out for something more casual.

“Sure thing, but make sure you brush your teeth first. And take your bath!” He had to call out the last part to Branch as his little brother had slipped out of his arms the second he had agreed and sprinted down the hallway.

Branch was giggling happily. A small spurt of energy was fueling him yet again. “Okay Johnny!”

Floyd stood beside John Dory, shaking his head before walking after Branch. “I’ll go help him. If he gets too wrapped up playing with the bath toys again he’ll fall asleep in the tub.”

“Let me know if you need help!” John called after Floyd as he disappeared down the hall.

Spruce and Clay walked past him next. Well, more like bumped his arm with his shoulder in Clay’s case, classic teenage rebellion in full swing with the yellow haired troll. Spruce said nothing, just gave him a gentle pat on his other shoulder before going back to their shared bedroom to grab a change of clothes before showering. John Dory followed after them, a small well of excitement drawing up in him for bedtime.

~~~~~~~~

There was something to be said about the comfort of Grandma Rosiepuff’s room. John Dory sat on the soft velvety bedspread, looking around at the photos as he waited for his brothers. This room told a history. In it were several photos of himself, his brothers, his family. Mom and Dad were in the photos as well. Their presence had been gone from the pod since right before Branch had been born, but even then, John Dory still felt their absence from time to time.

He stared at the photos on the wall. Some of them were of a younger Rosiepuff with Mom, and Grandma’s own parents whom he could only faintly remember from when he was a trolling -they’d been taken then at Trollstice- and Great Grandpa’s square jaw and teal hair, much like Mom used to say, was much like his own.

Then there were photos of Dad, holding each of the brothers, including Branch’s egg. There was always such pride in his expression. When that night had happened, Grandma had said very few things about Dad for months, quietly withdrawing into herself over the loss of him and Mom. But when she did speak of him, it was always about how much he loved his family. How much he loved his sons, and how he would’ve adored Branch had he gotten the chance to meet him. To which John Dory had to agree.

Dad had been amazing, the best kind of Dad a troll could have. And Mom had been the best too. What’s more, as he stared at the photos, at the familiar hair of his father so similar to Branch’s own, Dad would’ve adored having a son who was just like him. Someone who was beginning to grow into more of a personality like Dad’s as well. Branch was so clever, so kind, so thoughtful. While he wasn’t the biggest talker -John took the cake there- his words were impactful. Branch’s incredible musical talent was also a lot like Dad’s.

But his smile. His love that he gave his whole family so fiercely, that was 100% Mom.

John Dory sighed, looking away from the photos to fiddle with his hands. One had a small scar running over the back of it. He wondered if a glove would look good there, a style choice to consider for sure.

“Oh. You’re already here.”

He looked up at the brother who had walked into the room. Out of all his younger siblings, his relationship with Clay was by far the rockiest. He missed the days when the two of them got along, when Clay went out of his way to share everything he learned at school or in the books he was reading with John, when Clay would hear a joke he thought was funny and just have to come home to tell it to his big brothers at dinner that night.

Whatever happened to that?

Whatever happened to them?

Their parents. Or the loss of them. When that had happened everything at changed. Subtly at first, but much more drastically now.

John Dory offered the middle brother a weak smile, hoping that for the sake of tonight Clay would be kind. It beat the snappy attitude Clay always directed at him at the very least.

“Hi Clay. You ready for bed?”

“No duh. Why would I be in here if I wasn’t?“ Clay retorted like this was common sense.

He let out a sigh. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry about that.”

Clay looked around a little, feet shuffling. It was clear to him that Clay didn’t want to get into the bed while he was the only one in it. That was fine.

He could deal with it.

At least Clay wasn’t being outright hostile.

“Ugh, when are the others getting here? And what were you even doing in here looking at all the photos like that?”

Oh. So Clay caught him staring.

John Dory wrung his hands together. It was always hard to speak about them. It always left him with sadness and questions. Was he doing a good job? He was trying his best.

“I . . . I guess I was just reminiscing. You know, Branch acts a lot like him.” John settled on, unwilling to dig deeper into the abyss of his feelings. They were endless and oh so dangerous.

Clay looked at the photos, gaze lingering on the one of Mom and Dad’s wedding day. None of them had been alive for it, but they all treasured that photo for how happy their parents had looked in it. John Dory had been born not too long after it had taken place, their parents love taking physical form right away.

“Yeah, he does. And he’s got Mom’s smile, and her hair.” Clay nodded, for once agreeing with John Dory.

“Yeah. He that’s true.” John Dory smiled bitter sweetly. He still remembered how Mom had smiled so brightly when she told him that he was going to be a big brother again, one last time. He knew Mom had always wanted to have a daughter, but she hadn’t seemed sad at all when she told him that the last egg, the last trolling would be a boy. It wasn’t like there was any way of detecting the gender of the trolling before they hatched, but like Dad had said, Mom always knew with each of the brothers.

“Doesn’t look much like her otherwise though.” Clay offered.

“Mhmmm.”

Mom did look rather unique, her sapphire hair complimenting her magenta skin tone. She always had the brightest smile, and the kindest eyes. Their Dad had said it was a perfect match for her loving personality. He had to agree with that statement.

“Oh. Looks like everyone else is already here. Sup Bros,” Spruce said, walking in with an easygoing smile.

“Hey brothers.” Floyd greeted.

“Johnny! Clay Clay!” Branch was sitting in Spruce’s hair, giggling sleepily. Floyd trailed behind them, his favorite pillow tucked under his arm. It was the one with the silk pillowcase, and Floyd always insisted on sleeping with that one.

“Nice of you three to join us. Bitty B, you have fun in the bath?” He asked, looking at the little trolling.

As Spruce and Floyd came to the bedside, Branch leapt out of Spruce’s hair and towards John. John Dory extended his arms just in time to catch the little troll. Branch was giggling, dressed in his cute little green pajama set, the soft socks on his feet matching the set.

“Yep!” Branch chirped cheerfully. “Now I’m all ready for the cuddle pile!”

Ah yes, the cuddle pile. It was something the BroZone brothers had done for as long as any of them could remember. There was something peaceful in all sleeping together. It was a gesture that spoke of safety and love. John Dory hugged Branch to him, glad they could have moments like these still. Cuddle piles had become a lot less frequent right before Branch had been born. Spruce had insisted they weren’t all that necessary, and Clay had said he was waaaay too old for them. Floyd had still liked them but had been shy about voicing it. Enter Baby Branch, who adored being held, cuddled, and hugged. He was much like John Dory in this sense, both of them craving physical affection from their family. But unlike John, no one got annoyed at Branch for asking for it. Doting on the youngest, the baby of the family, was something everyone was happy to do.

Thank goodness for Branch.

“Yeah, we should probably get to it. With how late it is, this little guy needs his sleep.” Clay mused, gesturing to Branch who was already cuddling into John Dory’s arms.

“I’m not THAT tired,” Branch said in between a yawn.

“Uh huh, sure you’re not,” Spruce said fondly.

“Let’s go ahead and get the bed ready.” Floyd motioned to the bedsheets that needed to be pulled down. The other three older brothers nodded. John Dory carefully cradled Branch in one arm as they pulled down the sheets before climbing inside and pulling the covers back up. Grandma’s bed was big enough for all five of them to squeeze inside of. Branch called it “the best bed in the pod” for this reason.

“Everyone comfortable?” Clay asked, his hand hovering over the bedside table lamp’s knob. Nowadays the yellow haired troll took up a space on the edge of the cuddle pile. It was where he felt most comfortable, and gave him the responsibility of turning off the lights for bed.

“Yup.”

“Uh huh.”

“I’m good. What about you Branch?” John Dory had managed to get to sleep near the middle of the pile. Branch took up the spot in the very middle, with Floyd on the other side rubbing their trolling brother’s back soothingly.

“Mmmhmm. I’m good. I love you brothers,” Branch sleepily murmured. A lot of times he would have already passed out by now. one of his little hands was clutching John Dory’s sleep shirt, like he was keeping him out right beside him.

“Love you too Branch.” Floyd murmured, running a soothing fingers through Branch’s soft hair.

“You’re such a sweet little bro. We love you too,” Spruce hummed out an agreement.

“Yeah we do.” Clay agreed.

Branch looked at John Dory, eyes slowly blinking. “Dory, c-can I ask a question?”

John Dory’s answer was instant. “Of course you can Branch.”

“Can we always have cuddle piles like this? I, I always wanna be with you all, forever.” Branch looked at him hopefully.

John Dory chuckled, the others too. There was something about Branch that sent a wave of fondness through him. “Yeah. We can. We’ll always be together forever.”

At that Branch smiled softly. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

It was a promise he intended to keep. And it was with that promise they all went to sleep together, happy and safe in each other’s arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over Twenty Years Later . . .

‘We’ll always be together forever.’

Branch opened his eyes, his vision blurred from his sleepiness. The room around him was dark, and he struggled to adjust to the lack of light. There was a comforting presence all around him. The warmth of this room, being surrounded by his bandmates and close friends Hype, Boom, Trickee and Ablaze nearly lulled him back to sleep.

Nearly.

But the memory of that day kept his mind active. Branch sniffled, a wave of sadness at a promise never kept. While it was not reasonable to expect things to stay the same, Baby Branch had always hoped that they would. He did not care that his brothers fought, did not care that they did not always get along. All he wanted was to be with them, and for them to be with him.

But life rarely works out the way you want it to.

Branch squeezed his eyes shut, tampering down the tears that threatened to well up. The sniffling was hard to avoid, but he would not cry here. He was safe here. He was surrounded by the love and care of Kismet. Being sad would be silly.

There was a shuffling, the arms wrapped around him tightening. “Branch?”

Branch did not need to look down to know who was speaking. He did not nee do to see those aquamarine glitter arms. Hype.

“Hype. It’s okay, you can go back to sleep.” Branch tried to tell him.

The grip on him tightened, Hype cuddling into him more. The soft sleepy exhales of the rest of the band continued around them. Branch felt a small relief most of them remained asleep, untroubled by his sadness.

“No. You’re upset. I’m not going to bed until you feel better.” Hype told him.

Branch chuckled quietly, hating how bitter the noise sounded. “I’m not sure you can. Not with this.”

There was a pause.

“It’s about them isn’t it?”

Branch nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

Another small shift, a small exhale from Hype. “Were you dreaming about them?”

“I was.”

“Tell me about it. Sharing sometimes helps.”

Hype was always a reassuring presence. Branch found himself explaining the details of his dream, well really a memory. He had loved the cuddle piles he had with John Dory, Spruce, Clay and Floyd. They always left him happy. But remembering them these days just left him sad. He no longer had any of them in his life. Whatever happened to the promise of always being with him?

It was only when Branch finished his explanation that Hype spoke again. His words were soft, but no less meaningful. “I’m sorry Branch. Sorry they haven’t been here for you.”

Branch blinked back the tears and sighed. “Thanks Hype.”

“You must have been lonely, waiting for them all those years.” Hype added, his voice gentle.

Branch shivered. He hated thinking back to those years. The years spent curled up on a bed alone, missing his brothers terribly. How much had his heart ached back then? It felt like an amount he could never fully estimate.

“It was.”

There was a pause. Branch waited for Hype to collect his thoughts, knowing that his friend who was usually such a fast talker, quick to speak his mind, needed a moment in times like these to think.

“Branch, I know I can’t erase that pain, none of us can. But, I want you to know you have friends around who love you for who you are. And we aren’t going anywhere.”

Branch sniffled as another emotion settled over him. Relief. Relief that Hype held nothing but sincerity in his words. There would have been a time where he might not have trusted this simple statement so easily. But that had passed, and this was now. If Hype said he wasn’t going anywhere -that none of them were- then he meant it.

Branch relaxed again, letting sleep begin to reclaim him. A simple reply escaped him, the meaning in abundant. “Thank you.”