Chapter 63

Creek was mildly aware of his name being shouted, of being forcibly removed from the mirror and several hands inspecting his own but he was a bit too dazed to process it all. When he became aware again he was back on the armchair with Branch holding a towel to catch the blood and his arm still as Brainy, with magnifiers over his glasses, worked to remove the glass.

Funny, he couldn't feel any of it.

"Good job Brainy," Papa paced back and forth, watching him work. "Once you're done, I'll heal the damage."

"No," said Creek, gathering their attention, expression and voice neutral, "Have Brainy do it, it would be good practice."

Brainy frowned, "This is your hand."

"You healed me yesterday, a hand should be simple in comparison," said Creek.

"I had no idea what I was doing yesterday," Brainy argued.

"And you've had some lessons since then," countered Creek, "All the better."

"Papa should do it," insisted Brainy.

"I have no qualms letting my hand bleed until you do it," stated Creek, unperturbed.

Opening his mouth, Brainy closed it again when he thought better of it. Instead he went back to work to take out the glass.

"Creek," Branch called for the other Troll's attention, "I know this is a stupid question but it needs to be asked. Are you alright?"

"I honestly don't know how to answer that," replied Creek, looking back at his hand and watching Brainy examine it for anything he may have missed.

With a sigh, Brainy lifted the magnifying glass attachments from his glasses before looking at Creek, "Are you sure you don't want Papa to do this?"

Not answering, Creek just held Brainy's gaze. He wondered if his eyes were as off-putting to Brainy as they were to him when the Smurf was the first to look way.

Taking hold on Creek's hand, Brainy placed the other one on top and simply held it. Slowly the glow from before returned and encased Creek's hand. When the glow faded and he lifted his hand to look at Creek's hand, only little white dots remained where the glass had been and he groaned, "I knew Papa should have done this."

Lifting his hand, Creek inspected Brainy's work, "They're tiny dots in comparison to the gashes they had been, besides they just sort of look like light freckles," he glanced up at Brainy, "Or stars."

With a blush, Brainy looked away again, "We should all be going to bed…"

"Alright," murmured Creek, "but you're going to have to lead the way, I have no idea where your mushroom is."

The others in the room looked at Creek in surprise.

Creek looked back, face still blank, "What?"

"Um, Creek, why would you go to Brainy's mushroom?" asked Branch.

"He won the sing off and I kissed him," Creek stated, "Isn't that how it works with Smurfs? They follow you around until you give in?"

Blushing again, Brainy rubbed his cheeks to try to make it go away and avoided Papa's gaze, "I wasn't singing with you to try and wear you down, Creek."

Face remaining blank, Creek shrugged, "Whatever the case may be: you won, I surrender. I'm all yours to do with whatever you please." He leaned back in the chair and stared off into the distance, "I don't care anymore."

Blush fading, Brainy stared at Creek, then turned to Branch.

Feeling Brainy's gaze, Branch tore his eyes away from Creek to return Brainy's bewildered look. After a moment, he helplessly shrugged.

Thinking it over, Brainy nibbled his lower lip. He looked down at the ground, "Would you stay in Smurf Village?"

Branch frowned but stayed silent.

"If that's what you want," replied Creek, still staring blankly away.

"See Therapist Smurf every day?" asked Brainy.

"If that's what you want," repeated Creek.

"Never speak to Branch again?" asked Brainy.

Now Branch glared at Brainy, fists curling.

"If that's what you want," repeated Creek.

Brainy sighed and rubbed his face, "That's not what I want."

Though he didn't say anything, Creek looked at Brainy again.

"I want a relationship with you," Brainy looked up at Creek, "Not to control you."

"What's the difference?" asked Creek, not a hint of sarcasm to it.

Again, the others stared at him.

"Creek," Branch called the purple Troll's attention to him, "I want the names of everyone you've ever dated."

"Why?" asked Creek.

"Reasons," Branch tried to keep his face neutral but failed.

"I think it's safer if I keep that information to myself," said Creek.

Branch frowned but it was disrupted by a yawn.

Looking between them, Papa sighed, "It is late, Smurflings and Trollings should all be going to bed."

"I object to being called a Trolling, just for future reference," stated Creek.

Blinking, then smiling warmly, Papa chuckled, "My apologies, force of habit I suppose." He turned to Brainy, "If you're not too tired, perhaps you could stay and fill me in on what's been going on before you go?"

Brainy looked at Papa, nibbling his lower lip, before looking away, "I'm sorry Papa, but it's not mine to tell."

A slight smile crossed Branch's features.

"That serious?" asked Papa.

"I'd say so," said Creek. "Just found out I have a lot in common with your most muscled son." He turned to Brainy, "With that Smurf sleepover he suggested, I take it that he informed you, Smurfette and Clumsy of everything?"

Eyes darting between Creek and Papa, Brainy slowly nodded, not sure what to make of Creek talking so casually about it.

Papa frowned, "Creek, what could you possibly have in common with Hefty? Well, besides Branch, of course."

A small laugh escaped Creek, even though his expression didn't change, "So close to hitting the target and yet so far. What was that term Therapist Smurf used, again?" He turned to Papa, "I was sexually assaulted by someone I grew up with, someone I trusted, someone I was foolish enough to care for shortly after I became an adult, by Troll standards, because that's all that kept him in check before apparently. Oh, and then I killed him, so maybe I'm a little different after all. I don't think your son is capable of murder."

The room became so silent, the one breath that could be heard was Creek's, three sets of blue eyes watching him.

"What? Did I overshare?" asked Creek.

"I, I didn't think you'd want others to know," commented Branch, not sure what else to say, what to think of all this.

"I didn't, but what does it matter anymore?" asked Creek looked away. "I'm so sick of everything falling apart, piece by piece. It should all just crash down and get it over with."

"I know it feels like it but not everything is falling apart," Branch began, moving closer.

"I know about your grandmother," stated Creek.

Branch froze.

"You told me when you were delirious with fever at Miss Frizz's after that time I found you injured in the forest when we teenagers. You made me promise not to tell anyone," Creek's lips twitched into an almost smile but it didn't stick, "Which included you when you didn't remember the conversation after the fever broke."

Hands twitching, Branch's arms came up to wrap around themselves, "Creek, don't."

"I should have ignored that promise," said Creek, still not looking at him. "Branch, you have no idea how guiltless you are. I should have told you that. I should have tried at least, but I wanted to keep that small bit of trust you had in me, even if it was only fever induced."

"Creek stop," Branch pleaded, voice soft.

"How long do I have to poke that gray spot of yours until you hate me?" asked Creek. "I'd like to get it over with."

"I'm not going to hate you," said Branch, even though his voice was shaking.

Softly, Creek began to sing, "Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit lonely
And you're never coming 'round."

Branch's eyes went wide.

"Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears," Creek continued.

Tears began to gather in Branch's eyes.

"Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by," Creek sang louder.

"Creek, stop," Brainy put his hand on Creek's arm.

Ignoring him, Creek turned and met Branch's gaze, "Turnaround, every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes."

"That's enough," Brainy insisted, shaking Creek's arm.

"Turnaround bright eyes," sang Creek.

"Shut up, you bastard," yelled Branch, tears flowing down his face. "Stop trying to push me away, stop trying to push everyone away."

"That's a bit hypocritical," said Creek, "Isn't that what you did for twenty years?"

"That's different," shouted Branch.

"How?" asked Creek. "You wrongfully blame yourself for something out of your control that happened when you were a child. I can't blame you for being hurt or scared by it all but you held it all in only to run away and lash out at anyone who tried to help you. You wanted to hold onto that pain and fear because you feel guilty."

Even as Branch continued to cry, Creek continued to evenly hold his gaze, "You have nothing to feel guilty about. That Bergen Chef was going to take someone that day and frankly I'm glad Rosiepuff stopped it from being you."

"Stop it," growled Branch. "Don't talk like you know anything about it!"

Creek stood, ignoring Brainy still holding onto his arm as he kept eye contact with Branch, "I was at Miss Frizz's too, as you recall. My parents were taken on Trollstice but it didn't hurt any less than a random laundry day out in the sunshine."

Ears going back, Branch continued to cry and remained silent.

"Alright, this has gone on long enough," Papa tried to separate them. "This isn't going to solve anything."

"I imagine you know a lot about breaking up fights, raising nearly a hundred boys on your own," commented Creek, turning to Papa. "But why were you on your own, Papa? Do you even have your own name?"

"That's enough," shouted Brainy, pulling Creek away from Papa Smurf and turning Creek's face to look at him. "I know you're hurting but trying to make others hurt isn't going to make it any better."

Tilting his head, Creek stared at Brainy, "You didn't like it when I turned my attention to your father. Is Papa Smurf your weakness, Brainy?"

Swallowing, Brainy didn't answer.

"You're a Papa's boy, is that it?" asked Creek, "Would my insulting him make you lose interest in me?"

"I wouldn't like it," Brainy admitted, "But it wouldn't change anything. I know you'd just be doing it to push me away, just like you're trying to do to Branch."

Now it was Creek's turn to watch Brainy without speaking.

Reaching out, Brainy held onto Creek's arms, "I can't never fully understand what you're going through right now but I want to try. I want to be there for you in whatever way I can. I love you and that isn't going to change."

At first Creek didn't react, expression staying the same when his eyes began to water. His body shivered as his tears began to fall. "I'm sorry," he half turned to Branch, not pulling away from Brainy's hold, "I'm so sorry."

Cautiously, Branch stepped closer and softly put his hand on Creek's shoulder, "I know and I appreciate that but, one day, I want to know what else you've been keeping from me if only so you can't lash out with them like this again."

Creek winced, "I'm sorry."

Wiping at his own face, Branch offered him a soft smile, "I'm sorry too."

"Whatever for?" asked Creek.

"I get the feeling I've put you through the ringer a lot when we were younger and never even realized it," commented Branch.

The purple Troll stared at him, "You have no idea."

Rolling his eyes, Branch gave Creek a light shove before retracting his hand, "Just be happy that I'm not telling Poppy about any of this."

"You have my eternal gratitude," said Creek, expression neutral.

"Speaking of Poppy, we should get back to her," said Branch.

"I feel, after what I said, you might appreciate some distance from me and your Smurf is otherwise occupied," said Creek.

"Hefty," said Branch, "And it's not like he locks his mushroom, I could just go sleep there if things get uncomfortable."

Nibbling his lip, Brainy squeezed Creek's arms to get his attention, "Um, if you want, you could still come to my mushroom. Just to sleep so don't make any jerky remarks about me coming onto you or something."

Slowly, Creek's lips upturned into a little half smile, "If you insist."

Softly smiling in return, Brainy squeezed Creek's arms again before releasing them.

"Um, I'm sorry to you as well," Creek turned to Papa Smurf.

"Don't worry about it," Papa gave him a kind smile, "You don't raise as many boys as I have without hearing worse, especially in their terrible twenties."

Branch tried to suppress a laugh but it came out through his nose.

After saying their goodnights, the trio left Papa's mushroom and headed back to bed, Branch back to the Recovery Mushroom while Creek and Brainy went to Brainy's mushroom, followed by Snappy and Pudgy.

From the outside Brainy's mushroom didn't particularly stand out from a distance. Once closer though, Creek saw that there was a wooden post with an adjustable arrow at the side to indicate the "currant danger" level.

"Am I going to regret this?" asked Creek, suggesting to the arrow indicating 'caution'.

Brainy quickly adjusted the arrow to 'safe', "Nothing to worry about, I forget to adjust that all the time."

"Then what's the point of having it?" asked Creek.

Shrugging, Brainy lead Creek inside, "It's just something Handy and Painter made for me when I started experimenting. No matter what the sign says, at least everyone knocks now."

"Did they just barge in before?" asked Creek.

"Pretty much," said Brainy, walking to a closet.

Creek looked around at a few chalkboards with different equations on them, that he didn't have a clue on what they related to, and the numerous shelves of books, "That could have been awkward, especially during puberty."

"Why is that?" asked Brainy, pulling another blanket and pillow from the closet.

Turning to look at him, Creek raised an eyebrow, "If Hefty is any indication, I know Smurfs have hormones. Don't they masturbate?"

Nearly dropping the pillow and blanket, Brainy turned to Creek with a wide-eyed blush.

"Ah, so you do masturbate," Creek almost smiled.

"We can," Brainy coughed, "But I," instead of finishing he went over to his armchair, setting down the pillow before sitting down.

Not to be deterred, Creek followed, "Wait, you've never masturbated?"

"Can we not discuss this?" asked Brainy, still blushing.

"You don't have to answer, I'll just theorize out loud," said Creek. "I'd assume you would be some level of asexual with inclinations towards romance and not sexual intimacy but you reacted when I talked about taking you to bed. So, it's possible that you always had the potential for the physical aspect but you just did not have an interest until I came along." He mockingly fluttered his eyelashes, "I'm flattered."

Blushing, Brainy tossed his pillow at Creek's stomach, then pointed to his bed, "Go to sleep."

"Are you planning on sleeping on the chair?" asked Creek, frowning.

"Yes," stated Brainy, unfolding his blanket.

"Why, we've shared a bed before," commented Creek.

"That was before," said Brainy, keeping his gaze down.

"Before," Creek extended the ending syllable, waiting.

Brainy sighed, "Before I confessed. You said if you had to spend another night here, you would get Poppy but you let Branch stay with Poppy rather than let him be alone after you tried to push him away. You're looking out for Branch, like you always have."

"Its what friends do," said Creek, crossing his arms.

"But you want more," said Brainy.

"Are you jealous?' asked Creek.

Slowly, Brainy looked up, meeting his eyes, "Yes."

Now it was Creek who sighed, "Don't be. Yes, I have feelings for Branch. Yes, I've had them for some time, but they are one sided. Nothing will ever come from them and," he uncrossed his arms and rubbed his forehead, "I don't even know if they're real.'

"What do you mean?" asked Brainy.

"Both you and Therapist have pointed out that I use my feelings towards Branch to keep others at bay," said Creek, "Therapist has even said I probably hold onto them because they remind me of a time that I was," he swallowed, "safe. So they might not even be genuine." He turned back to Brainy, "I know I keep going back and forth on you but you have nothing to worry about as far as Branch is concerned. I have no interest in pursuing someone with someone else, let alone based on feelings that could just be another lie I told myself."

"What is it that you want, Creek?" asked Brainy, reaching out and holding Creek's hand.

"Ideally?" asked Creek, gray eyes looking at their hands before looking Brainy's eyes, "To go back in time and shove that tea down my throat before Poppy came back."