-O-

Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Memory Lane 2: Brothers Reunited

Author's Note:

Having now seen Trolls Band Together, I decided that Floyd's voice is perfect for adult Acorn. I noticed that they have very similar personalities – more on that in my author's notes at the end.

-O-

Enveloped in the warm cocoon of Poppy's hair, I suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind. Not exactly an unusual sensation in the huggiest village on the planet, but I still asked, "Uhhh, Poppy? Who's hugging me?" Please, let it not be Cloud Guy!

"It's me, Branch," a soft voice said behind me. "Acorn."

"Lil' Nut?" I said in surprise. "What are you doing here? I was just-" Then I realized the old nickname had slipped out and closed my mouth, embarrassed. Was he what I'd heard rustling in the bushes? Had he heard me talking about him?

My questions were answered as he said in a low, pain-filled voice, "I - I'm sorry, Branch." His arms tightened around me.

With two pairs of arms and a thick swathe of hair around me, I struggled to turn around. "Poppy, could you-"

Obligingly she let me go and withdrew her hair. I squirmed out of Acorn's grasp and turned to gape at the mint-green troll standing there. To my dismay, he had tears in his eyes. As I watched, one escaped to run slowly down his cheek. "I'm so sorry," he said again.

I exchanged a look of concern with Poppy, then took a step closer. "Sorry for what, Acorn?"

He rubbed his eyes, and sniffled. "I overheard some of what you were saying just now, and I… I just want to say how sorry I am that I hurt you so badly."

"What? No, no, no, no, I was the one who hurt you," I protested. "First I ruined your relationships with the other trolls, and then I straight up walked out on you, with no warning."

To my surprise, he protested back. "Branch, you didn't ruin anything. It was all my fault. I used our friendship to try to run away from the pain of losing my dad. I… I was mean to the other trollings. I pushed away people who loved me. My mom, my little sister, my friends. And I ended up hurting you, too. When you realized what was going on, you chose to let go of the little brother you loved so much, for my sake. You sacrificed your own happiness for mine."

My eyes widened. "Acorn…"

"You needed me as much as I needed you." His eyes were pools of blue despondency. "I never even thanked you for everything you did for me. Taking care of me, being my friend when I really needed one. Making me feel safe and loved… It meant the world to me, Branch." His voice was low and trembly. "You meant the world to me."

Oh, Acorn… My throat was a lump of gladness and loss. All I could do was open my arms, and he came rushing into them. My cheeks were wet, but I didn't care. After all these years, my brother and I were finally together again.

-O-

Poppy's heart was singing as she saw the tearful joy on her boyfriend's face. The sturdy aquamarine troll wrapped his arms around his little brother and twirled around, joyfully lifting him into the air. Acorn seemed to feel the same way, laughing as he clung to the larger troll like a lifeline.

Awww… A sentimental smile spread across her own face. I'm so glad Conifer reminded me that his brother and Branch used to be friends. I'd forgotten how close they used to be. She thought back to yesterday morning, when she'd ducked out in the middle of the Double-Helix dance to invite Acorn for a Memory Lane Walk with Branch. Acorn had been surprised when she approached him, asking about his past friendship with the former village recluse.

"I haven't talked to him in years, but when I was little, Branch was my hero," Acorn said with a nostalgic smile. "I remember I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. I dressed like him, I wore the same hairstyle as him, I talked like him. I even used to carry around a set of trolling-sized tools he'd made just for me, and build things with them."

"Awww, that's so sweet!" Poppy gushed, elated to hear nice things about her adorable boyfriend.

Acorn seemed pleased at her delight, elaborating, "I liked building things, but even more, I liked to make Branch happy. He enjoyed working on projects together with me. Sometimes he would even smile at me. That used to thrill me, because most of the time Branch was so serious. He didn't like to show his feelings, especially around the other trolls. It seemed to embarrass him, for some reason. But sometimes he would open up and let me see when he was feeling playful, or happy, or excited or whatever, and that made me feel pretty special."

"Yeah…" Poppy said just as fondly, placing a hand over her heart. "I know just how you feel. It took a long, long time to get him to let me through the golden door, too."

"Golden door?"

"That's what he calls the door guarding his heart. It's hard for him to trust people, so the fact that he let you in at all means he must think you're pretty special."

Acorn blushed as he looked down at the ground, smiling. "Do you really think so?"

Poppy nodded. "Yes, I do."

Acorn seemed to relax a little. "I don't usually talk about that time in my life. Not only because that was when I lost my original father, but because most trolls don't really understand how I could ever have been friends with a troll like Branch."

Poppy grinned. "I totally get it. Branch is a wonderful person, but he takes a little getting used to."

"I'll say. I mean, most of the time Branch was pretty chill, but every so often something would trigger him and he'd have, well, a meltdown. So I learned to pay close attention to his moods, and to figure out ways to calm him down and reassure him."

"Well then, it's no wonder you became a nurse," Poppy praised him. "From what I've heard, you're a natural."

"Thank you." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Maybe being friends with Branch helped me become a better nurse than I might have been otherwise. I'm good at sensing what someone needs from me, and staying calm while attending to the needs of others. That's important, because as a nurse, I have to be around people in pain and not let it freak me out too much. And Branch… Well, he wasn't physically injured, but mentally and emotionally he was…"

"In pain," Poppy said softly.

He nodded, his expression solemn and a little sad. "Yes."

"Oh, Acorn, I wish I could talk to you for hours, but I have to be getting back to Branch before he misses me."

"That's okay. I have to be on duty soon anyway."

She pulled the invitation she'd swiftly put together on the way over out of her hair and handed it to him. Acorn seemed interested, but hesitant. "You want me to take a Walk with Branch? I haven't spoken to him in so long. Are you sure he'll even want to see me? Maybe you should ask someone else."

"Please, Acorn?" she pleaded. "The thing is, Branch doesn't form many attachments. So the ones he does have are extremely important to him. It would mean so much to him if you came to see him."

"Well…" He bit his lip. "Okay."

Acorn hadn't seemed as enthusiastic as Poppy had hoped, but in an odd twist of fate, she'd had the chance to talk to him later that day about how much Branch had changed from the gray, paranoid pessimist he used to be.

I guess my accident had a silver lining after all, she thought cheerfully. Acorn came here today prepared to open his heart and make up with Branch, and now look at them. They're both so happy! Brothers reunited. Conifer, you deserve an extra-special special gift for helping make this reunion possible.

-O-

When we finally disengaged from one of the most wholesome hugs I'd ever had, I couldn't stop smiling. I felt so incredibly light, as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. After all this time, Acorn has finally forgiven me.

"You're looking good, Lil' Nut," I said fondly, stepping back to see him better. He was still somewhat smaller than me, but not by much. "Not so little any more, though, huh? You're a man now. And a nurse, just like you wanted. I'm so proud of you."

A tinge of pink came into his mint-green cheeks. "Thank you, Branch. For the compliment, and the suggestion," he said earnestly.

"Suggestion?"

"Yes. When the time came to decide what I wanted to do as an adult, I remembered how you thought I'd be good at taking care of others. I decided to apprentice with Doctor Plum to try it out, and you were right. I really love it, and I'm good at it. I might never have known that if it wasn't for you, so thank you."

"I'm glad I could help, Acorn," I said warmly.

Then Acorn gave me the same once-over. "You look good, too." His tone softened. "Your colors are so much brighter now. You finally found happiness. I'm really glad for you."

Unaccountably, I felt a little shy. I looked down and smiled, unconsciously flicking my ears. "Thanks."

"Oh, hey!" Poppy burst out, startling the two of us into the air. "Did you know Acorn can move his ears just like you? Show him, Acorn."

Acorn looked embarrassed, but complied, sweeping his round ears gracefully in all directions. I noticed that he could even move each ear without the other, which was doubly impressive. The sight brought back a brief memory of a small trolling trying to copy me and failing.

-O-

A tiny gray foot stomped the grass. "Why can't I do it?"

"Keep trying, Acorn. I know it's frustrating, but you'll get there if you don't give up. Being able to move your ears can be the difference between life and death when you're in the forest. You need to be able to pinpoint where danger might be coming from. It's also useful for locating running water."

He let out a huff of air. "Okay, Branch." He stuck a determined tongue out of the corner of his mouth. Concentrating hard, he managed to get one of his ears to move an inch.

"Good job, little buddy." I gave in to the impulse that seemed less and less foreign these days: I smiled. The little trolling beamed up at me, looking at me in a way that no one ever had. As if there was nothing in the world he wanted more than my love and approval.

-O-

"I knew you could do it, Lil' Nut," I said proudly.

He ducked his head bashfully. "Thanks, Branch. Celesta likes it, too," he admitted. "She says I'm cute."

"Celesta, eh? Well, it sounds to me as if someone has a crush," I commented lightly, not letting on that Poppy had already spilled the beans. Conifer had asked her not to tell anyone, but I now I was really glad she'd decided I needed to know.

He brightened. "Yes, Celesta and I just had lunch. It was wonderful! So, thank you, Branch!"

Automatically I said, "You're welcome." Then I blinked in confusion, my eyes crinkling at the corners. "Wait, why are you thanking me? For teaching you how to move your ears?"

He beamed at me. "No, because it happened because of you."

There was a long pause as I stared at him, still no closer to figuring out what was going on. "You had lunch…because of me."

Poppy giggled.

Acorn hastily elaborated, "No, no, during lunch I asked Celesta on a date. Because of you. And she said yes!" he finished in a joyous tone.

I blinked. That made a little more sense, but I still didn't understand. Poppy had mentioned that Acorn had a crush on Celesta, and I'd been thinking about talking to him about it, but I hadn't. I'd decided not to interfere. "You asked her on a date…because of me," I repeated carefully, waiting for the rest of the story.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I did. So, thank you!"

Another long pause, while Poppy and Acorn both gave me expectant looks, as if waiting for me to burst into song or something. Finally I gave up, dropping my hands to slap against my legs. "I don't get it."

Poppy groaned. "Branch."

"What?" I looked at them both. "Can somebody please fill me in here? Why – or rather how did I get involved in this?"

Acorn finally caught on. "I saw you and Queen Poppy cuddling together during lunch. You looked so content, so comfortable together…" He sighed and pressed his hands over his heart. "So in love!"

Quickly I shushed him. I knew he knew about me and Poppy, but that didn't mean I wanted him to advertise it to the world. The overgrown path we were following might seem private, but who knew if there were any more trolls out there close enough to hear us?

Predictably, Poppy had a different reaction. "Aww."

I could see she adored the idea of us being all lovey-dovey, but I sure didn't. At least, not in public. "I knew that wasn't a secure space," I grumbled under my breath. How many other trolls had seen their queen snuggling up to the bunker dweller? The last thing I needed was to stir up trouble with those trolls who didn't even like the idea of us being friends, let alone lovers.

As sensitive as ever, Acorn understood. "If it's any consolation, I don't think anyone else saw you. But I'm glad I saw you when I did, Branch. I know it's not easy for you to let your guard down and show someone you love them." His tone softened. "But you did it. I figured if you could do it, then I should be able to do the same. So, I decided to follow your example and be your brave little trolling…" he said with a wink, "…one more time. I told Celesta that I was very fond of her, and asked if she would do me the honor of joining me for lunch, just the two of us. And she said 'yes.'"

"Okay. Now it makes sense." I hesitated, but my curiosity got the best of me. "So, how did it go?" Poppy and I leaned forward simultaneously to listen.

"Well, I flirted with her a little, by wiggling my ears to make her laugh," he said shyly. "That's when she said I was cute."

Poppy and I chuckled. "Branch did that, too," she commented.

"Not on purpose, but I guess I did," I agreed, thinking about the night we'd laughed so hard together. I grinned at Acorn. "See, I told you it was a useful skill."

Acorn's face took on a blissful glow. "Oh, we had a wonderful time together. And then when lunch was over, I asked her to go on an actual date with me and she said yes! We're having dinner together tomorrow night!"

Poppy squealed, and so did Acorn. I crossed my arms in amusement as the two of them joined hands and jumped up and down. When they finally calmed down a little, I said, "Congratulations, Acorn."

He turned to beam at me, his eyes bright, the light dusting of glitter freckles on his cheeks sparkling. "It wouldn't have happened if not for you. Thank you for inspiring me to try."

I smiled at my young friend. "I'm glad I could help. I'mreally happy for you, Acorn."

His expression turned solemn. "Hey, Branch? I, um, I have something for you." He reached into his hair, pulled out a scrapbook, and held it out to me.

Curious, I accepted the book. On the cover were two familiar trolls, both gray, holding hands side by side. The title said simply, Brothers.

Poppy clasped her hands together. "Aww."

"I made it as a thank-you, to show you how much I appreciate everything you did for me," Acorn explained.

I glanced up to meet his eyes. He smiled and nodded toward the book, indicating that he wanted me to open it. Poppy nudged in beside me, and I angled the book so she could see.

As I turned the pages, I automatically read it aloud. "Once upon a time there was a little trolling called Acorn. He loved his daddy and mommy very much." There was a typical scene of a small trolling hugging two older trolls, a coral-pink female and a male whose mint-green skin and bluish-lavender hair matched the colors of the troll standing in front of me.

I turned the page to see that same troll lying dead on the ground, covered in fuzzy white yarn. He had x's for eyes, and his skin and hair were as gray as stone. The green trolling was standing nearby, his hands in the air and a look of alarm on his face. I swallowed at the grim scene, then read on. "One day, the little trolling lost his father in a terrible accident. Acorn was afraid, and called for help."

There was a red button on the page, and I pressed it. A tiny recorded voice shouted "Help!"

The next page was solid black with white words, and another red button. "No one answered. No one came. Panicking, the little trolling called for help again. "Help!"

I turned the next page to see a depiction of my gray teenage self running through the forest toward the trolling. "'Hang on, I'm coming! Never fear, I'll save you!'"

I raised a skeptical eyebrow, knowing I wouldn't have said something so melodramatic, but I let it slide. This wasn't the time to be critical. Besides, he'd been young and scared. It didn't surprise me that his memories were a little inaccurate.

Beside me, Poppy chuckled. She wrapped her arm around me and leaned against my side. "He does have a talent for rescuing people, doesn't he?" she said with a fond smile.

"He sure does," Acorn agreed, smiling at me in much the same way.

Feeling some heat in my cheeks, I turned more pages. "Branch was big and strong. He hugged the little trolling close, and carried him home. Branch was kind and gentle, too. He took care of Acorn, and made him feel safe, and loved." There was an image of a little head peeking out from a thick thatch of dark hair.

"Aww," Poppy murmured. "So cute."

"Acorn had lost his colors, but he wasn't alone. Branch had lost his colors, too. They understood each other. They felt close to each other. That…" My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. "That feeling of closeness was something the little gray trolling needed very much right then."

The next few pages showed the two gray trolls engaged in various activities. "Branch and Acorn became best friends. They had all kinds of fun together. They built stuff together. They planted a garden together. They ate together, bathed together, and took naps together. They even had their own special name for naptime." Above an image of the two gray trolls cuddled together on a swoop of fabric with whimsical smiley faces on it were glittery letters spelling out 😊 Hammock Time 😊

"Acorn was feeling so much better that his colors even began to brighten. He decided that no other troll was as cool as Branch." Here the gray troll was shown standing in a hero's pose, his hands on his waist and a look of proud determination in his eyes. The background was a glorious starburst of blue and silver glitter.

Even though I looked awesome, something about that picture made me uncomfortable. I wasn't better than the other trolls. If anything, just the opposite.

"But the closer Acorn became to Branch, the further away everyone else seemed. Acorn even began treating other trolls in untrolly ways. He did not listen to his mother, or his teacher. He did not play with his little sister. He made fun of his classmates, and called them names. He… He made them cry."

I had to squeeze my eyes shut as a rush of similar memories passed over me. Even now, decades later, shame still burned under my skin. Definitely not better than anyone.

"Branch did not know how badly Acorn was behaving at first. When he finally did find out, he decided that the only way to help Acorn be close to the other trolls again was if he took himself away. It was a hard choice. A brave choice, because Branch loved Acorn like a brother. Branch knew he would be sad and lonely if he stopped spending time with Acorn," I tried to stop a quiver from creeping into my voice and failed, "but he did it anyway. For Acorn's sake."

"Branch chose to let Acorn grow close to all of the trolls he'd pushed away. To give the little gray trolling the chance for his colors to brighten in the love and laughter of an entire village. So, Branch hid himself away in the shadows, waiting for the day when someone else would need saving."

The last page had a crowd of happy, hopeful trolls, set against the backdrop of a dark bergen pot. In the front was a mint-green troll with lavender hair, smiling at a shining aquamarine troll who was dancing with a bright pink female. Glittery letters spelled out:

***My Hero***

***BRANCH***

As I closed the book, Acorn and Poppy gave me matching looks of happy expectation. I considered playing along, but there were things I needed to say to Acorn. Apologies to make. Acorn was obviously trying to smooth things over between us, but I owed him the chance to air his grievances. Otherwise I'd always wonder if he was secretly holding on to anger and resentment under that friendly veneer.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. Honesty it is.

"Look, Acorn, I'm flattered that you saw me that way, but it you know it wasn't true. You were a far better influence on me than I was on you."

He looked surprised. "No, no, Branch. You were the best thing in my life after Daddy died. The very best."

My eyes widened at his sincere tone. Then I shook my head. "Acorn, you don't have to sugar-coat it. I was a lousy role model. You know I was."

"I think you're being a little hard on yourself, Branch. You aren't the only troll who's ever done things they're ashamed of," he said quietly. "Back then, I kept hurting people's feelings, and then denying that I'd done anything wrong."

"Because of my negative influence, Acorn. I was the one who did something wrong. I taught you to look down on others. Unintentionally, maybe, but I did, every time I vented to you about how people were stupid for not caring more about keeping the village safe. So of course you'd start seeing them that way. You were just a trolling. You didn't know any better."

"No, Branch," he said patiently. "I knew I was being mean. I chose to act the way I did. You were a fine role model."

"Come again?"

I gave him a skeptical look, and he gestured toward me. "No, really. You were. And it's not just me who thought so. Yesterday in the medical pod Poppy suggested that we all ought to invite you to do fun things with us. I got the idea to get our old group back together. When I asked, every one of them said 'yes.' They remembered how much fun we used to have, and said it would be nice to see you again. They missed you, you know. They all said they thought you were cool back then."

I blinked. "Seriously? They said that?"

"Yes."

I stared at him a moment longer, then shook my head. "Be that as it may, I still owe you a big apology," I said firmly. "I may not have meant to cause problems for you, but I did. Please, let me own that."

"But-" Acorn began to protest, then stopped when he saw the determination in my eyes. He nodded. "Okay. I'll acknowledge that, as long as you acknowledge that I should have behaved better, too. It was both our faults, okay?"

"Okay." I relaxed a little. Then I thought to ask, "Is there anything else you'd like to say to me?"

It was the right thing to say. Acorn saw that I was sincerely willing to listen, and that seemed to give him the courage to say what was on his mind. "Well… I agree that maybe you could have been a little more, er, tactful about the way you talked about the other trolls when we were alone together."

I nodded. "You're right. I should have."

Then he held up a finger. "But in the same vein, I think you ought to acknowledge that you didn't do it just to be mean. You did it because you wanted everybody to stay safe, and it hurt and frustrated you when they didn't take you seriously. As a young trolling, I understood how that felt. I really did, Branch."

I glanced down, then met his eyes. "You always did understand me better than anyone." As we traded contented smiles, I realized how much better I felt. Comfortable and relaxed, as if a tangled knot inside me had finally been combed loose. Spending time with family will do that.

"Also, please remember that you were still pretty young yourself, and you'd been through way more than I had. I only lost my father." Acorn's voice grew softer. "According to what Doctor Plum told us yesterday, you lost sixteen foster families."

My mouth flattened at the reminder. I felt Poppy take my hand, and glanced over to see her giving me a look of compassion. Apparently Poppy's accident wasn't the only thing that had kept her in the doctor's pod for so long. Had they spent the entire time gossiping about me?

Acorn's next words reclaimed my attention. "I can't even imagine losing that many people. You must have felt so lost. So alone," Acorn said sorrowfully. "Like the only person you could depend on was yourself."

"That's right," I said, astonished all over again at how easily he could put himself in my place. "How did you know that was how I felt?"

He smiled a little. "I remember how you encouraged me to be independent. Self-sufficient. You taught me things like where to find food, and how to cook it. You taught me how to design and build things, too." Fondness made his blue eyes shine as he gazed dreamily off into the distance. "Do you remember how we rebuilt Leafe's hammock frame? I had so much fun that day. I still have that set of trolling-sized tools you made for me."

"You do?" I asked, surprised and more than a little moved.

Acorn nodded. "So it wasn't hard to see that you felt alone. Of course, I felt alone a lot, too. Especially that first week after Daddy died, when Mom made me stay at home with her. It was awful. Everything there reminded me of him, and made me feel all sorts of bad things. Grief, loneliness, fear. Anger at Daddy for leaving us. Guilt, too. I wished so much I'd been there when he needed me. I wished I could go back and save him."

Poppy and I nodded sympathetically. Survivor's guilt had been mentioned in my family's books. Not that I needed a description. I knew very well what it felt like.

"When I went back to school, I…" He hung his head. "I started taking out my pain on the other trollings. I was jealous that they all had both parents. I knew none of them could understand me like you could."

"Yeah." I felt myself slump as I recalled the past, and not with nostalgia. "I did the same thing."

"I also went through a period of blaming everyone around me for everything wrong with the world. I even tried to find someone to blame for making you leave me."

Poppy and I traded looked of dismay. I'd gone through that, too. Blaming others let me hide my pain behind anger, but in the end, all it had done was drive wedges between me and everyone else.

"First I tried to blame my mother. I accused her of forbidding you from seeing me, but she promised me she hadn't. She said that you were a good boy, and that she liked you. She said you were a good friend."

"Oh." I couldn't help but smile at that. I'd always liked Tulip, too. She was a cool mom who had treated me like another son at times.

"Then I thought about the day you left. I remembered how you kept talking about family, and how upset you'd gotten when I acted like I didn't want to play with Kiki. So I decided it must have been her fault."

"Oh, no," I murmured, my free hand coming up to cover my mouth.

The mint-green troll nodded sadly. "Yes. I thought she took you away from me somehow. I held that against her for years. The grownups scolded me if I was mean to her, so instead I ignored her. I tried to pretend she didn't exist."

"Oh, Acorn," Poppy murmured, deeply distressed.

"I know. I was a bad brother." Acorn hung his head, his ears sagging.

"You must have been in so much pain," Poppy said softly.

Light-blue eyes glanced up at her, a little surprised. "I was, but I shouldn't have taken it out on her. Kiki didn't do anything wrong. She couldn't understand why her big brother never wanted to play with her. It really hurt and confused her. I'm ashamed of how I treated her."

I felt so bad for him, but I could do was apologize. "I'm so sorry, Acorn. I thought removing myself from your life would keep you from ending up like me, but I guess the damage was already done."

"Damage? You mean, what you and Poppy were talking about earlier? When you said you thought you'd 'contaminated' me with your negativity?"

Now it was my turn to hang my head. "Yes."

"No, Branch," he said firmly. "That was definitely not your fault. You never told me to ignore Kiki. You even tried to get me to spend time with her, but I wouldn't listen." He glanced to the side. "You see, I think I was looking for a reason to reject her."

"What do you mean, Acorn?" Poppy asked, looking concerned. "I've always wanted a sister. Why would you want to reject your own sister?"

"Well…" Acorn took a deep breath, and let it out with the air of someone about to unburden himself.

After spending the last two days doing much the same thing with Poppy, I knew how good that felt. "Go on, Acorn," I said kindly.

"I wasn't very close to Kiki. Not at first. She had an unusually long incubation period, most likely sensing that the world she would hatch into wasn't a very happy place at the moment," Acorn explained. "When she finally did emerge, I'd more or less gotten used to life without Daddy around. I was used to having Branch and my mother all to myself. So I was jealous of this new baby sister with Daddy's eyes, who didn't miss Daddy, and whose cheerful chatter seemed to delight our mother far more than having me around did. So I went to see Branch as often as I could, knowing my big friend was always glad to see me. Branch had no parents, and he didn't seem all that interested in the other trollings, which meant I always had his full attention. That felt good. Safe, you know?"

"Understandable," I commented, recalling Acorn's words about his mother being too busy to spend time with him. That hadn't been true, it turned out, but it might have seemed that way to a small trolling who saw his new sister as an interloper. "If I'd been in the same situation, I'd probably have done the same thing."

Acorn smiled. "And that's why I wanted to be with you. My big bro understood me. He knew exactly how hard it was to be happy right then, because he'd gone through the same thing when he was about my age. He knew what it was like to want to yell or cry or break things. Or just run and run until I couldn't run anymore. He'd run with me, and carry me back home, safe and warm in his thick, dark hair. I loved his hair so much. It was the perfect place to hide from the world. Or take naps, which I really needed at the time. I had awful bad dreams at night."

"Aww, poor little guy." Poppy reached out a sympathetic hand to pat his shoulder.

Acorn smiled his appreciation, then turned to face me again, his hand pressed against his chest. "You made me feel safe, Branch. And not just physically, either. You made me feel valued. Needed. I knew I made you happier than you were without me. You even knew my secret, but you didn't care. You loved me even so."

I had to look down for a moment, touched at the open sincerity in his gaze. I was aware of Poppy looking back and forth between us before she asked, "Secret? What secret?"

I glanced at her, and she backtracked. "Uh, you don't have to tell me. Unless you want to, that is."

Acorn was so deep into his confession by then that I was pretty sure he didn't even hear her. "When you found out I was having trouble getting along with people, you told me I needed to be with my family. You understood me well enough to know the real reason for the rift."

"What reason?" Poppy begged. Like most trolls she never could bear to not be in on a secret.

"The day you left for good, you told me I should tell my mom about me disobeying her, and how guilty it made me feel for not being there for Daddy. You were right, but I was afraid to. What if she blamed me for not saving him? What if she stopped loving me?" He stared down at his feet. "You did. At least, I thought you did."

My heart broke. "I'm so sorry about that, Acorn. I messed up. I thought I was doing the right thing, staying away from you. I thought you'd go back to your family. That was a huge mistake on my part, and I'm really, really sorry." I let go of Poppy's hand so I could step closer and put my hands on his shoulders, meeting his eyes with no hesitation. "But you should know that I never stopped loving you."

Acorn nodded. "I know. When I needed you most, you were there to save me again. I haven't forgotten about your last visit."

-O-

"Wait, wait, wait, last visit?" Poppy asked in surprise. "I thought you two never saw each other again."

She watched the two males trade serious looks before Branch said, "I didn't get to finish my story. Yes, we did see each other, one more time. Four years later."

"Eight years ago, now. The day Kiki nearly choked to death at the Beadfest," Acorn confirmed. "I was ten years old by then, and Kiki was four. I was supposed to be watching my little sister, but I'd ditched her to go hang with my friends. Ignoring her, as usual." He squeezed his eyes shut, and tears began to leak from the corners. "When I heard all the screaming, I turned around to see a crowd of trolls gathered around someone. I used my hair to swing up onto a nearby tree branch and looked down between the leaves to see a grown-up holding Kiki and hitting her on the back. Everyone was screaming, "She's choking! She's choking!"

"I was terrified. I literally thought she was going to die. Then the troll holding her turned her upside down and shook her hard, and she gagged and coughed something out onto the ground. It was a bead, but it looked like a berry. She'd-"

Suddenly Poppy whimpered and put a hand to her suddenly-tight throat, her mind flashing back to her own eerily similar brush with death. Her stomach clenched as her heart hammered behind her ribs.

"Poppy!" Branch immediately wrapped his arms around her body, and she leaned into his solid, reassuring presence. "Take deep breaths," he said calmly. "You're all right."

He began to rub her back, helping to ground her. Poppy closed her eyes to block out the concern on Acorn's face and let herself melt into her boyfriend's comforting embrace. His hands, his heartbeat against her chest, his warm-apple-cider scent. As always, it was immensely soothing. The thumping in her chest gradually went away, and her belly calmed. She would never get tired of being in his arms…

Eventually she opened her eyes, noting Acorn's worried expression. Sighing inwardly, she moved away from Branch and stood on her own. "Sorry about that, Acorn. I'm okay now."

Acorn wrung his hands. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Poppy. I didn't meant to upset you. I should have realized you might get triggered by all this."

She nodded, trying to act casual. "That's okay. I'm all right now. You can keep going."

"Um…" He hesitated, darting an almost panicky look at her face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm good," she said with determined cheerfulness.

Acorn glanced at Branch, who nodded. "Okay... Um, so Kiki was safe after that. I remember how everyone cheered. I did, too. I was so relieved, so happy she was alive."

The mint-green troll looked down. "Then she started to cry, and she called for me. Someone picked her up and said, 'Where's Acorn? Kiki wants him.' People started looking around for me, and I was so ashamed of myself I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I'd been a horrible big brother, and it nearly cost my baby sister her life." He hung his head, his ears drooping so low they nearly touched his shoulders.

"Oh, Acorn, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Poppy said consolingly. "You were still a trolling. Besides, it was an accident. You couldn't have seen it coming."

"Branch would have. He taught Leafe and the others that technique, that Heimlich maneuver, and it saved your life. Branch, can you teach it to me?" he said fervently. "Please?"

"Of course, Acorn, but…" Branch rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Poppy's right. You shouldn't blame yourself. It might have happened no matter who was watching her."

"But if you'd been there, you would have known how to save her."

"Actually, no. I wouldn't have. I didn't learn about the Heimlich maneuver until years later."

Acorn looked surprised, but before he could go off on another tangent, Branch urged him to continue.

"Well, I swung down from the tree and she came running to me. I picked her up and held her close, and she clung to me. She was so scared I could feel her little heart fluttering rapidly against my chest. All I wanted to do was protect her. I hugged her for a long, long time. Long than I'd ever hugged her before. I kept telling her how sorry I was, and how I was going to be the best big brother I could possibly be." Acorn looked at Branch. "Just like you were to me."

Branch smiled, which made Poppy happy. Anything that made Branch happy made her happy.

"When Mom and Dad came rushing up, I was too ashamed to tell the whole truth about what happened. They were too busy comforting Kiki to question me that closely, so I got away with it. But that night, I felt so guilty I couldn't sleep. My belly hurt, and I tossed and turned so much I woke up my poor mother, who came in to check on me. She looked just like I remembered after my first daddy died; sad, worried, exhausted. I felt even worse. Because of me, she'd nearly lost yet another precious member of her family. After she went back to bed, I snuck out of the pod and hid behind a tree, crying all alone in the dark. After a while, I heard a noise."

The angst on Acorn's face softened. "I looked up to see Branch standing there. He was holding his arms out to me, wearing the same gentle, loving smile I remembered from when I was little. I threw myself into his arms and cried harder than I had since my first daddy died. He hugged me close and let me cry on him, and didn't even complain about me getting him all goopy." The young troll chuckled, but his voice was heavy and thick with remembered pain. "I remember thinking he smelled just like I remembered. It was so familiar, so comforting."

Like apple cider… Poppy couldn't help thinking, but she managed to not interrupt.

"Branch held me until I cried myself to sleep. The next morning I woke up in my own bed. I knew he'd brought me home and tucked me in, like he used to do when I was little."

Acorn turned to the aquamarine troll. "I still didn't understand the rift between us, Branch, but after you came all the way back to the village just to comfort me, I felt so much better. I was able to forgive myself, and go on to become close with Kiki. I was able to be happy again, knowing that my big brother still loved me."

"I never stopped loving you, Acorn," Branch repeated, his blue eyes so adamant they were almost fierce. "And I never wanted to leave you. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing, taking myself and my problems out of your life."

"I know you love me. I've known that ever since you came to comfort me that night. Even though you knew my terrible secret." His voice trembled. "You. Still. Loved me. Knowing that gave me the courage to finally confess everything to my mom. We cried together, and she told me she still loved me, too. The burden of guilt I'd been carrying for years dropped away, and after that, things were so much better between us."

"I know exactly what you mean." I looked at the girl of my dreams, and reached out to hold her hand. "Poppy was the one who did that for me."

Acorn put a hand over his heart. "Aww."

"So you're a happy family now, right?" I asked, just to be sure.

"We are. Kiki and I are pretty different, but we love each other, and we both look after Conifer. Besides Cleanup Day, he's the one good thing that came out of Kiki's accident."

"What do you mean?"

"Kiki's accident brought back memories of how suddenly my first daddy died, and how Kiki probably wouldn't even exist if something like that had happened to him even a few months earlier. So Mom and Dad – my second dad, Hearty – decided to have a trolling together. And that's how Conifer came to be. He and I are really close, a lot like you and I used to be."

"I'm glad, Acorn," I said sincerely. I recalled the little orange trolling giving Poppy his ice cream, and smiled. "I like Conifer. He seems like a sweet, caring boy. In fact, he reminds me of another little boy I once knew."

Acorn looked down, his cheeks turning pink. "Thanks, Branch."

"Conifer's a cutie, all right," Poppy agreed cheerfully. "And so are you." She booped Acorn's nose, then mine. "And you, too, my little Snookums."

Acorn chuckled. "Snookums?"

"Poppy…" I protested, torn between wanting to protest and being glad to see Acorn cheering up. "What did we say about calling me weird nicknames?"

"Oh, this doesn't count. Acorn already knows about us, my little Snickerdoodle."

This time Acorn's laugh was full and joyful. "You guys are so cute. Hey, speaking of nicknames, do you remember what I used to call Branch?"

"What?" Poppy asked eagerly.

"'Big Oak,' or 'Oakey.'" He laughed again. "Because we both have tree names. Sometimes I even called him 'Captain Oakman.'"

Poppy made that little snerk sound I loved, which somehow made me not mind the fact that they were making fun of me. "That's adorable. Wait, so that's why Branch likes being called 'captain!'"

I blinked. "Huh. You're probably right."

"Of course I am." Poppy leaned toward me with a flirty smile. "I'm always right."

"Oh, boy." Catching her playful mood, I joined in. "Let's not get carried away, Sunshine."

"As long as you're doing the carrying, you can take me anywhere, my handsome captain," she teased in as deep and sultry a tone as her high-pitched voice could get.

Well. I glanced at Acorn, who was watching us with a small smile. "Is that a promise?" I teased back, matching her tone.

"Mmm, do you want it to be?" she said, gazing at me with flirty eyes.

Curious to see how far she would go, I tilted my head and gave her a flirty smile of my own. "What do I get if I say 'yes'?"

Her eyes went straight to my lips.

My heart gave a kick, and I swallowed. Were we really doing this? I mean, Acorn knew Poppy and I were a couple, but it still seemed almost otherworldly to be openly flirting with her in front of him. How far did I want this to go?

Thankfully, Acorn broke the mood with a laugh. "Oh my gosh, you two are adorable. I hope Celesta and I are like that."

Poppy giggled. I laughed, too, relieved to have the pressure off. It was nice to see someone openly supporting our romance. Plus, I suspected Acorn had seen my inner conflict and acted to alleviate it. That was exactly the sort of thing he used to do for me years ago. I was so glad to have him back.

Poppy had been thinking, too. "Ooo! I've got a great idea. How about Branch and I go on a double date sometime with you and Celesta?" Giddiness colored her tone so bright I could practically see pink, glittery fireworks everywhere.

"I'd love that," Acorn replied enthusiastically. Then he shot me a look. "Wait, no, I forgot. Sorry, Branch."

Something about that bugged me. "What? I didn't say no."

Acorn blinked. "Really, Branch? I thought Poppy said you wanted to keep your relationship a secret."

"I do, but… I'd like to meet Celesta," I said honestly. "Besides, it sounds like fun."

"Branch."

His surprise irritated me. "What? I have fun now." My voice came out defensive, even a little sulky. "I did even back then."

Acorn said apologetically, "I know. It's just, you never used to do something just because it was fun." He held up his hands. "Don't get me wrong – I had a lot of fun and learned a lot – but the stuff we did always seemed to have some kind of end goal."

I gave him a wry grin. "You can blame Leafe and Cherry Blossom for that. I'd never taken care of a trolling before, so I asked their advice. They suggested I teach you skills that weren't taught in pod school."

Acorn laughed. "That makes sense. Teachers will be teachers."

"I know, right?" I chuckled.

"So, you really do want to go on a double date?" Poppy asked hopefully.

"Well, yes. I mean, no. I mean-" I let out a huff of air. "I do want to meet Celesta. I just don't want people making a huge deal out of our relationship. And…" I almost mentioned my worry that some of the trolls wouldn't support me being with Poppy, then remembered that I was going to find a way to handle it somehow.

"And?"

I looked up to see two pairs of eyes filled with hope. I found myself thinking of having a good time with two of my favorite people, and my common sense wavered. "It does sound like fun," I admitted. "If only we could all go together and not have people suspect anything's going on."

"I'd have to tell Celesta that you guys are dating," Acorn commented. "Otherwise it would be weird for us to go on a date and have you two randomly tagging along."

"Good point."

"Maybe we could introduce Acorn and Celesta to the game we made up," Poppy suggested, winking at me.

Acorn looked back and forth between us. "Game?"

I crossed my arms, amused at the thought. "You know, that just might work."

"What might work?" Acorn bounced on his toes.

"Sneakissing!" Poppy said cheerfully, with a matching bounce. "Sneaking kisses without anybody seeing you."

"Oh, I get it." Acorn laughed. "Sounds like fun. But what happens if someone does see you?"

"Well… Actually, it turns out that there are already quite a few trolls who know about us." Poppy's dad, the Whizbangs, Leafe and Cherry Blossom, our other friends. Half the village, for all I know. I recalled the unknown troll who had seen me licking melted caramel from Poppy's hand. We still didn't know who it was. "So far, the people who do know have been pretty chill. So I think it would be all right to tell her, as long as you ask her not to go spreading it around."

It made me feel good to see his face light up. "I will. And she won't. We were talking about you during lunch. She remembers meeting you as a trolling, and how Maple and Hearty both said they liked you. She said she'd like to meet you again someday."

Something in my chest softened. I know there are trolls out there who aren't exactly my biggest fans, but it's nice to know that there are some who are willing to give me a chance.

"Okay, then," I said jovially, "Ask her what day is convenient for her, and let us know." I winked playfully. "I'm sure I can come up with a few embarrassing stories to tell her about you."

A little of the old sassiness came out, as Acorn rolled his eyes and grinned. "Sure thing, 'Snookums.'"

My mouth dropped open. "Hey! That is not my nickname…"

"Oh, sorry. My mistake. You prefer 'Snickerdoodle,' of course. It's so much more dignified," he teased with a fake-serious expression.

"Pff. See what you started, Poppy," I complained.

Instead of apologizing, she started laughing. Acorn and I caught each other's eye, and joined in.

It felt good.

Acorn glanced at the sun. "Oh. Just so you know, I need to be on duty pretty soon."

"Aww," came out of my mouth before I realized it. "Do you have to?"

Before Acorn could answer, Poppy joked, "Never thought I'd see the day Branch didn't want to see someone work."

Acorn chuckled, and I did, too. Even if the joke was at my expense, seeing him happy made me happy.

"Well, if you need to leave soon, isn't there something important you're forgetting?" Poppy said. "About an amazing new lifesaving technique?"

"Oh, yes!" He turned to me. "Please, Branch, can you teach me the Heimlich maneuver before I go? Pretty please with sprinkles on top?"

"Sure, Acorn."

"Me too, this time!" Poppy blurted out. "You've taught everybody who asked you except me."

"That's because you were hurt, remember? Oh, that reminds me. Acorn, could you take a look at Poppy's bruise before we start? See if it's healing okay?"

"Of course, Branch."

While Poppy held up her t-shirt, Acorn carefully removed the bandage I'd wrapped around her ribs and examined her injury. It was nearly gone. When he tested the remains of the bruise for tenderness, she reported, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Wow, Poppy, you're a fast healer. This looks really good compared to yesterday."

"Actually, you can thank Branch's arnica salve for that."

"Branch's arnica salve?"

Acorn looked at me, and I nodded in answer to his unspoken question. "You weren't the only one who learned a lot during our time together. I used what you taught me about healing herbs to make my own medicine. And soap, and how to sew, and all the other stuff we did together. Really came in handy after I moved into my bunker. So, thank you for that, too," I said, honestly grateful. "I doubt I would have come through my bunker years nearly as well without the knowledge you gave me." I gave him a mellow smile. "I guess we really are brothers. We looked after one another, like real brothers do."

"Awww," Acorn and Poppy chorused.

"I'm glad I could help."

Once Acorn gave Poppy the all-clear, I had them practice on each other at first, while I watched and critiqued their work. For the more powerful hair-assisted version of my technique, I reluctantly volunteered myself as the "victim," since I was bigger than either of them. "This is just in case you're doing it on a troll like Biggie."

Enthusiastically they took turns practically choking the life out of me. "Great job," I gasped finally. "You passed. Okay, we're done here."

Poppy's hair withdrew from around my waist, and I rubbed a hand over my sore ribs. "Whew! Now I know what a tube of toothpaste feels like."

Just then two Hug Time watches flowered, chiming in harmony. "Hug Time!" they sang together. Two pairs of arms wrapped around me with a bit more force than I wanted just then.

"Ooo," I groaned. "Take it easy, huh?"

"Sorry," they chorused, easing their enthusiastic embrace.

"I want to thank you, Branch," Acorn said. "For being my teacher. Now, and back then, too. And thank you for everything else you do to help this village. I really appreciate you."

Poppy rubbed her cheek against mine. "Me, too, sweetie," she said sincerely. "Thank you."

Sandwiched between the two of them, I rolled my eyes and sighed. Who was I to refuse the hugs of people who valued me so highly? As I wrapped my arms around the people I loved, a smile of smug satisfaction settled onto my face.

When we let go, Acorn said, "I'm sorry, but I really ought to get going now."

We nodded understandingly. "Have a good day at work," Poppy said.

"We'll get together soon, buddy," I promised.

He nodded, turned and took a few steps, then turned back. "Oh, I just remembered. Mom asked me to tell you how grateful she is that you were willing to step up and look after me. She said, 'Any trolling can be a hairful, but taking care of one whose life-changing loss mirrors your own takes a lot of courage, and compassion'. She said she's very proud of you."

"Aww." Poppy put a hand to her chest.

"Wow," I said, touched. "Tell your mom I said thank you."

"Why don't you visit her, and tell her yourself?" Poppy suggested before Acorn could respond.

"That's…a good idea, Poppy," I replied, thinking about one of the few adults back then who had really seemed to value me. "It'll be nice to see Tulip again."

Both of them beamed at me. "That's great! Wait til I tell her. She'll be so glad to see you!" Acorn said happily. He gave us a cheery little wave and began to walk back down the path. "See you later!"

"Oh, wait!" Poppy called. "One more thing."

Again he turned back. "Yes?"

She reached into her hair and pulled out a thick, cream-colored tube I recognized. "Would you like a painting of Branch?"

"Would I?" Acorn's face lit up. "Sure!"

As she unrolled the first portrait, Acorn put his hands to his cheeks. His sky-blue eyes were big and shimmery as he exclaimed, "Aww, you look adorable!"

"I know, right?" Poppy cooed, elbowing me gently. "Isn't he just the cutest thing?"

"Poppy." I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling.

Once again I was treated to a collection of soft, dreamy imagery from the hand of the village's most talented painter. Harper really knows how to make a troll look good, I mused as Acorn picked up the two he liked best. I suppressed a smile as he glanced back and forth between them with his mouth puckered thoughtfully to one side. I recalled him making the same funny face as a trolling.

For some reason that comforted me. My young friend might be a grownup now, but the trolling I played with all those years ago was still in there. I looked forward to creating new memories to join those I cherished so much.

Eventually Acorn made his choice, lifting it up to show me while Poppy rolled the rest of the sheets of canvas back into a tube. This portrait was different from the others. I had apparently curled up on my side, my face tucked against my folded fist as if deep in thought. Someone – Poppy, no doubt – had been playing with my hair. A double-helix shape curved whimsically over my head, probably inspired by our newly invented dance-game.

I stared down at the portrait, expecting to feel offense over the indignity, but it never came. Fanciful hair or no, the pastel-hued image had the same air of sweet innocence as the others. Finally I just crossed my arms and nodded. "I am adorable."

Author's Note:

Awesome music I've been listening to while writing the last few chapters: The Fairy Garden by David Arkenstone. It's seriously good. Lots of heroic drama and melancholy pieces, along with some more mellow, innocent pieces. Definitely makes it easier to get into the mood to write 😊

BTW, Branch knew Acorn needed him because he'd heard about Kiki's accident from other trolls, and that night he heard Acorn crying outside through his listening tubes.

Having now seen TBT, I can't help but notice the similarities between Floyd and Acorn. Both are "sensitive" and highly empathetic to others' feelings. They're also both inclined to sassy/sarcastic humor, although I haven't shown much of that in adult Acorn as yet. I'm even hearing Floyd's voice in my head when Acorn speaks. Since I wrote Acorn as the PBR "sibling" that Branch is the most protective of, seeing movie-Branch instantly decide to rescue Floyd despite his anger at John Dory felt so familiar. If Acorn were ever in danger, Branch would drop everything to help him, too.

In fact, I was gratified to learn that many of my long-held headcanons turned out to be so similar to actual canon. Like, that Branch's deep trust / abandonment issues came from losing more than just his grandma. I gave PBR Branch other characters to lose instead of only brothers, but the overall theme is the same. Only Poppy seems to have stayed his friend throughout his life, in both my and canon versions.

Guilt over his role in his grandma's death is also a major theme for Branch. Hiding his guilt kept him apart from the other trolls in both versions. Although having Floyd tell his baby brother to "take care of grandma" and then have her get killed because of him makes it an even more impactful event on movie Branch's developing psyche. Poor little guy ;(

Also, the not-being-taken-seriously thing. We know now that Branch was the "baby" of his family, which probably meant that his opinions and feelings were often overlooked by his brothers, who were more focused on their own lives. I incorporated a similar theme in PBR (and Taming Branch, actually) with Branch feeling invisible / inconsequential to the village trolls sometimes. Because of that, he went over the line trying to argue people into listening to his warnings, which only led to them treating him like he was crazy and ignoring what he had to say even more.

No wonder Branch felt as if he had to live his life on the fringes of the village. It also explains why he's a loner, because he clings so strongly to his values about safety, even at the cost of his relationships. In the end, he decides to depend on his bunker for security, because he feels that he can't depend other trolls. It will never abandon him, after all. It wasn't until Poppy showed him that he could, in fact, depend on her that he began to turn toward others instead of away from them. We saw his warmth and sense of humor return before his colors even came back. He even made his first (adorably bad) attempt to join in the "happy shout," wanting to be a part of the group for the first time in years.

I'm also happy that it turns out that the ideas for both his leaf-vest and his bunker came from someone other than Branch. The vest is Floyd's gift to baby Branch in TBT, and Poppy's gift to Branch in my Taming Branch fic. Branch and Floyd came up with the idea for a "secret hideout" in the movie, while I had Acorn come up with that idea. I guess it's normal for most kids to want something like that, huh?

But what I love most is that making / keeping those mementos is how Branch remembers his loved ones. They're a symbol of his affection and loyalty, and (in TBT) a symbol of the hope he must have had deep inside that one day his family would be whole again. Thankfully, that hope came true.

And, while it involves different characters than in the movie, it will in this story, too. 😊