-O-

Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Memory Lane 3: Life with Leafe

Note: I revised chapter 16-The Incident, and a few things in a couple of other chapters. Basically I changed the timeline to make events flow better, and to avoid having Branch's Incident happen at the same time as the spring Frolic Festival. In chapter 16, I also added a few details about what Branch remembered from living with Leafe, now that I know Leafe's character better.

-O-

Poppy and I sent Acorn happily on his way with a sincere promise to get together with him and the rest of our old friend group soon. As we strolled hand-in-hand along the flowered lane, I began to hum a cheerful melody. Poppy joined her silver soprano with my golden falsetto, weaving a delicate counterpoint through mine as sleekly as knitting needles through yarn. The music we were creating was more ephemeral than a sweater, but that made it all the more precious. I felt so good right now, like everything was right with the world.

That reminded me of a really good song. "Hey, Poppy! Sing with me!"

I took a deep breath, but before I could start, my mouth was occupied with kissing a suddenly amorous pink queen. A long, lingering, toe-tingling kiss that made my already happy heart dance to the next level.

When she finally pulled away, she murmured, "I will never get tired of hearing you say that to me."

Heart still racing, I managed to give her a flirty grin. "Then I'll have to remember to say that to you more often."

I shared one more incredible kiss with my girlfriend before filling my lungs and letting myself fall into another kind of ecstasy.

Don't worry

About a thing

'Cause every little thing

Is gonna be all right

Don't you worry

My girl sweetly chimed in. (Don't worry)

About a thing

(About a thing)

Oh! 'Cause every little thing

Is gonna be all right

My perky girlfriend cheerfully booped my nose. (All right)

I booped her back, and let loose with the second part.

Woke up this morning

Smiled at the rising sun

Three little birds

Hatched by my doorstep

Singing sweet songs

Of melodies pure and true

We made our signature move, pressing the palms of our hands together as we trilled joyfully,

This is our message to you-hoo-hoo!

You-hoo-hoo

Yoo-hoo-hoo

I winked as I leaned toward her, and she leaned in too, almost close enough for a kiss. I nearly gave in to temptation, but just then more voices joined in. Poppy and I glanced at one another, grinned, and kept singing.

Yoo-hoo-hoOOOOoo

Yoo-hoo-hoo…

The voices were coming from in front of us, around a gradual curve in the overgrown path.

"You-hoo-hoo…" Poppy and I sang in greeting.

"Yoo-hoo-hoo," they chorused back. From the sound of their voices, it was two adult trolls; a male and a female. Familiar voices…

As Poppy and I rounded the curve, I saw that I was right. There in front of us were none other than my old friends, Leafe and Cherry Blossom. The four of us lifted our voices for one final round together. "Yoo-hoo-hooooo…"

I closed my eyes to savor the feeling. Mmm, glorious. Singing is the best. I was so glad I'd finally found my voice again.

I opened my eyes just as Poppy bounced on her toes. "Hi, Cherry Blossom! Hi, Leafe! It's so nice to see you again!" She beamed her sunshine smile and gave them a cute little wave as I stood there gazing fondly at her. Her puppyish delight was just so adorable.

My own greeting was considerably more casual. "Hey."

"Hey," they replied together.

"Funny to run into you guys again already," I commented. "This must be a popular place to take a stroll."

They looked at one another. "Actually…" Leafe began.

"Would you mind a bit of company?" Cherry Blossom asked politely.

"Of course not," I replied.

"Yay!" Poppy cheered delightedly. "The more the merrier."

My friends fell into place by my side, and we walked for a minute or so before I noticed Leafe glance at me as if he wanted to say something. "Was there something in particular you wanted to talk to us about, Leafe?"

The slight wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out. "Observant as ever, I see," he commented. Then he shot me a sly look.

Catching on, I laughed. "Well, I didn't have to eyeball you to perceive your appearance. You just had that look, you know?"

Cherry Blossom giggled, and Poppy let out a snerk of laughter. "Oh my gosh. You two really need to come up with a comedy act. You'll have them rolling in the aisles!"

I grinned at my friend, who responded by hamming it up even more. "Why, thank you, my queen," Leafe said, bowing as graciously as if we were at a royal ball. "I do try."

When Cherry Blossom giggled again, Leafe turned back into my old punster pal. "A comedy act sounds like a lot of fun." He turned to me, waggling his eyebrows. "What do you say, Branch? Would you like to wow our fellow trolls with wondrous whimsy?"

As good as I felt just then, I was definitely up for the challenge. "Oh, I think I could tackle the task of tickling their funny bones."

Poppy and Cherry Blossom enthusiastically joined in the game; trading clever quips, puns, and other forms of wordplay. I loved it. It was a measure of how much I was enjoying myself that it actually took several minutes before my never-distant sense of responsibility got me back on task.

"So, what did you guys want to talk about? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no," Cherry Blossom assured us.

"No, nothing's wrong," Leafe agreed. "You see, we had a very nice chat with Acorn earlier today, reminiscing about old times…"

The blue-haired scholar paused in the middle of his sentence; a habit I was familiar with. He told me once it was because he liked to choose the most elegant way to construct what he wanted to say. As an engineer, I understood that. Patiently I waited for him to continue.

Poppy didn't."We just saw Acorn ourselves!" she piped up.

Cherry Blossom exchanged glances with her husband. "Good news, I hope?"

I smiled broadly. "Very good news, actually."

"Fantastic news!" Poppy confirmed excitedly. "They made up. After all these years of missing one another, our Big Oak and Lil' Nut are finally bros again."

Matching smiles of gladness lit up my friends' faces. "That is fantastic news," Leafe said happily.

"We're so happy for you, Branch!" Cherry Blossom patted my arm. "We know how much you two missed each other. Oh, this is delightful."

"Thanks." A warm feeling spread through me. Everything finally seemed to be coming together today.

"So what did you talk to Acorn about?" Poppy asked.

"We relayed our recent observations of you teaching Fern and her brother Hickory, and our own recent experiences with you. Then we mentioned that we were looking for good teachers, and asked his opinion on the subject," Cherry Blossom answered.

And there went that feel-good sensation. Not that again.

Poppy jumped in before I could speak. "What did he say?"

She gave me a sublime smile. "He seemed delighted by the idea. Acorn said that you were a wonderful teacher, and that he learned a lot of great things from you." She didn't say it out loud, but I could see she was pleased to have her good opinion of me confirmed.

I crossed my arms. "Hmf. Of course he would." I did teach him a lot, but I wouldn't say all of it was "great." I appreciate his loyalty, though.

Leafe seemed to understand my skepticism. "I asked him if he could elaborate. He thought about it for a minute, then said that overall, the most valuable thing he learned from you was critical thinking skills. Using logic and facts, in addition to his own feelings and intuition, to help him make balanced decisions."

I uncrossed my arms. "Really?"

"Yes. Acorn said what he learned from you has helped him in many areas of his life. In school, of course, and as a nurse, too. But also just when making normal, everyday decisions about cooking, for example, or home repairs. He said you helped give him an excellent start in life, especially considering how he'd lost his first father."

I hummed a note of happy surprise. "He did?"

Poppy turned to give me an oddly searching look before nodding. "Yep, I totally see it. Branch is a natural dad."

That surprised me even more. "Poppy, I know Cooper joked about that earlier, but do you really think…" I trailed off, frowning a little. I understood how to be a big brother, but a father?

"Come on…" Poppy coaxed, "You've got to admit, you can be a little overprotective at times." She nudged me playfully with her elbow and winked engagingly. "My handsome safety captain."

"Poppy." I crossed my arms, but couldn't help but smile fondly at her use of my favorite nickname. Not that I wanted to be anything like a father to her, but I had to admit I was used to looking after her. I'd been doing so ever since the day a spunky little princess decided to befriend a lonely, scared troublemaker, and make him her own.

Her teasing grin softened into a more thoughtful expression. "I'll admit it used to bug me, but now I think it's sweet. Taking care of Acorn really made you grow as a person, you know?" she said softly. "It was wonderful to see it happen."

I looked down, blushing a little as my friends added their own endorsements.

"We noticed it too, Branch," said Leafe, smiling gently. "You've always had a talent for looking out for others."

Cherry Blossom's flower-shaped pink hair bobbed in agreement. "You were so good with Acorn. Even though you felt out of your element, when a small, scared trolling came looking to you to make him feel safe and loved, you stepped up. You chose to guide and protect him with everything you had."

"He sure did." Poppy's tone deepened into the kind of loving admiration I never used to hear from anyone. "I'm so proud of you, Pookie."

"So are we," my friends confirmed.

Poppy hugged me, and they joined her. Surrounded by love and approval, I relaxed into the easy, laidback feeling that flowed over me. "Thanks, guys. Nice to know that not everything about my time with Acorn ended up causing him grief."

Tension invaded the hug. I froze, then stepped back. "What's wrong?" I asked in concern.

"Well…" Leafe scratched the back of his head. "It's just, from what Cheery told me, you seem to be under the impression that associating with you back then was some kind of terrible burden. If I might enlighten you, I'd like to share the way I saw our time together. I think you'll find it's quite different than you perceived it to be at the time."

He paused for long enough for me to realize he was waiting for my response.

I studied him, cautious; but also curious. Today seemed to be the day for reunions, something I used to go to great lengths to avoid. Six months ago, it had hurt to look back on the past, more often than not. The present was something to be carefully managed, and used to prepare for the future. When I looked ahead, all I saw was darkness.

But ever since the bergen adventure, things honestly seemed to be turning around for me. The memories I made these days were mostly good ones. Maybe it was because I was finally happy. Maybe it was just a natural result of being more social. Cherry Blossom said I'd changed more than I realize, so maybe instead of giving off 'go away' vibes, I was broadcasting 'come talk to me' vibes instead. Or maybe it was because being in love with Poppy had somehow made me more approachable.

In any case, if Leafe wanted to talk about our past, like with Acorn, it was my duty to hear him out. Besides, unlike with Acorn, I wasn't that worried about what he might say.

"Okay."

Poppy raised a hand, something that seemed come naturally when you were around teachers. "Can I just ask something? Why did you decide to take Branch in, Leafe? You were only sixteen, barely an adult yourself. Studying for your teaching apprenticeship-"

"Not then, I wasn't," Leafe corrected her. I saw a familiar look of contemplation come into his teal-blue eyes as he went on, "You see, Branch, before I decided to become your roommate, I was at a crossroads in my life. Drifting, you might say. Lacking focus. It was just after the spring Frolic Festival, a time of the year I'd always associated with new beginnings. But that year there was nothing for me on the horizon. I'd had a few temporary connections during the Festival, but hadn't yet met that special someone."

He shared a fond look with Cherry Blossom before turning back to me. "There was no new school year to look forward to, either. I'd graduated from pod school the previous year with high achievements in every area, but hadn't yet chosen a profession. Nor even a mentor. It was quite the predicament, to be honest. I was feeling the pressure."

"Pressure?" I blinked. "Seriously? You?"

Leafe nodded. "The Festival had been fun, but as the spring mating season came to a close, I didn't feel content and satisfied, as I expected. Instead I found myself experiencing a vague restlessness. A sense that I should be doing something more important with my life. Unlike the rest of my classmates, I was still living at home, still doing the same things I'd always done. Not that there's anything wrong with playing with friendsor enjoying hobbies, but if you don't try to branch out once in a while, you don't grow."

I was silent, thinking about that. There was a time when I would have done anything to keep things in my life the same. My bunker had been the one place in the world that I could count on to be ever unchanging, year after year. Stable, safe…stale. The village was chaotic compared to my bunker, but I must have needed that chaos on some level, because I kept going back. Even though I could easily have decided to keep away. Now I looked forward to visits from Poppy and my friends, even if they drove me crazy at times. I welcomed the companionship, the stimulation, the sheer life that sparkled within its once-silent walls.

From his expression, my former roommate seemed to understand my conflicting needs. "It took me a long time to reach a decision, because for the most part, I was content with the way things were. My family was, too." He laughed. "My parents appreciated having another person around to help look after my little sister. My older brother Hearty had moved out two years earlier, and Maple was a rather rambunctious six-year-old, if you recall. Quite the hairful," he chuckled.

I grinned, recalling some of the messes the energetic red-orange trolling had gotten into while I was living with Leafe. "She sure was. Almost as bad as Poppy."

"Hey," Poppy said with a smile, bumping her hip against mine. I put an arm around her and impulsively kissed cheek, suddenly wanting to be close to her. She must have too, as she hummed a note of contentment and leaned against me.

My friends' faces reflected the same contentment as Leafe continued, "After a year of freedom, I'd read every scrapbook in the village library at least twice. I'd created dozens of my own as well, detailing the results of my endeavors. Science experiments, storytelling, new food recipes. At that point, I wasn't exactly bored – that's a very hard thing to be in Troll Village - but I knew I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I had many interests, but nothing in particular called out to me. Something needed to change, but I knew nothing would unless I made it happen. So, I decided to shake things up. Create new connections, explore the world in new ways, and hopefully…find a purpose. I was actively looking for an opportunity to challenge me when your…Incident happened."

None of us were smiling now.

"King Peppy called a villagewide meeting to explain your situation. He said that at twelve years old, you were still too young to live alone. He mentioned your injuries, and the type of care you would need. He also said that you needed a home where you would be the only trolling. That left out many families, including my own. Then he asked for volunteers."

Here Leafe hesitated, so I spoke for him. "Let me guess. No one volunteered," I said flatly.

"Well…no. Although in all accuracy, I think that just about every family that fit King Peppy's criteria had already fostered you, Branch."

I looked away. What could I say to that?

"As I looked around, I noted the lack of volunteers. A surprising thing, for trolls. I did a quick mental calculation and concluded that there were very few homes left open to you, if any. The only real options were probably among the youngest adults, since they were unlikely to have already hosted you, or had trollings yet. As I considered your options, it occurred to me that I myself was a member of that group. I was an adult. Therefore, I was free to create a home of my own, and invite anyone I wanted to live with me. Of course, I could keep silent and wait to see if see if one of my former classmates volunteered, but of them all, I was the only one without an apprenticeship. I was the only one with no idea of what I wanted to do in life. I had the most free time. Logically, the one who volunteered should be me. So I raised my hair and volunteered."

"Just like that?" I said in mild surprise. In my experience, Leafe usually spent more time making big decisions. My nerdy friend savored the freedom of being able to research and explore each and every one of his options in as much detail as he felt he needed before finally making his well-considered choice.

"Well, as I said, I'd been looking for a way to find purpose in my life. Here was an opportunity to do something new, something worthwhile. Something that would greatly help someone who needed it. Also, it wasn't as if we were complete strangers. I knew you through our-" he gave me a wry grin, "mutual friend."

"Mutual friend?" Poppy asked.

"Yes. Laurel Whizbang," Leafe replied.

-O-

Poppy caught Branch's reaction to the name of the troll who'd once been such an important friend to him. His face didn't light up, or go soft with nostalgia. Instead, he looked tense. Guilty, even. She noted his reaction, but didn't say anything. The time to address what she suspected was bothering him would come later.

Leafe continued, "Laurel and I were classmates, so naturally I'd heard about her friend Branchkin. Even met him a few times, during the time he lived with Jaunty and Courtley. We played a game of chess together once, as I recall…"

The pink troll took that in and let it percolate in her brain. A quick mental calculation made her decide something wasn't adding up. "You know, I'm a little vague about that time period. I was pretty deep into training for my royal duties back then, so I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to keep up with everything that was going on in the village. So can I just ask, if you and Laurel were friends, Branch…" she turned to the blue-haired teacher, "…and she was your classmate, Leafe…"

She spread her arms. "Then why didn't Laurel volunteer to host you, Branch? She was old enough, right? The same age as Leafe?"

The young queen knew it was possible that Laurel had been younger, since each of the four grades in pod school had classmates spanning a three-year age range, but she didn't think so.

Leafe confirmed her calculations. "Yes, we were the same age. But as to why she didn't volunteer, well…"

Leafe glanced at Branch, whose face had gone grave. Poppy looked back and forth between them. "What? What is it?"

Branch said quietly, "This was before you were hatched, but Laurel had an older brother who was taken by the bergens."

"Oh, yes." She nodded soberly. "He's in the Scrapbook of the Lost. Stanley, right?"

"Right. Her parents took his death pretty hard. He died when Laurel was nine…at age twelve."

It took her a second. Then she gasped, hands over her mouth. "Ohh… And your Incident happened when you were twelve. Oh my gosh. And you told me that right after your Incident…"

"They were kind of freaking out, yeah." His eyes were dark and serious. "I really scared them. Worse, they blamed themselves for not teaching me better. Even though I kept telling them it wasn't their fault. Laurel and I talked about it, but in the end, I decided that living with them probably wasn't a good idea."

Poppy lowered her head, nodding in agreement. "I see," she said softly, her tone husky with feeling.

She watched her boyfriend pull in a deep breath and let it out slowly, his breath hitching a little. Trying to control what was probably a rush of not-very-happy emotions welling up inside. "I would have loved to live with the Whizbangs, but I made the right call. The last thing I wanted to do was bring back all those memories, and hurt them even more. They were always so good to me."

"Oh, Branch…" As usual, he was putting the wellbeing of others before himself. And here she was, as usual, searching for a way to cheer him up. Especially at times like these, when she was reminded of a trauma she'd been lucky enough to have been spared.

But Branch was strong and resilient. He'd had to be, living by himself all those years. "It's just as well," he declared, straightening up. "If things had been different, I wouldn't have been there in the forest when Acorn's dad died. Acorn was devastated. He could've easily fallen prey to a predator in that state."

A burst of love for him lit her up inside, spilling out in a brilliant smile that made him smile, too. "You're right, sweetie. In the long run, everything worked out for the best. You and Acorn got the chance to bond, and become bros. And I'm sure Leafe and Cherry Blossom's lives were better too, because you were in them."

He glanced at his friends, and his smile faded. "Maybe."

"No 'maybe' about it, Branch," Leafe assured him. "I valued the time we lived together."

Branch's blue eyes brightened, then dimmed. "No offense, Leafe, but I find that hard to believe. I mean, I appreciate everything you did for me. You took care of me during one of the worst times in my life. Your companionship helped me cope, in so many ways. While I-" He lifted his hands, then let them drop to slap against his legs. "Let's face it, you literally couldn't have had a less pleasant companion in the entire village."

"Oh, come on, you weren't that bad," the yellow troll said with a charming smile.

Branch raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You don't resent me for the way I acted at all? What about all the times I went on and on about the bergens coming to eat us?"

"You were right about that," Leafe pointed out.

"I know, but still."

"You wanted us to keep quiet and not call attention to ourselves, which was something of a downer, I'll admit. But I always thought your behavior was reasonable, if one simply accepted the probability that the bergens were still looking for us. Statistically speaking, it wasn't likely that all them would forget about us, after all." He shrugged. "I always figured that staying hidden couldn't hurt."

"Right, dear," Cherry Blossom added. "Look at what happened to us the first time we audaciously displayed ourselves to the rest of the world. The ground shook, and the first bergen we'd seen in twenty years appeared before us. It happened, Branch, just as you said it would. And soon after, we were captives again…" She shivered, then closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath, as if trying to let go of the terror she must have felt then.

Her husband put an arm around her and she leaned into him. With a pang of guilt, Poppy glanced at Branch. He looked regretful, even though he had no reason to. She and her dad had been the ones to lift the ban on music volume levels and approve the use of fireworks, after all. Poppy took a step toward the gentle schoolteacher and placed a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Cherry Blossom."

"That's all right, Poppy. It all worked out in the end." The ruby-red troll gestured toward Branch and Poppy, her green eyes glimmering with gratitude. "Thanks to you."

"Yes; thank you both." Leafe opened his other arm toward them.

The younger couple gladly joined the hug. As Poppy settled into the soft, snuggly warmth, her heart was singing. I'm so happy. Everything's going so well! She glanced at her boyfriend. His eyes were squinched closed, and he wore a big, toothy grin. Aww, look at him. He's loving this. Oh, today is the best day ever! And it's not over yet.

-O-

Once again I found myself part of a group hug I didn't immediately want to get out of. Even as I soaked up comfort, approval, and love, I also gave it. I was a part of this group. They were family.

When the hug ended, I said, "I'm glad I could help, but really, I should be thanking you. For bearing with me as long as you did."

-O-

I thought about the months of depression after my Incident. Losing my pod had been bad enough. Having to reject Jaunty and Courtley when they came for me had destroyed what little resilience I had left. At first I didn't have the energy to care about anything, not even Poppy, who had faithfully come to visit me in the medical pod every day.

After I healed enough to walk by myself, I trudged after Leafe to his pod and spent the next few weeks brooding in my room and feeling sorry for myself. My new roommate hadn't said much at first. Despite my sullen expectations, there were no welcome parties, no chirpy chatter, no attempts to cheer me up or draw me out. Leafe brought hot, tasty meals to my bedroom, but otherwise left me alone. He didn't intrude on my private space, as most trolls would have.

It was strangely agreeable, in a way, even though at first I assumed he didn't like me much. Or maybe he was nervous. I had a reputation for starting conflicts, after all. Not to mention I'd basically acted like a wild animal in the medical pod, flogging everyone with my hair after I woke up in a disoriented rage. I don't blame him for being afraid of me.

I learned in time that that wasn't the reason. Leafe just had other ways to get to know people. He liked to stay back and quietly observe a situation, a habit I would come to know well. He was unusually low-key for a troll, preferring to work on various academic-based projects in the living room instead of going out to party.

Unless he's actually just guarding me, so King Peppy can monitor my movements. That's what I'd do, if I were the king.

-O-

Remembering that King Peppy had given orders to Jaunty and Courtley to keeping secrets from me, naturally I was wary of this new roommate. A few days after I moved into Leafe's pod, I couldn't stand it anymore and asked him outright if the king had ordered him not to discuss certain things with me, like the bergens.

"Why, no, Branchkin. Why would he do that?"

When I didn't answer, he tilted his head and asked, "Was there something in particular you wanted to discuss with me?"

I glowered at him suspiciously, but he seemed genuinely inquisitive. Unless he was better than most trolls at keeping secrets, he was telling the truth. Despite myself, that reassured me a little. "No. I just don't like it when people keep things from me. I'd rather know the truth, even if it's bad. Especially if it's bad."

He brightened. "Oh, me, too! I have a rather enthusiastic thirst for knowledge myself. Branchkin, I think we're going to get along splendidly."

So said every other family I've ever stayed with. Yet as I studied him, I could see no trace of nervousness or reluctance behind the friendly smile I remembered from previous meetings. Testing him, I demanded, "So, King Peppy didn't ask you to spy on me and report to him behind my back?"

"Correct. He did not. He does ask about you when we happen to run into each other, of course, but that's only natural." He studied me for a minute. "Branchkin… If I'm reading you right, you seem to think that's a bad thing. I'm not sure I understand why."

I glared at him through narrowed eyes, but he seemed genuinely clueless. "Duh. It's obvious. He's thinks I'm trouble, and he's looking for a reason to kick me out of the village."

Instead of taking offense at my attitude or retreating into blasé reassurances, the yellow troll looked thoughtful. His gaze shifted up, then down. He filled his cheeks with air and let it out. Finally he said, "Are you sure? That wasn't the impression I got from him. He didn't seem angry at you."

"Oh, come on. After the mess I caused?" I said scornfully. "Why wouldn't he be mad?"

His tone softened. "Branchkin, he's concerned, not angry. He cares about you very much. He wants to see you safe and happy." He put a hand over his heart. "I do, too."

"What?" Shocked, I took a step back. I heard my voice tremble as I asked, "Why? Why would you care about a walking disaster like me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he responded, his tone an odd blend of challenge and compassion. "You're a fellow troll who needs my help."

He looked sincere, but he couldn't possibly mean it. Everyone knew how I kept messing thing up, no matter how many chances I was given. Almost frantically I argued, "You're not much older than me. Why would you take on the burden of looking after a trolling, especially one like me?"

"Well, for one thing, I like you."

This time I was too stunned for words.

"And as for kicking you out of the village…" The older boy rubbed his nose, then said, "Well, I won't say that you don't share some of the responsibility for what happened, but think about it like this: It is literally a king's job to keep his people safe. You are a member of this village. That means you are under King Peppy's protection, just like everyone else. He made the choice to let you have your own pod, so I think he feels responsible that you got hurt so badly."

"What? It's not his fault. I told him; I'm the one who made such a stupid mistake."

"Nevertheless, that's my impression of the situation."

I gaped at him, then crossed my arms. "Oh, great. Just great," I complained. "Now every time I see him I'm gonna feel weird. Like, guilty and stuff, knowing that he feels guilty every time he looks at me…"

I kept grumbling, but underneath, for the first time since my pod fell, I felt a little better. Leafe's argument made sense. It was a king's duty to look after everyone and try to solve their problems. It wasn't his fault I was such a difficult case.

It's nice of Leafe to want to help the village screwup. I can't remember the last time someone said they liked me. Other than Poppy, but she doesn't count. She likes everybody. As the princess, she probably has to. Oh, well. I guess Leafe's a pretty smart guy. I don't think I'll mind staying with him, at least for now…

I didn't realize it then, but that was the moment I began to trust him.

-O-

As time passed, I grew bored and lonely. Also, stiff and sore from lack of exercise. I'd had my own little space in the back of the medical pod with a privacy screen between me and the rest of the room, but there had always been people around. Doctors and nurses had come to help me do exercises every day, to aid my recovery. Now I just sat alone in my room in Leafe's pod and did nothing.

A few weeks after I moved in, Leafe apologized to me. "I'm about to begin a project that might get noisy. I need to use a hammer to put it together. I'll try to be quick."

At the mention of tools, my long-disused curiosity piqued. When the hammering started, I left my room to go sit on the couch, watching with what I believed was carefully disguised curiosity. Although I doubt I fooled him.

Eventually, observing became commenting, and then assisting. My engineering training proved useful, I soon realized, and Leafe was quick to thank me for my help.

After that, we worked on projects together. Leafe praised my efforts, and also showed his appreciation in other ways, such as cooking my favorite foods often. He also didn't sing in our pod. Instead he preferred to listen to quiet instrumental music that helped him think. I didn't mind that.

After a few more weeks of quiet camaraderie, he finally asked if I was willing to consider returning to school. I refused. Adamantly. Leafe dropped the subject, but after that, my own nagging sense of responsibility took over. One day when Leafe was talking about a game concept he and a former classmate had come up with, I interrupted. "Look, I know I need to go back to school. It's just, I'm gonna be so far behind. And they'll all look at me like, 'Oh, no, he's back.' They think I'm crazy, you know."

I didn't mention the way I cringed inside when I imagined everyone's eyes on me, but Leafe knew.

Rather than challenge my statement, he tilted his head thoughtfully. "What if I tutored you? I may not be an engineer, but in academic subjects I'm an excellent student. I used to tutor fellow classmates all the time. You could catch up with everyone, or even get ahead, if you wanted. You'd be well-prepared for the beginning of the next semester."

A knot I hadn't realized was inside me came undone. As Leafe undoubtedly understood by then, being well-prepared was vital to me. If I could start the new semester ahead of everyone, it would help me weather the torrential emotions sweeping through me with every look, or laugh. Wondering if it was at my expense. If I knew the class material, I could at least prove I was competent at something. "Yeah. I guess we could do that."

-O-

I lived with Leafe for three years; longer than I'd ever lived with anyone. He was there for me through my long, dark withdrawal from life. With gentle persistence, he managed to get through my wall of sullen sarcasm and spark my interest in the world again. He knew me better than anyone.

I recovered slowly, but I recovered. The summer when I was fourteen, I took on the responsibility of looking after Acorn, another troubled trolling. I voluntarily went to that year's Trollstice, or at least made it through the gate for once. After I stopped spending time with Acorn that autumn and didn't collapse back into a cocoon of despair, Leafe knew that I was finally ready to live on my own. He proposed to Cherry Blossom, who joyfully accepted.

When he told me the news the next day, all I remember is how abandoned I felt. I even tried to talk him out of it. "No way. It's far too soon to be thinking of marriage. You haven't been dating that long."

"Well, if I may enlighten you, yesterday was our two-year anniversary. That's actually a longer courtship than most trolls have before they get married."

I knew. And Leafe knew I knew. I scowled petulantly. "You know, I don't know why you bother asking, when you know you're just going to 'enlighten' me anyway."

Leafe chuckled. "Now, don't go all grumpy on me, Branchkin. It's not happening any time soon. I know how you need time to get used to unexpected events."

I growled and turned back to my drafting table. Leafe waited patiently. After several minutes, I knew he wasn't going to go away until I said something.

What came out, surprisingly, was a quiet, "Congratulations."

For me, that was the equivalent of leaping into the air, blowing on party horns and showering the place with a storm of glitter, and Leafe knew it. He broke out into a smile so broad I could hear it. "Thank you."

"She's a wonderful troll. You made the right choice," I admitted, finally turning around to take in his sublime beam, his warm yellow skin so vivid it was practically glowing. "I know you'll be very happy with her."

"Thank you, Branchkin!" Leafe caught me up in an unscheduled hug, and for once I didn't even complain, suddenly realizing that I wouldn't be receiving them for much longer. Already I felt myself detaching, withdrawing the tendrils of connection to yet another person who, despite my best efforts, I had grown fond of.

Thank you, my friend. You've put up with me for longer than I ever would have believed, longer than anyone else ever has. You deserve to be happy now. Cherry Blossom, too.

The wide-eyed, inquisitive female was the perfect match for someone like Leafe. Both of them loved to reading, studying, and conducting research on everything from physics and chemistry to baking (which was, in a way, just another kind of chemistry). At home, Leafe was always trying out new recipes on me. Although I felt obligated to be critical and discerning, I was surprised at how often he managed to create something new and totally delicious. Now it would be someone else who got to be Leafe's taste-tester.

Goodbye, Leafe.

-O-

I turned fifteen and became an official adult that January.

On the last day of April, Leafe and Cherry Blossom got married. Traditionally, many trolls chose to marry on the first day of the next month, Dally-dance, right at the beginning of the spring Frolic Festival season. That way they could enjoy a month-long honeymoon during the time when the mating hormones, which helped bond the newlyweds together, were at their strongest. However, knowing that Frolic Festivals caused a lot of conflicting feelings for me, my friends chose to marry on the day before the Festival started.

When Leafe asked me to be his best man, at first I refused. "I- I'm flattered to be asked, but it's a terrible idea. I'm really sorry, Leafe, but I can't. All those trolls staring at me? During Festival season? I'd freak out. You know I would. The last thing I want to do is ruin your wedding. Please, ask someone else."

Leafe smiled and shook his head. "Cheery and I talked about this, and we think we've come up with an acceptable solution…"

Touched that they had chosen their wedding date with me in mind, I had to agree. Like with Acorn, I had to let Leafe go so he could move on to a new life. A better life, without me. Agreeing to be his best man was the last thing I could ever do to repay him for taking me in and caring for me like I was an actual member of his family.

I kept a tight grip on my emotions during the ceremony, and managed to get through it without making too many embarrassing blunders. Afterward I threw away the sweat-soaked suit I'd worn. It would only remind me of an old life I had to forget, as I had so many others in the past.

Leafe moved out to make a new home together with Cherry Blossom in a larger, brand-new pod. I'd actually expected King Peppy to make me be the one to move, but he told me that Leafe had "enlightened" him with the notion that I'd do better staying somewhere familiar.

"He also told me that he had absolutely no concerns about you being able to take care of yourself now. Isn't that wonderful, my boy?" King Peppy said in his usual jovial fashion.

"Yeah. Wonderful." My eyes stung as an unexpected hot rush of gratitude and loss swelled up inside me, choking me with the pressure. I had to turn away, pretending to examine a crinkled bit of bark on a nearby tree until it eased.

With Leafe gone, I found myself avoiding my silent home. In theory, I could have visited my friends, but as newlyweds, all they saw was each other. As they should. I spent most of my time working on the bunker I'd started constructing not long after I'd pushed Acorn out of my life, for his own good. After seven months, it was almost ready to be lived in.

In a way, the wedding and Leafe moving out of his own accord was a lucky break. It saved me from another painful goodbye. I missed my former roommate and his gentle girlfriend more than I ever would have imagined. It took a long time for the hollow pit of loss and abandonment to scab over; the same dark pit that had been carved deep inside me long ago, starting with the loss of my grandma.

When I was in the village, which wasn't often, I alternated between sullen silences and bouts of whining to Laurel about everything except what was really bothering me. Thankfully she understood, withstanding my disagreeable behavior with good grace.

Gradually I spread my various projects out over the pod, making it my own. I stopped listening for Leafe's voice, or his footsteps, or the smell of his cooking. Without his pleasant company in the kitchen, I made only basic meals, when I bothered to cook at all. Instead I fell back on my habit of crunching on raw nuts and vegetables, or eating food I got in the market square on the go, only making occasional stews or porridges when the weather was cool.

The ties that tethered me to the village were nearly gone now.

Author's Note:

The song at the beginning is Three Little Birds, if you want to listen to it first. Originally by Bob Marley. I used the version I like best, from the movie Strange Magic, sung by Elijah Kelley and Meredith Ann Bull. It's a sweet male-female duet with those gorgeous trilling vocalizations I so adore (the kind Branch loves to sing). 😊 Plus Elijah's voice is close enough to Branch's that it's easy to imagine our favorite troll with the sweet "falsetto made of gold" singing it. I changed "pitched" to "hatched" to go with the Trolls: The Beat Goes On episode Bye Bye Birdie, where Branch has to take care of three baby birds that imprint on him when they hatch. It's SO adorable and sweetly poignant, especially when you consider how much he fears/dislikes birds. But he learns to love his babies, and even cries when they grow up and leave for good. Of course, Poppy's there to comfort him 😊

If you love seeing how many different ways Branch laughs, there's an adorable Regal Rollercoaster YouTube clip where Poppy and Branch are having fun at a movie mock-up of a rollercoaster (presumably during their stay at Mt. Rageous). I like to think they're on a date 😉 I don't think lets you do links, but you can easily search for it. I've watched it probably more than 50 times so far 😉

I adore how their personalities are portrayed perfectly in just 30 seconds, even for people who've never seen Trolls. Poppy is fearless yet considerate, and Branch is [over]protective and a little socially awkward, the cutie! But what keeps me coming back is seeing Branch laugh. Everything from little chortles to great bursts of exhilaration. He literally laughs more than Poppy does! It makes me so happy to see him getting out of his comfort zone and enjoying life! 😊