Timeline: Takes place before the BroZone/Kismet performance at Vacay Island shown at the end of Trolls Band Together
Summary: When Branch's brothers move into the bunker for a short while to catch up as Floyd recovers, Branch really doesn't expect to have anything in common with them. Least of all with his oldest, most irritating brother, John Dory. But as time goes on and the clock ticks down to when they all go their separate ways again, he discovers he's not the only one struggling to move on from the past.
Inspired by the song 'Mirrors' by Justin Timberlake (aka Branch)
Author's Note: You ever get that feeling of "oh my gosh I actually like this" about a fandom you never thought you'd be into and you're in the middle of accepting it and in denial? Yeah… that's the boat I'm in right now and I am not immune to the Branch angst bandwagon. Someone take google docs away from me…
Anyway, this is for funzies y'all. I need to do something with this new hyperfixation or I'm going to explode! Hope you enjoy the ride! (And sorry in advance for any mistakes. This is my first fanfic so hopefully it goes okay)
"You can come live in my Bunker!"
Branch blurted this out without meaning to, the words practically leaping from his throat. He and his brothers had just returned to Pop Village after everything that had happened at Mount Rageous. The Mount Rageons had been kind enough to let them stay for a few days until Floyd had enough strength to make the journey back, but it was clear they were all itching to return home. Well, home for Branch at least. His brothers were just happy to be going somewhere where everything wasn't giant sized.
They'd stopped outside Pop Village, leaving Rhonda to relax and romp in the sunlight as Poppy led them into the brightly colored village. There were plenty of "ooh's" and "aah's" as his brothers took in the scenery, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Viva had spotted King Peppy and taken off, immediately tackling her father with an energetic and warm hug. The emotional scene between the King and his daughters that followed almost had Branch in tears. As Viva and King Peppy left to catch up, Branch let out a sigh he hadn't known he had been holding in. As he looked around, Branch felt his body relax just a little at the sight of the pastel colors and scattered glitter that made the village his home. He never thought he'd be so glad to hear the echoes of pop music drifting along the breeze.
As Poppy excitedly pointed out different areas in the village, Branch began to zone out a bit, his mind weary. Everything had been so crazy for the past week, the relief at being home made him want to curl up and sleep. But he couldn't, not now at least. Not when there was so much to be done. Branch suddenly felt himself drawn out of a stupor when Clay asked a very important question:
"So, where will all of us be staying?"
It was a fair question; Pop Village was already quite crowded, with pretty much every pod housing a troll. But it seemed that without himself knowing it, Branch had already figured out exactly where his brothers could stay. And he blurted out just as much. All eyes turned to him as he suppressed the urge to slap a hand over his mutinous mouth. That settled that then.
"Aw Branch! That's a wonderful idea!" Poppy exclaimed, looking as if she was going to explode with excitement.
"Your… Bunker?" Floyd asked, a look of confusion on his face.
Branch tried to keep the smile on his face as he stiffly rubbed his hands on his pants. He was just about to try and choke something out when Bruce jumped in, saving him the embarrassment.
"Oh, you mean the one you built for us? Well, Poppy's right then! It's perfect! A single place where we can all hang out until Floyd's recovered!"
"Aw, Bitty B…" John Dory said, drawing out the 'B' with a teasing whine as he plastered on the most infuriating face he could.
"Y'know, on second thought–" Branch started irritably, but was cut off as John Dory wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Bunker Bros!" the older troll howled, the other brothers laughing before immediately following suit. Branch quickly slipped out of his brother's grip, grumbling as he brushed off his vest. What had he just gotten himself into?
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Bruce said, one hand on his hip and the other gesturing towards Branch. "Lead the way, bunker boy."
Branch was just about to shoot back a scathing comment when he stiffened. His Bunker… the one filled to the brim with weapons, rations, and other survivalist junk. It was definitely not ready for guests; especially ones who didn't yet know about his…well, his 'gray era.' He quickly regained his composure, concocting a plan so he could sneak away and make his Bunker more 'brother friendly.'
"Actually, I think Poppy was going to give you guys a detailed tour of Pop Village!" He lied, the fake smile making his cheeks hurt.
"I was?" Poppy said, looking at Branch with confusion. It took one look from Branch for her eyes to widen with realization. "Oh, right! I was! Ugh, so silly of me! I can't believe I forgot!"
"And while Poppy does that…" Branch said, shooing his brothers towards the pink troll, "I can go make sure the Bunker is ready for you guys! Y'know, just uh, tidy up a bit."
"Oh, uh, ok!" Floyd said, a soft smile breaking through the confusion on his face. "We'll see you in a bit then."
"Yes, see you!" Branch replied overenthusiastically, waving as his brothers hesitantly followed Poppy as she led them into the heart of the village. As soon as they disappeared, Branch sprinted off in the other direction, making his way down into the Bunker.
The Bunker was not a messy place. Far from it, actually. Despite being carved out of dirt and filled with everything a doomsday preparationist would need, Branch kept it very, very tidy. A place for everything, and everything in its place. It was just troublesome that the rooms he'd originally carved out for his brothers were now filled with said things.
He started with Bruce's room, which had multiple traps and wooden stakes organized meticulously within it. He got to work slowly and carefully moving them into a separate storage room, sticking them anywhere they could fit. It was tedious work, but soon enough the room was empty, save for the bed Branch had built years ago and an old purple comforter of Grandma Rosiepuff's that Branch picked out. Branch wiped his brow tiredly before immediately doing the same with Floyd and Clay's rooms, removing several cases of rations and old machine parts respectively. By the time he got to John Dory's room, he was sweating and covered with dirt. Lucky for him though, John Dory had the easiest room.
It was the largest bedroom in the house, even larger than his own, strangely enough. When Branch had dug it out, for some reason he always thought his oldest brother would need the space. He had never stored anything in here, just a bed and a nightstand, with a picture of Grandma Rosiepuff on it. It had kinda become a thinking room for Branch. Sometimes, his own bedroom would feel much too small, and he'd just need to be somewhere else. So he'd come here, to pace, to write, sometimes just to lie down and think. So really, Branch didn't need to do much with it.
Branch shook out the green comforter on the bed before laying it down gently, smoothing out the wrinkles. He paused for a moment as the picture of Grandma Rosiepuff drew his attention. He considered taking it out of the room, but ultimately decided not to. Besides Branch, John Dory had known her the longest. Maybe he would appreciate it.
Finally satisfied with his brother's rooms, Branch scampered to the entrance of the bunker. He was sure by now Poppy would be running out of distractions, and he didn't want her to be stressed. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the etchings on the wall near the entrance.
Branch cringed a bit as he read through some of his paranoid writing. He should have covered it up months ago, but he'd just never gotten around to it. It wasn't like anyone other than Poppy really visited his bunker. Branch quickly grabbed a tarp, nailing it up over the frantic writing on the wall. It wasn't the prettiest fix, but it was better than his brothers getting a glimpse at what he used to be like. With that, Branch clambered onto the elevator and rode up to the surface, his stomach churning with a mix of anticipation and dread.
He really wasn't sure how he felt about all this. His brothers were back, which was amazing. Of course it was amazing. It was all he ever wanted. Troll Village felt like home, he had friends he cared about, people he loved… Everything seemed so perfect. It was completely terrifying.
Branch pursed his lips as the elevator continued to climb. He felt like he was holding a plate full of stacked glasses. Everything seemed perfect right now, but if he made one wrong move, the slightest mistake, it would all come crashing down around him. He had wanted this so badly, but…
Branch sighed, his shoulders falling slightly. His brothers were going to leave again. He didn't know when, but it would happen. Why should he bother putting the effort in, if it was all going to fall apart again anyway? Branch shook his head, trying to clear his dismal thoughts. This wasn't doing him any good, not right now.
Branch squinted as the hatch to his bunker opened, thrusting him out into the sunlight. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed he was just in time, Poppy leading his disgruntled looking brothers through the hedges by the entrance.
"And here we have Branch's bunker!" she said, her voice slightly strained, and Branch could tell that even she was exhausted from the tedious tour she'd created. However, her face still brightened when she saw Branch, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Boy, was he lucky to have her.
"Heh, thanks Poppy," Bruce said, a forced smile on his face. "That was very… informative."
"Yeah! I liked the part about the… uh…" John Dory furrowed his brow, trailing off as he appeared to struggle to recall a single piece of information he'd learned.
"The TrollsTopia Community Garden!" Floyd jumped in. He seemed to be leaning on John Dory for support, fatigue weighing down his body. "And how it represents an aspect of all the tribes, so interesting!"
"That was my favorite part too!" Clay added, however his eyes shone with genuine excitement. "In fact, I have some ideas–"
"Actually, Clay, I'm sure you guys are exhausted," Poppy cut him off politely. "You guys should go relax! Let Branch show you the bunker! I think I'm going to go catch up with my dad and Viva." Poppy walked over to Branch, giving him a hug. "Have fun with your brothers, Branch," she said, her voice comforting. Branch leaned into her touch, hoping she understood how grateful he was.
Suddenly, she pushed him away, reaching into her hair. She pulled out a basket of fresh fruit and bread. "For your brothers," she said, a hint of a joke on her lips. Branch understood immediately. All he had down in his bunker was canned fruit and nonperishables. He hadn't even thought about regular, non-survivalist food for his brothers. Poppy turned to Branch, winking before taking off into the night, the bright pink of her hair disappearing behind a bush. He was so, so lucky.
"Oh thank goodness," Bruce said, his body slumping forward. "I am so tired."
"Your girlfriend is something else, Bitty B," John Dory joked. "Like I said, keeper."
"Stop," Branch said, rolling his eyes. "Now c'mon, the bunker's down here." His brothers looked at him, then down at the platform he was standing on.
"As in, underground?" John Dory finally asked hesitantly, his face no longer looking excited.
"Uh, yes?" Branch replied, suddenly feeling uncomfortable again. "I mean, where did you think it was?"
"Heh, not underground," Clay said, scratching his head. "I guess I thought it would be like, a mega-pod? Or carved into a tree?"
"It's fine, Branch," Floyd jumped in quickly. "I'm sure it's amazing. C'mon guys, let's go." At Floyd's command, Bruce and Clay shrugged, following Floyd as he slowly made his way over to Branch's platform. As they all clambered on, Branch looked up to see that John Dory was the only one who hadn't moved from his spot. The older troll stood still, an uncharacteristic frown on his face as he stared at the platform.
"John," Bruce called, his voice stern like he was talking to one of his kids. "You coming?"
John Dory looked up, his face unreadable. Branch didn't like that. Then he smiled uncomfortably, reaching over and rubbing his gloved hand nervously. "I uh, don't really like being underground. Too much dirt, y'know?"
Branch felt a flicker of anger spark to life in his chest. They'd all just gotten back together, and now John Dory didn't want to stay with them? All because of a little dirt? The man lived on the Neverglade Trail for trolls sake. There was no way he was put off by the dirt.
"Well, you don't have to stay here," Branch said, trying to keep his voice from betraying the irritation behind it. "I mean, you have Rhonda."
"Well, yes, but…" John Dory mumbled, shifting his weight uncomfortably.
Branch heard Bruce clear his throat behind him. The purple-haired troll gave JD a pointed look before nodding to the space on the platform next to him. JD sighed, his ears drooping for a millisecond before he seemed to leap to life, striding over with an exuberance that hadn't been there before.
"Well geez fellas, if I'd known you were so desperate to hang out with the amazing John Dory, I wouldn't have put up such a fuss," he joked, wrapping an arm around Bruce. When Bruce gave him a slight glare, JD pulled back, holding up his hands defensively as he let out a scoff. "Alright alright, average John Dory. Dang, won't give me a moment, will ya?"
Floyd ignored them, instead nodding at Branch encouragingly. "Ok Branch, show us this Bunker of yours."
Author's Note: Hi again! Just letting y'all know, I wrote this story in advance and have it posted on another site as well, but then I thought why not post it here?! So, I'm going to be updating chapters like crazy for not only this story, but other stories I've written as well. Keep in mind I'll probably be copying and pasting things as they are, which includes the AN, so I'm sorry if the timing and whatnot doesn't make sense. Hope you enjoy regardless!