Chapter Text
Branch was slumped over the dining room table, his head resting heavily on his arms as he gazed intently at a large beaker filled with a vibrant blue liquid. Beside him, his father offered comfort by gently rubbing his back, providing a sense of reassurance in the midst of his contemplation. On the other side, his younger surrogate twin brother, Boom, affectionately ran his fingers through Branch's hair, a silent gesture of support. Nearby, Trickee, the youngest of the siblings, leaned on the table with his elbows, his face cradled in his hands. His tail flicked lazily from side to side, reflecting his curiosity as he fixated on the beaker.
In contrast, Ablaze, the eldest of Branch's adoptive brothers, was pacing the room with an air of agitation, his tail thrashing about as he pressed a hand to his forehead in frustration. Not far from Branch, Hype, the second eldest, stood with his arms crossed, deep in thought as he scrutinized the beaker. His tail moved rhythmically, mirroring the intensity of his concentration as he pondered the significance of the blue liquid before them. The atmosphere in the dining room was thick with a mix of concern and curiosity, each brother processing the situation in their own unique way.
"Ok! Ok, so," Ablaze paused his restless pacing, finally breaking the silence that had settled in the room. He approached the table, leaning on it for support while one hand remained pressed against his forehead. "The liquid in the beaker is blue," he stated, his tone a mix of frustration and exasperation.
"Yes, Abby," Hype replied with a weary sigh, shifting his weight to one side as if the conversation was becoming a bit too much for him. "The liquid is indeed blue." His demeanor suggested that he was trying to keep the mood light, but the tension in the air was palpable.
"And, my sweet Blueberry Muffin, explain to me again what blue means, please." Ablaze said. His frustration was becoming harder to mask, even as he attempted to maintain a calm exterior
"This liquid is a special chemical used to determine if a Troll is pregnant by using a drop of their blood. After mixing in Branch's blood, and waiting for a few minutes, the liquid turned blue which means positive. Blue means positive. Branch is in fact pregnant." Hype said carefully, though his voice was tight and strained, as though he was trying to be careful in how he explained the situation.
Ablaze let out a frustrated groan as he straightened up, his hands instinctively running through his hair. It didn't take long for him to release a deep growl of irritation. "Fuuuuuck!" he exclaimed, his tail lashing about with even more intensity than before, reflecting his inner turmoil.
"I'm sorry." Branch, feeling the weight of the moment, mumbled an apology while his gaze remained fixed on the beaker in front of him. He was acutely aware that his actions had contributed to his brother's rising anger, and the guilt settled heavily on his shoulders.
However, Ablaze quickly reassured him, his tone shifting to one of softness and understanding as he looked to his tounger brother. "No, no, Branch," he said gently, "you haven't done anything wrong. It's important to remember that your pregnancy is a beautiful thing, and it doesn't bring any negativity with it." His words were meant to comfort, reminding Branch that this new chapter in their lives was something to embrace rather than fear.
"But you're angry." Branch muttered as he finally looked away from the beaker, looking to his brother as tears began to form in his eyes, his lips beginning to tremble.
"I am, but not at you, Angel," Ablaze said sweetly, moving around the table to stand by his brother, watching as Branch moved his head to follow his movements, "you being pregnant is not the reason I'm angry, alright? Deep down I am excited and thrilled to become an Uncle, just like the others are. But there is a more pressing matter that unfortunately comes with this, and that's what is making me angry. Alright? Not you, or your baby." He finished as he knelt down to be eye level with his, surprisingly very, hormonal brother.
Branch studied Ablaze's face for a moment, searching for any hint of insincerity in his brother's words. Finding none, he nodded in understanding. Ablaze then leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to Branch's forehead, a gesture filled with love and reassurance. After that, he stood up and returned to his previous spot, leaving Branch with a sense of comfort amidst the turmoil.
"Alright, so Angel, can you tell us if you were–"Ablaze cut himself off with a dark growl, prompting Hype to walk over and place a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll ask the questions, sweetie."
"Mm, yeah. Yeah, that'll be for the best." Ablaze as he moved to sit down, resting his head against his hand, allowing his Mate to rub his back.
Branch watched the two of them and couldn't help smile softly. They may be his brothers, but Ablaze and Hype were practically born for each other. Aside from his parents, Ablaze was the first person Hype had met after he hatched. And ever since, the two of them have been inseparable. Hell, one time during their playdates when they were still babies, Hype screamed bloody murder when he learned that Ablaze was too sick to join. He didn't calm down for hours after that.
After Sky Toronto adopted them all officially, minus Boom since he is Sky's biological child, neither Hype or Ablaze ever thought they would have a chance with one another. They were being raised as brothers by law, and thats how they were refering each other as. Hype, though it hurt, was content to call Ablaze his brother, and was even prepared for Ablaze to marry one of the many, many admirers he had throughout the entire village.
Ablaze on the other hand, was completely broken-hearted. He had loved Hype for so long, unable to pin point when his love for the Munsell blue Glitter Troll began. It killed him to see other men and women flirting with Hype, and to see Hype flirt back was even more devastating. It wasn't until they were fifteen that Ablaze was finally able to confess to Hype, and to this day, that story is one of the most humiliating experiences Ablaze has ever experienced, but he's glad that it happened since it got him the man he loved.
Mated at fifteen, and married at eighteen. Branch, Boom, and Trickee would argue that Ablaze and Hype have the perfect love story. Even though it embarrasses the happy couple.
Branch was brought out of his thoughts as Hype turned to look to him.
"Branch, can you tell us if you were conscious during the time this Egg was conceived?" He asked.
Huh? Conscious? Of course he was.
"Yeah, I was."
"Did you eat or drink anything before?"
"Just what we had for dinner that night."
What's going on? Why was Hype asking these kinds of questions?
"Did someone pressure you into it?"
Pressured? What. . .
Oh.
"Guys," Branch sighed as he finally sat up, rubbing the side of his head, "this was completely consensual on both participating sides."
"Oh thank God." Ablaze groaned as he dropped his head onto the table.
Branch watched as Hype immediately relaxed too, as well as Boom and Trickee. And he could practically feel Sky Toronto exhale in relief. And he couldn't blame his family either. Branch was eighteen and unmarked. Normally, he would be the center of attention for those his age who are ready and itching to find a Mate. But despite that, Branch doesn't think he of all Trolls would truly be the object of someone's desire due to his grey appearance. Branch would feel confident that no one would ever to really want to Mate with him. But he isn't confident in that, especially not with the very disturbing rumors going around the village regarding him.
A number of Trolls had boldly declared their intentions to Mate with Branch, but their motivations were far from affectionate. They were drawn to him not out of love or admiration, but rather as a challenge to conquer. The idea of claiming the Village Grey Troll as a Mate and restoring his colors was seen as a formidable feat, one that would elevate their status among their peers. For these Trolls, the prospect of parading Branch around the village as a trophy was an enticing reward, a way to showcase their triumph over what they perceived as an impossible task. This notion left Branch feeling more like a pawn in a game than a valued individual, further deepening his insecurities.
The reactions to this situation were mixed within the community. Some Trolls voiced their disapproval, arguing that such behavior was disrespectful to Branch and undermined his dignity. Others remained indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about the implications of treating him as a mere prize. However, the majority appeared to support the idea, viewing Branch's role in this challenge as fitting for someone they labeled as the "grey freak." This overwhelming sentiment only added to Branch's feelings of isolation, as he grappled with the reality that many saw him not as a person deserving of love and respect, but rather as a trophy to be won in a contest of bravado.
Branch has spent a lot of time and energy avoiding these Trolls. He hated how many men and women were openly flirting with him, handing him gifts such as homemade food. It was unsettling, and Branch hated the attention. Even more so when that attention came from one Troll in particular. He had offered Branch a Muffin made with blackberries, which happened to be his favorite. The Troll was kind enough, and didn't set off any warning bells, so Branch accepted the Muffin and thanked the man before returning to his Bunker. It was there that Branch began to eat the Muffin. He ate the entire thing before something strange began to happen to him. His entire body began to grow heavy, and he was becoming quite disoriented. Before he knew it, Branch ended up passing out on the kitchen floor, hitting his head on the table on his way down.
He was already unconscious when this happened, but apparently that same Troll tried to enter the Bunker not long after Branch had reached home. Trickee had caught the man in the action, and when he told the man that he lived down in the Bunker with Branch, the man quickly told him that the muffin recipe he got from his grandmother was to help someone fall asleep. Apparently there were Dreamland Leaves in the muffin, and without knowing what it would do, he gave it too Branch as a gift and he was desperate to stop Branch before he ate it. Trickee assured him that Branch had eaten the muffin, that he and their other brothers would take care of him. With that, seemingly relieved, the man left.
Trickee rushed down into the Bunker and discovered Branch in the kitchen, fortunately only sporting a minor bump on his head from colliding with the table. Branch remained unconscious for the entire day and night, finally stirring the next morning. He found himself nestled among his adoptive brothers in the Family Nest, which was conveniently linked to the Living Room. Since that incident, Branch has adamantly refused to accept any food or drink from anyone. Although there was no concrete proof that the man had intentionally drugged Branch, the event sparked considerable concern among his brothers, leading Ablaze to implore Branch to avoid accepting anything from those who showed him any 'romantic' interest.
And since that day, that man who gave him the muffin has been trying other ways to woo Branch, and he seemed to know things about Branch that were mostly personal. Not to the point where they would be secrets, but they were things that many people in the village didn't know. Such as how Branch preferred using lavender soap for his clothes, or that he knew how to sew and would personally patch his vest if it got a tear. Branch never kept these facts about himself secret, but for someone to know without him or his family telling them. . .
For some reason, it felt a bit unsettling.
"Alright, we can rule out the possibility of you being... forced by someone." Ablaze sighed as he sat up again, pausing to avoiding saying a certain word.
"But that still doesn't explain how it happened. I mean, last I knew, you didn't have any romantic partner or even showed any romantic interest to anyone, Angel." Trickee said as he looked to his older brother in confusion.
"Tri is right, Branch. You would have told us if there was someone. So, can you please explain to us how this happened?" Hype said as he took a seat next to his Mate.
Branch shrunk in his seat a bit, feeling his face heat up as he stared down at his hands. He never planned on telling his family about that night, because he felt horrible about it. He was drunk, and Branch shouldn't have allowed him to kiss him. He was babbling nonsense and yet Branch accepted the kiss, which lead to the sex which apparently lead to him getting pregnant. It was his fault, he should've said no to the kiss and left. To Branch, he felt like he took advantage of the situation, of him.
"Angel?"
Branch looked up from his hand to look at Ablaze, who was staring at him in both confusion and concern. With a slight wince, Branch took a deep breath before letting it out. There was no way his older brother was going to let it drop, even if he agreed to pausing the conversation for now, he'll keep bringing it up until Branch finally reveals what happened.
"It's was three months ago. There was some sort of stupid party going on, and you guys had already gone to bed. I went out to gather some Illuminated Mushrooms for breakfast the next morning. I was almost at the patch where they grow when he found me. He practically latched himself onto me, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He, he kept spilling out nonsense and I know he didn't mean any of it—"
"Any of what, Angel?" Hype asked gently.
"He...he kept saying how he loved me, how he kept flirting with me but I never seemed to notice. Like I said, he was drunk so I know he didn't mean any of it."
"Uh huh..." Ablaze said, his voice trailing off slightly.
"Go on, Angel." Hype said.
"Anyways, I didn't want to leave him alone out in the woods like that, so I took him back to his Pod. I was going to just leave after that but...but he begged me to let him kiss me. I-I don't know why I agreed to i-it but I did," Branch continued, tears resurfacing and streaming down his face, "i-it just escalated from there, I-I didn't mean t-to take advantage of the s-situation!"
Branch was suddenly brought into his father's arms, whom he immediately clung to as he cried into Sky's shoulder, becoming a sobbing mess once again. It wasn't long until he felt the others join in, feeling two head against his back and two hand running through his hair. He could faintly hear his family softly whisper to him, but he couldn't really make out what they were saying as he sobbed. He knows they were saying something along the lines of 'it will be alright' and 'you didn't do anything wrong'. But he knows that he did. He allowed someone who was heavily influenced by alcohol kiss him, which lead to them sleeping together. Branch was the one who was in his right state of mind, yet he allowed him to bed him and impregnated him. How could it not be his fault?
***
Ablaze gently ran his fingers through Branch's hair, mirroring the comforting gesture of Hype, as they, along with their brothers, gathered around their father to support their distressed sibling. He softly reassured Branch, emphasizing that the situation was not his fault and that he had not exploited anyone's feelings. Ablaze reiterated that allowing someone to kiss him and ending up in bed together was not an act of manipulation, as there was no malicious intent behind it. Yet, deep down, he understood that convincing Branch of this truth would be a challenge; they all knew how stubborn he could be.
The only way to truly ease Branch's mind would be for the man he had been with to affirm that no wrongdoing had occurred. However, there was a looming concern that this mystery man might feel differently, potentially believing that Branch had taken advantage of him. If that were the case, Ablaze's protective instincts would kick in, and he would be prepared to take drastic measures to ensure his brother's safety, even if it meant resorting to violence. The thought of having to deal with such a situation weighed heavily on his mind, but for now, his focus remained on comforting Branch.
What truly mattered at this moment, aside from providing solace to Branch, was devising a plan to shield him from those who sought to exploit his vulnerability. With Branch now pregnant and the man he had been with left Branch Unmarked, it was clear that the predatory individuals who viewed Branch as a prize would only become more relentless. Ablaze felt a surge of determination to protect his brother from these opportunists, knowing that their desperation could lead to dangerous encounters. He was resolute in his commitment to keep Branch safe, no matter the cost.