Branch angst one-shots

Ready? Fight!

Branch woke up to screaming. Again. They were basically his alarm clock with the amount of times he woke up to John Dory yelling at someone. It was always John Dory.

Branch got up and opened his door to see John Dory yelling at Clay as Bruce and Floyd tried to stop them from getting physical. "John Dory, stop! What is this about?" Floyd asked.  "He decided to hold his sad book club in Rhonda and I'm guessing he threw books around in her because she was trashed!"

Branch let a single tear fall from his eye before he quickly wiped it away and walked past the fight, going towards the bathroom. "I didn't do it the others did! Branch, back me up here!" Clay said, turning to Branch. "Yeah, whatever." The four other brothers exchanged a worried look. "You good, Bitty B?" John Dory asked as everyone followed Branch. "Yeah, just peachy. My brothers are fighting again because of something dumb and fixable. I mean, why are you even here?" 

"Bitty, don't be like that" Branch stopped and turned around swiftly,"My name is Branch! I'm not a baby anymore! If you wanted to keep calling me Bitty B, you should have stayed for my childhood! I'm an adult now!" Branch yelled."Branch...I'm sorry- we're sorry. You know we are." JD said, "Yeah, Branch." Clay agreed. "I know. And I'm glad you can finally agree on something, but its pretty hard to forgive you for literally abandoning me!"

Floyd held his heart and let a few tears fall from his eyes. Branch felt butterflies in his stomach. He became anxious. The only brother he wished wouldn't be affected by his words, was. "I'm sorry Branch..." Floyd responded looking in the opposite direction of his brother.

Branch became stiff. "I forgive Floyd." Floyd looked surprised. "What?!" JD said, "I apologized multiple times-" "You only apologized because you're upset you couldn't get away with abandoning your literal baby brother. You're not sorry." "Branch..." Clay said "That was kinda harsh." Branch inhaled harshly and exhaled, walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

Floyd began to knock on the door, "Branch, can you please come out?"
"I'll come out as soon as they stop fighting."
"Branch I promise on their behalf, they'll stop."
"I can hear them whisper yelling now."

The bickering stopped abruptly. "Branch..." JD said "Oh, this'll be good." John Dory sighed and began again, "I'm sorry I abandoned you and...everyone else. I'm sorry I was so demanding of you and the rest of our brothers. I'm not going to try to make excuses but I just want you to know that every time I said sorry, I meant it."

"I'm sorry I didn't support you as much as I should have." Clay said,"Y'know I could have been there, and I'm sorry I wasn't."

"I know I'm not the oldest but it's still my responsibility to stay by your side. I'm sorry I wasn't there." Bruce said

Silence filled the air before Floyd began. He knew he was forgiven but he was still sorry," I'm sorry I walked out on you when you needed me most."

Silence filled the entire bunker once again before sobbing began from the bathroom. The door swung open and Branch pulled them all into a hug, (which nobody denied.) "That's all I've ever wanted to hear, y'know?"