Chapter Text
If there was one thing that Tree hated, it was turning a blind eye.
And it was something he was guilty of for so long.
He promised himself and her that he’d protect her, he’d be her number one defender, he’d be her shoulder to cry on. He’d be the best big brother that Leafy could ever depend on.
But he turned a blind eye simply because she said she was fine. He always believed her, but only because she was so darn believable. He learned over the years when to tell which smiles were real and which ones were fake…but one day she just got too good at pretending.
Tree unfortunately pretended to not notice the scars on her arms when they reunited during IDFB. She only gave him vague information of what happened during BFDI and BFDIA, some events coinciding with what he was able to see from where he was trapped in the TCL so it seemed believable. He gave her the benefit of the doubt because he’s never known her to lie, she was always honest with him.
She always gave him the biggest hugs and he cherished each one, but over time they started to become more…mundane. He would get side-hugs or just a few seconds of a normal hug before she rushed off somewhere. She always hugged him whenever no one was watching too, as if afraid someone might see her.
Every time he asked her about the hugs, she would just laugh it off and say she was just “getting older”, that the bear hugs she used to give were childish. He knew she was lying and it hurt knowing that she was, but he let it pass. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
Over time between the end of IDFB and the start of BFB, Leafy just stopped reaching out to him entirely. He didn’t know why and that scared him. He wanted to pull her aside and wrap her in her favorite blanket from when she was a kid, he wanted to go help her pick flowers so she could make flower crowns again, he wanted to make her favorite terrible lemonade that she claimed tasted awful but she always drank it with a laugh because it was something he made for her, he wanted to read her random stories to help her fall asleep and then tuck her into bed. He missed doing so much with her, but he simply assumed she wanted her own space and let her drift away.
So when the day that Two came crashing down and the fight between the hosts started, Tree stared in uncertainty and fear as he realized Leafy wasn’t joining him with the others to go to TPOT. He was about to step over to her when Two suddenly zapped her to a different location and the terror of her being gone immediately settled in. During their time apart in BFB, Tree was filled in on what happened in BFDI and suffice to say that he had a score to settle with over half the contestants, but he feared letting Leafy out of his sight more. He nearly lost her once and the idea of losing her again absolutely terrifies him. He felt his breathing become uneven and his thoughts begin to spiral before he felt the comforting presence of Fanny leaning against him.
He wanted to crumple and sob, it wasn’t even a full minute and he already missed her. He doesn’t know how he’ll get through this show without her.
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Simply waiting around for months for Two to start TPOT felt like agony to Tree. Each day that turned into weeks and into months without a word from Leafy left Tree worried. He knows that the other PACT members probably viewed him as nothing more than an overprotective brother, but he was ok with that.
He groaned to himself again, huffing as he dragged a charred stick in the dirt. He felt the wind blow through his leaves, pouting before he winced. Something was caught in his branches. Reaching up and digging around, Tree felt something tangled in between his twigs and pulled it free. He examined it, realizing it was a white envelope with his name written on the back.
It was Leafy’s handwriting.
He wasn’t sure how she managed to shove it in his leaves without him noticing, but he assumed it was most likely when everyone was trying to pull Spongy out of Four’s ear.
There were small tears and bends on the envelope, but it looked relatively unharmed. He’s surprised it survived for so long without suffering any damage. Without wasting another second, Tree opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.
‘Hi Tree.
I uh…Oh man, this was a lot harder than I expected. Everyone else’s was so much easier to write. But I should probably start with what I need to say.
I’m sorry. For being a terrible sister and for what I’m about to do.
I contemplated on even writing this letter but decided to do it because I didn’t want to leave you in the dark, you don’t deserve that. I didn’t want someone else to tell you.
Please, don’t blame yourself for anything, ok? You have been and will always be an awesome and wonderful big brother and I’m so, so, SO grateful to have you as mine. You’ve done so much for me since we were kids and I’m so sorry that you got stuck with someone like me as your little sister. You deserve so much more than what you’re worth, I’ve always known that and you should know that too.
I love you so much, Tree. You’ve always been one of my favorite people in the world, I’ve seen how much you shine on your own and I kept wondering how I got such a cool guy as my brother. I realized I’ve been dragging you down since we met back up in IDFB, I’m sorry if I came across as mean if I didn’t talk to you much during then. I’m sorry for not hugging you as much, or making your cocoa just the way you like it, or asking you about the stars even though I have them memorized because I loved hearing you talk. I’m sorry for…not being there with you.
I’m sorry for everything. I hope you can forgive me. I love you so very much and I’ve regretted it every day for not saying it as often as I should’ve.
You’ve gotten so many wonderful friends, please don’t push them away. Don’t make the same mistake as me.
I hope you win this season, you deserve it.
-Your lil lemon’
Several objects jumped in shock and disgust as Tree promptly hunched over and vomited on the ground. After expelling what was left in his system on the ashy ground, he dry heaved as several objects ran to his aid. He sobbed as his throat throbbed in pain, his knees giving out and collapsing onto the ground, someone helping to make sure he didn’t fall into his puddle of stomach acid. He heaved as he choked on his cries, holding the letter close to his chest.
Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, one minute he was bored and then the next he’s an inconsolable mess. It didn’t really make sense to anyone. They tried to comfort and soothe him, but they didn’t know what spurred this sudden mood shift.
Tree tried to gather himself as he stood up, wobbling as he did, wiping his face with his arm. He screamed out into the air, hoping it was heard.
“ TWO! GET DOWN HERE! ” He bellowed out, waiting anxiously for the Algebralien to pop up. Surely enough, in about a minute, they popped in.
Two looked over at their contestants with a nervous but giddy grin before covering their nose the moment they smelled dried vomit. “O-Oh, hello. Who called for me?” They asked, anxious.
“I did.” Tree seethed, the letter clenched in his fist as he stomped over to them.
“Is…something wrong–” Two asked before Tree got into their face.
“You better believe something’s wrong! Wherever you sent Four’s group, I want you to send me over there. Now !” Tree demanded, the look on his face begging anyone to question him.
Two opened their mouth, a slightly annoyed expression on their face at being told what to do, but Tree grabbed them by the front and pulled them down to eye level.
“My sister is planning on killing herself and if your sorry excuse for an alien species doesn’t teleport me over there in the next minute, I WILL make you regret being brought into existence.” Tree sneered, his hand clenching down on their throat. “Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal.” Two wheezed out before Tree released his grip. Two cleared their throat before they raised their hand, instantly teleporting the two over to the Pillary Ruins.
The moment they arrived in the new location, Tree instantly took off. He ran across the land, hoping to find anyone he recognized or potentially just see Leafy walking about. He kept running around for what felt like hours before he spotted Bubble and Ruby in the distance. He ran over to the two, clearly out of breath as he hunched over, gasping for air.
The two were shocked to see Tree; Bubble about to ask why he was here and if he was ok before he cut her off. “Where’s Leafy?!” He gasped out, feeling like his legs were about to give out.
Bubble flinched back in surprise while Ruby raised an eyebrow. “She’s over in the Have Cots cabin, do you need help or something?” Tree shook his head. “Just…directions.” He wheezed out. He looked in the direction the two girls pointed before giving them a thumbs up and running.
Tree’s lungs felt like they were on fire but he didn’t care. He’d rather this be a false alarm than anything else. He’d rather walk into fire than face what Leafy suggested what she planned on doing. He couldn’t lose her, she was all he had left.
He kept running before he found the building he hoped was right, kicking open the front door with probably way too much force but he didn’t care at this point. He ran inside, checking the first door he found. Empty.
Next room. Empty.
Next room. Empty.
Next room. Empty.
Next room.
Tree barged in and wrangled Firey away from the bathtub, confused on why the flame was going to extinguish himself. But as of right now, Firey was suspect number one to him. He always had a bone to pick with him the moment he found out what happened between him and Leafy.
He threw him against the wall. “ I don’t know what I walked into, but what I do know is that YOU have something to do with my sister doing something stupid. So SPILL.” He spat, the letter in his hand crunched up. He anticipated for the flame to spill that he was the one that drove Leafy over the edge so he could finally tell her ‘I told you so’, but he kept that thought to himself.
Firey avoided his eyes, looking at a corner of the room before he gasped and clenched his eyes shut.
Confused, Tree looked over where his gaze wandered at–
No.
No. No. No, she didn’t. She couldn’t have. She wouldn’t.
The smell of burnt leaves told him otherwise and Tree forced down his vomit. Not now.
With tears in his eyes, he stared at the pile of ashes. He refused to believe this was her, that she did this to herself.
“Did…did you do this?” She couldn’t have done it, it had to have been him. Ever since he was on BFB, he saw him coldly ignore her and pretend she wasn’t even there. He had to have hated her, it was the only thing that made sense.
Instead all he heard of Firey’s pitiful sobs and the realization that this WAS her.
Tree sniffled as he felt the tears start to fall, his cries turning into weak sobs before he let out a deafening scream.
He shouldn’t have ignored her.
Some big brother he turned out to be.