Just read Weirdos on Ao3, how did you come up with the idea of Branch and Cooper being friends? It's amazing and I love it so much, and I didn't know I needed it until now.
AH thank you so much!! I really appreciate it!!
The second Trolls movie has always been my favorite, largely bc of Cooper's whole subplot. As someone who grew up undiagnosed autistic and always struggled with feeling weird or wrong, I have SUCH a soft spot for characters who feel out of place or weird even if they never really mention it. The way Cooper IMMEDIATELY perked up upon hearing about 'different Trolls' and struck out through crazy danger on the off sense of finding them because he was so desperate to feel like he wasn't alone just SSJSSLSDJFLSSJLSARR I love him so much.
I rewatched the first movie recently and realized how much Cooper was taking part in teasing Branch at the beginning. I just thought it would be interesting to see how his own feelings of being different corresponded to him taking part in the teasing and how he would feel about it afterwards and maybe wanting to make up for it. And, I wondered how Branch would respond to that as someone who hadn't had friends for most of his life. Him suddenly getting an apology from someone who had taken part in ostracizing him would probably be a new experience.
So, short answer, I wanted Cooper to apologize for not making an effort to understand Branch when he's struggled to be understood his whole life, and Branch to respond with sympathy and reaching out with that understanding now that the door was opened.
From there it spiraled to 'They're actually best friends' so lmao
Thanks so much for the ask and the encouragement!!! I'm so glad you liked the story!!