The Once-ler and You (Once-ler x Reader)

Nothing to Lose but You (Once-ler x Reader)

     You walked through the barren valley, a bag of groceries in your hand and an unnaturally optimistic smile on your face. You made your way to what was left of the former Thneed factory, the odd home that a certain someone called the Lerkim, and knocked on the door, waiting. When no one opened the it, you knocked louder.

     "Once-ler!" you called, "It's Y/N." 

     The door creaked open, but just a bit. Through the small crack in the door, you could see the blue eyes of a broken young man staring at you. 

     "Once-ler, hey, I brought you something," you said, holding up the bag of groceries. "Can I come in?" 

     "What do you want?" the Once-ler asked, his voice quiet. 

     "To come in," you replied, trying your best to keep that friendly smile on your face. "I know you're not taking care of yourself, Once-ler, and I'm worried about you." 

     The Once-ler sighed and opened the door. 

     You almost gasped at the sight of him. The Once-ler looked skinnier than usual and much paler, his eyes lacking the youthful joy that they once had. Underneath his eyes were bags. 

     He left the door open and started to walk away. You tried to shake off what you saw and followed him inside, closing the door behind you. The Once-ler, who was seemingly ignoring your presence, walked over to a couch and fell face down on it, his top hat falling off his head. 

     "Um... I brought you some groceries," you said, shifting uncomfortably. "I can make you something. Can I use your kitchen?" 

     "I'm not hungry," he replied, his words muffled by the couch cushions. 

     "But you have to eat." 

     The Once-ler sat up and peered at you suspiciously. 

     "Why aren't you like everyone else, leaving me alone and all?" he asked. "If you want something, just remember that I don't have anything." 

     "No, I don't want... Well, okay, maybe I do. I want to see you smile again," you replied carefully. "And not a fake smile, a real one. You know, a genuinely happy smile." 

     "I think you're too late for that," he replied, leaning back into the couch and closing his eyes. "But do what you want." 

     "So... Can I use your kitchen?" 

     When the Once-ler remained silent, you just took your bag of groceries and walked to the kitchen. Inside, the sink was overflowing with dishes and the counter was extremely dirty. 

     "Ugh!" you exclaimed. 

     You had the urge to scold the Once-ler, but decided against doing that. He was probably just feeling really down; after all, causing the destruction of an ecosystem and then going bankrupt seemed like a really traumatizing experience. Who had the time to clean a kitchen when there was guilt to be feeling?

     You decided to take matters into your own hands and do a little cleaning before cooking. Maybe a clean house would lighten the mood a bit. 

     After cleaning as much as you could, you made some food and took it to the Once-ler. He opened his eyes as you walked over.

     "Here," you said, holding it out to him. 

     "I'm not hungry." 

     "Once-ler, you have to eat something! You don't want to starve, do you?" 

     The Once-ler looked down, staring at his hands. "What's the point? If I do anything, I'll just mess things up." 

     You set the food down on a small table and walked over, sitting beside him. 

     "Once-ler... I know you're feeling guilty and all, but things won't get better if you keep acting like this," you said. "Will you think of a way to fix things, or will you stay at home pitying yourself? So you made a mistake, big deal. It may have been a big mistake, but that doesn't mean you can't fix it." 

     He looked straight at you, his stare unreadable. 

     "A-anyway, why don't you at least eat something for now? At least try it," you said, standing up and smoothing out the wrinkles on your pants. You made your way over to the small table and picked up the tray that the food rested on and brought it to him. 

     "...Thanks," he said quietly as he took the tray. He tried the food and glanced at you before looking back down. "Really, thank you. At least I didn't lose you, too." 

     Not knowing what else to say, you just uttered a quick, "No problem."

     After a few minutes, you looked at the clock. It was getting late and you decided to head home. You said goodbye to the Once-ler and left, resolving to return that same week.

     -     -     -

     "Once-ler, it's Y/N. Can I come in?" you asked after knocking on the door. Two days had passed since you had last seen the Once-ler. 

     The door opened and the Once-ler stood there, looking slightly better. He didn't appear to be as tired and it seemed as if he had a more hopeful look in his eyes. You smiled as he let you in.

     "Looks like you're taking better care of yourself," you said as he walked to the couch and sat down. 

     "Yeah," he replied, adjusting his hat. "I thought about what you said... You were right. I should have been looking for a solution."

     "Did you find one yet?" 

     "I found this outside," he said, pulling out a seed from his pocket. Your eyes widened and you rushed over as he stood up, showing you the seed. 

     "A seed? But weren't they all gone?" 

     "That's what I thought."

     "So what are you going to do?"

     "...I don't know," Once-ler said, looking down at the seed. "I can't grow it here, and I can't go to Thneedville since they all probably hate me. Besides, what will one tiny seed do?"

     "It's worth a try, Once-ler," you replied, reaching out and taking his free hand. "It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become. It's not just a seed anymore than you're just a man." 

     He looked up, remaining silent for a moment. He then gave your hand a gentle squeeze and rushed to the door. 

     "Wait, where are you going?" you asked, running after him.

     "I'm going to plant this in the middle of town where everyone can see it!" he exclaimed, opening the door. "And if that doesn't work, well... I've got nothing to lose."

     He gazed at you, a smile forming on his lips. 

     "Nothing but you." 

     With that, he leaned down and kissed your forehead before hurrying out the door.