Two Sides Of The Same Coin- Once-Ler X Reader

Two Sides Of The Same Coin- Once-Ler X Reader Chapter Two

The Once-Ler's Outburst

As it turned out, three days later it was still pelting down rain. (Name) was perched on the table, watching Once-Ler make pancakes. "Pretty please?" She pleaded.

He shook his head firmly. "Wait until I finish the batch, it'll only take a few minutes." He insisted.

She sighed dramatically. "Puh-leeeaaase? Just oooone, Oncie?" She batted her eyelashes.

He rolled his eyes. "Ok, ok. But JUST ONE." He conceded.

She cheered and wrapped her arms around the man's slim frame. "Thank you, Oncie!"

Once-Ler laughed and gently pushed her away. "Not while I'm cooking." He chided good-naturedly.

"Sorry." (Name) chuckled.

There was a knock on the door. "Oh, great." Once-Ler rolled his eyes.

(Name) walked over to the door and pulled it open, looking around. "Hello?" There was nobody to be seen.

"Hey, toots, down here!" A gruff voice said.

She glanced down and stepped back in surprise to see a small orange furry thing with a bright yellow moustache march past her into the cottent. "Hey, I didn't say you could come in!" She protested, turning around.

The furry thing ignored her. "So, Beanpole, you still sellin' them Thneedy things?" He asked, pilfering a pancake from the plate next to the stove.

Once-Ler pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I am, you fuzzy menace. Couldn't you at least say hello to (Name)?"

It looked up, almost as if it had forgotten her existence. "Oh, yeah. Hi. I'm the Lorax. I speak for the trees. That is, when this lunkhead isn't choppin' 'em down." He jerked a thumb at Once-Ler.

"Hey, hey!" Once-Ler protested. "I've only cut down one!"

"Anyways," the Lorax powered on, "What's your name?"

She introduced herself. "Um... so, why did you cut down that poor tree, exactly?" She looked over the Lorax's head at Once-Ler.

"I need the tufts!" He said excitedly. "See, I can use the tufts to make Thneeds! They can be anything!" He started chattering about all the things a Thneed could do, including pulling off what she though was a scarf and pulling it out into all sorts of odd shapes and demonstrating.

She slowly nodded her head. "Ooookay..."

He shrugged. "It makes sense to me, alright?"

The Lorax snorted. "What makes sense to you is money!" He rolled his eyes.

(Name) looked at him. "Hey, be ni-"

She didn't get to finish. Once-Ler glared at the Lorax. "I care about a lot more than money." He growled, jabbing a finger at his small, fluffy chest. "So don't you ever insinuate something like that, or I'll-"

(Name) jumped in front of the the Lorax protectively. "Oncie, quit it!" She yelled.

He sneered at her, and as she watched his face for that split second, something was very much wrong, but she could not place her finger on it. It wasn't just his expression, either, but something about his actual facial features. "Get out of the way, (Name)!" He shoved her roughly to the side.

She yelped as she banged against the table, crashing to the ground and nursing her arm, which was at a slightly odd angle. She glared up at Once-Ler, feeling rather betrayed and hurt. "How could you do that? To me OR the Lorax?!" She yelled, scrambling to her feet.

He glanced at her again, and something in the back of her mind noted that whatever had been wrong with him before had been righted. His face fell. "(N-name), I-"

"Leave me alone!" She said hotly. "I didn't even like it here that much anyways!" She knew she was lying through her teeth, but it wasn't like he was aware of that, now, was he?

"Your arm looks really bad, would you just let me-" he tried to reach for her, but she jerked away like she'd been burnt.

"Don't touch me!" (Name) said, backing away, looking slightly scared. With that, she turned and threw open the door, running out into the rain and disappearing into the trees.

Once-Ler looked helplessly at the Lorax. "I-I didn't mean to..." He trailed off pathetically.

The Lorax looked at him evenly. "Well, what are you waitin' for? Just gonna let an injured girl run out in the middle of an unfamiliar forest while it's pourin' rain?"

Once-Ler shook his head. "Ok. Uh... watch the house, will you? Just... don't... touch anything."

The Lorax rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just go find (Name) before she gets completely lost, alright?"

Once-Ler nodded and grabbed two jackets before diving out the door, pulling one over himself and trying to keep the other one dry, hidden underneath his as he ran out into the rain to find her.