Glad you came (The Onceler x Reader)

Chapter 9: Calm before the storm

Hey guys this fanfic has been haunting the back of my head for the last two years so I am going to finally continue it.

"You can stay.."

That sentence. It made me smile. Sitting there with pancakes and some coffee, was a like festivity right now. Just enjoying each other's company and celebrating beeing alive (which was something worth celebrating thanks to yesterday).
We talked a lot about little nothings. For example how, despite Once beeing a travelling inventor, he was only one year older than me. We bonded over Mom issues and how we thought the Lorax was a bit annoying. It brought bright and genuine smiles to our faces and little sparks in our nightsky-blue and (e/c) eyes. It made Once look absolutely stunning.
After what felt like only minutes and hours at the same time, Once even brought out his guitar.
„Oh du you play?" I asked
„In Fact I do! Here let me demonstrate!" he piped up and damn it, I could not help but think about how cute he looked when he was passionate about something.
The first notes simply flew through the air as his slender hand tugged at the strings:
„The sun goes up.
The stars come out.
And all it counts is here and now.
My universe has never been the same.
I'm glad you came..."
Geez, I must have blushed like 80 shades of red. Come on (Y/n) pull yourself together! It's just a song sang to you by your friend! It does not have to mean anything!!!
But it did.
It meant so much to me.

After he finished I clapped loudly.
"That was wonderful Once!!!"
He blushed a bit in embarrassment in return, looking absolutely stunning.
"Aww shucks. Thank you (y/n)" Rapidly, his face changed from embarrassment to delight as he seemed to have an idea.
"Actually...I wanted to show you something! The product that's going to revolutionise the market, the trend of tomorrow.." Once was grinning from ear to ear now, gesturing wildly as if to build up tension and then pulled out a pink...something from behind his back. "THE THNEED!"
He dangled the thing infront of my bemused eyes. It looked like a sock and a scarf had a baby. Absolutely ridiculous.
"So that's the thing you needed the tufts for." I ran my fingers through it. At least it was soft.
"Yeah and I want you to have it. You helped me so much..."
I looked at him with big eyes. Whatever this really was, he seemed to put so much love in them... and he wanted me, (Y/n), to have it. A light blush coated my cheeks.
"Now that is hardly a smart business practice, Once." I smiled sheepishly at him, rummaging through my wallet for
Money. "How much were you hoping to sell them for?"
"No. It's fine (Y/n), you helped getting the tufts anyway..and if you wear it it would be good marketing!"
"No! I insist! Let me pay for it!"
We argued for a while until I just shoved 30 dollars in his face, grabbing the thneed in the same motion and making a run for it.

Sadly, the other inhabitants of Greensvillw weren't auch big fans of giving away their money. Not that i did not wear the thneed proudly, but It was already the eighth day of Once going into town and trying to sell the thing and not one person buying it. I often tagged along with him,but alas I did have a life outside of Once. On days such as today, I already found him in the forest dejectively playing cards with the animals and sulking. I just tried to clean up the mess as much as possible and cheer him up. With a begrudjing help of the Lorax, of course. Oh well at least I was in a good mood. That was a starter.
"Hey Once. How was today?" I chirped as I took as seat beside him and he dealt me in.
"Well a woman looked at the thneed for  34 seconds today..." He pouted.
"You counted them?"
"I was very exited."
"See? That's progress!" A slender (s/c)) hand rubbed comforting circles in his tense back. Once made a weird noise,  half grunt, half whine.
"You're almost there, I am sure of it."
"You always say that (Y/n)" he eyed the thneed on my neck, "but by this rate I think only a wonder can save me."
"Oh come on. Wonders happen. For example, I was asked out by a guy today!" I grinned. In my book, this was really a wonder. Of course, I would have rather hope another certain man would have done that....but I could not always wait for him, especially if he only saw me as a friend.
This theory confirmed itself again as Once beamed upon hearing the news.
"Wow! (Y/n) that's great! Though I am not surprised...You do seem like a Person every guy would kill to be around! How is he? Where are you going?"
It's almost as if he was more hyped for the date than I was.

Lexis and I had agreed to go to the amusement park. The park was a bit out of town, but nothing one could not walk afoot. We would each pay for our own ticket and take it slowly from there. Just two single people trying to have fun and getting to know each other a bit. Testing compatibility and what not.
On the day of the date, I was early for once. I had even had the time to check up on Once who was selling Thneeds in Mainstreet. He told me I was looking great and to go "get them tiger". I am
Guessing that he choked up my heavy gulp to excitement.
I was also dressed up a bit more, for once. I was wearing a beige shoulderless top and some poofy pastel (f/c) shorts, since Lexis' style tended to be a bit more extra. Oh and of course, my pink thneed. It was fun to match.
The date went extremely well. Lexis and me went really well together, as he was air headed and seemed to radiate cheerfulness, while I kept this little balloon-boy from flying away with my sarcasm.
He was currently giggling and making the cutest sound as he told me a story he liked as a kid, when we were faced with the strangest display. It nearly made me drop the cotton-candy Lex had got me. Infront of us was the town how we left it, but basically everybody was having a fluffy, pastel-coloured thneed dangling around them in some fashion.
It looked utterly ridiculous.
"Hey isn't that the thing you always wear, (Y/n)?"
Well that's a completely different case.
For the first time, his grey eyes seemed to have a certain sense of hostility in them, as he looked at my thneed.
"They aren't really my style..."
The look quickly vanished as he smiled at me almost proudly. "Just shows you are a real trend-setter huh?"
I smirked at him and booped his nose.
"Or a wonder just happned."

After this I was rather quick to get away to the Truffula forest. I had to congrats Once after all! This was the break he had hoped for!!
But when I got to the Forest there was barely any grass that wasn't covered by footprints. It looked like millions of people had stamped onto the lawn and run around aimlessly. A few critters I found staring at me with a traumatised look in their eyes. And were those car imprints on the grass?!
I ran to what I recognized as the tall, lean figure of Once.
"WHAT THE EVERLOVING FRICK HAPPNED HERE?!"
Let's just say I was beyond mad.