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

I'll be Watching You - Part 1 (Once-ler x Reader)

     The Once-ler sighed, wiping off the remnants of the tomato that had been thrown at his face. He had been so sure that his Thneed would sell that day, but the results were the same. Nobody wanted his invention; all the crowd wanted to do was throw stuff at him. This day in particular had been the worst - a little girl even broke his guitar!

     The Once-ler looked around for the missing piece of his guitar. He spotted it a few feet away and walked over, leaning down to pick it up. At the same time, someone else grabbed it and held it out to him.

     "I believe this is yours, Mr. Once-ler," said the young woman in front of him.

     "Y/N, hey, thanks," the Once-ler said nervously, taking the guitar piece from the hands of the woman. He had met Y/N a few days earlier, but he never really got the chance to have a long conversation with her. Although he didn't know her that well, he had a slight crush on her.

     "You're welcome," Y/N replied, smiling.

     "Hey, can I ask you something? Do you think the Thneed is stupid?" Once-ler asked.

     "Uh... No, no," she said, eyeing the odd scarf around his neck. "It's, um... it has a very unique name. And it's very pink."

     "You do, don't you? Well, let me show you what it can do."

     "No, you don't have to."

     The Once-ler set his broken guitar down and took off his Thneed, holding it up for her to see. He started to make it into various things.

     "It's a sock, it's a glove, it's a shirt. And that's not all!" Once-ler said as he formed different objects with the pinkish material. "The Thneed can be used to wipe up any spill. Whatever you can imagine, the Thneed can do it! ...So what do you think?"

     "Wow, that really is cool," Y/N said.

     "So do you want to buy one?"

     "No."

     The Once-ler looked down at his invention, thinking that perhaps his family had been right. Maybe he really was a failure.

     "But it really is cool," Y/N said. "Maybe tomorrow you can demonstrate the uses of the Thneed. I bet that a lot of people would like one."

     "Hey, that's a good idea," the Once-ler said with a smile. "Thanks."

     "No problem, sir. I should get going now, but I really hope that your invention will sell."

     "Uh, wait!"

     Y/N stopped herself from turning around, asking, "Is there something you need?"

     "Uh... Well..."

     The Once-ler adjusted the fedora on his head and cleared his throat.

     "I, uh, would like to get to know you more," he said nervously. "Do you want to get a coffee or something?"

     Y/N was quiet for a moment.

     "I-I'm sorry," she said. "You seem like a really nice guy, but..."

     Y/N trailed off, wringing her hands.

     "It's fine," the Once-ler said, trying his best to make his smile look genuine. He had desperately wanted her to say yes, but he couldn't force someone to spend time with him. "Have a good day, Y/N."

     He picked up his guitar pieces and they parted ways.

     -      -      -

     The next day, the Once-ler showed off the many uses of a Thneed. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, especially when he shaped it into a hat. When he finished, several people rushed up to him, money in their hands.

     "Mom! Hey, it's me!" he said excitedly into a phone as the crowd lifted him onto their shoulders. "I told you I was gonna be a success. You need to bring the whole family here right now! We're gonna be rich!"

     After the crowd put the Once-ler down, he made his first sale. He counted the money, smiling giddily. When the crowd finally dispersed, he caught sight of a certain young woman watching him. He walked over to her.

     "Y/N! Thanks again for your suggestion!"

     "Hey, I knew you could do it," she said.

     "Well, thanks to you I'm going to be rich! I should repay you somehow. How does dinner sound?"

     "Are you asking me out?" she asked plainly.

     "...Well... maybe..."

     "As I said yesterday, you seem like a really nice guy. But I'm not ready for a relationship."

     "Oh. I see," he said, tightening his grip on the cash slightly. "Thanks again for the advice. I'll see you around."

     "Wait!"

     But the Once-ler didn't hear Y/N call out to him. He continued on his way toward his home, his emotions conflicting with each other. He was beyond happy that his Thneed had become a success, but he just couldn't forget a certain young woman who had rejected him.

     "Y/N... Y/N. I have to respect her rights," he said to himself. "She doesn't hate me, she just doesn't want to be in a relationship. Y/N..."

     Suddenly, a thought came to him. The Once-ler would soon be rich, of this he knew. With enough money, he could bribe her for her time. And if that didn't work, then he could always pay someone to watch over her in order to find out her likes and dislikes.

     Or maybe he could watch her himself. That very idea put a dangerous smile on his face as he walked home.