"Friends or Lovers: A Reader X Onceler Fanfic"

Wet Bed

As you made your way back down to your house, you heard a sound. It sounded like grunting. You stopped where you were. From around a corner appeared a figure that appeared to be pulling something long and stumpy. You couldn't make it out. It wasn't until it went further that you recognized the figure as the Onceler, only he wasn't in his attire from earlier. He wasn't wearing his fedora and was in silk clothing.
"What's he doing out here?", you thought to yourself.
You saw that he was struggling and being the caring person you were, you made your way over to help. As you did, your heart began to become rapid. You made your way over and called out softly.
"Hello again, Onceler!", you said.
He stopped to look up and over to see you.
"Oh, hey again!", he said with a smile. "What are you doing out this late?"
"I feel like I should be asking you that question, since you're the one dragging a.....bed", you teased, wondering to yourself why the hell he had a bed outside.
He chuckled.
"Well, that's a bit of a long story", he started. "I was merely sleep waking."
"Sleep waking?"
"Well kind of."
You looked over to his bed that was soaked in water.
"That must've been an intense dream then", you joked.
The Onceler smiled shyly.
"Yeah."
He was wearing blue pajamas with yellow bunny prints. His hair was soaked and stuck to his face at certain parts. You thought he looked unintentionally....cute. "Well, I'm going to get this here bed back where it came from."
The Onceler began to lift the bed but was having difficulty.
"Actually, I came over to help you out", you started.
The Onceler stopped and looked to you.
"You just seemed like you were struggling a bit."
He glanced forward and smiled.
"Well if you think you can handle it-"
You grabbed the backside of the bed and had it hovering above the ground.
"I'm sure I can manage", you said.
The Onceler was surprised by your strength, which made you giggle. "Shall we?"
The Onceler nodded.
"Let's get going."
You two traveled silently. You could hear the sound of frogs and crickets croaking and chirping as the grass brushed under both of your two's feet. You felt a bit bad for the Onceler since he didn't have any footwear. He then broke the silence.
"I'm sure this isn't what you had in mind on your vacation", he joked. You smiled.
"It's fine really! I always look forward to anything that deviates from the norm. I found excitement in the unexpected."
The Onceler chuckled.
"You seem like someone I could probably get used to."
You smiled at this statement.
You reached the Onceler's place of residence. It was a small house much like yours. There was a small second story to it, but it wasn't much. It seemed more like a deck.
"He really is a lot like me", you thought.
Melvin was outside as you two approached. You both set the bed down. The Onceler looked over to him.
"Thanks for the help", he teased to Melvin, who just went back to where he was. The Onceler looked over to you.
"Now to get this back in my house."
You observed the doorway and how narrow it was.
"Maybe if we turn it sideways then walk in", you suggested.
Together, you two managed to get the bed back inside and to its proper place.
"There we go!", you said.
The Onceler stepped back to ensure it was placed right.
"Looks good to me!", he said before turning over to you. "Thanks for your help."
You smiled.
"Of course! I always try to help others out when I can."
He sat on the edge of his bed, which still had a bit of water still in. He got up and investigated it. You looked over to a chair in the room that had a pink soft looking item on it.
"What is that?", you asked, curious.
He turned over to you.
"Oh, that's my new invention. I call it, a 'Thneed."
"A Th...nead? A.....a Thneed?"
The Onceler chuckled, walking over to it and picked it up, showcasing it to you.
"Yeah, a Thneed. It's a multi-usage cloth that can be used for anything from cleaning to clothing for all your everyday needs!", he finished sounding like a cars salesman.
You chuckled.
"I see. So, this is what you're gonna be investing in?"
"Yep. I'm hoping it changes the world for the best."
His voice. His mannerisms. You could tell this meant a lot to him—a passion of his.
"Well, I..I hope it works out for you", you kindly said.
The Onceler smiled so cutely it almost made you blush.
"Thanks. I...I really appreciate that."
You chuckled, trying to hide your awkwardness from his pure cuteness.
"No problem."
It became apparent that he was still soaked in water.
"Um, do you want a towel or something?", you asked as kindly as you could. "Just don't want you slipping in a puddle of water."
The Onceler realized it too and chuckled.
"Yeah, let me go...do that."
He went off into his bathroom to dry off. You looked back over to the Thneed on the chair.
"He's passionate. Like me", you thought to yourself.
You made your way to the bathroom where the Onceler was still at.
"Do you want extra covers?", you offered. "Since, well, your bed is soaked."
The Onceler looked over his shoulder to you. His hair getting under way.
"I should be ok. Trust me. I've had to sleep in my stagecoach a few times when it was much colder out. Thanks for the offer though."
You nodded.
"I don't think I want to know how that happened", you teased.
The Onceler chuckled.
"Say y/n, you can go on ahead and go home to get some rest. You don't have to wait up with me. I know I'm gonna need all the rest I can get." You glanced to the ground.
"Yeah I probably should. Just make sure you don't go sleep waking again..."
The Onceler chuckled.
"I won't. Good night, y/n."
"Good night to you too."
You closed the front door behind yourself. You looked over to Melvin who appeared to be resting.
"Good night, Melvin", you said sweetly and quietly as to not wake him up.
You made your way back over to your house with the sound of the frogs and gently breeze. You got changed into your pj's of which was a grey two-piece set with chicken prints. You got under your covers and went to rest. However, you were having difficulty doing so. You were genuinely tired, but your mind didn't seem like going asleep yet. That isn't to say it was uncommon for you to toss and turn at night, even if you didn't do anything all day. You could feel your heart beating in your ears. You glance outside to the moon to calm your nerves. Your gaze met the Onceler's house, that you noticed only now was just across from you, at only about a mile away. His lights had been turned off, presumably he had gone asleep. You left the window and laid back down. Your heart rate had climbed again. Your body felt warm. You then came to a terrifying revelation—you had a crush on the Onceler.