Greed-ler sat back and watched as the Once-ler started throwing all of his belongings into his suitcase.
The Once-ler tossed his vests, pants, fedoras, and those stupid bunny pajamas into the suitcase and slammed it shut.
"I'm sick of this!"
He screamed at Greed-ler, his eyes watering and his lip quivering.
Greed-ler puffed on his cigar, slightly gripping the arms of the chair with bony fingers.
"Sick of what?"
Once-ler, in a fit of rage, threw the suitcase to the floor and absolutely blew his top.
"Sick of what? Sick of the abuse! I hate waking up in the morning only to be told every single day that my pajamas are stupid. Y'know, my mom made me these for me. 'The fabric's worn and worthless, fruitcake.' You say. 'Get them out of here.' What if I don't want to? Oh, that's right, it doesn't matter because everything revolves around Greed-ler!"
"After everything I've done for you!"
Greed-ler shrieked, bearing his sharp teeth as he hit the dead ashes off the end of his cigar.
He gripped the chair's arm more tightly now, piercing the fabric.
"Really?"
Once-ler scoffed.
"Give me a really good example."
Greed-ler felt his own heartbeat in his head.
"Besides that you feed me and let me live with you."
Greed-ler stared.
"I helped you when you were sick."
"You helped me when I was sick?!
No you didn't, all you did was work on that stupid old paperwork! That's all you ever do!"
"I'm biggering this company so that you can have nice things, Oncie! Anything you want, you get!"
He grew silent, grinding his teeth.
Once-ler stared.
"Then what's your view on the abuse, hmm?
Why can't you ever be nice to me?"
"My employees will think I'm softening up and they'll boss me around."
"I've never done wrong to you, but when an employee screws up you just fire them, you don't hit them like you do me! You know, I seriously think you take your anger out on me."
"It doesn't mean I don't care about you!"
Greed-ler ripped the cigar from his mouth and put it out in his hand.
"That's not what this is about! Why are you always hitting me?! I have to explain to the employees and my own mother that I've fallen or something, when in all actuality you hit me! You hit me, or…or you bite me! Or you decided to stick a burning fire-poker on my back, or something!"
Once-ler shook his head then bent over and picked up the suitcase.
"I'm leaving."
Greed-ler became worried now.
He jumped right out of his chair and fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Once-ler's waist.
"You can't leave, you're part of me! I need you here! I'm sorry for everything I did…"
Once-ler shoved Greed-ler off of him.
"Sometimes sorry isn't enough."
He walked out of the bedroom, down the halls.
He passed the too big to fail picture of Greed-ler, realizing something.
He'd failed this time.
Too big to fail wasn't true anymore.
And with all his spite, he opened the front door to the factory and walked down the stairs.
Greed-ler ran after him so fast it blew the papers off the secretary's desk.
He watched as Once-ler was walking through the smog, coughing and hacking, barely able to walk.
Greed-ler ran outside, feeling his lungs clench from the pollution.
He kept running after Once-ler, and he watched as Once-ler took a few more steps then hit the ground.
Greed-ler was only a few steps away by now, but he too fell.
He started to taste tin in his mouth, feeling warm trickles run from his nose and mouth.
Get to Oncie.
Greed-ler crawled across the ground, coughing and wheezing as he made his way to Once-ler.
Once-ler was laying there, blood all over his white shirt and that dumb vest.
I was creating a puddle on the ground, and he was in the same state as Greed-ler.
Greed-ler crawled up close to him, snuggling against him.
"I'm so sorry Oncie."
Once-ler could barely make out his words through coughing.
"It's okay. I love you."
Greed-ler nuzzled against him.
"I love you too."
Neither of them could get off the ground, for they were too weak.
"Greed-ler?"
"Yes Oncie?"
"I'm sorry for everything I said.
I love you so much."
Greed-ler felt little droplets of water hit his arm, but only a few.
"Hey, Oncie,"
Greed-ler's words were interrupted by his and Oncie's coughing.
"Don't cry."
He kissed him, running his fingers through Oncie's hair.
He felt Oncie go weak.
Greed-ler looked at him, and Oncie was smiling.
"Thank you for everything."
"Why are you thanking me?! I should be apolo-"
Oncie fell limp.
Greed-ler's eyes grew huge, and he felt his pupils dilate.
"Oncie?"
Greed-ler asked, tears welling in his eyes.
"ONCIE?!
ONCIE ANSWER ME!"
Oncie was lying there smiling, the blood stream from his nose and mouth starting to dry.
His eyes were cloudy and his skin was ice cold.
Greed-ler grabbed Oncie's vest and sobbed into it.
"I'm sorry, I love you, I'm sorry…"
Greed-ler kept whimpering into his jacket.
He then soon felt his own eyes get heavy.
He let out an exasperated sigh, then his eyes closed.
He couldn't hear his heartbeat in his head.
Greed-ler sat up shrieking, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Oncie rolled over in the bed and stared at him with sleepy eyes.
"Greed-ler?"
Greed-ler looked at Oncie, locking his eyes on his.
Oncie's eyes got big.
"Greed-ler? What's the matter?"
Greed-ler scooped the boy up, hugging him as tightly as he could.
"Greed-ler, what's…?"
Greed-ler started bawling into those stupid pajamas Oncie always wore.
Oncie wrapped his arms around Greed-ler, pulling him closer.
"Shh, Greed-ler. It's okay."
Oncie ran his fingers through Greed-ler's hair.
"I love you so much Oncie. I'm so sorry for everything."
Greed-ler managed to say between sobs.
Oncie smiled.
"Don't be sorry, Greed-ler."
Greed-ler looked up at the boy, and he felt Oncie's soft lips on his.
And then he remembered.
They only had each other, so they may as well make it last.
Make what last you ask?
Their love.