"I need to talk to you." An almost 21 year old Once-ler stood with his hands behind his back sheepishly. He stared down at Norma who stared back up at him, curiosity piqued.
"Out with it then!" she said with a smile. She gestured for him to sit with her at the picnic table, her legs crossed. Once-ler gulped slightly looking at her in her beauty. They'd been best friends for years and it had only recently occurred to him that he was completely head over heels for her.
Despite their height differences, he often felt himself looking up to her. He often admired her courage to speak her mind and never regret her decisions, no matter how bad they might have been.
Once-ler had been debating with himself for weeks on whether or not he should tell her about his feelings. He finally decided it had to be done. Especially considering the fact he was leaving in a couple of weeks to start his search for the perfect material for the thneed. He wanted to ask her to come with him.
He mumbled something to himself leaving Norma feeling very impatient. "You gonna just stand there muttering nonsense or are you gonna spit it out already?" She finally asked, an edge of sarcasm lacing her voice.
"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU." Once-ler blurted out before promptly covering his mouth with his hands. His eyes widened an incredible amount and he looks anywhere but at Norma.
Norma is stunned silent, her jaw hanging open. Finally, she seems to be able to find her words and she speaks. "Y-you're in l-love with me?" Her voice quivers as is she's going to cry. Once-ler just nods, a nervous grin plastered across his face.
He hopes with everything he's got that he's not rejected. He opens his mouth a few times, obviously searching for the right words to continue with. "And I also uh wanted you to, well… come with me?" He said quietly. It just barely registered in Norma's ears, who had up until then remained silent
"Go with you where?" She questioned, a bright blush covering her cheeks. Once-ler had conveniently withheld the news of his leaving.
"I'm kinda leaving in two weeks." His left hand scratched the back of his neck in a nervous habit. "To uh, well, for my thneed."
Norma's eyes glimmered with tears that threatened to spill. "You're leaving? B-but…" He embraced her in a warm hug full of affection.
"I want you to come with me." He repeated pulling away slightly from Norma. "We could travel the world together, just the two of us! And Melvin of course…" He looked down hopefully at her, his eyes pleading for her to say yes.
"I… can't." For the first time in their entire friendship, Once-ler saw Norma cry. Puddles of tears slid down her rosy cheeks and the tip of her nose was bright ruby.
For what seemed like hours, they just stared at the ground, the weight of the situation crushing them beneath it. In reality, it was only ten minutes before Once-ler finally spoke again, this time his voice dripping of complete and utter heartbreak. "Why?" One word spoken and yet his question conveyed so many more questions than he could bring himself to ask. Do you not love me the way I love you? Is there someone else? Am I not good enough?
Norma took a deep, staggering breath and replied to him, tears still pooling in the corners of her eyes. "Once-ler, it's your dream to invent the thneed. I can't ask you to stay here but I can't go with you. My place is here. But you… your place is somewhere out of town, somewhere beyond the limits your mother sets for you."
Her voice grew stronger and stronger as she continued with her speech, Once-ler silent in surprise at her words. "I can't leave. There's still so much I want to do here. Oh, Once-ler! I bought the old flower shop! And as much as I care about you, the thneed is your dream. Not mine…" She let her eyes wander up to meet Once-ler's to see him frowning.
He didn't know what to say. He supposed she had a point but he didn't want to admit it. But what baffled him most was that she hadn't said a word about his confession. Almost as if reading his thoughts, she spoke again. "Once-ler, I want you to know that I do have feelings for you. But… I don't know how deeply they go. And now's just not the right time. I'm sorry." Droplets running down her cheeks once again, she walked away, leaving Once-ler standing by the picnic table, wide eyed and conflicted.
On one hand, she had feelings for him but on the other, he was leaving and she wasn't coming with him. He had no idea whether to be ecstatic or completely heartbroken. In the end, he went with the latter.
…
He hadn't seen ever since their… falling out. He wasn't sure exactly what they were. Were they still friends? Or were they not? Those thoughts plagued him. I'd break his heart even further if she decided they weren't friends anymore. He would just… snap.
It was surprising when she came by his house the evening before he was leaving. He wasn't sure if she'd say goodbye. But there she was at his door, the porch light illuminating her figure. He thought she looked like an angel. He quickly offered for her to come inside but she declined, saying she would only be a moment.
"I wanted to say goodbye before you left. I want you to know that even when you're a million miles away making your business a success, I'll always be your number one supporter. Always." He looked at her with a sad smile on his face thinking just how she looked shyer than he'd ever seen her before.
Her curls splayed everywhere and she wore a yellow sundress. Her glasses slid down her nose and she gently pushed them back and reached into her pocket, pulling out a photo. Wordlessly, she thrust it into his hands. In shock, he just stared at his hands before looking back at her. She met his eyes with a straight face.
Before he knew it, his arm was being tugged down. He leaned down to hear what she had to say, still towering over her. She moved her hand to the back of his neck and tugged further. He looked into her eyes, glimmering and glassy.
She gave him a gentle smile before tugging him down once more and capturing his lips with her own. She kissed him gently, weaving her fingers through his dark hair as he coiled his long arms around her waist slowly, almost unsure of himself.
After a moment, she unwrapped her arms from around his neck and pulled away a small smile gracing her soft features. "Never forget me. Not when you're the richest man earth or when girls start throwing themselves at you. I'm sure they will… but always remember me. Keep that photo." She pointed to the photo which Once-ler had still somehow clutched in his hand while kissing Norma.
"Maybe… maybe someday we'll cross paths again. But we have to never forget each other. Never." She finally said before walking away from him, hopefully not for the last time.
The very next day, Once-ler left his small town, suddenly as optimistic as always. As his wagon pulled away from the house, the picture was safely under his vest, close to his heart.
A/N: This is a new fandom to me. I'm quite the avid Norma-ler fan but this is a different take on their romance than most have taken. I hope you all enjoy and don't worry; Norma won't be gone too long from the story. Please review!