p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was hard to hear with water rushing over his head; but Once-ler could still hear his name being called out by another. With each shout, the voice sounded more worried, more shakey. He wanted to reply, he knew he should, but something just stopped him. Soon enough he heard the door to the bathroom open./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Greed-ler's voice was clear as day now. "Oncie..?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The younger man had been hiding from everyone for awhile now, of course Greed-ler would get worried. It was expected. What wasn't expected, however, was to find the normally, happy-go-lucky, optimistic boy, sitting in the shower, holding his legs, and having water rush down him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Hey, what are you doing?" He was questioned again, with no answer. "Once-ler?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was unnerving, to say the least./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Once-ler swallowed a lump in his throat, looking up at the worried man in front of him, still not speaking a word./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Once-ler, please, what is going on?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""'m fine..." was all the other managed to mutter out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're not. Look, I-" Greed-ler took a deep breath, taking off his gloves, rolling up his sleeves, pulling the younger one out of the water, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around him. "Please. Talk to me." He gently placed his hand on the other's knee, using the other hand to turn off the water./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""There's nothing to talk about."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But I'm not gonna leave you alone." He gave the boy a quick smile, taking the tower and starting to dry the other off, after he was done, he carefully lifted him up and brought him to their room. Within seconds, Once-ler was on the bed with arms and legs wrapped around him. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed; sure, the other had seen him without clothes time and time again, but something about this was different. It was odd that the other was even cuddling him in the first place, he was still a little damp after all, and the other was still in his suit. Why would he want to get it wet? He let out an awkward chuckle, feeling heat rise to his face. Greed-ler noticed this right away, placing a hand on the other's cheek./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're a little flustered, right? Here I'll-" He unwrapped himself from the younger man, standing up and stripped himself down, joining the other back in bed, pulling covers over them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Once-ler blushed more, this time more just from the closeness of it all, rather than being embarrassed. He sighed softly, snuggling up to Greed-ler, laughing slightly as he felt the other's lips kiss his forehead./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""T-..Thanks, Greed-ler.."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Of course, baby, I love you. I really do- I mean. Christ, you worried me so much- Wait no okay yeah you did but please don't blame yourself. I just fearing the worst, I'm not sure why. I mean, what could happen? Nothing, nothing REALLY it's just that, well you know. Sometimes I get scared and-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Once-ler snickered, shaking his head slightly, looking up at the older man. "Shh, You're rambling..It's okay, really. Thank you for looking out for me." It was nice to see how the other truly was. To others he was probably just some stuck up business man with no emotions who hid behind fancy clothes and money. That wasn't true. Maybe, maybe at one point. But Once-ler was told many times that it was him who changed him. That before he shut himself off, now he was different. Not to mention how his factory was going green-er by the day./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Even though he's helped with so much, something about him still felt...off. From time to time he would just start to feel different. Suddenly not be interested in anything. Just wanting to sit and sleep throughout the days. He had only ever told Greed-ler about this, and once he did, he was quick to try to help, and help he /Of course he would sometimes switch back to feeling weird, and, of course, the other man would try to help as much as he possibly /It was nice, really, having someone who cared about you so much./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Having someone who would drop everything to help you./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A few years ago, Once-ler would have never thought he'd have anyone to be there for him like that. But here he was, being held protectively in the arms of another; himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"They say you need to love yourself before anyone /Why not kill two birds with one stone?/p