Oncie hit the floor with a loud smack.
His bruised eyes looked up to the older, taller man in the green suit.
His smile wicked, his sharp teeth gleaming from the candle light.
His green gloved-covered hand reached down and pulled the boy up to his height by the collar of his shirt. He let out a small laugh from the back of his throat.
"You thought you could get away?"
Greed-ler hissed into Oncie's ear.
"You're fucking insane if you thought you could get out of this one."
Oncie started kicking and thrashing, maybe being able to make it out of his grasp.
"It's worthless."
The last word seeped through his sharp-toothed smirk, smashing the boy against the wall.
Oncie tried to choke out the simplest of words, just a quick, please stop.
But what came out instead were choking noises, almost a sort of sob.
Greed-ler smirked at him and shook his head, his green eyes lighting up behind the dark lenses of the glasses.
Oncie was afraid now, Greed-ler had him and he was helpless.
He felt Greed-ler's sharp claws gently tickle his neck, then start to dig into his skin.
He gasped when he felt the warm trickle of blood roll down his neck where the pain was emitting.
"Oh, my dear Oncie, didn't anyone ever tell you that you can't leave this place?"
He clenched his grip around the boy's throat, then took him near the huge window in his office.
"You see the axe hackers? They're chopping down trees, aren't they?"
He asked him, twirling some of his hair on his bloody fingertip.
Oncie nodded carefully, trying to make sure Greed-ler's claws didn't go any deeper.
"And with axe hackers, comes Truffula tufts. What comes out of those?"
Oncie stared out at the wasteland.
"I said what comes from the tufts?"
Greed-ler spat, tightening his grip.
Oncie made a small choking sound, then said, "Thneeds, asshole."
"Don't get difficult with me. Let me finish."
He made the boy look closer, moving his hands from his neck down to his shoulders and held him tightly. "And with thneeds comes…?"
Oncie knew the answer.
Greed-ler wasn't going to get the answer.
"Money. Power. Which means you belong to me."
"I don't belong to anyone. I'm my own person." Oncie growled.
Greed-ler pulled Oncie back, laughing maniacally.
"You think you're your own person? Ha! Last time I checked, Oncie, you were living under my roof. You were being fed by me, loved by me, treated perfectly by none other than me."
"Perfectly?"
Oncie hissed, ripping out of Greed-ler's grip, feeling his sharp claws tear his shirt and skin.
"You've treated me like shit since day one!"
"Oh Oncie, deary,"
Greed-ler said smiling.
"I'm only protecting you."
"Mother treats me better than you!"
"Then why don't you go live with her, if I'm not good enough!"
"Fine, I'm moving to her quarters. Don't come looking for me, because I don't want to see you, ever!"
The last few words hit Greed-ler without mercy.
His heart skipped a beat, but his expression didn't falter.
"Fine."
Oncie stormed out of the room, marching off to the quarters where his mother lived.
Greed-ler stayed quiet and fell to his knees.
What did it matter if he had money?
What about power?
What was he?
What was he without…him?
He was nothing.
He loved him, but his bitterness was the only way to show it.
And his significant other said the person they both hated the most loved him more than him.
What he didn't know was that Greed-ler couldn't put his love for him into words.
Greed-ler's glasses slipped off his face, hitting the floor while the lenses shattered.
He reached his bloodied-finger tipped gloves out, his fingertips being cut by the shattered lenses.
He cradled the glasses in his hands, flipping them around, watching as the shards sliced through the fabric and his own skin.
The gloves were covered in his own blood at this point.
Who cares.
He stood up, walking out the double doors to his office.
He made slow, shaky strides down the red carpeted hallway.
He was going to win him back.
More like force him to love him again.
Arguments in his head, debating whether to turn back or continue with the devious plan.
So he chose to continue.
He strode down the red carpet halls, with more determination and pride this time.
Guilt was seemingly absent from his mind and form.
He reached a hallway, leading through four different corridors, each to different wings of the factory.
He strode down the one he made for the Once-ler.
Surely he didn't go with Mother, he hates her as much as I do.
He walked carefully up the marble staircase, his shoes making slight clacks as they hit the thick stairs.
His arms folded behind his back, he made his way into the kitchen first.
He only saw some dirty dishes from the pancakes he had made that morning for breakfast.
Didn't even clean up his mess, the pig.
He rolled his eyes then checked the bathroom, where a damp towel laid in the floor from his morning shower.
He strode out of this room, with no success again, his coattails whipping around behind him.
He walked into the bedroom, only to see Oncie curled up crying into his pillow.
He stood in the doorway, being quiet, listening to his short, soft sobs.
"I just don't want to be abused anymore."
Greed-ler's eyes widened.
Abused?
He…he hurt Oncie so much that Oncie considered it abuse?
Greed-ler felt his own heart sink.
He actually felt bad about all the stuff he did earlier.
He turned his attention back to the bloodied fingertips on the gloves.
His instant reaction was cringing.
He looked back up at the sobbing ball of boy laying under the covers.
He made careful strides over to the side of the bed, erasing his devious plan from his mind.
He reached out for the boy, letting the fingers of his gloves glide up the boy's shoulder.
"Mom?"
Oncie asked, flinching slightly in surprise.
Greed-ler sat on the edge of the bed, picking up the boy and cradling him in his arms.
"G-Greed-ler?!"
Greed-ler said nothing, he just held the boy and buried his face in his shoulder.
Oncie stared down at the man in shock.
He could be so bipolar and confusing at times.
Now all that Oncie could do was smile.
Greed-ler peered up at him, kissing him and apologizing to him under his breath.
Oncie pretended not to hear, because he knew how picky Greed-ler was when it came to apologies.
"I love you Oncie."
Oncie's eyes grew big, his heart pounded faster, and he felt his face heat up.
Did he just admit that he loved me?
"I…I love you too Greed-ler. More than Mother. More than this factory, the thneeds, or all the money in the world."
Greed-ler kissed him roughly, then wrapped his arms around the boy's thin waist.
"You're my one and only."