"What do you think about moving out of this town?"

You're laying on his chest again. It's a summer's night, and the windows cracked open just enough for the breeze to come in. He's tracing patterns onto your bare skin with his thumb, and you drift in and out of sleep.

"Wait, what?" You rub the drowsiness out of your eyes, sitting up to look at him. His freckles look absolutely gorgeous under the moonlight, and you press a quick kiss to them. "You want to move? Where?"

"I don't know, honestly." His shoulders slump in weariness, and you make a mental note to massage them later. "Just somewhere far away. Away from all of this," he gestures towards the window with a sneer that's supposed to look like disdain but looks utterly adorable to you. "Away from these people. From our families."

He hasn't talked about moving out of town with you until now, but the proposition comes nowhere near as a surprise. You've seen the way he looks when he talks about this town and its people, how much he hates their judging looks and insults whenever he tries to sell them a new invention.

You sigh, fidgeting with a black strand of his hair. You don't know how you're going to respond to this. "Oncie…"

"I know! Look, I know it sounds stupid Y/N, but I can save up money! I'll work more jobs, and then by next month we'll take Melvin, and we-"

He's rambling. You kiss him on the lips to end it before it gets worse, and he hardly makes any protest, eagerly sliding his tongue inside of your mouth. You both stay like that for a while, making out fervently, the sounds of your moans and the crickets outside filling up the room.

Surprisingly, Onceler is the first one to part. Usually, when you kiss, it's always him that insists on continuing it.

You're about to ask him why he stopped, but then he grins up at you, still holding your face in his big hands, staring at you in complete and utter awe, like you've just plucked the sun out of the sky. It makes you want to melt.

"I love you," he says, breathless and dazed like he's just run a mile. "I love you so much, Y/N. More than anything. I want to give you the perfect life that you deserve."

You smile. God, he's just too cute sometimes. "You're perfect. You know that, Oncie?" He smiles, and you move in to kiss him again before he says in the most serious, deadpan tone you've ever heard him use, "I think we should leave by next week."

Now, that is a surprise.

You try to hide your shock, but you know it's useless. You and Onceler know each other like your own minds. You could change your facial expression in just the smallest, slightest way, and he would still notice. You try to say something before he can react, make up some half-assessed lie about how you're okay with leaving so soon, but Onceler has already sensed your concern and is pulling you into one of his warm bear-hugs. It's something he's done to you ever since the two of you were little; to make you feel safe and comforted. It still works now.

For a while, neither of you say anything. All you can hear is his soft breathing and the noises outside, but you're fine with that. The silence is comforting. It helps you focus on how big and warm his hands are wrapped around your body, and the soothing feel of it starts to make your eyes droop.

He must have noticed because soon he's out of bed, hurrying to gather the blankets off the floor. "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry," Onceler says, wrapping them around you. "I forgot how late it is. You must be so tired." He lays back down onto the bed, gently nestling you onto his chest. "Go to sleep, baby. I'm sorry that I kept you up."

"But Onceler-"

"Shh." He rubs your chest the way he usually does when he's trying to get you to sleep. "Close your eyes, baby. I love you so much."

Not one to argue when you're this tired, you let your eyes fall, and you drift off.

About a week later, he comes barging into the kitchen, holding nothing but suitcases and a handful of his inventions.

You don't even need to ask him if he's okay. You can already see it in his face, in his eyes, the way they look so desperate, the wordless plea that they convey to you.

We need to go now.

You waste no time. You run to your bedroom as fast as you possibly can, grabbing your backpack out of the closet. You look around the room, making a mental list of what you need to pack. Your first thought is only to take anything essential and leave the rest to come back for, but then you remember how Onceler looked, standing in the kitchen hallway, more panicked and disheveled than you've ever seen him in your entire life.

You aren't coming back here again. Ever.

The realization nearly takes the breath out of you. All of your friends, your parents, your sister, your-

Your parents.

You race out of the room again, searching for the kitchen telephone. Once you find it, you dial their number with trembling fingers, struggling to catch your breath.

What the hell are you supposed to say to them? Hey mom and dad, remember me? Your child who decided to move in with their boyfriend that you both hate? Well, I'm uprooting my entire life for him right now, isn't that great?

When they don't pick up, you settle for leaving a voicemail instead.

Hey mom. Hey dad. I'm gonna be out of town for a little while. I've gotta help my manager with something, so we'll be gone for about- you try and think of a number acceptable by their standards- four days. I'll call you once I get to the hotel. Love you. Tell Nora I said hi.

You put the phone down once you're done. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and wipe away the tears that are falling down your cheeks. You haven't even realized that you were crying.

A pair of arms wrap around your waist. "Ready to go?" Onceler asks you softly. "I saw your backpack in the bedroom. I've already packed it for you."

You nod your reply, and he kisses your neck, murmuring an "I love you" as he grabs your hand and leads you out the door.

Melvin is already waiting for you outside. He's hooked up to the wagon, munching on grass, and for a moment, you envy his blissful unawareness of the situation that you two are now in.

You turn to your side to face Onceler, only to find him running in and out of the house to carry arms full of luggage. Before you can even offer to help him, he sweeps you off of your feet and carries you inside the wagon, trying to seat you in a comfortable position.

"Are you all settled, baby? Sorry, that took so long." He's wheezing by the time he's done, running a hand through your now tousled hair. "Do you need anything? Water? Food? Should I get you-"

"I'm fine, Oncie."

"Are you warm enough? Or are you too cold? Do you want a- actually hang on, let me do that, you look freez-"

"Onceler."

"Sorry," he says, wrapping blankets around you. "It's just that I want you to be as comfortable as you can on the trip there."

"Where is there, exactly?"

"I don't know yet." He sighs and then fumbles around for a suitcase, pulling a few maps out from it. "There are places here that could... help. Possibly. Places that might have something that can make my Thneeds, but nothing's guaranteed for sure." He looks up at you, now, taking your hands in his. His blue eyes look wild in disbelief as if he himself can't believe what he's about to say to you.

"You're just going to have to trust me on this, Y/N. I know it's insane, I know this is the craziest thing either of us has ever done, but can you do it for me, darling? Do you trust me?"

You look back to the house. It's the first one you two bought together with your own money. You've had your first kiss with him in that house; first, I love you. You've spent sleepless nights with him lying in each other's bedrooms talking about everything and anything. About each other's dreams, your future together, your children, your grandchildren. That house has seen both of your worst days and your best days. It's almost like a third member of your already small, little family.

You turn back to Onceler and see his big, beautiful blue eyes staring up at you, so determined in you like he already knows what your response will be.

You never really liked the color of that house anyway.

"I trust you more than anyone in my life."

You kiss him hard as you both ride off into the distance.