Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/499319. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M Fandom: The_Lorax_-_Dr._Seuss, The_Lorax_(2012) Relationship: The_Once-ler/Ted_Wiggins, The_Lorax/The_Once-ler, Audrey/Ted_Wiggins Character: The_Once-ler, Ted_Wiggins Additional Tags: Dubious_Consent, Alcohol, Angst Stats: Published: 2012-08-30 Words: 5347 ****** Inebriation ****** by orphan_account Summary The Once-ler gets drunk and spills his guts to Ted. Ted has other things on his mind, like maybe sleeping with the Once-ler. Notes A literate, "reads-like-a-fanfiction" RP by Theresa and Kitty Ted stood on the Once-ler's porch, a backpack on his back and a sleeping bag under his arm. He was so excited to get to stay over at the Once-ler's house and he definitely didn't think it was creepy in the slightest, the old man was practically his best friend. He knocked on the door and stood there with a huge grin. The Once-ler opened the door, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw Ted. “Come on in, the tea's just finished brewing.” he gestured for the boy to enter, adjusting the thneed around his neck and hurrying over to the stove, carefully lifting the teapot and carrying it over to the coffee table. “So how are you, Ted? Are your mother and grandma doing well?” Ted hurried inside after the Once-ler, dropping his things onto the ground before hopping up on the couch. “Yeah, they're doing great,” he replied with a grin. “I'm doing okay, I guess...” His smile suddenly disappeared and he glanced away. “Hey, Once-ler, have you ever been in love with someone?” he asked quietly, bringing his gaze back up to watch the man with large brown eyes. The Once-ler narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Why do you ask?” he replied, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't sure how much Ted knew, and he didn't really care for bringing up painful memories. Ted sighed, pouring himself a cup of tea and bringing it up to his lips to blow on it. “Well see, I really like Audrey, you know? And I was just wondering if you had any advice on what I should do about it.” He took a small sip of tea and held the cup down by his lap, staring into the liquid. “You're just someone who's definitely been through a lot so I figured you might have been in my situation at some point.” The Once-ler let out a long sigh. “Yes, I suppose I have, Ted. And if you want my advice, here it is: you need to appreciate that girl, and listen to her and take care of her, and never, ever take her for granted. You don't realize how badly you've treated a person until they...they walk out on you,” he murmured quietly. “And then they don't come back, no matter how sorry you are.” Ted's eyes widened as he listened to the Once-ler and he set his cup down, feeling legitimately bad as the old man's voice sounded so sad. “Mr. Once-ler,” he began softly, gazing up at him with care in his eyes. “What happened?” The Once-ler blinked back the beginnings of tears, taking a deep breath. “There's not much to tell, Ted. I neglected—even deliberately hurt—a person I cared deeply about, and they left. And they were right to do so,” he continued, his voice cracking slightly. “It opened my eyes. And the regret...it consumes me, Ted. I can't go a day—an hour—without thinking about him.” He shook his head, suddenly needing something stronger to drink than tea, and he rose to his feet, crossing the room to the cupboard. Ted listened carefully as the Once-ler spoke, but he furrowed his brow as he finished talking. “He?” Ted asked, watching the man rummage through the cupboard. “It was a guy?” He sat up with wide eyes. “Not that I think there's anything wrong with that,” he added quickly, not wanting to offend the Once- ler. “Yes, yes, it was a guy,” the Once-ler waved his hand dismissively as he pulled a bottle of aged wine out of the cupboard. “Here we go, this is the good stuff,” he muttered, grabbing a glass and returning to sit next to Ted on the couch once more. “He wasn't the first, but he was certainly the last.” he poured a glass and downed it quickly, wiping his moustache. “I loved him more than anything, Ted. I still do.” Tears formed in his eyes again, and he poured another glass, his gloved hands shaking. Ted tilted his head, watching as the man downed the glass of wine. “I'm... sorry to hear that,” he murmured, he didn't like seeing the Once-ler so upset, but what else could he say? “Hey, d'you think I could try some of that?” he asked quietly, pointing to the bottle of wine, it was more of a way of trying to change the subject than anything, but Ted couldn't deny that he really wanted to try alcohol as well. “I promise not to tell.” “No,” the Once-ler replied bluntly, wiping at his eyes. “Even if you weren't too young, this is the strongest stuff I've got. You couldn't handle it.” He made short work of the glass in his hand, immediately pouring another after. He knew it was a bad idea to be drinking heavily at his age, and in front of the kid, but he just needed to consume enough to numb these unexpected and painful feelings. Already he was fairly buzzed, bordering on tipsy. He poured a fourth glass. “C'mon, it's not fair for you to drink in front of me and not share,” Ted whined, crossing his arms and sitting back with a pout. “I could too handle it,” he added, grumbling under his breath, the worst part of being a kid was being treated like one. “You know what? Fine,” the Once-ler slurred, grabbing a teacup and filling it with wine before handing it to Ted. “Go ahead and knock yourself out.” He went to work on a fifth glass, his cheeks now bright red and his hands much shakier. Just a bit more, he told himself, and I'll forget all about that fluffy bastard. Ted grinned, holding the cup up to his lips, he grimaced at the smell, but quickly drank it down, wanting to prove that he could handle it. “Oh wow,” he gasped as he finished, making a face at the sharp taste. He held the cup out. “See, I'm fine. I can take another.” “Pour it yourself,” the Once-ler muttered as he finished off his sixth glass. “I'd just break it.” He set his glass down and collapsed back into the couch, far more intoxicated than he had originally intended to become. Yet his mind and heart were plagued still by his former lover. “Fuck,” he murmured, burying his face in his hands. Ted poured a second glass, downing half of it before somehow managing to spill it all over his crotch. “Oh crap!” He quickly stood, looking down at the huge red stain. If he went home like this his mom would know he drank and probably never let him see the Once-ler again. “Once-ler! M-my pants! What do I do?” He felt slightly light headed as the alcohol finally began to kick in and he grabbed the arm of the couch to steady himself. “Oh, I feel a little strange,” he mumbled, rubbing his head. “God damn it, Ted,” the Once-ler muttered, attempting to stand up, but immediately falling backwards onto the couch again. “Look, just—just take off whatever's wet, and dump it in the rain barrel outside to soak for a while. It'll come out.” He groaned and closed his eyes; he knew he shouldn't have given the kid any alcohol... “Um... okay,” Ted murmured uncertainly, stripping off his jeans only to find that, to his horror, his underwear were completely soaked as well, he groaned and slid them off. He stood for a moment, his cheeks red, before heading out the door to throw his clothes in the rain barrel, pulling his shirt down to cover his crotch as he did so. He came back in and sat back on the couch, the alcohol now really starting to hit him. He blinked a few times as the room began to spin slightly and he slumped back on the couch, his shirt sliding up over his stomach so that his crotch was fully exposed, he would have probably found this to be extremely awkward had he not been drunk, but at the moment he found himself nearly completely devoid of care. The Once-ler glanced over at Ted, rolling his eyes at how drunken the boy was. Stupid kid couldn't handle his—oh, when had he taken off his pants? “You have a tiny penis,” the Once-ler slurred, and he laughed, considerably louder than usual. “Kids these days...” Ted's cheeks grew hot and he sat up quickly. “I do not!” he whined. “It's just small because it isn't hard!” He reached down to give his cock a few slow strokes, bringing it to full hardness within seconds. “It's way bigger now,” he mumbled, his words running together as he continued stroking himself. “Ah! S- see?” The Once-ler's eyes widened as Ted touched himself, the kid really was flat-out drunk. “Alright, yeah, I see. It's not so bad now,” he admitted, his eyes fluttering shut. He didn't care to watch a twelve-year-old boy masturbating, even if they were both drunk. Ted didn't stop stroking himself, finding himself extremely horny due to the alcohol. “Once-ler,” he murmured, glancing up at the man through half-lidded lustful eyes. “I... I feel really weird.” Sure, he jerked off often enough, but this was the most turned on he had ever been. “Wh-why am I so...” he trailed off with a moan. “You're drunk, Ted, why do you think?” the Once-ler shot back irritably, not opening his eyes. The kid's horniness was certainly not his problem. Ted gasped, biting his lip. “Please touch me,” he moaned, stroking himself faster and scooting a little closer to the Once-ler. “I can't do it... it's- Ah! N-not enough.” There was no way he could get anywhere just using his hand, though had he not been quite so drunk he might have thought a little differently about asking the Once-ler to help him. “What.” the Once-ler blinked his eyes open and stared at Ted. “Are you serious?” his gaze traveled from Ted's eyes, down to the boy's erection, then back up to look at Ted again. “I don't think that's such a good idea...” he hedged. On the other hand, he hadn't had sex in over forty years, and he should probably take what he could get. He frowned, trying to think clearly as the alcohol clouded his mind. Ted licked his lips, gazing up at the Once-ler, his eyes clouded with lust. “I've never wanted to do this so bad with someone before,” he breathed, pulling his legs up onto the couch and crawling over to the Once-ler, placing a hand on his chest and leaning up close to his ear. “Not even Audrey.” “Ted,” the Once-ler began, but he never finished what he was going to say, because he found himself captivated by those large brown eyes, and he leaned forward to kiss him before he realized what he was doing. “Oh god,” he mumbled as he pulled away, his face bright red beneath his facial hair. “No, no, this isn't right,” he shook his head drunkenly. “I need to—I can't cheat on him. What if he comes back, the trees are already starting to grow and...and...” tears filled his bloodshot eyes again and he buried his face in Ted's shoulder. “Once-ler,” Ted murmured, wrapping his arms around the man and running his hands over his back. “It's okay,” he assured, pulling the Once-ler back to look at him and gently wipe his tears away. “Look, I'm here. Right now. And I need you.” He grabbed the Once-ler's hand, leading it down to his crotch and slowly wrapping the man's fingers around his cock. “Please touch me,” he whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the man's. The Once-ler hesitated. Ted's cock was smooth and pleasant to touch, the very opposite of the Lorax's barbed, knotted length. And the boy was so young and innocent, unlike the Lorax with his gruff, cranky disposition. Well, he thought, fuck the Lorax. He began stroking the boy's length slowly, keeping their gazes firmly locked. “You're right,” he muttered, wiping at his eyes. “He left me alone for f-forty years. He doesn't deserve me. You hear that, Lorax?!” he yelled drunkenly at the ceiling. “I'm too good for you!!!” Ted moaned, bucking his hips toward the Once-ler's touch. “Oh! M-Mr. Once-ler!” He watched the other man's eyes for a moment before boldly leaning up to kiss him, giggling a bit at the ticklish sensation of the man's moustache brushing his face. The Once-ler kissed him back hesitantly, still not entirely on board with the whole fucking-a-minor thing. How old was the legal age in Thneedville again, fifteen, sixteen? Well, Ted wasn't that far off, a few years maybe, but he was obviously consenting...and that was what counted, wasn't it? He stroked Ted faster, hoping to get this over with quickly so he didn't feel quite so guilty. Ted gasped as the Once-ler sped up and he reached down toward the Once-ler's crotch, groping around until he found the button and zipper to undo them, which he quickly did, then instantly reached in to pull out the man's cock and stroke it slowly. “Oh wow, you're so much bigger than me,” he laughed breathlessly, glancing down to look at the Once-ler's cock for a moment before going back to kissing him. The Once-ler shrugged modestly. “Just proportionate, I guess,” he murmured against Ted's lips, which were currently attacking him with lust and obvious inexperience. He made a face. “No man, look, it's like an art. You gotta do it nice and slow.” he pressed his lips softly against Ted's, flicking his tongue across the boy's mouth before gently biting his bottom lip. He rolled his hips slowly up into Ted's hand, his cock hardening more quickly than he had expected. Ted felt his cheeks grow hot as the Once-ler kissed him gently, his heart fluttering slightly as he felt the man's tongue against his lips, and he felt his cock twitch in the Once-ler's grip. “Y-you're making me- Mmh! Feel so... weird,” he gasped against the man's mouth, speeding up his strokes a bit as the Once-ler grew hard in his hand, feeling some small sense of fear that was quickly washed away by a mixture of alcohol and hormones. “You're a kid doing it for the first time, you're gonna feel a lot of—ah—weird things,” the Once-ler replied, bucking his hips up faster as Ted stroked him. He gave Ted's cock a squeeze and swiped his thumb over the tip, reaching his free hand down to play with the boy's balls. Ted cried out in pleasure, his hips jerking forward involuntarily. “Wait, Once- ler, i-is this sex?” He squeezed the man's cock back, trying to mimic what the Once-ler was doing to him. “Are... Are we doing it?” he whispered the last words, his eyes wide and innocent, truthfully he didn't know that much about sex, just knew that it involved two people doing something with their crotches, and he and the Once-ler were certainly doing just that. The Once-ler frowned. “Well, I mean...yeah...” he replied hesitantly. “I mean, it's not like I'm full-on balls deep inside you, but sure, this is sex. I thought that's what you wanted,” his eyes widened as anxiety washed over him. Shit, what if this meant that Ted wasn't actually consenting? He quickly pulled his hands away. “Is this what you wanted? I can stop if it isn't.” Ted's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. “No, please don't stop!” he cried, climbing into the Once-ler's lap and wrapping his arms around the man's neck. “I... I want this, I really do.” He felt his cock brush against the Once- ler's and let out a small gasp, instantly grinding himself down against him with a moan. “Show me more,” he breathed, leaning up to kiss the Once-ler again, lightly flitting his tongue across the man's lip like he'd done earlier as if to show that he was a quick learner. The Once-ler moaned as Ted ground down against him, and he raised his hips in the air, desperate for more contact. “Let's—let's go into my bedroom,” he muttered, grabbing Ted and standing up. Carrying the boy up the stairs proved painful for his aged body, but he determinedly went on until they reached the foot of his bed, and he set Ted down before falling face-first onto it. “Never let me do that again,” he groaned into the mattress. Ted laughed, climbing up next to the Once-ler and laying down next to him. “Wow, I feel so... so... grown up!” he exclaimed, scooting closer to the man and placing a hand on his back, rubbing it slowly. “What are we gonna do next?” he murmured, pressing his erection against the Once-ler's thigh. The Once-ler groaned and turned to look at Ted. “We're gonna get you off, and then this old man needs to sleep off all that alcohol, okay kid?” he flipped over onto his back and gestured for Ted to climb on top of him. “We can do the former however you want to.” Ted's eyes lit up and he climbed on top of the man, immediately thrusting his cock down against the Once-ler's with a groan. He sat up to pull his shirt off, laughing as he had some difficulty yanking it over his head in his drunken state. He leaned up to press a few sloppy kisses to the man's lips before sitting back to look at him. “What was that you said earlier?” he mumbled, suddenly feeling his cheeks grow red and glancing away. “A-about being 'balls deep' in me? What does that mean?” “Oh,” the Once-ler's eyes widened, and he felt his cheeks heat up. “Um, what I meant was...um, penetrating you. That is, uh...my dick...in your ass. But I don't think you're ready for that,” he continued hastily. “Seriously, I am pretty big, and you're...you're pretty small. I don't want to hurt you. How about if I just suck you off instead?” Ted stared down at the Once-ler with wide eyes for a moment. “I-In my...” he trailed off, his face bright red. “You can put things in there?” He bit his lip, reaching back to gingerly slide a hand over his ass. “Does... Does it feel good?” “Well...” the Once-ler made a noncommittal gesture. “It's not everyone's cup of tea. But yeah, it usually feels really good. Sometimes even better than jerking off.” He wondered if Ted even knew about the prostate—well, he really didn't feel like going into an explanation about that at the moment, he'd tell the kid another time. “But like I said, I don't think you're ready for that. You'd need a lot of practice before you could take something this, well...big. But I could take yours if you want,” he offered brightly. Ted ignored the Once-ler's offer, grabbing one of the man's hands and bringing it to his ass. “I want to try it,” he murmured, rubbing the Once-ler's hand against his ass with a wanton moan, his other hand reaching down to stroke the man's length slowly. “We can stop if it's too much,” he added quietly, looking up to give the Once-ler a lustful look. The Once-ler bit his lip. “I'm really not so sure about—ah!—okay, okay, we can do it,” he moaned. “Just let me get some lube, okay?” he fumbled around his bedside table for a moment before producing a large bottle of lubrication and clumsily pouring some over Ted's ass. He tossed it aside and clutched Ted's ass with one gloved hand, pressing a finger to his entrance with the other. “Oh! Th-that's cold,” Ted laughed, wiggling his hips a bit at the odd feeling of lube coating his ass. He bit his lip as the Once-ler grabbed his ass and drew in a sharp breath, holding it as he felt the man's finger pressing against him. He glanced up at the Once-ler with wide eyes and stayed still, not sure what to expect. “Just...relax, okay?” the Once-ler murmured as he slowly eased his finger inside of Ted, gently probing his walls as he searched for the boy's prostate. He let out a triumphant “Aha!” when he found it and ran the tip of his finger across it lightly, watching Ted's expression with intent. It was odd, pleasuring someone so young, but he felt a kind of quiet joy that he could be the boy's first. Ted shut his eyes, releasing the breath he'd been holding with a quiet groan as he felt the man's finger slip inside him. He let out a few small whimpers as the Once-ler's finger probed around his walls, unsure of what to think of the odd sensation. “I... I dunno if I- AH!” he cried out suddenly as the Once-ler stroked his prostate. “What was that?” he asked, his eyes wide. The Once-ler couldn't hold back a chuckle of amusement. “You know how girls have a g-spot? That's yours.” He stroked it again, more firmly this time, and he leaned up to gently suck on the boy's neck. Ted's flesh was soft and pliable, free from the wrinkles and weathering of age. The Once-ler liked it. Ted shuddered, pressing his ass back against the Once-ler's hand with a moan and baring his neck for the man's mouth. “That feels amazing,” he gasped, then suddenly remembered that he should be making the Once-ler feel good too, so he gripped the man's cock and stroked it slowly, glancing down to watch his hand glide over the huge length. “D-d'you think I can take it?” he asked quietly, his voice wavering slightly, he was more than a little worried about having something that was so much bigger than a finger inside of him, but he was determined to try. “No,” the Once-ler replied bluntly as he added a second finger. “But we can try if you really want to to.” He scissored his fingers inside of Ted, stretching the boy gently and continuing to stroke his prostate. His hips lifted slightly off of the bed into the boy's touch, and he moaned softly before adding a third finger, watching Ted's face and body carefully to make sure he was not in any pain. Ted drew in a shaky breath as the Once-ler slipped a second finger into him, letting out a quiet whine as he was stretched. It wasn't too painful, but it felt odd. He buried his face in the Once-ler's shoulder, muffling his small moans. “I want to try,” he gasped, stroking the man a little faster and crying out as he added a third finger. “I can- Nnh! h-handle it.” He really wasn't sure he could, that third finger kind of hurt, but he refused to give up without trying. The Once-ler shrugged and pulled his fingers out. “It's your funeral.” he reached into the bedside table again and pulled out a package of condoms—he'd had the stupid idea that he needed to be prepared if the Lorax ever came back. Well, at least now he could put them to good use. He tried not to think of the Lorax as he tore one open and fitted it onto his cock. He poured some fresh lube over his cock and looked up at Ted. “I'm not going to even move, alright? We'll do this at your pace.” Ted nodded, sitting back to take a deep breath before climbing over the Once- ler and lowering himself slowly until he felt the man's cock prodding lightly against his entrance. He shut his eyes, trying to mentally prepare himself as he carefully began to ease down onto it. He cursed under his breath as the tip entered him, stretching him painfully, and he clutched at the Once-ler's clothes, making tight fists in his shirt as he gave himself a minute to adjust to being penetrated for the first time. “You okay, kid?” the Once-ler mumbled, rubbing Ted's shoulders soothingly as he focused all of his willpower on not thrusting up into the boy's beautiful tightness. “Take your time, you don't wanna tear anything.” Ted nodded, giving himself just a minute longer before he continued down slowly, managing to take a little over half of the man's cock before stopping again. “I-I'm okay,” he breathed, staying there for a few moments before continuing down, finally managing to take the entirety of the Once-ler's cock. He glanced down as he felt his ass touching the man's balls lightly and gave a breathless laugh as he realized what he'd meant by being 'balls deep' inside of him. “Wow, you're actually all the way in,” he marveled, his voice shaking slightly as his ass ached around the man's cock. “What now?” “Just give yourself a minute to adjust,” the Once-ler murmured against Ted's neck as he pressed kisses across his soft, unblemished skin. “And then you move—up and down, in your case—to stimulate your prostate. An ass really isn't that different from a vagina.” It felt odd to practically be giving Ted the birds and the bees talk whilst fucking him—and it stirred up guilt inside of him as he was reminded how young the boy was. Ted stayed there for a moment, breathing deeply as he adjusted. He pressed his face into the Once-ler's neck, giving it a few kisses, mimicking what the man was doing to him. “This... this feels really weird,” he murmured, clinging tightly to the man's shirt. “Like... special.” He sat back slightly to look the Once-ler in the eye, his cheeks flushed. “Is it supposed to feel like that?” The Once-ler furrowed his brow in confusion. “What do you mean, special?” Oh god, was the kid getting emotionally attached? Ted glanced away, his face growing even hotter. “N-never mind, it's stupid,” he replied quickly, sitting up straight and refusing to look the man in the eye. “I think I'm adjusted enough,” he mumbled, beginning to slide himself up on the Once-ler's cock before slowly lowering himself again with a gasp. What was he supposed to tell the Once-ler, that he liked him? No, Ted liked Audrey, he liked girls. Didn't he? Suddenly he found himself uninterested in Audrey, he didn't feel that little flutter in his chest when he thought about her like he used to get, and just a moment ago, as he lay on top of the Once-ler, the man's cock buried to the hilt inside of him, he'd felt it again. It almost scared him. The Once-ler sat up suddenly, his cock still buried in Ted, and he raised an eyebrow at the boy. “Ted, if there's something you need to tell me, you'd better do it now—” he cut off with a gasp as Ted began to move, and he moaned, clutching at the boy's shoulders. God, maybe it didn't matter as long as he kept that up. In his inebriated state, dealing with a little crush was fair trade for that kind of pleasure. Ted bit his lip, wrapping his arms around the Once-ler's neck and his legs around the man's waist. “I dunno,” he murmured, moving himself slowly up and down and finally daring to bring his gaze back to the Once-ler's eyes. “It just feels- Ahn! R-right. We just... fit together so well.” He glanced away again, embarrassed. “It's stupid,” he muttered. The Once-ler sighed, and tipped Ted's chin up with his thumb to look him in the eyes. “It's not stupid,” he murmured. “I can't say that I—mm—feel the same way, but I understand. I've felt that way many times in the past.” His eyes misted over, and he shook his head. He didn't want to make Ted feel bad in the middle of this. “You're a—oh, a good kid,” he mumbled, pressing a kiss to the boy's lips. “But trust me, you'll feel that way about a lot of people before you find the right one.” Ted swallowed, finding himself unable to tear his eyes away from the Once- ler's. “Yeah, I just... C-can we pretend at least?” He sped up his movements a little bit, clinging tightly to the Once-ler as his cock brushed his prostate over and over. “Just-Ah! for tonight?” He gazed into the man's blue eyes, his own brown ones large and pleading. The Once-ler paused, looking almost as if he were about to cry, then nodded. “Okay. Just for—for tonight.” Then he grabbed Ted and pressed him flush against his body, capturing his lips in a fierce kiss as he began thrusting his hips up, trying desperately to drown out the emotional pain with physical pleasure. “Come on, Ted,” he muttered, grabbing the boy's cock and pumping it quickly. “Let's fucking do this thing.” Ted immediately let out a loud moan into the Once-ler's mouth, bucking his hips into the man's touch as he tried to keep up with the heated kiss. “Oh! O-Once- ler,” he breathed, clutching desperately at the man's back. “Oh god, this is so- Mmh! D-don't stop!” he cried, grinding himself down hard onto the man's cock with a whine. The Once-ler threw his head back and cried out, slamming quickly in and out of Ted faster than the boy could keep up with and stroking his cock roughly and quickly. “Come on, come on, come on,” he muttered, small gasps and moans escaping his lips as he sped towards orgasm. Ted watched the Once-ler's face intently, captivated by the look of pleasure he saw there. “I-I'm getting close,” he gasped, reaching up to cup the man's cheeks, holding his head gently in place as he did his best to meet the Once- ler's thrusts halfway. Finally he leaned forward, kissing the Once-ler in a fit of raw passion, slipping his tongue into the man's mouth, it was sloppy and inexperienced, but full of emotion, and Ted cried out, his voice muffled against the Once-ler's mouth as he came, spilling over the man's hand and stomach. The Once-ler gasped loudly as Ted came, and he followed barely seconds after, filling up the condom with his warm, sticky cum. He moaned, burying his face in Ted's shoulder and breathing heavily as he wound down. He released his grip on the boy, pulling out of him and then disposing of the condom before collapsing back onto the bed. He was utterly dizzy from the sex and alcohol, and all he wanted to do was sleep. Ted stayed still for a moment, catching his breath, before laying next to the Once-ler with a sigh. “That was just... amazing,” he murmured breathlessly, turning to face the man with a grin. He bit his lip contemplatively, wondering if cuddling would be out of the question. “Um...” he began quietly, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed. “Could we...” he trailed off with a sigh. “N- never mind.” He didn't know if he could handle it if the Once-ler rejected him. “Just be quiet, Ted,” the Once-ler muttered gruffly, wrapping his arms around the boy and pulling him close. “We'll figure this all out in the morning, okay? For now...let's just sleep.” He closed his eyes with an exhausted sigh. Ted smiled, his cheeks heating up, and he cuddled up close to the Once-ler, pressing his face into the man's chest with a sigh. He really wished the night didn't have to end and he willed himself to stay awake as long as possible, content to just lay there in the Once-ler's arms. He couldn't deny a slowly growing feeling of sadness at knowing they might never do this again, but he did his best to push the thought aside, holding the Once-ler a little tighter and forcing himself not to cry. The Once-ler opened one eye, his heart dropping just a little bit at the sight of Ted looking so sad. He squeezed the boy gently and pressed a kiss to his messy hair. It had been a dark night. Maybe tomorrow would seem a little brighter for both of them. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!