hobo heart x reader. Perhaps we value each other?

Chapter 13

Hobo Heart leads me down the twisting corridors of the mansion to the main clinic where my aunt is waiting. The second she caught sight of me stumbling through the doorway, she rushes across the tile floor and wrapped her arms around me in a fiercely protective, suffocating hug.

"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked frantically, her voice taut with a maternal panic that was entirely foreign to me.

I let out a soft chuckle, gently patting her shoulder. "I'm okay, Marcy, I promise. He didn't hurt me or anything. In fact, he kind of kept me from breaking my neck on the furniture." I slowly pulled away from her grip, trying to square my shoulders despite the dull ache in my torso. "I heard you might have a solution to my problem?"

"Ah, yes," Marcy said quietly. Her tone softened, and she carefully reached down to guide my trembling hand across the empty air, placing it directly into a broad, surprisingly warm palm. "This is... um, Jason. He completely lacks an organic heart himself, but he managed to engineer a permanent solution for his own system years ago."

The stranger softly squeezed my fingers, his voice dropping into a smooth, elegant register that sounded remarkably welcoming. "It is wonderful to finally meet you, ah... I was explicitly told by the staff that you chose a completely different name for yourself out in the hallway. What was it again, dear?"

I chuckled a bit, shaking my head. "I think... I've decided to just stick with Molly after all. It's nice to meet you too, Jason." I offered him a slight, uncomfortable smile.

"Molly it is then," Jason replied, i could feel his eyes fixed intently on my face. "Is something the matter?"

"I just... I really wish I could see again. That's all," I confessed, my voice dropping into a quiet murmur as I stared blankly ahead. "Am I even looking in your direction right now?"

Jason gave a soft, comforting chuckle. "Yes, Molly. You are looking straight at me. Marcy, are you absolutely certain about going through with this?"

"Yes, Jason," my aunt responded without a shred of hesitation. "You helped me survive in the beginning before you even knew who I was or what I carried. I trust you to help her now."

"Does she know about—?" Jason started, but he abruptly cut his own sentence short.

"Not yet," Marcy interrupted firmly, her voice dropping into a warning tone. "She isn't in the best physical or mental state for that conversation yet. First, we fix the vessel."

"Understood."

I let out a sharp, annoyed huff, tilting my head. "I'm standing right here, you know. I'm blind, not deaf."

From the shadows near the doorway, Hobo Heart let out a sharp, amused snicker.

"Right, my deepest apologies, dear Molly," Jason said smoothly, giving a gentle, guiding tug on my hand to pull me forward. "Come, this way. Watch your step right here."

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, stepping carefully as I let him navigate my path.

"To my workshop, where I will help fix what is broken," he said, and I could practically hear the proud, artistic smile in his voice.

The transition was instant. The sterile, metallic scent of the clinic faded, replaced by an overwhelming atmosphere that smelled heavily of candle wax, copper, and fresh sawdust. Jason led me along with meticulous care, keeping his firm grip around my hand the entire way until we came to a stop against a hard surface. He placed my fingertips flat onto the smooth grain of a workbench.

"I need to set you up on this table. Is it alright if I pick you up?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Thank you for asking," I murmured.