hobo heart x reader. Perhaps we value each other?

Chapter 1

It is the middle of a suffocatingly hot summer day. All around town, people are walking around in shorts and t-shirts, trying to beat the humidity. Everyone but me. I'm wearing my usual look for all four seasons: faded blue jeans and a lightweight, long-sleeved grey shirt. I have a good reason for covering up in this heat. I just don't want anyone to see my scars. None of them were self-inflicted. My parents aren't the nicest people—in fact, they are nowhere near nice. My aunt understands perfectly; she struggles with self-harm herself, so she knows what it means to carry marks on your skin.

Right now, I'm out shopping because I need new clothes again. My parents always rip and destroy my wardrobe whenever they beat me, but I've gotten used to the cycle. Luckily, I work for a big company and get great pay. The work is incredibly hard, but the paycheck makes it worth it. I glance up at the blue sky, sighing. God, today should be fun.

Time Skip

The sun went down hours ago. It has gotten late, and the suburban streets are almost completely empty, save for a few night owls. I'm one of them, mainly because I would rather be anywhere else besides home.

Suddenly, the hairs on my arms stand up. I feel like I'm being watched. To shake the feeling, I deliberately head down a dark alleyway that cuts directly into the woods. A reckless thought crosses my mind: I might try finding Slenderman tonight. Anything beats going back to that house. Hell, I'd rather run into Jeff the Killer right now than face my parents. I let out a soft, mocking laugh to myself as I reach the treeline, touching the rough bark of the first tree before walking past it into the darkness.

"SLENDERMAN!" I yell into the shadowy forest, the sound echoing through the quiet night. A part of me deeply hopes that the urban legends are actually real. "HEY, SLENDERMAN!!"

Receiving no answer, I sigh softly and walk deeper into the brush. To pass the time and calm my nerves, I begin to hum Heart Has Value, occasionally breaking the melody to call out for the faceless entity again.

Time Skip

I check my watch in the dim moonlight. It's almost midnight.

"Shit..." I mutter softly under my breath. "They are going to be so pissed. All I wanted was to see Slenderman." I let out a heavy sigh, looking around the dark trees. "Might as well try one last time."

I take a deep, steadying breath. "SLEN—"

A calloused hand suddenly clamps violently over my mouth, cutting off my shout. The sudden pressure causes me to scream and cough at the exact same time. Adrenaline spikes through my veins. Before my brain can even process the panic, I grab the stranger's hand, twist my hips, and successfully toss the person right over my shoulder.

He slams onto the dirt with a heavy, breathless groan. A raspy, rough voice mutters from the dark, "Ow... why did you do that?"

The figure rolls onto his stomach, slowly pushing himself up from the forest floor. I rapidly take a step back and whip out my pocket knife, the blade clicking into place.

"S-stay back!" I warn. My voice is shaking, which is incredibly rare for me. I never show fear—not even when my parents are attacking me with everything they have.

I watch the silhouette stand up completely, rubbing his lower back in pain. It's clearly a young man. In the faint moonlight, I can see he's wearing a white hoodie, black sweatpants, and black sandals. He turns his head toward me, and my breath catches. He has stunning, crystal blue eyes.

The moment his gaze locks onto mine, a sudden, suffocating pressure slams into my chest. It feels like my heart is physically breaking inside my ribs. I grab my chest, gasping for air as my legs violently shake underneath me. It becomes almost impossible to breathe.

He takes a step forward, his raspy voice dropping into a tone that sounds genuinely confused. "Hey... you okay?"

I force myself to pull my cracking composure back together, lifting my arms to keep the pocket knife pointed straight at his chest. "I said stay back!" My mind races, and the lyrics of the melody I was humming suddenly pop into my head. I narrow my eyes at him. "If you value your heart and life, you will stay back."

He freezes instantly in his tracks. Those piercing blue eyes stare at me with a sudden, cautious intensity."Who are you?" he asks, speaking slowly, his raspy tone laced with deep caution. "And why are you calling for Slenderman? What do you want from him?"

I let out a soft, nervous chuckle. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Who are you? What do you want, and why the hell did you grab me?"

He cocks his head to the side, studying my face. "Because he doesn't want to see you yet. So, he told me to shut you up." The man suddenly straightens his head, his blue eyes hardening into a cold, ruthless glare that makes the woods turn freezing cold. "As for my name, you don't need to worry about that. As for what I want..." He takes a slow, menacing step forward. "I want your heart."

Panic completely overrides my logic. I twist on my heel and take off running in the absolute opposite direction, sprinting blindly through the brush. Behind me, the sound of his rough, amused laughter echoes through the trees, fading out the further I run.

I don't stop sprinting until I finally skid to a halt on my front porch. I stand there panting heavily against the door, my chest heaving as I try to prepare myself for the brutal beating I know I'm about to get for missing curfew. But his final words keep echoing behind my eyes, twisting my brain into knots. What did he mean by all of that?

I think back to the white hoodie, the suffocating chest pain, and the demand for my heart, wondering out loud in a quiet, trembling whisper: "Could it be that they are possibly real?"