The Heartsmith
Search it up on YouTube to see the video, the art is really beautiful.
Steve walked down the busy marketplace, in a desperate search to repair his heart in time for his wedding. He looked at every stall, in search of something that could help, something permanent, unlike scotch tape or glue. Up ahead he saw a little girl dressed all in red, with hair to match, and she held a basket of hearts, glowing red. Steve saw she was selling them, so maybe she could repair his own?
"Would you like to buy a heart?" She said, smiling at any potential customer.
"Excuse me, miss, do you also happen to repair broken hearts?" Steve asked hopefully.
"Oh no, I just sell hearts sir!" Steve's hope fell.
"I see."
"But if you go down that road, you will find the Heartsmith!" She said, and Steve felt his hope bloom once more. Maybe he could still give Peggy the love she deserved.
"Heartsmith?" He said to himself before turning back to the kind girl. "Thank you, young lady."
"You're welcome sir!" He then turned and headed in the direction she had pointed.
It had been a normal day in the workshop, building new hearts for people who had lost theirs. Tony wore his red work goggles as he had just finished building a new heart. And then the bell rang and a customer came in. He was tall and strong with bright blue eyes and short blonde hair that glowed as the sun was behind him.
"Um, excuse me?" He said with a smooth voice.
"Huh? Oh, a customer!" Tony smiled and put his goggles on his head. "Welcome sir, what can I do for you?"
"A young girl told me you repair hearts?"
"Yep! That's what I do!" Tony said, pointing to himself. "I'm the Heartsmith. Please meet you."
"Pleased to meet you too." The man smiled and wasn't that a beautiful sight.
"What seems to be the problem?" Tony asked, trying to keep his voice with just the right amount of curiosity. A man like this would definitely have a love already. But it was Tony's curse to always fall in love with whoever came into his workshop, but they would always forget him.
"Well…" He placed a hand over the place his heart resided and it came on his hand, floating above it. It had a crack down the middle that would be irreparable to anyone else.
"Oh boy, this one looks pretty damaged." Tony said, half to himself.
"So, you can't repair it?" The man sounded so sad…
"I didn't say that! It just might take a while." Tony said hastily, he could still try.
"That… might be a problem…"
"Oh, you planning on getting married?" Tony said casually, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Yes actually." The man sounded so happy at the thought of the mystery dame.
"Oh, congrats." Tony's own heart fell and he brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. Of course, this man was too perfect to not have a lover.
"However, as the wedding draws nearer, I find this heart incapable of loving." He frowned, looking down at his heart.
"I can see how that can be a problem." Tony said thoughtfully. "Well, I suggest you leave it here for a while. I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best!" The Heartsmith leaned against the table and shrugged.
"Thank you." The man held out his hands, the floating red heart hovering there innocently. "Take good care of it, dear Heartsmith."
"Of course." Tony smiled, though it was kind of a sad smile. Not that the man noticed. "I don't know when it'll be ready, just drop by whenever it's convenient for you."
"I will."
On the man's way out, he smiled at little red and waved, she smiled back.
"Hello." Mr. Rogers' voice sounded from the doorway and Tony looked up to see the man holding a box with a ribbon wrapped around it. "I'm sorry for bothering you today as well."
"Hm?" Tony lifted his goggles up, smiling at Mr. Rogers. "Oh, it's you sir!"
"I brought cake!" The man said in a singsong voice. And Tony smelled the delicious aroma coming from the fancy white box.
They sat down at the smith's little coffee table and each took a slice. It tasted like heaven.
"It's delicious!" Tony said, taking another bite.
"I'm glad you like it." Mr. Rogers said, taking a sip of his tea (where did that come from?).
"None of my customers have ever brought me cake before."
"It's the least I can do for someone who is repairing my heart." Rogers relied simply.
"About that…" Tony scratched his neck, thinking of the problem he had run into.
"Is there a problem?" The man asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Well…" Tony paused, wondering how to phrase this. "Some vital parts required for the 'love' function are missing."
"I see…" The man looked down at his tea sadly. "So I will never be able to love my fiance? She deserves better."
Tony sighed. "I will fix it for you. There's still something I can do." He rubbed the spot over his own heart and looked away. But the man looked so hopeful…
"Thank you, dear Heartsmith!" Mr. Rogers said, taking Tony's hands and his heart beat a fraction of a bit faster.
"Ah, don't mention it. I'm happy to help a kind person like you, sir." Tony said, meaning every word. It was his job, his passion.
"I will visit you again tomorrow." He said, getting up to leave.
"See you tomorrow than!" Tony said as cheerfully as he could, knowing tomorrow would be the last day he saw this kind man. He watched him leave, resigned to know he would always be forgotten. It was normal. "Will it be enough?"
The next day, the man returned with a smile on his face and Tony forced one on his own. He presented the repaired heart with a flourish and the man took it with an even larger smile on his face. "You did it Heartsmith!" He exclaimed.
"Of course! I told you I'd fix it, didn't i?" Tony said proudly, gloved hands on his hips. Mr. Rogers lifted the heart and put it in.
"It's amazing. I can feel my heart overflowing with love." The man said. 'Not that I'll ever know what that feels like.' Came Tony's bitter thought.
"Really? That's great!" Tony tried to sound happy, and the man bought it.
"I'm sure my fiance will be happy."
"Oh… i'm sure she will."
"I hope to see you at my wedding?" The man invited smoothly.
"… of course." No, you won't. You wouldn't remember who I am.
Tony sat in his workshop, though it looked more like a trash yard. Tears fell down his face as he sat on his stool, handkerchief in hand.
"Poor Heartsmith" A voice said and he looked up to see little red. She held the basket at her side and her red braids fell over her shoulders. "Why do you always share pieces of your own heart with others?"
"Look who's talking." Tony sniffed. "You sell hearts even though you don't have one of your own?" She put on a grumpy face.
"Because none of these hearts fit me."
"I see. Then maybe…" He pulled out his own, very small heart. "Would what's left of this heart fit you?" He asked, smiling up at her.
"You're… giving me your heart?" She gasped softly.
"Yes. If this one is alright with you?" She enveloped Tony in a giant hug, her red dress flowing behind her and she had happy tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Heartsmith!" It's the least I can do.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Little red sat on the hospital bed in her hospital gown, drawing pictures of little hearts and the Heartsmith.
"How are you doing today?" Came an almost familiar velvet smooth voice. She looked up at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man.
"Doctor!" She exclaimed happily.
"Tomorrow is your big day." He said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder and she beamed up at him. "You're lucky you found that donor for your heart in time."
"Yes, the Heartsmith is very kind." She looked down fondly at her drawing. Despite how young she was, she was a pretty good artist. The face of her donor sat smiling on the page, one of his genuine smiles. He had one gloved hand on his red welding goggles which sat on his head.
"Uh… who?" The doctor asked with a questioning voice.
"It's ok, people don't remember him. Even those he helped." Little red said, smiling at the drawing of the man. She held her sketchbook close, there was a little red heart drawn on the cover. "But I will always remember him."