Fact and Fantasy (Wilson x Reader)

Don't go

He taps at a peg, forcing it into place. His machine was almost complete, and it looked pretty good! The base seemed to work right, and the bit of gold provided just enough energy to power any science he needs. He steps back and takes a long hard look at his transmuter. It was coming along pretty swell! Drip system, consistent mix rates, yep, it was all comin together.
"Whatcha workin on?"
Wilson flips around surprised, clutching his heart "good grief, I didn't even hear you coming!"
"Sorry! Sorry. Didn't mean to." You wave your hands a moment before rubbing your neck.
"It's fine, as for what I'm working on, this here is my transmuter! It makes things a bit more refined, and dare I say it, almost turn lead into gold." He pats his machine in pride.
"So an alchemy machine?"
"What? No! Alchemy isn't real. The Transmuter is an extension of my science machine."
"Right, right, yeah.." you decide to let drowsy dogs sleep "how's it work?"
"I'm so glad you asked!" He slaps the hull of the odd machine "grab some straw from that chest there Dear."
You look left and right, a bit confused before finding it. "This one?"
"Yes."
You grab a fistful of grass and hurry back "got it."
"Excellent. Now, watch this!" He pushes it into an odd kind of tube "you feed it through here and-" and begins cranking a wheel. "The machine will-" he grunts "will begin the refining pro-cess." It whirs and bobs before finally letting off a fweesh of steam. A latch detaches, opening a door and he reaches inside. You laugh lightly to yourself, watching him half hang out of his contraption. "And there! I've done it!" He pushes himself back out  and wipes at his fore head with the back of his hand. He turns around, holding a coil of rope in triumph "tada! Almost instant rope."
"Pfffft!" You shorten a laugh. His body language seems to droop.
"Well, I thought it was interesting.."
"What? Oh no, it's not that Wilson, in fact it's pretty neat, it's just-" you tap a finger to your fore head "you're all smudged with dirt!"
"Oh! Oh my, let me try-" he rubs at it again with his hand, smearing it down to his cheeks "oh, come on!" His rubbing only continues to make it worse as it coats his nose.
"Good grief, stop it. I think I've got an extra kerchief." You grab his arm before digging through your bag. You pull out an extra spider silk cloth "you're just moving it around all over the place." You grin and start rubbing at all the smudges and spots on his face.
"You don't have to, I can do it myself-"
"Hold on! This one's stubborn!" You lick your thumb and rub at the stubborn spot, chuckling.
"Okay, okay, I get it!" He laughs, grabbing your hand to stop you. It rests just above his cheek where you could have sworn you saw a trim of stubble growing. His smile is warm and crinkles his eyes. You both sigh coming down from your laughing spell.
"So..." you start, slowly pulling your hand away "what happens in the drum to change the grass to rope?"
"Ah. Right, yes. Well, it's a very complicated process consisting of only the oddest of machineries." He puts a hand against the hull "why, even I don't know it's complete process."
"But you built it."
"I know, strange isn't it?" His eyes light just a little.
"Sounds like magic." You grin
His face immediately shifts "it's not."
"Are you sure? Because if the great scientist Wilson Higgsbury doesn't even know, then it surely must be a mystery!" Your smiles grows as you gesture wildly.
"Magic is just science we don't understand!" He counters exasperated.
"Ha! So you admit that magic is real. Even just a little." You squint through your fingers.
"No, I'm merely stating that-"
"Wilson I'm playing!"
"Oh."
"Here, I'll meet you in the middle. It's an alchemy engine."
"But-"
"And before you fight me on it, it is. It's an unknown science, which alchemy is, but also a machine. A steam engine of sorts. So Alchemy machine."
He purses his lips thinking long and hard.

'It's sound logic' he thinks to himself 'if not a little flawed. Alchemy is complete hogwash.' He continues to ponder on this, staring down at his friend 'but still, I don't know what could be going on inside that infernal thing...'
"Mmm...fine"
"Really??"
"Yes. For now, it can be our alchemy engine. That is until I prove to you that alchemy is for crazy people." He strides over to the chest beside her.
"So just the kind of thing for you then?"
He winces inside before forcing a grin onto his lips "I'm not crazy." He turns back to face her "just a little mad."

You watch him feed some logs into the machine and pull out planks. "You're going to get all messy again if you keep that up."
"And just who are you, my mother?" He cheekily grins at you in between work loads.
"I might as well be." You puff your cheeks lightly at him.
As he works, you two begin idle chit chat. It's nice.

Something inside the machines hull seems to squirm and lurch at him. Wilson almost shouts before realizing it was just his imagination. Confound it, not again. He pulls out the bundle of planks.
"Are you alright?" She asks him
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just pinched my finger."
"Liar." Boards hiss at him mouthlessly. He tosses them back into the chest before looking up at the sky
"Oh my, it's almost supper time."
"I better head home then." His friend stands up from her spot on the ground and begins to leave.
"No, wait." His body lurches before he can process his motions. He grabs her hand "please don't go." She turns around confused. Before she can say anything he starts again "I haven't exactly been doing well and would uh, enjoy the company." More like he needs the company. How many creatures has he seen today? He realizes how desperate he sounds and back pedals, releasing her hand "that is, if you want to, I won't make you."
She pulls her hand close to her chest, seeming to think.

"Okay."