Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

i. devote your heart

The last thing Cadet (Y/N) (L/N) expected when she joined the military was to fall in love, let alone with the Section-Commander of the Survey Corps. She’d entered with the purpose of fighting for peace and protecting the people, even if that meant venturing out into the wilderness which lurked behind the Walls. Even if that meant putting everything on the line, sacrificing herself for the greater good. It was what a respectable soldier did after all, wasn’t it?

It wasn’t like nobody would miss her when that day did finally come.

Well, that was what she’d thought until her heart began to race whenever the ever-so-gleeful Hange Zoe smiled at her. Or when the Section-Commander eagerly dragged her off from her training (much to Captain Levi’s chagrin) to do God-knows-what with the newest titans they’d acquired.

(Y/N)’s initial plan of hiding in the background, doing her duty silently and devotedly as she could before joining the list of dead unnoticed was obviously going to be lot harder to achieve. Walls-Above, why did she have to fall for the scientist? And why had they chosen her? She’d been moved to the Fourth Squad as soon as Hange managed to convince Erwin to let them do so.

But why?

What was so special about me? (Y/N) thought frustratingly as she stared up at the moonlit sky, watching as the scattered constellations twinkled and blinked across the navy canvas. Her conflicting thoughts and muddled feelings preventing her from sleeping.

She drew her arms closer around herself as she sat on the grassy embankment outside the headquarters. Shivering as an autumn breeze whistled through the amber-leaved trees and making her curse internally for forgetting her cloak.

“Suppose a little cold isn’t going to kill me,” she mused to herself. “Could be worse, could be raining.”

“Oh, it won’t rain until at least a few days,” a voice suddenly chirped from somewhere beside her. “You know the saying, right? Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight!” 

(Y/N) almost screamed.

She would’ve done if it hadn’t been in the middle of the night and would’ve woken up the rest of the Survey Corps. Instead, she covered her mouth with her hand, supressing a muffled gasp. (Y/N) turned to see the Section-Commander themself, sat crossed-legged beside her with a beaming smile. Their glasses glimmering in the silvery moonlight.

“W-what…” she stammered. “Hange what the actual hell…we need to put a bell on you or something.”

“That would be nice,” Hange grinned. “Levi always says that too.”

“No wonder why,” (Y/N) mumbled.

“Hmm?”

“Nothing,” (Y/N) shook her head. “When did you get here?”

“Only a few minutes ago,” Hange informed her before pouting and nudging (Y/N) with their elbow. “Good idea this, stargazing. I haven’t done it in a while. Why didn’t you invite me?”

(Y/N) rubbed her (E/C) eyes, sighing exasperatedly about the situation she was in. Usually, if her stargazing had been planned, she would’ve invited them – knowing they’ve would’ve just tagged along anyway, excitedly sprouting facts about the numerous constellations. But this time she’d hoped they hadn’t noticed, but then again alas she was never that lucky.

“I would’ve,” (Y/N) promised. “It’s just this wasn’t planned. I kind of couldn’t sleep so I came out here to see if it would help.”

Hange’s eyes seemed to soften behind their glasses, finally taking in her hunched frame and shivery skin. Without a word, they took off their cloak and placed it on (Y/N)’s shoulders and wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer. The action was nothing but a friendly gesture but of course it naturally sent (Y/N)’s pulse skyrocketing from the contact.

“T-Thank-you,” (Y/N) mumbled. “But aren’t you going to get cold now?”

“Nah, the cold doesn’t bother me much,” Hange explained. “Besides, I have you to cuddle now if I get cold, don’t I?”

(Y/N) would’ve laughed if she wasn’t so conflicted and almost as if sensing her inner turmoil, they frowned and their grip instinctively tightened. “(Y/N)…if there’s something bothering you, you don’t have to go through it alone. That’s what friends do, right?”

“Yeah,” (Y/N)’s heart sank at that word. “That’s what friends do.”

“(Y/N)-”

“Hange, can I ask you a question?” she interrupted before they had a chance to finish their sentence.

“Of course,” they smiled widely. “Anything for my (Y/N).”

She lifted her head so that she could look into their eyes. “Why did you choose me? Why did you choose me to be your other assistant? You have Moblit and he does such a good job, you don’t need me. You’ve never needed me.”

“I’ve always needed you (Y/N), dear,” Hange said softly, unperturbed by her outburst. “Yes, Moblit helps me keep in check but you have that eager flame for knowledge like I have. You make me feel like what I’m doing will actually be worthwhile…will mean something in the long-run and not treat me like some crazy scientist.”

“You’re the smartest person I know. Your passion, you’re so unique and you…” a lump formed in her throat, desperately trying to quell the tears. “You make me want to stay; I think that’s why I love you.”

She heard their sharp intake of breath and (Y/N) looked downwards at the ground before continuing. “My family are gone and so my plan was to join the military, become a scout and hope I made them proud. I wanted to mean something, even just temporarily yet I was going to stay in the shadows so that when I died, nobody would miss me like I miss them. But then you came along and ruined it all and now I want to stay more than I ever have…”

There was silence and for a while all she could hear was the creaking of the nearby oak trees and the scuttling of the woodland creatures. She thought they would get up and leave, walk away and not utter a word to her again. And then a hand reached under her chin and gently tilted her head back towards them. They were still smiling.

“I’m glad I ruined your plan. A world without you is something I can’t imagine,” Hange said tenderly. “You need to stay, even if it’s just for me. We all need to someone to love and that someone for me is you. If you’ll have me.”

“Of course, I will,” (Y/N) laughed weakly. “You don’t need to ask me that.”

And under the full-moon, (Y/N) brought her lips to Hange’s. Both giggling as they ended up toppling over onto the ground.

Chapter Text

ii. late nights

(Y/N) was struggling, flailing, yanking – trying everything in her power to force the giant hand to release her. But all those attempts proved futile. Her blades were broken, blunt from use. Her ODM gear out of fuel. Her comrades, her squad were gone. There was nothing that could possibly save her now.

The wide, gaping jaw of the Titan drew closer and she tried to scream but no sound came out. Walls, this was it. She was going to die.

She squeezed her eyes shut and just as the colossal teeth were mere inches away from crunching her skull into splinters and fragments, (Y/N) jerked awake. She was sat up in her bed, her heart pounding in her ribcage as her roommate Lyra Culpepper snored soundly form the bed across the room. She was safely secure within the confines of the Walls and in the headquarters of the Survey Corps.

It had just been a nightmare of course.

They weren’t uncommon these days, but it still left her trembling. It seemed like they were becoming more and more vivid each time they occurred and it was always the same scene. Her squad was gone – slaughtered by the Titans and she was the only one left. There was one detail missing this time however. She hadn’t seen Hange Zoe die.

The last ones had the Section-Commander’s life end in gruesome fashions, (Y/N) always a little too late to reach them in time before the final, deadly blow. She shook her head and climbed out of bed, grabbing some trousers and a shirt. Maybe a walk would clear her mind, she thought.

She briefly wondered if Hange would still be awake at this time and subconsciously found herself gravitating towards the hallway where the Section-Commander’s room was, only to find their door suspiciously wide open.

(Y/N) frowned; she couldn’t hear any voices but their light was seeping into the hallway. Out of pure curiosity and concern, (Y/N) peered around the doorway and into their room where she found a pacing Moblit. And behind him was the aforementioned Section-Commander, slumped at their desk and snoring soundly away. She restrained the urge to roll her eyes at the sight.

“Moblit?” she called quietly and the man halted.

“(Y/N),” he nodded curtly, his arms straight down his sides. He looked uneasy and unsure but he gave her a smile nonetheless. “What are you doing up? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“I could ask the same thing,” she arched up an eyebrow and gestured to the passed-out Hange. “They fell asleep doing their paperwork, didn’t they?”

He sighed. “It appears so. I’ve been at a loss at whether to wake them or not. On one hand, I know they need it since they’ve done nothing but be awake for the last twenty-four hours. But on the other, Commander Erwin is expecting the paperwork on the latest Titan testing before tomorrow.”

“Ah,” (Y/N) smirked. “It seems like you’re in quite the conundrum.”

Moblit sighed again. “I suppose the right thing to do would be to wake them. As much as I hate to.”

(Y/N) thought for a moment, trying to weigh up the options in her mind and whether there was a way around waking the sleeping Section-Commander. And then it came to her and she smiled.

“No, don’t wake them,” she said. “I have an idea.”

Moblit gave her a puzzled expression. “What is it?”

“I know you’re probably not going to like it but if I know Hange, then I know they keep notes that they use to write their paperwork, right?” (Y/N) said, passing Moblit by and walking behind them.

“Yes,” he nodded, albeit a little suspiciously.

(Y/N) leaned over Hange’s shoulder, peering at what they’d written so far and spotting the notes adjacent to the paperwork and grinned victoriously. “I’m good at mimicking handwriting, I can finish off the rest of their paperwork and hand it in to Erwin before sunrise.”

His eyes widened. “B-But that’s forgery-”

“Only if we get caught. Well by we I mean me,” she shrugged before carefully taking Hange’s glasses off, folding them and placing it on the desk. “Look, Mobby, I know it’s breaking the rules and stuff but you know more than anyone how hard it is to get them to sleep. Just let them have this night and if we get caught, I’ll say it’s all my idea, okay?”

He looked a little annoyed at the nickname but refrained from mentioning it. For a while he just watched the sleeping Section-Commander, however eventually his shoulders slumped and he reluctantly relented.

“Only this once,” he said weakly, like it physically hurt him to accept breaking the rules.

“Attaboy Mobby,” she grinned. “Okay, I’m going to carry them by their arms – can you take their legs?”

“Walls forbid they wake up while we’re lifting them,” Moblit mumbled, partially to himself before walking around the desk and grabbing onto Hange’s legs.

“Okay,” (Y/N) whispered, her arms wrapped around Hange. “On the count of three we lift, sound good?”

“Yes,” he nodded.

“Okay. Three. Two. One. Lift,” and within the instant they’d taken the Section-Commander from their spot at the desk. Carrying them across the study and towards their bedroom door at the far corner, trying hard not to stumble or trip as they navigated their way over.

Finally, they reached Hange’s bed and lowered them down. Moblit released an exhale, relieved that Hange hadn’t even stirred even once.

“Wow, they must really be out of it,” (Y/N) chuckled.

“Sleep-deprivation can do that to you,” Moblit commented, a tiny but detectable amount of amusement lingering in his tone. “But do they listen? Not a chance.”

“Hange’s stubborn,” (Y/N) stated fondly, trying to carefully take off their boots before drawing the duvet over them. “That’s why they need you. And I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t last very long without you, you know.”

He paused for a moment and she could barely see him through the darkness. The only light available coming in through the study.

“They need you too,” he said quietly. “They’re fond of you (Y/N). Always have been.”

“I don’t know about that,” she turned towards the doorway and gestured towards it. “I’m going to get started on their paperwork. Don’t worry about staying up any longer. You should head to bed too. You’ll probably need buckets of energy to keep up with them tomorrow.”

She strolled back out, not waiting for his reply and took the spot at the desk where Hange had previously been. (Y/N) rummaged through the paperwork, catching up to the part where they had left off and then picked up the notes.

When she looked up again, Moblit had closed the door to Hange’s bedroom and was standing in-front of her.

“Are you sure about this?” he said. “I can send a message to Commander Erwin that the paperwork will be late and Hange can finish it tomorrow-”

“Moblit,” (Y/N) interrupted firmly. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t look like they had much to finish anyway. I’ll be done within the hour.”

He still looked unconvinced. “I don’t-”

“Trust me,” she said, looking up at him imploringly. “You do trust me, don’t you?”

“I-Of course I do,” he nodded.

“Then go to bed, I’ll see you in the morning.”

She looked back down at the paperwork again and began writing. Eventually, she heard Moblit’s slow but steady retreating footsteps walk towards the door before they stopped.

“Thank-you (Y/N), you’re more valuable to Hange than you’ll ever know. It’s not just me that they rely on,” she heard him say. “Goodnight.”

(Y/N) looked up and gave him a pained smile. “Goodnight Moblit.”

And then he closed the door, leaving (Y/N) alone in Hange’s study, her love for the Section-Commander the driving force behind her work.~~~~~

Just over an hour later and she was finished.

Her eyes stung from tiredness but she was pretty sure that she’d included all of the notes Hange had written down previously. Smiling, she stood up from the chair and looked over at the clock. Roughly, she reckoned that there was about two hours before the usual predicted sunrise.

(Y/N) would be able to deliver Hange’s paperwork to Erwin and head back to her room before Lyra woke up. Plenty of time.

She grabbed the work and found her way to Erwin’s office, not even faintly surprised when she saw that the Commander was awake. She was sure that the man didn’t get anymore sleep than Hange did. Taking a breath, she knocked on the door.

“Come in,” she heard him call and she stepped in.

At first when Erwin looked up and saw (Y/N), he seemed surprised and albeit a little puzzled.

“Cadet (L/N),” he said. “To what do I owe the pleasure? And at this…rather early time of morning.”

“Sorry to intrude, Commander,” she said and then held up the work. “I’m just here to deliver Section-Commander Hange’s paperwork as per their request, sir. I believe they were meaning to have it in before tomorrow – or rather today should I say.”

“Really?” Erwin replied, tilting his head but taking the paperwork nonetheless. “And why didn’t they send Moblit to deliver it? They usually do.”

“Section-Commander Hange said he could turn in for the night. It took some convincing, but he did go in the end.”

She watched him skim through the papers until he got to the last page and her heart began to race in her chest. Please don’t realise. Please don’t realise.

“This seems up to standard. But if you want to make it more convincing, I suggest you dot the i’s with love-hearts which Hange has a habit of doing recently,” he stated and (Y/N) froze. “If it wasn’t for that, you would’ve had me convinced. I have to say, I’m impressed.”

Shit. When did they start doing that? God damn Hange, why are you like this.

“Commander, I promise that Section-Commander Hange and Moblit had no part in this…” (Y/N) said quickly. “I just found them asleep and I thought it might help them out a little. I meant no-”

She stopped when the Commander held up his hand. Instead of annoyance or anger like she’d expected, he seemed amused. Like he was close to laughing – a rare sight for the Commander of the Scouts.

“(Y/N), you can relax. I’m not going to punish you tonight. Hange needed their rest, that’s why I sent Levi to put a sleeping draught in their tea this evening,” Erwin explained.

She pulled a face. “Is that legal?”

“Probably not,” he shrugged. “But they’re unlikely to notice. We’ve done it a few times before and it always does the trick.”

“It certainly did. They were knocked out cold, sir.”

He raised the paperwork again. “I’ll go over this with Hange when they wake up just to double-check everything but I think you know them well-enough by now that it should be fine.”

“I’ll make sure to dot the i’s with love-hearts next time,” (Y/N) joked and then continued hurriedly when she saw the look of disapproval cloud the Commander’s face. “-Or never. Yeah, there totally won’t be a next time.”

Erwin smiled again. “You’re free to go Cadet (L/N).”

She left the room and when the door clicked shut behind her, allowed her back to slump against the wall. (Y/N) rubbed her eyes, took one last look at the Commander’s door and left for her own room.

“And so, I was like ‘hey maybe we could go and have a drink together sometime’ and wouldn’t you know it, she said yes! I knew she had a thing for me, always eyeing me up and sending me sweet little smiles!” proclaimed Austin Lowry her squad-mate, as he slammed his fist onto the table and causing their dinner trays to rattle.

“Be careful you idiot,” Lyra told him. “If you know our drinks over, you’ll be cleaning them up.”

Cole, another squad-member, with carefully combed raven black hair and round-rimmed spectacles, scoffed amusedly. “Are you sure you didn’t just dream that Lowry?”

“I didn’t dream it,” Austin argued. “It did happen.”

(Y/N) restrained the urge of rolling her eyes at the trio beside her. Usually, she’d find their typical morning banter in the mess hall amusing, but today – she just didn’t seem to have the energy.

“Oi,” she felt Austin elbow her in the side. “What’s up with you grumpy? You look like death.”

She glared at him. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“Hey,” he shrugged. “Just telling the truth.”

“And yet you lie about having a girlfriend,” Cole raised an eyebrow, resting his chin on his hand. “Seems rather hypocritical to me.”

“Oh, would you shut-up,” Austin threw his hands in the air, his sandy-hair flopping to the side from the movement. “I’m not lying. It’s true! Anyway – we were talking about (Y/N).”

“Were we?” (Y/N) said. “I thought we changed the subject.”

“Oh no, you’re not escaping that easily,” Lyra said opposite her, leaning over with a sly smirk. “This dumbass spent half of last night awake and out of bed. Though she won’t tell me where she went.”

“I did tell you! I went for a walk!”

“For two hours? What were you doing? Walking laps round headquarters? I don’t believe that.”

Austin whistled and shook his head. “Marlene isn’t going to be happy if you turn up to training looking like a zombie (Y/N).”

“I’ll be fine,” she protested. “If you three would just let me drink my coffee in peace. I just couldn’t sleep so I went for a walk, that’s it – alright?”

“Hmm,” (Y/N) heard Cole say to her left. “It seems we have two liars in our midst.”

“I’m not lying,” (Y/N) replied and technically she wasn’t. She just wasn’t revealing the whole truth because if she knew her friends, they would never let her hear the end of it.

“Hey!” a loud and familiar voice suddenly called out from across the mess hall and (Y/N) cursed internally at the sound. “Oi (Y/N)!”

“Is that Section-Commander Hange?” frowned Lyra. “Why are they calling you? What did you do?”

“Nothing, I-”

The aforementioned Section-Commander appeared at their table, looking at (Y/N)’s squad with a warm smile. (Y/N) noted that they had clearly just woken up by their messily tied up hair and lopsided glasses. She wanted to reach up and straighten them, but kept her hands firmly by her sides.

“Good morning! Nice day, isn’t it!” Hange hummed. “You don’t mind if I steal (Y/N), do you?”

“Oh no please be our guest Section-Commander,” Cole replied immediately then shot her a side-grin.

(Y/N) mumbled a few curse words in his direction, causing the boy’s smirk to widen. She downed the last remaining dregs of her coffee and stood up, gesturing towards the Section-Commander. “Would you like to lead the way?”

Hange gave her a knowing look before crossing the room towards the exit, (Y/N) reluctantly following them close behind. And once they were out of anyone’s earshot, Hange spun around and placed their hands on their hips.

“You know, a funny thing happened this morning. I could’ve sworn I fell asleep at my desk and yet when I woke up – I was in my bed,” Hange continued. “And then I had Moblit knocking, telling me Erwin wanted to see me. So, I thought I’d grab the paperwork I’d been working on last night only to find it gone.”

“Really?” (Y/N) restrained a wince.

“Hmm,” they nodded. “So, I went to Erwin and he told me that you’d handed it in early this morning – completely finished. I then cornered Moblit and he let the little bit of information slip that you did the rest of it.”

“Did he?” she said, her voice sounding strained. There was no point denying it at this point. Of course, they were bound to find out what happened. It didn’t take a genius to put the pieces together at this point. “Look, Hange – I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean any harm by it. I just wanted to let you get some rest for once.”

“Oh,” their expression softened. “I’m not mad. But I am kind of curious how you managed to write with my handwriting, practically identical.”

“Well – not really identical considering Erwin did catch me out. Since when did you start dotting your i’s with love-hearts?” she shook her head. “You know what never-mind, I don’t think I want to know. The whole mimicking handwriting thing is just a weird talent of mine that I’ve picked up over the years.”

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you? What other secret talent are you hiding that I don’t know about?” they teased.

“That’s for me to know and you to never find out,” (Y/N) grinned but she then reached up and adjusted their glasses so it sat straight on the bridge of their nose. “I wish you’d put these on properly, one day they’ll fall off and break and then what will we do?”

Their eyes watched (Y/N)’s movements silently, their face lost in thought. Hange’s hand then reached up and touched hers, their fingers curling around her palm.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” they said tenderly and (Y/N)’s heart began to beat loudly in her chest.

(Y/N) didn’t know what to think. Her mind was racing as her eyes locked onto theirs. She didn’t have to ponder much longer though as Hange abruptly pulled away from her as the sound of approaching footsteps made their way down the hallway behind them.

“Oi, four-eyes,” called Captain Levi Ackerman. “We’ve got a meeting with Erwin or did you forget about it again?”

“N-No I didn’t forget. I was just talking to (Y/N) about something. I’m just coming,” the Section-Commander blurted but as they passed, they placed the faintest of kisses on her cheek. “Thank-you dear.”

And as (Y/N) watched them and Levi disappear down the hallway, a warm smile curled onto her lips at the small action.

Chapter Text

iii. blueprints

  Fifteen-year-old (Y/N) (L/N) whipped through the trees, blades flashing as they sliced through the nape of a dummy that had just peeked out from behind the trunk of an ancient oak.

“Damn it (L/N)!” cursed Rico Brzenska, a fellow recruit, from somewhere behind her. “I said that one was mine!”

(Y/N) tilted her head to grin at the girl. “Guess you’re just too slow.”

She ducked beneath a tree branch, spotting another dummy up ahead and three other trainees zipping towards it. It wasn’t exactly a race. (Y/N) knew that they were being marked on teamwork rather than how fast they would open the nape of the dummy. But often times (Y/N) just liked annoying the blonde and stealing her ‘kills’ was definitely included.

Their graduation would be this week and this would be their final examination. (Y/N) knew Rico had been aiming for the top ten. She, on the other hand, didn’t mind too much. Graduating from the Training Corps was a feat in itself, getting into the top ten was just an added bonus.

And so, when the results were announced for the 100^th Cadet Corps and she found herself in eighth place, she couldn’t help but show a little flicker of surprise.

“Uh, there must have been some kind of mistake,” she tried to say but Shadis gave her a pointed look and she closed her mouth.

Then (Y/N) saw Rico fall in line beside her.

“Don’t act like you’re in denial (L/N). We both know you were going to end up in the top ten,” the blonde told her. “And you deserved it, as much as it pains for me to admit it since you stole my kill.”

“Thanks,” (Y/N) said. “I think?”

“You could join the MPs now. Is that what you’re aiming for?” Rico asked.

“No,” (Y/N) said curtly. “The MPs is the last place I’ll join.”

“Well, it better not be the Garrison since that’s where I’ll be going and I’ve had enough of seeing your smug face as it is,” Rico stated, matter-of-factly.

“I am not smug,” she protested.

“Keep telling yourself that. You seemed pretty smug to me when you stole my kill-”

“Oh Walls, you’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“Not until you die, so you better stay alive so I can remind you,” Rico said.

(Y/N) looked at her. “You sure know how to give people whiplash. I really can’t tell if you like or hate me. Maybe I will join the Garrison just to see.”

“Don’t you dare.”

(Y/N) laughed.

“Don’t worry. I think I’m going to go into the Survey Corps,” she told the blonde. “So, you won’t have to see my ‘smug face’ as you put it.”

Rico gave her a dark look. “Like I said before, you better stay alive.”

“I will!” (Y/N) raised her hands defensively.

Before Rico had the chance to say something else, Shadis cleared his throat to signal their attention again. (Y/N) shot the girl a smirk and then turned to look at the Chief Instructor.

“Congratulations Cadets,” he told them sternly. “In just a few days from now you’ll be deciding what division of the military you’ll be joining. Whether it’s the Military Police, the Garrison or the Scouts – I’d like to think that you’ll remember your training and will not make silly mistakes. You are dismissed to collect your belongings and head out before nightfall.”

“Yes sir,” they chanted, saluting the Chief Instructor for the final time before leaving the Training Corps for good.

(Y/N) yanked the reins of her horse to the left, but the raven-coated mare huffed and veered right – shaking her head in protest and causing some of her mane to whack (Y/N) in the face. The sun had barely peeked above the horizon, casting an orangey glow over the nearby surroundings.

Up ahead were the silhouettes of Hange and Moblit, strolling ahead on their well-behaved horses. Of course, Val, her horse was barely a few years old and had a streak of sassiness that wasn’t going away anytime soon.

“Come on Val,” (Y/N) said gently, patting the mare on the head. “I know it’s early but I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

Val huffed again, rearing her head back before reluctantly beginning a slow trot forwards after the Section-Commander and Moblit. She let out a sigh of relief but didn’t dare ask the horse to go any faster in-case the mare threw another tantrum.

It was then she’d noticed that Moblit had held back to wait for her, his eyebrow arched in a silent question.

She shook her head. “It’s fine. She’s just being dramatic.”

“Does she usually do that?” he asked, slightly amused.

“Only if I don’t give her an apple in the morning. Apparently, her regular breakfast isn’t enough for her,” (Y/N) replied. “I pretty much grew up around horses and Val is the liveliest one I’ve come across.”

“They all have different temperaments,” Moblit said with a shrug. “Not all of them will be easy to train. I’m guessing you’ll have your work cut out for you.”

“I can’t wait,” (Y/N) said sarcastically with a grin.

“Oi, you two!” called out Hange’s voice from in-front of them. They had brought their own horse to a halt and was waving at them from around ten-metres away. “Quit the chit-chat and hurry up!”

They glanced at each other and Moblit gestured for (Y/N) to go in-front. She tugged on her reins again and to her liberation, Val began to speed up without a complaint.

Of course, (Y/N) hadn’t particularly planned to be riding Val this early in the morning.

Less than an hour prior she’d been standing in her room, conversing with Lyra when the Section-Commander had burst in un-prompted. Walls knew if Hange actually had knowledge about the art of knocking. Lyra had squealed in surprise, hiding underneath the covers of her bed whilst (Y/N) stood there dumfounded.

“Morning Lyra! I’m just going to take (Y/N) on a little adventure,” the brunette had exclaimed. “I’ll meet you down in the stables in about ten minutes, okay?”

“Wait,” (Y/N) had said quickly. “Where are we-”

But Hange had already slammed the door shut and ran off down the hallway, leaving (Y/N) to put the pieces together herself. And then here she was. Sitting on Val and moving towards the Walls without only a little idea as to why.

On the back of the Section-Commander’s horse was a roll of blueprints, designs and schematics of potential anti-Titan artillery that Hange had been working on these last few years. They were going to present them to members of the Garrison with the hopes of strengthening the Walls defence against future breaches.

She still didn’t understand why she was here, though. As far as she knew this was a conversation between higher-ranked military personnel, not something a simple solider like her should be hearing. She wasn’t going to complain though, her intrigue far surpassing her hesitance.

(Y/N) brought her horse so that it was beside Hange’s, the Section-Commander’s glasses gleaming in the amber luminosity of the morning.

“I’m surprised Marlene was okay with you bringing me along,” (Y/N) said. “We had some important ODM training to do today.”

“Well,” Hange scratched their chin and doing their best to hide a wince. “I’m sure she’s okay with it. She usually didn’t mind before when I stole you from her squad.”

(Y/N) stared at them. “She doesn’t know?”

“Uh, not exactly.”

“You told me she was fine with it!” (Y/N) shouted.

“Ah – actually I said she will be fine with it,” Hange said meekly.

“Oh Walls, she’s going to make me run one-hundred laps around headquarters when we get back,” (Y/N) said, covering her face with her hand.

“Pfft – no she won’t. I’ll just tell her it was my fault. Problem solved,” Hange shrugged.

“But then we’ll both get in trouble.”

“Exactly. At least we’ll face punishment together, eh?” they said. “Let’s get going. I think we have about less than a mile before we reach the Walls.”

(Y/N) turned to Moblit who was shaking his head apologetically. The girl just released an exhale, closing her eyes for a brief moment before continuing. They made it this far. Might as well finish off the reason why they came.

“You are so lucky I love you,” (Y/N) mumbled under her breath.

She tethered her horse to a nearby tree, wrapping the lead around its trunk before running a comforting hand down the mare’s snout. By this point, the sun was well and truly in the sky and she’d positioned Val so that she was safely in the shade.

The last thing she wanted was for the horse to get heat-stroke from being out in the sunlight too long.

(Y/N) was just double-checking that the lead was properly fastened when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. In confusion she looked down and was unable to stop her stomach from dropping as she was suddenly zipped up into the air.

“Hange!”  she shouted as she heard them chuckle in her ear. “A little warning next time!”

“Why?” they said back, barely hearing them over the whistle of the wind. “I like taking you by surprise.”

(Y/N) took a moment to figure out if there was a double meaning behind that sentence, but decided to let it go when they landed on-top of the Walls. Moblit not too far behind them.

It was only a few minutes later when they spotted two figures walking towards them did Hange’s arm unwrap itself from (Y/N)’s waist. (Y/N) found herself missing the contact but looked up when the people who they were meeting soon approached.

Her eyes widened in recognition at one of them. “Rico?”

Walls, she hadn’t seen Rico Brzenska in years. In-fact, she hadn’t seen her since they went into their respective military divisions shortly after graduation. And then suddenly here she was, standing next to Kitz Woermann, the Captain of the Garrison’s First Division Elite Forces.

The girl’s silver eyes moved over to her, briefly flickering with surprise and recognition as they met her (E/C) ones. “(L/N). I didn’t expect to see you here.”

(Y/N) grinned. “I could say the same for you. How is my favourite person?”

Rico had always hated whenever (Y/N) had called her that, and she could see the girl’s nose wrinkle at the name. But she didn’t see the way Hange frowned either.

“We should get back on track,” Kitz Woermann spoke up for the first time since they’d met. “Isn’t your choice of locations for this meeting a little…secluded? Would it not have been more suitable to choose Trost?”

“For now, Commander Erwin and I would prefer if we kept this project between ourselves, you and Commander Pyxis. Until everything is in place, of course,” Hange said. “We’d appreciate it if you could pass on these blueprints to Pyxis and report back on his thoughts.”

Captain Kitz gave a distasteful look as he snatched the blueprints out of Hange’s hands. He skimmed through the sketches with Rico peeking over his shoulder before he shook his head. “What is this? Weapons?”

“Anti-Titan artillery,” Hange answered patiently. “A key way at strengthening the Garrison and the Wall’s defence against another potential breach.”

“So, what you’re saying is, the Garrison isn’t strong enough already? That we’re weak?” he sneered. “Who do you Scouts think you are? Don’t forget that you have the highest death-rate in the military. We certainly don’t need your help.”

“No offence,” (Y/N) heard herself say. “But that’s not really your decision to make. These blueprints are to go to Commander Pyxis where he’ll decide.”

“That’s if he gets them,” he replied sombrely. “And if I agree to deliver them.”

“Excuse me Section-Commander Hange, Captain Kitz,” Rico said before anyone else could contribute to the discussion. The pair’s stony dispositions turning to surprise. “I would like to borrow (L/N) for a moment, if that’s alright.”

(Y/N) frowned at her. What could she possibly need her for in a time like this?

It took a moment for Kitz to nod his permission and even longer for Hange but eventually (Y/N) followed Rico a little ways away from the meeting. (Y/N) watched as the girl’s blonde hair rustled lightly in the breeze, her posture straight and attentive as always.

Before (Y/N) could ask what Rico wanted, the girl started talking.

“Isn’t it weird that after so many years, this is how we meet again? During an altercation between your Section-Commander and my Captain,” she said, her voice not giving any emotion away.

“Your Captain is quite the moron,” (Y/N) stated.

There was a brief smirk but within a blink, it had gone. She turned so that she was facing Titan-territory, her arms crossing over her chest. “And your Section-Commander is quite the jealous-type so it would seem.”

“What?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you hadn’t noticed? I knew you were slow, but I didn’t think you were this dense (L/N),” Rico said.

“What’s this about Rico?” (Y/N) asked, a little frustrated.

“Do you trust them?”

“Hange?”

“Yes, you idiot, who else.”

“Of course, I do,” (Y/N) stated, a little defensively. “I would trust them with my life.”

“But would you trust them with the lives of others? This anti-Titan artillery – do you know that it works? That it will be effective in protecting humanity? That’ll cut down on losses?” Rico listened.

“Yes,” (Y/N) replied, firmly. “Hange is the smartest person I know. If anyone can build something like this, it’s them.”

“Hmm,” the girl pondered. “And so, if I convince Captain Kitz to take the blueprints to Pyxis and if the approved artillery fails – I can point the finger at you for enforcing the idea.”

“It won’t fail but yes. You can blame me if you want to.”

Rico turned and peered at her, then her eyes flickered behind (Y/N) and towards where Hange stood with Kitz and Moblit. (Y/N) followed her gaze but by that point, Hange was turned and discussing something with Moblit.

“They’ve been shooting daggers at me this entire time. I wonder if they know that you’ve done nothing but praise them,” Rico said suddenly.

“They’re not doing anything. Hange is just stood there.”

Rico pinched the bridge of her nose. “Walls, I hate doing something so reckless but you’ve given me little choice here.”

“What are you talking-”

There was a sudden whoosh of air as Rico’s fist sailed towards her. (Y/N) dodged out of the way, almost tripping in the process. She spun towards Rico, her mouth agape in surprise.

“Stop it,” (Y/N) hissed.

“Your reflexes have gotten better,” Rico noted, ignoring her and advancing forwards. “I remember the last time we sparred. You were always distracted.”

The girl sent a roundhouse kick but (Y/N) ducked, rolling away from her before springing into a defensive stance again.

“What are you doing?”

Rico smiled. “Proving a point.”

This time, Rico was quicker. She grabbed onto (Y/N)’s arm, pulling (Y/N) towards her and flipping her over her hip. (Y/N) fell to the ground quickly, knocking her chin as Rico pulled her arm into a backwards position – threatening to dislocate it. Her knee knelt into (Y/N)’s back, keeping her down.

With the breath knocked out of her, she could only wheeze in response. Her chin throbbing from where it had hit the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” shouted a very angered-voice and Rico was instantly shoved off away from her.

(Y/N) groaned as she felt someone’s hands lift her up and onto her feet, and saw it was Moblit. She nodded her thanks and looked around. It was Hange that had thrown Rico off of her, but the blonde looked unfazed and rather amused.

Captain Kitz appeared stunned as Rico turned towards him.

“(L/N) here has me convinced Captain,” the girl said. “It would be in the Garrison’s best interest to take those blueprints to Commander Pyxis. If not, I will inform him of them myself.”

“You can’t just go around attacking my-” Hange began.

“It’s fine honestly,” (Y/N) interrupted, grabbing their arm and pulling them away from Rico. “It was nothing. We just messing around.”

“That didn’t look like messing around to me,” Hange barked and then brought their hand up to (Y/N)’s face, catching her off guard. “You’re hurt.”

“Just a scratch,” she tried to smile reassuringly.

Rico took the blueprints from the still astonished Captain and nodded curtly. “We should be going now. We’ll report back Commander Pyxis’ response as soon as possible, Section-Commander Hange.”

Rico gave (Y/N) one last glance before turning and leaving, Captain Kitz following shortly behind and leaving the three of them completely baffled.

“So, you know each other?” Hange asked, once they were back by their horses. Both of them were sat on the root of a tree, the Section-Commander gingerly tending to the wound of (Y/N)’s chin. Moblit was standing not too far away, untying their horses.

“Yeah,” (Y/N) sighed. “We were in the Cadet Corps together. She was always particularly unpredictable.”

Hange’s eyes furrowed and (Y/N) couldn’t help but find the action adorable. “You said she was your favourite person?”

“Oh yeah she hated it when I would call her that – still does by the looks of it,” (Y/N) grinned. “But of course, she isn’t really my favourite person. Someone else takes that spot.”

Their shoulders slumped; their frown still visible. “A-ah I see – do I know them?”

“Yes, you do,” (Y/N) nodded. “Because I’m talking about you, you moron. Hange, you’ll always be my favourite person.”

“Me?” they repeated.

“You, Hange.”

“Huh,” Hange thought, a smile erupting on their face. “Well, that’s good news.”

Right then at that moment, (Y/N) wanted nothing more than to grab the Section-Commander and kiss them. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Moblit standing patiently under a tree, waiting for them. She didn’t want to make it anymore awkward for the guy.

She leaned in and kissed Hange’s cheek instead. “We should probably get going. It’s a long ride back.”

And she could’ve sworn she saw Hange blushing when she stood up.

Chapter Text

iv. squad switching

The air was warm and pleasant as they rode through the streets of Trost, approaching the gates of Wall Rose. The weather just right for the day’s planned reconnaissance mission. But their appearance hadn’t gone unnoticed. (Y/N) watched as an awed crowd gathered around them, their shouts and cries being overlooked by Commander Erwin.

“There they are!” (Y/N) heard a voice shout out from the crowd. “The main force of the Survey Corps!”

Her hands gripped Val’s reins tighter. She couldn’t help but feel like a fraud. She was by no means apart of the Scouts’ main force. She peered at the Commander again. Why had he let her join? The rest of the Marlene Squad hadn’t come, so why her? Wouldn’t she just get in the way?

“Commander Erwin!” someone exclaimed. “Kill the titans for us!”

“Look, it’s Captain Levi!” another voice cried and (Y/N) noted the bemused expression on the Captain’s face. “They say he’s as strong as an entire brigade!”

“Shut-up,” she heard him mumble under his breath.

“If they knew how fussy you are, they wouldn’t look at you with such admiration,” Hange commented from beside him, their eyes gleaming with enjoyment.

(Y/N) glanced at them.

They had been the one who’d decidedly brought her along. She wasn’t even the slightest bit surprised by that though.

“I think he likes the attention really,” (Y/N) said, causing both of them to turn towards her. “He’s just trying to hide his blush.”

Hange snorted but Levi merely narrowed his eyes at (Y/N). “Tch – you should discipline your squad-members more four-eyes. If you were in mine, I’d have you mopping the floors of headquarters when we return.”

“I’m not in Hange’s squad,” (Y/N) replied. “I belong in Marlene’s group.”

He arched up an eyebrow at that, and Hange suddenly seemed very intrigued by the sky, a common sign that they were hiding something.

“You seriously didn’t think it appropriate to tell her?” Levi drawled.

“Tell me what?” (Y/N) asked, a little impatiently. “Hange?”

The Section-Commander gave her a meek smile that would’ve usually melted her resolve but this time her suspicion was too strong to garner that reaction.

“Well,” Hange began. “This morning Erwin finally gave me the go-ahead to move you into the Fourth Squad. My squad. I was going to wait until after the mission to tell you but shorty here couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

“Don’t blame me for this shitty glasses. It’s no fault of mine that you thought it a good idea to only tell your girlfriend until the last minute!”

She’d been so caught up in the news, she didn’t even realise what Levi had called her and how Hange hadn’t protested it.

All she knew that she was leaving Marlene’s squad. Did that mean she had to switch dorms? Would she see her friends less often? Why hadn’t Hange told her that they’d asked Erwin to switch her squads? How was she going to explain to the others why she was leaving? Would they resent her?

“Hey,” (Y/N) suddenly felt a hand grasp her shoulder and turned to look at Hange’s worried expression. “Are you okay?”

“It would’ve been nice to have been told,” she said dryly and when she saw Hange grimace slightly, she sighed. “Just give me a little while, okay?”

She tugged Val’s reigns and the horse surged forwards, causing Hange’s hand to fall off her shoulder.

“Wait, (Y/N)-”

“Just give her some space you idiot,” (Y/N) heard Levi tell the Section-Commander sternly. “The last thing this mission needs is a lovers quarrel.”

Hange spluttered as (Y/N) continued forwards, catching up to Moblit who glanced at her as she approached and gave a comforting smile which she weakly returned.

“They mean well,” he said.

“I’m sorry?”

“Section-Commander Hange. They’ve been begging Commander Erwin to move you into their squad for over a year now. They were pretty relentless with it.”

(Y/N) hadn’t known that and didn’t particularly know what to think of it. On one side, she was glad that she was in Hange’s squad – she’d get to spend more time around them. But on the other, she knew she’ll miss Lyra, Cole and Austin more than anything. And she was torn about the fact that Hange hadn’t told her, hadn’t given her time to prepare – nothing.

“They want to keep you close,” he continued, looking forwards again. “It’s hard to do that when you’re in another squad.”

“If that was true, it’s not a good enough reason to move me into the Fourth Squad,” (Y/N) pointed out. “The Fourth Squad is for people like you. Skilled and actually deserving of it.”

“So, you think you don’t deserve it? Is that why you’re upset?”

“I’m not upset, I guess I just…” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “The point is, I just think there’s others who should be in my position instead of me. Who worked hard and not because I have a close relationship with…”

Her sentence fell short but Moblit knew what she meant. He reached out his arm and placed it on her shoulder. “Trust me. Trust Hange. You deserve it. Welcome to the Fourth Squad, (L/N).”

Their reconnaissance mission was going as it usually did. A chaotic mismatch of ridding Titans still roaming in the long-abandoned towns and surveying the area.

(Y/N) was sprinting along the rooftop, close behind another scout whose name she vaguely knew as Felix. The slippery and uneven surface almost making her stumble. They weren’t using their ODM gear, preferring to make the trek across the rooftops and leading the advancing ten-metre Titan to a secure location.

She didn’t know where Hange or Moblit were. She’d been accidentally separated from them ten minutes prior and had been caught up with Felix.

But they hadn’t realised how fast this particular Titan was, as before they could even reach the planned enclosed area, its massive jaws veered upwards and caught Felix’s cloak. He yelped in surprise, sliding backwards down the slope of the roof, and sending tiles shattering to the ground below.

(Y/N), without a second thought, lurched backwards, using her gear to boost her way towards the Titan’s face. She slashed an arch shape with her blades, blinding the beast and instinctively causing it to reopen its jaw. Felix shot out cables to stop his rapid descent, landing back by her side.

“Thanks,” he gasped. “I-I thought it had me there.”

“Don’t celebrate too soon. Blindness won’t stop it for long,” she pointed out. “Best if we stick to using the gear from now on. That was way too risky-”

“Look out!”  Felix shouted in a panic and both barely managed to sidestep the Titan’s snapping jaws again. The creature’s sharp monstrous teeth crunching up the roofing of the building they’d been standing on mere seconds before.

She saw the moustached-Titan turn towards her, its now singular eye tracking her movements until it seemingly heard the excitable howling coming straight towards it. Within an instant, Hange landed in-front of her. They glanced in her direction, assessing her for potential injuries before beaming at having found none.

“It’s okay!” they shouted towards the Titan. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Section-Commander Hange,” (Y/N) said. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea to taunt the Titan.”

“Eh – he doesn’t mind,” but then they frowned. “Wait, Section-Commander?”

“What?”

“You called me Section-Commander – oh dear,” Hange’s query was cut-short as the Titan made a grab towards them – causing the pair to split apart again as the fist slammed down onto the roof where they’d been standing.

“Shit,” (Y/N) muttered, grappling onto another nearby building as she heard Hange laugh manically above her.

“Ah – you almost got us there,” the Section-Commander exclaimed. “But now it’s my turn!”

(Y/N) landed on the ground as Hange sliced off the Titan’s neck with simple ease – she marvelled at how easy they had appeared to make it. Meanwhile (Y/N) only had one Titan kill to her name and still she’d been moved to the Fourth Squad?

The thought plummeted her already sombre mood.

“There!” Hange proclaimed with glee, reaching to stand beside her as the Titan tumbled to the ground. “See? That didn’t hurt, did it?”

The Titan blood on Hange’s cloak began to dematerialise, smoke steaming from their clothes. The ground around them shaking violently as the creature came crashing down.

Hange’s expression softened when they returned their attention to (Y/N). But (Y/N) was focused on the Titan’s corpse as it began its usual process of decay.

“Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“I’m fine,” she replied curtly and saw her in her peripheral as the Section-Commander’s brows knitted together in obvious concern.

“Ah – you’re still mad at me,” came their response.

“I’m not mad.”

“You called me Section-Commander Hange,” they pointed out.

“That’s your title. It would be inappropriate of me to call my squad leader by their name.”

“Oh yeah, you’re definitely mad,” they winced and reached a hand out, aiming for (Y/N)’s shoulder. “Please don’t be – if you’ll let me explain-”

Their conversation was cut-short was the Commander, Levi and his squad came to a halt beside them. “Hange, we’re pulling back immediately. The Titans are heading north towards town. Something’s happened.”

Hange dropped their hand, their face shaping into a stoic look. “You’re thinking another potential breach? Like five years ago?”

“It’s appearing that way,” Erwin responded, his face grim. “We’re going ahead – catch up with us as soon as possible.”

And with that the group began a thunderous gallop, heading north and (Y/N)’s mind was racing. Wall Rose has possibly been breached? Was Trost now suffering a similar fate as the Shiganshina District had faced in 845? A pit formed in her stomach at the thought.

“Get to your horses,” Hange instructed with a steely resolve, the rest of the Fourth Squad falling in around them. “And meet me back here. We leave immediately.”

She didn’t need telling twice.

(Y/N) lifted the box from underneath her bunk as she began the process of moving her belongings in silence. The girl sat on the adjacent bunk, not willing to talk and (Y/N) understood. She grabbed her clothes, mostly consisting of her uniforms and tucked it into the container so it would be easily movable later on.

She didn’t have many belongings so switching dorms wasn’t going to be a long-winded process. (Y/N) was now going to be sharing a room with Nifa on the floor where Hange’s office was situated. Nifa was a known dedicated soldier with the Fourth Squad and had been lovely each time she’d interacted with (Y/N). But still the reluctance clouded her mind.

It was night-time now, the day’s events also playing on repeat in her head. The fact that a boy that could transform into a Titan now existed and that the same boy had also sealed the breach in Wall Rose thus ensuring humanity’s first victory wasn’t exactly a common occurrence.

She sighed as the last of her stuff was packed up. “I’m sorry.”

Lyra echoed her sigh with an exhale. “No, don’t be sorry. I figured this might happen at some point. It was inevitable they were going to steal you away eventually.”

“They’re not stealing me,” (Y/N) said pointedly, turning around to face the girl on the bed. “We’re still going to see each other. Just not that often anymore.”

Lyra crossed her arms after a moment of contemplation. “I want a promise.”

“A promise?”

“Uh huh – I want you to promise me that whenever you have a moments free time, you’ll come down and see me,” Lyra continued. “No excuses, or I’ll hunt you down (L/N).”

(Y/N) smirked. “You’ll hunt me down?”

“Don’t think I’m joking,” Lyra replied with an arched eyebrow. “Now do you promise me, or what?”

“I promise,” (Y/N) said and held out her hand.

Lyra reached out and took it before tugging (Y/N) into a crushing bear-hug.

“Don’t die either. I’ll be pissed,” she heard Lyra mumble. “And so will Cole and Austin.”

“Same to you,” (Y/N) added, tightening her own grip on her best friend at the thought. A sinking feeling starting to form in her stomach again. After expeditions, she wouldn’t know straight away whether her friends had survived. She would have to wait until they returned to headquarters and she didn’t particularly like that idea.

A knock on the door interrupted the moment and (Y/N) reluctantly pulled away to answer it. She blinked in surprise. “Hange?”

“Evening,” the Section-Commander smiled gingerly, their eyes briefly flickering over to Lyra before returning to (Y/N) again. “Sorry to intrude, I was wondering if you’d like some help carrying your belongings upstairs.”

“Uh – I gave like only one box so I should be fine. Thanks though.”

“Nonsense – allow me,” they strolled into the room, passing Lyra who had retuned to sulking on her bed. Hange picked up the box of (Y/N)’s stuff as an awkward silence fell int the room.

“Honestly, you don’t have to,” (Y/N) said quickly, moving forwards to take the box back but Hange veered away with a small grin.

“I want to,” they said. “It’s the least I could do for…”

The sentence trailed off, but (Y/N) knew where they were going with it and judging by her expression, so did Lyra as she glanced upwards. Her eyes slightly distant. “See you around (Y/N). Don’t forget your promise.”

“I swear I’ll keep it,” (Y/N) nodded curtly.

And before she knew it, she was following Hange through the corridor and the Section-Commander was silent as if thinking over something in their head so (Y/N) decided to speak first before they could get a word in.

“Hange,” she called and they halted, tilting their head at her inquisitively. “I need to apologise.”

Hange frowned. “For what?”

“I shouldn’t have acted the way I did when I found out you moved me into the Fourth Squad. If Commander Erwin agreed to it then there must have been a valid reason and I should’ve trusted your judgement. I’m really sorry – mmph.”

The brunette, with their free hand, had placed their index finger on (Y/N)’s mouth – causing her to fall silent. She wasn’t sure what to particularly make of this development.

“Hush,” they said softly, their eyes containing a mixture of amusement and something else (Y/N) couldn’t decipher. “I’m the one who should be saying sorry. I should’ve told you. I’m around you enough that I had the time. And to be truthful, my reasons for begging Erwin to let you join my squad was entirely selfish.”

Hange’s hand moved slightly so that it was brushing (Y/N)’s cheek and she desperately willed herself not to blush. She kept quiet, letting the Section-Commander continue talking.

“I thought that if you’re in my squad, I could keep you safe and keep you close. I-” their voice faltered slightly. “If I lose you, I don’t know what I’ll do. I wouldn’t know…what to do.”

“Hange…I would say that that’s not going to happen but that’s just what being in the Survey Corps is about…”

“I know,” they uttered as if the words were difficult to speak. “But I can try and stop it. I’ll do my damn hardest to stop it.”

She found herself staring at their lips as they moved, trying hard not to just grab their face and kiss them right there and then. Hange, however, didn’t bother restraining themselves. (Y/N) heard the box drop (slightly thankful that there was nothing fragile inside of it) and saw the Section-Commander lean towards them.

“(Y/N)?” they whispered.

“Yes?” (Y/N) replied weakly.

“Can I kiss you?” came the question and (Y/N) almost laughed. Of course, they would ask permission first.

“If you don’t, I’ll have to slap you,” she retorted and Hange grinned. They placed their lips on hers, their hands grasping her chin and all (Y/N) felt was warmth all over.

Chapter Text

v. sleepovers

(Y/N) rushed warily through the hall of Headquarters, swinging her forest green cloak over her shoulders and blearily rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It was at least mid-night by now, judging by the position of the half-crescent moon in the sky. Torches lined the walls around her, lighting her way with a dull amber glow.

Why had Captain Levi of all people summoned her to Hange’s room at this time of night? Had something happened? Was the Section-Commander okay?

It was making (Y/N) uneasy. The nagging thoughts and scenarios swirling around her head in a dangerous loop. Her hands clenched unknowingly into fists at her sides. She veered round the last corner that led to Hange’s room and caught a glimpse of a figure, leaning casually against the Section-Commander’s door.

Their face was shrouded in shadow, but judging by their short-stature, (Y/N) instantly recognised it as Captain Levi. The man stood up straight when he noticed her arrival and she took note of a cup of tea, steaming in his left-hand.

“Finally,” he drawled. “(L/N), you sure do take your time, don’t you?”

“Sorry Sir,” (Y/N) replied, a little out-of-breath after having run up several flights of stairs. “I came from my room as soon as the Cadet delivered the message. What’s the problem? Is the Section-Commander okay? Where’s Moblit?”

“Four-eyes is fine, well sort of. Moblit is running an errand for me at the moment and so he’s a little indisposed to make sure the titan-freak in there looks after themselves,” Levi stated, his face looking as though he’d rather be anywhere than there right at that moment.

(Y/N) breathed a slight sigh of relief. Here she’d been worrying herself sick thinking the scientist had gravelly injured themselves or worse. But then her eyebrows knitted together as a new question formed itself into her mind. “So…forgive me Sir, for being a little confused. But what is it that you need me to do?”

Levi rolled his eyes. “I need you to go in there and sort them out.”

“Sort them out?”

“Are you dumb? I need you to make sure they go to bed. Get them to go sleep, drag them from their desk if that’s what it takes – I don’t care. I know you two are close, Moblit informed me, don’t bother denying it,” he waved his hand dismissively when (Y/N) opened her mouth to reply. “They listen to you for some reason, that’s what matters. I’ve tried giving them some sleeping-draught but they’ve caught on that I’ve been spiking their tea.”

(Y/N) couldn’t help but find their situation a little amusing, although there was a definite note of concern mixed in there. It must be bad if Captain Levi of all people was asking her to sort out the Section-Commander.  She knew it was a common fact that Hange often prioritized their work over their health, preferring to have their head buried in books rather than a pillows.

“Okay,” (Y/N)’s nodded weakly. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Levi breezed pass her, before stopping. “And remember, they have to be up at sunrise for the usual meeting with the Commander.”

“Yes Sir,” then an idea clicked. “And oh – you said to do whatever it takes to get them to go to bed?

“Correct,” the Captain nodded curtly.

A small smirk curled upon (Y/N)’s lips. “And so strictly-speaking, this will be under your command and if they used their position to send me away, it’ll technically be void?”

(Y/N) could’ve sworn she saw a brief flicker of amusement grace Levi’s features before it vanished within a blink of an eye. Could’ve been a trick of the lighting, she supposed, but it helped grow her own smile nonetheless.

He nodded again.

“Consider it also under the order of Commander Erwin and no other rank surpasses his,” the Captain turned away, beginning his march to the end of the hallway. “Goodluck (L/N).”

“Goodnight, Sir,” she responded before turning to the mahogany door with the name Section-Commander, Hange Zoë emblazoned on a golden plaque across it. (Y/N) released an exhale, this should be easy. Sure, the scientist was known to be stubborn but then so was she, all (Y/N) had to do was to make sure she got her own way.

(Y/N) grabbed the handle of the door and swung it open, strolling into the room before slamming it shut again behind her with a resounding thud.

At the disturbance, (Y/N) saw Hange’s head peek out from behind a mountain pile of books and paperwork, brows furrowed. The scientist was leant forwards across their desk, glasses lopsided and brown hair swept up into what could possibly be something akin to a bird’s nest. (Y/N) would’ve found the sight adorable if she hadn’t been so determined in her mission.

“Oi are we slamming doors now? Shorty, for the last time…” they paused; spotting pyjama-clad (Y/N) instead of the Captain. “(Y/N)? What are you doing here?”

“It’s bedtime Hange,” (Y/N) crossed her arms. “Go get changed and go to bed.”

“Nooo,” the Section-Commander whined. “Not you too. I’ve already had it in the neck from Levi. I just want to finish this stack of paperwork and then I’ll go. I promise (Y/N). You can go back to your dormitory.”

“You’re going now, Hange. I don’t want to hear the excuses. You can’t keep going on like this.”

“B-But…I don’t have time for sleep. There’s so much to do, so much to learn and test and…why do we even need sleep anyway? Has anyone ever figured that out? Because I would love to know. Wouldn’t you? That should be something I should look into actually. I’ll put it on the list– “

(Y/N) marched up to the desk, slamming her hands down onto the table. “If you don’t listen to me, I’m going to do something that you’re going to regret.”

“Oh?” Hange’s eyes danced with amusement. “And what’s that going to be, little (Y/N)?”

She ignored the teasing tone and sighed. “Look, we’re all worried about you. Why do you think Levi woke me up to check on you? I know what you’re doing is for the sake of humanity and I know you really mean well but that’s not going to matter anything if you get into an accident because you’re too tired to concentrate.”

They reached a hand out, placing it on top of hers and (Y/N) had to stop her heart from missing a beat at the sudden action.

“That’s not going to happen (Y/N),” Hange said softly.

“You don’t know that…” (Y/N) continued, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. “I get so worried when you’re like this. You’re a human, Hange. You will make mistakes if you’re not at your full strength and then you might…You’re one of the few people I have left. If you got hurt or…”

“Hey, look. No, no, no – that’s not going to happen. You’re not going to lose me (Y/N),” Hange stood up abruptly from their chair, their hand gently brushing (Y/N)’s chin. “I don’t want you worrying about me, that was never my intention.”

(Y/N) glanced away, turning her attention to the candle that was sat upon a stack of leather-bound books. The flame flickering in the slight draft coming in from the open window behind the desk, another potential health hazard (Y/N) will have to chide the Section-Commander about later. “Then will you go to sleep? Have breakfast in the morning like everyone else? And make sure you don’t get too close to titans unless they’ve properly been restrained? Moblit’s starting to get grey-hairs already and he’s not even thirty.”

Hange huffed a slight chuckle, placing the faintest of kisses on her lips. “Okay, (Y/N). I’ll go to sleep, and finish off the rest of my paperwork tomorrow after the meeting with Erwin.”

“Thank-you,” (Y/N) smiled.

“But I’m obviously not going alone.”

(Y/N) looked up at them, eyeing the scientist suspiciously. “What are you talking about?”

Hange’s eyes seemed to gleam mischievously, a grin pulling at their lips. “You think I’m letting you get away with trying to boss me around earlier.”

“What?” (Y/N) squeaked. “I wasn’t trying to boss you around.”

“Hmm if you say so,” and then before (Y/N) could react, they swept up the girl into their arms and began marching over to the other side of the room. “I’m still not going to let you leave though. If I’m going to sleep, you’re going to as well. Next to me.”

“Hange!” (Y/N) exclaimed, grabbing onto the scientist’s shoulders in a bid to stop herself from falling. “What in the Walls? Would you put me down!”

Hange guffawed as they both fell unceremoniously onto the Section-Commander’s bed, and (Y/N) was unable to stop her own laughter rising in her throat. (Y/N) playfully whacked Hange’s side with her hand, silently thanking the darkness for hiding her reddened cheeks.

“You’re an idiot, you could’ve just asked me y’know,” (Y/N) said.

“Aw, but I’m your idiot, aren’t I?”

“Unfortunately,” she mumbled amusedly.

“Oi, don’t be rude.”

(Y/N) rolled onto her side, squinting her eyes until she could see the scientist’s faint outline in the dark. She wrapped their arms around them and shuffled closer. “Come on, time for sleep. At least take your glasses off if you’re not going to change.”

“Fine, you’re so bossy,” Hange teased, taking off their glasses and placing them on the bedside.

“Shh it’s sleeping-time,” (Y/N) tightened their grip on Hange as the scientist laughed and wrapped their own arms around her, enjoying the comforting embrace.

And of course, they were late to the meeting the next morning.

Chapter Text

vi. snowy excursions

Another gust of icy wind sent shivers racing down (Y/N)’s spine as she dragged her boots through the thick, heavy snow and up the side of the mountain. Snowflakes battered her body, stinging her skin raw from its ferocity. Her hands, tucked into three lots of warm woollen gloves, clutched at the straps of her pack and were still numbing from the cold despite the layers of protection.

She felt miserable, to say the least and yet there was her partner, bounding gleefully in-front of her. Talking passionately about their excitement and eagerness to join the Survey Corps in a few months’ time, theorising ideas about what could possibly be behind the Walls.

Hange Zoe was a peculiar character indeed.

Hange was only a couple of years older than (Y/N) and in the last of three years into their training. (Y/N) had only just started when the Chief Instructor figured it was a good idea to pair up the most recent recruits with the ones who were close to graduating.

Something about teamwork and how the older would teach the younger. (Y/N) didn’t really listen properly. She only realised what had happened when a beaming Hange tapped her on the shoulder with a sunny smile and proclaimed them “Buddies!”

The next thing she knew she was hiking up a mountainside in freezing temperatures with a person who could seemingly speak for hours without a respite. (Y/N) honestly didn’t know whether to be concerned or impressed.

“So, what about you?” they called loudly over the whistling of the wind. Their goggles glimmering in the miniscule amount of moonlight that squeezed through the overhead storm clouds.

(Y/N) blinked in confusion. “I’m sorry. I missed what you said.”

Hange smiled. “Where will you be going to after you graduate?”

“Oh,” (Y/N) thought for a moment. “Uh, I guess I haven’t really thought about it yet. Maybe the Garrison I suppose.”

They frowned. “Aw, that’s a shame. I was kind of hoping that you’d join the Survey Corps.”

She scoffed. “I don’t think I’d be good enough for that. They need people like you. Intelligent, smart and someone who actually won’t get killed on their first expedition. Trust me, I won’t last long.”

Hange bumped their shoulder into (Y/N)’s and she jolted, trying not to slip in the snow.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” they exclaimed, their eyebrows drawn together. “Everyone has to start somewhere; I think you’d make a great soldier.”

She smiled weakly. “Thanks.”

“And I expect you to join me in the Survey Corps in a few years’ time,” they continued and began reaching into their coat pockets, pulling out a compass they’d been given at the start.

Then, rather abruptly, they stopped. “Uh oh.”

(Y/N) quirked up an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘uh oh’?”

Hange waved dismissively, one hand still grasping the compass. “It’s no big deal. It’s fine. Sort of. Only that we’ve gone two miles off course from our checkpoint.”

“What?” she spluttered. “How in the Walls did that happen? I thought we were going south; we were walking in a straight line this entire time!”

“Hmm,” Hange pondered, scratching the back of their head. “I probably led us a little south-east while talking. That’s a possibility. Actually, it’s probably what happened.”

“You’ve got to be joking,” (Y/N) gaped exasperatedly.

“Pfft it’s fine,” they beamed. “We just have to retrace our steps and then head south again. We’ll be at our checkpoint in no time. Follow me -”

“Oh no you don’t,” (Y/N) grabbed the compass from their hands with a scowl. “I’m leading the way this time lest we end up four miles away instead of two. Let’s go.”

(Y/N) stormed ahead angrily; her eyes fixated on the needle to make sure that it was pointing towards the south. To say she was annoyed would be an understatement, she was pissed. This meant that they had to freeze their arses off for more time than necessary.

She heard their footsteps quicken to catch up with her.

“Now that’s the spirit,” they said proudly. “You can tell Shadis that you brought us back to camp.”

“Hold on a minute,” (Y/N) stopped suddenly and stared at Hange, suspicion creeping into her tone. “You took us off course on purpose, didn’t you?”

“No,” they said immediately but their light-brown eyes twinkled amusedly. “I would never.”

“You’re a terrible liar Hange,” (Y/N) groaned. “What was the point of this?”

“You doubt yourself too much (Y/N). I see you around camp during training,” Hange shrugged nonchalantly. “I know you’re more than capable of bringing us to that checkpoint, even without my help. So, show me.”

“You got us lost,” (Y/N) pointed out. “How did you know I would even figure out how to get us back on track?”

“Because I believe you can.”

“You barely know me.”

“I know enough,” they grinned.

(Y/N) was too tired to argue anymore with them so she exhaled slowly before marching off again. “For this I get to have most of our rations when we get there.”

“Hmm if you say so,” they sung happily behind her and (Y/N) knew that they’d probably be skipping if they weren’t nearly knee-deep in snow.

After what felt like an eternity later, they arrived in the clearing designated for them to set up camp for the night. Well, for what was left of it that was.

Another pack had been left out for them in the centre. As (Y/N) knelt down to grab it, she noticed a small campfire through the trees. The warm, ember flames tantalisingly close. Another team had clearly reached their checkpoint before them and had been lucky enough to start a fire. (Y/N) was almost tempted to run towards it and warm her hands but she and Hange would need to make their own fire.

If that was even possible.

“Oh look,” Hange spoke up behind her. “We’re here. See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

(Y/N) turned and glared. “We could be sitting in-front of a fire right now if you hadn’t decided to take us on a detour. At least tell me you managed to bring the tents.”

Hange lifted up their index finger in a ‘wait a moment’ sign as they took off their pack and rummaged through its contents. And then after a few moments, they looked up meekly. “Ah, I have a tent.”

“Just a tent?” (Y/N) repeated.

They nodded. “Just the one.”

“Not two?”

“Nope.”

(Y/N) sighed, turning away to pinch the bridge of her nose. Unlike the last time, she couldn’t tell if Hange had done this on purpose. They had decided before setting off that (Y/N) would carry the first aid gear, rations and the sleeping bags whilst Hange would take both tents. But yet here they were, with one, singular tent.

“Looks like we’ll have to share,” Hange said joyfully. “Won’t that be cosy?”

Right at that moment, (Y/N) neither had the strength or will to disagree with them. She just nodded, stated she would go and hunt for some dry firewood and left them to it.

Once she felt like she’d collected enough of both the wood and her patience, she returned to their campsite to see that Hange had already completed setting up their tent for the night.

“That was fast,” (Y/N) blinked.

“Not bad, eh?” they gestured. “Big enough for the both of us.”

“It’ll do,” (Y/N) shook her head and dumped the firewood in the centre of the clearing, pushing the snow around it away so it touched the earth beneath it. That way, it wouldn’t get as damp. She grabbed a matchbox out of her pocket and pleaded with whatever higher power that was out there to at least grant them a little warmth.

After almost five attempts, (Y/N) was close to giving up.

“Why isn’t this working?” she complained.

“Here,” Hange knelt down beside her and took the matchbox from her hands. With a single swipe, the match produced a flame which they then lowered to the firewood. “You were swiping too gently. It just needed a little more friction to spark.”

(Y/N) closed her eyes. “Of course, I can’t even light a bloody match properly.”

“Oi,” they punched her arm and she yelped.

“What the hell was that for?” (Y/N) gasped, rubbing her bicep.

“You’re doubting again, I want none of that dear.”

“Alright, jeez,” (Y/N) sat backwards, watching as the fire manifested into large, flickering flames. Their campsite washed with its orangey glow.

They sat in comfortable silence, as the fire hissed and crackled itself into a substantial heat source. Eventually, once they were warmed up enough, (Y/N) reached for her pack and brought out the bread and crackers. The bread was unsurprisingly damp and tasteless, but it filled her up so it would do. Hange themself seemed content enough nibbling on their rations and poking the fire with a stick they’d retrieved from the woods.

While (Y/N) initially believed they were lost in thought, eventually they turned and spoke. “May I ask you a question?”

(Y/N) half-shrugged. “It depends on what it is.”

“Why are you always so hard on yourself?”

She didn’t answer for a while, debating whether or not she wanted to. (Y/N) knew she could trust Hange. They had that bubbly, dependable personality that (Y/N) had unknowingly started to cherish the most about them. 

“I guess I’ve just always been a pessimist,” (Y/N) replied. “When you grow up in the gutter and treated as if you’re second-class, it’s kind of hard to think any way else. It’s not like I don’t try, it’s a habit.”

“Habits can be broken,” Hange stated.

“Not very easily,” (Y/N) continued. “But I’ll try. I joined the military so I could be worth something. Doesn’t matter how small, at least it’s something.”

Hange smiled, dipping their head. “Then I hope that wherever you end up – it’ll be a place that’ll appreciate you appropriately. It doesn’t take a genius to see the potential you have. Don’t let people hold you back from that.”

“Thank-you,” (Y/N) said, turning away to hide the small blush dusting her cheeks before standing. “I still have a few years before I choose so let’s hope I make the right one. But we should head to sleep, we don’t want to wake up late and end up being the last to finish.”

(Y/N) held out her hand and with a grin, Hange took it.

She didn’t know what time it was, but she knew she hadn’t slept a wink after she’d climbed into her sleeping bag. It was impossible to sleep when it was this cold, despite the faint auburn radiance of the fire about a metre away.

(Y/N) sighed, opting to stay staring up at the roof of their tent and daydreaming of when they’d finally be at camp again. To have a warm drink and to sleep in a cosy bed.

“Oh,” said a voice from beside her and (Y/N) managed to stop herself from jumping at the sudden outburst of noise. “You still awake too?”

It was Hange of course, the fellow-recruit who also seemed to be suffering from the cold. (Y/N) tried to peer at them through the darkness, only able to see half of their face due to one side being obscured by shadows.

“Yeah,” she let out an exhale. “I don’t know how they expected us to sleep in this weather.”

“Maybe they didn’t,” Hange suggested thoughtfully. “They’re training us to face all conditions. I’m sure sleep-deprivation was one of the many obstacles they had in mind for us.”

“Fantastic,” (Y/N) mumbled. “You know we’d probably be warmer sitting out there in-front of the fire. If we’re staying up until daybreak we might as well stay warm.”

Hange was silent for a moment, and (Y/N) could’ve sworn she heard the gears turning in their head. They were thinking of something, though what – she had no idea. Eventually, they sat up from their sleeping bag.

“I’ve got it,” they said. “Open your sleeping bag.”

(Y/N) stared at them. “What?”

“Hey, trust me why don’t you? Just unzip it for a second,” they replied and (Y/N) reluctantly sat up and did what they said.

She watched, slightly confused as Hange grabbed one side of their sleeping bag and the other side of (Y/N)’S. (Y/N) then heard the tell-tale zip as they joined the pair together.

“What are you doing?”

“Lie down,” they ordered.

(Y/N) opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted when they pushed her back down. They brought the makeshift blanket on top of her before shuffling themselves into a comfortable position beside her.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but frown. This wasn’t much difference.

“No offence – and I admire your thinking. But I don’t think this is any better than before.”

“Oh, that’s because I haven’t done the last part yet,” they replied.

“What’s the last part?”

“Cuddling!” they exclaimed joyfully and before (Y/N) could even formulate a coherent response, she felt Hange’s arms wrap around her – tugging (Y/N) closer until there was no space left between them. And for a moment, she was frozen.

“Uh – I don’t know about this…” but her voice trailed off as she began to feel warmer than she’d had since they’d set off on the stupid excursion.

“I was right,” she heard Hange say quietly. “Isn’t this better? Huddling for warmth always works.”

“It sounds like you do it often.”

“Uh…well no – I meant…I just -”

“I’m joking,” (Y/N) chuckled, her body relaxing now that it had risen in temperature. In fact, she almost felt content wrapped up in the fellow-recruit’s arms. An occurrence that came as a rarity these days since she started training. “Thank-you for this. It was a good idea. I wouldn’t have thought of it.”

“You’re welcome, dear,” they replied softly. “Goodnight (Y/N).”

“Goodnight, Hange,” she smiled, feeling her eyes close and very soon found herself drifting off into a silent slumber.

The only problem was, their little set-up had worked too well and they woke up late the next morning.

Chapter Text

vii. accidents

“But I wanna write my own paperwork,” Hange whined from the sofa, their right-arm currently confined within a sling.

(Y/N) looked up from where she sat at the Section-Commander’s desk, the stack of the aforementioned paperwork positioned neatly adjacent to her. An ember warm glow from the setting sun, illuminating both the pages and Hange’s face.

(Y/N) rose an eyebrow. “Well, you still have a broken arm from that stunt you pulled on the expedition so unless you’ve suddenly become ambidextrous in the last few hours…I’ll be doing your work for the time being.”

Hange pouted. “I could be ambidextrous. How would you know?”

“Because I’ve literally never seen you write with your left hand, you’re not pulling the wool over my eyes. You need to rest and that’s it,” and then (Y/N) shrugged. “It’s either this or Captain Levi will knock you out himself. He was pretty serious about making sure you recovered properly.”

The Section-Commander sighed and leant backwards, using their uninjured hand to fiddle with their glasses. A common habit (Y/N) often attributed to them being bored. “But he also said I could still see the titans we captured, right?”

“Hmm,” (Y/N) confirmed, her eyes still focused the line she was writing. “We can go in the morning if you’d like. And that’s only if you agree to watch from the side-lines.”

“But that’ll be boring…” Hange complained.

(Y/N) shook her head, trying to manage at least a small smile to comfort the scientist. “What do you expect? This is what happens when you scare everyone half-to-death because we thought you were dead. The least you can do is wait it out until you heal properly.”

There was a moment of silence between the pair. (Y/N)’s eyes flickered over to watch Hange as a slightly sad but pondering expression crossed their features.

“I am sorry,” Hange mumbled so quietly, (Y/N) almost didn’t catch it. “I know I shouldn’t have been so reckless but I was just so eager to finally catch one…”

“No titan is worth losing you over,” (Y/N) replied softly. “Even if we didn’t end up catching these two. There would’ve been other attempts. You have no idea how much terror I felt when I saw get grabbed. You can’t keep doing that…”

“I know. I know and I’m really sorry,” Hange sprung up from the sofa and grabbed one of (Y/N)’s hands, rubbing their thumb gently over her knuckles. But then a smile formed on their face. “But hey? At least I have you looking after me…again. Huh, you really do this a lot don’t you? One day I’ll have to return the favour.”

“Oh no,” (Y/N) shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine. I always am. I never want to be a nuisance.”

Hange frowned. “You wouldn’t be a nuisance. I’m your partner. If you, Walls forbid, ever got hurt. I want to be there for you, like you’re there for me.”

(Y/N) wasn’t used to being looked after.

Growing up with two younger siblings and a liability of a father, she’d always done her duty to keep her family safe. Pushed whatever pain she’d felt aside for the sake of putting food on the table and clothes on her little sisters’ backs. It was just what she was used to, protecting others, putting others first. The idea of one-day having someone to cherish her that way, was something that never crossed her mind.

It almost seemed slightly foreign to her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Honestly,” (Y/N) reached up to tenderly cup Hange’s face. “You won’t have to. I’ve kept myself in shape on-my-own for as long as I can remember. I’ll be dandy. I just don’t want you worrying about me, okay?”

They frowned again, auburn eyes peering into hers as if searching for something. “(Y/N)-”

“Oh, would you look at the time,” (Y/N) sprung up from the desk, moving around it until she was able to place her hands on Hange’s shoulders. “Dinner-time should be beginning in the Mess Hall. I’m going to go down and grab you a plate for you to eat up here, alright? Why don’t you sit back down? I’ll be right back, I promise.”

Hange wordlessly allowed (Y/N) to guide her back towards the sofa, a look of sad confusion that stabbed a little at (Y/N)’s heart, visible on their face. She pressed a kiss to the Section-Commander’s cheek, hoping it would convey her silent apology before hurrying towards the door, leaving the scientist with a lot of unanswered questions.

The next few days on Hange’s road-to-recovery went thankfully, event free. The Section-Commander was mindful of their injuries, only observing from afar whilst (Y/N) and Moblit measured the newly acquired titans. Though (Y/N) could see that they were quickly losing their patience with just standing around, doing nothing. And of course, the two assistants, realised that the scientist wouldn’t stay away from the beasts for long.

It was midday, the summer sun beaming down upon the testing area with a ferocious intensity. The three were sat on the concrete ground, going over the data they’d recovered from the last few days of measurements.

Moblit’s brows became drawn together and (Y/N) caught onto his confusion. “What’s wrong?”

He looked down at the two journals on his lap. One belonging to Hange which (Y/N) had been writing in, and the other his own. “Our measurements of the four-metre’s head aren’t the same. We’ve must’ve gone wrong somewhere.”

Hange, who was led usually quiet on the ground beside them, turned their head to watch.

(Y/N) took back her journal and eyed where she’d written the measurements for the four-metre, before looking at Moblit’s. Sure enough, they had drastically different sizes noted down on both of their individual pages. She sighed, running a hand through her (H/C) hair. They would have to climb back onto the scaffolding surrounding the smaller titan and redo it all over again.

“Sorry,” (Y/N) released an exhale, snapping the small journal shut in annoyance. “It must’ve been me that went wrong. My head hasn’t been with it all day.”

And it was the truth, ever since she’d taken on some of Hange’s responsibilities to give the scientist some time to rest, she felt like she hadn’t had a chance of respite in days. Was this what Hange had to go through all the time? (Y/N) couldn’t imagine doing this every day, let alone for the next few weeks.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look at the scientist beside her. They had a warm smile beaming across their face.

“Hey,” Hange said, sitting themselves up. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve both done great work. There’s always going to be a few mistakes here and there. It comes with the job.”

(Y/N) shook their head. “A job that I’ve been nothing but terrible at.”

“You haven’t been terrible at it,” Moblit countered after a moment of silence. “It’s just a lot on your shoulders all of a sudden but it won’t be for long. You’re fine. We can just handle the remeasurements after lunch when it’s a lot cooler. Right, Section-Commander?”

Silence.

They both turned around again to notice that the scientist had spontaneously disappeared over the last few seconds they’d both been speaking. Which was surprising in itself as Hange as about as stealthy as well…a titan. Moblit and (Y/N) glanced at each other. An instant shared message passing between them. Uh oh.

They didn’t have to wait long to find out where Hange had gone to however.

“Four-eyes, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” came Captain Levi’s sharp voice from the direction of the captured titans.

(Y/N) spun round, looking towards the scaffolding that surrounded the four-metre and her heart dropped. Hange had somehow (without their ODM gear) climbed up with their one arm and was now confidently strolling across the planks towards the titan’s face. A trail of measuring tape grasped in their free hand.

The Section-Commander rolled their eyes playfully. “Don’t need to look so worry, shorty. I’m helping my (Y/N)! This won’t take a moment.”

“Don’t be stupid, titan-freak. It’s too dangerous, get down.”

“Please be careful, Section-Commander,” Moblit shouted.

“Pfft,” Hange waved off their concern with nonchalance.

(Y/N) dropped the journal and sprinted towards the ladder. “Hange please get down. You don’t have your gear on. You could get hurt. I can just do the measurements later.”

Hange stopped about half-a-metre away from the titan’s face, peering down at (Y/N) with a smile. “Nonsense. You’ve got enough on your plate at the moment. This is the least I could do for everything you’ve done for me.”

“Right well,” (Y/N) took a step up onto the ladder. “If you won’t come down, I’ll just come up.”

“But you’ve got no gear on too, dumbass,” she heard Levi growl from behind her.

“I know that,” she hissed in return through gritted teeth but carried on nonetheless. (Y/N) could see the titan’s eyes fixated on Hange in its sitting-position. And of course, she knew Hange wasn’t hapless, they were the Section-Commander after all. But the scientist also only had one arm available, no gear and was standing on top of a very precarious scaffolding.

(Y/N) didn’t like those odds. She made it to the top, the slight wind whipping her hair wildly, arms outstretched in the hopes to keep her balance on the narrow beams. When she looked up again, Hange was eyeing her worriedly. “(Y/N), get down. It’s not safe up here.”

“Oh, so it’s apparently okay for you to be up here, but not for me? I’m not getting down until you do. Why did you think this was a good idea?” (Y/N) retorted.

There was a beat of silence and (Y/N) wondered if Hange was going to reply at all. But then their voice emerged over the whistling of the wind.

“(Y/N) you do so much for me. Sometimes I wonder what in the Walls I did to deserve you? You’re so caring, so sweet to me. I just want to do something for you in return,” Hange exclaimed. “Is that too much to ask?”

(Y/N) swallowed the lump in her throat. Was that what Hange really thought? She’d always believed the Section-Commander deserved the world and (Y/N) came nowhere close to it. Hange kept her strong, kept her from spiralling into a downwards pit of self-despair after she joined the Scouts Regiment. They didn’t have to do anything in return for (Y/N)’s care, they just had to keep being them. That was all.

And that was enough.

“Hange,” (Y/N) began, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’ve been caring over others for as long as I can remember. My sisters. My dad. The friends I’ve made since joining the scouts. And of course, you. It’s just who I am. I don’t need anything in return. Just making sure you’re alive and well, is a reward in itself. Trust me.”

Their shoulders slumped slightly. “But I want to at least do something.”

“Well, you could start by climbing down off this very poorly constructed scaffolding?” (Y/N) suggested amusedly.

“Hey! I came up with the design of this,” Hange retorted but with a touch of playfulness.

(Y/N) grinned. “Yeah, I’m sorry but this isn’t one of your finest creations. It’s too on the extremely-dangerous side, for me.”

“Now you’re just being rude,” but then they sighed. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. This was a really bad idea. I’ll let you two do the rest of the work from now on, well…until I’m healed that is. Because there is no way I’m sitting around doing nothing any longer than that. That alone is punishment in itself.” 

“If you say so,” (Y/N) laughed and held out her hand. “Come on then-”

The scaffolding shuddered and (Y/N) gasped in horror.

The four-metre titan trapped within its confines making one last-ditch effort to snatch up the Section-Commander with its gaping maw. Good news was it of course didn’t get very far, the Fourth-Squad had made absolutely sure that both captured titans were securely bounded. Bad news was that the scaffolding groaned in violent protest and the assembled poles and planks began to swiftly disintegrate under the pressure.

Hange whipped towards her with widened eyes, just as the beams beneath their feet began to snap. Their mouth open to shout a warning as (Y/N) stumbled. Below them both Captain Levi and Moblit were shouting but (Y/N) was focused on her partner.

There was no way she was letting Hange get injured any more than they already had and they were far more valuable to the Scouts than she was. (Y/N) failed them on that expedition, and she wasn’t going to let that happen again. And so, without giving it anymore thought, she raced towards and grabbed onto the Section-Commander’s shoulders just as the scaffolding began to topple forwards.

Hange seemed to quickly catch on to what she was planning, trying to struggle out of her grasp but to no avail. “(Y/N), no-”

(Y/N) managed a weak smile. “I’m sorry.”

(Y/N) fell backwards, pulling the Section-Commander with her. There was a roar of noise as the floor got steadily closer. (Y/N) hurriedly twisted them around so when they both hit the floor, she was the one that took the brunt of the fall. She closed her eyes as they landed. She felt a surge of white-hot pain shooting through her head and back. And then nothing.

“(Y/N)! Come on (Y/N), at least open your eyes for me!” she briefly heard a desperate voice shout, but it sounded tinny and distorted. Everywhere felt like a million tiny knifes were stabbing into her flesh, and she wanted to groan but her body didn’t want to move. “(Y/N) please!”

“Damnit Hange, we need to get her to a medic! Where even is the rest of your squad? Why aren’t they here guarding the titans?” barked another disembodied voice that vaguely resembled Captain Levi.

“We sent them away on break once we’d finished with the measurements,” Moblit explained hurriedly.

“Idiots. Why did you think that was a good fucking idea?”

“Don’t blame them. It was my idea,” (Y/N) felt a hand on her face, but still her eyes annoyingly refused to open. “(Y/N)…I know it hurts. But I just need to see you open your eyes for me…”

“That’s it. Hange, get out the way, there’s no time for this. Moblit, you and me will carry her to the medical wing. She’ll be dead by the time word gets to one otherwise.”

“Y-Yes Sir,” Moblit’s voice stammered.

(Y/N) felt two pairs of arms lift her up from the floor and the same white-hot pain flooded down her body, and she happily welcomed the rush of darkness that soon followed.

The third time she came to, the pain was a faint dull throb in the base of her skull and down her spine. She was led on something a lot more comfortable than the concrete ground she’d landed on. A pleasant breeze seemed to waft in from somewhere, carrying the strong scent of disinfectant and other various pungent chemicals to her nose.

(Y/N) thought that must’ve been a good sign, if her senses were returning and gradually, she very slowly peeled her eyes open.

It didn’t take long to work out that she was in the medical wing of Headquarters. The white, sterile room with a copious amounts of beds lining the walls. Large, overhead windows beckoned in a flood of warm natural light. A few medics wandered around the beds, observing and sometimes conversing with some of its occupants. (Y/N) had been here a few times, but never once as a patient. That was a new experience all together. 

Then something caught her attention in her peripheral. She turned and smiled slightly when she caught sight of her favourite Section-Commander dozing in a chair adjacent to her bed. Their non-injured arm cradling the one still slung in a sling, head lulling backwards, glasses dangerously close to slipping off their nose. Piles of books were scattered on either side of them, causing (Y/N)’s smile to mould into a frown. How long had she been unconscious?

“(Y/N)! Walls, are we glad to see you finally awake,” a voice snapped her attention away from her partner and towards a smiling Moblit at the end of her bed. He held a teacup and saucer, the steam indicating it was freshly brewed. “You’ve gave everyone quite the scare. How are you feeling?”

(Y/N) tried to lift her neck, wincing with the effort before giving up with a sigh. “Like I’ve fallen off a four-metre-high scaffolding.”

Moblit’s smile faded a little. “Don’t try and move around too much so soon. It’s still early days and you have a long way to go before you fully recover.”

She chuckled. “I’m not too good at sitting around doing nothing Moblit.”

This brought the grin back to his lips as he moved around her bedside and placed the hot tea on the table near Hange. He glanced at them as he passed, being mindful not to jostle and wake them up from their slumbering state.

“You’re getting as bad as the Section-Commander, (Y/N). They haven’t really left your side since the accident, refused to leave. So, I brought their books and notes down here, kept them fed and giving them the tea that Captain Levi makes.”

(Y/N)’s eyebrows furrowed, turning to face where her partner was sprawled across the chair. “I couldn’t have been unconscious for that long, could I? How long has it been?”

She noticed that Moblit’s eyes darted sideways, avoiding her stare. “The medics kept you sedated for a while to make sure your body had time to heal itself but it’s been a day since they stopped administering the sedative I think.”

“Moblit,” (Y/N) said sternly. “How long is ‘a while’.”

He mumbled something under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Five days,” he winced.

“Five days?” (Y/N) exclaimed. “I’ve been out of it for five days?”  

At her sudden raised voice, Hange began to stir in their seat and she cursed herself for waking them. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to try and sit upright despite the shoots of pain that rippled down her spine. How the hell has it been five days? Surely, he must’ve been mistaken, there’s no way she could’ve missed that much time.

“Woah, woah (Y/N) – slow down! You could hurt yourself even more!” Moblit protested.

“I can do it,” she replied, clenching her jaw.

“(Y/N) stop it, right now,” Hange was suddenly out of their chair, their hands gentle but firm on her shoulders to halt. Their voice stern and commanding. “What do you think you’re doing? Did you just think you could stand up and walk out of here with no problems? That’s not how this works, (Y/N).”

“Hange,” she groaned. “I refuse to be a hinderance. You’ve spent all this time waiting for me already.”

She felt the Section-Commander’s uninjured arm wrap around her. “You’ve never, nor will be a hinderance (Y/N), don’t you ever think that. Besides, I was the one who got you into this mess in the first place. Do you honestly believe I wouldn’t stay here with you? Go about my business like my partner hadn’t just fallen off a scaffolding to save me?”

“It wasn’t your fault,” (Y/N) mumbled softly, her body relaxing enough so that the Section-Commander could lower her back down onto her bed. The realisation sinking in fast. It was her own inability to accept anyone else’s help that led to where she was now. Maybe if she’d just let Hange in more, they’d never have climbed onto that scaffolding to begin with. “It was mine.”

“(Y/N)…”

“No, it is. I know I find it hard sometimes to let you take care of me, and that isn’t right. We’re partners, we’re suppose to work these things out together. But I guess I’ve just been so used to figuring everything out on my own, when that…changed, I didn’t know what to think of it,” she quickly continued before Hange opened their mouth to protest, and her eyes flickered to the window. “I’ve been a hypocrite. I insisted I’d do all the caring for you when you got injured, but refused to let you do the same. I’m sorry.”

“You’re so silly,” Hange finally said and (Y/N)’s looked at them again. They were smiling as they crouched lower to meet her eye-level, their hand grasping (Y/N)’s. She hadn’t noticed that Moblit had slipped away from them, silently.

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow. “Silly? I pour my heart out to you and you call me silly?”

Hange just grinned, pressing their lips to her knuckles and (Y/N)’s heart quickened. “You’re so silly because you don’t need to apologise for something you can’t help. That is what relationships is all about, eh? When there’s obstacles, we work through them together. Even I have my own issues I should work on.”

“You don’t say,” (Y/N) teased.

“Oi, don’t be rude!” they tapped her forehead lightly, before continuing. “What I’m trying to say - before I was interrupted - was that as long as we have each other, and we talk about when things are troubling us, we’ll be alright. And, of course, no falling off scaffolding or climbing out of our beds when we’re injured. You’ll let me look after you while you recover just like you did for me.”

(Y/N) smiled warmly. “Of course. I guess it’s not like I’m in any position to protest.”

“And one more thing,” Hange lifted up their index finger, their eyes narrowing slightly. “Don’t you ever put yourself in harms away for me again.”

A FEW DAYS LATER…

(Y/N) had to wait a little while longer before being allowed to leave the medical wing. She didn’t mind too much; Hange was there most of the time after they finally got their arm out of the sling. They sat by her bedside, rambling on about how the current experiments on the titans were going, making (Y/N) laugh without even trying.

But she still felt a surge of relief once the medic cleared her to go back to her own room. That was short-lived however, when Hange and Moblit emerged round the corner with a wheelchair.

“Can’t I walk?” (Y/N) protested weakly. She knew that it was futile, however. Yesterday she’d barely made it out of the infirmary before feeling weak again. (Y/N) knew there was currently no hope of reaching her room without some sort of assistance.

Hange gave her a stern look. “Not a chance.”

(Y/N) shrugged. “At least I tried.”