Hello, Stranger (Hange Zoë x f!reader)

Part one

You didn’t want to end up here. No, it was dangerous too close to the floor, they could reach you and break your spine all too easily. Your jaws tightened around the fabric gripped gingerly between them. The body attached shuddered slightly at its readjustment. The hell were they thinking, just sitting there exposed? Did they have a death wish? You hissed as you continued your ascent. Did you have a death wish doing this? You didn’t know them. You could have left them to die, and all too easily. That one with the wonky arm almost had them by the time you reached the scene, its features contorted into a hollow grin. Yet instead you took them and ran. Stupid.

It was hard enough to haul yourself up the colossal trunk, but with another body? Your claws ached. They better live. And they better damn well appreciate it. At a somewhat safe distance, you had the chance to glance down at them. A gash just below the hairline had painted their forehead red, the blood’s onslaught held back by goggles fogged up enough to hide their eyes. They weren’t the first you’d seen in that uniform. Every so often, others would fly through, hundreds upon hundreds of beige and green flecks passing you by in a heartbeat. You’d never gotten a chance to look at one for this long. Metallic boxes rattled at their sides, two blades, one shattered, twirled at the ends of their cables at least another metre below. They could use them to fly, those awkward looking hunks of metal. It was undeniably impressive. And stupid. Brave, imaginative and impressive, but stupid.  One wrong move and you could fall and break your neck. Or, alternatively, knock yourself out, as your companion knew all too well.

It was only another twenty feet now until your camp, a hollow in one of the hundreds or thousands of trees around it. It wasn’t the largest, but it was warm enough when padded in winter with whatever you could find. It was better than nothing at least, just running and running with nothing. You wondered where they had come from. They smelt different than your almost earthen scent. Like chemicals and other unknowns. Drawing their body up the final few inches, you finally allowed yourself to sigh. The one with the wonky arm stood still at the base, clawing at the bark and giving that same grin and grimace. You shook yourself. Better here than there.

Now however, you still had your guest to focus on. Their wounds would need tending to, and it wouldn’t to make a fire to keep them warm, and you. Nightfall would come soon. Bones cracked as your posture shifted, quadruped to biped. It took less now, changing was second nature. Could they do it too? Your mother had never spoken of others like you, other shapechangers and facemelders. She said that was why you lived here, where no one could ever find you, because of their fear of the creatures that roamed amongst the trunks.
The body groaned. You hurried into your clothes and began with the fire making, propping their head gingerly as the embers took to the brush. It took a while to figure how to remove the boxes, blades and fans from their person, piling them neatly in the corner. You hoped you hadn’t broken it. You didn’t want to deal with an angry concussed stranger. You had nestled them in what few blankets you had, wiped the blood from their forehead and delicately applied a salve and bandage. It should help with their recovery, so long as  you had remembered what plants it needed correctly. They looked peaceful now. Their face was relaxed, their breathing slow and easy. At least they seemed relatively well, all things considered.

Their features were elegant. You couldn’t help but admire the smooth curve of their nose, the delicate purse of their lips. What eye colour did they have? What was their voice like? Did they smile much? Would they thank you or hurt you? Looking at them now, you couldn’t imagine it. Still. It couldn’t hurt to nap for a bit at least.

As sunlight fanned at your eyelids, you realised that nap had been overshot. Instinctively you jolted upright. Glancing over, they were still asleep. A leg had slipped free of its fleecy confines and sat sprawled beside them. It was almost endearing, accompanied by their light snores. Peering outside, the grinning giant seemed to have moved on, leaving only crushed vegetation beneath. That was one good thing at least, you mused. There should be enough food leftover for you, and your guest if they woke up. Part of you hoped it would be soon, a selfish part. You didn’t want to have to deal with a dead body, and after what felt like an eternity, you wouldn’t mind the company.

“Better wake up soon there, sleepy. There’s people worried about you, somewhere. I’m sure of it.”
You rummaged through the chest, sniffing wrapped bundles and taking several out. They could keep for another few days before they’d need replaced. Preserved meat, some fruits and vegetables. The only positive of having the ground overrun with man-eaters was that they ate man only. Not the reserves that you depended upon. After some consideration, you decided to take some for them too, placing it beside the makeshift pillow. Maybe the smell would wake them.
You had sauntered over to your own spot, slouching on a messily carved chair as you began to unravel the layers of dried greenery before reaching the venison within. Small bites began to demolish what you had, your eyes remaining locked on the stranger.

“Why would you come here? There’s nothing here but death and wood. Nothing.”

They didn’t move.

“I would fly somewhere else if I were you. Somewhere safer. There’s got to be somewhere like that. Where you don’t have to worry about the giants.”

“Titans.”

You flinched slightly as they grumbled.

“Titans.”

Slowly they began to move, easing up onto their elbows and blinking blankly at their surroundings.

“Where...” They trailed off, glancing between you and your meagre campsite.

“Take it easy, you’re safe here. You were almost eaten. I found you lying there concussed with a big one reaching for you. The hell were you doing getting so close to them?”

You shuffled your stool closer now, noting how their expression tensed momentarily as you did so.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Promise.” You placed what was left of your rations on your lap and raised your arms in surrender.

“It was an abnormal titan. It seemed to fixate only on one person at a time, regardless of how many others it saw,” energy slowly seeped into their voice as they continued, “if I could just capture it, there’s so much I could learn. There hasn’t been any captive since Sawney and Bean. I wouldn’t need to worry about samples dissolving, I could just take more as I needed, I could just,” they spoke with their hands, making some excited jittery gestures. “I need to know more.”

You gestured to the food packet beside them. “Eat up, you need it.”

They took the parcel and tentatively unwrapped it, peeling back leaf by leaf and neatly placing the twine beside them.

“You made this?”

You nodded. “Who else is gonna do it for me?”

They began eating, seemingly ruminating over your statement. You hadn’t the faintest who or what Sawney or Bean were, but reluctantly you could understand why they wanted to know more. The extent of your knowledge was keep away, and that had suited you just fine for years.

“What’s your name?"

Crumbs stuck to the corners of their mouth.

“I’m Y/N, Y/N L/N. What about you, stranger?”

“Hange Zoe. Squad leader, titan researcher, member of the Survey Corps.”

Hange’s face fell as you offered up no reaction. “Survey Corps?”

“Ooh,” it clicked, “that’s what you call the flying people, you’re one of them.” Strange name, you mused, but if that’s what they wanted, so be it.

“How far are we from the Walls?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve never been near them.”

Hange was sitting up fully now, blinking at you incredulously. “You mean you’ve lived out here, with titans, in a tree, your whole life? With no ODM gear?”

You nodded slowly. “Yes? You’ve never lived outside of the Walls, ever?”

“No, no, no longer than a day or so at a time. It’s too dangerous.” They suddenly quietened.

“How are you planning to get back? Can you fly?” It was safer to steer the conversation away from questions that could pop up from there.

“I don’t know,” they sighed. “I’m nearly outta gas, and I’ve only got two flares, I can’t waste them.”

“Your people might come back for you,” you affirmed. “You can stay here till they do.”

Hange blinked back at you. “And if they don’t?"

You shrugged. “We’ll deal with that when, and if," you forced a reassuring smile, "that happens.”