For the One I Love || Hanji x Female Reader

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Bliss

[Author's Note]

Hi everyone! We're actually nearing the last chapter already, though I'm still thinking of ways to prolong it even just a little :( My target is for this story to have around 33 to 35 chapters, AUs and other special chapters excluded. So there, thought I'd let you guys know :D Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and always keep safe!

(also I've included my season 3 and season 4 cosplays of Historia haha [super sorry I just love her so much <3])

_

It was frustrating to see Hanji on the frontline like this, even though they said that they won't be joining the battle. However, I couldn't say anything against them since they were currently showing us an improvised device they came up with to help battle Rod Reiss' titan, and I have to admit that it was truly going to be of help to us should the mounted and ground artilleries fail.

"It's not much of a new weapon, but more of a developed one - it's a gunpowder barrel attached to some elements of the gear we use, once you trigger the grapple hooks, it attaches itself to the target then winds itself back up, making it easier for us to reload it," Hanji explained as we gathered around them, the developed weapon in the center.

"How many of these are there?" Commander Erwin asked as he glanced in the direction of Rod Reiss' titan, which was starting to become closer to where we were.

"There's four of them prepared right now, Moblit will assist in the deployment since I won't be of much use because of this," Hanji said before meeting my gaze, motioning to their injured shoulder, securely wrapped in a sling.

"The titan's getting close, Squad Levi, inform the ground artillery soldiers to begin firing in its direction," Commander Erwin instructed and they immediately darted off, while the others began the preparations for the mounted artillery, as well as the gunpowder barrels we'd be using as a backup.

As the soldiers dispersed, Hanji walked up to me and lightly grabbed my wrist just as I was about to assist Connie and Jean in setting up the barrels, and I turned to face them in surprise as they said, "I'll be staying here overseeing the other soldiers, but I promise I won't fight, is that alright with you?"

I adjusted my hand so I'd be holding theirs, intertwining our fingers lightly as I told them with a soft sigh, "Hanji, although I appreciate you telling me this, you don't need to ask for my permission."

"I know that, but I want to anyway, just so we won't have any misunderstanding between us," Hanji responded with a gentle smile on their face, and I returned it as I said, "As much as I want to be selfish and keep you somewhere far away from here...we need you. You're a squad leader, and a good one too, so I don't want to get in the way of that. All I ask of you is to be careful."

Hanji placed their other hand on my cheek, their thumb caressing my skin, before saying, "You're the one who has to join the fight, so I'd like to ask the same of you, [Y/N]."

"I'll come back to you safely, Hanji."

The firing from the ground artillery began, and Hanji and I parted to go our separate ways for now - them going in the direction of their squad, while I headed off to where Jean and Connie were.

"It looks like the ground artillery isn't dealing much damage, we may have to use the mounted cannons soon," Jean said in observation, and we could only nod in agreement.

The titan showed no signs of slowing down, though the ground artillery managed to blow off parts of its body. It didn't regenerate, however, which we took as somewhat of a good sign. Now we just had to figure out how to blow off its nape.