Hello, Stranger (Hange Zoë x f!reader)

Part nineteen

A/N: sorry for the late updates! Finals, yada yada, but they're over now, so hopefully updates'll be more regular! Thanks for sticking with my story!!

For the second time that week you found yourself sitting outside the commander’s office. Hange had gotten up earlier than you had anticipated, eager and determined to relay their findings now that much of the medication had worn off. You, of course, were there to help them.

There was a strange guilt as you listened in to the soldiers’ discussion. You had to know what they planned to do next, it affected you more than you hoped they would ever realise. Despite the pit you’d dug yourself into, you could say honestly that if you found yourself in the same situation again, you wouldn’t hesitate to protect Hange again.

They were adamant the beast needed captured. It seemed intelligent. Having another weapon against the titans would be nothing but a bonus. None of them had seen it or its capabilities, Hange affirmed, they just needed that opportunity. And what were the scouts, but explorers of the unknown? Levi wasn’t as enthusiastic. Hange had met it once, for all they knew it killed the titan so it could kill the section commander itself. The titan had been a threat to its food source, there was no morality or compassion in the animal’s decision. You’d heard Erwin hum in thought at that. It was a valid concern. Miche was still sitting on the fence.

“I need more time to think, and plan. For now, I want information of this creature to remain classified. If rumours start spreading of other monsters beyond the Walls, they could very well make it back to the capital.”

Levi scoffed at that. You could only assume he wasn’t too enamoured with the monarchy.

“All agreed then. Dismissed.”

You shuffled slightly in your seat, trying to look as nonchalant as possible as the door opened. Could you have looked more deliberate. Miche nodded at you as he stepped out, and you were thankful that he didn’t feel the need to sniff you again.

“Still looking after Hange?”

“Yes, sir, well trying to.”

He chuckled at that, reasoning that was about as much as you could get with Hange. He was followed by two more people you didn’t recognise. Other veterans, you could only guess.

Your eyes strained back to the door. Hange came out next, scraps of paper piled up on their sling. You sighed, taking them from them.

“You’re meant to be careful with that, it’s not an extra pocket.”

“It could be one. I could make it one.”

You didn’t have a comeback for that, simply following behind as they began down the corridor.

“So, what’s the plan then?” You didn’t know how much they would divulge to you.

“It’s all hush hush till Erwin makes a decision. But he will, and we will get it, whatever it is.”

A tightness formed in your stomach.

“If you did catch it, theoretically, what would you do?”

“Hmm,” they stopped dead, as if unable to think and walk at once. “Study it, of course. See what we can do with it, it seemed intelligent.”

“And what if it doesn’t want to be studied?”

There was a cold pragmatism in Hange’s gaze as it turned back to meet yours, a kind you had only gleaned glimpses of.

“Then we have to convince it, don’t we?”

“Uh, sure, yeah.”

They took your free hand in theirs, sensing your reluctance.

“You’ll be safe with me Y/N, you know that right? I’ll look out for you?”

Of course they would protect you, but they wouldn’t care about the beast. They would use the beast for whatever they could. They would pump it with chemicals, pull back its skin to study its muscles, take samples from its tissue. The thought of it made you sick. You could only squeeze their hand in response.

The mess hall was teeming with soldiers by the time the two of you made it there. Hange had headed of to sit by Moblit, grilling him in his conversation with the commander. You were grateful for the space, for now at least.

“Y/N!”

Armin. He was seated with the other recruits, book in hand, toying with his rations.

“Heya, you got away unscathed then.”

He nodded. Armin affirmed it wasn’t of his own skill, but his comrades’. You were just glad one of your only friends was alright. His eyes wandered to your bandage, but decided against asking. It didn’t bother you. You didn’t feeling like giving out another lie anyways.

“What are you reading then?”

“Oh, an it’s old folk tale, ‘The Shape of Love’.”

You quirked a brow at that.

“Didn’t think that was your cup of tea.”

It took him a moment to realise what you were implying. His face darkened, contorting into a panic as his mouth opened and closed repetitively. Despite your soured mood, you couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m messing with you, Armin,” you reached out instinctively to ruffle his hair. “What’s it about?”

His cheeks were still tinted with red as he began his explanation.

“Well, it’s about this man. He lives out near a forest, and is out hunting one day on his own. Then, he comes across this giant boar, and he can’t take it down. He thinks he’s going to die, but then this huge creature comes in and saves him. He blinks, and then the creature’s a woman. It’s quite interesting.”

He had your complete attention now. That tale sounded familiar, scarily so. It was one that your mother had told you as a child. One of her relatives. How she’d saved the man that would become her partner. He’d gone back to his village and told his tale, and none had believed him. Your mother always laughed at that, all the better for us, she would say. They may not have believed him, but they wrote it down. You wanted to reach out and take the book from him, some small piece of her still in its pages.

“Is it yours? The book?”

“Oh no,” its pages slapped shut, “there’s a library here. I could show you it sometime.”

“I’d appreciate it, thanks. I’d like to read that one.”

“Then I’ll give it to you when I’m done!”

His smile was infectious. You mirrored it as you began to tear into your own rations. Dry, bland, but enough. You should hunt something for Hange and Armin, you mused. It’d be a nice change for them.

There, the problem came back to the forefront. How you were going to move forward. You could run now, before anyone could suspect you. Just disappear, fade back into to background, and let the world move on. Yet every time you thought of it, Hange’s face flickered into your mind’s eye. Smiling at you, flushed beneath you, craning up for a kiss. How they’d clung to you, afraid you disappear.

Your gaze wandered to them now, watching as they prodded Moblit as he tried in vain to finish his meal. Hange had no clue how much power they held over you. It was too much to run from now. Whatever path you had chosen, you would stick to it, so long as they were there with you.