What Could Have Been (HangexFemReader)

Chapter 19: The Mines

(Y/N) woke the next morning, entangled in Hange's sheets. She turned her head, smiling softly when she saw Hange curled up next to her. Their arm was around her waist loosely, their chest rising and falling rhythmically. (Y/N) was having trouble deciding whether last night was a mistake or whether it was just fine. She knew Levi wouldn't approve. But it wasn't like she had gone and fallen in love with Hange. It wasn't like she was willing to sacrifice the entire world for them. Everything between the two of them had just been a product of lust and desire. People did that all the time, didn't they?

"Good morning," Hange mumbled, awoken by her stirring.

"Morning," (Y/N) reached out to ruffle their hair gently. She was still in shock about how she had gotten herself in this situation—in the royal scientist's bed. But now that her crave for Hange was satiated, it was time to focus on other things. Like shimmer. And Jean.

(Y/N) slid out of bed, grabbing her clothes from the closet and shrugging it on before heading down to the kitchen. She made herself a pot of coffee and toasted a few slices of bread. The house was quiet, sunlight lazily streaming in from the windows. For the briefest of minutes, (Y/N) imagined living here. With Hange. She imagined slow mornings, making breakfast for Hange, planning for the day...no, that would never happen.

"Did you find anything for breakfast? I thought I had to go shopping," Hange lumbered into the kitchen, wearing an oversized t-shirt and sweats.

"Nope, want some coffee?" (Y/N) motioned towards the remaining liquid in the pot.

"Thanks," Hange grabbed a mug and pour in the steaming liquid, taking a long swig out of it before sinking into one of the nearby chairs.

"So, now that it's morning, we need to come up with a different plan to figure out who's behind this whole shimmer thing. Jean said that the person behind this wants to make the undercity a stronger place through mutated soldiers. That doesn't make sense, so my theory of the king wanting to make the undercity weaker by giving it addictions makes more sense," (Y/N) explained. "I talked to Levi, who was scoping out the area near Jean's house and the Palace, and he said there was an abandoned factory somewhere deep in the forest. It was a gated abandoned factory. Something sounds suspicious, right?"

Hange smiled a little, watching her with a bemused expression. "(Y/N), dear, as much as I want to help you with this, it's eight in the morning."

"I know, but the sooner I can get to the bottom of this, the less people die," (Y/N) sighed.

"An abandoned factory, you say?" Hange hummed. "I think what Levi was referring to was the holding center."

"The holding center?" (Y/N) asked. "What's that?"

"It's where they put all the toxic waste from my experiments. And the failed explosives that I've created. It's a very dangerous place to be in, even I don't go there...I highly doubt anyone would deal shimmer or make it there," Hange explained. They tilted their head, trying to think of any other places that would make great headquarters for making shimmer.

"Your experiments sound dangerous," (Y/N) joked. "What do you even make explosives for?"

Hange looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "For war. To keep people in line. To make the guard stronger. It's for reasons I'm not proud of...all I wanted was a lab that I could learn more from. This wasn't what I asked for."

(Y/N) reached out and grabbed Hange's hand. "I know. But there's always a way out. You don't have to make these things if you don't want to. You can just leave the king."

Hange smiled wryly. "It doesn't always work like that. The king will kill me if I leave him. My job isn't exactly a voluntary position, y'know?"

"Huh?" (Y/N) was surprised. She had thought the King would never kill Hange, someone who was extremely important and knowledgeable. And hadn't the two of them been friends at some point?