Attack on Titan: Survival and Dedication - Male Reader

PART THREE

Y/N never really found it hard to sleep. Little things never got in the way such as some fear of feeling the ground shake or having a gigantic hand crash through the wall. He supposed it was something he was used to by now.
The thing that got to him was the silence in his room, the patter of rain against his windows, and the muffled sounds of conversation and laughter he caught through the walls.
It was loud, annoying, and ultimately sad. And yet, not a wrinkle or frown could be seen on his face. The only thing conveying this deep and almost numb feeling was the blank expression he pointed up at the ceiling.
Eventually, when the harsh rain turned to a gentle sprinkle, he could feel his eyes growing heavy and his muscles relaxing, thrusting him into a long and deep sleep.
It was honestly over in a flash. He awoke to a dark blue in the sky and a chill running through the air. He was well-rested and ready for what the day had in store for him.
He was courteous enough to fix his bed after getting out of it, trying his best to mimic the tightened and tucked fabrics he first found it in. Next, he was out the door where the sounds he fell asleep to only grew louder.
"Good morning." A young woman greeted just as she was out of her room as well. She hurried off, leaving no room for Y/N to return the gesture.
The smell of wet dirt was strong, it filled the air with the mist of each breath Y/N took. Winter was getting closer and closer, presenting the worst challenges when it came to deliveries.
"Good morning." The same chipper voice from yesterday broke him away from his thoughts. He figured everyone would be up this early considering their profession but there were only a couple dozen soldiers assigned to posts or doing morning chores. Petra was one of them.
"Morning." Y/N almost stammered through a dry throat.
Petra must have expected him to add onto it, maybe open up after a long night's rest. She got the complete opposite in return.
It wasn't anything against her, the others, or the entire Corp for that matter. He simply had little to say and mostly felt obligated to answer a question or return a greeting when he was comfortable.
With that in mind, he turned away from her eyes and walked along the wide area made up of gravel and shade from younger oaks.
Leaving the estate walls, he stood along the clothesline, touching and squeezing each article of his clothes to see that they were dry. Getting them clean put him at a disadvantage, that's why he earned a few stares for what he did next.
Standing far from the walls, he dropped his clothes on the ground and got to work rubbing the dirt deep into the fabric, creating a thin layer of mud the rain made.
"Just who I wanted to see." Hange had snuck up on him, earning a glance from Y/N. "I've been meaning to ask..."
Here we go. Y/N thought with a sigh.
"You wrote that the Abnormal was—strange. As strange as they can be, just how strange was it?? Did it display unusual mannerisms? A change in its gait?"
"It just looked weird." Y/N stated rather bluntly. "That's what you wanted, right? A description?"
"I-I did, I did!" She raised her hands with a sheepish grin. "And you did so well! I'm so proud of you!" Her voice raised as she praised him with her hands squeezing his shoulders and giving them a good shake. Y/N found it to be the opposite of her overall nature, giving him a sort of pride or comfort.
"That brings me to my next question..." Hange's expression changed suddenly, wiping the grin off her face and looking more like the Squad Leader she first presented herself as. It was honestly a little intimidating. "The secret to how you get so close, what is it?"
Honestly, there wasn't much of a secret to go off of. Although, technically speaking the tricks he developed when dealing with Titans were secrets. However, Hange seemed to think he was hiding something up his sleeve.
"There is no secret." He frowned and leaned back, hoping to remove her hands from his shoulders only to make them tighter.
"You're implying it's common knowledge?"
"Yeah." Taking her hands in his, he pried them away with a slight grunt.
"You have to show me!" Hange exclaimed before squeezing his hands and pulling him close.
The scout had finally had enough and tore his hands away, throwing the researcher to the ground with an audible giggle.
"I'll give you a week's wages!" She shouted suddenly.
A week's wages? Y/N would've considered haggling her if she wasn't a Squad Leader, but then again, he was always up for some extra pay.
"Two." He countered.
"Deal!" Hange grinned and took his hand, shaking it to seal the deal before he pulled away.
"Sound and smell." Y/N said vaguely. "Horses and ODM gear is too loud. They also make you stink. The same goes for soap."
"I see." Hange murmured, her eyes narrowed in focus. "How do you combat this?"
"Here." He nodded to his clothes which he rubbed dirt into. "Stay downwind and stay as quiet as possible. Sometimes the wind can't be helped so then you crawl."
"It's that simple?" She asked but found no reply.
I wish. Y/N thought as he finished dirtying his cloak. Hange on the other hand got to work on his shirt. He didn't object to the extra help.
Now with his clothes properly one with nature, Y/N tossed them over his shoulder and entered the thick, lush forest. Neither were worried about the Titans.
  "What are we looking for?" Hange asked, scanning her surroundings.
  As if to answer her question, Y/N found a patch of browned dirt and stained wood. A particular smell came from it, something repulsing to others but welcoming to the two wanderers.
"Deer piss." Y/N grumbled. "It works for a majority of them."
"A majority?" Hange whispered.
"I never bothered sticking around but I think their sense of smell varies. The Abnormal you want is a little above the others."
"Interesting..."
  Y/N dipped his clothes in and rubbed the urine-stained dirt in specific areas. He didn't want it to be overwhelming or noticeable from afar, it just needed to feel natural, therefore, he only wanted his cloak, boots, and pants stained.
"We can leave it here for now." Y/N sighed as he tucked his clothes away. "Now for the plants I use what's native. They don't seem to care but I'm not willing to test some theory."
"I see..."
This would be the first time he saw Hange actually focus on something for once. She wasn't loud, erratic, or anything like that. She was focused, seeming more like an actual researcher than the crazy person he knew her for.
Approaching a whole field of natural grass, Y/N unsheathed his trusty sword from its leather home and got to work cutting. Hange was sure to take mental notes of his pickings and desired lengths as he went along.
"I'm using an old fishing net for this," He murmured while stuffing the grass into his netted clothes. "But I'm sure you can find something else."
"Where did you learn all of this?" The researcher had to ask with her old self slipping through. "It couldn't be from within the walls! I-if we possessed the knowledge we'd all be dressed like this!"
"It's not as special as you think." He replied, fixing her with a frown when she got too close. "Anyone would've thought of it."
"But they didn't." She countered with one of his boots held high. Y/N inspected her work for a second before taking it and setting it aside. "Please. Tell me."
"No one." He stated. "I learned by watching them. How they ignore animals, only seem to react to sound, movement, and smell... One day I figured I'd treat them like any other deer or rabbit."
"You were a hunter." Hange finally deduced.
"Yea'..." Y/N's eyes narrowed as he conveyed a clear discomfort. He didn't like how she grew closer with her brown eyes softening and wavering ever so slightly. "Nothing too crazy."
"If you don't mind me asking..." Sitting on her ankles, Hange wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them. "What brought you so far?"
"A paying job." He deadpanned. "Some years back I was approached by a priest when I was in Trost. I must've given off the air of a professional because he had me deliver a present to his mistress in Shiganshina. He missed the boats and the couriers were booked so all he had was me. And so long as I made it to her before her birthday he'd pay me the other half of what was promised... It's good money. More money than selling pelts and meat, that's for sure."
"Meat is quite rare these days." Hange pointed out the obvious.
"I'd deliver some packages and letters. Less of a hassle."
"A fair point..."
With every bit of clothing covered in dirt, grass, and urine, Y/N was off with Hange hot on his tail. Now he had something else planned.
"Two week's pay." The Scout stated. "Deal's a deal."
"Of course." Hange chuckled with a bead of sweat forming on her temple. "I can get that to you in just about... two weeks."
His brows immediately curled into a glare, having the poor researcher backpedal with hands raised.
"You haven't even paid me for your last delivery."
"I-I know. But you see—those parts you brought me came out of my own pocket!" She giggled.
"And how's that my problem?"
"H-have a heart!" She put her hands together in a pleading gesture. "I can get you the money! You know I'm good for it!"
Y/N turned on a dime and left, his head shaking along the way.
"Please!" Hange gave chase. "The next time you visit I'll have your money! Plus interest!"
"Kick rocks." Came a grumbled reply.
"You've known me long enough to know I keep my word! Please, do your old pal a solid!" Hange sprinted around, stopping him in his tracks.
I hardly know you at all. Y/N let out a frustrated sigh. "Two weeks." He murmured, hoping no one would hear him. "If you don't have my money by then, you can find someone else to deliver your stuff."
"Thank you." Hange visibly relaxed. "Two weeks, I swear."
"Hmph..."
Giving someone a bit of leeway when it came to their debts wasn't something Y/N did, but Hange was an exception. She was one of his reoccurring clients after all.
"Uhh, is that it?" She asked sheepishly, seemingly expecting more of his tactics.
"I told you it wasn't a secret."
Hange began slacking behind, turning her crazy energy into a mopey, pathetic sight. She hoped to get a bit of mercy or pity out of the Scout but was instead met with the back of his uniform as he left.
Back in the estate, Y/N caught the smell of food in the air. And as much as he was hungry, the loud and muffled voices from the mess hall were more than enough a reason to deter him.
With time to kill, he instead took a quick glance at the massive gathering inside. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular, he was instead interested in a wooden box full of garbage. Walking over, he rifled through its content before hastily leaving with a few empty food cans and a few dozen eyes watching him.
He continued his search of the estate where he gathered much-needed supplies for the night or day ahead. Thankfully, Hange wasn't there to see what he did next.
"Hey." The very same gruff voice belonging to Levi interrupted his work. Having no idea about the lengths the Captain went to when it came to cleanliness, Y/N figured he was there because of the assortment of items he'd taken.
"Hey." Y/N greeted back.
"What the hell are you doing?" He almost interrupted.
It was a good question because the majority of people had no idea what he was doing. To them, he had gathered a few empty cans, some cloth, a box of iron nails, and gunpowder for seemingly no reason at all. But Levi seemed to be catching on.
"It's..." What was it? He wasn't entirely sure about a name. He was never really asked so he made it simple. "An explosive."
Levi wanted to ask why, why did he need this? But on second thought he pieced it together. Then there was a part of him that wanted to scold him for taking from their stockpile of supplies. However, it seemed to be far more efficient than what a few squads would consume. He couldn't deny the results Y/N made.
"Just don't kill any of us with it." He scoffed before leaving him.