Attack on Titan: Survival and Dedication - Male Reader

PART TWO

Again, Y/N woke to the sounds of canons firing and a Garrison troop shouting for a reload. The repetition was almost perfect from yesterday's, and the day before that one.
  Y/N sat, his back contorting at an angle that best relieved the pain in his lower spine. The excruciating sensation soon passed, only to make him aware of his right foot feeling numb or almost asleep.
  His gaze remained on his wrinkled sheets and crumpled blanket long enough for the firing crew on the wall to let loose not one, but two more volleys.
  In truth, he didn't want to get out of bed, he didn't want to do anything. What exactly was there to do? He would eat, get to work on the ODM prototype, eat, work, and then sleep. The worst thing about it was he would do the exact same thing tomorrow morning.
   The quiet seconds turned to minutes of contemplation. He was still, deep in thought so thick it would slow any man from a furious sprint to a tired walk.
   Why did he offer his help again? Why didn't he just cough up the prototype and have someone like Hange put it together?
  I should've sold it while I had the chance. He thought to himself.
  A furious knock on his door rattled him from his thoughts. Given the situation he was in, there was only one person who would knock, wait a second, and then barge right in.
  "Goooood morning my darling!~" Hange sang in the cold and dark room. Y/N hadn't drawn enough attention to the pet name before she yanked his blinds open, bringing the morning light in.
  Y/N shut his eyes in the blinding light. Yet he was distinctly aware of the gleaming metal in the corner of his eyes just before closing them.
  Right... Felix's shovel.
  The young man's tool made him kick his feet to the cold, wooden floor below. The tiredness kept his head hung low until a pair of hands gently prodded his stitched flesh.
  "These are coming along nicely." Hange complimented both her work and his condition. "I would say... hmm, another week or two until we pull them out."
  Without warning, her hands smoothed over his ears and forced his gaze to meet her own. She fixed him with her brown, scrutinizing eyes of authority; something he rarely saw if ever.
  How does one feel in this sort of situation? Are they scared? Would her intimidating presence turn you into a blubbering mess? Or perhaps the closeness triggers something more natural? Y/N wondered how to feel when her brows furrowed and he could smell the remnants of sweet soap mixed with the tangy metal that marked her hands black.
  He wasn't entirely sure how to feel. But right now, at this moment, his breath stilled and his mind was at ease. Whatever it was she saw first in his eyes, she seemed more than satisfied with it.
  True to her character, a mental switch was flipped. A smile grew impossibly fast on her lips and her eyes were far more affectionate and warm than before.
  Caressing his cheek for a moment longer, she sighed. The sound was more calming than reluctant or wistful, as Y/N was soon to find out.
  "No time to oversleep." She said, letting go. "Breakfast was already served and we have a lot of work ahead of us."
  She shut his door behind her, leaving the room unbearably quiet and frigidly cold. Despite all of this, he stood from bed with a tired groan. But much to his surprise and relief, he didn't need to walk far for breakfast.
  Hange had left a tray of rations on his desk. It consisted of the same high-calorie and nutritious packages he had on him during his long walks. And even more surprising was his water bladder filled to the brim.
  "Hmm..." The thought of her sneaking in to take it didn't escape him. Out of all the people in the Scouting legion, he didn't mind it was her.
  It came upon him in a heartbeat, the feeling he should've had. It was a melancholy warmth of hands on his back. They pushed him with sweet whispers, telling him he needed more of the crazed researcher in this cold, bleak world.
  The idea was as mundane as these past couple of days were. He would desire something more than the gunpowder and dry food of the military, however, he wouldn't know the first thing to say or do if he tried.
  Paradis. This island, they say bred devils, and yet all of the people Y/N ever met were survivors in a hellish prison.
  It was a terrible loop of ideas soon to crash and burn. Finding love would only end in tragedy here. Making friends would be the same. There was no life to be made here. The only escape was the sea and what lay beyond it.
  The sea. That's what got Y/N up in the morning, and today was no different.