Tutor

Forced Indifference

Hi folks!

Not much to say here. This is like 90% angst 💀 but all in the name of a quality plot. 

-Parks 🖤

One Week Earlier:

"Hange you have to sleep at least a few hours per night. You're supposed to be on break," Erwin scolded, though he wasn't upset with them, just concerned.

He had found them hunched over their desk sifting through a large stack of papers and occasionally stopping to read from a page. They didn't look up, respond, or even flinch at Erwin's entry.

"Ha!" Hange exclaimed and abruptly stood up from their chair. They slapped the piece of paper with the back of their hand and turned to leave. "Oh!" Hange stopped in their tracks a second away from running face first into Erwin. "I was just coming to find you."

Erwin quietly sighed and chose to let it go. "What did you find?"

"I've been finding breadcrumb after breadcrumb, but so far none of them have actually connected. But this!" Hange flapped the sheet of paper in the air. "This is from before Y/N was even born."

"Does that mean you can get some rest now?" Erwin was less than entertained. "The one thing you should be doing on your break?"

Hange scoffed and scrunched up their face. "No? This is just the beginning. I've found six of Y/N's siblings so far, but I've only found evidence of him paying the mother's of four of them. I haven't even started on his work at the university."

"And none of that can wait until morning?" Erwin leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. It was a little after 3am, and he had almost successfully worked himself to exhaustion when he thought to check on Hange.

"No," Hange sat back down in their seat. "Levi sent a letter today asking about my progress." Hange paused and stared at the stacks of records and statements in front of them. "He said she's not doing well," they added softly. "I failed her once, and I have to live with that. This is the least I can do."

Erwin sighed as he watched Hange begin scribbling something in a notebook as they returned to their work. He walked over and patted their shoulder.

"Let me know when I can help."

"I will."

Erwin walked out of Hange's office, through the lab, and just before he entered the hallway, he heard Hange say, "Thank you."

He nodded with a pressed lip smile then continued down the hall.

~

Y/N picked up a shirt from the dwindling pile of clothes on their bed to fold and place in the open suitcase on the floor at her feet. The nightmare from last night still lurked in the dark corners of her brain, but Levi's... comfort and soothing words remained in the forefront. She could hear him outside fiddling around with the horse's tackle and arranging their belongings on the cart.

The day Y/N had been dreading had finally arrived, and after her breakdown last night, she felt rather numb to the whole situation.

At least if he does break in and kill me, I won't have to be worried about it anymore. Y/N mentally shrugged at the thought. The constant fear had begun to wear on her more than anything else.

"Y/N!" Levi called as he entered the cabin.

"Yeah?" She placed another folded shirt into the suitcase.

Levi poked his head into the room first then came in to sit on the bed when he saw her.

"The horse and cart are ready to go whenever you finish with that last suitcase," Levi explained.