From Across the Sea (Attack on Titan/OC) [ON HOLD]

Chapter 23

She shook with silent sobs, and Hanji's grip tightened as she held her best friend. When Ang finally stepped back from her best friend's grasp, she wiped at the tears in her eyes and proceeded to gesture with her hands. Hanji looked confused, as she watched the blonde wave her hands in the air in what seemed to be random motions, manipulating her fingers to form different shapes.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to tell me something?" Hanji looked visibly confused and Angharad suddenly felt stupid for thinking that anyone on the island would recognize sign language. Angharad sighed and rushed around Hanji to her desk, grabbing a notebook and the pen she was using earlier, scribbling on the page before turning and showing it to Hanji. "Angharad, you did not fail as a squad leader."

Ang sniffled as she scribbled quickly on the page again. 'Ilse's death was my fault. James having to leave the Survey Corps is my fault.'

"No, nobody can predict the future." Hanji shook her head and spoke firmly to further get her point across. "This is not your fault. Do you hear me? None of what happened is your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Ilse was an apprentice of mine and she was collecting evidence for my titan research."

Angharad shook her head and pointed to herself several times and scribbled on the page again. 'No, it is my fault. If I hadn't been so adamant on her promotion to Erwin, then she'd probably still be alive. And my Squad wouldn't be falling apart.'

Hanji was silent this time, and both women sighed and held back more tears as they grieved for their friend. There was no time to safely check for any remains of the Second Brigade, so there was nothing for Angharad to give to Ilse's family to bury, nothing for them to have a sense of closure. She was just...gone.

The room remained silent for another moment, the quiet, shaky breathing of the two best friends being the only thing heard. Hanji then straightened her posture and pushed her shoulders back. She reached out and pulled Angharad into her side again, rubbing up and down her arm.

"I think it's time for a drink. Wouldn't you say?" Ang's nose scrunched in annoyance and she scribbled on the page again. 'The Doctor said I'm not supposed to have alcohol until my throat heals.'

Hanji chuckled. "Then I'll have one for you. At least come downstairs and eat something, you need a break. Leave your office for a while. You've been in here since breakfast."

Angharad looked at the clock, she'd been doing paperwork for almost 10 hours, and not once had she left her office all day. Damn, I missed dinner. She nodded and gathered her teacup in her uninjured hand and followed Hanji out of her office and down the stairs towards the kitchens.

~

Erwin sighed as he looked at the clock on the wall of his office. It was late enough in the evening that he didn't have to worry about any soldiers still being awake, most of them having retreated to their rooms to obey curfew. Giving one final look to the piles of finished paperwork, he pushed himself to a standing position and slowly made his way down the stairs towards the kitchens.

Upon his arrival, he noticed a light coming from under the door, and laughter echoing from the other side. Erwin slowly pushed the door open and took quick notice of Hanji and Angharad sitting at the cook's table in the corner, a pot of tea steaming between them on the table, while Hanji sipped at the dark brown liquid in her glass. Two plates with their respective silverware sat pushed off to the side. The boisterous scientist must have finally pulled Ang from her office to eat something. Since the incident with James, she'd been cooped up in her room.

"What's all this?" Erwin's voice brought the two women's attention to the door, and Angharad smiled lightly in greeting as she stood and collected the dirty dishes and made her way towards the sink.

"Just catching up." Hanji pushed her bangs out of her face. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I just finished all the paperwork for James' transfer to the Garrison." The atmosphere of the room turned somber.

Angharad, with her hands in the soapy water that filled the sink, paused her movements briefly before continuing again. Erwin suddenly felt like he shouldn't have opened his mouth, or at least omitted which paperwork he was working on. He turned to the short woman whom he always considered to be one of his closest friends. His relationship with Angharad had always been one he cherished over the years, and early on, there had been a few rumors that they were dating before their fellow soldiers finally figured out that they were just really close friends. Angharad was always someone he was able to confide in, and the blonde woman always made sure that he knew he could come to her with anything, that her office door was always open.

Angharad rinsed and dried the dishes in her hands, putting them away in the cupboard above her. Standing on her tiptoes to reach the second shelf, she wordlessly grabbed a clean mug and walked back to her seat, filling the mug with steaming tea from the pot. She then turned to her blonde counterpart and held it out to him. Erwin's expression softened, taking the mug from her hands, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of her head before he took the seat across from her. With no way to verbally express how she was feeling due to her injuries, he suspected this was her way of showing that she understood that the decision was out of his hands. His thoughts were confirmed when she reached for her notebook and pen, promptly scribbling on the page before lifting the notebook to show him what she wrote with a smirk.

Erwin snickered and shook his head at her message. 'Shit happens'

The three friends remained in the kitchens well into the night, laughing and taking advantage of the rare, quiet atmosphere of HQ.