What Could Have Been (HangexFemReader)

Chapter 17: Aftermath

"No worries. I trust you," Hange smiled a little. They stood slowly. "I should probably go sleep before I collapse. You can keep my room, (Y/N). I'll sleep on the sofa in the living. Levi and Mikasa are welcomed to stay—"

"We're leaving, don't worry," Levi stood. "We'll come back tomorrow morning to discuss strategy and our next steps."

(Y/N) waved and watched as Levi and Mikasa left through the main door. She turned back to Hange. "You can't sleep on the sofa. Not with those injuries. I can go back with Levi and Mikasa, I don't want to be a burden on you here."

"You're a wanted person," Hange raised a brow. "There's a warrant out for your arrest. The safest place for you is here—no one will expect that you're living with me."

"But you said you don't have any guest rooms..."

"We can always share," Hange finally offered. "My bed is big enough for five people. I'm sure we'll both fit."

"Uh, are you sure?" (Y/N) asked nervously. "Won't that be uncomfortable for you?"

"I'm fine with it if you are," Hange shrugged nonchalantly. "I've shared beds with people in the past."

(Y/N) nodded. "Well...if you don't mind...I guess, I don't either."

--

Night fell far too quickly for (Y/N)'s liking. She had wanted to stay awake for a little longer, to think more about the deaths of Augustus and Leo and how she was planning on getting Jean to talk to her. She felt as if talking to Jean was the key. He was indirectly tied to Augustus. Perhaps he'd know who was in charge. There had to be some higher power giving him the shimmer. Besides her swirl of never ending thoughts, (Y/N) also had to deal with the there's only one bed situation.

Hange didn't seem too bothered. They had changed into a pair of pajamas—with difficulty due to their cast—and were lounging on the left side of the bed. Hange's hair was out of its ponytail, their eyes wide without their glasses.

(Y/N) sat on the other side, trying to get as much distance as possible. "Well cupcake, I usually wait until the third date to share a bed but here we are. Don't get too excited."

Hange let out an amused chuckle, unfazed by (Y/N)'s comment. She was slightly nervous and the best way to deal with her nerves was to flirt awkwardly.

"The third date? Isn't that too long?" Hange teased. "The end of the first date is good for me."

"Oh?" (Y/N) slid under the covers, glad for the darkness that cloaked her embarrassed expression. "You probably had many girls in this bed, huh? Actually, don't answer that, I don't want to know..."

Hange grinned knowingly. They carefully laid down, turning to face (Y/N). "Actually, I've never slept with a girl."

(Y/N) choked on nothing. "Oh. Um. That's cool."

"No, that's the line where you're supposed to say, I can change that," Even in the dark, (Y/N) could see the mischievous glint in Hange's eyes. "Your game is getting weak, dear."

"You should get some rest," (Y/N) cleared her throat. "It's been a long day. With the explosion and all."

Hange nodded, but their eyes didn't close. Instead, they took the time to look at (Y/N), to trace her features with their eyes, to gaze at her fondly, causing (Y/N) to grow even more nervous. She didn't like it when people stared at her without a reason.

"Thank you," Hange finally whispered.

"For what?" (Y/N) blinked.

"For...just being here. Being a royal scientist can be isolating. I don't know if you think of me as a friend or an acquaintance, but I just know that we're not just kidnapper and abductee anymore," Hange said lightly. "Oh, and by the way, I forgive you for that. The whole kidnapping thing."

"How merciful of you," (Y/N) grinned. She wished there was more light in the room so that she could make out the warm brown hues of Hange's eyes. "But thank you too. For actually helping me and not selling me out to the King."

Hange smiled, their hair falling gently around their face. (Y/N) could see the thin scars on their face from where glass had scraped them during the explosion. Before she knew what she was doing, she reached out her hand to gently stroke their cheek, wishing that they hadn't gotten hurt. Hange appeared startled at the sudden contact and (Y/N) moved to remove her hand, mentally scolding herself for the action. But Hange grabbed her hand, keeping it pressed against the warm skin of their face.

The two just looked at each other, basking in each other's presence. It was a weird twist of fate that they had found each other, a weird plot twist that (Y/N) had never seen coming. The warmth she felt in Hange's presence, the way she was worried about their wellbeing, the way she loved looking into their eyes, the way her stone-cold persona crumbled around them...Hange was right. She was losing her game.

--

The next morning, as (Y/N) was scolding Hange about not taking care of their injuries properly, Levi entered Hange's mansion abruptly.

"I've figured out where Jean is located," he said breathlessly. It seemed as if he had been fighting mere minutes earlier. He was out of breath, sweaty, and there were cuts on his face that hadn't been there earlier.

"What?" (Y/N) stood up, concerned. "How did you...never mind, I thought you said we were going to create a strategy today? You went and did all this by yourself!"

"Look, that's not important right now...Jean...he lives here," Levi looked towards (Y/N). "He has a small house near the palace. Me and Mikasa went interrogating people last night and that's where we found this intel. We staked out the place and confirmed that Jean does live there."

"Did you talk to him?" (Y/N) asked, breathless. "Did you meet him?"

"We didn't. We thought it would be best if you got to see him first...you were closer to him, after all. Whenever you're ready, I can take you there," Levi sighed. "But, we'll have to be cautious. We can't trust Jean anymore."

(Y/N) frowned. She never thought she'd hear that sentence from Levi...but he was right. She felt guilty at not reaching out to him more. Sasha and Connie's deaths had been extremely hard on everyone, and (Y/N) had dealt with it by detaching for a few months. She had no idea what Jean had been up to. She didn't reach out. By the time she was ready to talk to people, he was long gone. She should have reached out. She could have comforted him. He had been all she had left.

"Let's go," (Y/N) said, determined. "I'm ready."

"Be careful," Hange placed a hand atop hers. "I know you want him to be the same person, but I doubt he is. Don't get yourself hurt, (Y/N)."

"I won't," (Y/N)'s expression softened as she looked over at Hange. "And you keep yourself out of trouble in the meanwhile. I'll be back soon, and hopefully with some intel."

--

Two hours later, (Y/N) found herself in front of a small, modest home in Shiganshina city. She had borrowed Hange's cloak again and it covered the eternity of her face. The house was well kept with a tiny garden and an inexpensive car.

"Jean...he's made quite a home for himself, hasn't he?" (Y/N) smiled sadly. Despite it all, she was glad Jean had made it out. The undercity was ruthless. At least here, in the topside, he didn't have to worry about his next meal or whether he would survive the night.

Levi raised a hand to knock on the door, his other positioned on the handle of the gun that was at his holster. (Y/N) held her breath as the seconds passed. Then there was a slight creak as the doorknob twisted. The door slowly pulled back and revealed a tall man.

"(Y/N)? Levi?"

Jean. It really was Jean.