Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It took quite a while for Hanji to finish their story, but everyone was listening intently. Of course all of them had been watching them all this time and had seen them struggle, but it was important to all of them that they could tell it in their own words and get it off their chest.

“Ah, I guess that’s basically it. It sucked.” Hanji sighed.

“You’ve had a hard time and it pained us that we couldn’t help you. I’m sorry you had to carry such a huge burden. I know you never wanted to be Commander, but please believe me when I say I didn’t make a mistake in naming you as my successor.” Erwin wrapped his arm around their shoulders, hoping his words would get through that stubborn skull of theirs.

They couldn’t help but to gasp. “So you heard that?”

“We all did. Seeing you being so hard on yourself wasn’t easy for us. You should remember that you were in a position with everything and everyone actively working against you. It basically was you against the world.” It wasn’t even an exaggeration and that made it even more painful to watch.

“I-I just feel like you would have done a better job.”

Hearing their voice break made him pull them into his chest. “I don’t think so. The reason I could do the things I did was because of all of you backing me up. No one can face the world alone. We came this far because we all had each other, each with their own talents. It was a combined effort of skills and talents of all of us. You think I could come up with the titan research you did and all the traps and weapons you invented?”

They couldn’t argue with him on that as much as they wanted, because it was the truth. Their mind had been playing games with them for so long, believing the lies it told them. But now they were surrounded by people who chased away those demons effortlessly. “Thank you. All of you.”

“We’re all so proud of you, Hanji. Don’t you forget that. Ever.” He could feel them relaxing and hugging him back. His words had gotten through to them.

Having the demons chased away they felt lighter. Was that even possible now that they didn’t have a physical body anymore? Well this wasn’t a physical weight they carried, so they guessed their soul felt lighter and better now. “I won’t. I promise.”

“Well then, it’s time to celebrate your accomplishments.” Erwin grinned.

“Wait, what?” Seeing Erwin grin like that made them wary instantly. What was he up to?

“Don’t ask questions. Just let it happen.”

Suddenly they were grabbed by multiple strong arms from all sides and lifted off the ground. Among them were Mike and Nanaba. Of course Erwin would let them do it, whatever it was that he was planning. They were not only some of Erwin’s closest friends but theirs as well.

“Hey! Put me down!” They yelped as they were carried towards a big group of fellow scouts.

Nanaba laughed. “Sorry, Hanji, can’t do. Commander’s orders.”

“I’m your Commander too and I order you to put me down this instant!” They tried to break free from their grasps, but they were no match in terms of strength against the likes of Mike. What the hell were they planning?

“Relax. No one is going to hurt you or something.” Nanaba couldn’t see why Hanji was struggling and didn’t just let it happen. Didn’t Hanji trust them?

They couldn’t relax. Why didn’t they just let go off them? Their eyes desperately searched for help until they landed on Moblit. Yes, Moblit, he would help them for sure. “Moblit! Please help me! I don’t want this!”

Moblit made his way over to them without a word. Then he bent down to whisper. “I’m sorry but I’m not going to help you. Not after I worked so hard to arrange all of this.”

Hanji’s eyes went wide as they watched him walk away towards the group of scouts without another word. Moblit of all people was behind this whole thing? What the hell? “Moblit! Come back here! I’m scared!”

Hearing them say that made him turn around. He didn’t want them to be scared. “You don’t have to be scared. It’s going to be fun. Don’t you trust me?”

Of course they trusted him. With all their heart. Though that didn’t mean that they were giddy with excitement. They hated being left in the dark on things and Moblit knew that, so why the secrecy? “I trust you! I just want to know what you’re all going to do with me!”

“It’s a surprise. Just have a little patience and you’ll see.” He knew that was probably falling on deaf ears. Hanji was the most impatient person he knew after all.

If it was anyone else they would have started to cuss them out by now, but they couldn’t do that to Moblit. He meant well with this, they knew that. It was just nerve-racking, because their instincts told them they weren’t going to get a group hug but something way more intense. Now that they had stopped struggling, they quickly arrived at the group of scouts. They could see them holding a big cloth of some kind. Maybe sailcloth? Not that it really mattered. What mattered was what they were going to do with it. Before they had a chance to ask they were tossed on it rather abruptly.

Realisation started to dawn on them what they were going to do with them. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Erwin stepped forward and met their gaze. “I assure you that we’re not kidding you. It’s time to celebrate your achievements in three… two…”

“Nooooo wait!” But it was already too late. As soon as Erwin reached one they were launched into the air.

They were screaming their lungs out as they were dropping down again. What if they failed to catch them? Yes, they were dead, but that didn’t guarantee they couldn’t get hurt somehow. To their relief they landed on the cloth, but they didn’t get time to take a breather as they were up in the air again in mere seconds. It wasn’t until the third time that they were up in the air that they realised that they were chanting their name.

“Hanji! Hanji! Hanji! Hanji! Hanji!” All of them chanted enthusiastically.

It made them tear up a bit, hearing how they all chanted their name with such love. They didn’t feel scared anymore and quickly blinked the tears away. Now they were giddy and they started laughing and cheering their friends on to keep going. They no longer had their gear, but like this they could still fly a bit and they felt like that was Moblit’s exact intention. Flying around with the gear always gave them a sense of freedom and happiness after all. They were sure Moblit wanted to make them feel those things after all that had happened the past four years.

They caught him smiling up at them and they smiled back even brighter. He knew them too well. His surprise really made them feel great once the initial scare had passed. They could enjoy this forever if they would let them. They probably couldn’t get tired anymore, at least not physically. But there was so much else they wanted. There was still so much they wanted to share and talk about. Time didn’t have much meaning here, wherever they were, but after what they felt like were another ten minutes they called down to the group to call it quits for now.

“Hey! I’ve had my fun! You can let me down now! Thank you all so much!” They called out.

They were launched up one final time, the highest until now, and let out an excited yell. Then they were caught and pulled off the cloth by Mike and Nanaba. “You two really are awful.” They laughed.

“Don’t blame us. We’re just following orders.” Mike grinned.

“Yeah, right. I hope when I plan something I can count on you too.”

“Of course, Commander.” Mike saluted playfully.

Hanji shook their head and walked over to Erwin. “Erwin, where did you guys get that cloth? It feels so out of place here.”

“I knew you would ask that. It seems like we can somehow materialise certain items with our thoughts. It’s really neat.” He explained excitedly.

“Oh, so that means I can materialise one of my blades as payback for your involvement in this surprise and shove it up your-”

“Language, Hanji.” He interrupted.

Hanji just burst out laughing at the mental images of what they had just suggested. Erwin couldn’t help but to laugh too. Hanji’s joyful laughter was always contagious.

Hanji wiped their eye, as they nearly had to cry from laughing. They had missed these interactions so much. “How do you think it works? The materialising of things I mean.”

“I’m still not fully sure yet.” He admitted.

“Oh! I already have some theories on that! Do you want to hear them?” They beamed excitedly, eye sparkling.

Erwin smiled, thinking it was good to have them back to their excited and bubbly self. “I would love to but don’t you think there’s a more important conversation you need to have first with someone else?”

“Huh?” They didn’t understand what Erwin was getting at until they followed his gaze which landed on Moblit, who stood just out of earshot. “Ah, right. I will.”

Erwin raised an eyebrow as he noticed they were still rooted in place. “What are you waiting for then? Are you scared? You would think that after facing an army of colossal titans that nothing would scare you anymore.”

“I’m good with titans. Feelings not so much.” They sighed deeply. They had played this moment out in their head a million times in hopes of there being something after death, but now that the moment had finally arrived they felt at a loss for the right words.

“Why don’t you start with thanking him for the surprise first? I’m sure the conversation will flow from there.” He suggested.

“Yeah, thank you.” They took a deep breath and smiled. The words didn’t matter, only what they tried to convey.

Their feet started moving as if they had a will of their own. The desire to reach Moblit was strong in their subconscious apparently. Before they knew it they started running and they called out his name.

He turned to face them just in time as they launched themselves into his arms. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around them and smiled softly at their happy face. “I’m glad to see you smiling again, Hanji.”

Hanji. Not Squad Leader or Commander. Just Hanji. It was a rarity to be called by their name by him, as he was always so respectful. Hearing their name out of his mouth just hit different than when anyone else said it. It sounded so warm and ethereal coming from him. It made them feel things that they didn’t know how to put into words yet.

“I have you to thank for that. Your surprise was awesome. I definitely want to do that again.” Their arms didn’t leave him, it felt good to be holding each other.

“I’m happy you liked it. Of course we will let you fly as many times as you like. Just say the word.” It made him feel warm inside watching them full of joy in the air and he kinda wished it would have lasted longer. But they both knew there were more important matters to do first.

“Well, I think I need to say some different words first. To you.” It was hard not to look away, as they felt so nervous, but they really had to look him in the eyes for this.

Hanji’s intense stare made him swallow. “Ah, of course. I’m listening.”

“You’ve always been there for me. Supported my ideas and stayed up late into the night with me, working on research and experiments. You’ve always protected me. Mostly from myself, but that time Sannes grabbed me and you pulled his hand away really stands out to me.” Thinking back on that now, they really felt like smacking themselves for not realising just how telling that moment was for the both of them.

He softly smiled, remembering the moment as well. “I couldn’t let him touch you like that. As if you meant nothing. Disgusting jerk.”

Hearing that made them blush. “Thank you for that. You were really cool.”

That made him blush too. “Thank you.” Then he noticed a quick change in their demeanour. They suddenly looked gloomy. “Hanji?”

“When I joined the Survey Corps I made a promise to myself. To not get heartbroken. So I closed my heart off for certain feelings. I succeeded in that for the longest of time. I didn’t even notice how my heart had slowly opened over time, betraying the promise I made to myself.” They paused, feeling how they started to tremble.

Moblit looked at them with concern. Where were they going with this? “Just take your time. There’s no rush.”

“My feelings hit me full force in Shiganshina. You selfless idiot!” They couldn’t help themselves from hitting him in the chest.

Moblit was stunned into silence. He didn’t even feel them hitting him. Not that they intended to hurt him. It was soft, yet strong at the same time because of what they tried to convey to him.

“You gave your life for me!” They started crying. “There was nothing left of you! I was all alone realising that all you ever did for me was because you love me more than life itself!” Their hand moved from his chest to his back, trying to pull him closer to them, holding onto him desperately.

“Hanji…” Was all he managed to bring out.

“I’m not done yet!” They yelled through broken sobs. “I didn’t just realise that you love me but that I love you too and that I never wanted to spend a day without you anymore! But you were gone! You left me all alone! I had so many nightmares of watching you die!”

Hearing that broke his heart. They had suffered so much. His right hand moved to their shoulder, holding on tight and pulling them closer, while his left moved to their hair and he gently pulled their head into his chest, while pressing a soft kiss on their hair. He would never regret saving them, but he had felt terrible too to leave them all alone like that.

“I’m sorry. I wish it didn’t have to be that way. I’ve watched you suffer so much and every time I tried to hold you but my arms just went right through you. I will never regret saving you, though. I’ve always believed that you would save humanity and you’ve proved me right. I’m so damn proud of you, Hanji. I love you so damn much.”

Moblit was never a curser, only when he wanted to make sure the person he was talking to wouldn’t doubt his words. They didn’t, as his actions in life had proven his love more than words could ever convey. Still, hearing him say the words meant the world to them, as if everything wrong in life got suddenly erased and there was only peaceful tranquillity.

They removed their head from his chest and looked into his eyes and there was a silent understanding between the two of them. They inched closer to each other and their lips met halfway as their eyes closed in pure bliss. Their mouths moved slowly against each other at first, but their pace increased by the second as they had waited four years for this moment. Their tongues brushed against each other as their kiss deepened, desperate to be even closer to each other, as if to become one.

Kissing Hanji felt like sunshine. Warm and soft. Well, they had always been his sun he supposed. It felt better than he ever thought it would. It still felt strange to him that their souls worked practically the same as their bodies and that they needed to part for air. It felt almost like a sin to remove his lips from theirs, even though he did it as slow and gentle as possible.

Hanji’s face was flushed and their lips slightly swollen from the kissing. He cupped their face and gently wiped away the leftover tears from earlier with his thumb. “God, you’re so beautiful.”

They were still a bit dazed from the intense kiss and hearing him say that made their face flush even more. They had never thought of themselves as attractive, let alone beautiful, but they knew he was sincere about it. He would never say such a thing without meaning it with his whole heart.

Still they couldn’t help but to feel slightly insecure. “Really? Even with this eyepatch?”

“Of course. You got that because you kept staring at me. How could I ever think that’s not beautiful? I think it looks pretty cool even. Really fashionable.”

“Now you’re just pulling my leg.” They shook their head at him.

“No, I’m serious. Of course I wished for you not to get hurt at all like that, but it doesn’t take away from your beauty even one bit.” He could stare at them forever and never get tired of it.

“You truly are wonderful. You always know the right things to say to ease my mind.” They moved their hand to his face and softly stroked his cheek. “Did you ever take a look in a mirror? You’re so damn handsome it should be illegal.”

Moblit couldn’t help but to laugh at that. Hanji had a way with words and it always put a smile on his face. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

“Yes, really. What have I done to deserve such a handsome guy like you?” It was a serious question, despite sounding like a tease. Really what had they done?

Moblit stared at them in disbelief. Did they really not know why he fell in love with them or were they just fishing for compliments? Looking at them closely made him realise it was a serious question, despite trying to play it off as a tease. Really they had to work on that insecurity of theirs. Masking it with humour was not something he wished to see them do. He wanted their jokes to be jokes and not something to hide any negative feelings they had about themselves.

“Promise me something.” He said.

“Huh? Sure, anything.” What did he mean?

“Promise me that when you feel insecure about something that you tell me instead of masking it with humour. I don’t want you to feel undeserving or unworthy. You deserve all my love.”

That surprised them. “Ah, you got me there. It’s still unreal to me that someone has such love for me. I promise I will share my insecurities with you from now on. But the same goes for you. You don’t see your own worth either. I’m not going to be satisfied until you see yourself the way I do. You’re not standing in my shadow, you’re part of my light.”

His insecurities had always made him question if he was good enough to be with someone as bright as Hanji, but they were clearly having none of it. “Good. And you’re right. I promise to work on it too.”

“Will you answer the question then? I’m really curious.” They felt giddy and nervous at the same time. What would he say?

“Of course.” He just hoped he could find the right words to do them justice. “What you have done is just being you. You’re brilliant, funny, cute, brave, kind, empathic, inspirational. Your unwavering dedication to save humanity made me devote my heart to you.”

Hearing him say that made their jaw drop. So many people called them completely opposite things. Not people in the Survey Corps thankfully, except maybe crazy, but they never saw that as an insult. Moblit had praised their research before and their mind, but he had never mentioned the other things, keeping his feelings hidden, as to not to distract them from their quest.

They didn’t know how to reply to that overwhelming praise in words, so they gently took his face in their hands and pulled him close to press a soft kiss to his lips.

Moblit softly kissed them back, knowing full well he had managed to turn Hanji shy from the praise and they were trying to hide it by kissing him. He didn’t mind them masking their feelings this time, finding it endearing instead.

Hanji pulled back, having regained their composure. “Thank you.”

He smiled, happy they took his words to heart. “What about me?”

“Huh?” They didn’t understand his question.

“What is it that makes you love me?”

Hanji’s face flushed immediately upon hearing that. Did they really have to say it out loud? They weren’t good at this. What if they messed up and said something wrong?

“Hey, there must be something else besides me being handsome, right?” He studied their face carefully, noticing their nervousness. He really hoped they would get more confident in sharing their feelings over time.

“Of course!” Dang it, they didn’t want him to think they were that shallow to only like him for a handsome face. “As I’ve said, you’ve always been there for me, protected me, supported my ideas, made sure I didn’t forget to eat. There was always a blanket wrapped around my shoulders when I passed out on my desk again. You always cheered me up when I was feeling down. Your art work is phenomenal. You’re funny, smart, cute, patient, loyal. You’re the kindest and most selfless man and you deserve my whole heart.”

“Thank you. We make each other whole.” He pulled them into a hug and softly stroked their hair.

They hugged him back, enjoying his gentle caressing. “You’re right. You’re the part that was missing these last four years. Now my heart feels whole again.”

He held them a little tighter upon hearing that. They had suffered so much and he had only seen what they had let out those four years, not what they bravely kept in. “I’ll make sure that you’ll never have to suffer again. I hope you feel free now to pour out everything that harmed your soul and will allow me to heal it.”

How did he always know the right words to make them feel better? They really were two pieces that made each other whole, they supposed. “You’re doing a great job on that already, sweetheart. You’re the only one who can heal my soul, because you are my soulmate.”

Soulmates. Yes, of course. He never thought something like that actually existed, but here they were. Maybe life got in the way but their souls would always be intertwined no matter what happened. “You’re right. Of course you are. You always are, darling.”

Hanji couldn’t contain their smile. It felt good to come to this realisation and him wholeheartedly agreeing. On top of that they were already calling each other endearments, despite them just getting together. “You know, even though we just got together it feels like it’s already been so much longer.”

“Well, I guess that’s because despite not being romantically involved, we’ve always been together. It was just the romance part missing. I’m glad it’s no longer missing. I’ve spent countless hours dreaming of the things we could do together as a couple.” It was by no means an exaggeration and he wished with his whole heart that they could do those things now.

“Oh? What kind of things?”

“Things like this.” Suddenly he materialised a beautiful bouquet of red roses in his hands and offered them to them.

They took them gratefully with a blush on their face. They had suspected Moblit to be a romantic guy and they weren’t wrong on their assumption. In the world of the living these would have cost a fortune. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

“Only the best for you.” He had wanted to buy them flowers countless of times, but never did, remembering he couldn’t distract them from their mission. But now he could make flowers for them every day if they wished.

“I just wonder where I have to keep them. I could probably materialise a vase or something.” They really wanted him to teach them how this materialising thing worked.

“Yes, you can. You can also store it. In your soul I mean. You can take them back out again anytime you want.”

They focussed, excited to try it out. Within a few seconds the bouquet turned into light and entered their soul. “Whoa, cool.” They took it out again with no trouble and sniffed them a final time before putting them back in again. “This is so neat! So does that mean your soul is like an unlimited storage space?”

“We’re pretty sure it is. I knew you would like it.” Seeing them get all excited over things like this made him realise just how much he missed hearing them theorise on things. “So, how do you think it works?”

“I have some ideas, but I’m sure all of you must have your own ideas as well. I mean you’ve all had at least four years to think about it. Must have come up with something in that time, right?” They were sure at least Erwin and him must have been trying to find it out at least.

“Yes, of course. However we would like to hear your input as well, since this stuff is right up your alley.” Maybe titan time was over, but that didn’t mean Hanji couldn’t find something new to obsess about.

They just got here and they already considered their opinion on this of upmost importance. Well, they would always be a researcher at heart with or without titans. Discovering new things excited them. They had been afraid things here would be boring without titan research, but it seemed like they worried for nothing. There were plenty of things to discover here too probably.

“It excites me to learn new things. That will never change.”

“You should never change. I’ve missed seeing you excited over things like this.” Seeing Hanji passionate about things was so attractive to him.

“Having you share my excitement makes it a million times better. It just wasn’t the same without you.” After his death it was hard to be excited about new discoveries. Every time they wanted to share it with him and every time they were painfully reminded he wasn’t standing next to them anymore.

He took their hand in his, feeling they needed the confirmation. “It’s going to be the same again now. I’m never leaving your side again. I promise.”

Feeling his strong hand in their smaller and slender one put them at ease. Holding hands felt nice and safe and they gently squeezed his to let him know they appreciated him comforting them. “Good. I’m a mess without you. Physically and mentally.”

“A beautiful mess, though. You’re always beautiful.”

“Really? Even when I hadn’t bathed in forever?” It was wild to them that he basically had just said that.

“Yes, even then. Of course when you’re freshly bathed you’re actually ethereal. But I don’t mind you looking messy. It’s part of who you are and I love all of you.” Sometimes getting a bit messy was fun. You couldn’t expect to get results if you were afraid to get your hands dirty.

Just how many times was he going to make them blush today? “Moblit Berner, I hope you are prepared to catch me when I faint from getting too much blood rushing to my head.”

He couldn’t help but to smile at that. “That bad, huh? Of course I’ll catch you and then I’ll carry you in my arms and bring you to the softest bed my mind can create.”

“Moblit!” One more word out of him and they were really going to faint.

“Alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing you. For now.” He winked.

They had never imagined Moblit to be such a tease, but it was pretty endearing. “I’ll get back at you, you know.”

“I know.” He grinned, knowing it was a promise. “How about we go to Erwin so we can theorise on our souls’ storage space and our ability to materialise things?”

“Are you sure? I mean I really enjoy just being with you. You’re not suggesting it because you think you’re boring me, right?” He would never bore them.

“I enjoy just the two of us too. Very much. I’m not worried I’m boring you and you’re not boring me either. You’re the most fascinating person ever. Boredom is not an option with you.”

“Then why?” They didn’t understand why he would suggest it.

“Because I know how much you love theorising and I love hearing you theorise. Also I know you want to include Erwin in your theories and so do I. We’ve been at it together, but we really missed your input.”

“Oh. Looks like the two of you have grown pretty close.” That made them happy. It was clear how close by how Moblit just called him Erwin instead of Commander. Roles didn’t matter here much anymore.

“Yeah, four years is plenty of time to grow close. All of us were able to bond beyond comrades.”

That was only natural, they supposed. There was no fear of losing people here, so also no fear of getting close to someone. “I feel like I’ve missed out on a lot.”

“So have all of us even though we watched you.” Seeing something and actually experiencing something were two different things.

“Well, let’s go talk to Erwin. I want to know the things you guys did here.” They shared their experiences with them and now it was time they shared theirs.

“Let’s go.” He gently pulled them along until he felt them come to an abrupt halt. “Hanji?”

Hanji was staring at a black smudge on the ground in the shape of a human. Realisation hit them that they were staring at the remains of their own body. They hadn’t noticed earlier or even paid it a thought as their first thoughts when they opened their eye were of the flying boat and the next were of those they lost as Erwin praised them. Looking at it now made them feel all sorts of things. It was shocking to say the least.

Their last moments alive came rushing back from their memory at such intensity that they dropped to their knees. The flames that consumed them, hot and unforgiving, as they made their final charge. How did they even manage to do that? No normal person could have done that while being on fire. It almost felt unreal to them that they managed to pull something like that off.

After that final charge they must have lost consciousness and life must have left them shortly after as they dropped to the ground. At least they hoped so, as they would prefer being dead already when being stepped on by a colossal titan.

Dead. They were dead. It felt so unreal.

They were shaken from their train of thoughts by a soft hand on their cheek and a gentle voice calling out their name with worry. They looked up in the worried face of Moblit, who sat on his knees in front of them, his other hand holding onto their shoulder to steady them.

“Hanji! Hey! Look at me!” Relief hit him when their eye seemed to gain back focus as they snapped out of whatever had possessed them and looked at him instead. “It’s okay. It’s all okay.”

“Moblit…?” They said, still slightly dazed.

“I’m here. Please tell me what’s wrong.” What was it that made them so out of it suddenly?

“That’s my body over there…”

He looked over his shoulder to follow their gaze and noticed the black smudge that was once a vibrant body full of life. “Oh, sweetheart…” Of course seeing that would upset them. It was hard on him too having to see their body being reduced to that.

“Somehow I thought it wouldn’t be that bad. I guess that was just wishful thinking.” They sighed and took in a deep breath, trying to regain their composure.

He didn’t really know what to say to that. What were you even supposed to say in a situation as bizarre as this? Maybe he didn’t have to say something, but do something instead. “Can I let go of you just for a moment?”

They didn’t understand what he was up to but nodded. They wouldn’t just fall over.

He got up and walked over to the remains of Hanji’s body. It pained him that they wouldn’t get a proper grave or memorial after giving their life to save the world. He had to do something for them. He focussed and started to materialise the most beautiful flowers all over the remains of his lover’s body until every inch was covered. It wouldn’t appear in the world of the living, but that didn’t matter. At least here the flowers wouldn’t witter and would stay for eternity.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the Corps to follow and pay their respects. Each of them placed a flower of their choosing respectfully. Hanji could only stare in awe as their remains were transformed from a charred smudge to a work of art. They didn’t realise they were crying until Moblit returned to them and wiped their tears away once more.

“You deserve more than this, but I hope it can alleviate your distress even the tiniest bit.” He didn’t have the chance to say anything else as Hanji pulled him into a hug with such force that he nearly lost his balance.

“T-this… Y-you… I love you so much!” They held onto him tightly, softly sobbing into his shoulder.

“It’s the least I can do for you.” He gently moved his hand through their hair, knowing they weren’t crying out of distress but a sense of relief and it was good to let it out.

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.” They wiped at their eye and pulled their head back to look him in the face.

“Anything for you.” He was glad it made them feel better and that they were calming down.

Hanji shifted around so they could sit down properly and urged Moblit to do the same. “You know I always brought flowers to your grave too. It might have been empty but a hero like you also deserved a memorial.”

“I know. You always brought the most beautiful bouquets. I was there every time you visited and listened to what you had to say.” It made him happy they did that, so he knew they didn’t forget about him.

They smiled at hearing that. They had always thought they talked to themselves but learning that he and the others were always with them made all the visits even more worth it. “I feel like I’ve probably said a bunch of weird stuff too. I think I was just ranting most of the time.”

“You needed a way to let your feelings out. It was frustrating seeing you eating yourself up constantly. I didn’t know what you were thinking and I couldn’t do anything for you. But after visiting the grave you always seemed to feel a bit better.” It must not have been easy coming there, being confronted again and again with the fact that he was dead, but maybe they could sense him somehow.

“Yeah, I did always feel a bit better despite it being hard coming there. I always hoped you could somehow hear me and now it turns out you really did. You know it felt somehow peaceful sitting there. It must have been your presence I could somehow feel but couldn’t explain. I thought I was imagining things.”

“I’ve always remained at your side, but I suppose it must be hard for the living to sense the dead all the time. That would probably be exhausting.” At moments when Hanji was at their lowest he tried as hard as he could to increase his presence but it didn’t always work out. As if there was a barrier sometimes.

“It’s nice to know though that I wasn’t hallucinating when I thought I could feel you. Even when it wasn’t strong there was always something, a certain warmth enveloping me. But even when I couldn’t feel anything you were still there in my mind and heart. I thought about you every single day.”

Those words filled him with warmth as well. He had been worried he would fade from their memory as time passed by, but he was always on their mind. He pulled them close for a kiss which they happily returned. “Thank you for never forgetting about me.”

“How could I ever forget about you? You’re the best part of me.” It was true. After losing him they didn’t feel whole anymore. It didn’t just leave a gaping hole in their eye, but an even bigger hole in their soul.

“How are you always this cute and wholesome?” They made him feel all giddy inside and he had to let it out somehow.

Hanji didn’t have time to formulate an answer as Moblit started to place kiss after kiss on their face. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” They laughed as they playfully tried to push him away, but not putting in any actual effort.

“Making you happy.” He said between kisses. “Is it working?”

“Hmm, dunno.” They shrugged while giving him a smug grin.

Oh, so they wanted to test him and play a game. Well the game was on, he supposed. He increased the speed at which he planted kisses on their face while his hands sneakily made his way to their side and started tickling them.

It only took mere seconds for them to burst out into laughter. The combination of kisses and tickles was way too intense. As they tried to escape the continuous onslaught they lost their balance and quickly grabbed on to Moblit. But it was already too late to recover and their back quickly hit the ground. Moblit didn’t anticipate their actions either and ended up on top of them. He couldn’t help but to burst out into laughter too as it was just too funny.

He had teased them enough and wanted to give them something better than planting kisses all over their face. He pushed himself up slightly so he wasn’t crushing them under his weight and then moved his lips to theirs to share a passionate kiss. Hanji kissed him back eagerly, while holding his head between their hands, pulling him closer.

Two became one again once more and it felt like they could read each other’s minds. Together they materialised grass and flowers all around them, wanting nothing more than a fairy tale feeling of love. They created many flowers while they continued kissing, but one was more abundant and stood out over all the others. It was the flower they felt inside their souls the most. Asclepias Incarnata, better known as the Soulmate Butterfly Flower.

They had to part for air and Moblit decided to lie down next to them in their shared creation. He took a moment to take in the beauty of it before rolling on his side and returning his attention to Hanji. As beautiful as the soulmate flowers were, they didn’t compare to Hanji in the slightest.

Hanji rolled on their side too to look at him. He made them forget all hardships so easily. “I feel like I could stay like this forever. It’s so serene just lying down together here in the soft grass.”

“I’m sure you would get bored eventually. You’re not one to lie down or sit still for long periods of time.”

“That’s true. Even though with you it’s different. I could get used to this.” They really meant that. They were adventurous by nature, but felt like they needed a long break from everything that happened in life.

“Me too. As much as I would like to stay down here, there was something that we were going to do before seeing that.” He pointed in the direction of Hanji’s remains, now beautiful and flowery.

“Oh, right. Erwin.” They sat up, feeling slightly bad they forgot all about that. “Well, we can come back here later. Let’s go talk to him.”

Moblit nodded and got up and helped Hanji once more to their feet. “I’m sure he has some interesting things to say to you.” He gently pulled them along, passing the now memorial and stopping in front of Erwin, greeting him with a smile.

“I’m so happy for the both of you. It was interesting watching you. You two lovebirds put on quite a show.” Erwin grinned at Hanji, knowing full well it would make them feel flustered.

Hanji turned red immediately. “You were watching us?”

Erwin shrugged. “If you wanted privacy then you should have created some walls.”

They shook their head at him. They couldn’t be angry. It was their own fault for forgetting they were not alone. Everyone probably watched the two of them. “Nah, I’m sick of walls.”

“That’s what I thought. Well then let’s talk about the things you want. I’m all ears.”

“Well, let’s start with the materialising of things. You two must have your theories on it. Please share them with me. I’m so curious.” Their eye was sparkling with excitement.

Erwin nodded, softly smiling at their eagerness to learn new things. “We’re not sure, but we think we can only materialise things that we’ve experienced.”

“Erwin means that we must have seen it or even touched it to be able to create it.” Moblit added.

Hanji frowned, deep in thought about what they both just said before replying. “That must mean you’ve tested it out extensively among the group and noticed that not everyone was capable of materialising everything.”

“Exactly. However once someone materialised something someone else could not, they soon were able to do it as well after taking it into their soul.” Erwin explained.

“Wow, that’s really cool.” That didn’t explain the mechanics behind all of it yet, though.

“I knew you would say so.” Moblit said. “So any ideas on how it works?”

“Well, the being able to copy and learn from each other the things you couldn’t previously materialise is pretty obvious. It’s like in life seeing and learning. However the reason why we can do it here is not so obvious. I can see why you haven’t figured that out.”

“Our souls aren’t locked inside a body anymore, so maybe that unlocks it. Also we’re in a different place. Different place, different rules.” Erwin noted.

“That sounds logical.” Hanji couldn’t argue with that. “I think we’re so used to the laws of nature from the world of the living that it’s hard to grasp these new rules and that maybe we’re overthinking it all too much. Yeah, I know that probably sounds weird coming from me, but accepting that things are different here is the first step to fully understanding our new reality.”

Erwin nodded. “I couldn’t have said it better. We should accept it’s part of our souls capabilities just like how running and jumping was with our bodies. Well, we can still do those things with our souls, though.”

“Our souls are practically the same as our bodies, just better it seems.” Moblit added.

“Souls are like the basic foundation of life and existence for intelligent beings. It makes you wonder though why there’s two worlds to begin with. Even more if you would consider that weird paths dimension. Ah, there’s so much left to learn! It’s frustrating and exciting at the same time!” At least they would never run out of time to learn, so it wasn’t that bad not to know yet and they didn’t have to worry about never knowing.

It was nice seeing Hanji like this. They were slightly jumping up and down on the spot, the only thing keeping them from going full airborne was their hand still being in his. “We’ll figure everything out eventually. I have no doubt about that.”

Hanji smiled widely at that. “Yeah, we’ll figure everything out together. Any ideas on this place or dimension or wherever we are?”

Erwin nodded and took the word again. “I believe this isn’t yet where we’re supposed to be.”

That made them confused. “Huh? Are you telling me this isn’t the afterlife?”

“It is the afterlife, since we’re dead. However I believe this is more like a place between the world of the living and the dead. Sort of like a waiting room.” Erwin explained.

“Why would we be in a waiting room?” This conversation was getting confusing. They looked at Moblit in hopes of him offering clarity.

Moblit smiled softly. Of course they hadn’t realised it yet, since they just got here. “We believe it’s because we have unfinished business in the world of the living. We all want to see what will be the end result of our dedicated hearts. We’ve been watching over you and Levi all this time and haven’t moved on.”

“Oh. So you think when Levi and the rest manage to finish the mission that we can move to another place?” It was hard to let that sink into their mind.

“We can move on if we choose not to hold onto the strings connecting us to the living world anymore, but we choose to stay here for the time being because we want to properly watch over the living. We’ve all fought so hard. We can’t fully leave until we have our answers.”

“That makes sense. So will we go then as soon as we see the end result? I feel like I can’t do that.” Seeing the result wouldn’t be enough somehow. There was something more important.

“Well, everyone is free to do what they want. However we have all decided to wait here until it’s Levi’s time.”

Yes, of course. They couldn’t just leave without their generation being complete. It felt terrible to leave Levi all alone and moving on fully without him felt like all of them would have to abandon him a second time. “I’m not leaving without him either. We’ll stay here until he joins us. Knowing that shorty though, he might live long out of pure spite, so we could be stuck here for quite some time.”

Erwin laughed at that. “Yes, that’s our Levi.”

“Well, I think it’s time to watch things unfold. The flying boat is almost at its destination.” Moblit pointed out.

“Wait, how can you see them from here?” Hanji wondered.

“I’m not really sure, but I guess it’s another ability of our souls. However we can’t keep that up for long, so it’s better to go see it up close.” He gently squeezed their hand. “Just close your eyes and think of them.”

Hanji did as told and when they opened their eyes they were up in the sky, having a clear view of the battle unfolding beneath them. “Holy shit, you could have warned me first, you know?”

Moblit laughed, expecting their reaction. “It’s just another ability of our souls. We’re not actually flying though. It’s more like levitating.”

“Cool.” Hanji grinned smugly, an idea forming in their head. “You know when Levi joins us he will be Levitating.”

Moblit and Erwin couldn’t help but to laugh at that. The joke was terrible but funny at the same time. Only Hanji would come up with something so ridiculous. It was no longer time for jokes however, as the battle beneath them started.

It was tense to watch as there were many close calls. Hanji couldn’t help but to feel excited over seeing all the titans from the past. It was an impressive sight and they felt their brain going at full speed trying to analyse each and every one of them, while at the same time yelling at Levi to watch out, even though he wouldn’t hear them.

And then everything was over. Titans were no more and Levi had survived. They all made their way to the ground for a closer look. Just for a moment Levi was able to see all of them, the barrier between the world of the living and the place they were temporarily dissolving. Levi saluted them with tears rolling down his face. It was hard on all of them knowing it wouldn’t last long and they soon realised Levi couldn’t see them anymore. They watched as Onyankopon, Gabi and Falco took care of their friend and then decided to return to their previous location. They would watch over him for as long as he lived, but they needed time to process things first.

“That was… hard.” Hanji sighed.

“He’s in good hands. We don’t have to worry.” Moblit hugged them knowing it was hard they basically had to say goodbye to him again in such a short time frame.

“Yeah, you’re right. We know he’s safe now and he knows we’re okay too and that we’re watching him.” They looked at Erwin, who was standing there quietly. “Are you okay, Erwin?”

“It is as you’ve said, but I just miss him a lot. It’s going to be a hard and long wait for me until he crosses over.” He sighed, feeling conflicted. On one hand he wanted Levi to live a long life like he deserved, but a part of him just wanted him to be here with them instead.

“I think you’re in need of a hug too.” They made room for Erwin to join their hug and he gratefully accepted. “There, there. Everything will be okay eventually and then you two can also become lovebirds just like us.”

“Do I really deserve his love…?” Erwin wondered out loud.

“Erwin Smith, I thought everyone here by now would have rid you off your guilt complex. Of course you deserve his love!” Honestly Erwin could be so blockheaded sometimes, they thought.

“I’m sorry. Old habits die hard I guess.”

“You two will have your happy ending too. It’s just going to take time.” Moblit hugged him tight again.

“Thank you. I will watch him and wait for as long as it takes.” Erwin said.

“That’s the spirit!” Hanji smiled encouragingly at him.

“We’re always here if you need to vent a bit about how you miss him.” Moblit offered.

Erwin smiled gratefully. “What would I do without the two of you? It’s honestly-” He couldn’t finish his sentence as he saw Hanji wobbling on their legs and he and Moblit quickly grabbed them and steadied them before they fell over. “Hanji! What’s wrong?”

Hanji didn’t know what came over them as they leaned on the both of them. “I don’t know. Suddenly I feel really tired. As if all my energy is gone.”

Moblit decided to lower them down so they could sit and he sat down too so they could lean on him. “Of course you’re tired. The things you’ve been through these last couple of days have been so hard on you. You’ve gone through hell. You need to rest.”

“Yeah, I’ll just sit here for a while and be okay.” Just taking it easy would be enough, right?

Moblit frowned. It looked like they could pass out any second but they were stubbornly pretending it wasn’t a big deal. “I think you should sleep a bit.” He felt them tense up the moment the words left his mouth. “Hanji, don’t forget your promise. No more hiding what’s wrong.”

Of course he noticed them tense up. He always knew when something wasn’t right. “I’m scared to go to sleep.”

Hearing that surprised him. “Why? Nothing can happen here. You’re safe.”

“I’m scared that when I wake up you will be gone and that this was nothing but a long dream!” They grabbed onto him tightly, afraid he would just disappear.

Moblit pulled them close immediately, trying to comfort them. “I’m not going to disappear. I would never lie to you, not even in a dream, and I assure you that you’re not dreaming.”

They believed him, of course they did, but the fear inside them was quite overwhelming. “I know you’re not lying… I just don’t know how to make the fear go away.”

Fear was something strong. Moblit knew that all too well and he hated how it took hold of Hanji. He understood their fear really well. All of them had struggled with it when they first came here. Processing that you were dead and going to sleep was something weird. He remembered doing it the first time and being quite confused when he woke up, forgetting he was dead and no longer at Hanji’s side. It had hit him hard and made him cry.

“I’m not letting go of you. Just put your head in my lap and I’ll keep hold of you. I’ll never ever leave you again. That’s my vow to you. I can only hope you are able to put your trust in that and that it will make the fear a bit more bearable.” He hoped it would convince them, because no matter what they needed sleep and it was better to do that of their own free will than passing out.

It did make the fear more bearable. He always knew the right thing to say. “I’m still scared, but I know you’re always with me and that’s reality.”

“That’s right. So are you ready to go to sleep then?” He wondered.

“Of course I’m not. Not until I do this.” They softly kissed him on the lips and he gently kissed back. “Can’t go to sleep without my goodnight kiss.”

“I love you.” He gently cupped their face before taking off their glasses and tucking them in his breast pocket. “Now get the rest you deserve so much.”

Hanji nodded and lowered themselves down to place their head in his lap. It was hard to fall asleep, despite being so tired. Thoughts kept racing through their head. But then they felt a hand going through their hair, gently trying to coax them into sleep. Moblit’s other hand found one of theirs and took hold of it. It made them feel more secure and safe. On top of that Moblit created another flower field. Sleeping on decimated earth didn’t feel great after all. This was definitely more peaceful.

They reached out their other hand towards Erwin, who hadn’t moved and was watching over them as well. He took their hand, gladly providing the extra feeling of safety they so desperately longed for. Slowly but surely they drifted off into sleep to let their weary soul rest from all the hardships.

It was a long and thankfully peaceful sleep with no nightmares and for the first time in forever they felt refreshed and well rested when waking up. They felt warmth in both of their hands and realised they were being held. Slowly the events before falling asleep came back to them and they opened their eyes with a gasp.

“Welcome back, darling. We hope you’ve had a good rest.”

Hanji looked up at where the voice came from and met Moblit’s eyes as he looked down at them. It was such a relief seeing him again. Everything had been real just like he promised them. They noticed Erwin smiling at them too and breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing changed from the moment they went to sleep. They stayed with them all this time and it made them feel grateful to have people like that who cared for them so deeply.

“Thank you, guys. I feel so much better.” They sat up and released the hold on their hands, pulling them close for a hug instead.

“Anytime.” Erwin hugged them back tightly, relieved they looked healthy again.

Moblit hugged them tight as well, glad they didn’t look pale and unwell anymore. “I don’t think you’ve ever slept this long before.”

“Really? How long was I asleep?” It did feel long, but maybe he was just exaggerating.

“I estimate it was about 17 hours.” Moblit replied.

“Eeeeh? Holy shit. That is long indeed.” It made them realise that Moblit and Erwin hadn’t moved in all that time either. They quickly gave them another hug. “Thank you for staying with me all that time.”

Moblit pressed a kiss to their forehead. “You’ll never have to sleep alone again.”

That’s right. Now that they were finally together they could cuddle up in each other’s arms and sleep soundly together. It made them feel warm inside just thinking about it. “I never want to sleep alone again after this. Your lap is really comfy.”

“Is that so? My chest might be even more comfy.” Moblit laughed until he heard a not so discreet cough coming from Erwin. Right. They were not alone. “Sorry, Erwin.”

“Don’t worry about it. You two are quite amusing.” He grinned at the both of them. Seeing them get embarrassed was pretty funny.

“You know we’re just going to tease you back tenfold when Levi joins us, right?” Hanji huffed.

“I have no doubts about that.”

“Good.” Honestly Erwin could be such a tease. They really had to sneak away from him it seemed. “You know, I feel quite hungry. Is that normal?”

“Yeah, we still get hungry and have a need for food. I think all of us are quite hungry by now, so why don’t we all eat together just like the good old days?” Moblit suggested.

“That would be great! What should we eat?”

“We were kinda hoping that you would make stew for us.” Moblit admitted. Seeing Hanji make that stew for the alliance got them all wanting to eat it too.

“Really? It was nothing special. It’s not like I had much to work with.” They just grabbed the ingredients that were available to them as they couldn’t fight on an empty stomach.

“Even so it looked delicious and everyone seemed to enjoy it.” Erwin chimed in.

“Well, that’s new. You all never wanted my food before, worried I put weird stuff in it. Also cooking has never really been my strong suit.”

Moblit had to agree on that. He always made them food because they were too busy with other things. But once he was gone they had no choice but to take proper care of themselves and that included becoming better at cooking. “I’ve seen you improve a lot these last four years.”

Hanji sighed at that. “It’s not like I had a choice. I had to keep fighting and make sure your sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”

“I’m just glad you took care of yourself.” He fished their glasses out of his pocket and put them back where they belonged and smiled at them. “Will you please make stew for us?”

“How can I say no to such a sweet face?” 

With that said Hanji started materialising a cooking pot. A bigger one than the one they used for the alliance as they were with a lot more people here after all. They made the wood needed to warm the pot but hesitated making a fire as it triggered their memories of being on fire themselves.

Moblit noticed immediately what was wrong and pulled them into his chest. “Shit. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked this of you.”

Hanji trembled, realising this affected them way more than they thought. “Please don’t be sorry. I didn’t think it would affect me this much.”

“We’ve never really taken the time to deal with our traumas while being alive. There just wasn’t any time or room for it. We had to constantly move forward. But we shouldn’t do that here. We shouldn’t brush everything aside as if it didn’t affect us.” The last thing he wanted was for Hanji to pretend being alright. They had to do that way too often while being alive and it wasn’t healthy.

“You’re right. I just really want to make that stew for you guys. Damn it, I can’t stop trembling.” They clung to Moblit tightly, pretty sure he could feel them shaking in his arms.

He rubbed their back gently, trying to calm them down. “Would it help if I said that fire can’t hurt you here?”

That surprised them. “Really? Does that mean nothing can hurt us here?”

“That’s right. The most you feel is a light tingling sensation.”

“You should have told me that sooner with your little surprise scheme. I worried for nothing.” The nerves did add to the excitement eventually, but it was still kinda scary at first.

“Well, even though we know things can’t really hurt us anymore, doesn’t mean we’re not scared of getting hurt anymore.” The fear of Hanji getting hurt somehow would probably never fully leave him.

“True. Even though I know now that the fire can’t hurt me here, it still makes me feel uneasy.”

“What if I make the fire and lit the wood? Would it be less scary then?”

“How are you going to make the fire? Classic way or can you make it appear out of your hands or something?” Hanji wondered.

“As a matter of fact I can indeed make it appear out of my hands, but that would probably trigger you.” Last thing he wanted was for them to think that he was on fire.

“Yeah, probably. Damn, if it wasn’t for the way I died I would probably be giddy with excitement to see you do that.”

“You need time to heal from that. Please take your time. So should I make the fire the classic way then? Or would you rather we don’t do this today after all?” He didn’t want them to act tough when they didn’t feel like it. Stew could be made another time.

“Well, a warm meal requires fire and after all this talk about the stew I really want it. The longer I wait with this the harder it will probably become. So please light the fire the classic way and if I freak out or something then we’ll deal with it together, right?” They had complete faith that if that happened Moblit would find a way to calm them down.

“Of course. Just stay behind me just in case.” He waited until Hanji had moved behind him and then he slowly started to lit the fire.

Hanji held on to his shoulders and watched as the wood slowly started to burn. Once Moblit was done he quickly looked at Hanji to gauge their reaction. Hanji didn’t know how to react. What would the flames do? Would they suddenly leap at them and put them on fire? Maybe this was a little too much and too soon after all.

Moblit slightly turned his upper body around and wrapped his arms around them. “It’s okay. You’re doing great. Please tell me what’s going through your mind right now.”

“I feel like the fire is watching me and wants to jump on me. I know it sounds ridiculous as hell, but I can’t help it.” Admitting that out loud was hard, but Moblit would never laugh at them in a situation like this.

“It’s not ridiculous, it’s trauma. You’re facing it and doing wonderfully. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Moblit was right. They had expected to freak out and scream or run away, but instead they faced their fears. “It’s because of you, though. I doubt I would be this calm and collected without you.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m proud of you anyway. Just take your time.” Really they had to give themselves more credit, he thought.

Slowly they shuffled next to Moblit to look a little closer. The fire was calm and steady, nothing like the flames that consumed them. “Thank you. I’m just telling myself that there’s a huge difference between fire like this and fire created by the heat coming off colossal titans. Also there’s no titans anymore, so that can’t happen anymore.”

Moblit nodded. Rationalising things was clearly Hanji’s way of processing this and he thought it was going pretty well. “That’s right. Something like that can never happen again. You’re completely safe.”

Yes, that’s right. Nothing can happen here. They were as safe as they ever would be with being dead and having Moblit by their side. They took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then let it out. They got up and moved closer to the fire, remembering the good times when all of them sat around a fire and shared stories. Fire wasn’t just a destructive force, it also gave warmth and comfort and a feeling of belonging. They wanted that feeling back and the only way to do that was to be brave and make that stew.

Slowly they started to materialise ingredients, cut them into pieces and added them into the pot. They started stirring and taste testing and decided to add some more ingredients. After a while it was to their liking and they smiled, satisfied with the result.

Moblit had been watching intently, making sure they were alright. He was so proud of them and he couldn’t wait to taste the stew. “I knew you could do it. You’re amazing.”

“Thank you. It’s because you make me feel safe that I can overcome my fears.” They planted a soft kiss on his cheek to show their appreciation.

“I’ll always keep you safe.” He smiled. “I think it’s time for stew now then.” He quickly materialised long tables and benches, so everyone had a place to sit. Then he added enough bowls and spoons for everyone as well.

Hanji watched in awe as Moblit set everything up. It felt as if they were in the dining hall of their headquarters again. It didn’t go unnoticed to them that he set the tables up around the fire as if they were all huddled around a campfire. Could he read their mind? “Thank you for your help, dear.”

“You’re welcome, darling.”

“Alright then, everyone line up! It’s stew time!” Hanji declared enthusiastically.

Everyone wasted no time and quickly lined up to get a taste of Hanji’s stew. Erwin stood in front of the line, inhaling the scent of the food. “Looks like I’m the first.”

Hanji shook their head at that. “You mean you pulled the Commander card so you could be the first.”

Erwin merely grinned at that, not minding being caught.

“God, you’re so cheeky.” They laughed as they filled up his bowl. “You better enjoy it.”

“I definitely will. Thank you for the stew and I’m glad you’re doing okay.” He pressed a kiss on top of their head and then made his way over to a table, saving them and Moblit a seat for when they were done.

Next up was Keith Shadis. Did he also pull the Commander card? Probably not. The rest just let him go first out of respect probably. They were glad to learn from Erwin that he was the one who made it possible to get away from the harbour. “Thank you for your sacrifice.” They said as they filled up his bowl.

“I know I disappointed you before, but I hope I’ve made up for it.”

They had been mad when he had withheld information from them, but that all seemed so trivial now. “It’s alright now. Don’t worry about it anymore.”

“Thank you.” Keith placed a hand on top of their head. “You’ve grown so much. I remember when you were just a reckless teenager and now look at you. You’ve become one of the finest soldiers ever and a true hero. Also I’m happy for you and Moblit. Don’t give him too much stress, alright?”

Hanji didn’t know how to respond to such praise as their cheeks heated up. Before they had a chance to reply he removed his hand from their head and walked off to one of the tables. Maybe it was better this way, so they wouldn’t blab out something dumb in response.

They looked at Moblit who looked way too smug to their liking. “Oh, shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.” He replied innocently.

“You better not.” Really they didn’t need to hear his teasing right now. They knew damn well by now that they caused him stress sometimes. No need to be smug about it.

“Is this our first domestic?” Moblit couldn’t help but ask.

“What? Of course not. We’re never going to have one of those. We only tease each other.”

“Good. I like teasing you.” He laughed.

“Yeah, I noticed. I will just tease you back.” They promised.

“Before you get any more teasing from others, you better start filling up those bowls again, because people are watching and waiting.” Moblit reminded them.

“Oh, right. On it.” They waved over the next people and to their joy it were the other members of their team. They of course had all seen them earlier, but didn’t have the chance to talk to them yet.

Nifa approached Hanji along with Keiji and Abel. “Squad Leader! Oh, wait it’s Commander. I’m sorry.”

“Just call me Hanji. No need for formalities. I’ve missed you all so much.” It was great being together again and they smiled as happy memories flashed through their mind.

“We’ve missed you too. We’re all so proud of you. Also you and Moblit make such a good couple.” Nifa was excited for her superiors. They deserved all the happiness.

“I’m happy you think so. We’re very happy together.” Hanji was glad to have received the blessing from their team. They valued their opinion.

Nifa got slightly closer to them to whisper in their ear. “When you and Moblit get married I will be happy to design a dress or suit for you.”

Hanji’s face flushed redder than it ever did in their life and they couldn’t say a word. Nifa was being way too forward mentioning marriage so casually. Sure, they appreciated the gesture, but there was no way they were going to let their mind wander in that direction yet. It was way too soon. They watched as Moblit filled Nifa’s bowl and those of the others with a questioning gaze towards them.

Moblit smiled absentmindedly as Nifa congratulated him and Hanji on getting together. Why the hell did Hanji look as if they were about to faint? What did Nifa say to them? He didn’t have a chance to ask as more people held out their bowls to be filled and he had no choice but to wait until later. Once everyone had a full bowl they could finally fill their own bowls and walk over to Erwin, who had saved them a spot.

“Hanji, what’s wrong with you? You haven’t said a word to me since Nifa whispered something to you.” He asked as he gently dragged them along towards Erwin. He really had to guide them so they wouldn’t trip as their mind still seemed to be elsewhere.

“Huh? Did you say something?” They blinked as they snapped out of whatever had possessed them. Nifa really had done a number on them.

“Yeah, I asked what’s wrong with you. You’re constantly spacing out.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s Nifa’s fault.” Hanji admitted.

“What did she say?”

“Do you want to be on the brink of fainting as well? If not you better trust me that you’re better off not knowing.” They felt that Moblit might even react stronger to Nifa’s words for as far as that was humanly possible.

“That bad, huh?” He knew Nifa had a tendency for teasing people who were romantically involved in the Corps, but didn’t think she would have the guts to tease Hanji like that. “Just know that whatever she said, she probably meant well.”

“I know. She just got me by surprise. Can we go eat now, before I really faint?” They needed distraction from this as soon as possible.

“Of course. I can’t wait to taste your stew.”

They both sat down at their reserved seats and Hanji watched as Erwin eagerly put spoon after spoon of stew in his mouth. “So how is it?”

“Delicious. I’ll definitely have seconds.” Erwin praised them.

Hanji smiled, hearing that. Who would have thought there was a chef hidden inside of them all along? In the end cooking wasn’t so different from science, they supposed. As long as they thought of it as that then they could do it. They looked around the tables to see how everyone else liked it and to their relief everyone seemed to gobble it right up. But there was one person they valued the opinion of the most and he still hadn’t put a spoon in his mouth.

Moblit noticed their gaze on him and smiled. They were really eager to know what he thought, it seemed. He brought the spoon to his mouth and savoured the taste for a while before swallowing. “You’ve outdone yourself. It’s really delicious. I could eat the whole pot.”

Their face lit up hearing that. “I’m glad you like it so much.” They dug into their own stew too, enjoying their work.

As all of them ate, they shared stories and conversation, just like in the good old days. It made Hanji feel happy and it truly felt like they had been on a long journey and now they finally came back home. Home was never a physical place to them. Home meant being with the people they loved most. The Survey Corps had always been a group of people viewed by society as weird and many of them didn’t fit in with ordinary people. But here they all had found people who loved and accepted them for who they are and their shared beliefs made them forge bonds that would last eternity.

Once all of them had their fill and talked for hours, they decided to clean up and mind their own business for the time being. Hanji didn’t mind as that meant they and Moblit could spend some time together again, just the two of them. They looked forward to seeing their relationship develop and grow. There was still so much to discover about each other and it excited them.

They spend their days talking, kissing and having fun. Moblit had given them piggyback rides just for fun and carried them in his arms like a precious treasure. Hanji had posed for many drawings and made sure to have a lovely picnic each time afterwards to reward his hard work. Together they cooked meals and Moblit taught Hanji how to draw. At night they watched the stars together and Hanji taught Moblit all about the constellations.

Before they knew it thirteen years had passed since Hanji died. All of them were watching Levi who was in his bed, battling illness and slowly losing. It was hard to watch for all of them, seeing their friend slip in and out of consciousness constantly. Fever induced words left his lips constantly as he was reaching his final moments. The same word, or better said, same name spilled out of his vocal chords on repeat.

“Erwin…”

It didn’t take long after hearing that before he drew his last breath and everyone waited patiently for him to open his eyes again. Hanji watched together with Moblit as Levi opened his eyes confused as he was staring right into Erwin’s blue eyes. Erwin pulled him out of bed and Levi looked back once with a smile to the ones who had stayed by his side, Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon, before he allowed the blond to take him outside.

Hanji watched as Levi took in every familiar face before returning his gaze on Erwin. It pained them to see Levi look so fragile. He was no longer the strong Captain he once was, injuries and age having done a number on him. It was as if he felt unworthy of being in Erwin’s presence, looking the way he did now and it made Hanji sad. Of course Erwin was having none of it and things quickly turned into a confession of love, some tears and some passionate kissing.

“Aw look at them, finally having their happy ending.” Hanji cooed.

“It’s been a long wait but they’re together at last.” Moblit smiled as he watched the two.

“I can’t wait to start teasing them.” After having to deal with Erwin’s constant teasing for the last thirteen years it was time for payback.

“Just give them a little longer before you start, okay?”

“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry.” They had hardly finished their sentence as they saw Levi starting to make his way over to them. Did he hear them and wanted to give them a piece of his mind? “Listen Levi, it’s only fair-”

The short man wrapped his arms around them and pulled them into a hug. “I don’t want to hear it. All I want to hear from you is that you got the happiness you deserve so much. Thank you for giving your life to save the world. Also you looked as cool as you wished you did and more. You made a supremely cool exit.”

It wasn’t often that they got praised by Levi, so they relished the moment for a few seconds before hugging him back tightly. “That’s what I like to hear. Thank you. And yes I’m super happy.”

“Good. You and Moblit were made for each other.” Levi released the hug to look at Moblit and gave him an approving smile.

“So are you and Erwin. Finally you two old-timers are together.” Hanji teased.

Levi sighed deeply. Of course Hanji had to rub that in at some point. But he had his suspicions that a certain blond had pushed some buttons. “First of all we’re not that old. Okay, I’ve aged but it’s not like I’m some fossil yet. Secondly, Erwin probably teased you two endlessly, so I’ll let it slide just this once.”

“Who would have thought you could be a good sport.” Hanji grinned.

“Oh, shut it. How you haven’t driven your husband to insanity yet is beyond me.”

“We’re not married. Yet.”

“Why not? What are you waiting for? It’s been thirteen years.” People usually didn’t wait that long after getting together, right?

“Well, our wedding wouldn’t be complete without you as our bridesmaid.” Hanji smiled smugly at him, daring him to make a comeback.

Instead Levi went silent. They really didn’t get married yet because they were waiting for him? They really were the sweetest friends he could wish for. “I think you meant to say witness. Thank you for waiting for me.”

“I better see you smiling the whole day.” No grumpy faces were allowed during a wedding.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Well, I think it’s time to go now, wouldn’t you say, Ewin?” Hanji said to their fellow Commander, who had joined them and wrapped an arm around Levi.

“Go where?” Levi wondered as he leaned into Erwin.

“The afterlife.” Erwin stated.

“Huh? Isn’t this place the afterlife?” It confused him, but he trusted Erwin.

Erwin explained to him what he had explained to Hanji years ago. It was hard to grasp at first and even more so that all of them hadn’t moved on an waited for him all this time and watched over him. It was definitely time to move on now. Everyone felt ready to do so. A warm light appeared before all of them. A portal to the afterlife had opened.

Hanji took hold of Moblit’s hand and squeezed. “Ready for a new adventure?”

Moblit squeezed back and smiled. “With you, always.”

Together they stepped through the light, their friends not far behind. It took a while before the light faded and they could finally take in their new surroundings. Beautiful houses were standing just a little in the distance, surrounded by pristine nature. They didn’t get much time to take it all in as they felt an odd sensation going through them.

Hanji reached for their damaged eye as they felt a weird tingling all throughout their soul, but it felt the strongest in their eye. They clenched their teeth and gasped at the intensity and ripped off the eyepatch. They faced Moblit, who too had been going through the tingling, and then opened the eye and to their surprise they could see with it again. It had been restored and was as good as new.

It made them emotional remembering that the last thing they saw with that eye in life had been Moblit’s sacrifice and now the first thing they saw with their restored eye was him again. This time however it was a beautiful moment instead of a tragic one and they launched themselves into his arms.

“I don’t know what the hell just happened, but I can see with my left eye again!” They exclaimed happily as Moblit instinctively caught them in his arms and pulled them close.

“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!” He released his hold slightly to look at their face closely and their eye looked as if nothing ever happened to it.

“Did you feel that tingling too? I think that must have been it.” Their mind was going into overdrive trying to analyse what had just happened.

“Yes, I felt it too, but I’m not sure what it did for me.”

Hanji looked around until their eyes landed on Erwin and Levi and they gasped. Erwin had two arms again and Levi had his fingers back as well as his eye restored. On top of that Levi didn’t look old anymore and looked about the age he was before he got injured.

“Oh, wow. Look at Erwin and Levi.” They told Moblit and he obliged and was as awestruck as well. “I think I understand what’s going on. Entering the afterlife restores you to your prime. All injuries disappear and you look the way you want to look.”

“I guess for me the scars I had are gone too now. Amazing.” It had only been a few minutes but he loved this place already.

“Awesome! I’m sure not going to miss any of the scars I had.” It was a relief all of those were gone now, as many of them were acquired by almost dying.

Moblit couldn’t help but to agree. Getting rid of all those things kinda felt like they were truly free from everything that happened to them and that they could really make a new start here. Compared to Hanji, Levi and Erwin, he got off lucky. He never had to live with missing body parts. Scars were not pretty but they didn’t cause him long lasting emotional turmoil or disabilities. Seeing all of them whole again felt great.

He knew how much Hanji had suffered from their eye. It was a constant reminder of what had happened. Now they didn’t have to suffer from that anymore. Of course just because it was fixed now, didn’t mean it would be forgotten, but he was glad they could look into a mirror now without feeling as if someone ripped their heart out.

“I’m glad you all are whole again.” He gently cupped their face in both his hands to take a good look at them. It had been so long since he saw them with two eyes. “Perfect.”

Hanji grinned at that. “Levi would say I’m now a proper four-eyes again.”

“Oh, I bet he will.”

Hanji smiled and turned their gaze to look at the houses in the distance. “Do you think one of those is for us?”

Moblit turned his head as well to look. “I guess. I would love to live in a beautiful house with you.”

“Absolutely. But how do we figure this out? We can’t just go around and check. This afterlife business needs to come with instructions.” Hanji huffed, not liking it one bit that they had no idea how things worked around here.

“Yeah, would sure be nice if someone could help us out.” Moblit sighed, wishing they had someone to show them around or something.

“We can help you, little potato!” A loud voice behind him in the direction of the houses said.

Moblit had never whipped his head around so fast in his life. The familiar voice made him feel warm inside and he had to be sure he wasn’t imagining things. He spotted two people making their way over to them. Two people who meant just as much to him as Hanji. He couldn’t believe he was staring at his parents.

His body started moving on its own and before he knew it he was running, desperate to be with them. It didn’t take long to reach them and they quickly pulled him into their arms. He had missed them so much.

“Mom! Dad! I’m so glad to see you again!” He held onto them tightly, still in slight disbelief that they were actually with him.

“We’re so proud of you, Moblit.” His mother said as she took a closer look at him.

“Looks like you’ve found yourself a special someone.” His father said as he playfully ruffled his son’s hair.

Moblit couldn’t help but to blush at the praise of his mother and the teasing of his father. He wanted nothing more than for them to meet Hanji and be enchanted by them just like him. What would they think of them?

“Come on, sweetheart. Introduce us.” His mother urged.

Moblit looked at Hanji, who had been silently observing the touching family reunion from a distance. They seemed nervous to him. It was not like them to be nervous to meet new people, but he supposed this was different. Meeting the parents of your partner for the first time was a stressful event for many he had heard.

“Of course, mom. Just a moment, okay?” He walked over to Hanji and took their hand in his, waiting to see what they would do.

“I know you want me to meet them, but what if they don’t like me? I’m probably not the type they had in mind for their son.” They couldn’t help but to worry.

“Maybe not, but I take after my parents. They will love you unconditionally just like I do.” He had no doubts about that. Hanji would probably be spoilt rotten by them.

Instantly their nerves disappeared. They trusted Moblit’s judgement completely and squeezed his hand with a smile. “Let’s go then!”

“Right!” He gently pulled them along to where his parents stood waiting.

Hanji smiled softly at them. Moblit looked a lot like his parents and they both radiated that same feeling of warmth and safety just like him. “Hello, I’m Hanji. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is ours. Thank you for making our son happy. You’re a wonderful person.” Moblit’s mother smiled and pulled them into a hug.

It surprised Hanji. Not just the hug, but the statement as well. It made them realise that this place must also have a means to watch the world of the living. Moblit’s parents had clearly watched them. There was no way to make a statement about them with such confidence otherwise. They must have seen their accomplishments but also their quirks and it made them happy that the last part didn’t seem to faze them at all. It made them relax into the hug and they hugged back feeling content.

Moblit and his father joined in the hug as well and Hanji didn’t know how things could get any better than this. Everything they longed for was now here. Moblit, his parents loving them, their friends and a place to call home. What more could they need?

“Hanji?” A voice called out to them.

Hanji froze as they were plunged deep inside their earliest memories. Laughing, singing, tickles and stories being read to them came rushing back. That kindness and care made them into who they’re today. If only they could have held onto that love longer. No child should have their safe haven taken away. Life was so cruel even back then already. That blasted illness that struck their village took away their mother. As the years passed they forgot more and more about her, her image and voice becoming nothing more than a distant memory. But now that voice was back and they wondered if they were losing their mind. Was it really true? Did the afterlife give their mother back?

They shakily turned their head into the direction of the voice, not trusting their ears. Their mouth fell open in surprise as they felt like they were looking into a mirror. They looked so much like their mother now that they were a grown up themselves. “M-mom?”

Hanji’s mother smiled in affirmation. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wish I could have seen you grow up and protected you from everything.”

Hanji let go of Moblit and his parents and desperately ran towards their mother as tears started to run down their face. As soon as their mother was within reach they grabbed hold of her tightly. “Please don’t apologise for dying! You’ve done nothing wrong!”

Their mother held them close and rubbed their back. “You’ve grown so much. Not just physically. I’m so proud of you. I’ve watched you from here and I’ve seen you grow into the kind and selfless angel that you’ve become.”

It felt nice knowing that their mother had watched over them, but at the same time they felt bad because she must have been worried constantly. “I’m glad you think so.”

“I wished I could have protected you, though. But I’m glad someone who always protects you and cherishes you has won your heart.” She couldn’t be more happy with a future son in law like that.

Hanji wiped their tears away and smiled at the mention of Moblit. They were glad their mother approved of him. “He’s the best. I’m a disaster without him.”

“Please introduce me to him.”

“I will. Just let me have you for myself a little longer first.” They just wanted to hug some more.

That made their mother laugh. “I don’t remember you being this clingy with me. You were always getting yourself into some sort of mess. Always trying to figure out how things worked. The world was way more interesting than me.”

“Oh, don’t say that. I couldn’t go a day without your hugs or kisses.” No child could solely live on exploring. Hugs and kisses were needed to grow happy as well.

Their mother placed a kiss on their forehead. “I have plenty to give to you now. I love you so much, baby.”

“I love you too, mom. I’m so thrilled to have you back.” It excited them that here they could make up for all that they missed out on.

“I’ll never leave you again. I’m going to spoil you so much.”

Hanji laughed at that. “As long as you’re not going to get competitive with Moblit over it then it’s fine to me. He spoils me a lot too.”

“Don’t worry about that. I would give him a stern talking if he didn’t spoil you every day.” She grinned.

“There’s no need. Give him love instead.”

“Of course I will. Are you ready to let go of me now for a moment?” She wanted to meet Moblit badly.

Hanji nodded and let go. They were no longer afraid of things being dreams. They knew this was reality and was very grateful for it. Together they walked over to Moblit and his parents. They didn’t get the chance for introductions as their mother pulled Moblit into a hug without any warning. She hugged so tight that Moblit was partially lifted off the ground. If Moblit ever wondered who they took after, he now had his answer. Now he had to deal with two generations of Zoe and they felt a little sorry for him. But only a little, as they knew he could handle it.

Moblit gasped as he was pulled into the hug. At least he knew Hanji’s mother approved of him. “It’s n-nice to meet you.”

She put him down as she realised she was hugging him too tightly, judging from his voice. “It’s very nice to meet the man who has always protected my baby.”

“I’ll always protect them. They’re my everything.” Moblit proudly declared.

Hearing him say that made Hanji blush. It had been so many years now and they still weren’t used to him praising them. Especially when other people were around. Maybe they didn’t want to get used to it. It was a great feeling somehow that he would never ran out of complimenting juice. They walked over to him to kiss him on the cheek, which made him blush as well. Looks like he wouldn’t get over blushing either and it delighted them greatly.

“You two are so cute together.” Hanji’s mother said.

Hanji watched as Moblit’s parents nodded in agreement. They seemed to naturally get along great. It made them wonder if the three of them already knew each other well. From the looks of it, that seemed to be the case. It wouldn’t surprise them if they all had been gushing and rooting for them to get together.

Moblit’s father shook them from their train of thoughts. “Well then, are you two ready to start your afterlife? Let us give you a tour of your house and explain how everything works.”

Hanji nodded and took Moblit’s hand and started walking after the three of them. House was definitely not the correct term anymore, now that they took a closer look. All of the so called houses looked more like very spacious mansions. Or at least that’s what they thought it looked like. Everything looked so different from the living world. All of this looked like it came from the future. Damn, were they excited to go inside.

Moblit smiled at them softly. “Are you ready?”

Hanji grinned from ear to ear. “As ready as I’ll ever be!”

Together they opened the door and they gasped at the beauty and unfamiliar objects of it. But what made them feel excited the most were the things that actually were familiar. Many of their personal belongings from the living world were on display and it gave it a nice and familiar feeling immediately. They could change things up with their ability to materialise, but for now it was fine.

“I’m so happy. I can’t believe all of this is ours.” Moblit exclaimed.

Hanji got tears in their eyes from excitement. After all of the hardships the two of them finally had everything. Friends, family, a home and eternal love. “It’s perfect. Everything is perfect.”

The door on life had been closed individually and brutally, but the door on the afterlife was opened together with nothing but pure bliss.