Chapter Summary: In which boys and girls make a dramatic escape.

Step Six: Set Timer for Four Minutes

.

There is one moment from childhood that Jean can remember clearly. His pre-school teacher had bounced into class with an armful of pink and red paper, bottles of child-safe glue, and what looked like an entire store's worth of glitter. The kids had immediately brightened up and scrambled towards her, clamouring for the glitter. That day, even Jean, who was more interested in playing with the blocks and creating make believe towers and heroes, joined in as she taught them all how to make Valentine's Day cards.

When he went home, he gave the heart-shaped card to his mother, his writing of "Happy Valentine's Day Mum" nearly hidden beneath the glitter. Beaming, his mother had placed it beside the card his father gave her earlier in the morning.

More than a little curious about this Saint Valentine's thing, and what his teacher had rattled on about love and joy and all that, Jean had asked his mother, "Mum, how did you know you love Dad?"

In hindsight, he should have known that it was an invitation for his mother to talk his ear off for hours. His child self was just happy that his mother sat him down with a plate of cookies and a glass of cold milk. He cannot remember much of what his mother said, since she did talk for three hours until Jean got sick of the cookies. But this he remembers – the fond expression on his mother's face in the soft glow of sunset light, as she sighed and said, so softly as though Jean was not meant to have heard it…

.

With Sasha and Connie joining the group, there is an added burst of energy which makes it difficult for Jean to continue moping. And they're quick to draw Marco into the gang, especially Sasha, after Marco offers her a candy bar when her stomach growls. Jean has no time to warn him before Sasha pounces.

With shining eyes, she grabs his hand and says, "You're a god, aren't ya? Yes, you are. And you're the cute boy at Dots too! Connie, I like him. Can we keep him?"

"Careful there, mate. She's never gonna stop harassing you now," Connie says with a large grin. He manages to pull Sasha's hand off Marco, who looks unsure what to do with the wild animal that Sasha is. "Don't mind her, she likes people who like food."

"People who like food are the best kind of people. You can always trust them," Sasha explains while biting off half the candy bar. After a moment in which she seems to struggle with herself, she offers the other half to Connie with a mournful expression.

"Naw, you keep it."

Sasha beams and, through the mouthful of candy, she mock whispers to Marco, "That's why he's my best spud. We're totally gonna be on the same team later." In a practiced move she shoves the last half of the candy bar into her mouth and crunches on the whole thing with a blissful expression.

"Team?" Marco asks, smiling at Sasha, already warming up to the girl.

Her voice muffled by the food, she manages to say, "Yeah, we've gotta break into teams later. Three to five people max. You wanna join our team, Marco?"

Eren's ears seem to perk up at the talk of teams. "Are we deciding teams? Dibs on Armin!" he declares, pulling Armin to him.

"What? If you get Armin then we get Mikasa!" Connie says, turning a pleading look to Mikasa. "Come on, Mikasa, we'll be invincible!"

With an effort Sasha swallows everything in her mouth and darts to Mikasa's side. "Yeah, Mikasa! I'll cover your back and everything!" Sasha says, wrapping a hand around her arm.

Mikasa frowns, looking from Connie to Eren. "I don't know…if I'm not around Eren will do something stupid – "

"Hey!" Eren looks offended. Jean is not sure why, since it should already be established that Eren is capable of doing something stupid ninety percent of the time.

" – though if Armin is there…" She looks at Armin, who shrugs in a what-can-you-do sort of helpless way, trapped by his friend's iron grip.

This might work out for him, Jean thinks, heart beating a little faster. "Um, if Mikasa joins them…do you wanna join Eren's team with me, Marco?" Now it doesn't matter so much that he has to work together with Eren, as long as he can still spend some time with Marco. Please, oh please, he thinks, looking at Marco with wide eyes.

Marco looks from person to person, all of whom are eyeing him like he's a prime cut of meat, and he chuckles nervously. "Uh, I think that's fine, though I'm not sure how I can help…"

Armin slaps a hand over Eren's mouth before he can protest Jean joining. "I want to work with Marco too. And Eren, you know how athletic Jean is." He breaks out his sweet smile at his best friend, the one that says you know I'm right, don't you? "Or do you really want us to get our asses kicked by Mikasa?"

Eren glares at Armin then Jean before he growls out a "Fine".

"Great! Welcome to the team, Marco!" Armin says with plenty of cheer.

"Thanks, but what are we supposed to do anyway?" Marco asks, looking clueless and like a lost sheep. Jean makes an involuntary squeak; it is his compensation for not being able to hug the living daylights out of his crush. Thankfully nobody except Armin notices.

Armin takes his hand away from Eren's mouth and says, "Well, that's simple. All we have to do is – "

"Defeat all the giants!" Eren declares with a raised fist.

"Win the other team," Connie says.

"Get all the points!" Sasha says with a wide smile.

" – get out of the game alive," Armin says.

There is silence for all of five seconds until Marco sums up everyone's reactions with a well-placed "Huh?"

.

'Great Escape' is the name of the war game, and at any one point, in each room, there are two teams competing. All players strap on a special equipment that allows them to "fly", hence the padded outfit and helmet to prevent injuries. The play swords have a sensor in them – once they "kill" a giant it registers the kill and adds it to the team's score. Each team starts out from a designated start point, but the targets are free for all. In the event that a player gets swallowed by a giant, he or she is transported into the waiting room. Every player that makes it out of the room alive earns bonus points for the team, and if all players are eaten the game is over. If twenty minutes are up and there are still players in the room, the game ends automatically and all points are tabulated.

That is part of the painstaking tutorial session that Miss Rico gives every player at the start, besides just allowing them to practice flying in the padded rooms under her careful eye. In their case, the moment they enter, her disgruntled expression proves she remembers this bunch of trouble makers. After the explanation, with pointed emphasis on the fact that they are not supposed to hit each other with the play swords, she glares around at all of them as though daring them to defy her instructions.

"You're new, aren't you?" she says once she spots Marco.

"Uh…yes, ma'am," Marco says, back straightening unconsciously.

She pulls him aside and, before dragging him off to one corner, barks at them, "Break anything and I'll break you. You hear that?"

Jean has a feeling she was eyeing Eren and himself as she said that. He gives her his most innocent smile, which she does not seem to believe. Marco is taken to the newbie corner, leaving them to split into their teams and enter the separate practice rooms, where their equipment and a series of platforms await their use.

It has been a while since Jean played this game, but once the equipment is strapped on it's as though he had never forgotten. Armin goes first, careful and not quite steady, but safely enough. After he has touched down, looking like he would rather not go through the experience again, Jean presses the timer button and kicks off the ground, aiming the magnetic hooks at the glowing connection points and swinging from one platform to the next smoothly. Instead of natural wind rushing through his hair and slapping at his face, it's the conditioned air regulated to ensure sanity and the visitors' comfort. But it is like flying. He leaps higher and higher until he reaches the topmost platform, and from there he leaps into the air, laughing with delight when he manages to make a couple of loops.

"Hey, show-off!"

Jean lands on the opposite platform and flips Eren the finger, too exulted to be truly angry. "Bet you can't beat this!" he shouts back.

"Bet I can defeat more giants than you!" Eren yells from the ground where he's awaiting his turn.

"What're you gonna bet on?" he says, looking down. He's not so far off the ground that he can't see Eren's expression in every detail. For a while he thought he had seen an approving glint in Eren's eyes, but that must have been his imagination because Eren is looking at him with that arrogant smirk again. It's a familiar tit-for-tat argument between the both of them – Armin is ignoring them, opting to stay in the corner to study the map of the main game area.

Eren's smirk takes on a mischievous edge. "A favour."

A what? Jean frowns and tilts his head to the side, considering this. He hadn't expected Eren to seriously take the bet on. The buzzer goes off and he does a combination of jumping and flying down, landing without a hitch next to Eren. "A favour?"

Eren nods. "A favour. To be called on anytime the winner needs it. Of course, no stupid ideas like killing someone or whatever."

He does not know what Eren is thinking. Jean studies his expression and wonders if it's just a game for him, or if there's something behind this bet…to buy himself some time, he scoffs and says, "Trust you to come up with that example. Armin, I think you should be worried about your best friend here."

Armin does not look up from the map when he replies, "If I worry about every single thing Eren does I won't have energy left for anything else."

"You and Mikasa both. You guys are seriously worrywarts," Eren says, rolling his eyes. "So, Jean, how about it? A little bet to make things more interesting."

There are many reasons why not. Such as the fact that Eren might talk big, but Jean knows he is capable of doing what he sets his mind on. And if he does lose, he has no idea what sort of favour the guy might think up of.

On the other hand, winning and having Eren at his beck and call for one favour…

"Deal," he says, holding a hand out. Eren looks at it as though he might be diseased. "Never heard of shaking on it?"

"Fake gentleman, aren't you?" Eren says, gripping Jean's hand firmly.

Not so much a gentleman that he will give up on this chance. Jean smirks and shakes Eren's hand once before letting go. He wonders why Eren is staring at him after that though, for a few seconds, before he averts his eyes and says, "Well, my turn now."

He presses the timer and kicks off, making for the first platform. Eren is a good, steady flier, but when it comes to this game Jean won't lose to anyone in fast, precise movement. He stares at Eren flying and the scowl of determination on his face until Armin says, sounding amused, "Stop ogling Eren and come help me refine this strategy."

Jean feels his face burn. He turns and stomps over, feet making no sound on the padded ground. "I am not ogling Eren – uh, Marco!" When did he get here? Why did Armin not inform him? How much of their conversation did Marco hear? "Um, done with practice with Miss Rico?"

Armin gives him the look which says "obviously he wouldn't be here if he wasn't done with practice". Jean scratches his head to cover the embarrassing moment and sags in relief when Marco says, covering up the moment of blunder, "Yeah, we covered the basics. And Armin told me a little about his plan."

"It's a simple one, really. I'll explain in detail once Eren's done. Anyway, we want to be here eventually – " he points to the center of the map, coloured red – "where there are the most giants, to earn points. When it's about five minutes to the end, we should start making our way to the exit so we can earn the bonus points – uh, if none of us are eaten, that is."

The buzzer goes off and Eren comes flying down, landing just next to Marco. "Strategizing?" he asks.

"Yeah, we still have a bit of time till the game starts," Armin says, eyes still on the map. Each team starts off near a red spot full of giants for fairness, and there are scattered green spots where gamers can regroup in relative safety. Armin traces out their regroup spots and says, "From the way I'm guessing we'll be moving, we gather here after the first five minutes – here after the next five – and here at the fifteen minutes mark. And whenever else necessary, we regroup at the nearest point."

"When are the necessary times?" Marco asks, eyes scanning over the paper.

"If one of us is eaten. Most likely me," Armin says in a matter of fact tone.

"Oi oi, none of that now. You can't be eaten. Or we're doomed," Eren says, crouching down next to Armin. "So how're we going about defeating the giants?"

"You and Jean are our best fighters – no offence, Marco, I just don't know enough about your fighting style yet," Armin says with a quick smile.

"None taken. I was thinking the same thing anyway."

"So both of you just go ahead and kill as much as you want, but stick to our side of the room. Marco and I can cover your backs and make sure the hot spots are cleared of giants before we move on. And this is so we won't give the other team the impetus to invade our side. If all goes well, each team will stick to their side of the room, and with Eren and Jean we might be able to score more points than them." Armin uses his finger to draw a clean line down the center, indicating the unspoken boundary between the teams. For most people, they would be too busy fending off giants in their half to care much about invading the other team's area. That is, for most people. Armin frowns and says, "But if the other team – "

"Um, sorry to interrupt…"

They all turn as one to look at Marco, who blinks at their full attention but does not seem otherwise distressed. Armin gives him an encouraging nod to go on. "These simulations…they're smart, aren't they? That's what Miss Rico said, they can sense us near them?" Marco adds.

"Yes. They are after all trying to eat us," Armin says.

"So what if…what if we do this, guys?" Marco says, the beginnings of an idea evident in his expression. He beckons them closer and takes a deep breath –

.

What greets them in the main room are plenty of well made trees and buildings, all of which offer great areas for the magnetic hooks to attach themselves to, but which make for poor visibility. The giants might be hiding anywhere, and all they'll have to depend on are their senses and their team members' signals. The huge ceiling replicates the sky and it even smells bloody in here, the metallic scent mingling with the smell of dirt and grass. Jean has already been here a few times, but even now he wonders if this is what it feels like in a real war – thank goodness, he thinks, that all of this is just make believe.

The doors shut behind each team's entrance area, leaving them in an unnatural silence with the underlying hum of electrical equipment. Then an automated voice says, "Welcome to 'Great Escape'. In fifteen seconds, your twenty minutes will begin. Good luck, soldiers. Stay alive."

A hologram of a countdown timer is projected on the expansive ceiling, ticking down from a large '15'. In the fifteen seconds they arrange themselves in a triangle, Marco at the front, Armin behind him, and Eren and Jean to either side of Armin, their play swords all out and ready.

"You sure about this, Marco?" Jean asks when there are seven seconds left.

After Marco had discussed his idea, Armin had fallen into silence for a moment before he agreed that they could work it in. Eren and Jean had exchanged glances, united in their worry – but in the end the combined persuasion from Armin and Marco left them no choice but to agree.

Marco shifts and smiles over his shoulder at Jean. "No more time left for doubt, is there?"

He looks nervous even though it's just a game. Through the helmet Jean can see the sweat gathering above his upper lip and the way his eyes flick from side to side, like he's already looking out for threats. But his smile is real and excited.

Jean grins and tightens his grip on the swords. "Yeah, let's do this."

A large bell clangs when the fifteen seconds are up, signaling the start of the game. At this moment, they are still too far away from the other team's starting point to worry about them. Marco runs forward a few steps and kicks off, finding the connecting points on the trees with ease and swinging himself forward carefully. For a first time gamer, he isn't bad at all, Jean thinks with a strange sense of pride. He must have picked up on Miss Rico's guidance quickly.

They keep the triangle formation as they move to the first hot spot, north of their team's entry point. Though the buildings to the north east would provide a better vantage point and more protection, they would be wasting time getting there when they could be earning points instead. Through the forests all is silent – unnaturally so. Without the sounds of insect and animal life it becomes much easier to tell when something approaches them. The way Marco is moving with caution, sharp eyes darting around, tells Jean things are going to happen soon. He flexes his wrist and readies his swords.

A second later Marco whistles. A giant sighted. Marco kicks off a tree and uses the burst of speed to go dangerously close to the giant. For a while Jean's heart leaps to his throat, as though this were a real battle they were experiencing, that if they get swallowed that's the end, no more laughing with Marco, no more phone conversations with him.

Then he reminds himself he's being stupid, it's a game, and he has a job to do. Marco swerves away just as the giant roars and tries to reach for him, only to be felled by Jean swinging around the giant's left just as it is distracted and attacking the flesh on its neck.

"Hah! One down!" he says. The momentum keeps him moving and he adjusts himself to avoid slamming into a tree. Even in a padded suit, it's still going to be bloody painful. He's about to share a triumphant grin with Marco when he realizes the guy is already moving, on the lookout for the next target.

"Not too fast, Jean!" Eren says, spotting the next one the same time Marco does. He puts on a burst of speed and slams the play swords down on the giant's neck. It goes down with a roar of pain and dissolves into mist. Eren pumps a fist into the air in victory and says, "Now we're equal!"

"Are you guys seriously fighting among yourselves? Seriously?" Marco yells over his shoulder at them. Behind the look of relief that the plan had actually worked, Marco looks like he is just starting to realize how stupid they are.

Oops. Jean had forgotten he is supposed to be trying to impress Marco.

From his higher vantage point where it's harder for giants to reach, Armin yells, "They are idiots like that, Marco!"

"Armin! You're supposed to be on my side!" Eren says in mock hurt.

Marco makes a sound like he's going to laugh but is trying not to. "I might get eaten here, you two!"

"We won't let you!" Jean says. He tries to look contrite, but it's hard when adrenaline is pushing him to move and fly. From the way Marco eventually gives in and laughs, he knows the guy feels the same way.

Slightly above them but still following the group, Armin swings from tree to tree, looking out for the next target. He narrows his eyes at some suspicious rustling in a further patch of trees. "Jean! Thirty – no, forty meters to your right, it's camouflaged behind a tree."

"On it!" Jean says. It's hard to leave Marco behind…but he does have a bet he should try to win, and a group plan to stick to.

"Eren, don't go after it, just stay with Marco, you ass! There's one – two! Two just right up ahead!" Armin barks from the tree.

"Alright, I get it already! God you're annoying," Eren shouts back. He glares at Marco when he chuckles.

"And whose bloody fault is that? Jean, why are you still hanging back, are you a mother hen or something? GET ON WITH IT."

"Argh, okay, okay!" Jean says. Of course Armin would notice that he's lingering behind, hoping to spend a few more seconds with Marco. Even so, he can't help his grin and the enormous sense of satisfaction he feels when he spots the giant. He swoops around, bringing it down before it has the chance to chase after their team's decoy.

Best game ever, he thinks when he returns and manages to share a smile with Marco. This is way better than trying to fight for a seat next to Marco on the rides –

"Ah, Jean, the tree!"

Way better, if it weren't for the obstacles that might give Jean a painful bruise or two the next morning. Through his will alone he ignores Eren's snorts of laughter and pulls up a reassuring grimace. Well, it was meant to be reassuring anyway, from Marco's wide-eyed look he imagines he looks a little deranged.

It's going to be an interesting twenty minutes, that's for sure.

.

Through the first ten minutes they move north, then north east, and they manage to do well. Eren saves Armin from a close encounter with a bearded giant, Jean nearly has a heart attack when a giant misses Marco by less than a meter, Marco achieves some kills on his own when Eren and Jean are occupied with their own targets, Jean tries to always keep his kills one more than Eren, and in this way they bicker and squabble and fight their way to the central spot.

The way things are running so smoothly is an indication that things, bad things, are likely to happen soon.

Spotting a giant near the edge that separates trees from buildings, Jean heads there and is halfway across the distance when a small blur overtakes him. He knows that person –

"Connie!" he growls out.

"Hah, knew following you would lead me to a giant!" Connie says, using his small size to his advantage and confounding the giant with his speed. The creature is felled and all there is left is mist.

"Why you little – "

An unrestrained whoop of delight alerts him to the fact that he's not the only one here. Eren shouting tips the whole team off. "What the hell, Sasha!"

"All's fair in love and war, baby! Wheeee!" Sasha says, using the equipment as a makeshift bungee and bouncing back up into the foliage, laughing all the way.

The other team has invaded. Jean glances up at Armin, whose grim expression says his prediction came true. The only comfort is Mikasa is not here – she's a straightforward sort of person, most likely too busy dealing with the hot spots nearer her team's starting point, while the two little sneaks decided to steal the kills off their opponents.

"Okay team, change of plans!" Armin says, hopping down to where Eren is. He nearly stumbles off a tree and is caught by Eren. "Thanks! Jean, Marco, go! We regroup in five minutes."

"Hey! No fun, all of you!" Sasha says, scrambling to follow them. "Connie, we've gotta get a move on!"

Jean uses the chance to grab Marco and take a sharp turnaround to head east. "No way in hell we're waiting for you guys!"

"Aw, come on! That's the point of the game!" Connie says, but the rest of his protest is lost as the team splits up, Eren and Armin heading north, and Jean and Marco heading east before they regroup in the center. When they had made the plans, Armin had couched it in no uncertain terms – Mikasa had trusted Eren to Armin, so he will make sure the idiot does not break anything. Marco is level headed enough that he can work well with Jean.

At that time, Jean had decided that being Armin's research slave is a small price to pay for the little bits of help his friend had extended. Armin's expression at that time had said, very clearly, "Don't fuck this up."

He does not plan to. Making sure that Marco is not having trouble finding connecting points for the hooks, they move as fast as they can through the trees, breaking out into the building areas where it is significantly more dangerous. There, the giants can hide and they will not alert the soldiers to their presence, since there is no foliage to rustle.

"You alright, Marco?" Jean asks, slowing down a little bit as they navigate the maze of streets.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," Marco says, still acting as scout and looking out for any sign of giants. "We should be near the edge of the hot spot soon."

"Should we run on the rooftops instead?" Jean wonders out loud. "At least the giants won't be able to ambush us there…"

"Connie and Sasha will be able to see us. Let's get far away from them first so they won't steal the kills," Marco points out. He slows down as they turn the corner, checking for giants before they take off down the street. "They're good at this game. Really good."

Jean huffs. "Tell me about it. Last time we played this together, it was Connie, Sasha, Annie, Mina, and me on the same team. Connie and Sasha were the best at sneaking around – they kept following Hannah and Franz. Pissed them off too."

They pause there – Marco had seen the back of a giant disappearing around the next corner, and trusting the information Jean goes ahead to bring down the giant.

"Looks like we're in the hot spot now," Marco says when Jean has returned and they speed down another alleyway. "You weren't playing against Eren, Mikasa, and Armin that time?"

"They were in another game with, erm…Reiner, Bert, Historia, Ymir, I think."

"Wow. No wonder you guys are so good at this," Marco says, not even a hint of envy in his voice. Just plain admiration for their skills.

Thank goodness they are wearing helmets, he thinks, because at least he can hide his blush in there. "Naw, we all got eaten at least once, damn boring just waiting in that room for everyone to finish. If anything, you should talk about yourself, mister. First time here, you haven't been eaten, and you're doing the most dangerous job already," Jean says with a grumble. He still can't forget that heart-stopping moment when Marco nearly got caught by a giant. Game or not, it's hard to think of someone getting swallowed and disappearing just like that.

Marco laughs and rubs his neck in a sheepish motion. "I just thought…my eyes are pretty sharp, so I can at least act as decoy and you guys can get the kills…"

"Hmm…the fun part of this game is killing the giants though. Not that I want to sound like Eren or whatever, with his defeat all the giants mentality – but I guess that's the allure of the game?"

Marco does not answer straight away. In part, that is because he has spotted a group of four giants, and they are forced to land on a rooftop and crouch low to study how best to attack them. While they watch the giants lumber around, still far away enough that they have not sensed them, Marco finally says, "I suppose I can't help but think about…what's best for the team. I mean, it's fun to try defeating a giant and all, but in the end it's about the team surviving and winning, so since I'm not that great at the game I can at least find a role that helps the team."

Jean looks at Marco, who smiles back in earnest. He sighs and says, "Damn it, Marco. Now you're making me feel bad about the stupid competition with Eren."

Marco's eyes widen. "Competition?"

"Ah, nothing. We were just competing for who would get more points in this game," Jean explains.

"Oh, that's not a bad thing though. It looks like you guys are having fun," Marco reasons and, with some hesitation, he adds softly, "Eren looks like he's having the time of his life."

Jean swallows. He thinks he knows what Marco means. The light in Eren's eyes as he swings from tree to tree and the way he thrills in the joy of the hunt. It is hard to miss that and for Marco who had already been observing Eren…

Jean shakes his head and turns his attention back to the group of titans. They have less than two minutes left to regroup. He has no time to think about Eren and how effortlessly he had snagged Marco's attention. Besides, he is trying to take Armin's words to heart, to enjoy the time in the theme park with Marco. "Yeah. Now, let's tackle this group, eh?"

"Right," Marco says in agreement. He frowns at the giants and asks in a low voice, "How should we do this?"

"I'm not good at tactics…I was thinking surprise attack? That way we can take one down each before the other two realize we're there. Like, those two at the edge seem pretty dumb." One is scratching at his cheek and drooling, and another is just gazing vacantly into space.

Marco stifles his chuckles. "Do they have personalities?"

"I think they're programmed to have different abilities. And some are less, uh, clever than others," Jean says with a grin at Marco.

"Alright. Then I'll get the attention of the other two and head north to the regroup point?" Marco suggests.

Time is ticking. Jean bites his lip and thinks about it before saying, "Are you sure? They might be pretty fast."

"They could be. But I trust you," Marco says with an easy smile that makes Jean's breath stutter.

He's really, really not sure how he's going to get over this man. "Right. Okay, let's go then," Jean says, standing up quickly to make sure Marco does not have time to see how he's staring. He readies his swords and steps up to the edge of the rooftop. "Good to go?"

Marco nods. "As ready as I'll ever be."

With that, Jean leaps off, keeping his body as streamlined as possible so he's not fighting against the air resistance. Within a few seconds he reaches the group, and in a few more he takes down the drooling giant while Marco gets rid of the vacant one. He doesn't have time to revel in the victory before the other two giants notice them.

"Here they come!" he shouts, jumping back out of the way when one swipes at him.

"Hey, dimwits! Over here!" Marco yells from the other side. To draw even more attention to himself he flies in front of the giant that had been trying to attack Jean. "Come on, this way!"

It works. The giants, annoyed by Marco as though he is an irritating fly that just refuses to get caught, roar and charge in his direction. With their attention off him Jean is able to get rid of one more before it gets too near to Marco.

But the other is not as slow. As hard as Marco tries to move fast, the giant's range is wider, and with a roar she manages to close her hand around Marco.

That cliché, about time slowing down and being able to see every action happening in the minutest detail? For the first time Jean understands what he means.

He does not even register it, but then there's a loud scream of "MARCO!" – beneath the numb shock, there is a part of him that is dimly surprised at how scared he could sound.

He's not sure what happens then. All he feels is the desperate desire to get there as fast as humanely possible, and he does not even care that this is all a game and that nothing will actually happen to Marco, he needs to hit the giant where it hurts, so hard the swords will cut through the spine. He sees the giant lifting Marco to her mouth, sees Marco's look of wide-eyed surprise and a hint of panic –

Before Jean strikes the nape and the giant groans, collapsing and dissolving into mist.

Jean lands on the pavement, panting, struggling to catch his breath, blinded by the sweat dripping into his eyes. After a painful moment of trying to slow his heart beat down, he looks around, seeing only the quiet, empty street and the walls of the buildings. The timer on the ceiling, ticking down against the replicated sky, tells him there are five minutes left. Five minutes. Just five more minutes to the end of the game, and –

"Marco?" His voice is so small he does not quite recognize it as his own.

"I'm here."

Jean yelps and spins around, coming face to face with a shaken but unharmed Marco. The guy's legs are trembling and his expression is the epitome of awe. "Boy, the reviewers weren't kidding when they said it feels real – uh…"

Jean had let go of the swords, leaving them dangling by his hips while he hugs Marco so tightly he's sure he'll leave bruises. Even through the suits he can feel Marco's warmth and his heart racing. "Oh my god. Oh my god, you idiot!" he yells, no longer caring that they might attract the attention of giants near them.

"Ah…" Marco's hands come up to pat Jean's back. "Jean? Jean, it's just a game, I'm alright. Not even scratched, really, they programmed the giants so that no damage is done, I think, and in the end you did take down the giants so – Jean?"

"I don't care," he says, bumping the side of his helmet against Marco's. "God, you're such an idiot."

"Hey now," Marco says, stepping back and looking bashful. "I guess that was kind of stupid of me. Could have lost the team bonus points, right?"

"That's – "

That is not the point. Armin had explained it – his mind knows all these, but his heart doesn't. And for one split second he had thought he was going to fail, having put his mind to protecting Marco, and sure it's a game, but it feels so fucking real, and everything from the adrenaline rush to the horror and fear – those are real.

He clears his throat and turns away, pretending to be busy with checking the kill count on his swords. After he feels calmer he says, "That's…true. We had better get a move on, we need to regroup. Eren and Armin will think we have been eaten."

"Ah!" Marco looks up at the countdown timer then grabs Jean's wrist, turning them north to the regroup point. "Come on, we need to hurry then!"

Jean looks at Marco holding his wrist, barely thinking as he follows Marco's motions of connecting the hooks and swinging from building to building. If a giant were to encounter them now, the likelihood is high they would both be eaten – that's how dazed Jean is. Not just because Marco is holding his wrist, but –

To think, just this morning, I was only wondering whether I'd get to hold his hand, Jean thinks, wanting to sigh at how silly he had been acting. Perhaps that close shave had taken years off his life, and perhaps it is all just a simulation game, something to be laughed over – but Jean does not think he will be forgetting this anytime soon. The warmth of Marco's body, the pace of his heart beat, the exhilarated grin Marco has as they rush through the streets and near their destination.

You're right, Armin. I'll try to enjoy this while I can, he thinks as they catch sight of where the rest of their team and the cluster of giants are waiting for them.

.

After being welcomed back with "you're late!" (Eren) and "we thought you guys were eaten!" (Armin), the rest of the game turns out to be relatively anti-climatic and a free-for-all. Mikasa is already there, cutting a path through the giants, and by the time Sasha and Connie arrive they have given up on wondering who each target belongs to in favour of getting to the exit before the time is up.

At nineteen minutes and fifteen seconds, Armin herds them all towards the exit that is blocked by a few giants.

At nineteen minutes and forty seconds, Eren and Jean have made short work of the titans, with Eren leading by two kills.

At nineteen minutes and fifty seconds, despite Jean's argument that he still has time to go back and take down another three titans, Armin glares at him and pushes him through the exit.

At twenty minutes, all of them are through the exit and breathing heavily in the resting room, where employees are hovering near them and waiting to collect their suits and swords. The exit door locks down and it is like they have exited a strange alternate reality, away from the trees and the buildings and the smell of blood to a room where they can sprawl in varying degrees of exhaustion. For half a minute all they do is attempt to catch their breath.

"Hey!" Sasha manages to say after she has stopped panting. "This is the first time none of us got eaten!"

"Cool!" Connie says, holding a hand up for her to do a weak high five against. Both of them are flat on the ground near the counter and are ignoring the poor guy trying to tug the suits off them.

"Was Eren being a dumbass?" Mikasa asks, directing the question at Armin. She does not even look winded.

"Hey!" Eren protests. As always Mikasa seems deaf to his indignation.

"Not so much this time," Armin says, passing the helmet to the employee.

"What do you mean not so much this time?"

All of them ignore him while they strip off the suits and pass everything back to the employees. Jean takes a look at his kill count, sneaks a glance at Eren's, and sighs at the result – looks like he really shouldn't have made the bet after all, he thinks before he passes the swords to the waiting employee. Now he'll have to wonder when Eren will call in the favour, and what he'll be asking.

There is a perk to this though, he thinks as he eyes the way sweat had made Marco's shirt cling to him. Jean might have started drooling if not for the lady behind the counter clearing her throat and drawing everyone's attention to her.

"Team Hunters and Team Awesome?" she says.

Eren wrinkles his nose. "Team Awesome?" he asks with a disgusted look at Connie and Sasha.

Connie shrugs. "Why reject the truth?"

"Team Hunters?" Sasha asks in the exact same tone Eren had used.

"I thought it didn't sound too bad," Marco says soothingly.

Eren sniffs. "At least someone here has good taste."

Jean rolls his eyes. They had gone with the name only because nobody wanted to fight with Eren over it. Something about his attachment to his surname.

"Please don't mind them," Armin tells the lady.

She chuckles and taps some keys on her board. "I'll be pulling up the scores for you now. For Team Hunters we have – 270 points!"

Jean whistles. In all their previous games, either because somebody was eaten or because people kept stealing their kills, they have never gone beyond 220 points. "Pretty decent!"

"That's a lot more than when we played this last time," Armin says.

"Well, yeah, considering none of us got eaten this time," Eren says, still seeming a little grumpy.

"And for Team Awesome we have – it's a really close match – 280 points!"

"No way!" Eren says with a groan. "How!"

"Because we're awesome, that's why!" Connie exclaims.

"You mean because Mikasa did all the work," Jean points out. Mikasa, unruffled, gives him a small smile.

"Well, yeah, that too!" Sasha says, completely unashamed. She dances around and hugs Mikasa, not minding in the least that Mikasa is standing stock still. "We win, we win!"

"That is very close though," Marco says, smiling at them. "Congrats to Team Awesome."

"Mikasa was with them, so losing by this few points? I count that as an accomplishment," Armin says, standing up and stretching. "Well then, shall we do the final bit?"

"Final bit?" Marco asks, accepting Armin's hand and standing up from the couch.

"The photo bit," Jean says, watching Connie and Sasha dance around with a look of minor annoyance. "For remembrance."

"Call it cheesy, but I like to collect those photos," Armin says, grabbing Eren next and pulling him towards the door.

"But it's the one where the giants are eating us! I don't like that," Eren says with a major sulk, looking all of five years old again. A second later though, he brightens up with a smug expression. "But a bet is a bet! I win, Jean."

Jean is too tired to care. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Couldn't have hoped to win against a reckless fool anyway."

"A reckless fool who scored more kills!" Eren points out with glee as the employees herd them into the photo room.

There is a set-up on two ends of the photo room, one for the victorious team, and one for the losing team. With the victorious team, they get to hold their play swords and pretend to be slashing the cut-out giants' necks. With the losing team, they stand in position within a giant's grip, in a giant's mouth, or under a giant's foot.

"I like them both," Marco declares, giggling when he sees Connie strike a macho pose while holding a sword. "No wonder you get these pictures, Armin."

"Yep. Now we just have to look suitably horrified," Armin says, looking around before deciding that he wants to stand in the titan's mouth. "I almost got eaten by one of them today anyway."

"I'll take this one then," Marco says, pointing at the grip and putting himself in place, such that he looks trapped. "This did happen to me."

"Really?" Eren asks, looking reluctant to choose any position that involves him being in a weaker position than the giants. "When did that happen?"

"Mm – " Marco shoots a look at Jean, who gives him a wide-eyed look back. "Just a little after we got separated. But Jean took care of the giants soon enough."

"Hmm…guess you're not that useless after all," Eren says, not noticing the look of relief on Jean's face that Marco did not reveal everything. "Horse face, where are you going to stand?"

"Aren't you tired of the horse jokes already?" Jean asks while looking around. He decides to position himself between the hands of a giant, who poses as though he is holding the human up by its two arms and is about to tear him apart. "There. Now you can take one of the other two."

Eren scowls at the choices left – either to be trodden by a giant or, like Armin, to be half eaten by one. In the end his dignity decides for him and he chooses the half eaten one. "Better this than being trodden like an insect."

Jean shakes his head. Trust Eren to rationalize his way between two horrid choices. He takes a quick glimpse at Marco, who seems to be having a lot of fun and not like he's being threatened by a giant at all. Jean can't help but smile, and he has to look away when it seems like Marco is about to glance his way.

"Okay, Team Hunters. Looks of horror ready?" the photographer asks.

Eren lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Let's just get this over with," he says.

"Right then. In 3, 2, 1…scream!"

.

In pure Eren style, he ends up scowling at the camera instead of acting suitably horrified. "Oi, what's this? You ruined the picture!" Jean says, affronted.

It is a nice photo though – and Eren is not the only one to break out of character. Even behind Marco's wide-eyed look of horror there's a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. It's adorable. Jean is going to treasure this photo for the rest of his life – him and his One True Love, going through terror together. And if nothing else, he can use this to tease Armin as well – the guy could get an Oscar for how real his look of terror is.

"Shut up, you gormless git. Ain't no way I'm gonna admit defeat to anything," Eren says while slapping down some money for his photo. "Getting one, Marco?"

Marco gives him a look. "Did you even have to ask?" he says, his money already out and ready.

"Guess we're all getting one then," Armin says cheerfully. "I'm getting both teams'."

"Me too," Mikasa says, smiling at the photos in the screen. Connie and Sasha had given her center place of honour, and anybody who knew Mikasa well enough could see the quietly pleased look in her expression as she prepares to slice the neck of a giant. "I'm going to show these to mum."

"What? No!" Eren protests. "Not this one!"

"Why not? She'll like them," Mikasa says.

"Not a chance in hell!"

Armin takes the chaos as an opportunity to sidle close to Jean. "Enjoying the photos?" he asks a little too innocently.

Jean raises his eyebrow at Armin. The glossy photos, put in decorated paper frames by the employees, are held protectively in his hands. "An obvious question requires no answer," he says, turning his nose high in the air.

Armin laughs and accepts his own copy of the photos from the employee. "Glad to see it's worth it."

"Yeah." He turns to see Marco chatting with Sasha and Connie, his own copy of the photos tucked under his arm. He turns back to Armin, something deep inside him aching as he comes to a realization – a realization that had been some time in the making. Smiling, he says again, "Yeah, it is."

.

"He might not be the funniest man in the world, or the smartest, but he is a good man who never stops trying to make others happy. And that's when I realized – I would rather he be happy with someone else, than unhappy with me. I think that's when I knew I love him."

Curious, Jean had looked up from his glass of milk. He didn't quite understand. His teacher had said that if you love someone you want to always and always be with them. He wondered what his mother meant, so he said, "But you're with Dad now."

The gentle look still in her eyes, she turned to him and smiled. "Yes. That is the biggest blessing of my life – that he chose to be happy with me. Love is…love is more than just liking someone. It is making a choice for yourself and that person. It is letting the other person make a choice. And sometimes that means you or the other person might make a choice that will break your heart."

Notes:

Another chapter that never seems to end due to my all-consuming love for themeparks and simulation games and people getting into Shenanigans. Hope you enjoyed it! As always, am grateful and humbled by the kind comments people have given.

Comments will always be appreciated :)