FRIENDS ➳ jean kirstein

022. SAMMY & MAGGIE

Jean — December 6, 2020
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Armin had just finished wrapping fairy lights around his curtain pole when Jean pushed open his bedroom door and stepped inside. At the sound of the door opening, Armin glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening when he saw Jean.

"Is everything okay?" Armin asked, crossing the floor. "You didn't come home last night."

"Yeah, I spent the night at the hospital," Jean said. "They're not discharging my mom yet, so."

Armin's shoulders slumped, sympathy glossing his eyes. "I'm sorry, man."

"It's fine," Jean mumbled, stuffing his hands inside his pockets and directing his gaze to the floor. "I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."

"Well, hey, it's still a few weeks until Christmas," Armin said, placing a comforting hand on Jean's back. "She could still be discharged in time, you never know."

"Yeah, maybe." Jean just about managed a convincing half-smile. Hands still tucked into his pockets, he jerked his head towards the door. "I was gonna make some French toast for lunch. You want any?"

"I'm good, I've already eaten," Armin said. "I need to finish with these decorations, anyways."

Beneath the window sat a plastic tub of Christmas decorations, dainty ornaments and fairy lights and tinsel alike. Whether or not Armin intended to deck his room out to the brim with the assortment or spread them out throughout the house, Jean did not know, but he certainly knew that he did not want to be around to see the aftermath of Christmas potentially vomiting all over Armin's bedroom.

With a truer smile, Jean made for the door, stopping before he could exit. He turned around slowly and cleared his throat.

"Is—uh—is Charlie around?"

He could only hope that Armin didn't catch the way his voice rose ever-so-slightly in pitch.

Thankfully, Armin didn't seem at all suspicious. He had crouched down and was busy filing through the tub of decorations.  "She's upstairs, I think. I dunno, I haven't seen her all morning."

He didn't ask Jean why he was looking for Charlie, and Jean was eternally grateful for that. He closed Armin's bedroom door and strolled down the hallway, but he didn't manage to reach the kitchen before the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" he called out, hoping that both Charlie and Armin could hear him.

Down the decked hall, across the foyer that was decorated with lights and wreaths and garlands and a little old nutcracker perched on the console table, his paint chipped and peeling; Jean finally reached the door and pulled it open, not sure why he was so surprised to see Eren Jaeger stood on the other side.

Eren appeared to be taken aback to see him too. He blinked, words seeming to be momentarily lost to him, and then he cleared his throat and managed some form of a greeting.

"Uh—hey," he said.

"Hey," Jean echoed, stepping out of the doorway to allow Eren to enter. "Charlie's in her room."

"Actually I'm—well—" Eren stumbled over his words, a faint pink tinge dusting his cheeks. He glanced down at his hand, in which he clutched a small, neatly wrapped gift. He held it up so Jean could see. "I was just going to put this under the tree."

"Oh, sure," Jean said, closing the door and awkwardly following Eren into the living room. "Charlie says you're going away for Christmas."

"Yeah, we're going to stay with my brother." Eren bent down and put the little present under the tree, which twinkled with red and gold ornamentation. Then he rounded on Jean once more. "You said Charlie was in her room?"