Chapter Text
Jean has been staring at his laptop screen for five minutes now.
It's almost one in the morning, and he's a bit above pleasantly tipsy after a night out with his friends. When he opened his laptop, he only did it in hopes of playing a random game before he slept the alcohol off, but he was met with several notifications from his email. Thinking they were spam, he clicked on the tab to get rid of them before his eyes caught on a specific message that made his blood run cold.
Jean tries to convince himself that his mind is playing tricks on him because there's no other explanation to this letter. No matter how many times Jean refreshes the page, the message doesn't seem to magically disappear as he thinks it will.
He squints in confusion for a few seconds, shakes his head and then decides to reread the email. Perhaps he missed something in the first five times he did.
Dear Jean Kirstein,
As Eren Jaeger’s manager, I would like to offer you the position of Eren’s personal coach. I believe someone of your great talents would make an amazing trainer and choreographer for him, and I’m sure the two of you would make a strong duo.
If you're interested, we can meet at a place of your choice in Frankfurt in the early hours of tomorrow's afternoon.
Best regards,
Hange Zoé.
By his seventh read, his mind completely clears up from whatever haze it used to be in. He's almost tempted to reread it one more time, but instead he leans back in his chair, the wheels scraping against the floor as he runs a hand down his face.
He doesn't even know where he's supposed to begin with comprehending this.
Not only did he make the decision to coach professional seniors merely weeks ago, but he's not sure how he feels about training no other than Eren Jaeger; one of the world's most talented figure skaters, Germany's beloved “Frostmoon” and one of the few people to achieve a three-peat in the championships as both a junior and a senior. And, he just casually happens to be someone Jean once called his best friend.
“Fuck,” a heavy sigh escapes him as he gulps. With shaky hands, he reaches for his phone and snaps a quick picture of the screen before sending it to his friends. He may as well get their opinion on this, despite the two leaving way drunker than he was.
While waiting for their response, he decides to give the email one last read for good measure. Then he gives it another one. And another. He even exits the app then enters it again. Jean is not quite sure what he thinks he might find each time he does this, but his mind can't seem to wrap around the fact that his name does indeed sit at the top of the letter, that his address is right there, and that it is actually signed by Hange themself.
He never expected to get an offer so early on after his decision, let alone from Eren of all people. Jean already knew that the skater was in need of a new coach after firing his last just months ago, but he didn't exactly imagine himself as one of the candidates to that position.
Don't get him wrong, he's more than confident in his abilities. Not only has Jean been skating since the tender age of nine, competed professionally for four seasons and won plenty of medals, but he’s been training children since he was eighteen, and he got to coach two juniors at the same time in the last three years.
But the offer still strikes him as odd.
He and Eren may have fallen apart eleven years ago, but Jean still keeps up with news about the younger. It's near impossible not to when they work in the same industry, hence, Jean is aware Eren was never coached by someone with less than two decades of experience under their belt. As it seems, that was still nowhere near enough patience to put up with his attitude.
A couple of dings startle him from his daze, and he picks up his phone to check his friends’ replies.
[Sasha] “Holy shit is this real?!”
[Connie] “ACCEPT ACCEPT ACCEPT!”
Pursing his lips, Jean puts his the device down before he looks back to the laptop. Of course his friends would be excited. This was a great deal after all. More than just a great deal.
Eren has raw talent, he's a real prodigy in the skating industry, and Jean has experienced it first hand when Eren was still learning his way around the jumps. He’s popular and loved despite his attitude and the brash behavior that gets him dunked on by the media. Communities from all over the world adore him and respect his abilities, even though he made it to the top three in the championships by a hair this year.
Jean wouldn't say the performances he had in the championships were bad per se, but they fell short with the quality that Eren had been giving out for the past ten years. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed flawless, but any professional could tell this wasn't Eren's best. If Jean were to be blunt, he'd say it was the worst Eren has ever performed. The moves were sluggish, his artistic execution was messy and all over the place and his expressions were off.
He's sure he never saw him skate like this, even when they were children.
Understandably, Eren had been angry and his fans were disappointed. After losing his winning streak in the world championships, people were gossiping about the possibility of Eren losing his spot at Germany’s team for the next year’s Olympics, and that seemed to be his last straw before he fired his coach. Despite that, Eren still did exceptionally well on Skate America without someone to guide him.
The accumulation of these events from the past months–alongside how near the end of this season is–make Jean even more confused. If Eren wants to compete at the Winter Olympics, wouldn't it be a better choice to go for someone more experienced than Jean? He knows that Eren has had many coaches, almost too many, but he's sure there remains a few willing to deal with him.
This could mean one of two things; Hange is seeing genuine potential in Jean’s capabilities as a coach, or he's their very last resort.
Either way, he doesn't have much time to dwell on it.
Considering the late hour, Jean settles on drafting a response for him to send in the morning. He made it as vague as possible, not really accepting the offer but not turning it down. In order for him to make a choice, he has to talk it through with Hange first.
After closing his laptop and replying to his friends, he throws himself on the bed with a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart.
So much for sleeping the alcohol off. Now Jean is completely sober, with more on his mind than he'd like to have.
Eren. Eren Jaeger. Someone he never thought he'd talk to again, let alone become his professional coach. The last time Jean has seen him up close was nine years ago, and it's been even longer than a decade since he last spoke to him. How could he ever fill that gap if he were to accept the offer?
He can't help but wonder if Eren was the one to choose him, to tell Hange about him. Could it be his way of reconnecting with Jean? At rekindling the friendship they once had? Or did Eren do it purely out of professional reasons?
There's too many questions on his mind, and not one coherent answer for any. He'll just have to wait for tomorrow to get them, even if it means he has to face a part of his childhood that he long since has left behind.
Thankfully, Jean doesn't wake up with a hangover the next day despite the uncomfortable sleep he had, and he's able to breeze through his routine before responding to Hange’s message. To his surprise, they reply within minutes, agreeing to the time and place he chose.
Although he hasn't decided whether to go through with this or not, Jean still dresses nicely in a cream coat and blue jeans, and he even arrives just a few minutes earlier than scheduled. Best not to make a bad impression on their first business meeting.
It's a little cold today, with the orange and brown tree leaves wafting through the air as the wind picks up outside. The weather is perfect for a quiet and peaceful walk, but Jean is spending his afternoon worrying about somehow getting scammed in all of this while staring at the water he ordered.
Ridiculous. Jean doesn't even know why he's doubting this whole ordeal this much. While he may not be as popular as Eren, Jean is still a prominent figure in the skating industry. It's of no shock that a well-known performer would reach out to him. He already met with plenty of managers and their talented clients before, this is not something that Jean isn't used to.
Sighing, he glances down at his watch. Only a few minutes are left before Hange is to arrive at their scheduled meeting.
Jean isn't really nervous about talking to Hange. He's seen how they interact with people and how they carry themself around. They're a well-respected manager who is nice and loved all around the community. The fact that they don't have any disputes with Eren should say something about them, considering they've been working with him since he was sixteen.
The real problem is Eren accompanying them.
It never occurred to him that this is a possibility until he stepped foot in the cafe. But it makes sense. Jean might become his coach, it's only reasonable that he meets up with him to discuss the offer Hange has for Jean.
He's not prepared for how awkward this might get. A professional, brief and nice conversation with Hange is something he can easily deal with. Pretending he didn't once know Eren inside out, not as much.
His leg bounces as he keeps his head down, eyes fixated on the table under his arms. A ding comes from his phone, signalling more encouraging messages from his friends. He glances at the lit up screen, noticing the clock has hit exactly two in the afternoon.
As he considers replying, two shadows hover over his table.
He inhales sharply, ignoring his racing heartbeat before he looks up. His rigid form deflates in confusion as he slowly stands from his chair, his eyebrows pinching down while he stares at the two in front of him.
Instead of Hange, Armin and Mikasa stand near his table. Although Jean knows they're the ones in charge of the aesthetics of Eren’s performances, from his make-up to his outfits and even music sometimes, he doesn't really understand what they could be doing here.
“Hi!” Armin gives him a wide grin, his hand extending towards Jean.
Swallowing the lump that clogs his airways, Jean’s lips tug upwards in a polite smile as he takes the shorter’s hand. “Hey,” He nods in greeting, giving Mikasa a handshake before they start to sit down.
Clearing his throat, Jean shifts around the chair as he watches Armin put his bag down. He intertwines his hands atop of his lap, keeping his posture up-tight while he tries to mask his brimming puzzlement.
After they're both fully settled, Armin turns to Jean. “I know you were expecting Hange, but they got caught up with something urgent.” He offers with a kind smile.
Jean nods slowly, unsure of how this conversation would go with people that don't exactly have the right authority to make or even accept a deal with him.
“Actually,” Mikasa adds after a beat of silence. “We were the ones to send you that email.”
“Oh.” Jean frowns, the situation starting to make less sense to him with every word they spill.
“Hange knows though!” Armin rushes in immediately. “We thought it'd be best if we negotiated with you instead of them. You know, as Eren's best friends, and you, an old one of his. We can easily drop the formalities.” He grins with optimism that Jean lacks at the moment.
Still, his heart lurches in his throat at the mention of Eren.
They actually know about Jean’s past with Eren. Does that mean that Eren talked about him before, or did they find it out through some blog that is obsessed with Eren and has tracked his entire history down? If it's the former, then Eren might have suggested him as a coach…which Jean decides to ignore for now. He has more important questions to ask.
He gulps and licks his lips before he speaks. “Well if that's the case then I want to ask. Why did you choose me? Surely, there are many people eager to become Eren's coach, ones that have more experience dealing with rather…ungovernable clients.” Jean trails off, trying to remain as respectful as possible in front of the two.
Mikasa presses her lips into a thin line as she nods. “To be quite honest, there aren't many willing to coach Eren so late into the season. Regardless of that, we think you're sufficiently experienced, but it's not really the only quality we're looking for here.”
The two exchange a look before Armin sighs. “The thing is, most coaches just don't get along with Eren, as you may already know.” The blond supplies with a quiet tone. “Their experience isn't something that Eren can make use of when they’re at constant odds. So in our search for a new coach, we found you. And we're aware you're an old friend of Eren's, so it makes sense that perhaps a familiar face may be better for him.”
“I haven't talked to Eren in over ten years.” He remarks with a monotonous voice, his eyebrow arched at them.
“That's alright! You have the perfect balance of both professionalism and a little familiarity that it won't feel suffocating for Eren.” Armin encourages before he adds quietly. “Hopefully.”
Jean chews on the corner of his mouth as he looks around the cafe. “I don't know…” He falters, the two oddly pulling him into a more comfortable and honest state.
They were right. It is better to negotiate with them instead of Hange.
“Why are you hesitant?” Mikasa tilts her head in thought as she stares at Jean. “This is a good offer in all ways and the pay will be great.”
“Think about it this way,” Armin cuts in before Jean can say anything. “If you accept but end up not getting along with Eren after a while, you're free to leave, and then you'd have already made a name for yourself as a seniors’ coach. But…if you do end up getting along, then you'll have one of the best skaters under your wing. It's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.” He ends his speech with a confident glimmer in his eyes, like he laid out something Jean can't refuse.
And perhaps he did.
Regardless of the outcome, this is an amazing opportunity that will help Jean tremendously through his coaching career. Even if he worked with Eren for a week, it's already quite the boost to have his name within his client lists.
“And again, while experience is important, it's not something you lack either way. We believe you have great talents.” Mikasa adds with a stern tone. “You're passionate and have a great artistic sense, that’s more than enough to qualify you as a good coach.”
Jean blushes at the praise, his eyes shying away as he crosses his arms.
The both of them make great points. Jean could actually work better with Eren than other coaches considering their history. Even though they're no longer clueless children, he doubts Eren’s real personality changed all that much. He can deal with him, probably easily too.
Fuck. Is he really going through with this?
When he looks back to Armin, the other is already pulling some papers out of his bag. It seems his decision was made before he even came to it.
“Here, you can read this through.” Armin murmurs, sliding the files towards Jean.
He lets out a heavy breath before he takes them.
A waiter comes by their table, but all of them politely dismiss them as they come close to the conclusion of their meeting.
The contract is what he'd expect it to be. There aren't really any differences between this and other ones he's had, so it doesn't take him long to finish it. When he puts the papers down, he looks up to the hopeful faces in front of him.
Other than the mild guilt Jean would get for turning these two down, he doubts he could when everything seems to be lining up perfectly for him. It's ludicrous to even mull over this. But it's still Eren…and if Jean is reading this correctly, he doesn't seem to be aware of this arrangement happening here.
Becoming Eren's coach seems to be something cut up from his darkest nightmare and his sweetest dream, and yet it's his reality now.
Even if they don't get along or can't ignore the wide rift between them, Jean has to be critical about the offer. A chance as good as this will not come by again.
After one last deep breath, Jean takes the pen from Armin and signs. His heart blares in his ears, and he tries not to let his hand shake as he swipes through the ink.
“Great!” Armin exclaims while Mikasa smiles. They put the papers away before they stand up. “Let's go and meet up with Eren now.” He grins as he drapes the bag over his shoulder.
Jean's eyes widen as he bolts from his seat. “N-now?!”
“Yup. He's already at the arena.” Mikasa informs him as she shoves a hand in her coat. “Oh, and he moved back to Frankfurt, so don't worry about clashing any schedules.” She pulls her keys out and takes a step back from the table.
Jean blinks as he remains frozen in place. He didn't think he'd meet Eren this early on after the meeting. It's already beyond insane he even agreed to any of this. He needs a moment to process all of the things that happened, but the other two don't really allow him much of a choice as they wait for him.
With a loud gulp, Jean picks up his things and then pays for the water he got before he follows them outside.
As they're walking towards their cars, Mikasa turns to give him a soft smile. “Thank you.” She murmurs, waving her hand at him as she skips to where Armin is standing.
Jean stares silently for a few seconds, then shakes his head and gets inside his car. With a soft groan, he leans down until his forehead presses against the steering wheel.
Why is he so nervous, anyway? It's just Eren, some idiot he used to be friends with when he was a kid. There's not much to be worried about. Eren isn't intimidating to him at all, even if he is to everyone else around him. He's seen him trip over nothing and fall face down on the ground, seen him pick up insects that bit him within seconds, it doesn't matter how many jumps he can land when Jean already saw him at his worst.
He can do this. Eren is older. Different. So is Jean. And now they're both polished adults doing business. It shouldn't be a big deal.
After a quick text to Connie and Sasha, Jean begins to drive behind Armin and Mikasa’s car.
The ride isn't as long as he had hoped it would be, but it still helps him process everything. He's meeting up with Eren, and it’s going to be alright because Jean is a resilient and skilled coach that will make sure to form a proper and respectful bond with his client.
When he parks by the arena, he glances out of the window to watch Armin and Mikasa walk towards the gates.
Jean has been here a lot, matter of fact, he spends most of his days in the rink. But to think he and Eren will be in it at the same time after all these years…it's more surreal than he thought it would be.
He can't let the nostalgia get to him. Jean has gotten over their fallout years ago, and he can be normally professional around Eren at any given time.
This isn't child’s play anymore.
Heaving out his worries with a deep breath, Jean finally leaves his car and heads to the arena. The crisp breeze around him barely does anything to soothe him as he steps forward. He runs a hand through his hair, greeting the staff on his way in. There aren't as many people as there usually are, which means Hange has rented the rink for Eren.
Perfect, it's best to do this without any outsiders around them
Once he made it past the hallway and into the rink, his heart freezes in his ribcage when he spots Eren by the ice. The sight of him flogs him harder than the cold air that permeates the arena.
Eren is leaning by the railings around the rink, his hair pulled up in a ponytail with his skates by his feet, ready to be put on at any second. He's wearing the standard training clothes, dressed in black from head to toe.
As Jean forces his legs to move closer, he notices the soft pout morphing on Eren's face as he listens to Armin talk, the one he always had on whenever he was confused.
Shit. Jean can't believe he's actually talking to his childhood friend eleven damned years later.
Armin turns to Jean, a small smile blooming on his face as he waves him closer.
That's when Eren cranes his head back, and Jean is almost swamped up by the fickle nostalgia as he watches Eren's eyebrows shoot in surprise.
Thick air constricts Jean's throat, but he ignores it and continues to walk. His footsteps are heavy as he drags himself towards Eren and his fingers twitch on his sides.
The surprise doesn't last long on Eren's face as Jean comes closer, a scowl of irritation immediately taking over his features as he turns back to Armin and Mikasa.
“What the fuck is this?” Eren grumbles, and Jean's heart tightens at his voice. He sounds nothing like he used to, high pitched and always screeching in his ears. Now, the deep tone he has doesn't mask his annoyance, rather amplifying it as he crosses his arms.
It takes Jean a few seconds, but Eren's tone finally registers once the wistful clouds clear up in his head. He frowns, raising an eyebrow at Eren while placing his hands on his hips.
Before he can say anything, Armin butts in. “Jean will be your new coach! We reached out to him and he accepted, so–”
“Huh?” Eren scoffs with an incredulous chuckle. “You've got to be joking right now.”
His voice grates on every nerve Jean has, the words only spiking the agitation that is crackling within him.
Jean has seen how the media perceives Eren; a mean and arrogant skater that dislikes everyone. But he always thought that Eren had the right to be flippant in most of these popular stories, that it's only normal he'd react like this when provoked.
Yet, here he is now, being blatantly rude to Jean when he hasn't said a single word to him.
But he will. Jean is willing to tolerate just about anything, and disrespect is not one of them, especially not from Eren fucking Jaeger.
“What's there to joke about?” Jean inspects while stepping closer, his eyes narrowing down on Eren. Although the younger had witnessed a growth spurt in their time apart, he's still a few centimeters short on Jean.
Eren doesn't bother with turning or responding to Jean. “How can you do something like this without telling me?” He grits his teeth, his face twisting as he glares at his friends.
“You already knew we were looking for a coach.” Mikasa asserts with an unimpressed expression.
Well, at least someone here won't take shit from Eren.
“Yeah, a seniors' coach with actual expertise.” He huffs, rolling his eyes before he gives Jean a side glance. “I’m not putting my career at risk by letting an inexperienced person train me.” His tone only becomes more condescending, and Jean is sure he won't be able to remain professional when Eren is behaving like this.
A loud scoff escapes Jean as he shakes his head.
There's no way Eren has the nerve to talk about him like this, to mock him as if he isn't even there. Anger is an understatement, more so when the blood starts to burn through Jean's veins as he looks at the skater. Not only is he getting ridiculed, but he's getting ridiculed by someone he cared for so deeply. It hurts. But it also makes the indignation within him drown out any rational cell in his brain.
Armin opens his mouth. “But he's–”
“Risk your career?” Jean snorts with a sarcastic edge to his tone. “You've done enough of that already with the shit you've been getting yourself into.”
Eren whips his head to glare at him, his eyes blazing with fire. The bright green he once had is now muted into deep emerald, and it makes Jean more aware of a simple fact.
This isn't the Eren he used to know.
Armin and Mikasa also turn to him with shock and worry, but Jean doesn't stop there. “Trust me, there's nothing I could do that would make it worse for you.”
Eren clicks his tongue, the sound echoing in the empty rink as he fully turns to face him. “What the fuck did you just say to me?” He warns, his eyes zeroing on Jean.
Not backing away, Jean crosses his arms as he stares Eren down. “Pretty sure I was loud and clear. Or has your head been so far up your ass that you couldn't hear a word?”
Eren's eyes flare up, his shoulders rising with frustration as he takes a step closer to Jean, who only quirks an eyebrow at him.
“Eren.” Mikasa grumbles and pulls him back, while Armin looks around nervously.
They clearly didn't expect this sort of…reunion, and Jean wouldn't blame them. But perhaps they should have known their best friend better.
Fortunately for the other two, someone bursts into the rink before Eren is able to take another step.
“Jean! You made it.” Hange exclaims as they skip towards the group with a big grin.
Jean takes a deep breath before stepping away, forcing himself to get a better grip on his behavior. Eren doesn't seem to back down though, looking ready to plunge at Jean at the first chance he gets. Well, so be it. He will only be digging himself a grave and completely lose his ability to attend the Olympics, if not his entire license.
Once Hange is standing next to them, they clasp their hands together as they grin at everyone. “I see you've reunited with our Eren already.” They're either oblivious to the tension or completely ignoring it, which doesn't help ease Jean's nerves.
After a few slow seconds, Eren grunts as he shrugs Mikasa’s hands off of him.
Jean bites down on his tongue as he nods to Hange’s statement, his eyes not moving away from Eren. It's rude to not respond properly to Hange, but he won't back down from Eren's stare.
Hange looks at the four in front of them, pursing their lips as they tap their foot with a calculative hum. A short while later, they chuckle while shaking their head. “I know Eren can be a bit of a hassle, but don't worry, I'm sure you two will warm up to each other soon enough.” They place a hand on Jean's shoulder, looking at him with an apologetic smile.
Eren’s mouth twists with mild offense over what they said, but he doesn't look away from the older man.
Jean wants to open his mouth, to refuse the offer all together even if he signed. It's clear from now that this will not bore well, and he quite frankly doesn't want to even see Eren's face anymore, but Hange doesn't allow him a chance at turning them down.
“I'd love to chat with you all for longer, but there's not much left before the Grand Prix Finale, so it's best we get to work immediately.” They decide as they remove their hand, fixing their glasses as they take a look at Eren. “Perhaps we can postpone these…discussions for a later time.”
Jean is tempted to tell them no and that they should send Eren to the remaining competitions without a coach, but he stays quiet. The longer Eren looks at him with bored, yet challenging eyes, the more irrationally bull-headed he becomes.
Armin and Mikasa look at Hange for help, who only smiles before they clap.
“Alright then! Jean, I will send you all of the details that you may need to know about Eren and his routines. Maybe you can make a schedule for him tomorrow, yeah? We need it as soon as possible.” Although their tone is light and sweet, it's a very clear command.
Jean’s reluctance to go through with this is stronger than it used to be in the morning, but the condescending stare Eren is giving him…the clear “you can't do this” in his eyes, it irks him beyond rationality. Jean can't remember the last time he's felt this competitively stubborn.
So, he won't let him win this. He won't allow Eren to make him feel incompetent or less than. Jean is aware of what he's capable of, and he knows he can make Eren win any competition he wants.
No one can break through the resilience Jean spent years cultivating. He's had worse comments thrown at him, so Eren better work harder if he thinks he can get to him.
Dropping his arms, Jean nods as he steps back. “Fine.” He states in a stern tone. A spark of satisfaction goes through him when Eren frowns in bewilderment. “You can email them to me.”
Hange’s face lights up as they smile at him, while Armin and Mikasa stare in mild surprise.
Although he's agreeing to go through with this, he can't stand to be in the same space as Eren any longer. That's enough of him for today. If he wants to keep his sanity intact, he's going to need some time alone before they take the next step.
He backs away from the group, his lips pressed in a thin line. “I gotta go now. Goodbye.” Jean doesn't wait for anyone's response before he turns around and bolts out of the rink.
This is going to be the worst impulsive decision he's ever made.