#day 17 prompt voulenteering

[verratensduo]

25 days of Christmas Drabbles/day 17 prompt volunteering

This special challenge is by @cherrytrinkets and can be found here.

Tagging my friends @leonhart-ani, @titansealgair (the one I told you I was gonna do), and @starrysparklesandshit, I know you don’t rp Marco anymore but we have talked about these erenxmarco things a lot, though not quite this way.

Tagging @happyslitterbox because Wynter asked :) Also tagging @fieryikkibott, hope you enjoy Felix I can’t forget my friend Ash @totally-not-a-makoto-blog

Fair warning to my followers, this is also a vent type of story I am writing out here, so there will be some shade thrown in a few areas, I will not apologize for this vent styled story.

Drabble Challenge: Yes 25 days of Christmas Day: 17/25 Fandom: Attack on Titan Pairing: ErenxMarco Setting: Modern

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There it was, the soup kitchen. The one Marco had been volunteering with every year since high school. It was such a good place, getting people something warm in their stomachs for the holidays, even if they could not afford it. Such a noble cause, and so easy to work at, all one needed was a food handler’s card issued by the state of New York, then he was set to work here on days he had off, especially during the holiday season. Christmas being only a few weeks away, made it much harder for him to do things without thinking of someone else. Walking towards the kitchen from his car, he could feel the cold December wind as it scratched and clawed at his nose.

Yes the cold was a factor, why he didn’t just walk all the way here despite living just two blocks away. That would have been truly insane to even attempt doing. It would take him forever just to warm up. That would have meant less time to help out around the soup kitchen, and unfortunately there always seemed to be more people out of work and out of a home at this time of year. Maybe they where just more open about it....or maybe he just didn’t notice, which may have just been his bad. He honestly did not know what to think there, but he always tried his hardest to give to those in need. That was one thing about him that really had not changed over the years.

As he walked in he was greeted by the man who ran the soup kitchen’s hardy laugh. He always did that when Marco came inside, it was like a tradition, Marco always noted how the man could make a very convincing Santa.

“Well if it isn’t Dr.Marco Bodt back again despite this being the only day off he has had all week. Damn I will never find another person quite like you.”

Marco chuckled. “Well I love this place, it is such a good place for everyone. And does great things, it’s a good way to spend my day off. Especially this time of year.”

Yes his life as a veterinarian was really busy with long, often times complicated hours he would work in a day, and a week. He was powerless against that, but on a day off he had to do something.

The soup kitchen was a good place to volunteer and do good things for people in his community. Those that were less fortunate than he was definitely needed  this place to. Helping them made all of this worth it. Even with how much it really did not help him relax.

Right to the kitchen where he helped make the first few soups before the hungry started to arrive. Of course he recognized some of them, a few had a pretty bad hand, a few people with bad schizophrenia, unable to get a job because the hallucinations were too much, they could at least eat here, some people had sever claustrophobia could not function in enclosed spaces for long, but they at least got food, and he was proud of them for being able to face their fear to get something to eat. A few others who suffered from some sort of long term mental illness but could not get the mental illness treated for many reasons, from rejected family to the inability to get a job so they could get it treated.

The lack of accessible health care in this nation disgusted Marco. These people were all good people, they deserved a chance to get help and live a somewhat normal life here. He wanted so badly to help them someway, but a lot of them just smiled and told him it was okay, he could do it on his own.

Then his eyes practically popped at the person before him in the serving line. Those emerald green eyes, that signature messy brown hair, the band t-shirt...No doubt, Eren Yeager was the man standing before him.

The German immigrant teen he had known in high school was right there before him. As many of their friends called it, Eren had finally gotten his  naturalized citizen status, then marched off to be a Marine in senior year.

Marco certainly had not been expecting to ever see Eren in the line at a soup kitchen, and based off Eren’s facial expression, he had not expected to run into an old friend here.

“Marco...I...uhhh....I...” Eren had no clue what to say and Marco could tell as he dished up the brunet’s soup and serve it to him. There was a lot on both of their minds now.

“Just go sit down for now Eren, I really want to talk to you after this, so please don’t leave until we get a chance to talk Eren. I definitely don’t think that is a good idea.” Intentions were clear here, Marco wanted to know what and all had gone on in the eight years since he had last seen Eren, especially since the brunet was now seemingly homeless.

“Okay...” There was no real way to argue with Marco, Eren respected him too much, and admired the hard work Marco did far too much to lie to his face. That would not have worked, nor been something he could really do.

It was about an hour of dinner before Marco could finally get out of the kitchen. It was not hard to find Eren. He was just outside, feeding a rather large dog in the back of a car.

Marco’s heart sunk, Eren was living out of a car with a dog. How undignified. What had happened in the past eight years? He had to find out. After taking a deep breath, Marco approached Eren.

“Eren, thank you for not just taking off like some people would have.” From the looks of things, Eren could at least afford enough to feed the dog and keep gas in the tank.

“Now Eren what happened? The last I heard you met a guy, got engaged, and made the cut for Sergeant.  I was so happy for you, what happened? Please tell me.”

The sigh was expected of Eren as he looked over to Marco. “Well that was two years ago Marco, a lot can change in two years.  Not long after that I got this big guy, his name is Titan.” He patted the dog’s head. “Unfortunately after we got stationed here again post Sergeant advancement, I got one final deployment, so we wound up delaying any form of wedding. I wound up getting PTSD over there, medical discharge. Worst thing they didn’t tell me, the plan i had with tricare did not cover any mental stuff. On top of all that my ex-fiance decided he couldn’t handle it when I woke up screaming at night and broke off the engagement kicking me and Titan here out.”

Marco blinked. “Wait, why didn’t the government help you? I mean, they are the ones who sent you over there, isn’t it there responsibility to make sure you are cared for when you get home.” He made a fist. “And your ex is lucky I can’t get to him.”

“I know that, Mikasa already offered to fly out and kill him, I said no.” Then his eyes flashed with pain. “Oh they have enough money for guns and bombs for their wars for oil, but not enough money to help when we get home, because we aren’t useful anymore then.” A bitter laugh escaped Eren at this point.

Marco felt awful for Eren. Being mistreated that way, but that still didn’t explain why he was out here on the streets, a guy like Eren could have easily gotten any job as far as Marco knew, anyone would be lucky to have Eren as an employee, determined, hard working, and honestly he was attractive, anyone could have easily employed him.

“Oh you know, Holly Wood. With their constant villianization of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is to thank for that.” Bitter anger laced every word as if it were venom on a snake’s fangs.

“I see....” That is when an idea hit. “Why don’t you and Titan come with me? My apartment allows dogs, and I can’t imagine letting you live out of this car for any longer than you already have.”

Surprise evident, Eren smiled a bit. “Are you sure? I mean I am game with it, if you really think Titan and i won’t be a bother.” Marco’s hand had gone to the dog, who sniffed it, then licked his hand, getting a chuckle.

“Of course not, just follow my car okay?”

“Of course.” The drive took at least twenty minutes because of New York traffic, but what else was new? After arriving to the apartment, Eren sat on the couch as Marco sat next to him.

“You know Eren...when I heard you got engaged, yes I was happy for you...but I was just a little bit jealous.” Marco could not hold in some of these old feelings anymore.

Eren was quite, for a good thirty minutes while Marco silently cursed at himself, until the brunet finally spoke again. “Why didn’t you tell me before Marco. If you had, I might not have left.”

“That is exactly why, besides, you and Armin had just broken up. You wanted to follow a dream, I wasn’t going to stop you...do you want to try?” Marco would never force Eren into something he did not want.

“I’d like that, but I can’t bring in money to the house, I wish I could but really right now I am not employable.”  He sighs a bit rubbing behind his head.

“Just leave that to me for now, and first thing is first, we are getting you help with your PTSD.” Marco says giving Eren a quick kiss. 

“I think this just might work out.” Eren mumbled, eyes finally closing.