Woohoo! We're slowly approaching double digits for the chapters. Goodness me oh my. Will I manage to hit 50k words by the end of Sunday? I am kinda determined at this point haha. Thanks as always for reading this far and continuing to read as I very quickly write this to try and get all my ideas out before I forget them.
Song suggestion: Someone to You by Banners
Disclaimer: This is the tired tirade of a rabid RE fangirl who has no connections or association to CapCom. Enjoy at your own risk and please don't sue me.
Emma smiled as she walked with Chelsea around the mall on a busy Sunday afternoon. Chelsea was pushing Annie and Maurie in their double stroller while Summer walked between the two women. It was still early in December, and Jack was hard at work, so Chelsea needed some help distracting the kids while she did some gift shopping. They had just started their trip, and they had a few bags already when a curious question was brought up.
"Hmm, what do you think we should get for your neighbor?" Chelsea asked, causing Emma to raise an eyebrow.
"You're getting him a gift?" she asked curiously.
"You're not?" Chelsea asked in return with a confused tone. "If he didn't show up, you very well might not be here, and I don't even want to think about that." She shook her head. "Both of you kept my girls safe, so yes. He's darn well getting a Christmas present, and he's going to like it."
"Yes, mom," Emma said with a chuckle. She had to admit it was a good point. Maybe she should get him a gift. Home invader aside, he had become a decent friend over the last six months, and she couldn't deny she enjoyed spending time with him. Would it be weird to get just him a present, though? Maybe she should get something for the other neighbors too.
"So. What does he like?" Chelsea asked as she continued to push the stroller.
Emma thought about it. "... Romania?" She was clearly at a loss for what to say.
"Emma Swanson, you're kidding me," Chelsea replied, which caused Summer to giggle.
"Ooooo, you're in trouble. She used your full name," Summer said with an ear-to-ear grin.
Little turd. "What, he doesn't talk about himself that much," Emma said in response before thinking about it more. "I guess he likes Dracula?" she suggested confusedly. "He dressed up as a vampire for Halloween, and there's that book about Romania that he was reading recently. Transylvania is in Romania, so maybe that's why he was interested?"
"Okay, there we go. Now you're using your brain," Chelsea said with a short laugh. "So, he likes supernatural stuff and reading."
"I suppose I could go with a book... I don't know. This is all based on a guess," Emma mused aloud while partially backpedaling on the idea. A guess wasn't really a great place to start off... "Maybe something practical?" she suggested instead as she thought it over more. "Probably not sweets or food, though. He's been working on eating better lately, and I already make food for him regularly anyway."
That got Chelsea's attention. She stared at Emma with annoyed disbelief. "Hold on now. How regularly? I thought you just said you don't really know the guy," she pointed out with a frown. "Tell me you're not being all wifey to this guy you barely know? I know I taught you better than this."
Oh dear. "That's not it. It's a deal we made a while back. He gives me self-defense lessons once a week, and I make lunches to pay him back for his time," Emma explained while motioning for Chelsea to stay calm.
"You are so lucky the girls are here right now, or this would be a very different conversation," Chelsea said, pouting with a disappointed tone.
"Yeah, I can tell. Your thoughts are very loud right now," Emma replied with a nervous smile. "Let's just focus on shopping." She looked around for a distraction to save her from being scolded.
Luckily, the distraction was accepted and between the two of them, they managed to find what they were looking for. Chelsea found a nice Swiss army knife, while Emma found a similarly practical gift for Chris and even a few gifts for the rest of the neighbors. Emma watched the kids at the mall playground while Chelsea quickly ran around to grab gifts for the girls and paid for the local charity group to wrap everything nice and neatly before taking them back to the car.
"Sorry about the wait. Are you ready to head out?" Chelsea asked as she stood by Emma.
"I think I got everything," Emma said with a nod. "Good luck getting the monkeys out of there, though."
"I got this," Chelsea replied with a confident nod. "Who wants bagel bites for lunch!" she called, and rather quickly, all three kids assembled. "Works every time," she said with a smile. "All right crew, let's pack up and say bye to Auntie Emmy," Chelsea instructed.
"Bye, Auntie Emmy," Summer said, giving Emma a hug before looking at her mom. "Do we get to sleep over again on Saturday?"
"No, you just had a sleepover weekend," Chelsea answered with a slight frown. "So not this Saturday but next Saturday."
"Both?" Summer asked with a hopeful smile.
"No, because you're visiting gramma this Saturday," Chelsea reminded, and the child bobbed her head.
"Fiiine," Summer said as if she had a choice. Gramma was pretty cool too.
"Oh, before I forget, here," Chelsea said and handed over a small, neatly wrapped box. "Do you mind dropping that off for your neighbor? It should fit through the mail slot."
"Sure." Emma accepted the package. Chris always had that slot locked, for some reason, but she could drop it off next time they had a lesson. "See you guys next week," she said before picking up her bags to head home as well.
Once she got home, Emma got to work on wrapping up the gifts she'd found for her neighbors. Chris' was wrapped first and placed under her tree next to Chelsea's gift for him to make sure she remembered to give him both. After that, she moved on to wrap the other gifts. A gift card to the local beauty supply store for Bastion because she knew he was picky about that, and a nice bottle of Italian wine for the Russos.
Once those were wrapped, she made her way across the hall to drop them off since they were probably home at this point. Sure enough, when she dropped off each of the gifts with her neighbors, the conversation went about the same.
"Thanks so much! Here, I got you a gift as well. Hey, you're already going around, right?" Chris wasn't home when I checked. Here, can you take this over to him? Thanks again."
A soft smile crossed her face as she added the two extra gifts to the pile. How she turned into Santa's little helper was beyond her, but she had a rather healthy pile of gifts for the guy waiting under her tree.
'*'*'*'*'
Chris dragged his feet up the stairs of the apartment building to the second floor. Another mission and another three weeks of living hell. They had a new lead to follow in the meantime. Another stateside strain popped up in some backwater town. No mold this time, another virus. He wasn't sure which was worse at this point, and unfortunately, they hadn't found the source of it yet. So, that meant missions were going to be more frequent until they determined who was making it.
The tired agent went to his door, opened it, tossed his bag into the apartment, and closed the door without going inside. His food was spoiled at this point, he knew it, and there was no point in checking. Chris stretched out his back as he walked over to Emma's door and knocked.
As usual, Emma opened the door a crack to see who it was before smiling and opening it further. "Hey," she quietly whispered the greeting. "The girls are sleeping, but come on in," she whispered and motioned for him to enter the apartment.
"Thanks," he said, keeping his volume down as well. Emma carefully closed the door as Chris went to his usual seat.
"How was your trip?" she asked with a knowing smile.
"It was work," Chris said, only to hear an echo as he realized Emma had said the same thing. "Yeah." He gave a short chuckle. He supposed that was becoming a predictable answer.
"So, quick food or tasty food?" she asked as she opened the fridge to look for something to reheat, figuring he'd give his normal answer and request something quick.
Chris thought about it for a moment. "I have time... Let's go with tasty," he said with a twitch of a smile.
"Tasty... hmm," Emma murmured with a thoughtful tone. That was a surprise. Now then, what to make... "I can do that." She closed the fridge and shifted to get the rice cooker set up.
Once that was set, and the starch was starting to cook, she looked at Chris, propping his head up by holding his forehead as he rested his elbows on the island counter. "...You look tired," she said with a note of concern as she put down a cutting board on the counter before getting him a glass of water.
"I am," he replied with a smirk as he moved to sit without holding his face. "It's that bad?" he asked as he accepted the glass.
If he's tired, then why did he say he has time? He should go rest... "You have bags under your eyes," she said as she headed back to the fridge to get an uncooked chicken breast and put it on the cutting board.
"Tends to happen," he replied as she started dicing it up. "We still have work to handle, so we'll probably be sent out again soon."
"Already?" Her concern was compounded, causing her to turn to look at him.
he nods. "Work is work," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, and Emma shook her head in response before returning her focus to the cooking.
"That doesn't make it right. They should let you rest."
Chris gave a halfhearted chuckle. Sadly, the BSAA didn't seem to agree with that. Not that he minded. He preferred staying busy. She always seems to be worrying about something, he thought as he sipped his glass of water.
Emma finished cutting the chicken and washed her hands before walking out of the kitchen and into the living room. "If you're going to be touch and go for the next while," she started as she made her way back, "I might as well give you these now."
She put a small stack of gifts down next to him. "The others asked me to hold onto them," she explained before going back to her cooking, smiling at the memory from earlier that month.
As the memory played in her mind, she hummed quietly, taking out a frying pan she placed on the stove to heat up. She added a bit of soy sauce, precut onion, and some minced garlic first to get the pan flavored before cutting up a carrot, green pepper, and red pepper on a second cutting board. It was more than she needed for a single serving meal, so she put the extra vegetable slices into plastic bags in the fridge. Once the sauce started to bubble, she added the chicken, veggies, vinegar, water, and some pepper before putting a lid on the pan.
"There." She nodded before washing her hands again. "Should be about thirty minutes or so." She continued to whisper, so she wouldn't wake the kids.
"Sounds good," Chris replied, also keeping his voice down. "Should I open them now?" He gestured to the small pile just sitting on the island counter next to him.
Emma shrugged. "I don't see why not. It sounds like you may not be around for the holidays anyway." She was curious to see what he'd think of the gifts... from everyone. Not just hers.
Chris nodded and started opening the packages. "From Chelsea?" he asked curiously while looking at the tag.
"She insisted," Emma replied as she shifted to relax, leaning against the counter by the stove and keeping an eye on the boiling food. "Said she wanted to make sure she thanked you properly."
He accepted the explanation and opened the package to find a Swiss army knife. "Huh, always good to have a knife handy." He smiled at the gift and examined it before putting it in his pocket with the pocketknife he already had. She doesn't need to know about that.
He moved on to the next gift and looked at the tag. "Bastion's," he read, then removed the paper to reveal a white shirt box. Upon opening it, he found a familiar corset inside, which caused the agent to make a face before noticing a note attached.
Just kidding. Make sure you give this back. Your gift is underneath it.
Chris shook his head and moved the cursed clothes aside to find a nice-looking black sweater. Huh. He needed a few new shirts. He put the box to the side and opened the next, smaller and squishier package from the Russos to find a handmade navy-blue scarf with another short note.
You're always out so late. You'll catch your death in this cold. Stay warm and happy holidays.
This caused him to chuckle as he put the scarf on the counter and moved on to the final gift. Emma was nervous knowing that it was hers, so she distracted herself by collecting the used wrapping paper to throw away.
Chris added more wrapping paper to the pile she was picking up and found the last item was a soft black mid-length coat. Once more, there was a note with the gift.
You probably won't need this in a volcano, but I've heard Romania gets pretty cold if you're not a vampire. Hope it helps. Happy Holidays.
Chris got up to take his jacket off, resting it on the back of the bar-height chair. He put the coat on, then draped the scarf around his neck as well. The coat fit decently. It was a little loose, but that was better than being too tight. He could probably have it taken in if it bothered him. "How do I look?" he asked with a small smirk.
Oh, thank heavens. It seems like he likes the gift, Emma thought as she walked over to adjust the scarf and tie it. "There. Nice and cozy," she said with a shy smile.
Chris was about to reply when movement caught his eye, and he heard a quiet giggle. Peeking out from the small hallway of the apartment was Summer, who waved once she was noticed.
"Summer, you're supposed to be asleep," Emma said, walking over to the child.
"I was, but then I smelled something, and I woke up..." she responded as she moved to stay out of arm's reach, climbing onto a chair at the island counter. "I can have some?" she said more than asked.
"So long as you don't wake up your sisters," Emma said quietly as she glanced over to find Chris removing the scarf and coat once more, placing them over the back of the couch since the island chairs were full now.
Is it warmer now? Probably just the stove, he thought as he rolled up his sleeves and took his seat next to Summer.
The child rested her chin on the counter and kicked her legs to keep herself entertained while waiting for the food. Chris took his seat, and Summer watched with curiosity as he rolled up his sleeves. The young girl stared for a few minutes while Emma cooked the chicken.
"Hey, Chris?" Summer asked softly, still resting her chin on the counter.
"Hm?" he replied as he leaned his elbows on the island counter.
"...Are you a dad?" she asked plainly, which caused him to stare at her in confusion.
"No," he finally replied, trying to keep a straight face. While he was confused about why she asked, he was also somewhat mortified by the question. Where did that come from?
Emma stopped what she was doing to turn and look at Summer as well. Why in the he—
The thought was stopped short as she realized something. Summer wasn't looking at Chris' face. She was looking at his arms.
"Why are you asking that, Summer?" Emma asked to see if her hunch was correct.
Summer shrugged.
"Is it because you saw his arms?" Emma pressed to try and clear that up.
The child nodded, keeping her chin on the counter. "Yeah. All dads have hairy arms. My dad has hairy arms, and so do all my friends' dads. Mr. Russo said he's a granddad, and he has very hairy arms, but Bastion doesn't, and he's not a dad, " Summer concluded.
Lord, give me strength. "That's not how that works, Summer."
"Oh," she replied with a confused frown. "How does that wo—"
"Food's ready," Emma cut off the question as she put a small plate of plain rice down in front of Summer with a spoon. The other dish still needed a few minutes, but this child needed to go to bed.
Before long, Summer finished her food before long and was picked up by Emma, who made sure she went back to bed.
"Sorry about that," Emma apologized as she walked back over to the stove to check the main dish. Upon seeing it was ready, she plated up the chicken and veggies over a bed of rice and put it down on the island in front of Chris with a fork.
"What were we talking about before?" he asked with an amused expression.
"I genuinely don't remember," Emma admitted with a short laugh before heading to the fridge. "Did you want a drink to go with that?" She took a beer out for herself. She definitely needed a drink. Summer, please, for the love of all that is holy, develop a filter.
Chris thought it over and nodded. "I'll take one." Lord, I need one after that.
Emma offered him a can before opening her own and holding it out. "Cheers." She clinked her can against Chris'.
"Cheers," he said as well, and they both took a drink before quietly enjoying each other's company.
Chris ate his meal feeling no real urge to rush, even though it was later in the evening. As Chris ate, Emma cleaned up the cutting boards and pans in the sink. It was nice to relax without needing to talk.
Once Chris finished his meal, he got up and brought the dishes to the sink.
"You don't have to worry about that. I'll wash them in the morning," Emma said, making a slight shooing motion to suggest he should stop.
"Are you sure?" he asked in return, raising an eyebrow. Granted, he hadn't ever washed his dishes before now, but given she put in the extra effort to make something from scratch just because he asked, it seemed only right to clean up after himself.
"Yeah, it's fine," she confirmed.
Well, he at least made an effort. "All right, I should head out then," he said, collecting his gifts.
"Have a good night," Emma replied before heading over to get Duke's Leash.
"Are you going out?" he asked with concerned curiosity. It is really late. Much later than last time. She shouldn't be going out on her own like that.
"Yeah, I usually take Duke out before locking up for the night," Emma said.
Right, she couldn't exactly not take care of her pet, but that didn't really change the problem. "Mind if I join you?"
"You don't have to do that. You're tired. You should rest," Emma countered. It was a sweet offer, but he looked like he hadn't slept properly in days.
"Wouldn't have offered if it was a problem. Besides, it's a good excuse to test out the coat," he replied.
A slight smile started to form. That was a fair point. Not really, but she'd accept it. "All right. Yeah. If you don't mind, I wouldn't mind the company. It's just a quick walk around the block."
Chris put on the coat he received along with the scarf, while Emma got her own jacked and hooked Duke up to his collar.
Emma locked up the apartment, and the two, plus the dog, walked down the stairs and out to the sidewalk to start their trip around the block.
"So, do you think you'll be around for the week?" Emma asked in an attempt to start a conversation.
"Should be. Hopefully." There would be a nightmare of paperwork waiting for him if he had to leave again so soon, and he'd rather avoid that.
"Good to know. I'll try and drop off some meals tomorrow then," she replied.
"Don't put yourself through the trouble," he said as they walked. "If you're going to insist, then just put whatever is left from earlier in a box and call it good."
"It's not exactly trouble. I'm just making more from my own meal prep," Emma told him. It wasn't like she was doubling the number of recipes she was making. That would just be masochistic.
"Well. It's appreciated." He smiled.
"Not a problem," she replied, glad to be appreciated.
This was nice. Honestly, she probably would have been fine on her own, but oh well. Better safe than sorry. The two walked in peaceful silence before Chris spoke up. "So, how's work?" he asked. She usually asked him the same thing, so it seemed like a fair enough question.
"Fine. A bit stressful, but what job isn't?" she said with a tired chuckle. "There are a few rumors about a potential merger that has everyone anxious, but other than that, same old routine."
He listened and nodded to show he heard. "So a merger is a bad thing then?" he asked since he wasn't completely sure. He wasn't used to corporate terminology.
"Not always. It's a 50/50." She shrugged. "How's the coat test going?" she asked to continue the conversation.
"Not bad. It does what it's supposed to," he replied. It was a surprisingly decent coat. Definitely not waterproof by any stretch of the imagination, but it worked.
The answer caused her to laugh. "Well, I'm glad it does what it's supposed to. That would be rather confusing if it did anything else."
Hearing her laugh caused a few chuckles to escape him as well. The two continued to chat as they walked and took care of Duke before eventually going back. It was a quick walk, but it was a nice addition to wrap up the day before a peaceful night of sleep.
'*'*'*'*'
December 23rd rolled around on a Saturday, and the holiday spirit was in the air in the form of snow. Cold, wet, obnoxious snow. Chris gazed out his living room window that overlooked the back alleyway behind the building. The sun was starting to set already, even though it was barely 4:30 pm.
His stomach started to growl with the realization that dinner time was approaching. He could make something. It would probably be cheaper and healthier to cook… But it was the holidays, and he didn't feel like it.
Chris made his way over to the kitchen and opened a drawer to dig through some loose papers. A small collection of drawings on printer paper had started to form among stray pens, pencils, and a collection of takeout menus. After digging around for a few moments, he eventually picked up a colorful folded menu. Thai food sounded pretty good right about now. Something with a bit of heat and spice to warm up the biting winter cold.
Chris took out his phone, dialed the number on the pamphlet-style menu, and then opened it to double-check a few things. The phone rang a few times before there was a pause as the call was answered.
"Thank you for calling Aroy Thai. What can I do for you?" the voice on the line said in greeting.
"Hi, I'd like to place an order for pick up," Chris replied while looking over the menu. "Could I get an order of Panang Noodle with a side of potstickers?"
"Sure, would you like anything else with that?" the voice asked as they went through the usual motions of a call-in order.
"No, that's it," Chris confirmed.
"All right, your total will be $19.29," they respond while the chatter from the busy restaurant could be heard in the background. "Will you be paying over the phone or at pick up?"
"I'll pay when I pick it up," the agent answered. Just telling people his card information never sat well with him.
"Okay, your order number is #239. Just give that information at the counter when you get here. Your order should be ready in 30 minutes," they explained as though going through a memorized routine.
"Thanks, I'll be right there," Chris said.
"Have a good day," the worker said before hanging up.
Chris pocketed his phone before putting on his new coat and scarf and a heavy-duty pair of sneakers. The place was only ten minutes down the road, but he'd rather get there and wait for the food rather than show up later and get food that had been under a lamp for twenty minutes, only for it to be cold by the time he got home. Once he was properly prepared for the icy winds outside, he made his way out to the sidewalk and started his brisk walk.
To his surprise, it actually wasn't that bad out, despite the snow. There was barely any wind at all, and his coat kept him plenty warm, allowing him to walk at a more leisurely pace. He quietly observed his surroundings as civilians happily made their way around town. The sounds of life carried on the gentle breeze as he passed various well-lit and warm shop fronts. As his eyes scanned the various shops along his left, he noticed a familiar face through one of the snow-rimmed windows.
Emma smiled contently to herself, sitting alone with a book at a coffee shop. Seeing this caused him to stop for a moment as it brings up a new conundrum. He had recognized her, and he wasn't exactly in a hurry. He could probably stop and say hello for a moment. Would that be annoying, though? She seemed to be relaxing, and he didn't really have a reason to go in there otherwise. It was cold out, though, and he hadn't ordered a drink with his meal. Coffee and Thai food… that was an interesting combination. Screw it. He was overthinking th-
Just as he was about to continue on by, Emma looked up from her book and noticed Chris standing a few paces away from the crosswalk and seemingly examining the building. What a small world. Maybe he'll see me if I wave? Emma smiled at that thought and did exactly that.
Oh, shit, she saw me. Well, now I probably look like a creep. Great, he thought while trying not to visibly wince as he gave a slight wave back. Running away would only make this worse, so he made his way over to the door of the coffee shop and walked in. Just act natural. "Hey, I thought that might be you. I wasn't sure, though." Smooth.
"Hm? Oh yeah, sorry. Reading glasses," Emma said as she took off the pair of spectacles he honestly didn't even notice. "So, what are you up to? Taking a stroll to get in the holiday spirit?" She gave him a joking smile.
"Something like that," Chris said with a nod. "I figured I might get a cup of coffee while I was out."
"Well, you found a good place for that." Emma chuckled. "It's crowded, though. If you need a place to sit, I'll share my table," she offered.
Chris checked his watch. He still had about twenty-five minutes until his food would be ready. He was just going to wait at the restaurant anyway, so why not? "I might take you up on that offer, thanks," he agreed. "I'll be right back."
Emma nodded and went back to finish the page she was reading. By the time she finished reading and marking her place, Chris had returned with a simple black coffee and taken a seat at the table.
"Hopefully, I'm not interrupting your day." He shifted to sit more comfortably in his seat before taking a sip of his drink.
"Nah, I was just looking for a change of scenery to read, and maybe people watch. Winter can get bland, so it's nice to get out of the apartment," Emma replied as she put her book off to the side.
"So, what are you reading?" Chris asked, glancing at the book.
Emma nudged her book so that the cover faced Chris. "The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century," she read the title aloud with a slight smile. "I picked it up, thinking it might help out with work. It hasn't been particularly helpful so far, but it's been a fascinating read."
"Really?" he pressed to give her the chance to fill the silence since he didn't have much to talk about.
"Yeah, it was written by this guy, a popular music critic. Anyway, it mostly goes over the history of music starting in the 1900s and into the early 2000s. It's an interesting perspective on what did well and why," Emma said, then paused. "And I am realizing I might be rambling," she admits with a short chuckle.
"You're not rambling," Chris said in response. "So, it's going over music theory?"
Emma smiled and nodded. For a while, Emma happily talked about the content of her reading along with how and why it was interesting to her. It was mostly gibberish to Chris, but she seemed excited about it, so he did his best to listen as he sipped at his drink. Before long, the conversation had evolved into a general discussion between the two about their latest reads. Emma returned the general interest and asked Chris how his own reading attempts were doing since she remembered seeing the book on his table a few months ago.
The sun had disappeared behind the sky line, and full cups became empty. Emma smiled as she noticed the streetlights turning on. "Oh goodness. I should probably head out. I still need to feed Duke dinner," Emma admitted, realizing how late it had gotten. She checked her phone, and yep, it was 5:10. She had initially planned on being home by 5.
"I should probably be heading back as well," Chris agreed. This was nice, though. He was glad he decided to head out.
"Are you going to the apartment?" Emma asked curiously, and Chris nodded.
"Yeah, I have a few reports for work to catch up on," he said, getting up and putting on his coat, then waiting for Emma. She did the same, collecting her purse and book.
As they walked home, they picked up their conversation again until they made it to the second floor.
"That was fun. See you around," Emma said with a smile.
"Yeah, see ya," Chris replied with a slight parting wave before going back to his apartment as Emma went into hers.
Chris had just started taking off his scarf when he noticed the take-out menu on the counter. He stared at it for a second before the realization dawned on him. "SHIT," he said and quickly puts the scarf back on and started making his way back out of the apartment. He'd completely forgotten about his food.
Eeey look at that fake arse lore to Chris's RE8 coat lmao I couldn't resist, it seemed cute so I did it. my other idea was the Leather jacket from his casual wear concept art for RE8 but a leather jacket seems way more expensive and unlikely? maybe I got that backwards. Feel free to swap it out in your head if you like that idea better.
Funny story the hairy arm thing was actually a repurposed memory of mine. My boss had a little boy around Summer's age and said child asked one of my male co-workers if he was a dad in front of everyone and no one understood why this kid was insisting the guy looked like a dad until we noticed the kid was staring at the guy's legs. because he had hairy arms/legs. Children are weird man. Hopefully, it made you laugh as hard as I did.
