Hi and welcome to my first ever fanfiction. Here's hoping it goes okay. If you have any tips or tricks feel free to leave them in the comments. Just so you know what you're getting into, this is going to be a casual slow-burn romance story between Chris R and an OC with some suspense and hurt/comfort elements. If you prefer reader insert, feel free to mentally swap out information to better fit you. My idea is to take a look at the character from a slightly different angle so blood and gore will be minimal for a RE story. I apologize in advance if I end up writing a character in a way that seems out of character or seems weird based on game lore. I don't know all of the RE lore. If I do make a mistake, let me know and I'll see if I can correct the course. Fair warning the first chapter is going to be a bit slow as it's introducing the main setting and characters but I promise it will pick up a bit after.
Something I enjoy when reading is when the author leaves a song suggestion so I'll probably do that as well. Feel free to suggest music in return, it may end up influencing the story :)
Song Suggestion: Dance Monkey by Tones and I
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own anything. This is fanfic. Capcom owns their characters I'm just goofing around and writing. Okay? Okay.
It was the second week of June and the day's heat made it obvious that summer would begin in only a few days. "Well, at least it's not raining," said a brunette woman, roughly in her mid-thirties, carrying a large box into an old apartment building from the moving truck parked on the side of the road. The historical building was rather beautiful, but it lacked an elevator due to its age. This made moving into her new second-floor apartment a particularly excruciating exercise.
Despite the woman's slender build, she clearly did not work out often, as her constant trips up and down the two flights of stairs were quickly winding her. Luckily, her door was the closest to the stairs, making the trip shorter. Upon making it to the apartment with the most recent box, she carefully placed the container down on the marble island counter of the kitchen to catch her breath for a moment. "No elevator, no air conditioning... no wonder this place was so cheap," she quietly grumbled while fanning herself and looking around the apartment. She was grateful that she had hired movers to take care of the larger furniture like couches and her bed, but the rest was up to her to carry from the truck she rented.
"Emma Swanson?" an elderly voice asked from the doorway, causing the brunette to turn to look for the source. Standing in the hallway was a kind-looking older man in his early 70s with thinning white hair. Based on a guess, all the stair climbing required to maintain the building kept him active and lively since he didn't seem to need a cane.
"That's me," she confirmed and walked over. "It's nice to officially meet you, Mister..."
"Jacobs," the man replied with a smile, offering a hand, which Emma took to give a gentle shake. "I'm just glad I could find a new tenant so quickly. The last one up and left after not paying rent for four months," the Landlord explained with a grumble.
"Seems it's lucky for the both of us then. It's a lovely apartment," Emma complimented. While the place had its shortcomings, it was more than enough for a single person with one bed, one bath, a study in the back of the apartment, and a full kitchen/dining area in the front with marble counters and up-to-date appliances that led into a spacious living room.
"I'm glad it's to your liking. I was hoping we could do the move-in walkthrough if you have a minute. I'll hand over the keys after that," the landlord explained before shifting to offer Emma a folder he held in his other hand. "That will cover all the service providers for phone, internet, electricity, and water that have leads into the building. You are welcome to take your pick. It also has the number for our service and repair department if anything breaks," he further explained as the two walked through the apartment. There was some of pre-existing damage to a few of the walls, and one of the door hinges was out of line, but other than that, it was as described. With those discrepancies documented, she signed the paperwork and handed it over to Mr. Jacobs.
"Perfect, you should introduce yourself to your floormates when you have the time. There's Bastion Howells across from you; he's an interesting sort but a good guy. Next to him is the Russos, a newly retired couple. Good folks, if you need anything, they'll likely be more than happy to talk your ear off," Mr. Jacobs explained. "And you'll be sharing the kitchen wall with Chris Redfield in the apartment to your right. Military sort, so he's often gone. A quiet fellow, but he pays his rent, so can't complain too much," the landlord said with a shrug.
"Thanks for the heads-up," Emma says with a nod. "I'll be sure to introduce myself after I get settled in," she agreed as they headed back to the door.
"I'm sure you'll fit right in. Here's your key and a spare. The Russos have a key share thing going on, so if you want to join that, make sure to mention it to them. Something about it being safer than leaving a key under the mat in case of emergencies," the landlord said before handing her two keys to the apartment.
Emma nodded as she walked down the stairs with Mr. Jacobs to get another box while he explained the ins and outs of the tiny community she was joining by moving into the apartment. "I might have to take them up on that offer. I can be a bit of a klutz," she admitted.
"Oh, and mail arrives around 4 pm each day. They usually leave packages on the shelf by your door, but feel free to use that for holiday decorations. You can leave a note for the Postman if you prefer that they leave packages in the main office if they're too big to go through the mail slot on your door," he explained while gesturing to the old fashion door that had a thin slot for mail with a brass cover that could be locked from the inside.
"Thanks again. I'll make sure to reach out to you if anything comes up," Emma said, while wondering if maybe Mr. Jacobs had a case of the pot calling the kettle black when it came to how much the Russos like to talk because he was talking a lot.
"Good, good. See you around then," Mr. Jacobs said before excusing himself to head to his office on the first floor while Emma went back to the street and continued moving boxes up to the apartment. By the time she was done with that load, it was roughly 4 pm. Emma took another deep breath after getting the window air conditioning unit set up for her apartment.
"Okay, one more load," she said, coaching herself before heading back down to the curb with her keys for the rental truck and driving out of town. She tapped her fingers against the wheel while humming quietly to the music from the radio as she drove to her old apartment and parked outside. Upon walking into the mostly empty unit, she was greeted with barking, which caused her to smile as she was tackled by the larger fluffy gold and white-furred dog. "Duke! Who's my good boy? Have I been gone for like seven forevers?" Emma cooed while petting the dog and ruffling his fur.
"Are you ready to see your new home?" she asked, receiving a bark in response. "That's a good boy. Go get your stuffy," she instructed, causing the dog to hurry off and pick up a very well-used, almost flat teddy bear. In the meantime, she started taking boxes to the truck while Duke followed her back and forth. After another hour of packing and driving, Emma made it back to the new apartment with Duke and unpacked the last boxes. She dropped off the moving truck at the rental center down the road and walked the rest of the way back to her new home before collapsing onto the couch.
Seeing his owner collapse caused Duke to hurry over and start repeatedly licking Emma in an attempt to revive her. "I can't feel my legs," Emma grumbled while receiving the puppy bath for a few moments. She eventually nudged the dog away, so she could sit up while trying to renew her resolve. "I can do this. I just gotta meet the neighbors, and then I can go to bed," the woman coached herself before giving another tired sigh. "Meeting people is draining... what do I even say?" she asked herself, petting Duke.
An idea came to mind as she glanced at the kitchen. "Cookies might make it easier..." she quietly mused before pushing herself to get up, wash her hands and face, then start unpacking the kitchen.
Emma was happy that she had planned her move well enough that she didn't have to completely restock and was able to move over what food she had from her last apartment. Eggs, flour, sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, a pinch of salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips. With all the ingredients laid out alongside the bowl and mixer, Emma started preheating the oven and measuring them out with a smile. "They do say that making cookies is a realtor's trick to make a house feel homely. Maybe this will help me feel more moved in, too..." the woman said with a short chuckle. She'd made it about halfway through mixing the dry ingredients before a frown started to form. She scraped the bottom of her sugar container for the last cup needed, only for it to be empty.
Crap... Well, she could try a half batch, but that would be pretty skimpy as far as cookies went. A regular batch made twenty-four, half a batch made twelve between three neighbors. So, four cookies a plate... Yeah, that was not going to work. She was not going down as the neighbor who gave out four cookies as a 'nice to meet you' gift. She'd be better off not offering a gift at all at that point. Especially since cookies were easy to make. Not to mention, she already had the other ingredients in the bowl for a full batch...
"Okay, just ask a neighbor for a cup of sugar. It's not that weird. It's practically a rite of passage in sitcoms," the brunette said as she put down the measuring cup to head over to the door and enter the hallway. Three doors and three options. It seemed like the Russo family would be the one she needed to make a better impression on. After thinking it over, Emma went to the door to her right and knocked on it. This Chris guy was rarely around anyway, right? So, it wouldn't matter as much if she made a bad impression and if he wasn't home, then no harm, no foul.
It took a minute, but shuffling could be heard behind the door before a few clicks and the sound of metal sliding against metal. The door opened shortly after, showing a man in his early to mid-forties. He seemed confused and didn't say anything after opening the door.
"Hi, I'm Emma Swanson, your new neighbor," Emma started since the guy seemed quiet. "I just moved in today. I'm in the middle of cooking, but I'm short a cup of sugar. I was wondering if I could borrow a cup from you?"
"Name's Chris... Let me see if I have any," he said before closing the door, followed by the sound of sliding metal again. A minute or so passed before the sound returned, and the door opened once more before Chris offered a measuring cup of sugar. "Here. Need anything else?" he asked. While he didn't seem grumpy, he did sound tired and disinterested, which caused Emma to feel guilty. He wasn't sleeping already, was he?
"Thank you, that should be it. I'll get the measuring cup back to you soon," she said and accepted the offered ingredient.
"'Kay. Have a good night then," he said, closing the door once more and locking up before Emma could say anything else. That was no skin off her teeth, though. At least she had what she needed. Once safely back in her own apartment and kitchen, she smiled. She had already met one neighbor. That wasn't so bad. Though, since he seemed tired, maybe she'd drop his cookies off in the morning or something... She thought over what to do about that as she finished making the chocolate chip cookies. Then she placed eight on each paper plate before plastic wrapping them with a small handwritten note to introduce herself and added her contact information in case they needed to reach her.
"Wish me luck, Duke," she said to the contently resting canine before heading over to the door directly across from her own. After knocking, a young man around her age with long dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail answered the door.
"Hello? Oh. Um, hi," he replied while trying to process an unexpected visitor with baked goods.
"Hi, I'm your new neighbor. I just moved in across the hall. My name is Emma. I thought I'd make some cookies and introduce myself, so," Emma said, offering the plate to the young man. "Here you go." Yikes. She'd done a lot better during her first introduction, and that one hadn't gone great either.
The man smiled. "That is so sweet, thank you," he said as he accepted the cookies, causing Emma to notice that his nails were very nicely painted.
"Oh wow, I love your nails," Emma commented before she could catch herself, though the man's smile only grew. "Who do you go to?"
"Thank you, I actually do them myself," he replied with a smile. "I'm a nail tech at the nails and spa just down the road, just stop by and ask for Bastion, and I'll help you out."
Emma smiled and nodded. "Definitely, I'm usually at a keyboard, so I keep my nails short, but if a special occasion arises, you'll be the person I go to," she confirmed, feeling much more relaxed now that it seemed like the conversation was going more smoothly.
Bastion nodded in response. "All right. Well, you have a good night, Emma. It's very nice to meet you."
"Thanks, you too," Emma said before waving and heading back to her apartment as Bastion closed his door. Once she got the next plate of cookies, she walked over to the door diagonal from hers. The Russos had a very homey feel to their apartment with a door wreath, a welcoming mat, and a small potted plant on their door-side shelf. "Maybe I should pick up some flowers," Emma whispered to herself. The plant was a nice touch, she had to admit. With that, she took a breath and knocked on the last door only to hear…well, she wasn't sure what she was hearing. It didn't quite sound like English, but two voices were heard on the other side of the door. Italian?
Sure enough, the door opened to show a short, graying woman with her husband sitting on the couch in the background watching TV. "Hello dear, are you lost?" she asked with a concerned expression.
"Oh, no, I'm not lost. I'm your new neighbor across the hall. I was hoping to introduce myself and drop off some cookies," Emma explained before offering a hand. There we go. The third time was the charm. "My name is Emma Swanson. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you as well," the woman said, accepting the handshake before looking back into the apartment to call over to her husband, speaking Italian once more. "My name is Anna, and this is my husband, Marco," she said as the graying man walked over to join her. "We're home most days, so if you need anything, make sure to let us know," she said as she accepted the plate of cookies.
"Thanks. Mr. Jacobs mentioned that you have a key share going for the floor?" Emma asked, which caused Anna to nod.
"Yes, did you want to join?" she replied.
"No, she just brought over cookies and asked about it for her health, my dear," Marco pointed out, earning a gentle swat from Anna.
Emma gave a half-hearted chuckle as she took one of the keys from her pocket. "If it's not a problem, I'd appreciate it."
Anna accepted the key. "It's no trouble at all. I'll get it copied and give one to the other two as well. I'll have your set over by the end of tomorrow," she explained, which surprised Emma slightly.
"Oh, we all keep a copy?" she asked, misunderstanding. It wasn't an issue, but it wasn't what she initially expected either.
"Just out of caution, at least one of the four apartments is bound to have someone home. If it's an emergency, it's best for everyone to be able to help out when possible," Anna explained with a nod. "It will be nice to have all four of us on the same page. The last tenant was rather adamantly against participating." The woman went on to tell Emma more about each of the other tenants. Five minutes passed, then ten.
"I see. Well, thanks again," Emma said with a smile. Mr. Jacobs was right; she did talk a lot.
"It's our pleasure. Is there anything we can help you with? Did you get all your boxes unpacked?" Anna asked in a motherly tone.
"Everything is taken care of," Emma confirmed. "I just wanted to introduce myself. I won't take much more of your time. It's getting late."
"All right, have a good night Emma," Anna said before nudging Marco.
"Good night," he said before turning to go back to his place on the couch.
Emma waved as she turned to leave, then Anna closed the door. Once home in her own apartment again, a triumphant smile crossed Emma's face. She did it. She moved in and met her neighbors. They all seemed pretty nice too, which was a stroke of good fortune. Emma looked at the last plate of cookies and the mess on the counter. She should probably wash everything, but she was tired… she'd wash the measuring cup and return it tomorrow. For now, she picked up the final plate of cookies and walked to Chris' door again, where she left it on the empty shelf before heading back.
Emma had just finished locking up for the night when she heard a loud THUD against her door, causing her to jump back with a yelp as Duke started barking. Whoever it was, the barks seemed to scare them off as she heard footsteps quickly hurrying down the stairs. She hadn't exactly been stealthy about moving in, but she didn't expect someone to try and break in because of it.
Maybe, I should talk to the landlord about installing one of those doorbell cameras... If I offer to pay for the installation, maybe he'll allow it, Emma thought fearfully as she walked over to the still grumbling dog to sit next to him and pet him until he calmed down.
What a strange day.
tadah /o/ the stage has been set, the characters introduced and the play put into motion. let me know if there is anything you'd like for me to try and add :) see you soon for chapter 2