From the Start (Reiner Braun X Reader)

2 [Conversation]

"Oh, [F/N]," your neighbor exclaimed, "these are delightful! Thank you, these will work perfectly." The woman excitedly smiled at you as she grabbed the pies you had come over with. Her son's birthday party was later that afternoon, and you had offered to make him his dessert of choice to give her more time for planning and handling the kids. Apparently, the now twelve year old boy had a hard time choosing between cherry or cinnamon apple pie, so you opted to make both as a surprise.

You returned her smile, excitedly handing over the warm pans and telling her not to worry too much about returning them. The two of you spoke idly about the party for a few moments before she was quickly called back in to take care of the celebration by her husband. Bidding her farewell, you made your way off her doorstep and down the sidewalk.

Her home was not directly next to yours, rather a few houses down. It was not uncommon of you to refer to anyone who lives on your street as your neighbor. When you had been building a name for yourself by helping out, a lot of people referred to you as their neighbor first, only making you feel like a part of the community from the beginning. The people who lived in the houses on either side of you were some of your closest friends. They were people you often found yourself talking to on relaxing days, as well as assisting in large projects you needed a hand with.

Your mind was always full of things to do for the people you now surrounded yourself with. It was hard not to think about, considering you felt as though you owed these people your life. You helped the elderly people with their gardening, construction around their house, and small things that they just could not do as well as they could. Kids would often ask for help when it came to the local playground. Removal of a bees nest, relocation of a stray cat, and moving bird nest after bird nest from the corner of the wooden swing set.

People here relied on you, liked having you around, and were grateful that they had someone young and capable to help them do things that they otherwise could not do themselves. It brought you much needed comfort knowing that you had such an amazing group of people to give your new life purpose. You rarely asked for anything in return, with the exception of a meal or a service exchange. Sometimes, you plan on doing things just to get them done. Other times, you would do a few jobs for a small pay.

Your helpfulness was sometimes returned. You knew little about electricity, so when the electrician in town needed help with the removal of some vermin in his shed, you offered to do the job. In return, he fixed some electrical issues you were having in your bathroom. You worked on cars so someone could work on your plumbing. You uprooted small stumps so you could have help fixing your porch.

Today, you baked your neighbor's son two pies for his birthday. Tomorrow, she would send her husband over to mow the grass in your front yard. It was a system that you enjoyed quite well.

As you rounded up to your house, you quickly flipped open your mailbox. After closing it, your eyes wandered up to look at your residence. A small grin came to your face as you thought about being able to support yourself. It was not a large home; two stories, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen and dining area, and a small living space. It was an affordable home, all things considered.

A place like this had been something you had always wanted. Of course, it felt like such a large house when the only person who lived in it was you. Multiple times a week you would consider getting yourself an animal companion, preferably one that would not have to reside in a cage. Nonetheless, it was your's. It was the place you wanted to have a fresh start, but it was a long way from being called a home.

The porch always creaked as you walked up the three small steps that led to your front entrance. The door squeaked as you opened it slowly, putting you in your living area. You tossed the newspaper you had grabbed from the mailbox onto the small table in front of your couch. The paper usually has nothing of note in it, but you always like to take the time out of your day to at least read over some of the current events that are happening locally. To you, the newspaper you received every other morning was your way of keeping up with politics, keeping you educated on who was good for the city and who was not. It was also good to read to see if someone in the area has a small job posted.