RP: A First Blind Date Who: Hans and Becca What: A blind date. When: 26 November 2027 Where: Ruby Fusion, Dartford Warnings: None Completion Status: Complete
The thought of dating again after Mary's death had been daunting, to say the least, but Evie was nearly two years old. And, as his family kept reminding him, it wasn't an insult to Mary's memory for him to try to find love again. No one would question his devotion to his daughter; in fact, wouldn't Evie feel terribly guilty when she was older if he used her as his reasoning for not dating?
A blind date seemed even less appealing, when Fiona had suggested it, but the more he thought about it, the more Hans believed that it could be the perfect circumstance in which to dip his toes back into the dating world. The expectations would be completely different on a blind date, and no one would be upset with him if it didn't lead to a second. And he wouldn't be upset with himself if it did. He was willing to go into this with an open mind, if not yet a completely open heart. That would have to come in time.
Not wanting to put too much pressure on either him or his date, he'd chosen a nice restaurant, though not one which would expect them to get terribly fancied up. Hans had decided to dress comfortably in jeans, a button up, and vest, ensuring it was completely clear of any cat hair from the shop, deciding it would do nicely as dressed up without going too fancy. He'd arrived early to the restaurant, a little magical place tucked away in Dartford, and let the hostess know that he was waiting on someone, giving the worker both his and Rebecca's names before being led back.
It was silly to be nervous, he reminded himself as he sat at the table. He'd been on plenty of first dates while waiting for Mary to figure things out.
Rebecca hadn’t been on a date in years, which seemed silly at just 24, but she’d never been one to date before she’d connected with Jamie, and in the near-year since their break-up she certainly hadn’t been in the mood. When she had nervously admitted to Fiona Reynolds that she had started an online dating profile, she had mostly hoped to commiserate and laugh at how ridiculous the idea was. But then Fiona had mentioned she had a friend that she’d like to set Becca up with, and, well, if she was in for a penny, she was in for a pound. And Fiona was nice and described Hans as also nice and also just dipping his toes into dating again, though she didn’t say why, so Becca had agreed.
Fiona had described the restaurant as a bit more casual, which helped to ease Becca’s nerves, and she had chosen a sweater dress with tights and boots and hoped it was right.
When she arrived, she gave her name to the host and was surprised - but pleased - to learn that her date had already arrived. Bex had resisted the urge to look him up on socials, and when she saw the admittedly handsome wizard seated at their table, she felt a small flush go up her neck. Oh, my, Fiona certainly had good taste.
When, after the third time a woman was led back to a table in this part of the restaurant, Hans had stood up only for her not to be his date, he had to laugh a bit at himself. The nerves were simply something he was unaccustomed to. He scrubbed a hand over his hair, mussing up the dark locks a bit, as he reminded himself that Fiona wouldn't have set him up with someone he wouldn't be likely to at least enjoy a meal and conversation with.
And then a woman was brought back to his table, and Hans stood to greet her. "Becca? Hi. Hello! It's wonderful to meet you," he said, holding his hand out to her, though he second-guessed the gesture as soon as he'd done it. Would she find a handshake strange on a blind date?
Becca gave him a nervous smile and took his hand for a gentle shake in greeting. “Hans? It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said. Her voice was a little nervous, and she hoped that wouldn’t scare him off. She, now though, had no idea what one did next, so she slung her purse over the bag of her chair lightly and sat down. “How are you doing today?” she asked, completely unsure of how a blind date might normally go!
Only after she sat did Hans take his seat again. His smile was kind and perhaps a touch surprised at her question. It had the tone of one who'd known him for ages, as though they were old friends catching up. Mary had had that natural grace, too. "I've had a good day, actually. I have a shop on Victory Road, so I was there most of the day. The Purrfect Fix?" He wasn't sure if she was familiar with the shop.
"And how are you?" he asked in return.
Becca lit up when he mentioned his shop. “Oh! I love it there, so relaxing after a long day, though I don’t get in nearly enough,” she admitted. She didn’t recall seeing him there before, though. “Oh, I had a nice day. We spent the day teaching the kids about American traditions. We got to have some traditional treats with them, which they always love.” She wasn’t sure if that had made sense, so she added, “Oh, I work at the Fawley’s Children's Home,” with a little shake of her head and a smile. Sometimes that turned men off, she knew, but she’d never shy away from talking about her work with the children - they were her life.
There was a sense of pride at her immediate reaction to the name of his shop. Even though it hadn't been his idea from the start, continuing with Mary's dream had been the right choice, of that he had no doubt.
Hans was curious about where she worked, and so he was glad that she elaborated without his having to ask. "Oh, that's fantastic! They do such good work. My parents fostered a lot while I was growing up and even adopted a couple of the children along the way." And they were every bit his siblings as his biological ones. "It's something I hope to do with my own family someday," he admitted, though his expression turned a tad sheepish a moment after as he realized that probably wasn't the best thing to say on a first date, much less a blind date!
“The Fawleys really are amazing. The work they’ve done since the war has changed so many lives,” she said with real admiration in her voice. “I started as a volunteer after Hogwarts, and then got my certification. I mostly work with the younger children, and it’s honestly so hard not to take them in,” she admitted with a blush. When he mentioned wanting to adopt some day she smiled brightly, and in response to his slightly abashed look she fought the urge to touch his arm and instead said, “I feel the same.” It was true, and she also wanted him to feel better about admitting it.
“It sounds like you have a big family,” she said, feeling slightly envious. “That sounds nice,” she added with a small smile.
"I can imagine," he murmured. He adored children, always had, and he'd taken it upon himself to help with the fostered children and his younger siblings before Hogwarts and while he was home for holidays. Even though he'd not gone into a career based around caring for children, it was something he still valued.
He nodded at her supposition. "I do, yeah. I've got four siblings, and then my family's always been close with the Reynolds, Montgomerys, and Fitzgeralds, so lots of honorary cousins there. Never a dull moment growing up! And, I don't know if Fiona mentioned, I've got a daughter. Evie, she'll be two in February." It was important to put out there early on, in case it would be a problem, though he didn't get the impression it would be.
Listening to him talk about his family put a firm smile on her face - it really did sound fun. A lot of like what she had always wanted as a kid. When he told her that he had a toddler her look turned to one of surprise. “Oh, she didn’t.” And she didn’t really know what to say next. It wasn’t a problem for her, but she didn’t really know how to communicate that, so instead she said, “Evie. That’s beautiful. What is she like?” She wondered if he had shared custody or something, and how that would affect his dating life, but that was probably overthinking it too far ahead.
It was difficult to gauge her initial reaction, though Hans supposed she didn't seem to be freaking out, so perhaps it wasn't a dealbreaker? He smiled when she repeated Evie's name, nodding slightly, though before he had a chance to respond, a waiter approached them to take their drinks order, assuring them he would return shortly for the rest of their order.
"Her name is actually Evangeline, but we all usually just call her Evie," he explained. "And she's so full of life. Always eager to learn and explore new things, and she's already talking up a storm. She's got about a dozen words that can be clearly understood," he said proudly. It did rather seem Evie was ahead of the curve in some ways, though she had plenty of adults around her to encourage it in her.
Watching him talk about his daughter made a warm feeling bloom in Becca’s heart. It surprised her, really, as she hadn’t expected to feel... well, anything tonight. But he was clearly so in love with the little girl that it touched her.
“She sounds very smart. I love listening to little ones tell me their stories, even if the stories don’t have a plot,” she said with a small laugh.
Their conversation had been so easy so far - was this normal for a blind date? She’d never been on one before. But maybe Fiona just knew her better than she’d assumed from their few run ins.
“So, you love adorable animals, are a devoted and proud father, and have a rambunctious and lovely family,” she said, summarizing what she knew about him so far. It seemed - frankly - wild to her that someone like Hans would be single. He was incredibly handsome, easy going, seemingly thoughtful and caring... it didn’t add up. But she also didn’t want to ask why, that seemed somehow too personal.
“My family is much less interesting I’m afraid, my parents are constantly in far off locales for their work, and my older brother is a Cursebreaker who recently seems to have found the love of his life and thus fallen off the face of the earth,” she said with a wry laugh.
"Do they sometimes have plots?" he asked with a light teasing note. Children could be fantastically creative, he knew, but he wasn't sure plots were a major part of that creativity in the younger ages.
The way she summarized him had that flustered feeling rising up in him again. "That seems about right, yeah," he said with a soft chuckle.
When she told him a little bit about her family, he found his eyebrows raising a bit. There was a lot to unpack in such short statements, though it was entirely possible he was reading more into it than he should. "Well, hopefully he'll rejoin the land of the living with his love," he commented with a grin as he picked up his menu to start looking through it to decide what he wanted.
“You’d be surprised!” she said with a laugh. “Just today a lovely four year old told me an epic tale of space aliens, brave wizards, and a talking dog.” She wasn’t sure - even now - what the point of the story had been, but it had definitely been entertaining.
She smiled fondly when he commented on Alexander. “Well, he’s fine, just madly in love with a witch younger even than me and I think they’re in a very intense honeymoon stage. They just moved in together, and she owns her own island. Literally. She seems really nice though, she actually invited me out to coffee just a little while ago and we got to know each other a bit better. He even gave up the swashbuckling, world-traipsing life of Cursebreaking for a desk job at the bank for her. He hasn’t spent so much time in London since we were little kids,” the last part was said happily, almost wistfully. “It’s been nice having him around more,” she admitted.
"Well, that does sound like quite the entertaining tale!" Hans said agreeably, grinning at the thought. Children could be quite surprising, there was no doubt about that. And he enjoyed seeing the genuine way she lit up at talking about them.
He listened as she explained more about his brother's relationship, thinking it quite nice that she'd not seemed to have minded getting to know her brother's significant other in that way. He was certain Anabelle would similarly want to get to know anyone he or their siblings became serious with. His eyes had widened at the bit about owning her own island. That was beyond his ability to comprehend. Even though his parents had done well for themselves, they had nowhere near that level of wealth. His was certainly a more modest upbringing.
"It sounds like you're close with your family?" he prompted, curious to hear more about their dynamics.
She grinned back at him, though when he asked about her family she gave a somewhat thoughtful, somewhat unsure look in return. "As close as we can be? I'm not sure sometimes. I was always sort of the driving force behind their returning to England at all, I'm sure. My parents are... They're madly in love, but they drive each other mad more often than not, too, and their lives have always been in separate places, so they've made it work for them. Alexander was never particularly close with any of us, then again, he wasn't with anyone, until he met Holly, and he's really been trying to make an effort since then. Holly's family have even invited both of us to join them for the holidays." She really was... grateful for Holly in their lives, and silently praying it didn't fall apart - as much for her brother's sake and for her relationship with him.
"Our family was never without love, you know, but often without much in the way of..." She struggled to find the word. "Connection, I suppose." It was true, though probably not the best first date conversation.
In an attempt to lighten the conversation, she shook her head with a smile and asked, "I must know, how does one end up having a cat cafe? It's such a lovely, novel concept," she admitted.
Even if it wasn't necessarily the most appropriate first date conversation, Hans appreciated hearing about the sort of relationship she had with her family. If he was going to be serious about dating again, and he was trying to be even if it did still slightly feel like a betrayal to Mary, then he couldn't imagine not jumping in with serious conversations from the start. He'd never been one to waste time with only talking about inconsequential things while dating, even when he'd been waiting for Mary to come back around.
Before he had a chance to comment on her family, though, she was asking about the café, and he sighed softly, ducking his head briefly before looking back across the table at her. "Ah, well, I can't take credit for it. It was my late wife's dream. She'd been a veterinarian, but the café had always been her dream. I helped her get it going, and after she passed, I quit my job and took over running it full-time," he explained succinctly, though his eyes held some of the haze of grief that had clouded over him for nearly two years. It wasn't nearly as thick these days, but there still was a little bit of it.
This time, she didn’t fight her natural instinct to reach out to him. She placed a soft hand on his forearm, and gave him a sincere look. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she didn’t know when it had been - how recent - but his eyes told her a lot about how he felt about his loss. She couldn’t imagine, truth be told, but her heart swelled for him and his little girl, all the same.
“It’s a lovely dream, the cafe,” she said, swallowing and feeling her mouth dry at how forward she’d been by reaching out. She pulled her hand back and gave him a small, apologetic smile.
It was strange how it could simultaneously feel like something he'd heard constantly and yet something he'd stopped hearing long ago. "Thank you," he murmured automatically. The grief wasn't fresh, but Hans suspected it would live within him forever to some degree. He couldn't imagine finding love again would even wash all the grief away.
When she started to pull her hand back, Hans turned his over, catching her hand briefly and giving it a soft squeeze of acknowledgement and hopefully reassurance that she hadn't overstepped by reaching out in the first place. He appreciated that sort of thing, having grown up in the loving, hands-on family that he had.
Before he had the chance to redirect the conversation, their waiter arrived with their drinks and to take their order. When he'd left again, Hans looked across at Becca and offered her a small, kind smile. "I think that's enough of the particularly heavy topics for tonight, don't you?" he suggested. "I'll admit, it's been a very long time since I've been on a first date. What even are appropriate topics for the first one?" he asked jokingly, hoping to lighten things a bit.
Becca appreciated his reassurance, unspoken as it was. After they’d ordered she chuckled with him and said - with an understanding look - “Honestly it’s been a long time for me, too.” And she thought briefly of Jamie, surprised to find she hadn’t really thought about him since she’d sat down with Hans. That thought bolstered her, though, and so she said, “Though I’m not particularly good at small talk, I’ve been told that good first date conversation makes you sound more interesting than you actually are.” She shrugged and laughed.
“How about this — hobbies?” she asked with a clueless look - were they doing this right?
At her admission, Hans scrunched up his nose a bit and said, "I'm not as good at it as you'd think considering I run a cat café." She had a lovely smile, something he'd noticed right away, and he was hoping to draw another one from her.
"Oh, ouch, jumping right to the hard question!" he accused teasingly. Shaking his head, he thought about it for a moment. "Between the shop and Evie, I feel like I've lost touch with my hobbies, if I'm being honest. I used to love flying, but I've not done it in ages. I read quite a bit, but that goes with the schtick of the café, as well. I've got to be able to make recommendations, of course." Though he did enjoy reading. "How about you?"
She laughed with him, a bright smile lingering on her face, this felt... Easy in a way. Even when they’d spoken of more complicated matters she felt like he was someone people could open up to. “Oh yes, hard hitting journalist right here,” she joked in reply.
“Well, I love to read, too, it’s such a nice... quietness after all day with the little ones, if that makes sense?” She loved to have her home just... quiet for just a little bit when she got back to the estate. “I also like to try new crafts and arts, but a lot of that is research for work so I don’t know if it counts as a hobby. You know, come to think of it, I really don’t know I have many hobbies myself...” she thought for a moment, biting lightly at her bottom lip, adorned with a dark red lipstick.
“Oh! I know one!” she exclaimed suddenly. “I like to poke through muggle antique shops - they’re surprisingly entertaining. Sometimes I make up stories about the old items they sell, just to myself, but it’s sort of like a different version of people watching.” She laughed at herself but then had a moment of realizing just how much time - out of work - she spent alone. She had to work on that.
Brightening again she said, “Your turn for a small talk question,” with a bright, toothy grin.
Hans found himself chuckling lightly again, surprised with how comfortable he felt. Perhaps it was growing up in the huge tangled family he had or maybe even his job that put him at ease with strangers, but he rather suspected there was an even greater ease with her now.
"It does make sense," he agreed. It was similar, he rather thought, to why he didn't have any pets at home in the flat above the shop. There had to be some level of disconnect between work and home. "What do you do with the things you create for research purposes?" he asked curiously. The answer to that, he thought, might answer whether it was a hobby for her or simply more work.
That was quite the interesting hobby, Hans thought, charmed at the thought of it. "Well now you've piqued my curiosity. I think I'd enjoy hearing one of these made up stories sometime." It was so early into their date though, and he worried she'd be put off by a suggestion of spending more time together after tonight. But Hans had never been the sort to do things by halves, and he rather thought he was a bit taken with her already.
"Oh! Hmm." Hans tapped a finger to his chin, thinking for a moment. There were the classic 'favorites' questions, but that felt a bit too easy. No, he wanted something a little deeper than that. "When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?" he asked finally.
She nearly melted when he said he’d like to hear one of her silly stories sometime, the thought of maybe taking him to a shop, holding hands while they wandered the crowded, lopsided aisles, until she found just the right broken clock or set of chipped china.
She couldn’t help the way she gazed at him as he feigned deep thought - the way his fingers tapped at his chin, looking nimble and strong, like him. Okay, she liked his hands, that was for sure.
When he asked her the question though, she blushed deeply. “Only if you promise you won’t make fun of me...” she said, with a slightly chiding look.
Brows furrowing and head tilting slightly, he asked, "Do I look like the kind of bloke who'd make fun of you?" he asked rhetorically. He was wildly curious as to what her answer would be, if she were so embarrassed at just the thought of sharing. "Of course I won't," he prompted, hoping she might indulge him with the answer now.
She swallowed and looked at him up through her lashes, terribly shy about this. She even nervously laughed just before, in the same breath, she said, “I wanted to be a mum.” It seemed like such a simple admission - lots of girls dreamed of that! - but her voice was breathy and low. It seemed - to her - the sort of answer that would send most men (even single fathers, Becca supposed) running for the hills. But it was the truth, her truth. She watched, again biting lightly at her lower lip, for his reaction.
Of all the things she could have said, for some reason, he hadn't expected that. It was the sort of thing that would freak most men out, he was sure, but while it did stir some level of caution in him, he actually found the sentiment sweet. "There's no shame in that, and look what you've done instead so far," he said encouragingly. That she'd gone into caring for abandoned and orphaned children was commendable. It wasn't the same as being a mother, he supposed, but it made sense.
And honestly, when it came down to it, he couldn't imagine dating a woman who wasn't interested in being a mother. He and Evie were a package deal, and he did hope to give his daughter siblings at some point in the future.
“Mother said that was a terrible thing to say on a first date,” she admitted with a nervous laugh. “But it’s the truth. My family was always so distant and all I wanted was a big family to enjoy things with - the holidays, birthday parties, even just quiet nights at home. I know that must seem strange, but I figured as a child that if I wanted that, I would have to make it myself as opposed to hoping my family would eventually become it.”
Becca shook her head. “What about you? Did you want to be an astronaut or a prince like so many little boys?” She gave him a sly smile - she imagined him as a little one, full of big dreams and wonder.
And there it was again, that insight into how she'd grown up that seemed to tell him so much about her. "That seems far more logical than emotional to me," he assured her quietly. "My family was such the opposite of that growing up. There were always large extended and chosen family parties and more kids about than we could count at times. I always knew I wanted that for the family I'd have eventually, though only a couple of us have had kids so far, so it's not been quite as lively for them as it was for us." Was he rambling? It sort of felt as though he was, and he forced himself to pick up his drink to take a breath from the talking, feeling a bit of nerves suddenly.
When she turned the question on to him, he grinned a bit crookedly, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Ah, well, to be honest, when I was really little, I thought I'd be an adventurer like my dad. He was a cursebreaker when we were kids, and I always imagined exploring cursed ancient sites and such, like a magical Indiana Jones." Would she be familiar with the Muggle movie franchise?
When he called her thinking logical rather than emotional, she positively beamed. It was a strange thing to be so delighted by but it wasn’t a common descriptor given to her.
When he mentioned the muggle movies she lit up. “I love those movies! Holly suggested them to my brother since he’s a Cursebreaker, and he suggested them to me after watching them. Holly grew up Muggle, so she’s always got great suggestions like that. I didn’t grow up watching much muggle stuff even though my dad's one.” She added a shrug, it might be strange, but her mother had always been the biggest influence in their house, even being ‘on the road’ as much as Dad.
“If you ever want for swashbuckling stories these days, I’m sure Alexander wouldn’t mind regaling you anytime.”
And then she realized what she'd said and how presumptuous it was and so added, “I mean, um, if...” and blushed deeply.
Merlin, her smile was beautiful and engaging, Hans noticed, utterly distracted by it for a moment.
Something warm coursed through him when she recognized the movies. When she explained how she knew them, he nodded slightly, though he was curious at how she and her brother weren't as familiar with muggle movies if their dad was a muggle. "Yeah? My dad's Muggleborn and has always been a tad obsessed with the adventure type movies. I was actually named after a character from Star Wars," he admitted just a touch sheepishly. Though at least he was named after Han Solo and not Luke Skywalker. He couldn't imagine himself as a Luke.
It might have seemed like putting the cart before the horse if it wasn't so obvious that he was enjoying her company. He would have to remember to thank Fiona for setting him up with such a lovely person for his first true foray back into dating. "Don't worry," he assured her at first. "I think you're quite lovely, and I'd be honored to spend more time with you and get to know you better." He didn't want to put pressure on either of them by putting too serious of labels on it too soon, but even though their food was only just coming out, he was certain he'd want a second date with her.
She laughed, a small puff of air. “Star Wars is my dad’s favorite, too, one of the few he showed us.” And when he admitted he was named for one of the characters she laughed for real. “Han!” She hadn’t put two and two together, of course, Hans not being an entirely uncommon name. The thought made her so happy, though, the whimsy in it.
The smile that spread across her whole face was nothing short of beatific. “I’m enjoying this, too, and would love to spend more time together.” She didn’t know how to reciprocate his ‘lovely’ comment, but she certainly thought he was lovely - he was so handsome.
The butterflies going mad in her belly made it hard for her to eat, but she did enjoy the food. If she felt like going out, she usually just went to the usual spots - V-Bar, The Leaky Cauldron - so it was a nice change of pace. All of this was, really, and she still couldn’t get over the sort of awed feeling at that.
It had been a compromise his mum had insisted on, he knew, so that his name wasn't a direct reference to the character, but rather an inspiration. "I saw the movies more than I want to admit growing up," he said. There had been annual rewatches plus the occasional viewing in between. It was just another adventure.
There was comfort to be had in knowing she wanted to know him better, as well. It was just very comfortable so far.
Some time into the meal, he found himself asking, "You went to Hogwarts, right? Which house were you in?" He didn't put much stock into the Hogwarts Houses, especially this far out of school, but it was just more of his wanting to get to know her better.
Taking a chance she asked, “Maybe we could watch them sometime? If you’re not sick of them,” she added with a little laugh.
Looking up from her dish, she nodded. “I did. I was a Hufflepuff, and pretty well-placed if I say so,” she answered. “Somewhat unsurprisingly, I was the ‘mother hen’ of the House, kept everyone comfortable and when the younger students were homesick I did my best to help comfort them. Luckily, in Hufflepuff that wasn’t totally out of the ordinary, so I really enjoyed my time there. What about you?”
Her brother had been a Ravenclaw, which had seemed odd to her even to this day - he was brilliant in his own way, of course, but she always seemed to think of Cursebreakers as adventurous Gryffindors or greedy Slytherins, so the House system never made perfect sense to her. She wondered if all of Hans’ siblings also went to Hogwarts - sometimes people were squibs, of course, and some students chose to study abroad instead.
"I'm not sick of them," Hans assured her. "And I'd love to." Would that be their second date, then? Or were they, hardly a half hour into their first date, already planning a series of dates? Or, at the very least, a warm friendship? Time would tell, he supposed.
Sometimes, he thought, the Sorting Hat got it exactly right with matching personality to a house, though often he assumed that the Hat tended to go with the traits a person valued most rather than displayed. "The Hat seriously considered Hufflepuff for me, but I ended up in Gryffindor. In all honesty, I was rather average in school, but it was a good fit. I wouldn't say I was a full-blown 'mother hen'... Er, 'papa rooster'? Is there a masculine version of that?" he asked jokingly as an aside. "Anyway, yes, I did rather look after the younger students as well. I don't think I ever quite realized it in that way, though?" he noted musingly. "That probably stemmed from how much I always loved helping mum care for the fosters and my younger siblings. It was just natural."
“It would make sense,” she said thoughtfully, “that it was a role you were used to.” And then she thought some more. “Papa bear?” She laughed. “I don’t know that there’s an equivalent, which is just so wrong. Men can be just as nurturing as women.” Rebecca wasn’t someone who would be considered an ‘outspoken’ feminist or anything - though she subscribed to the beliefs, especially having been raised by a mother like hers - but the unequal treatment of the sexes bothered her personally to no end.
“I wasn’t very academically inclined,” she admitted. “Honestly I wasn’t sure what I would do for work even after passing the NEWTs that I did, but volunteering came naturally, and our mother really instilled that in us from our toddler years. She’s a philanthropist. So, for a bit I just did that, and then they asked if I wanted to join the staff at the Foundation’s home. It just felt right.” She gave him another of her bright, heartfelt smiles. She really did want to see him again, if the nervous, happy fluttering in her chest every time he looked at her had anything to say about it.
"Ah, yes, papa bear. I like the sound of that! Much more manly," he said with exaggeration. While he might ascribe to standard gender roles to a degree, he'd always been annoyed with the concept that men were supposed to be these big, stupid, unfeeling sex machines. That wasn't him, never had been. "But yes, you would be amazed at the number of approving comments I get while out with Evie sometimes, as if it's so strange for a father to be actively involved in his child's life. And it's just things that mothers have been doing all along without any credit. And it's always strangers. What makes strangers think it's okay to comment, anyway?" he asked rhetorically.
He'd been thinking about what she'd said about her mother's philanthropy and volunteering when her lips stretched in that smile that completely derailed all thought. Hans hadn't truly believed he would ever meet another woman who smiled with her whole face again after Mary had died. He mentally shook himself, reminding himself to focus on the conversation. "Well, I was average magically, but I've a keen mind for the theoretical and critical thinking and ended up going into financial management with WeeVee when I finished school. Did I mention that already?"
“That’s insane!” she exclaimed. “Being an involved father is just... being a parent. Mother or father, being involved is like the bare minimum, not something strangers should be commenting on,” she agreed, though the job certainly deserved praise in general.
“You didn’t actually. That actually sounds fascinating. Even in finance, WeeVee must be an awesome place to work. Did you ever meet any stars?” she asked, in a silly way. She waggled her eyebrows at him in exaggeration.
She took a couple more bites and used the time to think. “Can I ask, why did you let Fiona set you up?” It was a very personal question, she knew, but it had been something sitting at the back of her mind and the curiosity had got to her. Blind dates were such a foreign concept to her, still.
The question paired with the waggling brows teased a chuckle from him. "I'm sure I did, though I've never followed that sort of thing too closely, so they were usually just people to me. I did meet Robert Hilliard and Lonna Jacobs at a work party once, though. It was, goodness, about ten years ago? So Confessions was still airing, or maybe it was wrapping up? I can't remember, but it seemed like a big deal at the time." He'd loved his work at WeeVee, but he'd found a good rhythm and satisfaction in running the Purrfect Fix.
The food was quite good, and he was enjoying taking small bites of it between bits of conversation with Becca. Her next question, however, surprised him. He set his fork down and lifted his napkin from his lap to dab at his mouth before lowering it back down. Sitting back, he looked across the table at her as he sorted through the bevy of thoughts that had taken up space in his head.
"I think that, for me, the idea of dating again was daunting. Mary and I met at Hogwarts. Same year, same house, and she was my sweetheart. She insisted on dating other people after Hogwarts, but we found our way back to each other. But it's been nearly two years since she passed, and I think I finally started to accept that it wouldn't be a betrayal to her to open myself up to the possibility of love again. I don't want to grow old alone. I want someone to share my life, my family with. And honestly, Fiona and several of the others have been nudging me to 'get back out there', as they put it, for a while now, so when she suggested she had a friend she thought I might enjoy meeting, it felt right to give it a go. As far as my cousins go, she's definitely the most trustworthy," he explained, chuckling some at the last bit. If Aldrich had suggested it, he'd have been much less willing to try.
Becca listened to him intently. It was clearly an important answer to him, and she took it as such. She nodded. “Fiona is trustworthy, and I’m glad she suggested it, even if a blind date was totally outside my comfort zone,” she admitted.
She didn’t really know if she should comment on his feelings regarding Mary, feeling it wasn’t her place, and so she didn’t. That would be something they could talk about later, if there was a later for them, right?
“She was definitely right about something, Fiona I mean. She suggested I meet you and...” She sighed, feeling open and honest and warm. “...and I’m very happy to have.” She glanced at his lips and it made her lick her own, she wondered if he might kiss her tonight. It had been so long now since she’d been kissed - a real, good, toe-curling kiss.
The date was going better than he could have imagined, and not only because Hans had had more than a healthy dose of skepticism about the entire thing. But he'd been honest when he'd said Fiona was the one person he'd trust to set him up. "I'm quite pleased with having done this, too," he assured Becca, doing his best not to let his eyes linger on her lips as her tongue swiped along their fullness.
Dinner was lovely, and the conversation felt warm and easy throughout. When they'd finished and he'd settled the bill, he stood up and held a hand out to her. "Would you fancy a walk before the evening ends?" he asked, knowing there was a nature trail not too far from the restaurant. And though it was quite chilly out, it wasn't a windy or snowy night, and he rather thought the fresh air would be nice before going their separate ways.
As dinner began to wind down, Rebecca found herself a little sad. She’d been enjoying it so much. When he handled the tab, she thanked him shyly for the meal and she looked up, surprised when he suggested a walk. Her face lit up and she nodded, grinning. “I’d quite like that,” she said, somewhat breathless with how much she loved the idea of extending the evening. This was all so strange... She hadn’t expected to have a good time, nor to like him, though she’d trusted Fiona that he was a good enough guy to hang out with for an evening.
But she did. She liked Hans. She liked learning about him and talking with him, she found him incredibly handsome and - even more surprising - attractive. A man hadn’t caught her eye like this since she broke things off with Jamie. It was... slightly scary.
She took his hand, and let Hans lead the way.
It was a short walk to the nature trail that wrapped around a small lake, or perhaps a large pond, and the air was crisp and clear, though the stars were still hidden behind a layer of clouds. Moonlight would have added to the ambiance of it all, but it was still lovely enough for a walk.
And he had to admit that as strange as it was to be holding a woman's hand again after all this time, there was also something quite nice and comfortable about holding her hand.
"Do you have a favorite Christmas moment from your childhood?" he asked. Hans wasn't rushing their walk and was surprised at how much he wanted to keep talking to her, to get to know her better.
Her hand felt so small in his - but in a good way that sent a chill up her spine and had her softly smiling as they walked in comfortable silence. When he asked her about her childhood she thought for a moment, taking her time, feeling the inexplicable feeling that she could take her time with him - that silence wouldn’t be uncomfortable with him, and he wouldn’t rush her.
“Oh! When I was eight or nine, Alexander had come home and both my parents happened to be home from work - I can’t remember why - but on Christmas Eve, I was getting ready for bed, and my Mum came into my room and asked to talk. She asked how I was doing with school, our usual catch up questions.” She wore a small, sad smile at that being their ‘usual catch up’, but she continued, “I was brushing my hair, and she gently took the brush from me, sat next to me on my bed, and began brushing it. It was so soothing, and so out of character, I remember just being lulled into this sort of trance. She braided my hair, her hands were so good at it, so deft, and I felt like a pampered princess. The braid was intricate, and rounded my head, like Mum wore hers for fancy events.” It wasn’t really a ‘Christmas moment’ - but it was Christmas Eve, and it was her favorite.
She swallowed thickly, looking up at him - he was quite taller than her - and finished with, “I don’t think she ever did that again, not to this day, but it was so lovely. The next morning my braids were in a mess from sleeping, but I kept them in. And we all gathered together - in our pyjamas!” she exclaimed like a little kid, “and opened our presents, and dad made us hot cocoa... We didn’t spend many holidays all together like that, it was so nice.”
She knew he came from a very different kind of family, and deep down she hoped that her lack of connection with her own wouldn’t be something that made him hesitant about her.
The way she told the memory brought it to life in his own mind, and Hans could easily imagine Becca as a little girl, basking in that bit of undivided attention from her mother. And though it wasn't specific to the holiday, he could understand why she treasured it as a Christmas memory.
"That's lovely," he murmured. His mind drifted for a moment to the fact that Evie would never get moments like that with her mother, though his own mum was quite maternal in that way and loved to dote on her granddaughter. It was different, though, than having a mother of one's own, and though he wasn't specifically looking for a new mother for Evie, he knew that he could never be with someone who didn't fulfil that role as well.
"I can't imagine not spending the holidays with that sort of warm family interaction," he admitted. It was always that way growing up for him, and he rather thought he could feel her longing in the way she talked about her own experiences.
She gave a small shrug, though still holding his hand, “I didn’t really ever know any different? If that makes sense? Once I was at school, I just spent the holidays at Hogwarts, and in the summer I had a nanny so Mum and Dad could come and go as they please. Sometimes Alexander stopped by. I spent a lot of time alone, outside of school.” She knew it was the driving force behind her wanting a family of her own. She’d ended things with Jamie over it - that’s how badly she wanted it. But it was admittedly painful to think about, so she changed direction.
“What about you? What’s your... favorite Christmas tradition?” She was sure someone like Hans would have loads to choose from. It wasn’t the same question he’d asked, but she felt like it fit him better.
There was something so intrinsically sad about being so disconnected from one's family, especially around the holidays, but he knew his mum had had issues with her own family growing up. Granted, it sounded as if Becca, at least, hadn't been shunned or abused by her family, but he could see how it would make one yearn for a family of their own, to fill the gaps of loneliness from their own childhood. His mum had done so, after all.
"As my family keeps reminding me, we're not meant to be alone," he pointed out softly, gently squeezing her hand. And perhaps his family was finally getting through to him. He didn't want to be alone.
"Oh, there are loads," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I think one of my favorites growing up was doing the baking with mum throughout the season. She's fantastic with all of that, even without the help of magic. I hope to do the same with Evie as she gets a bit older. Every kid should get the chance to swipe a bit of cookie dough or lick icing off their fingers whilst decorating cookies." He wondered if she'd ever had the chance growing up.
She returned the squeeze of reassurance, “So it seems,” she said, and looked up at him with her lips pressed together, a nervous gesture. She couldn’t help but glance at his lips again; they were plush and a lovely shade and she couldn’t help but think of them as they spoke more.
“All of this and you bake, too?” she exclaimed giddily. At the this she indicated his body with her free hand, gesturing freely in a way that was so bold as to surprise herself. She laughed then, couldn’t help it, mostly out of embarrassment.
Was it possible the charge in the air was changing? Hans was certain it had to be, with the way her eyes ticked down to his lips again. It was the sort of moment that preceded a sweet first kiss, and there were some level of nerves at the thought. He'd given the blind date a chance, and she'd more than exceeded whatever slim expectations he'd had for the evening, but a kiss said a lot. A kiss said 'I'm serious about what this could be' and was he ready for that sort of statement?
Before he managed to decide, though, she'd chimed in, diffusing that tension. His brows furrowed, and he chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I can, yeah. My mum thought kitchen skills were important life skills for all her kids, not just the girls," he pointed out. "But honestly, have you looked in a mirror? You're gorgeous." It was a nice little boost to the ego that she apparently found him so attractive, but he'd stand firm on what he'd said. She was absolutely stunning, and her smile continued to enchant him.
She blushed deeply as his compliment, a sultry - for her at least - smile gracing her lips at his compliment. She did her best not to roll her eyes, though, and she was proud. “Not like you,” she said, coming out almost like a breath instead of as speech. She meant it, not as a put down of herself, but he was... sexy. He had a manly look to him, and that smile, and those dimples, and he was taller than her in a way that made her feel protected and small and it was all such a lovely package. She didn’t say any of that, of course, and she hoped he couldn’t read it on her face. “But thank you,” she added, realizing it sounded like she had simply rejected his compliment. And how ridiculous would that be?
That his compliment had flustered her was written all over her face, but when she accepted it after a moment, he smiled and brought their joined hands to his lips, brushing his lips against her knuckles. "You're welcome," he murmured.
She couldn’t help it, the way the breath just sort of wooshed out of her when his lips touched her skin. They were warm and soft but firm, and she felt a tingling shock from her where he kissed her fingers straight up her arm and down her back. Her smile turned... warm, grateful and inviting in a way. She wondered if he would kiss her goodnight, for probably the fortieth time since she’d first seen him.
Perhaps if he was comfortable enough to do that, to kiss her hand, and say “you’re welcome” against her skin in that lovely, low... Perhaps he’d be comfortable enough to kiss her at the end of their walk, too?
—
There it was again, that charge in the air as his eyes met hers with their joined hands still near his lips. Even though he was a bit rusty in these things, he didn't think he was reading it wrong. But it was still his very first date since becoming widowed, and the thought overwhelmed him at that moment. Needing to diffuse it, he took a couple steps away from her, stretching their arms between them. If there were music, he might have twirled her into a little dance.
And then he realized that sort of whimsy would be perfect for the moment.
"Do you like to dance?" he asked, the only warning before he lifted their arms to encourage her to twirl under their still-joined hands after which he would take her other hand and lead her into a little dance.
—
The change in the air was sudden, and she fought a small, worried frown, but when he lifted their arms she gave him a curious, bright smile. And then she laughed and did just as he’d expected, twirling under his arm with enthusiasm and obvious delight. He certainly kept her on her toes - this whole blind dating thing did. He was quite taller than her barely-5-foot-2-inches, and it made her feel small and delicate, the way he held her hand as they began a fun little dance together in the chilly garden.
—
That she went along with his silly, whimsical little moment both charmed and relaxed Hans. He didn't want there to be any pressure between them, which had been the point of doing a blind date for his first date since everything! And so, he kept walking with her, talking with her, and when they'd finished the loop around the pond, he wished her good night, bringing her hand up to his lips to brush a kiss against her knuckles again.
He'd gone into the date with a strange mix of skeptical and hopeful but was leaving it feeling light and happy and entirely hopeful, knowing that he would keep in touch with Becca and pursue another date with her.