Text/RP: Last Minute Plans Who: Hans & Becca What: A second date... hopefully. When: 11 December 2027 Where: Hans' flat above the Purrfect Fix Warnings: None Completion Status: Complete
Today 12:42 PM
I know it's short notice, but might you be interested in joining me for dinner tonight?
You have good timing, I just got home from a meeting in London. I'd love to. What time? Where should I meet you?
If I promise I have no untoward intentions,
Would it be terribly presumptuous if I told you I'd like to cook a meal for you? My mum asked to take Evie tonight, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to have a second date with you.
You want to spend your one night 'off' with me?
I'd like that. Send me the floo? Or the address. Either works.
I've got the flat above the shop. [Floo details] Dinner should be ready at about 6, but you're welcome to come over before that if you'd like to keep me company while I cook.
Since their first date had gone so well, despite having been a blind date, Hans had very much wanted to spend more time with Becca, but he'd been busier than usual. Between appointments with Healers and veterinarians and an issue with a supplier that had been a headache to sort out, two weeks had managed to slip by. When his mum had asked if he'd seen Becca again, he'd explained the situation, and Quin had jumped at the opportunity to give him the chance he needed to see the woman who'd managed to bring a new spark of life to his eyes again.
After making sure his manager would be okay with handling the shop for the rest of the day and doing the close at the end of it, Hans had handed his daughter off to his mum, then headed up to his flat to take stock of his kitchen and come up with a plan. Perhaps it had been presumptuous to start planning before he heard back from Becca, but he preferred the term confident.
Once he'd heard back from her, he'd done a quick shopping trip for the few ingredients he hadn't had on hand. Thankfully the meal he planned was simple overall, and he rather thought he'd do a bit of baking with the extra time he had. He prepped the apples for the mini apple pies, and once the pies were in the oven, he started on the chicken piccata, which he planned to pair with a creamy risotto and salad. He had no idea if she had any allergies or food restrictions, and realized too late that he ought to have asked, but he hoped that if there were anything of note, she'd have brought it up when he'd invited her over.
Christmas music was playing, and he was dressed simply in a pair of jeans and dark blue shirt as he cooked, though he was keeping an ear out for the floo, as well, determined not to be nervous about having her in his home. It was obvious that he was a father. There were pictures all over the place, photographs as well as what passed as art from his daughter. Although a large Christmas tree took up the corner to the left of the floo, decorated with a variety of store bought and handmade ornaments and topped with a bright yellow star, a large bin of toys was to the right of the floo. The living room was tidy but lived in, and he'd made no effort to erase Mary from it, though he knew that adjustments would have to be made if he did find someone to share his life with.
Becca had dressed nicely but casually for her meeting and when Hans offered her to come over early she didn’t worry about her skirt and blouse being ‘too much’ — she just really wanted to see him.
She grabbed her bag and jacket (out of habit) and shot him a text back saying she’d be right over, with a smiley face to keep things casual, just in case. She didn’t want to come off as TOO excited, even though she definitely was. She hadn’t felt like this since she’d started seeing Jamie.
She floo’d over shortly after, and stepped out, brushing soot from her jacket shoulders with a light hand. Her heels touched the little rug just outside the floo and she looked up to see a lovely home. She grinned at Evie’s toys and admired their loving and eclectic Christmas tree.
“Hans?” She called out, not too loud, hoping she hadn’t jumped at his invitation too quickly.
Between the music and the cooking, Hans hadn't heard the floo activate despite having been determined to keep an ear out for her arrival. When he did hear her, he turned the heat down on the stove and went through the kitchen to peek into the living room. She was just as lovely as he'd remembered, he noted a bit sillily, as he hadn't really been concerned about that.
"In here," he told her, nodding his head for her to come on back. "Feel free to set your things anywhere," he added, noting her bag and definitely too-warm-for-indoors coat. There was a large L-shaped sectional sofa that stretched along the long wall across from the windows and jutted about halfway across the room. A long bench stretched the length of the windows wall with storage underneath, providing plenty of seating for looking out the windows at Diagon Alley, though they were charmed to not allow passersby to look in.
Becca set her bag and coat on one end of the large, comfortable looking sofa. She toed off her short heels and suddenly felt very much her barely 5'2 height, but then made her way to the kitchen. She wasn’t sure if this was a “shoes off” home but figured it was better to be on the safe side - even if she worried that would make her seem too comfortable in his space.
Goodness, dating was such a balancing act, she thought to herself.
“Hi,” she said, somewhat shyly when she reached him, wanting to hug him in greeting but restraining herself, reasoning that he was cooking and she shouldn’t interrupt.
As she'd taken care of her things, Hans slipped back into the kitchen, not wanting the food to be ruined by his distraction. And she was wonderfully distracting. He glanced over when she joined him in the kitchen, smiling at her. "Hi," he returned, though he couldn't reach out as his hands were busy with the food. There were probably spells to do this sort of thing to keep his hands free, but he'd learned to cook from his mum, and she'd not had magic to utilize.
"You look lovely," he told her, thinking that blue was such a pretty, complementary color for her. "Thank you for joining me tonight despite the short notice. Things have just been so busy lately. I'd not wanted to wait so long for a second date," he admitted. He'd hoped that he'd made it clear enough when he'd messaged her the day after their first date that she would forgive the delay for their second.
"Also, I hope you'll forgive that I neglected to ask about any allergies or food preferences?" The house was full of delicious food smells, with the mini apple pies nearly finished in the oven and the chicken piccata and risotto on the stove. The salad was prepped and stored in the icebox.
“Thank you,” she blushed at his complement. “I had a meeting this afternoon, I hope it’s not too much?” She looked down at herself, feeling overdressed, even if he’d complimented her. How silly of her, to show up to someone’s home in her businessware.
“Oh, no issues with food of any kind, I’m very lucky in that.” It was true - she loved food, actually, any and all. “I don’t know what I’d do if I did, actually. Food is the way to my heart,” she said with a light laugh and then blushed more deeply - she didn’t mean to imply he was vying for her heart...
“It smells delicious,” she said quickly, hoping to change the subject. Goodness, why was she so nervous? Maybe it was the butterflies flapping madly in her ribcage, he was still as handsome as she recalled - she’d remembered their date in such detail over the last two weeks, it amazed her that he was real and not a product of her daydreams.
At her question (at least, he thought it was a question), his brows furrowed. "Not at all," Hans answered, baffled as to why she'd even be concerned about being overdressed. But then, his mother had always been lovely and put together, even whilst managing all the children.
"Good, because I am an excellent cook," he quipped, the look he gave her a bit more heated than a second date warranted. He simply couldn't help it. She was particularly lovely, and he already felt a connection with her that seemed so very rare, something he'd not expected after Mary's death, much less with the first woman he dated since.
As he finished cooking the meal, he snuck glances at her, the conversation light and casual as he told her about the food and asked about her favorites. Once the food was plated and brought to the table, he dusted his hands on his trousers, and then reached out for her hands. "And now…" He brought one hand up to cup the side of her face, looking into her eyes for a long moment before they ticked down to her lips and back again. His only regret from their first date was that he'd not kissed her good night.
The way he was looking at her, as he held her hands in one of his and her face in the other, it made her breathless. She replied, unconsciously swiping her tongue across her lip, suddenly feeling very parched, “And now...?” It came out sort of like a question, and sort of like a whisper, and she didn’t know where that tone had come from - her heart was beating wildly in her ears as his gaze traveled to her lips and then back up again. She almost felt dizzy.
All signs pointed toward her being receptive, and his hesitation was brief, only just long enough for her to make it clear if she didn't want him to kiss her. Ducking his head, he brushed his lips against hers, lightly at first, and then firmer. He lingered there, marveling at the spark that shot from his lips to the tips of his toes.
"I've wanted to do that for weeks," he murmured, his lips ghosting over hers before he pulled back, his blue eyes bright as they met hers again.
Her first kiss in nearly a year. Her firstkiss since Jamie. And it was... electric. Her toes curled in her shoes. When he added more pressure she could have mewled - his lips were plush and sure and his hand on her cheek was confident and felt amazing. When he barely pulled apart to speak, she felt her head lean into that hand, savoring his touch, even as his lips brushed her own as he spoke. She smiled against his lips, “I’ve wanted you to,” she reassured him - she’d been so hopeful he’d kiss her on their first date (a feeling which had surprised her immensely) but this was... perfect. A perfect first kiss. She felt like, with Hans, that was just as it should be.
When his eyes met hers, she smiled more widely, feeling just... giddy and warm all through herself. It was so very lovely, just gazing into his eyes like a silly, lovesick fool.