neverlandillusion

[neverlandillusion]

lunch for two. ⠀⠀⤹ after connecting on a dating app, you agree to meet with single father Bang Chan for a lunch date. you're both out of practice, but the chemistry between you is undeniable.

GENRE:  romance, fluff, angst. CHARACTERS:  Bang Chan, Reader, Felix (mentioned) PAIRING:  Bang Chan/Reader WARNINGS:  discussion of past minor character death and the trauma around death - brief and non-descriptive.  WORD COUNT: 2100 A/N:  a prompt request from Liv.

Checking your phone for the time, you sighed softly, risking a quick peek at your hazy reflection in the glass window.  Attempting to be subtle about it, you assessed your appearance.  Hair: smooth and gently curled.  Makeup: intact and well-applied.  Good.  You’d been careful not to smudge anything on your way from your apartment to the restaurant, but you’d been known to be a harbinger of chaos in the past.  Especially when it came to important dates like this one.

Hoping to disguise how stupidly nervous you felt, you tucked your phone away in your purse.  “B.Chan97” wasn’t late, anyway.  

You were ridiculously EARLY.  

From the way the waitress kept glancing over at the still-empty seat across from you, she was starting to think you’d gotten stood up.  Mortifying, honestly.  The soft chime of your phone had you diving back into your purse to snatch it out—a DM!

Looking up from your phone, you half-stood, waving an arm at the man standing in the café doorway.  “Chan?”  You called uncertainly, catching his attention.  He turned, his confusion brightening into a wide smile as he spotted you in turn, hurrying over.  The man looked exactly like his picture—no, scratch that, he looked so much better.  

“Y/N,” he greeted, stopping to bow politely.  You awkwardly bowed back, still half out of your chair.  The man took the seat across from you, settling in.  “Was I late?  I’m so sorry.  I thought I’d be early.”

“No!”  You hasten to correct, lifting a hand to wave away his worries.  “I was very early – you’re nowhere near late.  I – I was a bit nervous, so I wound up here sooner than I’d meant to be.”  

Holy shit he was hot.  You’d known he was from his Booble profile pic, but this was – this was so much more.  He was dressed simply; a crisp white t-shirt and a pair of tight, faded jeans.  Chan took off the baseball cap he’d paired with the look, shaking out his short black hair.  Seeing you stare, he cracked another smile.

“A bit underdressed, huh?”  He hooked a finger in the collar of his shirt, shaking it out as he laughed.  It sounded a touch nervous, and something about how anxious he seemed in that moment loosened the tightness in your own stomach.  

“Not at all.”  You told him, returning his smile with one of your own, a touch shy.  “You look good.”

Ducking his head, Chan blushed faintly.  “So do you.  Pink is a good color on you.”  Glancing up, his eyes swept over the soft pink dress you’d chosen (with the assistance of your annoyed best friend who’d had to suffer through seemingly-endless “costume changes”).  The way his eyes felt on your skin – it made a shiver race up your spine.  Your stomach was in knots all over again.

“Thanks.”  You managed to whisper.  Your mouth felt dry.  

Grabbing the glass of ice water (mostly just water now, it’d been sitting so long) you’d ordered, you chugged it.  As you drank the waitress watched, her eyes sweeping over you both, openly curious.  Her gaze reminded you that you’d never ordered actual food, and you’d been in the place almost a half hour by that point.

“Ah, do you want to look over the menu, Chan?  I think I’ve decided what I want to eat.”  You handed it over to him, and the man nodded absently as he gave his attention to the menu.  While he looked over his food options, you played with the straw in your water cup; pinching it into flattened shapes while you waited.  

Glancing up, you found Chan’s heavy gaze narrowed in on you once more – shit.  Instantly your hands darted away from the straw, winding together beneath the table.

“My son does that, too.”  He told you with a fond smile; softer than the ones he’d shown you before.  It spoke of a bond so deep that, for a moment, you felt wistful to know what it was like to be loved like that.  “He gets so bored when we eat out, I try to bring him coloring books to keep him busy.”

His son.  You knew he had a kid; Chan was very open about it online.  It wasn’t a turn-off to you: you love children, and a big family was always something you’d seen for yourself in the future.  It was your deep love of children which had been the main reason you’d become a teacher.  

Though Chan’s son did make you curious of the mother.  Where she was in his life was not something Chan had made abundantly clear online, only that she was gone.

You wanted to ask, but you were scared to pry so soon into your first meeting.  “We’re both fidgeters, huh?”  You asked with an embarrassed smile.  “On your profile - it said he’s six?”  You gently probed for more information, leaving it up to Chan to set the boundaries of what he told you.

“Yes.”  Chan said.  “He turned six in September.  He’s a handful, but he’s a good boy.”  Shifting to pull out his phone, the man opened it up to an album of photos for you to look at.  “His name is Felix – well, Yongbok, but he can’t stand me using his Korean name yet.  He’s so incredibly smart and talented.  He even won a trophy at his recent football meet.”

The way Chan talked about his son, it was clear that the man adored him.  His pride and love made your ovaries scream.  It shouldn’t have been hot, but it was.  Oh, it WAS.  A gorgeous man who loved kids?  Sold.  You had to reign your hormones in, focusing on what Chan was saying and the pictures he was showing you.

The boy was adorable; all chubby cheeks and freckles.  He had big, expressive brown eyes, though in the latest photos Chan showed you, Felix didn’t seem very happy.  It was obvious that something had shifted in the last set of photos.

“He’s adorable.”  You told Chan honestly, smiling as you watched the proud father scroll through photos of his son.  He paused on a photo of Felix, much smaller and happier, and a woman, sitting at the edge of the ocean, both wearing wide smiles.  Chan’s happiness faded – his eyes matched the sadness you’d seen in Felix’s.  

Without giving it much thought, you reached over the table to gently squeeze his wrist, offering silent comfort.  You didn’t know Chan well – or at all, really – but at that moment, it just felt like he needed it.

“Sorry.”  He said, reaching over to place his hand atop yours, clasping it tight in return.  A silent thank you passing between you both.  “That’s my wife.  Was my wife.  She...she passed almost two years ago.  Cancer.”  His words were clipped; short.  Full of pain that was clearly lingering despite the passing of time.

Chan shut off his phone, pulling away as he closed in on himself – you let go, pulling back as well.

“I’m so sorry,” you told him, heart squeezing at the thought of how he and his young son must have suffered her loss.  “It can’t have been easy for either of you.”

“No.”  Chan agreed, “we left Australia a few months ago.  After she died, I couldn’t stand living there; surrounded by her memory.  Felix didn’t want to leave so I tried to stay for the first year...but I’m selfish.  I think he hates me for making him come to Korea.”

“No!”  You protested, “I’m sure he loves you.  It’s harder for children to express big emotions.  Death affects them differently, but just as intensely as it does us: he just needs time.  He’s going through a lot.  That’s a big move, on top of a huge life change.”

“Yes...it was a big move; he’s struggled a lot with learning Korean.  We never spoke it in Australia, so he can’t communicate well with his classmates.”

“Is Felix attending an international school?”  You pictured the small boy, lost among his classmates, unable to comfortably fit in.  “I’m a teacher myself, though I teach math.  English isn’t my strong suit, but if you ever want help, I’d be happy to assist you and Felix in whatever way I can.”

Chan seemed surprised by the offer, something passing over his face that you couldn’t quite place, not familiar enough with his expressions to properly decipher it.  “I...appreciate that.  So much.  Also – I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to monopolize the conversation like this, and to start off with such a heavy topic, no less.”

“Please don’t be.”  You told him.  “I want to get to know you, that’s the point of this date, right?”  

Acknowledging that you were on a date with the man made your heart do a flip flop in your chest.  It’d been so incredibly long since you’d gone out with someone, and here you were, seated across from a gorgeous man giving you all his attention.  It made you squirm.

“I should be better at this whole thing.”  Chan insisted, the color returning to his face.  But it wasn’t as cute as his blush before; his expression was miserable.

“Not at all.”  You insisted.  “Grief is purely individual, and no one can dictate how you grieve, or how long it takes you – or Felix, for that matter – to move on.”  Pinching your fingers together beneath the table, you laughed softly.  “I’m not good at this, either, Chan.  I haven’t been on a date in...years.”

“Then,” he said slowly, his warm brown eyes meeting, and holding, yours.  “We’ll re-learn this together?”

“Yes, please.”  You said, laughing softly.  “Maybe we should start over?  I’m Y/N.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  Instead of bowing you thrust a hand across the table, offering the western-style handshake greeting.

Laughing as well, Chan took your hand, holding it tight within his larger grasp.  “I’m Christopher Bang, or Bang Chan here, but please call me Chan.  It’s wonderful to share this meal with you, Y/N.”  He paused, still holding your hand, “well, I guess I can’t say we’re sharing a meal until we actually order a meal, huh?”

Releasing your hand, the man turned to summon the waitress, after placing your orders, you both fell back into conversation.  It came easily—naturally.  You discussed work: your teaching job, and Chan’s position as a music producer.  Though he was careful not to name-drop, it was clear from his conversation that he was well-respected and likely very good at his job.

Privately, you made a mental note to look him up later on google.

By the time you were finishing up the meal, you felt as if you’d known Chan years.  His warm nature put you at ease and left you longing for a way to extend your lunch date into dinner – maybe something more.  

The man insisted on paying the bill, not letting you get a word in edgewise as you protested.  “Please,” he said, leveling you with those dark brown eyes, making you melt back into your seat, “let me.”

How could you – or anyone, for that matter – say no to that?  Impossible.

“I’d like to see you again, Y/N.”  Chan said as he walked you to the bus stop a few minutes later.  His white shirt tugged at the seams, broad shoulders filling the material out in a way that should’ve been illegal.  It had your brain stuttering to reply, desperately chugging along as it tried to keep up.

“I’d like that, too, Chan.”  You said softly.  You’d like more than he could possibly know.  “I’ll message you when I’m home later?”  You say, posing it as an open question for him.  You’re not able to hide the longing tone, and it makes the man grin.

“Yes.”  He told you firmly.  Coming to a halt at the bus stop, he looked down at you, clearly hesitating for a moment.  “It...it was so nice to meet you, Y/N.  I want to see you again.  Soon.  Really.”

“Yeah.”  You could feel the heat of your blush.  It felt good to know he’d enjoyed meeting you – that the attraction you felt was mutual.  “Soon.”

“Be safe getting home, Y/N.”  Chan told you, finally giving into whatever he’d been hesitating on.  His hand lifted, and gentle fingers tucked the long strands of your hair behind your ear.  The tip of his finger gently traced the curve of your ear.  The simple action left you breathless, heart hammering away in your chest. “I’ll see you later.”

You swallowed hard, nodding.  “O-Okay.  See you.”

Knees wobbling, you felt like a baby deer, watching the man disappear down the street.  He’d stolen a piece of your heart with his warm smile, and you knew at that moment, you were in danger.  Bang Chan was going to wreck your whole world.

And you were kinda looking forward to it.