After being let into Peter’s suite, Rhiannon couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. She was glad they were both in the same place after spending almost all of the last month or so apart. When his mother became unwell, she of course supported his decision to go home to Slovenia. She even went and spent the a few days with him there, so it wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other at all. Their relationship was in a good place at the moment, but it was about to get more complicated due to some news she had to share with Peter. “You really need some help unpacking. It looks like tornado went through here, if I’m being honest,” she said, deciding to make a joke and keep things light for now as she took a seat on the arm of the sofa. “You’ve been back, what, a few hours?”
@stevanovic
.
peter knew that while he was good at an array of disciplines, he was also aware that he lacked talent in many others, often the ones that were actually useful on a day-to-day routine — such as packing a bag. yes, he had thrown the important parts somewhere at the bottom of the semi-large bag, and in the panic of thinking he’d forgotten it, he’d ended up with most of his belongings scattered around the room, with the man in the middle of it all. he knew it was bad, hence the embarrassed laugh that fell off his lips when rhiannon spoke. “i fucking missed you, too.” he said through a still embarrassed look — she wasn’t supposed to see this. “hey, you don’t know. maybe an actual tornado came through, and you’re mocking me.” turning his attention away from the brunette and to the little technology station he had set on his nightstand, he spoke again. “hey google, do tornadoes come through argentina?” to his surprise, the virtual assistant basically responded saying that yes, they do. a cocky smile on his face, he turned back. “what did i tell you? don’t judge me.” he laughed again. “uh, yeah, i think. i kinda lost track of time... how are you doing?” he asked, now sitting on the sofa next to her, a hand on her thigh.
peter’s time back home in slovenia had been quite stressful. not fully-ready to jump back into the madness that was his time around the hotel in argentina ( partially scared of what he could do next... because not even peter himself knew ) he limited his interactions and stuck with those who at the very least, tolerated him. of course, that list was short, composed of only natasja magnusdóttir. he slurped his soda with his sunglasses on — the warm argentinean summer a welcome change in scenery, for sure — and although he wasn’t supposed to, he ripped one of the small bunches of alyssums carefully planted on the side, and stretched his arm to place it on top of the brunette’s head. “and now you have a hat.” he announced, a grin on his features. / @nctasja
announcing his royal highness, ( peter emil stevanović ), the ( 36 ) year old ( prince ) of ( slovenia ). he is often confused with ( chris evans ). some say that he is ( passive-agressive and cocky ), but he is actually ( driven and charming ). ( peter ) is arranged to marry ( rhiannon of wales )
GOOD MORNING, GAMERS! it’s gabs, bringing back your favorite slovenian idiot! i’m excited to be back and super excited to plot and write with you all! give this shitty intro a like and i’ll come bother you for plots / connections / lovin’ !
about —
full name: peter emil stevanović
age: 36
birthday: may 23rd, 1984 (gemini)
sexual orientation: heterosexual
gender: cis male
pronouns: he/his
peter is the middle child of king andrej and queen sara of slovenia. he has an older brother and a younger sister.
growing up homeschooled, the stevanović children had a stellar relationship. it translated well on tabloids, and it showed the royal family to be somewhat of a model for slovenia, a relatively new country — in a sense that the population seemed to agree with king andrej more than the past monarchs, as it seemed that he was able to not only keep the country together, but his family also. and it would’ve stayed that way, but that close friendship they all had was tampered with once the king started favoring the older brother, the heir to the throne.
peter took this switch on the relationship to heart. it wasn’t even that he wanted to be king, or anything; he did want to know his father, though. he wanted the bond his older brother had formed with the man ( #daddyissues )
so his personality kind of molded around trying to make his father proud, or at least,to get him to notice the boy. he was studious, he completed every duty with grace and excellence, earning him a few pats on the shoulder every now and then — and resulting in a very unhappy, self-conscious person. but one man could only take so much rejection, right? at one point peter stopped trying. it hadn’t been him who started the rebellion, it had been his sister. when peter realized she didn’t care about the other men anymore, he decided he wouldn’t either. instead, he’d live out his life as a spare, and not worry about the royal burdens that weren’t his to carry.
for a while there, peter got himself in some trouble with the slovenian media, which actually got him more attention from his father than any of his efforts had before, this rebellion of his birthed this odd snarky personality of his, that is sometimes is just as light-hearted as it is loaded with anger.
he attended university in ljubljana, the capital of his country, and obtained a degree in computer science — from everything he tried, he realized math, science and technology were his favorite. his father wanted him to get a degree in either history or political science, peter went his own way and made a decision for himself, for once. he even attempted joined the slovenian air force, but was ultimately thrown out after a year because of his lousy eyesight. while his ego was hurt, peter took this opportunity to travel across europe, more often than not offering the help he could with any technological endeavors in schools and for many different organizations. he settled in wales for a bit, after falling for a welsh woman. and to make his stay more acceptable, peter went back to school for a masters in computer programming.
he initially met princess rhiannon at a bar, and after a night of drinking, the two ended up sleeping together. peter found himself so entangled with the welsh princess he ended the relationship he had started... only to beg the woman in question to take him back once he realized the princess wasn’t going to contact him again.
sooner than later, peter got the news that he was actually meant to marry rhiannon. without even being asked, he had been arranged to marry a woman who wasn’t interested in him, not in the slightest. he did try to protest the arrangement, but once he found out it had been his father’s idea to somehow reward him for all the hard work he’d done throughout the years, he settled. his father thought that this marriage would strengthen the alliance between the two countries, and peter was aware of his small country’s need to ground itself. so he decided he’d make his father proud. ( #daddyissues, reprised ) little did peter know just how hard it would be to do so. princess rhiannon was not very cooperative with the whole situation.
headcanons —
peter’s hobbies all come from all the activities he got into as a child: ranging from sports to the arts, but he was never a good plastic artist. painting and color have never been his forte, although he loves music and photography.
he is both nearsighted and farsighted, but refuses to wear his glasses in public. in order to see though, he wears contact lenses.
he left for a few months back to slovenia after his mother contracted some mysterious illness. he was pleasantly susprised when he noticed their relationship remained to be as strong as it always had been.
he has donated millions of euro anonymously to different technologic organization, especially those that encourage children to learn about science and computers.
Opening her eyes, Rhiannon was quick to notice Peter was not next to her. She couldn’t believe she was already getting used to sharing a bed with him. And not to mention she was slowly starting to leave more and more of her things in his hotel suite. Things were going very well, and honesty, she couldn’t remember the last time she was this happy. She just hoped whatever they had wasn’t too good to be true, because in her experience any relationship she ever had went south. Regardless, they were stuck together so it wasn’t like either of them could run away again. As Rhiannon let out a yawn, she was quick to notice that the suite smelled amazing, so she got up, threw on her oversized t-shirt, and went to go find the source. “What’s going on here?” Rhiannon asked, still half asleep as she approached Peter. “I appreciate the fact that you’ve already learned to not wake me up. I’m not a happy camper when that happens.”
@stevanovic
...
if anything, this would be a nice gesture. rhiannon was difficult to crack, but so far the effort had been worth it. she was a lovely girl, and once he’d managed to get past the wall she had built between them, peter had come to learn a lot about her, including things they had in common — which were more than what he’d thought. after learning about her multiple food allergies, he accepted a challenge nobody had posed. he’d pulled some strings, somehow, and he’d ended up with a gluten and dairy free breakfast that still managed to have some flavor in it, all made by him. to top it off, he even made some fresh orange juice to prepare a mimosa for her — a casual breakfast drink, right? no shame in day drinking, considering how many sips of the champagne he’d had himself while preparing it all. definitely too focused on his goal, he did not hear any movement coming in his direction. “ah!” he jumped back in genuine surprise, a smile quickly drawing itself on his lips after a quick roll of his eyes. “yes, and i was supposed to use that skill to my advantage — you were supposed to stay in bed. you’re up early, ruining my surprise.”
“okay, i will call you what i want: asshole! thank you so much for the permission!” it was a word that had drifted in and out of her head intermittently for the last seven years, and she’d thought that saying it out loud to him would feel good. it didn’t. it made her feel like shit. “oh, that what would’t matter? the five year relationship you had with her? or the fact that you fucked her baby sister after you were done with it? or maybe that you fucked her baby sister again seven years down the line? maybe all of the above?” she knew she was just as much to blame as he was, if not more so, but… she couldn’t stop herself, again, her mouth was completely beyond her control, and he was acting like an idiot.
his next statement caught her off guard. “i didn’t ask you to do that.” she said. the words were cold, even as the idea that he cared caused that stupid stutter in her heart. “yeah, you haven’t seen me since rome. did you stop to think that maybe i wanted it that way? maybe you hadn’t seen me for a reason?” that was bullshit, she honestly just hadn’t even thought to reach out to him, but he didn’t need to know that. he could think she’d iced him out on purpose. maybe then he’d leave her alone, finally, he’d walk out for the last time and never think of her again. that way she wouldn’t have to do the hard thing herself. she scoffed. he treated being irritating like it was his damn job. “fuck you.” she shook her head, the anger returning in full force after the momentary lapse. “i thought you would be, yes! aren’t you just writhing with anger at the fact that i told my sister my- your- our biggest secret? i bet she hates you now, doesn’t she, peter? and it’s my fault, because i’m the one who couldn’t keep my mouth shut. doesn’t that make you just the least bit mad?” god, she hoped it did. she hoped, desperately, that her words would get the reaction out of him that she hadn’t been able to get out of her sister. she laughed, low and derisive and cold. “it’s bad news for both of us, because i’m pretty goddamn sure she hates me, too.”
by that point, peter figured there was no use in trying to defend himself and what was left of his ego. the entire thing was so ridiculous, such a small piece of the puzzle... but alas, it was here to bite him, as were many (if not all) of his poorly made decisions. in response to serafina’s insult, the man simply let out a sigh and extended an arm in her direction for a split second: a silent there it is. after all, she wasn’t wrong — but the slovenian’s ego wasn’t bruised to the point of admitting it a second time. it was bruised enough, however, to allow frustration to seep into the cracks. it was ridiculous. “yes, serafina. i didn’t think it would matter — five years, what, seven years ago? i didn’t think any of it would matter. not that i want you, not when or what i did. never thought i’d be so fucking important to the entirety of the polish family. fucking christ.” his words came before he could fully process them, before he could actually stop himself from saying them.
another sigh left him, as the weight of his own words fell on his chest. he had to remind himself to be calm — the situation was stupid and there was no need to let it escalate. god, if he could keep one good memory from his mistakes, he would want for that to be sera. she had been everything he’d needed at a time where peter himself didn’t know what he needed, and dear god he wanted her to not hate him. not her. another sigh fell from his nostrils, lips tightened into a line. her insults stung, and they seemed to be the answer to a lot of peter’s concerns. “not really, no,” he breathed out. “maybe a little. but it was bound to happen, sooner or later, wasn’t it?” he let out a bitter chuckle, the bitterness aimed mostly at himself. “none of that matters, sera, that’s for me to figure out. i’m mostly concerned about you — whether you like it or not.” another sigh. “she loves you. she needs time, is all.” another pathetic chuckle. “for what it’s worth, and i’ve said this before — i don’t regret it. any of it. i’m sorry i got you into all of this.”
Rhiannon couldn’t deny that it felt good to finally make progress with Peter. She finally got what she needed to say off her chest. Maybe it wasn’t terrible to be open and honest with some people. “Yes, you could say that I am. Books were always a way for me to escape and kind of live another life, if that makes sense. It sounds super nerdy,” Rhiannon said, shrugging her shoulders. There was a much softer side to her that a lot of people didn’t get to see. As much as she liked to go out and have a good time, sometimes she preferred to sit in her bed and read or watch movies. “Most people don’t know about my poor vision, so consider yourself lucky,” she laughed before taking another sip fo tea. It was crazy to her how much chemistry they seemed to have, which was another reason why she had been afraid in the first place. And she was very much enjoying his company. “Could you imagine how hilarious tiny windshield wipers would look? I’m sure someone somewhere has invented them. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.” Once Rhiannon heard Peter’s next question, she paused for a moment, her eyes locked on his as she got up from the sofa and walked over toward him. “I do have one more thing for you, actually,” she said, looking up at him once she closed the gap between them. Standing on her tiptoes, she did her best to place a kiss on his lips. “I hope that didn’t disappoint. It’s not the easiest task in the world since you’re a giant.”
“it makes sense, yeah,” peter reassured with a wide smile on his face. it was nice to hear her speaking to him more. he liked to see this relaxed side of her, something that he had never been exposed to when it came to his previous meetings with the welsh princess. it made him feel more confident about both their futures, and more specifically, the one they were destined to share. it would be a lie if he didn’t admit to himself that he did think, for a good minute there, that her explanation from earlier had just been some kind of talk to avoid hurting his feelings. but as he held his cup of tea and watched the woman in her element... his anxiety melted into a smile. “i do. i am very lucky.” the response to rhiannon’s comment about her vision left him before he could fully think it through, but it was just the honesty from the feelings all melting into each other, creating just a blob... but it was a warm one. “they have to exist. i’m willing to bet money on it.” he added, a bit more cheerfully this time. “oh?” the mystery the brunette’s answer exuded made the slovenian raise his eyebrows, his eyes glued to her movements. and peter... had not expected that. the moment her lips met his, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. but what shook him the most was the fact she didn’t give him enough time to react. he gave her a weak chuckle in response to her words. “not disappointing, not at all.” he gave her a solemn look and a nod, before he placed his cup of tea on the nearest flat surface. “i could give you a hand, if you’d like...” his words started trailing off as his face got closer to hers, bending a little to even out the height difference as much as possible. “or... two?” his question wasn’t really a question — he gently placed his hands on her waist as he pressed his lips on hers again, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
“my memoirs will look back upon our engagement and wonder ‘why?’” natasja gives him a sly smile, “you should start writing your own, so i can’t make up ridiculous lies about you. it’ll be a bestseller, i’m sure. your tell all would definitely ruin a couple of lives, i think.” she laughs at the idea of it: peter writing a tell-all book would certainly be a trainwreck. she really hoped it never happened, because half the jokes he’d tell about her would end up taken literally by the press and she already had enough on her plate with just his jokes on their own. “i’m…” well, that question never got easier, did it? she remembers how it followed her around two years ago, and how it was beginnin to pick back up again, “i’ll be okay, really. i can assure you i’ve been better though.” she gives him a smile, and does what she does best: deflects, “you could try not embarrassing me in front of the hostess next time? that would help.”
“oh, please,” peter retorted with a sly smile and a soft psh! sound, that tried too hard to be dignified, but fell flat on its face. “historians will all collectively agree natasja of iceland truly missed out on one handsome man.” the joke could go on forever. if he could, he’d pull up the same joke at his actual wedding, but he wouldn’t give nat the satisfaction of knowing this. although, by this point, it was fairly obvious he enjoyed the back and forth. peter was glad that, at the very least, his first failed engagement led to what he hoped would be a life-long friendship — so far, so good, anyway. even if the jokes were at his expense. a grimace quickly took over the amused look on his features, his blue eyes shrinking as his nose scrunched. “yeah, i think it’s better for everyone if i... didn’t. a whole new war would spark with the goal of having my dick on a spike somewhere. poland, if i had to guess.” he took a sip of his water, wishing it were alcohol for a moment. “can only hope to have iceland on my side if that were the case, right?” a soft chuckle fell off his lips, before he nodded at nat’s response. “i believe you. i... i’m sorry. you know i’d do anything for you, yeah?” he leaned in a little as he spoke, before immediately falling back into the back of his seat. “except that, i’m afraid.” although his tone sounded serious, he had a grin on his face.
hi friends! my hiatus got me to totally lose track of my threads rip
so pls like/comment if you’d like a starter from peter for any of your muses ( pls specify 🤪! ) if we already have a thread going and you’d like for it to continue pls let me know, too! so i can search for it...
Rhiannon had been deeply hurt in her past. Everyone she ever cared for left her when she needed them the most, which was why she shut everyone out. It was why she shut Peter out, and it had been a big step for her to have that conversation with him. She never spoke about her struggles to anyone besides her sister. The feelings that she had developed for Peter frightened her and she still didn’t exactly know what to do about that. The fact that he actually brought her the book only heightened those feelings. It was the most thoughtful thing anyone had done for her in a long time. But, she wouldn’t get her hopes up. “Still, it’s very nice of you. I’ll start reading it before I go to sleep tonight…well, this morning,” she said about the late hour. She was pleasantly surprised that he took her up on the offer to come in for tea, and she couldn’t hide the hint of a smile on her lips. Was she happy for once? Walking into the kitchen area, she grabbed two mugs and quirked a brow at him. “Thank you. I’m actually blind as a bat. I wear contact lenses during the day and glasses at night.” Not that he would be aware. Whenever they had their evening rendezvous, she never stuck around long enough for him to know that. Approaching him, she held a mug of tea out for him to take before she sat down on the sofa. “Watch this. When I drink my tea, my glasses fog up,” she said, taking a sip and letting out a laugh as her glasses did just that. “It’s like I’m hotboxing myself.”
...
peter stepped into the welsh’s room, all silent for a moment as he couldn’t think of what to say, exactly. it wasn’t like the hotel rooms were all that different from each other, so he wasn’t really sure what to compliment... he felt like he needed to compliment something else, although all he wanted to talk about was how cute she looked right then. could he do so without being too forward? it was unlikely, so what the hell could he talk about? then she mentioned the book. aha! that was the answer. “so you’re not only a reader, you’re an avid one at that?” he asked with a smile. “no rush, though. you can keep it for as long as you’d like.” while he remained at an appropriate distance, peter followed rhiannon, leaning against the nearest wall once she stopped. “really?” he asked, slight disbelief in his tone. “i would’ve never known,” a laugh fell off his lips with the confession. “thank you,” peter grabbed the mug, his position not changing much otherwise. he raised an eyebrow as he listened, followed by more laughter as he saw her words happen. “that’s adorable,” he admitted. “i’ll have to get you tiny windshield wipers.” it was nice to see her so... comfortable. he must have done something right, for this was the first time he’d ever seen her like this. “i have learned so many things about you today... got anything else for me?”
❝ Gwen mentioned that you were handsome and I have to agree with her. ❞ Peter was easy on the eyes. ❝ I still hate arranged marriages and think Rhiannon should break it off but at least you have one thing going for you. ❞ ( @stevanovic )
“she did? well —” peter was about to continue to make some kind of grand statement on the welsh monarchs, but the words that followed the brunette’s compliment threw peter for a loop. “uh... thank you.” while his words weren’t a question per se, the tone they came out in definitely made them sound like one. “may i ask why? to... both statements?”
After speaking with Peter, Rhiannon did feel a little bit better. Opening up to him had been very difficult, but it was something she needed and wanted to do. Since they were to be married, she didn’t want things to be miserable and for that to work they needed to get along the best that they could. At this hour, Rhiannon was always awake. She was very much a night owl, she wasn’t at all disturbed by the knock. Wearing an oversized t-shirt, her glasses, and her long brown hair down, she opened the door and was surprised to see Peter standing there with a book. “Oh, thank you! I appreciate it, but there wasn’t any rush. You could have brought it by in the morning since you’re probably missing out on sleep.” She thought the gesture was very kind, and it was a mystery to her why someone would go out of their way for her. “…Do you want to come in? I was just making some tea and you’re welcome to have some.”
to be quite honest, peter had not expected to get such a welcoming reaction from the welsh princess. it had him thinking about the conversation they’ve had earlier that day — but it somehow did not feel real to peter. it wasn’t that he didn’t believe the woman, it was more that he was way too set in his ways. maybe he could run and barge into dianna’s room for the night, jump into the ocean — anything to keep him from feeling the constant heartbreak that came from rhiannon’s constant rejection. part of him felt her words were a way to mask it, mask the rejection. his stomach turned at the though. “oh no, don’t mention it. i couldn’t just bail out on my promise now, could i?” he chuckled, his words a lot deeper than he realized. her next words confused him just as much as they intrigued him. and while part of him knew it probably looked bad, to go into the woman’s room at such a late hour... the curiosity got the best of him. “of course, thank you. tea sounds great.” he said as he entered the woman’s room, giving himself a moment to study her as he closed the door behind him. she was gorgeous — but he’d known this already. to a much more intimate level than what the surface offered, but he wouldn’t mention that... he safely assumed she was not interested in him in that way. “your glasses, they’re cute.” he added with a small smile. “i didn’t know you needed them.”
“princess vita!” peter exclaimed, a bit louder than necessary, more than anything hoping natasja would be nearby, ready to cut peter’s head off after he’d found her fiancée, after being told ( jokingly, of course... or at least, he hoped ) not to. “i’ve heard so much about how great your third day being engaged was. i’m glad i was able to set such a great example of what not to do.” after failing to spot the icelandic princess from his height, peter sighed. “but if you’d bear with me here, it is actually a pleasure to meet you.” | ( @vitasturias )
it was way too late to be knocking on anyone’s door, let alone rhiannon’s. there were some conflicting thoughts going around in peter’s otherwise empty brain — she had said she didn’t dislike him. it didn’t mean she liked him either, and if she knew what he’d been up to since he was integrated into the program, she would probably like him even less. but she had given him more, something to work with, and he had witnessed how difficult it had been for her. to say he had messed up there was an understatement. and it probably was a mistake to knock on her door this late. she was probably sleeping by then — shit. the door suddenly opened, and peter froze for a second. he slapped the book onto his palm, giving rhiannon an expectant look. “i’m sorry, it took me way too long to find this thing. either i or housekeeping misplaced it, but,” he waved the softcover in front of him. “i found it.” | ( @rhiannonofwales )
this was not an opportunity she had been groomed for — the death of her brother in law or running into an old acquaintance. his presence was unexpected but certainly not breaking news. peter was so much more than a forgotten friend or the object of her previous coquetry. but things were different now. as if it weren’t already apparent by the wedding band on her finger or the stark white in her complexion the moment she saw him. like most things, he was so much easier to ignore when they were worlds apart, carrying out their respective civic duties like they were expected to. the glimmer in his eyes sparked a familiarity between them. she remembered that coy grin. her lips pressed together firmly when he reciprocated the gallantry. was he mocking her? “i’m fine.” there was a sternness in her voice that didn’t match his smile. what happened between them was complicated. so much so, that she couldn’t pinpoint the exact feeling it gave her. the only way she could combat the flurry of emotions was bitterness or geniality. valentina picked the former. whether or not peter deserved unforgiving hostility was still up for debate. the breath she released was exaggerated but much needed. her lips parted to speak. she wanted to tell him everything yet the past was proof enough that although peter may have been the solace she wanted — he was not the solace she could have. still, there was no official word on how long the princess of spain would be here, therefore, it was in her best interest to behave with a bit of savoir faire. at least that was her excuse for now. “walk with me a while? i’m having trouble figuring out what’s so grand about this place. from where i’m standing, it’s a glorified daycare for adults.”
-
for the most part, peter had been proud of his attention to detail when it came to valentina. the last time he had seen her... well, no — when they had last been happy together, he would’ve sworn up and down that he knew her better than anyone else. but his thoughts were quickly contradicted by the spaniard herself, that one faithful night that had become the last time peter would’ve been able to call valentina his. and of course, out of every breakup he’d dealt with, his very unfortunate track record considered — this woman standing in front of her, pale as a ghost, had definitely hurt the most, because he didn’t have control over the situation. it had been his fault, without him knowing so. and still, seeing her there, he wanted to make sure she was alright... there was no point in holding anything against the girl. and god, she looked beautiful — she always did. his eyes quickly darted from the very apparent wedding band ( which he knew about, it was just a burning wish to perhaps NOT find it there that evening ) and back to her features.
he expected hostility. after all, every mistake he’d ever made had made out to slap him in the face simultaneously, it was almost puzzling to receive such a calm request. “of course,” the words left him before he could even think. of what? it didn’t matter, he simply hadn’t thought. “that’s quite accurate, actually. you found the words i’d been looking for, for a few weeks now.” a light chuckle fell from his lips, and his smile widened. “but are you sure there’s nothing else? you looked like you’d seen a ghost for a moment there.”
“I mean… guess there’s only one way to find out?” She offered up with a laugh. “Like I said, if she hated you, you’d absolutely know. As for Rhi, get to know her drink order and you’ll at least be in her good graces for an hour or two.”
-
“while that sounds like a wonderful idea, as i could use a few drinks myself... i would also like for her to like me when she’s sober.” he chuckled. “but at least i’m getting a little more to work with there. i am getting way more from you than i have from anyone else thus far, so, thank you.” peter added a nod of acknowledgement. “but enough about my failing engagement. how are you, gwen?”
vaughn blinked a few times as a figure he had not quite expected to see was right in front of him. vaughn pulled off his sunglasses and placed them on top of his head. “ peter, oh my god ! ” he let a wide smile spread on his face. “ ah that’s… ” he took a deep breath. “ i hoped you would show up, to be honest. but it was a lot. it was bigger than i thought it would be, you might have enjoyed it if you had given it a chance. i saw a few people who i thought hated children. ”
-
peter gave him a somewhat shy smile, mixed with a bit of guilt. “that day was a weird day. i had just flown out to thailand from wales the day before, then the next morning i was told to go to rome. i don’t think my brain was there.” he half-explained. “i still need to get him a good gift, but i don’t really know what eight-year-olds find acceptable these days. i did, however,” he lifted a hand, revealing a bottle of italian liquor. “manage to get this for you on the way over here. it all seemed to happen so fast, or at least it did for me. i’m not sure if it’s any good, but the man was really pushing it. hopefully it will work for your experiments?” he raised his eyebrows at the man’s comment. “really? well, that’s interesting. either dani is really that charming, or people really want to look good in front of you and barbara. what’s your take?”
