A/N: I had these two together for the longest time but I never ended up writing fics for them. Anyways, Piotr Skut is underrated and deserves love! Oh, and Tintin loves playing matchmaker :3 - anyways, I hope y'all enjoy. This fic kinda takes place in the movie-verse, so this is a long while after the second world war (yeah, they had played around with time a bit in the movie).

Also, I did a bit of research and I couldn't find any restaurants or restaurant names that were around in the mid 1900's, but I know one restaurant in Brussels, Belgium in this time called the La Villette, so I'm using that in this fic.

Edit: I've had this file in my, well, files on FFN for over 4 years brothers, and I'm a bit upset that I let such a good fic idea go to waste, but at the same time, I've had time to develop more ideas! Better ideas lol but anyways, imma shut up now.

Chapter Genre: Friendship

Chapter Rating: K

Rating Content: None

It was a quiet day at Marlinspike Hall. The Captain had decided to take a stroll out in the gardens, Piotr was reading the morning paper whilst drinking his tea, and Tintin was typing quietly at a desk, most likely working on another report for the papers, as Snowy slept at his feet.

It truly was a peaceful morning.

Despite appearances, Piotr was doing a lot more than reading the morning paper. Piotr was. and had been, thinking about Tintin. He was a young bachelor, but between his adventures and his job as a reporter, he never seemed to settle down for a short while to find a special someone. And he had an idea as to who he could be well matched with.

His younger sister, Annika, was without a beau, and she had expressed that she didn't really know or trust anyone in this new place. Tintin, he knew, was a gentleman and he himself knew the lad. So, he would try getting them together. He just needed to figure out how.

He flipped to another page, although now he wasn't really reading. It was just a bunch of more bad news; something about a bridge being taken down and closing off the road. There was a lovely restaurant that he and Tintin went to whenever they wanted to catch up on things, but he and Annika also went there whenever he just wanted to treat her to something. Sometimes he'd even just go there himself just for some coffee or for one of their delicious pastries, whenever he wanted to take a breather or just have time to himself.

Yes, La Villette would be the perfect spot!

Nodding his head slightly, Piotr folded the newspaper and put it on the end table beside him. Taking a sip of his tea, he cleared his throat, catching Tintin's attention. "Tintin, my friend. When was last time we had time to chat?"

The young lad's eyebrows raised slightly, a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm actually not certain, Skut. You've been unusually busy with piloting, we've hardly had time to catch up on things."

He chuckled. "Or you are called off to another adventure."

Tintin laughed as well. "Yes, that is true."

"When works best for you?"

"Well, tomorrow is the only other day I have off," he replied, "as long as that works for you."

Piotr had to hold back the smile that threatened to spread across his lips. "It works perfectly. Noon at La Villette?"

Tintin nodded. "I'll be there."

/ / /

Piotr walked down the sidewalk with Annika at his side. She had dressed rather nicely for this occasion, wearing a white blouse and red skirt and leggings. She had even done her hair up into a side braid. She always enjoyed dressing up whenever they went out.

He had dressed in his blue shirt and black trousers, of course. It was his usual attire, but it was a semi-formal sort of outfit. If it weren't for their nearly-identical looks many would have thought they were out on a date. They had been mistaken for twins more than once, due to their blue eyes (well, her eyes and his eye) and blonde hair. But no, she was a few good years younger than him, and blonde was just a really strong gene in the family.

When he saw Tintin coming down the street along with Snowy, he resisted the urge to immediately wave. Try to make it look like a coincidence, he thought. It would be easy as well. Hopefully. And Tintin never minded more company, as sometimes he would invite the Captain along.

Once they were more in earshot, Tintin had waved at them. "Skut, fancy meeting you here!" He joked

Perfect introduction, he thought. That was their usual greeting whenever they met up at the restaurant, an old joke between them. "Hello, Tintin." He smiled.

Snowy barked and ran up to greet the pilot, and then to greet Annika. She smiled at the small dog and briefly knelt down to scratch him behind his ears. "Aren't you adorable!"

Piotr quickly moved to introductions. "Tintin, this is Annika, my younger sister. Annika, meet-"

"Tintin, the reporter." She finished for him. "I've read all his articles, Piotr."

Tintin's face brightened. "You're familiar with my work?"

She nodded. "Yes. Quite the adventures, I must say!"

Piotr smiled at them. They were getting along quite well, he thought. And hopefully, they would keep getting along. Annika was a polite young girl but she could also be headstrong. And sometimes outgoing.

"Shall we move into restaurant?" Piotr asked.

They both nodded. "Right," said Tintin. "Almost forgot..."

Once they were seated, they both immediately started another conversation with one another. "Skut had told me a fair bit about you and your family." He said. "Your family moved into Brussels just a few years ago?"

Annika nodded. "Yes, but I had been learning English far sooner than Piotr had, because we were planning on moving out of Estonia far before that. If we were going to move into an English-speaking country, it would be best if I knew the language. That's why my accent isn't quite as thick." She then leaned in. "And why I don't have broken English." She whispered.

Piotr chuckled. "I can hear you, Annika."

She leaned back and smiled at her older brother. "Well, it's true; you only started learning English when you were going to school to become a Pilot."

Before Piotr could respond, a waitress arrived with a notepad in hand. "Hello, I'm Merideth and I shall be waiting on you this-afternoon."

For a moment, his heart skipped a beat. Merideth? What were the chances that they would be waiting on them today? Normally they were busy at this time, surely she would-

He jumped slightly as he felt someone kick at his leg under the table. When he looked up he saw that Merideth was waiting patiently. Oh, he was supposed to order something to drink. Right.

He cleared his throat and shifted slightly in his seat. "Ah, just green tea, please."

She smiled pleasantly and wrote it down. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

Piotr nearly wanted to slap himself. He probably looked like an idiot to her in that moment. Taking a slight breath, he opened up his menu and looked at what they had to offer for lunch. Normally he and Tintin would meet around breakfast but that's when they served more of their pastries and some breakfast foods as well, but Annika wasn't a morning person and she preferred their lunch-food anyhow.

The fish and chips was always good, he thought, but he always got that whenever he and Annika would go out. Maybe he should try something different. Maybe their chicken and rice, served with a side of fresh vegetables. They always had the best fresh produce.

In a few moments, Merideth was back, balancing a platter with their drinks on her hand, weaving in between the tables. "Here you are."

She set the drinks down on the table and, putting the platter under her arm, she asked them. "Are you ready to order, or do you need more time?"

They all glanced at each other before Tintin nodded. "I think we're ready."

She pulled out her notepad and pen, turning first to Piotr. Why him? Tintin was the one who spoke, why did she-

"What can I get for you, hon?"

He swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. "Ah, the Chicken with Rice."

Merideth smiled and immediately wrote it down. She then turned to Annika, "And for you?"

Such a sweet voice, he thought. Soft and melodic. When he first heard it, he had felt like an angel was speaking (and he doesn't toss that term around lightly). Shining red hair, like a flame, her eyes the deepest of greens, like an emerald. Her skin was the colour of ivory, and the freckles on her face were just like small sprinkles of cocoa.

She was truly beautiful.

When she left once again, Piotr stared for a few brief moments before turning his attention back to the table, grabbing his cup of tea to take a sip from it.

Tintin leaned in, a smug grin on his face. "Admiring from afar, Skut?"

He suddenly breathed in and, as a result, ended up having some tea come from his nose. Good heavens, that burned! He quickly grabbed at a napkin and wiped at his lips and nose, coughing slightly from the burning sensation. Now incredulous, he gave Tintin a look. "Pardon?"

Annika laughed. "He caught you admiring Merideth, Piotr."

"No, I was just- no, just..." He shook his head slightly. "No."

He resumed his tea, mentally slapping himself for turning into a stuttering idiot. He never really was good with women. He had always been so busy as a pilot before he met Tintin, he felt he never really had the time to court. He did now, of course, and not that he never thought about courting a nice lady, but he just wasn't sure how to go about it. In his younger years, before he was a pilot, he wasn't a rambunctious boy like most of his friends were and he had never fooled around either. His mother had raised him right, in his opinion.

But, now, his experience (or lack thereof) with women was catching up with him.

The forlorn look on his face was not lost on Annika. She had seen that face a few times before, whenever their parents' anniversary would come up, or Christmas when their brother and his wife would come and visit. As far as she knew, never once had Piotr been in the company of a lady friend, and now it was starting to get to him. She didn't particularly enjoy seeing her brother being alone, but she also didn't enjoy seeing her brother feeling alone.

So, unbeknownst to him, she had been hatching a plan of her own.

This wasn't the first time Annika had caught him staring at Merideth. She knew he liked her, and she also knew he wasn't going to do a thing about it. She thought that, with a little bit of nudging, she'd be able to get them together in no time.

She would've gotten her plan into motion a little bit sooner, but the thing was, she needed help executing it. She had become good friends with Merideth, so one part of the plan was completed, but she needed someone else who knew Piotr very well in order to help her. And now that she met Tintin, things would definitely be a lot easier.

Hopefully Tintin enjoyed playing matchmaker as much as she did.

/ / /

Walking through the park was one of Piotr's more favourite activities. It was normally pretty quiet in the afternoon as well, as most people would be done with their picnics or would just be staying home.

The family dog also enjoyed the park. He was an old dog and the park was calm and relaxing for him.

Still, as he walked along the stone path, he couldn't help but feel somewhat melancholy. He'd often pass by couples, young and old alike, and it made him think that it would be nice to enjoy long walks with someone other than the dog.

He was really starting to regret not getting to know some of the ladies he met back in Estonia.

Piotr let out a quiet sigh, bringing the attention of the dog. He nuzzled into his owner's leg, letting out a soft whine. The Estonian pilot smiled and patted the dog's head. "I am fine, Old Boy." He spoke quietly in his native language.

They walked for a short while longer and the call of his name drew his attention towards the lake. "Piotr! Fancy meeting you here!"

He looked to see his younger sister and Tintin walking next to the lake, with Snowy on a leash. Along with someone he didn't quite recognize.

Old Boy barked and dashed over towards them, stopping suddenly and carefully sniffing at Snowy, who barked and wagged the stub of his tail. Piotr walked over, a smile on his face. "What brings you to park?" He asked, embracing his sister and shaking Tintin's hand.

"Oh, just decided to go out for a walk!" Annika answered. "We also happened to run into Merideth, and we decided to walk together!"

Piotr's eyes shot to the redhead that had been with them, and he thought himself stupid for not recognizing her right away.

And he thought himself even more stupid for looking, because when her name was mentioned, she had looked up as well.

Their eyes locked and he felt his heart race. She gave him a soft smile, her eyes shining with familiarity. "Hello."

Piotr stood a little straighter, clearing his throat and brushing back his hair. "Uh... hello."

Tintin smiled and patted his friend's shoulder. "I believe you two have met. Well, somewhat met?"

Merideth nodded, holding her hands in front of her. "Indeed." She addressed Piotr once more. "I've seen you in the restaurant quite a few times. Your sister has told me so much about you!"

He looked to the woman in question, and the younger sibling merely shrugged her shoulders, giving her brother a cheeky smile, rather than a verbal answer. "Has she?" He then asked, finally finding his voice.

"All good things, I assure you." She said with a laugh. A gorgeous laugh...

There was a few brief moments of silence and Piotr used them to just take in the sight of her. She just seemed so different out of her usual work attire. Her hair was down rather than in a ponytail, allowing it to flow freely. Less makeup as well, which he truly adored. Showed off her freckles more. She wasn't as 'traditional' as he previously expected her to be, wearing a green blouse and dark grey slacks. The sleeves on the blouse were rolled up, which allowed him to see just how much the freckles covered her.

Could this woman be any more beautiful?

"Well, no sense in standing around!" Tintin suddenly stated. "May as well enjoy the rest of the walk together, if we aren't intruding of course."

Realizing he was talking to him, Piotr nodded. "I would enjoy walking with you."

Old Boy barked as if in response, walking around Snowy playfully as the smaller dog started walking alongside his owner. Tintin had immediately started walking next to Annika, deep in conversation with her. It was good to see they were getting along so well, despite having only known each other for a few short days.

Merideth cleared her throat slightly, grabbing his attention. "So, tell me a bit about yourself, Piotr. Of course, Annika has told me you're a pilot, but I would like to hear more."

He hesitated slightly, not knowing how much she'd want to know. "Well, flying was always dream of mine since I was small boy back home in Estonia. When I grew up, I was able to fulfill dream by going to school to be pilot."

"What did you learn to fly?" She asked, her interest piqued.

Tintin looked back at the two of them briefly, a smile on his lips. He then turned his attention to Annika. "They seem to be getting along just fine." He whispered, not wanting them to hear him.

"I'm surprised he isn't stumbling over his words," She said. "He's normally a lot more shy than this."

Piotr Skut, shy. A concept he never thought of before. This brash, bold pilot who has scared grown men out of their wits, shy at the mere thought of being in the presence of a woman whom he's sweet on.

"Well, he seems to be coming along just fine, in that case." He mused.

He hoped all would continue to go smoothly as well. He knew Piotr well enough to know that he deserved someone special in his life, which Annika had agreed with rather vividly. Unbeknownst to Piotr, Merideth had been interested in getting to know the pilot but hadn't ever gotten around to speaking with him. So, feelings are mostly mutual on both their ends.

With any luck, this blossoming friendship could turn into something more.