#lara jean and peter

[larajeanandpeter]

LARA JEAN COVEY AND PETER KAVINSKY To All The Boys I've Loved Before Movies (2018-2021)

[antoine-triplett]

... covinsky + undercover agent au ... “Peter?!” Lara Jean exclaimed, ushering him inside. “Oh my god, look at you! What happened?”

Her boyfriend was wearing an expensive silk suit, but it was ripped in places and spotted with dirt. The tie had been discarded, the shirt creased. He was panting from exertion and beads of sweat glistened on his skin and flattened his curly hair to his forehead. What alarmed her most, however, were the angry red gashes running along one side of his face, like he’d been hit with a spray of broken glass. Blood caked his face and stained the collar of his crisp white shirt, suggesting he hadn’t done a single thing to tend to the wounds or staunch the flow. She winced and cradled his other cheek in her hand while examining the cuts. Some of them would likely need stitches. 

“Lara Jean, there’s something I have to tell you. I’m an undercover agent with the CIA.” he said, all in a panicked rush, eyes wild with fear. 

She almost laughed, arm dropping limply to her side. It was his eyes above all else that convinced her to pay attention. Peter Kavinsky, always so easy-going and ready with a joke, was dead serious. 

“Are you saying that you’re a… spy?” 

Peter took her hands, fixing her with a steady, imploring gaze. “I promise I will explain everything the second I can, but for now I need you to trust me. Please?” 

“Why? What’s going on?” she asked.

Before he could answer, a sudden bang followed by the rip of splintering wood cut through the air. Pieces of the front door exploded inward and landed at their feet. 

[jibbi]

Peter Kavinsky liked Lara Jean before their fake relationship

So, after watching the entire second season of XO Kitty, I felt the need to rewatch To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I was trying to think back to what happened and the plot had completely slipped my mind (shame on me, I know lol). It's so cute and such an iconic, classic teen romcom of my generation...I genuinely don't know how I forgot it.

Anyhow, something I love is that Peter very clearly liked Lara Jean from the very, very beginning. I feel like it can't be considered "feelings that just happened to develop from more time together" trope. It's just the two of them being silly, stupid teenagers who don't pick up on their own feelings from the start and then it further develops from like to love. So, this post is dedicated to this. I love this movie. It's so comforting. I could go on about it for ages lol.

Disclaimer: I have not read any of the books. I have not watched any of the sequels. This post is entirely based off of the original movie.

The idea of the "fake relationship"

Unlike Yuri and Dae, who had a faux relationship due to Yuri being closeted, Dae struggling financially, and Yuri's family wanting a better reputation, Peter thinks a faux relationship with Lara Jean is a good way to make his ex-girlfriend want him back. But, let's seriously think about this. There was no 100% guarantee Gen would try to get him back. Sure, she was jealous that Lara Jean kissed him. BUT, that doesn't necessarily mean she'd try to wreck their relationship to get back with him. She could've just sat there fuming jealously without doing anything or just turn away and move on, knowing they're together.

Not only is there no guarantee, but Peter is committing to months of being seen with Lara Jean and had it in mind to kiss her as a way of being more convincing (yeah, "more convincing" my ass). This leads me to my next point.

Being "convincing"

If Peter didn't like Lara Jean, if he didn't think she was pretty, if he thought she wasn't anything special, he would NOT have thought of this idea in the first place, nor tried to be so convincing that their relationship is real. But, he came up with this crazy idea AND wanted to kiss her to really go in on this faux relationship. No guy who doesn't feel that way about a girl would go all-in the way that he did unless they were the biggest player out there who's incredibly altruistic.

Mind you, they had dates behind the scenes. They agreed to two movie nights right from the start which only they - and Kitty - are going to see, nobody else. Peter also didn't need to take Lara Jean to his friends' party - he could've just said, "She couldn't make it. She had something else going on."

Peter had truly convinced himself that he was doing this all to simply get Gen back and that he didn't have any romantic feelings for Lara Jean, especially since she was less popular and he'd just gotten out of his relationship with Gen. But, again, no normal guy would think of the idea to start a faux relationship and go as far as kissing and going on dates with the fake girlfriend. Hell, his first instinct when Lara Jean said, "Let's do this." was to kiss her passionately in front of all his teammates - Gen nor friends of hers were there to witness.

He got jealous of there being more than one love letter

Peter originally thought she had only written one letter just for him. When Lara Jean explained there was five letters, all for different guys, he got really defensive. He was trying to play it off as nonserious and sarcastic, but we all know it hurt that it wasn't just him. I know it's a shot to the ego, but there's too many other reasons supporting him liking Lara Jean that it more so hurt Peter's feelings than just his ego.

He knows she liked him before

This all started from Lara Jean's old love letters. However, even though it's old, that doesn't necessarily mean Lara Jean stopped liking Peter, despite what she claimed. Feelings can linger or reignite, plus people can have multiple crushes. So 1) Peter didn't consider this, 2) He knew and was secretly hoping it'd turn into a real relationship, or 3) He knew it could be possible but chose to disregard it.

Peter most likely didn't consider it, but we don't know that for sure. It's not talked about (at least in the first movie). So, Peter might have known and secretly hoped without realizing it (or he pushed those feelings down). But, no matter what, he still knew Lara Jean at least used to have feelings for him and still put himself at risk being in a faux relationship with her (although we all know this was no risk for him).

Peter liked her back then, too

Lara Jean's crush on him started with that kiss back in middle school. But notice how Peter also mentions how that kiss was hot for him back in 7th grade. It's clear that Gen just had the confidence to get in a relationship with him and steamroll Lara Jean who didn't have that same confidence to ever confess her feelings to Peter. But, that obviously doesn't mean Peter never liked Lara Jean. He never pushed away from the kiss or thought badly of it.

So, with that being said, Peter definitely had his own lingering feelings for Lara Jean in high school, but just picked to date Gen first. It also doesn't help that Lara Jean isn't a popular kid like Peter and Gen, and she sadly isn't considered "conventionally attractive" by high school standards.

And, in the end, we do learn from Gen that she was intimidated by Lara Jean and that Peter doesn't have as much confidence as most people think he does. That explains it all. I liked that they added that touch in the end. It's nice seeing the "mean girl" own up to her self-projections.

I also wanted to add, Peter didn't make fun of Lara Jean's boots like Gen did. He noticed them and later told Lara Jean that he thought they were cool. Him not siding with Gen just because they were together and actually paying attention to her boots in the first place speaks volumes. If someone picks up on and remembers small details about you, they care about you a lot.

Conclusion

There's way too many signs that Peter liked Lara Jean right from the start, he just didn't realize or care to admit it. I think it's cute that this is how the plot went - made to seem like a "feelings just happened to develop from more time together" trope, but there were definitely feelings there all along. It's a perfect teen romcom and I'll never not enjoy it.

[poguelandia]

There's no one like you, Covey.

[poppletonink]

Covinsky: A Playlist

I Like Me Better by Lauv

Style by Taylor Swift

Make You Mine by PUBLIC

Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift

Hey Lover by The Daughters Of Eve

Beginning Middle End by Leah Nobel

Dandelions by Ruth B.

Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears

Mastermind by Taylor Swift

About Love by MARINA

Enchanted by Taylor Swift

All Of Me by John Legend

How You Get The Girl by Taylor Swift

Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars

Lovers by Anna Of The North

[encisthings]

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

#Hot Tub Parallel I Repeat Hot Tub Parallel

[winnie-the-monster]

[moonminho]

to all the boys i've loved before // xo, kitty (s02e02)

[sophia-becketts]

covinsky x mooncovey parallels

[larajeanandpeter]

When am I going to learn to mind my own business? All I ever do is ruin things for myself and for other people. Hey, that is not true.

[adam-scott]

Lara Jean Song Covey & Peter Kavinski in To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) vs. Kitty Song Covey & Min Ho Moon in XO Kitty (2023-) (part 1)

[nsain25]

S2 SPOLIER ALERT ( watch at your own risk !! )

MY MAN IS STILL HAS OBSESSED AS EVER AND I AM SOBBING 😭

[encisthings]

[poguelandia]

TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE 2018 | dir. by Susan Johnson

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

✌️✌️✌️