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streets-in-paradise · 4 years

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I want to talk about some of the main family relationships in Troy

As I already told once in one of my posts, I adore to overanalyze family relationships in the media I consume. I’m still in the process of writing another one as a second part to my sibling relationships post talking of more family relationships from various of my fandoms but, since that one is taking me too much time to finish, I'm writing now this shorter one for my Troy appreciation series.

I already started this ramble in the same post I referenced. There I talked about my favourite family bond in the entire film, the sibling relationship of Hector and Paris. Still, there is a lot to discuss about family dynamics in the story this movie tells. Even since I was writing that post I kept thinking on how many family related story arcs this movie has and how, if you pay close attention to those, you can capture the essence of the characters. Because of this, I decided to dedicate a separate post to the main family relationships portrayed there and the important role they play in the development of the story. I will try to skip the ones i already talked about before. This are, for most part, the relationships inside the trojan royal family. Since i already discussed those, most of this will be about family bonds of the greek characters.

As i stated in previous posts, this is a talk about the characters and actions in the movie. I’m not talking from an adaptation” movie vs book” point of view. I can occasionally mention some of the differences but there would be more references than comparisons.

As always, i apologise for any possible mistakes in my writing. I’m still in the process of getting used to writing long texts in english. Also, I give proper credits for the images to the original sites hosting them.

Agamemnon and Menelaus

The movie establishes them clearly as the main antagonists. Precisely, one of the many scenes I love in this movie is the one in which they show up to the gates of Troy commanding the greek army and they argue with the trojan princes over the terms of the combat between Paris and Menelaus. The first thing I always notice in that one is how alike Hector and Paris look when they get down from their horses, it reminds me of the actual part of the Iliad in which it is said that Paris gets confused for a brave man because of his looks. Going back to my point, in that scene I get the vibe of opponents these characters have just by the display of the dynamics between siblings.

Agamemnon is using his brother’s problem as an excuse for a war highly profitable for him. Menelaus is aware of this and he doesn’t care because he is too consumed by his wish for revenge and, it seems that this mutualistic beneficial goal is what sticks them together. Their first scene together, when Menelaus goes to Mycenae asking his brother for help, summarizes their relationship in a great way. Menelaus seems to have a rather servile attitude towards his brother and Agamemnon clearly takes advantage of that, having in that particular time a perfect excuse to attack an enemy he had wished to conquer for a long time. If you think about it, this is the exact opposite relationship of Hector and Paris. I love how well this scene fits as a contrast to the argument in the ship scene of Hector and Paris . In both, Menelaus and Paris are basically asking for the help of their older bros, one doing it on purpose and the other one half aware. Their family relationships are established so well by those two scenes.

Going back to the one scene I mentioned first, the exchanges between characters are awesome. Not only because you can appreciate directly how this differences play a role in the conflict, but also because you can totally appreciate how every character involved is the exact opposite of the one who challenges. The exchange between Hector and Agamemnon is fantastic. I love how Hector cuts the crap on Agamemnon’s cocky bullshit, their short interaction is priceless.Also, i almost feel bad for Paris because “ the sun was shining when your wife left you” is his best line in the entire movie and he gets his ass kicked by Menelaus immediately afterwards. I like how, despite being a coward, Paris is a sassy little shit.

Something i need to add about these brothers is that the Director’s Cut adds a better perspective on Agamemnon’s care for Menelaus. There are many short hints, especially after Menelaus’s death, that show how he actually cared for him. I think that this small glimpse should have stayed in the final version. Even when Agamemnon is a piece of shit of the worst kind and his brother was not very different, it is nice to see him caring for something else than his own imperialist desires from time to time and to get a real family vibe from those two.

Achilles and Patroclus

Before starting with this two i want to clarify that i am fully aware of the very different interpretation their relationship got in this movie. I heard that the romantic approach was explored in Troy: fall of a city. I haven’t watched it yet, it is on my to watch list and at some point i will do it. Now, speaking of what we have seen in the context of the movie, i have to say that i love the adorable family bond they have since the first scene they share. This is by far my second favourite family bond in the film.

As i said before i have a weakness for family relationships and tragedies regarding them are the biggest pain i can imagine. I don’t have anything against romantic Achilles x Patroclus, i just enjoy a lot the family approach it took here. First, i think it happens because i saw the movie far before reading any piece of trojan war related fiction and second because I happen to enjoy seeing family bonds more than romantical ones. My basic example for explaining this is the complaint I had over Kili x Tauriel and how it kinda shifted the focus of the previously established family story of the Line of Durin. If i have to choose between a family or a romance story of any kind, I will always end up more interested in the first option because i relate to and enjoy those better.

In this version, they are cousins with a very brother like relationship. I feel like here Patroclus acts like a little bro that hero worships Achilles. We know that his parents died and Achilles took care of him but we don’t know when that happened. What we do know is that his protection is the only aspect Achilles feels responsible for in his life. His bond with him reflects the best and the worst of him. It displays his softer and his most terrible side. Without paying close attention it looks like the romantic subplot with Briseis is the part of the plot that is supposed to show his soft side and, partially, it does but i think that job is already done earlier with the introduction of Patroclus. The story with Briseis serves mainly as support of what was already established there. The kindest, more human side of Achilles is clearly there when you look at his interactions with Patroclus.

One of the main reasons why i enjoy this relationship so much is because, plotwise, it serves as a perfect point of encounter for the two main heros’ characterizations. Despite all the effort the storytelling makes in pointing out the many differences between Hector and Achilles, these two apparently opposite men share the same limitation. Hector’s goal is to protect his country, Achilles’s goal is immortality through fame, but both find themselves lost when their reckless younger relatives endanger themselves and both react the same way. When Paris was at instants of dying by the hands of Menelaus Hector had to choose between saving him or letting him get killed for the good of Troy. The man who serves as paradigm of honesty and sacrifice, the most noble hero of the story, broke the agreement and killed Menelaus. He broke a pact and gave his enemies an even better excuse for war that will doom Troy because his brother’s life was at risk. Achilles’s madness over grief for Patroclus fits so well family related in this particular narrative because it originated in the same feelings. Paris and Patroclus may be opposites, one being a coward and the other the embodiment of reckless courage, but both become the limit of tolerance for Hector and Achilles. At the end, both heros are driven by love for their families. In this version where Hector and Paris have this strong bond that works perfectly as a mirror for Achilles and Patroclus, it fits so well for them to be family. The chain of deaths unleashed with Patroclus’s death becomes a natural response to the bonds previously mentioned between the four characters involved. Everything becomes a big family tragedy and that is devastating.

One more comment i will make about them is that i also love how some of Achilles’s friends add some more sweet or happy hints to some scenes. Eudorus, despite the formal servant-like way in which he speaks to Achilles, gives me a long time friend who is almost family vibe. Of course, i have to mention Odysseus here as well. Patroclus and Achilles sparring scene has an amazing chill domestic fun tone and he adds even more fun to the moment once he arrives. They are the most likeable greeks of the movie and you get such a friendly feeling of them. I live for these guys. The main scene they shared is the happiest of the film.

Bonus mentions

The Director’s Cut has a lot of scenes that help you understand some of the characters' motivations and lots of them are family related. One small scene I wish really hard the should had kept is the one in which Priam explains the reasons for his deep religious devotion. He listens to the high priest’s terrible advice and ignores his son’s wiser words not because he is a nice but dumb and inept king. He believes Apollo saved Hector from a disease when he was a baby boy. There is a reason for his blind, sometimes naive, faith in Apollo’s protection.Other cut out moment with a similar meaning is the one in which Andromache tells Hector she lost seven brothers in a previous war. She is tired of losing people, her husband is all she has. Having this in consideration her story turns even more tragic.

I could mention a few more characters and moments but this is getting too long so i will end it here. I think it is enough for the topic i wanted to write about and the only main character i feel i skipped a bit here is Priam but i had talked enough about the trojans and how much i love them so i think it is enough.

I enjoyed writing this, as fast as i can i will upload the general post for family relationships i’m working on and i’m thinking of making a special one like this for lotr. @hrisity12 I tag you as i always do in all my Troy content.

Thanks for reading this ramble i intended to keep short but, as always, ended up longer than i expected.

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peter-parkers-passport · 4 years

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Flower Child (Peter Parker x ofc)

Chapter 1: Favors and Phone Numbers

warnings: language (barely), mentions/depictions of anxiety

Two Months Later

Lila Landry sat in her literature class Monday morning staring at her fingers rather than paying attention to the course material. She frowned at the dirt underneath her fingernails, mentally making a note to buy a more aggressive hand soap before she got home that evening. Although, deep in her heart she knew that the dirt couldn’t leave her fingers, no matter how hard she tried. Not that she minded, Lila loved that while her hands were clean, there was always a piece of home tagging along for the ride.

She was so busy examining the dirt that she didn’t hear her teacher call her name. Three times. “Lila.” Fourth time’s the charm, for Lila stared up at her teacher, who had a flat look on his face. Good old Mr. Puth, always looking to pick on the students who didn’t know everything he taught or didn’t pay attention. Unfortunately, he decided he wanted to pick on Lila that class period. He raised an eyebrow, his expression seemingly triumphant. “Thank you for joining us as we discuss the tragedy that is Patroclus's death. Care to share your thoughts on how Homer intended it to be perceived?”

Lila’s cheeks flared, for she hated being the center of attention. She thought she made that rather obvious, as she strategically chose her seat in the middle of the classroom, away from the back, where prowling teachers might try and pick on a student, yet not in the front with all the teacher’s pets. Her seat was one row over from the row of desks next to the window, so she wouldn’t be accused of daydreaming should any wandering stares find their way to the great view of New York City. It was almost perfect, she went by mostly unnoticed.

Mostly. Mr. Puth was a different story: he was like the living embodiment of Professor Snape, so miserable with teaching that he decided to psychologically torture the people that were legally required to be there by the state of New York. Today just happened to be Lila’s turn for the needless picking. As if forgetting Lila’s straight A’s and high marks in his class, he still felt the need to prey on her, expose her shyness like chum for all the sharks in the water to see.

Swallowing most of her stutter, Lila did her best to rise to the occasion. “W-well, seeing as h-how Homer wasn’t - wasn’t a single person, the death of Patroclus is actually interpreted different ways.” Sliding into the topic that she was familiar enough to be comfortable with, Lila found herself slowly relaxing, and forgetting about the eyes still glued to her.

Mr. Puth’s arched eyebrow rose fractionally. “Oh. And how do you figure?”

“I figure since this story is older than written history, it’s safe to assume that Homer might be a representation of multiple bards all over Ancient Greece. That the bards that perform this story orally recounted a similar series of events, one that has too many translations to count on two hands. Going off of this, I’d think that Patroclus’s death is interpreted in many different ways.”

Mr. Puth had no choice but to let the matter of Lila not paying attention slide. But that didn’t mean she was off the hook. He sat down on his desk and crossed his arms. “And how would you interpret the death of Patroclus, in the eyes of Achilles? I’m sure you could help explain it to the rest of the class.”

Not likely, Lila thought. The rest of the class had either already read The Iliad twice over, or just didn’t care. Blowing out a puff of air, Lila ran a hand through her messy, honey-colored waves. “Well, historically speaking, the death of Patroclus would be equated to that of Juliet losing Romeo since they were lovers.

“Sexuality didn’t exist in Ancient Greece,” Lila elaborated, eyeing her teacher’s expression change minutely. “People just loved, left and right. Achilles loved Patroclus, and to lose him, to have him ripped away from him, well, I personally think it’s one of literature’s greatest romantic tragedies.”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, while Mr. Puth contemplated her answer. “Does anyone think that Lila’s perspective draws parallels to any other tragedies set within the poem? Or any tragedies it alludes to?” The teacher left his desk, grabbing his book and resuming his lecture, selecting his next victim.

Lila let out a breath she didn't know she’d collected while waiting for Mr. Puth’s response. Glancing down, she saw that the dirt that had collected underneath her fingernails had been picked out, and now sat on the desktop. Several spots under her nails were bleeding, and Lila clenched her shaking fists.

Stupid nerves.

*****

Midtown had colorful hallways, mostly because it let its students decorate them. A majority of the decorations were flimsy fall leaves dangling, reminding the students of the changing seasons. Others, like posters, reminded students of upcoming events. The tacky 80s decorations on the Homecoming poster assaulted Lila’s eyes every time she stared too closely at it. Yet another event she couldn’t attend. Although she wasn’t sure she really wanted to.

Another poster that was taped up was the Academic Decathlon poster, reminding Lila of her need to get her dad to fill out her permission slip, as well as write a check. Just last weekend, the decathlon team clinched a spot in the national competition, which just so happened to take place in Washington, D.C., a place Lila was dying to visit. Their team now spent their period together relentlessly practicing any and every topic under the sun. All thanks to Liz Allen, whose rigid leadership was starting to become a regime under the promise of winning a national competition. With Liz being a senior, Lila couldn’t really blame her for being so strict in their practice, seeing as how winning nationals would be great to add to a college application.

Lila grimaced, her mind moving from D.C. to her permission slip to her dad, and the thought had her gut rolling. Lila clutched her phone in her shaking hand, weaving in between students passing in the halls. She marched straight for her favorite decoration in the school: the mural.

The mural was two stories tall and was the wall next to one of the main staircases in the school. The pastel blue background gave way to all the greatest scientific discoveries, as well as several people who had made them: Doctor Bruce Banner, Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, even Howard Stark. They’d commissioned several art students a few years ago to design the mural, and while most students could ignore it, Lila seemed to gravitate toward it.

Perhaps it was because Michelle Jones perched herself at the same corner facing the wall. And, being that Michelle was Lila’s only friend, the mural became a place of solace for Lila, too. To no one’s surprise, Michelle was nosing her way through her most recent book (book number thirty-five of the calendar year, if Lila could keep track), and hardly looked up when Lila stopped in front of her. “What do you want?”

Anybody else would’ve taken it as a dismissal. And to everyone else, it would’ve been. But Lila was quiet enough that she had a firm grasp on body language, and she knew that while it took some warming up, Michelle Jones had welcomed Lila to accompany her. She was ninety percent sure it was because the taller girl pitied her for having zero friends.

“I’m an idiot,” Lila huffed.

Michelle merely turned the page, not looking away from the words. “I’m sure you’re right, but why?” Lila held her phone, still trying her best not to throw up. Michelle glanced up from her book, squinting at the text on her phone. “Hey Tulip, please make sure to ask your friend about the computer today during decathlon. Xo.” Michelle’s eyes flickered from the message to Lila’s face, taking note of the sweat starting to line her forehead. “I’m confused.” Had she not said so, it would’ve been impossible to tell, for Michelle’s expression remained completely neutral.

Lila threw her head back before stepping closer. “It’s about Peter.”

“Ah,” Michelle said wryly, returning to her book.

“MJ,” Lila whined, gently taking the bookmark held in Michelle’s hands, and tucked it in her book, swiftly removing it and carrying it under her arm while walking down the hall to their shared trigonometry class. Any other person and MJ would’ve punched them in the throat for taking her book. Instead, she fell into an easy stride next to the panicking girl. “This - this is serious. Defcon One, National Emergency, um - uh - gah! I’m not able to think of witty remarks with so much at stake.”

“I question why you’re not in theater, sometimes.” Michelle watched as Lila paled at the thought, and even more anxiety seemed to sit on her shoulders. “Then I remember why.”

“Why did I ever mention that Peter built computers to my dad? Why did I ever mention Peter to my dad?”

“Because you’re hopelessly in love with the poor kid,” MJ answered, earning a sharp look from Lila. She then corrected herself, as Lila had a hundred times before, “Not in love, you just have a helpless high-school crush that will surely go away.”

“Your mocking does little to either make me feel better or even remotely help me.”

“Well,” Michelle started, taking her book gently out from under Lila’s arm and walking into the classroom door they’d stopped at. “You didn’t ask me to do either of those things. And you won’t get over said crush if you don’t actually talk to him.” She disappeared, leaving Lila to collect herself before the class started.

“Shit,” She whispered.

“Language,” A teacher spoke as she brushed by, and Lila blushed.

*****

As the day progressed and lunch passed, the hour for academic decathlon crept nearer and nearer, and Lila felt like she would rather walk straight into the New York traffic than have to talk to Peter Parker. Sure, what was the harm, Lila could get some decent practice at socializing, which was a crucial part of functioning in the world. But the nagging fear of Peter actually talking back to her brought a tidal wave a nausea, threatening to send her hurling. Maybe she shouldn’t have eaten her peanut butter and jelly. Although, it was a damn good sandwich.

Seeing as time was a tricky bitch, it flew by for Lila, and she cursed herself for not having rehearsed what she was going to say to Peter in the bathroom mirror at least once. So when she dragged her feet into academic decathlon, she felt like she was walking to her death. About three-quarters of her being figured that she could just go pick out the damn computer herself, and put it all together. And Lila knew next to nothing about assembling any kind of technology, but she’d rather have a complete disaster of a computer than have Peter Parker think she was a disaster.

She also couldn’t have her dad thinking she was a disaster, and that thought ultimately made the decision for her. She had to talk to the boy. So she just placed her stuff down gently in the empty room and waited for Liz to get there to instruct them on what to do.

By all accounts, it didn’t make sense that Lila Landry was on the academic decathlon team. It was mostly a blur as to how she’d managed to sign up in the first place, but she did remember her dad encouraging her to join some kind of extracurricular to make friends, and Michelle was already on the team, so it seemed like the natural progression. Until she realized that it required public speaking; even worse, public speaking in front of her peers.

But it shocked no one more than herself that she actually excelled. Lila was strangely competitive and refused to be wrong or last in answering any of the questions. Maybe it was the fact that she was reigning champion of Trivial Pursuit in her household, or maybe she just liked talking about things she was passionate about. Still, her shyness dominated her brilliance, and she volunteered to be the first alternate, along with Flash Thompson, and Sally Watson.

Besides, she just liked being with the group. Although her fear of making friends held her back from really getting to know anyone on the team besides MJ, she enjoyed their presence. They were all incredibly brilliant, and eager to show it. And sure, everyone had their differences, but the way they worked together was surprising, to say the least. Except maybe Flash, who was convinced that Peter Parker was set on ruining his life.

Since she was merely an alternate, Lila didn’t have to work as hard as the other kids did in preparing for nationals, so she was free to work on homework. It was usually when she got all her homework done, as she worked all afternoon and into the evenings sometimes to help her dad. And while her chemistry notes that she’d neatly written down and her textbook were cracked open, Lila couldn’t help but occasionally sneak a peek at Peter, the boy with soft curls and an even softer smile.

So when Mr. Harrington was reading out the last announcements, and reminding everyone to hand in their permission slips by the end of the week, Lila’s hands grew clammy as she saw Peter head over to him, handing his permission slip over. She caught Michelle’s eye, and she while she looked rather impassive, she gave Lila a minute nod as encouragement. Lila took a deep breath, handed over her own permission slip, and followed out behind Peter.

He was jogging down the hall to get to his locker before the next period and stopped. Clutching her backpack straps tightly, she walked over to his locker before her mind could scream at her to run away. Before she even managed to stop all the way, Peter had looked up at her and smiled softly in recognition. “Hey, Lila.”

“H-hi, Peter.” This was it, the moment of truth. Just ask the question, the worst he could say was no. Or he could’ve laughed in her face. “I was w-wondering-”

“Lila!”

Lila turned around at the sound of her name, and her stomach dropped. Liz Allan was walking over to Peter’s locker, eyes set on her. She smiled softly when she stopped, saying, “Wow, you got out of there so fast I thought I’d miss you.” Lila offered a small smile in response. “Anyway, I’m sorry I didn’t have you practice today. I promise, I’m gonna have all the alternates sit in and study tomorrow, is that okay?” A nod was followed, and Liz took that as a good thing. It was all the body language Lila had really been able to muster around the senior, so she supposed Liz had to take what she could get. The smile on Liz’s face grew bigger, and warmer as well. “Awesome! Oh, and my mom wanted to tell me she loved the fall wreath you made. It’s on our front door. Anyways, I’ll see you later,” She turned to Peter, who had a dumbstruck expression on his face. “Good job today, Peter.”

“Thanks,” He smiled, cheeks flushed with excitement that Liz spoke to him. Lila watched as he watched Liz walk away, and then turn back to his locker. “So, what were you wondering - Lila? You’re shaking.” Indeed she was, for the false courage she’d used had run out, and now Lila’s mind was on the fritz. Trying her best to ignore the pangs of jealousy and hurt she felt, she slowly counted to ten in her head while Peter looked on in concern. “Is it you practicing tomorrow?”

“No,” She said firmly, before wringing her trembling hands together. “W-well, yes, but n-no. I just don’t - don’t talk to people a lot, and-”

“Lila, it’s okay,” Peter comforted, his brown eyes staring into her green ones, and hands reaching out to gently squeeze her shoulder. She flinched away, and Peter nodded in understanding. “Sorry, you’re not a touch person, my bad. Just - just take a deep breath, okay?”

She nodded quickly, taking several deep breaths. Reality seemed to slap her in the face as she realized she completely missed the opportunity for any kind of physical contact coming from Peter Parker. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lila sighed. “Sorry, sorry. I - um - I wanted to ask you a favor.”

Seemingly satisfied that the panic had subsided, Peter turned back to his locker to collect the remainder of the books he would need for the rest of the day. Lila took those brief seconds to take him in. A few scratches were on his fingers and a single, fading bruise on his temple that blended into his hairline. Not the first time she’d noticed any bruises from him, he’d occasionally come to school with bruises on his face, or he’d carry himself with a little more care, wincing from any hidden injuries. Lila was so distracted by looking at him that she almost missed him say, “Sure, what did you need?”

“Uh - I’ll understand if you’re busy, I know - I know you have the internship with Tony Stark, a-and if you can’t-”

“Well, you’ve gotta actually tell me the favor first before I can say no, Lila,” Peter smiled, a teasing glint in his eye. She felt like kicking something, for surely he knew what that did to her. And he was smiling at her, something that hadn’t really happened before.

She breathily laughed, “Right. So - so my dad n-needs a complete overhaul of one of the computers in his shop. You know, the one by Delmar’s on 21st Street?” Peter paused and then nodded. “The - the computer is like, from the Dark Ages, and he - he finally agreed to get a new one. The problem is, he - he has no clue about anything technology-wise, and I’m - I’m okay at figuring it out, but I don’t want t-to invest in something I’ll need to replace a-a few years down the line. I was - I was wondering if maybe you could help me pick one out for him? I m-may have mentioned to him that you were super good with computers. If you can’t, I t-totally get it, you’re a - a busy guy, and-”

“Actually, I haven’t been that busy lately,” Peter almost seemed disappointed to say that. “Um - I can’t do it today, I’ve got the Stark internship right after school. But I can go with you tomorrow, was there a computer you thought about at all?”

Lila’s face lit up talking about her dad’s shop in Queens. “Yeah, actually. I was th-thinking maybe buying something clean looking that fits with the vibe of the whole store. I just - don’t really know what’s good for a business and what’s not.”

Peter nodded, “I get it. Would tomorrow work for you?”

“Tomorrow w-works great. I can - I can meet you after school if you like?” A smile made its way across Lila’s face, one Peter had never seen before. Lila didn’t know it, but it made her green eyes sparkle.

“After school works great, Lila, I’ll see you then.” She turned to walk away, still very aware of how her hands were still shaking when she heard Peter call out to her. She turned around, potentially giving herself whiplash, and saw Peter was right behind her. Startled, she hesitantly took a step back. “Actually - um - I might - I might need your phone number, in case I can’t find you.”

Her number. Peter Parker actually asked her for her phone number. Of all the directions she thought this conversation would take her, this was nowhere near any of the results. She thought she’d end up in some kind of vat of acid before she ended up with his phone number. And she also had to snap herself out of her daze, for Peter had his phone held out to her, and she stared at it a good five seconds too long. Gently taking the phone from his hands, she entered her contact information into the phone and added Lila Landry along with it. As an afterthought, she added an emoji, the tulip emoji, next to her name.

Handing the phone back, Peter’s hand brushed hers. She swelled with pride for not flinching away and found herself relishing the feeling of his calloused hand on hers. He seemed to notice it too, for his expression changed fractionally, staring at their hands for an extra second before he withdrew, pocketing his phone. “I’ll see you later, Lila,” Peter waved, and walked off.

Lila’s bliss lasted the rest of the day.

*****

Opening the door to her father’s shop, Lila was hit with the usual smell of fresh flowers, and her body relaxed at the simple scent of home. The sophomore looked around, kindly greeting the occasional customer that was perusing the store, smelling the occasional bloom or two. Soft music played in the background (no doubt Sophie’s choice) and mixed wonderfully with the sound of happy people buying bouquets.

Lila’s father, Ted, owned and operated Landry’s Flowers, a successful small business that was supported across the entirety of New York City. What started as a small flower shop on 21st Street in Queens blossomed into a thriving local chain that provided anything from an individual bouquet to an entire arrangement for local hotels. Several locations had popped up over the last eight years, from Brooklyn all the way to Manhattan, Landry’s had something for everyone.

It hadn’t started out as a business that planned to grow and thrive much like the flowers sold from it, but Landry’s was something special, and Lila always thought that was because both she and her dad built it from the ground up. After the Battle of New York, when the city was on the mend, Lila and her father both found therapy in rebuilding and expanding Landry’s Flowers into something that could spread joy and hope and love and everything in-between to the people of the city who needed it the most. So they broadened their horizons and contacted New York farms as well as city contractors to help them flourish. And Landry’s Flowers of today would never be the same.

While the other locations were wonderful and had a great staff of people running the show, the Landry’s Flowers in Queens was Lila’s personal favorite and became a safe haven from her insecurities. Perhaps it was because it was closest to home, and she could always find refuge in it after a brisk ten-minute walk. Lila lost count of how many times she’d spend her afternoons perched on one of the back countertops and either work on her homework or sit and people watch. She’d seen most of her community pass through those doors, and it always reminded her of how familiar the Queens shop was for her.

Or maybe she preferred that particular shop because of Sophie Nelson, who’d spent the last four years working there. The exact opposite of Lila, Sophie was loud and flamboyant, never afraid to talk to anyone, and most definitely not a quivering mess when it came to the people she liked. She was a role model for Lila: smart, funny, kind, and ever-present. Despite her affinity for chaotic fun, she always kept Lila’s feet on the ground, even though Lila never asked her to. It was what made Sophie so amazing, she always went along for the ride.

Deep down, Lila knew really why the shop on 21st Street was her favorite. And as she greeted Sophie with a quick hello, ran up the spiral staircase leading to the second floor, went into the backroom to drop her things off and headed up another set of stairs tucked into the back corner, Lila was met with her favorite place in all of New York: the rooftop. At the top of the stairs was a door, which led to the inside of the Landry family’s personal greenhouse. Covering the expanse of the rooftop, rows upon rows of herbs, flowers, and the occasional vegetable were neatly organized. Lila smiled softly as the sunshine enveloped her surroundings, and the warm air pressed on her skin to welcome her home. Her greenhouse was something she specifically asked to keep the exact same while her world changed around her, for the greenhouse had previously been maintained by her mother, and Lila worked hard to make sure it stayed the exact same. She breathed deeply, the potting soil invading her sense of smell, and Lila slowly walked around the room, picking up a spray bottle of water and occasionally watering a plant that looked particularly dehydrated.

She made sure everything looked alright before heading back downstairs and into the backroom to find an extra apron. Throwing it on, she adjusted her long hair before heading back onto the part of the second floor open to the public, walking over to the few customers that had bothered to venture upstairs and look over the cacti and succulents resting there. She made sure to say hello to every person she saw before heading back down the metal spiral staircase to do the same for everyone on the first floor. Once she’d made her rounds and made several recommendations to a few who were confused, Lila walked up to the counter to Sophie, who was saying goodbye to a customer carrying a large bouquet of sunflowers.

“Hey, Phish Food,” Sophie said, her voice happy as she saw Lila approach. One of the many things that Lila loved about Sophie was her voice, and how deep and raspy it was. It was almost believable that she was a seasoned smoker, but that was just the way she spoke. She always said it was like a secret weapon, because when people met her, they expected her to be this docile, quiet little Asian woman, and instead she was loud, rambunctious and “ready to shove docility up any privileged white man’s ass.” Her words, not Lila’s.

A journalism major, Sophie moved from Denver, Colorado to New York four years prior to study at Columbia. She was wicked smart, and sharp as a tack, and had a dream to take on the world through an investigative lens. She searched far and wide for jobs upon her arrival to the city and found an opening in Landry’s Manhattan location. It was fortunate enough that she was willing to do anything, for Lila’s dad was in desperate need of help running the Queens location due to the last person having to quit. She took her new responsibility on like a professional and bonded quickly with Lila, who was only eleven at the time.

She told Lila that the reason she wanted to become a journalist was because of the emergence of Iron Man, and his constant battle to keep the world safe. After him came all the other Avengers that followed, and Sophie found herself tracking each and everyone with a great deal of scrutiny. In a way to keep up with everything going on, Sophie started her own podcast at the age of sixteen called Origin Story, discussing everything and anything superhero-related. It eased her into the world of journalism, and paid her relatively well, considering all the advertisers practically begging to be mentioned on her show. And when Lila got older, Sophie unofficially hired her to help her with merchandise, social media, and the occasional editing. It was Sophie’s goal to one day see to it that Lila would be a guest on her podcast, convinced that people would love to hear what she had to say.

“Hey, Half-Baked,” Lila greeted in kind, feeling Sophie bump her hip with her own. She smiled softly at the nicknames, remembering how two years ago, on an incredibly slow night, Sophie had Lila run out and grab some ice cream for the both of them. Either Soph knew or she didn’t, but Lila was feeling incredibly anxious that day after some random stranger scolded her for accidentally running into them, and was glad for the sugary reprieve. Together, with their pints of Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked and Phish Food, they sat and laughed about absolutely nothing for the rest of the evening. “How’s it going?”

“Could be better, I’ll be honest,” Sophie replied. “The computer finally died this morning, so I’ve been running everything manually for the last couple of hours. Do you know how many people tried to pay with a check? For like two or three individual flowers? It wasn’t even a bouquet or a pot, it was an individual flower and they tried to use a check like we live in the sixties-”

“I’ve got somebody on it, Soph,” Lila reassured her. “M-my friend from school’s coming tomorrow after we go out and buy a new computer. It’s gonna be fine.”

Sophie turned to look at Lila with a suspicious stare. “Oh? And who is this friend that’s got you all stuttery?”

“What? Sophie, it’s not - it’s not like that.” She might as well have told her the truth, for her cheeks were already flaring a pleasant shade of red. She sighed, knowing that her worst enemy was herself. “Fine. His name is Peter, Peter Parker.”

“Oh, I see,” Sophie’s tone wasn’t mocking, but it was definitely teasing Lila to stir more of a physical reaction to her success. Lila’s neck began to grow warm, as well as her ears. “And is Peter the boy you’re always daydreaming about?”

“I don’t daydream, Soph.”

A scoff came from Sophie’s lips, “Sure, and I’m Hawkeye. But anyways, Peter Parker.”

“Sophie-”

“What? He’s got a nice name!” Sophie defended after Lila’s voice grew weary. “It’s strong, like a superhero. You know, like Bruce Banner, or Sue Storm. Alliteration names are where it’s at. You would know, you have one.”

“Okay, I’m going back up to the greenhouse to curl up in a ball and die, thanks.”

“Love you, Phish Food. Don’t die without me!”

*****

“Tulip, are you home?”

“In the kitchen!” Lila answered, smiling at her other nickname, and her personal favorite. She was bent over the oven, spooning the sauce she’d made back over the cooking chicken. Pushing the rack back in and closing the oven, Lila straightened up to see her father walk in and place his things on the kitchen island next to his keys. Ted Landry sighed, smiling softly as he walked around and gave his daughter the usual kiss on her forehead in greeting. He then began to roll up his sleeves and went over to the sink to wash his hands, staring up at the racks of herbs that blocked most of the view that the window above the sink provided.

As Lila turned to the cutting board that was perched on the opposite side of the island from where Ted placed his things, she snuck a glance at her father, always happy to see him home. His smile still sat on his lips, accentuating the few wrinkles he’d actually managed to accumulate in his early forties. It was amazing, Lila thought, how much he still smiled given their circumstances. Yes, he was successful, yes his daughter was brilliant and doing well in school, but still, after everything he’d lost…

“How was school, Tulip?” Tulip, her favorite flower since before she could name most flowers, seemed a natural nickname for Lila, according to her dad. Ted very much liked to call people by the name they preferred, and nicknames were few and far between. So Tulip was something of a rarity, much like his daughter was. “Pits and peaks, give ‘em to me.”

Lila was gently chopping up some walnuts for the salad she’d prepared along with the rest of dinner when she glanced up at her dad, who was observing the rosemary that sat on the second row of herbs. He plucked a few leaves and threw them into the oven to sit with the lemon chicken he could smell. Lila smiled, knowing she forgot to add the rosemary, and glad that her dad was there to keep up with her. “Well, a pit was Mr. Puth calling me out in front of the class to see me slip up.”

“Yeah, never liked that guy,” Ted agreed, picking up the already chopped walnuts and adding them to the bowl of spinach sitting on the far side of the counter. “Is this blueberry in here?”

“Blueberry goat cheese,” Lila answered, catching her dad’s doubtful stare. “You’ll like it, I promise.”

“I know, I know, I trust you. So, Mr. Puth called you out in front of the class, never fun. What was a good part of your day?”

“Um - well, I was completely on top of it in literature and launched an entire debate in the class over The Iliad. So Mr. Puth didn’t need to call on me again.” Lila took it as a personal victory, and was quite pleased with herself for not melting into a puddle in front of her classmates. She was sure it wasn’t physically possible to do so, but her anxiety always played out that delightful scenario in crystal clarity. Fortunately, that was something her dad knew.

So he let it slide. “Okay, any other peaks? There’s gotta be more to your day than just your first class is going well.” Reading her like a book, Ted watched her chop up the last of the walnuts before ushering her aside so he could take them over to the salad. She checked the kitchen timer and grabbed a tray of asparagus she’d prepared earlier and placed them below the chicken in the oven. She then helped her dad set the table for the two of them, grabbing the plates and napkins while he grabbed the cups and silverware. She headed back to her dad’s wine fridge and pulled out a white, pouring her dad a glass and retrieving a glass of water for herself. “Liz Allan told me how much her mom loves the fall wreath I made. It’s hanging on their front door.”

Ted smiled, squeezing her shoulder. “That’s fantastic, Tulip. It’s no shock, though. I mean, you always did have an eye for that sort of thing.” Lila was spared of having to grapple with the compliment by the timer going off for the oven. She waved her dad back to the table to sit down before taking the lemon chicken out of the oven as well as the asparagus. Bringing the food over, she set it down between the two plates and was about to sit down herself when her father spoke again. “It’s kind of quiet in here, Tulip. Whose week is it?”

“Uh - it’s mom’s week,” Lila said. The same touch of sadness that always hit Ted’s blue eyes appeared at the mention of Lila’s mother. Before the silence could grow heavy, she moved over to the living room where a large turntable was perched on top of a large shelf in the corner. Lila walked over, and pulled out the box that sat on the top shelf, labeled “Angelina”. Sifting through the various records that sat in the box, a smile fell on Lila’s face when she saw Billy Joel’s 52nd Street and immediately took it out of its sleeve. Only when the familiar guitar started playing did Lila return to the dinner table. Her father served her the chicken and vegetables she made and smiled at her. “Great choice, Tulip.”

And nothing else was spoken of it. For the rest of the evening, Lila and Ted Landry spoke of their days, how Ted was currently busy trying to book the Plaza Hotel for their holiday arrangements, and how Lila would need the company card to go out and purchase a new computer with Peter Parker the next night. Ted was delighted to hear how she’d gotten Peter to help, and didn’t miss the light blush that coated Lila’s cheeks when she spoke about him, nor the sparkle in her bright green eyes that accompanied it.

*****

That night, after Lila finished washing her face and getting ready for bed, her phone, which rest on her nightstand, vibrated twice. Then twice more. As she picked it up to read what was on her screen, it vibrated twice again. Lila opened her messages to see several texts from an unknown number and more apparently coming.

Hi, Lila. I was just wondering if it would be okay to meet by the West doors at 2:45 tomorrow so we can go grab that computer?

It’s Peter, by the way.

Parker.

From academic decathlon.

Lila’s heart soared, and the smile that grew on her face was one that ached. Eagerly, she saved the phone number with his name and a little microscope emoji next to it. She went back to the conversation and left her own reply.

Hi, Peter. That should work just fine. See you tomorrow!

Two minutes. Then:

Great. See you then!

Lila Landry went to bed barely able to contain her excitement, and butterflies started swimming in her stomach for the afternoon she’d get to spend with Peter.

#peter parker #peter parker x ofc #mcu #spider-man #spiderman #marvel #marvel x ofc #spider-man fic #peter parker fic #mcu x ofc #slow burn #mine

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