Chapter Text
It started with a houseplant. It had been a gift from Devin's mother, after she stopped by their apartment to check in on them, to make sure they weren't becoming a hermit. Of course, when they pointed out that they couldn't become a hermit, their mother scoffed and changed the subject. Those were just things mothers worried over, even if it was silly, they supposed.
Their mother, when she first saw the blank walls and sparse decor of their apartment, shook her head before running her hand across the not-quite clean kitchen counter.
"Devin, you've been living here for a few months now, why haven't you decorated yet? And don't say you've been busy, I know your schedule young lady—"
Devin grimaced at their mother, who paused, as if thinking over what she had said, before backpedalling quickly, "I'm sorry— I really am trying you know, and I do know that you're not a girl— it's just easy to forget, sometimes."
They nodded, to acknowledge the apology, and their mother smiled at them, drumming her fingers against the counter, "still— you need to decorate this place, it reminds me of a hospital."
Devin didn't hide their smirk at that, "I thought you'd like it, to be honest? You were always nagging me to clean up my room when I was younger. But now that I have a place of my own, and it's clean, you're telling me to make it messier?"
Their mother huffed, taking a step away from the counter to move towards Devin, leaning up to tug on one of their stray curls teasingly, as Devin ducks their head obligingly, hiding their smile, "God knows that's the opposite of what I want— and there's a big difference between decorating, and how you used to literally leave chaos in your wake. Lord only knows how you managed to leave your room every morning without slipping and breaking your neck when you were younger—" she broke off to laugh, shaking her head and letting Devin's curl go, "and look what you've done, you've got me started again!"
Devin finally smiled at her, darting their hands out to pull their mother into a quick hug. After a moment their mother broke the hug, looking around the apartment again. "At any rate, you need something— a painting here, a plant there— even a pet would help, anything to get rid of the sterile look you have going on now."
They don't bother fighting her on it; just try to tempt her out of the apartment and to dinner, because if anything will get her mind off of scolding them it's a meal she doesn't have to make.
And that would be the end of it, but they had forgot to factor in how stubborn their mother could be sometimes, which is why there was a potted plant sitting in front of their door when they got home from work. The sight of it made them laugh, and after they opened the door they picked it up to carry in, setting it in a place they knew received sunlight, before peeking at the label on it:
Oxalis triangularis, the label read in their mother's handwriting, I know how much you like purple, and I thought it would brighten up your apartment— just put it near the window and you're set.
They checked its soil, to see if it had been watered recently, before they wandered off to call their mother and thank her, thinking that it's the last they'll hear of it, since their mother would consider the job done.
They never did get around to decorating their apartment, but tended to the plant so it was blooming, and when their friends came over Devin always made a joke about the plant, and didn't explain the reason why they had it. Of course, Lynn figured it out first, knocking on their door one day, and when Devin opened the door, they got an armful of plant, and peered down over it to see Lynn's beaming face, before Lynn shoved them back into the apartment lightly and shut the door.
"Well, go on, put it down— do you like it? I thought it was ironic, personally— a beanpole for the beanpole— clever, huh?" Lynn grinned, flopping down on Devin's couch even as Devin groaned, setting the plant down near the window, before they leaned against the wall, looking down at Lynn.
"I guess you could call it clever— any particular reason you've gifted me this? And what type is it, anyways?"
Lynn shifted slightly, still looking amused, "your other plant looked lonely, what can I say? And I figured I'd get you something that would always remind you of me, so it's a dwarf French bean— a beanpole because you're way too tall, and it's a dwarf because I'm short — best of both worlds!"
"I— you know what, fine. This isn't going to become a thing though, you got it?" Devin slouched against the wall, not even attempting to hide their pout from Lynn.
Lynn nodded, trying not to laugh, before sitting up straight and launching into a fast paced account of hir day, and Devin relaxed, moving away from the wall to start up the coffee pot as they half listened, letting Lynn's words tumble over them.
It totally becomes a thing.
Next comes a terrarium, shoved at them by Chris, and they tightened their arms around it reflexively, glancing down at him with a frown, "I— what's this?"
"What? Oh— my ex gave it to me, wouldn't take no for an answer when I tried to give it back, and I heard that you collected plants, so."
He shifted, slightly defensive, and Devin sighed, trying to shift the terrarium so the glass container wouldn't slip out of their arms. "Right. Yeah, I'll take it, I guess— who told you that I was collecting plants again?"
"Thanks so much— it has a hook on it, if you wanna hang it up— it might get light better that way, I dunno." He leaned up to peck their cheek, before taking a step back, and deftly avoiding their question, "right, I've got to go— bus to catch and all. Bye Devin, thanks again."
They watched him leave, bemused, before glancing down at the glass case in their arms and sighing, and they take the terrarium back to the staff room, before heading to their shift.
Their boss gifted them Aeschynanthus radicans in the form of a hanging pot, and a few of their friends scrounged up enough money to buy a flowering maple, which got set up in the corner, as it took up the most space. For their birthday Devin is gifted an even mixture of books, and— much to their horror— plants, which they were too polite to turn down.
"Maybe they'd get the picture that I don't need any more if I let them all die," Devin muttered as Lynn shut the door on the last guest.
It startled a laugh out of Lynn, and hir locked the door quickly, before hurrying over to the couch and flopping down next to Devin to tug Devin's head into hir lap so hir can pet their hair soothingly.
"Now now, don't lie to yourself Dev— you and I both know you wouldn't do anything like that; you hate disappointing people."
Devin pouted, squirming closer as they closed their eyes, "yeah, well— I don't know why I suddenly became the weird plant person, but I'm not very happy about it."
"Not yet, anyways— it'll grow on you, though—" and Lynn broke off to giggle, as Devin tried to squirm up and away, giving Lynn a betrayed look.
Lynn doesn't stop giggling, which allowed Devin the opportunity to wriggle away and stand, trying to keep some of their dignity intact.
"Hey, don't leaf me alone— get it Dev? Leaf? Leave? Seriously, don't leave, I'm sorry for ruining your super serious angst about owning too many houseplants, promise."
"Shut up, I do not angst. I just don't understand why everyone seems to want to cover my apartment in plants— what if I was allergic to pollen?" They tugged on their hair, more than aware they needed a trim and adding that to their ever growing to-do list, even as they looked at Lynn hopelessly.
Lynn grabbed their hand and untangled it from their hair, shushing them softly as they tugged Devin back down onto the couch, "because your mother was right, for one— you do need more pretty things in your life— not including me, of course— and if you were allergic to pollen we wouldn't even be having this conversation, so just relax. If you really want, you can give them away, no one will be mad, just—"
"Disappointed." Devin huffed, and slumped back against the couch's arm, "yeah, I know. I'm putting my foot down though, I don't need any more plants, I have too many— I don't want my apartment turning into a forest or anything like that, even if they are pretty."
Lynn hummed, moving to get comfortable and dragging Devin's legs into hir lap as an almost blanket. "You see? You think the plants are pretty. Just say you don't have any more room, and I'll tell the others not to give you any more, it's that simple, stop stressing about it, okay?" Hir traced along Devin's tattoo, making them flinch away from the ticklish feeling before stilling again when Lynn stops. "Look, it's like your tattoos— you like 'em, and you can get more whenever you want, and no one will judge you— and if you don't like one anymore you could get rid of it. Your body is your temple, and the same holds true for your apartment."
Devin nodded and dropped their head back against the couch's armrest, and looked at the plants with a frown, "you're right, now stop that, I'm supposed to be the wise one…” they trail off with a sigh, “I guess I'll keep them, and I can always get rid of them if they're too much of a hassle, or something."
Lynn smiled encouragingly, before shoving at Devin's legs unceremoniously. "Glad you're over your little fit— now, you and I both know you have ice cream hidden away, go get it, I deserve a treat for being so awesome at advice."
"And so humble, too," Devin teased, before rolling off the couch and standing up, to walk to the kitchen, weaving through the plants as they do.
Even as they ate with Lynn, they took in the appearance of their apartment, with some amount of fondness; perhaps their mother was right, because they did prefer the plants to a sterile white apartment. The plants gave the place character, and it'd be dull without them— but it's still not Devin's thing— it's only a thing if they start purchasing their own plants, right?
In the end, it is their thing, but no one points it out to them— it'd ruin the point of it.