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Buck has accumulated a lot of plants over the years, none of which he's actually bought with his own money. And no one has asked a single question about them, even as they sit nicely and bright in his new house.
It’s been his secret for years: gathering plants and taking care of them.
The ones that can bear it are outside, and a majority of the rest are up against window sills. Some are a bit away from the sun and some closer. Really, his house is full of little happy plants that he routinely takes care of.
It's nice and they make him happy, even if his means of getting any one of them is a secret he intends to never tell anyone ever.
Well, until Eddie.
Eddie, who is now missing a plant from his house, and Buck is waiting for him to notice. Because Eddie is observant. He always seems to just know what Buck wants or is feeling and usually Buck melts at the fact that someone knows him so well.
Until he stole one of Eddie’s very few plants when he left his house this morning.
Buck just couldn't help it – it needed him. Eddie forgets to water it and give it the sun it needs all of the time. It just sits there in the corner, mildly wilting with the three other plants the man has somehow kept alive.
But he wonders if Eddie will notice, because it's a pretty big plant.
Bigger than all of the others, and really, he's just lucky that their shifts are just off enough today that he had to leave before Buck.
Which is why he lugged the big potted plant into his jeep and drove it right home before he even realized what he was doing.
Eddie’s definitely going to notice.
And then he's likely going to connect some dots about Buck’s other plants, like he always does when he catches Buck doing something. Like how his baking was something else entirely and not just baking.
So yeah, he's going to find out that Buck steals plants from people he sleeps with if they're not being taken care of.
And he's definitely not going to be happy that Buck refers to it as his 'Slut Garden' because he hates it when Buck refers to himself that way.
Actually, maybe it'll be worth it because Eddie will do that thing again where he—
Nope.
Not the focus here.
The focus is on this giant plant sitting by his sliding door, and watching as it soaks up some much needed sun. Buck thinks he can definitely see it perking up.
See, it needed him.
Just like all of the others did.
The first one was an accident, and he wasn't even in LA yet when he took this one and let it sit in his jeep until he found a place to stay. It was a small little snake plant wilting in the woman's living room, and she was the one who actually told him to take it.
So he did. He brought it to his jeep and he kept it safe during his travels. It ended up on his window sill when he lived with the guys and Connor, getting bigger and bigger everyday.
And at this point, he didn't take any more of them. Well, not every single time he slept over at someone's house. Not everyone had a plant.
Plus, he didn't exactly know what he was doing yet.
But by the time he moved out of the shared house and into his loft, he had accumulated over 10 more plants.
Plus Abby had a couple, so by default he was up to about 15, all different shapes and sizes and types as they got bigger because he paid attention and took care of them.
Buck had a spider plant, a monstera that has definitely blossomed over the years, a pothos that hangs over his kitchen island and looks so cute doing so.
His jade plant is from Ali's apartment, and his peace lilly is from Taylor, which still makes him laugh a little bit if he thinks about it. Plus he has the widows- thrill from Natalia, and it's a pretty plant, but it's no surprise she would have that.
He took it anyways.
Then there's the 4 succulents that he saved from Tommy's house because they were dying. They were one of the easiest plants to take care of and he was killing them by not giving them the care they deserved.
It's no wonder they broke up.
But now he stands here in his new house. The weird man is gone forever, his things are all unpacked, and he's staring at the big ass plant he's taken from Eddie’s house this morning. He doesn't know what to do with it.
It's not his biggest plant; the monstera proves that, but it's still quite large and the pot’s quite heavy. Plus, Eddie hasn't exactly killed this plant, so he knows the man at least waters it sometimes.
Buck still took it, though. And now it's sitting by his hallway because he knows it'll get what it needs from there without it getting too much sun.
But he's taken the plant out of reflex because they slept together and Buck stayed over.
Which makes him feel a little insane that after all this time it's still wired into his brain to take a plant when he sleeps with someone.
Even if that person is definitely interested in him still and has probably texted him that he made it safely to the station.
Where Buck definitely needs to go because his shift starts soon.
So Buck drags his eyes away from it before he leaves, trying to push it away so he doesn't do something stupid like tell on himself to Eddie before the man can even find out.
It's hard though, which is crazy because he stole four plants from Tommy and has never had the urge to tell on himself, and definitely gaslit the man when he asked about one of them.
But only because he didn't ask about the others, just that one, so he didn't deserve them.
Eddie though … Eddie’s been wonderful and he's even gotten Buck flowers over the past few months.
Buck has no reason to take this plant, but he's done it anyways, and he steels himself when he pulls into the fire station. Taking deep breaths as if he stole jewels from the Louvre instead of a damn plant.
And the day goes fine.
But only because they're too damn busy for Eddie to ask him a single thing.
The entire 12 hour shift he has is full of them. Calls they’re getting over and over again until he feels sluggish in his movements.
When he does get to sit down, he's just basking in getting to sit next to his boyfriend or lay against him on the couch with only minor teasing from everyone.
And he forgets about the plant until he's back at his house and laying in bed. He can see the plant from where his head is laying on his pillow, and he frowns.
It's ridiculous.
Especially as Eddie walks into his house the next morning with Chris, and Buck watches him stop and look at the plant the moment he notices it at the end of the hallway. Of course he sees it, it's huge and in the way.
Chris walks right back and goes to Buck’s spare room to put some of his things down, and likely plug in his PlayStation.
Buck doesn't even look as he walks by, only swallowing when Eddie looks at him.
"Did you get a new plant?" Eddie asks, and Buck nods out of reflex alone.
"Yep!" Buck grins, trying to not give away anything. With the way Eddie is looking at him, he thinks he believes him, but Buck never actually knows with Eddie, not about these things. He's incredibly good at hiding his emotions when he wants to.
"Huh." Eddie states, a smile forming on his face. "It kind of looks like mine, doesn't it?"
Buck swallows again.
"Mhmm, that's why I got it."
Eddie nods, "It looks good."
And Buck thinks it's the end of it.
They have dinner and watch a movie, they sit in the hot tub with Chris joining them for a little while, and Buck feels the comfort of having his family close to him going through his entire being and he relaxes.
But he shouldn't have.
Not when he and Eddie lay down for the night and the man is looking at him through the moonlight, his brown eyes searching over Buck's face as they lay there in silence.
Eddie has got Buck pulled close; their chests are touching, and that's one of the things he loves most about Eddie. He lets Buck be close without complaint and it soothes any ache inside of him when he gets it.
And Eddie gives it to him freely all of the time. Always touching him and keeping him close when he can.
But when they're in bed, Buck is a cuddler and Eddie enjoys holding him. The man had whispered it when they first got together and there was no universe where Buck wouldn't be over the moon about it.
Now though, he's got Buck close and his hand covers the middle of Buck’s back while he looks at him. Buck thinks he could count all of Eddie’s eyelashes with how close they are.
And it feels like forever before Eddie says anything. He knows it's been a while because he can tell that he's fighting eye contact. Buck can only hold Eddie's intense gazes for so long, and that man loves eye contact.
He says the word, "Eyes" all of the time now when Buck looks away.
It sends heat through his gut.
But this time, Eddie speaks without making Buck look at him first, and his heart starts stuttering in his chest, against Eddie's hand on his back.
"Why do you have my plant in your house?"
It's not judgemental sounding, only curious and he exhales from the feeling in his chest even if Eddie doesn't sound mad.
"You knew?" Buck asks, needing to know.
Eddie simply nods, his cheek brushing up against the pillow with the notion, "I noticed it was gone after our shift." He doesn't look away from Buck. "Didn't know where it was until I saw it earlier."
Buck swallows again, eyes darting away before coming back, "You're going to think I'm crazy."
Eddie huffs a laugh, somehow pulling Buck even closer and he goes easily, "Try me."
Buck bites his lip but steels himself, because this is Eddie, "I— uh," he starts, letting his lip fall free from his mouth. "I took it because I—" he lets out a little laugh and burrows closer to Eddie and the man says nothing and for that Buck is grateful. "I took it because it's something I've been doing for years and I didn't even realize I did it until I was half way back to my house."
Eddie hums and he can feel the vibration against his forehead where he's got himself pressed against Eddie's neck.
"You've been taking plants for years?" Eddie asks, his voice still as level as it has been.
Buck nods against him, just once. "I've taken a plant from almost everyone I've ever slept with."
Then there's the silence he was expecting.
And when he doesn't get another immediate reply, he pulls his head back out of his hiding place and looks at Eddie again.
The man's mouth is open a little, and yeah, he's definitely caught him off guard this time.
"You've what?" Eddie asks and hands tighten around him even if it looks like his mouth is tilting a little. Enough that Buck has noticed.
He feels himself flush, "Yeah uh.. I've only actually gotten permission to take one. The rest... I've taken them because they weren't being taken care of properly."
He doesn't expect Eddie to laugh.
But he does.
The man laughs quietly, but it's a lot of sound. He's obviously keeping low so he doesn't wake Christopher down the hall with it. But he's still laughing, his eyes bright and shiny, and Buck feels embarrassed all over again.
"Why're you laughing?" Buck exclaims, his voice a furious whisper.
Lips connect against his own, a hard press that's there and gone and Buck blinks at the sudden affection from the man and he's still got a wide smile on his face.
"You stole my plant because I wasn't taking care of it properly?" Eddie gets out, his voice a little breathless.
"Um yes?" Buck gets out and Eddie kisses him again.
"You could've just told me Buck." Eddie says against his mouth, "You don't need to take anything from me, I'll just give it to you." He kisses him again, softer, without laughter in his voice.
Buck melts against him, taking those words to heart as their mouths drag together in the darkness.
"Don't you get it?" Eddie whispers a while later, after his mouth is raw and his skin is covered in red bite marks he won't be able to fully hide and a shower calling his name so they don't fall asleep sticky.
But his legs won't quite work just yet, so he just hums against Eddie as they lay on the bed, the question in the sound.
"I'll give you anything you want." Eddie whispers and Buck smiles this time as the man moves his sweaty curls from his face, "Even the plants from my house if you want to take care of them for me."
Buck flushes. "I don't want all of them."
Eddie chuckles. "Oh they didn't make the cut?"
"That one was the only one that was wilting."
"That's because you water the others regularly." Eddie murmurs, his voice is a little raspy still and it gives Buck goosebumps, "Because I know you take care of them, guess I've been slacking on that one, so you can have it."
"I can keep it?" Buck asks.
Eddie hums, "Course, my plant klepto, you can keep it." And Buck is the one laughing quietly this time and he sees Eddie grin. "But we'll have to start buying you some later."
Eddie kisses his temple as he moves to get up so they can go take a shower, and he sees the way the man's back flexes. "Why?" Buck questions him, taking his gaze back to his face when he turns around.
"Because you're not getting any more plants from anyone else if I've got something to say about it."
Buck feels the flush go down his body and he knows Eddie sees it with the way the man's eyes wander down, down, down until the rest of him disappears under the sheet that will need changed once they're both clean.
"Oh." Buck parrots out, his eyes wide and he feels molten. "No more additions to the slut garden?" He asks, just being cheeky and Eddie's eyes narrow.
"No." he states and then pulls the sheet away from him and that's a cue to get up right now and follow Eddie to the bathroom.
Then he gets shown very clearly in there that he's not getting any more plants unless they come from Eddie.
Buck’s more than happy with that.
Even the next morning, when he hears Chris's voice down the hall, "Dad? Is this our plant?"
Eddie's laugh gets him the rest of the way up, a smile on his face as he goes. Eddie's bright brown eyes meet his when he walks into the room, and Chris's sound of confusion when Buck starts laughing too only makes him laugh harder.
It's a good morning.