Work Text:
So what do you know about this one?
•••
There were a few rich people in their class, but Grace Madison was still a little surprised when she remembered that Desmond Hall was one of them. He didn’t flaunt his wealth like the other wealthy people in their class did. He was more relaxed than that, which was something she appreciated, but she also appreciated the money he and his family had to afford big areas for sport-related activities. She was staying with her boyfriend and his family during their school break. It was her first time being here, and she liked to make the most use of the space given.
It was the evening of one of their last nights here before they had to go back to Eden’s Garden Academy. Desmond had asked if she wanted to go on an evening run, and she accepted. By now, she had an idea of his family's property, but she still felt more comfortable going around with Desmond next to her.
On their way back to the house, Desmond stopped on the path to crouch in front of a plant. He pointed at it and said, "Oh, these are my favourite kind of plants around here."
Grace wasn't sure why they stopped when they should still be running, but she crouched next to him anyway. "It looks like a pink pineapple."
"That's why I like it. They're called Variegated Pineapples, I think. They're tropical plants my mom got before I was born. Apparently, growing plants outdoors like this reduce stress and stuff, but I think my mom just thought they'd look nice."
They were pretty, despite their weird shape. A part of her said that they should keep running, and they were wasting precious time by talking about plants, of all things, but she said out loud, "You got any other fancy plants here?"
"Oh, tons."
Desmond took Grace's hand. Instead of running, they walked, and they stopped every so often for Desmond to point out a new plant. In all honesty, Grace couldn't care less about the exotic plants that have been around Desmond's house from before he was born, but she did find Desmond's attempts at being knowledgeable enough to answer all her questions.
"Where's this one from?" Grace asked when they stopped in front of an Urn Plant.
"That one? That's from, uhh..." He frowned. "Somewhere south..."
"South," she repeated.
"South America..."
"Figured it'd be in a different continent. It's supposed to be a foreign plant." She pointed at it with her shoe. "No offence, but it doesn't look that pretty."
He had a more relaxed smile now. "That's because it hasn't fully matured yet. When they are mature, they'll be a really pretty pink."
"When do they mature?"
His smile dimmed. "Umm... I don't pay that much attention to flower maturity..."
She smiled. It was almost too easy.
Grace didn't want to be cruel, though, especially not when she was staying at his family's house, so she didn't subject Desmond into having to know too much about flowers. Back inside, she made a protein shake for both of them. Desmond liked to drink one after working out while she liked to drink one before, but she felt like having another one.
"By the way," Desmond said, "I didn't know you were into flowers."
"God forbid a girl likes looking at pretty things," she replied, making a point to make eye contact with him.
His eyes widened after a moment. "Wait, do you...want to be gifted flowers?"
"Nope. I have no use for them." It was a nice, romantic gesture, and it might make her swoon at the moment if she received any, but really, the flowers were probably going to die in a week or two. Then, the only thing she could do would be to throw the flowers out, but that would mean it was a complete waste to get them in the first place. If the gift wouldn't be practical, at least a gift that didn't need to be thrown out so soon was all she wanted.
His shoulders relaxed. "Yeah, that's what I thought... But I can get you flowers if you want them."
"That's sweet, but no, thanks."
Desmond still seemed to be thinking about something, though. Grace decided to let him be lost in his own thoughts. He would tell her if it was something she should know anyway.
. . .
A few weeks after returning to Eden's Garden Academy, Grace went to hang out in Desmond's dorm to get him to work out with her. She had gotten too used to working out with him before they even started dating, so when they were together, she wasn't going to exercise alone when it felt so lonely now. Desmond opened the door for her, and she went inside to find a plant on a hanger.
"When'd you get this?" she asked him, touching one of the leaves.
"A few days ago," he answered with a proud smile. "It's a Heartleaf Philodendron. It can basically survive through anything, but it likes indirect light, and it likes to be watered once a week."
"It looks nice."
"Thanks. It's from Brazil. Like the Urn Plant I showed you in my house. You remember it, right?"
She did, which made her start to wonder if her questions had motivated him into growing his own plants. "So you chose this one because it's easy to grow and also from Brazil?"
"And because it's cool. There are lots of species of Philodendron. They're all from Brazil. They all climb up tree trunks, so their names come from the Greek words for 'love' and 'tree!'"
He looked so proud of himself for knowing all this about a plant—no, a Heartleaf Philodendron—that she couldn't help but smile. "You want me to keep asking you questions?"
"You don't have to," he said, but his voice made it clear that he wanted her to.
So, Grace gave into his wants, and she asked Desmond all about Heartleaf Philodendrons, and after finding out that he spent time learning more about the plants at his family's house, she asked about them too. She also made sure that they didn't go too hard today so he could comfortably talk throughout the workout. He was happy to share his new knowledge, and she liked to hear him share something he cared about, so it was a win for both of them.