Jane follows Maura's gaze to a plant on her windowsill directly behind them. It's not a flower like all the other ones. It's just…a plant. The stem is thin and flimsy, the leaves broad, as it snakes up the glass. It looks trapped, like it's begging for air, for life. Let me out. Jane can almost see a prisoner, his palms pressed flat to a glass panel as he stares helplessly at her from the other side. Let me out.
She blushes, reaching over and starting to pry it from the window.
"I-it does that a lot. I keep…I keep pulling it down, but—"
"I was admiring it," is all Maura says, her hand gently catching Jane's wrist, stopping her from removing the plant.
For a moment, Jane is distracted by the burning feel of Maura's silky skin on hers, but then she sees the plant once again and remembers.
"It looks…sad," Jane finally says, but letting her hand relax, letting Maura hold it up.
"It's beautiful," Maura maintains, lowering Jane's hand to her lap. "It's nature at its finest."
The brunette pauses, her brow furrowing.
"Phototropism."
Again, Jane just stares. She doesn't know why, but every word, whether comprehensible or not, that falls from Maura's lips is captivating. She could say absolutely anything and it would be beautiful.
Maura takes Jane's silence as an allowance to continue.
"The hormone auxin is released at the presence of a light stimulus, and that auxin builds up on the side of the plant that is furthest from the light, because auxin promotes rapid cell elongation, consequently curving the plant toward the light."
She stops to take a breath, and Jane can't help but laugh.
"You see all that, and all I see is some scary dude scowling at the world in an orange jumpsuit."
This time it's Maura's brow that furrows, and her eyes go back to the plant. She stares at it for long seconds, before a bright grin spreads on her face.
"I can see that too," she says excitedly, her hazel eyes flying once again to Jane's, shining.
Jane chuckles, squeezing the leg under her hand.
"You could always see things my way," she says quietly.
"I've got a wide perspective," Maura murmurs.
A beat of silence falls between them.
"I love you for that."
Maura's eyes widen in shock, if only for a second, before they're back to the shiny, adorable brightness they were before.
"I love you too, Jane," she says, the thousand watt smile she gives matching her happy eyes.