The first time Alex had gone to Maggie's apartment the thing that had first caught her eye was the bonsai trees. Against the backdrop of the minimalist interior, the vivid green of the tiny trees stood out charmingly.

There was one on the table next to the couch, one on the island in the kitchen, a set of three aligned diagonally along the side wall on small shelves. They were about the only decorative pieces in the whole apartment from what Alex could see.

She doesn't know what she had expected Maggie's apartment to look like but it wasn't this. She was surprised at the immaculateness of it, the serenity of it.

She felt awkward at first, wary of disrupting the harmonious atmosphere with her, as of late, embarrassing clumsiness and huge feelings.

But Maggie had just chuckled at her carefulness, taking her hands with a squeeze and leading her in further.

"Relax Danvers, make yourself at home…mi casa es su casa,' winking at her with a warm dimpled smile.

Alex giggled at her girlfriend, her tension easing a little. "I bet you say that to all the girls," she teased, drawing a laugh from Maggie.

"It's beautiful…did you decorate it yourself?" she asked, looking around the small apartment in admiration.

"Yeah…I didn't do much," Maggie shrugged modestly, "I prefer to keep it simple…open and light."

"And these?" Alex asked pointing to the trees decorating her apartment.

Maggie smiled softly, moving to come in front of Alex touching the one beside the couch. She paused looking at Alex a moment before speaking.

"My mom used to work at a garden centre when I was little. She used to bring home these little beauties sometimes and I was always so fascinated by them. I mean- whole trees in tiny form- come on," she joked, causing Alex to laugh. "We used to grow our own together as well…it was nice."

Behind her wistful smile Alex could see traces of something more.

Aware that Maggie was trying to hide the undercurrent of feelings from her and hoping that Maggie would be able to tell Alex herself one day, Alex attempted to brighten her up.

"That is so sweet! I'm imagining it now" she smiled brightly, picturing a young Maggie planting trees with her mom.

Maggie blinked out of her memory, meeting Alex's comment with a laugh. "Hmmm…I've always loved them. I like… maintaining them" she admitted. "They make me feel calm", she went on, voice soft with vulnerability.

And Alex smiled, warm. Maggie was constantly surprising her. Her badass crime-fighting, detective girlfriend liked keeping tiny trees…it was the most adorable thing she had ever heard.

"You are…so adorable," she voiced aloud, pressing a quick kiss to Maggie's lips, causing Maggie to chuckle again behind a small blush.

"Yeah, yeah Danvers…says the one with the entire collection of Disney movies in her apartment," Maggie deflected, teasing.

"Those are for Kara!" Alex exclaimed laughing, thrilled at the innocent teasing.

"Keep telling yourself that," Maggie grinned, giddy at having Alex in her space and it feeling so right.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After that, Alex got to know even more of Maggie's love for nature. In the early spring Maggie had taken her to the park on their lunch breaks several times just to see the newly blossoming trees, content to just sit there gazing at their beauty. The hectic laboriousness of their jobs made it difficult sometimes to just sit back and ponder the beauty of nature but Maggie made sure to make time for it. And Alex adored her for it.

On one of their dates, Maggie had taken her to the highest point in the city to get the best view of the full moon in all its glory.

"Is this where you bring all the girls detective?" Alex had teased the first time Maggie had driven them up there.

Maggie had laughed, dimples deep. "Wouldn't you like to know," she teased before turning more serious, vulnerable. "Actually I-er-… usually just come up here on my own…to clear my head." She looked down.

And Alex's body warmed at the unspoken meaning, turning around in Maggie's arms to look at her- the light of the moon shining down on Maggie's face making her appear even more beautiful than the radiant moon itself.

"Thank you for bringing me."

Maggie met Alex's eyes then, trying to ease the ferocity of her emotions. "I suppose you're not completely unbearable company Danvers," she grinned at her, dimples deep, causing the swarm of butterflies that had made permanent residence in Alex's stomach to start fluttering softly.

They had sat on the hood of Maggie's car for hours that night, content to just gaze at the clear night sky, wrapped up in each other.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One morning during breakfast, Alex was on her laptop looking up places to take Maggie out on a date on while Maggie was going through the morning paper.

"Hey Maggie, did you know there's a bonsai garden in the city?" She shook her head with an embarrassed laugh, "What am I saying, of course you know….you must have been there loads of times."

Maggie's eyes crinkled around a warm chuckle, endeared by her adorable girlfriend. With the amount of concentration on Alex's face, Maggie had not expected her to be doing that.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just," Alex replied with a sweet shrug, making Maggie's smile grow wider.

"I've never actually been to it," Maggie admitted, setting her paper down.

"What! Miss- I have bonsai trees falling out of my apartment- Sawyer has never been to the bonsai garden literally across town?" Alex exclaimed exaggeratedly. "How is that possible?"

Maggie laughed bright, moving up from her chair to go sit in Alex's lap, arms around her neck.

"Very funny." She was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I guess… I've never had anyone to go with…I always used to do these things with my mom and now…I've gotten used to doing them alone," she explained quietly.

Alex smiled, heart softening for Maggie at the admission. "Soooo…" she started playfully, caressing Maggie's soft hair behind her ears. "If I were to ask you out on a date to it would that be okay?" she asked, turning shy towards the end of the question.

And Maggie's heart melted. "That would be so okay," she breathed out giddy, taking Alex's lips in a soft sensual kiss, heart full of adoration for this special girl who had burst into her life.

Maggie leaned into Alex's body, allowing her mind to further caress the growing realisation that maybe this time was different; maybe this girl was the one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After Valentine's Day, Alex couldn't seem to understand one thing. When they were at Maggie's a few nights later, Alex kept looking to the bonsais around Maggie's apartment, eyebrows furrowed, unable to make sense of them.

Once they were settled on the couch halfway through the movie, Alex turned Maggie around in her arms to voice her confusion.

"Maggie babe," she started softly, "how come you keep these bonsai trees in your apartment if they remind you of your mom?"

And Maggie sighed softly, smiling up into Alex's concerned eyes, warm at their newfound openness.

"Because they remind me of the good parts of her" she started gently, amazing Alex with her ability to do that- separate the good from the messiness of the bad. She certainly hadn't perfected the art herself. She was in awe of the woman in her arms.

"They remind me of the beauty of life, " Maggie continued, "…that there's something bigger out there than the small-mindedness of a few people…I look at them and I feel grounded, more at peace…".

Alex smiled tenderly at Maggie's explanation. "Maybe we should keep some in my apartment too then cos, with the way you make me feel, I think I need a thousand," Alex flirted, sincere, bringing Maggie closer in her embrace.

Maggie laughed gently, a light blush coming across her cheeks. Feeling safe in Alex's embrace, she confessed softly, brave, "And I don't think I need any," looking down a moment before looking straight into Alex's eyes, eyes shining.

And Alex's heart skipped a beat at the declaration, the swarm of butterflies in her stomach fluttering strongly, giddy at its implication. She took a moment to compose herself.

"Guess you should just give me yours then," she breathed out softly, catching all of Maggie's vulnerability safe into her hands and storing it away in her heart.

And Maggie laughed, feeling warmer than ever, placing a soft lingering kiss to Alex's lips before moving down to settle against Alex's chest, content to just listen to the rhythm of her heartbeat all night long.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The timelines a bit jumbly, I hope it made sense. Do y'all have this many feelings about Maggie x bonsai trees too? Let me know your thoughts! :)