I originally posted this on tumblr but I'm also posting it here :)


Sam Winchester jingled the keys once they were tugged from his pocket and opened the front door to 'Sammy's Flowers'. He always told himself he would take down the extra M and Y every time he thought about it, but most days he was much too busy to even remember the error. At least until someone saw his name tag and automatically extended it to 'Sammy'; which Sam hated. Next time Dean was in town he'd tell the contractor to fix it.

Sam took a moment to take in the pungent scent of pollen before dawn and then took a sip of his coffee to wake up a bit more. It was going to be another long day. It was spring and he was sure even more brides were coming to get their flowers for their weddings. Men and women would be coming in for last minute anniversary gifts and birthdays. He had vases to exchange and arrange and Charlie wouldn't be in until 12 to help him out.

The morning rushed by, with Sam was always moving. He danced around benches of flowers and over areas that frequented puddles with practiced ease. He talked to customers and helped them find which flowers were perfect for their mate or loved one. He stared venomously at people who would move his specifically arranged displays and take pictures with their phones without buying anything.

So, when 7 hours passed and it wasn't even noon, Sam was tired, hungry, and he wanted to see if Charlie had hidden any goodies under the counter. The door bell chimed, signaling he was no longer alone with the flowers. Sam looked up from his boxed counter area; somewhat dirty and weary from little rest.

It was a man. Or rather, a man he'd met several times before. His name was Gabriel and he had started visiting over the last month or so. Sam smiled and went back to looking for Charlie's snack pile, which she'd hidden again.

"Hey Gabriel." Sam greeted, checking in the box of tags, but finding nothing edible, "Anything I can help with you today?"

"Not really." Gabriel reached the counter, placing something on it while Sam wasn't looking. Sam gave up on finding Charlie's horde and stood straight, stretching his arms up before he properly looked at Gabriel; and at what Gabriel had brought. Gabriel raised his brows curiously, folding his hands on the counter as Sam looked at the glass vase that was stuffed full of flowers. They were hap-hazardously organized on wire and wooden stems and... well, upon closer inspection, he could tell they were not grown flowers. The violet tulips were marshmallows lined with chocolate. The stargazer lily was white chocolate with sprays of red and brown spots. The six red roses in the middle were carved from strawberries and glazed to look smooth. Sam was wordless for a moment, taking in the accurate details that he could probably put next to his own and no one would be able to tell the difference.

Sam's fingers pushed his hair back behind his ear, shifting his weight to the other foot, "I... Um... they're lovely." His brain twitched a little, because they could be more centered and arranged better.

"You like them?" Gabriel's wide and knowing smile started to paint itself on his lips.

"Yes. They're..." Sam waved his hands about and wiped his hands on his apron, "Just the lilies should be on top, and maybe the roses, erm, strawberries could be spread out a bit more." Gabriel blinked at the bunch, "The lily would look really nice as a center piece."

"You wanna fix it, don't you?" Gabriel chuckled a little and Sam nodded. It didn't help that they also looked delicious and Sam was hungry, "Go ahead."

"I've been handling plants and dirt all day." Sam licked his lips and wiped his hands on his dirt stained apron.

"Do they look close to the real thing?" Gabriel prodded one of the tulips back more into the vase.

"They do. They're amazing." Sam smiled for a moment and then felt a small pang as a thought crossed his mind, "Are they for someone?"

"Yes, someone pretty special." Gabriel grinned. Sam remembered the first time he met Gabriel; when the man had come in for a bright red rose for his lover. Gabriel was charming and caught Sam off guard with a few well placed jokes; thankfully it wasn't any flower jokes. Sam had heard them all. Sam liked Gabriel. He just had his way about life; he enjoyed it instead of just blowing through it. It hadn't worked out with Gabriel's old lover, Sam later found out. Apparently she hadn't been looking for something more like Gabriel had.

"Dating again already?" Sam asked, "I mean, Kali was a few weeks ago."

"More like a month and a half." Gabriel shrugged, "I'm ready to spread my wings again. Can't be defeated forever, y'know?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded, rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah." He stared at the little intricate detail on the thinly laced chocolate of the lily, which was the most detailed piece, "So is this one of your usual projects?" Gabriel was a chocolatier and he'd brought Sam some little things, like cupcakes with wedding worthy piping and some really sophisticated cup sized sculptures of nothing but milk chocolate, but nothing like this.

"Nope, mostly one big experiment. I don't work with fruit much." Gabriel looked up at Sam, curiosity in his eyes, "Think this is good for first date material?" Sam made a noise in his throat, that he wasn't even sure what it was. He nodded anyway.

"Yes, it's very nice." Sam nodded, wondering if it meant he wasn't going to get his morning visits anymore, "Ah, the tulips are a good frame for the lily and the roses aren't the only focus. I think she'll like it, it's not too forward." Gabriel let out a little laugh and he plopped his face into both hands, looking at Sam.

"Sam, it's for you." Gabriel told him. Sam stared at Gabriel and he slowly pointed to himself.

"Me?" Sam asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you out. On your next night off." Gabriel grinned and pushed the vase closer to Sam, "I know you always get too rushed to eat, so I figured you'd like these. Go on, try one." Sam's face flushed but he was warmed by the gesture. He reached out, plucking a sugar glazed strawberry from the bunch and popped it into his mouth, a hum of approval leaving him before he even really chewed. Gabriel grinned, "Well?"

"They're deceptively delicious." Sam approved once he could and since Gabriel was giving him the batch, he did a little rearranging, moving the fragile chocolate lily on top and the strawberries with the marshmallows.

"Die hard habit?" Gabriel leaned in more on the counter, amused by Sam's fussing, "So, is that a yes about the date?"

"Yes." Sam answered with a large smile, relief and nerves flooding him, "I'm off tomorrow."

"Great." Gabriel stood up straighter, "You bring the flowers, and I'll bring the chocolate." Sam smiled, amused at the thought of them exchanging their fortes.

"Nothing too extravagant." Sam had seen some of Gabriel's mind dazzling sculptures.

"I'll try." Gabriel gave Sam a warm smile, "Hard to when I have such an amazing muse." Sam's face flushed quietly and he took off one of the tulips, popping them into his mouth, "Try the lily." Sam chuckled.

"Don't you know stargazer lilies are poisonous?" Sam grinned when Gabriel stared blankly at him for a moment.

"I did not." Gabriel admitted and then smiled at his own lack of knowledge.

"Tulips are too." Sam said, "Roses are edible though."

"This lily won't kill ya, I promise." Gabriel crossed his heart with a finger and Sam stared at the delicate chocolate peddles.

"It's almost too pretty to eat." Sam touched the smooth surface, which was cool and kept the chocolate solid.

"It tastes even better." Gabriel promised with a wink. Sam took one of the long peddles and the chocolate snapped from the wire stem. He brought it up to his lips and smooth, sweet chocolate ran over his tongue.

"Mm, it is good." Sam smiled and Gabriel grinned with Sam's approval, "Don't think you can win me over with just chocolate though."

"Never." Gabriel feigned being affronted, "I also have my charm and a cute dog at home to help with that." Sam laughed softly and he looked up when the chime rang at the door. It was Charlie, finally. Charlie quickly looked alarmed though.

"Sam!" Charlie nearly dropped her lunch bag and jogging over to them, "You shouldn't be so hungry that you turn to eating the merchandise!" Sam blinked and laughed.

"Charlie, it's not real." Sam assured her, "It's chocolate." Charlie stared hard at the chocolate and then to the vase of sweets. That's when she dropped her lunch bag.

"It's chocolate?!" she inspected the plants themselves, "Oh my god..."

"It's chocolate. My chocolate." Sam warned her, popping the rest of the lily peddle into his mouth.

Gabriel smiled, looking to Sam, "So anyway. Seven okay?"

Sam nodded, "Seven sounds great." He smiled as Gabriel gave him a wink and backed out the door. Charlie looked between Sam and the closing door. She raised a fine red eye brow.

"Did you finally get off your ass and ask him out?" Charlie asked and plucked one of the tulips from the vase; of which there were many.

"He actually asked me out." Sam muttered and then spoke louder, "Those are mine."

"Don't think I don't know you always steal your way into my fruit snacks, Sam Winchester." Charlie bit into the tulips and her eyes shot open, "Are these lined with chocolate? They're so good..."

Sam leaned against the counter, and just smiled as he started planning the bouquet he'd bring to the date.