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Every month. Every. Damn. Month. Without fail, the man with the bright green eyes would wander past his store, snatch up one of the store’s best flower bouquets, and walk away with it. Without paying.
Cas growled, glared down the street where the mystery man had disappeared. He’d done it again. Cas had even been expecting him. It was always the same day every month, usually around noon, and the man would appear, snatch the daisies and run off.
Cas was ready for him. But instead, someone had come in with a complicated order and Cas had been trapped. By the time he looked up, he watched a green jacket and daisies disappear around the bend.
He refused to let the man go again. He mentioned his struggles to his business partner, Balthazar.
“Sue him!” Balthazar replied, unhelpfully. Castiel groaned and rolled his eyes.
“Over one bouquet of flowers a month?” Cas replied. “That’s low.”
Balthazar shrugged and played with his insane new experimental bouquet. “You could always follow him? See if the pretty girl’s worth the bucks we’re losing?”
Cas opened his mouth to argue, but stopped short. It wasn’t a bad idea. He was definitely curious to see who the mystery man’s girlfriend, or boyfriend, was. He hoped they were worth the unpaid fifteen dollars those flowers cost.
The next month arrived faster than Cas expected. Balthazar kindly took the front desk, dutifully taking every order with ease and patience as Cas scouted for the mysterious green eyed man.
Soon enough, noon came, and Cas spotted him.
The man was handsome. Cas had to admit that much. Those bright green trademark eyes scoured the flowers at the front of the shop, taking each one in carefully and skeptically, until finally his face lightened and he scooped up the nicest daises on the stand.
He walked away quickly after that, moving at a brisk pace. Cas waved to Balthazar as he left, swept on his trench-coat and hurried after the man.
The walk wasn’t too long. They took a few turns, and Cas nearly lost him in the crowd twice. But they boarded a bus, and Cas made sure to keep his distance a few seats down. The mystery man stared at the flowers quietly, didn’t speak to anyone around him. He touched the petals gently until the bus came to a stop.
The man stood and was quick to get off. Cas was slower, but he made it off before the bus could leave him behind.
He stared at what he saw.
The man was crossing the street. A cemetery gate stood tall and dark above him. Cas swallowed hard. Without thought, his feet moved beneath him, and soon enough he was standing beneath the pillars and watched as the man walked halfway down the path, then turned and made his way close to a tree. He then knelt and set the bouquet in front of a headstone, taking away a now wilting bouquet from a good deal of time before. Cas swallowed. They were the same flowers from the previous month.
He watched silently as the man said a few words, too far away for Cas to hear, then stood and left, not turning back the same way he had arrived.
Cas waited a few minutes, then wandered over to the headstone himself.
On the marble read: Mary Winchester - Beloved Wife and Mother. The final resting date was many years past.
Cas swallowed again, suddenly feeling guilty for his reservation against the mystery man’s actions, who was no doubt this woman’s son. He shoved his hands in his pockets, stared at the stone for a few more minutes, then said quietly, “I’m glad you have flowers. I’m sure you deserve them.”
The wind blew past him and Cas smiled gently. He knew what he had to do now.
The next month Cas waited outside on a patio chair. Sure enough, the mysterious green eyed man appeared.
The man only briefly glanced at him, not seeming to care as he perused the bouquets. Cas didn’t say anything, but watched unashamedly as the man’s eyes narrowed as he continued to look, a redness touching his cheeks when finally he threw up his hands and stared at him.
“Hey, do you work here?” He asked. His voice sounded desperate, determined. Cas looked up and smiled at him.
“I’m one of the co-owners. Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“The daisies. There used to be free daisies out here?”
Free? Cas mentally slapped himself. Now it made sense whey the man kept stealing them. Now that he looked, the sign was missing. For all this man knew, they were sample bouquets. It was stupid, but it was understandable.
Cas shook his head and stood, walked over the stand and motioned to the door. “Actually, those were moved to a new location. I’d be happy to show them to you?”
The man winced, glanced between him and the doors anxiously. “But, uh… how much will they cost? I can’t really afford the good ones.”
The desperate look filled the man’s eyes, and Cas felt his heart thud painfully. But he kept his smile in place and nodded kindly.
“Well, it depends,” he said finally. “We have special discounts depending on the occasion. Could I get your name?”
The man hesitated, but finally smiled and replied, “Dean. Winchester.”
Dean. The green eyed man had a name after all. It fit him.
“Well Dean, I’m Castiel. I’m sure we can work something out for you.”
Dean looked relieved. His shoulders relaxed and he smiled genuinely.
“Thanks Cas,” he sighed. “I appreciate that.”
Around that same time the following year, Cas and Dean delivered the flowers together. Dean smiled the entire day.