Some Bad Luck Makes Good Things Happen
Pairing: florist!Sam Wilson x reader Summary: You’re in search of a flower shop for a friend’s wedding. When the shop you chose is suddenly out of business, you literally run into your salvation. Will something more come of it? Warnings: none, it’s all fluff Word count: around 2K A/N: @hot-chocolates-world did a florist!Sam Wilson AU moodboard some months ago and I had the inspiration to write something with the moodboard in the back of my mind and I feel like there's not enough Sam Wilson AUs
A wedding in your friends circle was in the works and one of the brides, Mina, had asked those closest to her to help with preparations. On the list where things like flowers, color scheme with appropriate fabrics, pastries, cakes (specifically a different point than ‘pastries’) and flowers.
You volunteered yourself for the flowers, since there had just opened a flower shop around your blocks corner.
The flower shop around the corner seemed like it would make nice arrangements, since they had quite the selection on display. During your lunch break, you went there and promptly an employee asked if she could help you.
“Yes, I’m looking for a flower shop that can supply the wedding of a friend with fifteen flower arrangements.”
“Of course. You’ve come to the right place. I’ll show you what we could do on the tablet and if you like that, we can move on to the real thing and deliver them the day of.”
“That sounds nice. I thought of calla lilies, baby’s breath and pink roses.”
The employee showed you what she’d do and you agreed with her selection to move forward. Two days later, you got a call to see the example arrangement in the flesh. At the shop, the flowers looked every bit like you imagined them. You paid the deposit and were in high hopes for the wedding.
The wedding came closer and closer, only ten days now. Your stroll took you around the neighborhood to the flower shop but what you saw made you stop dead in your tracks. The store front was dark, the sign above the door was missing and the inside was devoid of anything. No flowers, no tables, no bowls, no register. Next morning, you tried calling and googling them. It seemed like they had never existed. You called your friend and explained what had happened and ended with the promise to try and get replacements. She agreed about it being unlucky but told you she was thankful for you trying to fix a mess you weren’t responsible for.
You had been able to get out of work early and took a stroll in the evening light. Deep in thought, you bumped into something soft.
“Oof.” Came from in front of you.
The man turned around.
“I’m so-“ You cut yourself off when you looked at his face.
“Don’t worry about it.” He brushed it off.
“I should’ve watched where I’m going.” You shook your head.
“Deep in thought?”
“A bit. I’m just wondering where to get flower arrangements for my friend’s wedding.”
The man grinned at that.
“What’s so funny?” You questioned.
“Look behind me for a second.”
You did and saw a store front with double doors. The shop was dark inside but the street light and setting sun cast light onto several baskets full of different flowers, tablets saying which and how many flowers cost what and some arrangements. Above the doors stood in colorful, romantic letters “Sam’s Flowers”.
“I’m guessing you’re Sam?” You chuckled.
“Bingo. And you are?”
“Y/N.” You held out your hand.
Sam shook it, after transferring a small flower bouquet to his left hand.
“Flowers for your date?”
“Nah, flowers for me. No date in sight, just a good bottle of wine and a home cooked meal for myself.”
“I won’t keep you then. Have a nice evening.” You waved your hand and went home, as did Sam, you supposed. You thought about where to get flower arrangements and after a few steps you turned around.
“Uhm, Sam?” You called out.
He turned around. “Yeah?”
“Usually, I don’t do that to people almost on their way home after work… but…”
“But you’re in dire need of flower arrangements?”
“Yes, is it that obvious?”
“Just a little bit” Sam chuckled, although you could hear it wasn’t with mal intent, “You’re not the first one to be in that situation.”
Sam was quiet for a few seconds, as were you. “Tell you what. I usually open at 10am.”
Your face fell a little. You had to be at work at that time and usually arrived a few minutes early. “That’s the time work starts for me as well.”
“But, if you’re here tomorrow at around 9am, I’ll see what I can do, okay?”
You thanked Sam and both of you went your separate ways home.
Close to 9am you stood in front of Sam’s Flowers and thought about Sam’s offer. Waking up earlier, paying more for electricity, just for that one customer with bad luck. Did he do that for everyone who was in a pinch? Or could you get your hopes up about this beautiful man who just happened to be a florist?
At 9am on the dot, Sam arrived at his shop. He unlocked the doors and let you in. “You didn’t wait too long, I hope?”
“Rather I wait than you wait for me, especially when you open earlier for me.”
Sam smiled over his shoulder at you.
“Gimme a minute and we can talk about the arrangements.”
Some minutes later (not that you counted the minutes in which you didn’t see this incredibly beautiful florist) Sam came out the back in a deep red apron with his store’s logo on the front and carrying two mugs. “I never start my workday without coffee. I got some flavor, milk and sugar around here if you’d like.”
You couldn’t help but smile and feel something warm in your belly ascend. How was he so sweet? Was he this sweet to everyone who more or less made him come out before he even officially opened for the day?
“Uh, no thank you. Black coffee is enough.” You scratched your neck.
“Alright, then let’s get started. What, or who, am I working with?” Sam put his forearms on his worktable and looked at you from under his lashes. Why did you notice his lashes?
“Mina, that’s the one who’s getting married, wanted her favorite color in the arrangements and she doesn’t like too much green with her flowers, not even in actual bouquets she gets or buys for the house. Her favorite color’s orange. But I personally like mint and green in terms of colors. And a wedding with a ‘luxury’ motto should have some white, I think. And greenery.” You felt like you were rambling and couldn’t stop and why did you tell Sam about your favorite color? It wasn’t your wedding, you weren’t even in a relationship!
“I asked who I’m working with, not what the bride wants.”
“Why? I’m not getting married.” You looked at him quizzically.
“Usually when a friend of the bride is in charge of the flowers, the brides are happier with the arrangements I create on the brides’ friends’ basis than if the arrangement is based entirely on what the bride told me.”
“And that works?”
“Don’t worry your pretty head about hypothetical and former brides. I always ask the brides beforehand and ask them what they want. And then I make an alternative flower arrangement. Usually they like the first one better.”
“Then…” You trailed off.
“Tell me about yourself and the wedding. There’s gotta be a reason why you’re the one responsible for the flowers. What are you wearing? Mina’s wearing classical white, isn’t she?”
“Okay, so I’m Y/N, my favorite color is mint and my dress is also gonna be in that color. I work a boring nine to five office job and in my free time I craft with everything I can find, no matter if it’s fabric, wool, wood or anything else. The wedding’s motto is ‘luxury’, it starts with a religious ceremony and moves to a rented villa where everyone’s staying the night before sending off the bridal pair the next day to their honeymoon. It all takes place during the last days of summer and we’re all hoping for sunshine but rain isn’t off the table. But I’m one of those people who like rain.”
“Now I see why you’re the one with the flowers. Mina obviously trusted your eye for color coordination and ideas she may not have had. No offence to her. Don’t tell her I said that.”
You laughed. “And you can just work with that description? You don’t even need to know her favorite flowers? Or mine?” You smiled.
“You wait and see.”
You sipped your coffee, content to watch Sam walk around his store to gather flowers in orange and white and something mint colored you didn’t see fully at first glance. While working, Sam occasionally sipped his coffee. Now and then, he looked up across his worktable at you and smiled. Your eyes wandered between his hands, delicately working, soft and warm you guessed, and his face, concentrated eyes on his flowers.
Sam turned the arrangement with a flourish so you could see everything. The flowers were a mix of orange cornflowers, white larkspurs and orange dahlias all held together as an orb by mint-colored ribbons.
You gaped. “Sam… that’s beautiful! It looks way better than the arrangement they did at the first store. No offense to the people working there, though. Mina will love it!”
Minutes after you sent her a picture, she announced she’d come around the store in late afternoon to meet the man who worked magic like this.
“Told you.” Sam grinned and took your coffee cup from your hands. “Can I expect you to accompany the bride this afternoon?”
“I’ll try my best.” Your skin tingled as Sam squeezed your hand and you went to work.
In the afternoon Mina and you met up at the pastry shop that had become your favorite spot to have a pick me up.
“Is he cute?” Mina asked out of the blue around a mouthful of croissant.
“What?” You looked at her from the corner of your eye.
“The florist. Is he cute?”
You just nodded.
At the flower shop, you were greeted by Sam with a big grin and his grin got even bigger when Mina looked at the actual flower arrangement that Sam had put in a vase to keep them fresh.
“What do you think of the arrangement?”
“I love it! Can you do fifteen arrangements?”
“Of course. Tell me the address and date and I’ll be delivering and setting them up.”
Mina and Sam talked a bit more while you stood to the side and admired the different bouquets Sam had around his store as inspiration. Outside the store Mina linked arms with you.
“We can be lucky you found this shop. But tell me, did you ask for his number? Did he ask for yours?”
“I- what. That… I didn’t-“ You sputtered.
“So no. You don’t have his number, he doesn’t have yours. Despite that attraction between you two? Really?”
Your eyes went wide. “I… uh… I forgot this meeting I have this evening!” You turned on your heel and went in the direction you came from.
“Uh-hu.” Mina laughed and shook her head.
The day of the wedding arrived and since you did such a good job with selecting the flowers (while you always told Mina you just met Sam by chance and he was the one who did the actual work), she had put you in charge of coordinating Sam and the baker with their deliveries for the wedding at the venues’ backdoor. You and a mutual friend of you and Mina stood side by side to direct Sam and the baker with their respective vehicles to where they were needed. Two vehicles drove towards you. One was emblazoned with ‘Sam’s Flowers’ just as Sam’s store and the other one had ‘Godly Pastries’ written on it and stylized pastries around it.
Sam hopped out and went over to you and your friend. “Hey. I’m Sam, got all the flower arrangements.” He shook your friends’ hand.
“Pleasure.” She nodded at Sam but you knew your friend well enough to know she was as polite as she was able to in that moment, because she looked partly around Sam to that really tall and muscular blond, blue-eyed guy who exited the ‘Godly Pastries’ car.
“Hi. Thor.” He smiled and shook your friend’s hand and then yours. “I was told you’d tell me where to put my stuff?”
“Thor.” Your friend breathed after he let go of her hand.
“Yeah, my parents like unusual names.” He laughed. “So, uh, where should I put the goods?”
“I’ll show you. Just through this door here and down the hall. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
The moment Thor was inside the building she mumbled in your ear, “He can put his goods into me. And he’s mine, so hands off.” She smiled.
“Don’t worry, I got my florist and I’m not letting him go.”
“Wait. You got his number now?” She squealed, which made Sam look around the back of his vehicle and his flowers.
“Yeah. We may have a date in a week.” You mumbled, scratching your neck.
