Castiel's trips to the coffee shop were pretty repetitive. They always went the same way.
First, Castiel would walk in at 8:27 every morning and get in line. Some days the line was long; some days it was short. That was usually the only thing that changed.
Once Cas reached the front of the line, he was always greeted by the same barista: Dean. Dean would always greet Cas with a charming smile and a "Mornin' Cas! Same as usual, or would you like to change it up today?" Followed by a wink.
Then Cas would blush and say, "Usual please, Dean." He didn't even have to tell Dean the specific way he wanted it; Dean would just nod and pull down a cup and start writing Cas's name on the cup. Then Cas would ask, "Do you have almond milk?" because Cas was lactose-intolerant and the lactose-free stuff just wasn't as good.
Dean would look at Cas with that sympathetic look that Cas knew so well by now and say no. And even though Cas knew the answer was always no, he couldn't help but be disappointed. And then Cas would pay him—$3.50—and sit down at a table while his latte was being made.
When Cas's name was called, he'd go back up to the counter and accept his latte from Dean, who'd be smiling at him. Dean would say, "See you tomorrow? Or you know... my shift ends at noon…" These words would be accompanied by a smile and a tilt of his head so he'd be looking at Cas from under his eyelashes in such a way that tempted Cas to take him up on that offer. Unfortunately, Cas was a busy guy, and he always had to decline.
Then for a few seconds, Dean would look like someone had kicked his puppy, but he'd soon return to being all smiles and wish Cas a good day and to enjoy his coffee. And Cas would take a sip and beam at Dean and slowly walk out of the building with promises to return the next day.
Everyday. Just like clockwork. Until one fateful Monday morning when things changed.
Cas showed up at 8:27. The line was fairly long, although that wasn't too unusual for a Monday morning. It moved sluggishly, but fifteen minutes later Castiel found himself at the front. Dean's green eyes lit up when he saw Cas. He smiled that charming smile of his and leaned on the counter. "Mornin' Cas! Same as usual?" Dean leaned slightly forward with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Or could I convince you change things up today?" he asked, winking.
Castiel blushed, and he felt butterflies in his stomach. "Just the usual, please, Dean."
"Alright." Dean pulled down a cup. Castiel watched Dean write his name on the cup, noting how he dotted the i with a heart.
"Do you have almond milk?" Cas asked.
Dean bit his lip, almost like he was hiding a smile. "Sorry, Cas."
Disappointment welled up in Castiel's chest. He handed Dean a five dollar bill and accepted his change. Cas sat down at a small table and waited for Dean to call his name to alert him that his coffee was ready.
When Cas returned to the counter, Dean was grinning at him. But it wasn't a here's-your-coffee-grin, it was a I've-done-something-and-you're-about-to-find-out sort of grin. "Here you go, cutie." Castiel accepted his coffee with a smile. "So, see you tomorrow?" Dean asked.
Cas took a sip of his latte, waiting for Dean to give him that sly smile and flirtatious offer of meeting him after work. Cas's eyes widened as he realized the coffee tasted different. Good different. Castiel scrunched his eyebrows together and took another experimental sip. Dean grinned widely.
Castiel thought for a moment. "Does this have almond milk in it?!"
Dean looked down shyly. "Yeah. Do you like it?"
"I thought you said you didn't have almond milk."
Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you know, you come in and ask for it all the time...so I bought it special for you." He leaned closer towards Cas. "But it's not technically on the menu so let's keep this our little secret, alright?" he whispered. Castiel nodded and pinkie swore it with Dean. Dean's pinkie was warm.
"See you tomorrow, Cas."
"See you, Dean."
As Cas was leaving, he heard Dean shout, "And you know my shift ends at noon if you want to pop by!"
Cas was happy. When he got to work and sat down at his desk, he noticed that Dean had also written his phone number on the cup. Cas would definitely be calling that number later.