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Pulling a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven, the smell of chocolate and caramel filled up the small little pastry shop, as you indulged in the sweet sensation tickling your nose before setting them down to cool.
The door to your bakery jingled, as a woman with her daughter entered, yourself smiling alongside the mother as the young girl oogled over the dozens of sweets, running along the cupcakes, to the pies and cookies.
“Hi! Welcome to Tatooine Treats! How can I help you two?” You asked cheerfully, setting your oven mitts to the side as the girl peeked over the counter.
“Go on, honey. Tell the nice woman what you’d like!” Her mother spoke, as you leaned down to see the girl better.
She jumped, moving over to the counter as you followed. “I’d like a chocolate cupcake, please?”
“Coming right up!” You replied. “Anything for you, mom?”
The woman shook her head, before looking at the treats in thought. “Well, actually, I’ll take a dozen of your chocolate caramel cookies, please!”
“Sure thing! Good timing too, just got a new batch, fresh from the oven!” You smiled, taking a cupcake from the display and handing it to the girl before packing up cookies for her mother.
“Here you go! I’ve made the cookies a baker’s dozen and don’t worry about paying extra.”
The customer smiled, looking at the price on the monitor and handing over fifteen dollars.
“Keep the change, dear! Have a nice day!” She noted cheerfully, her daughter waving goodbye.
“You too, and come back soon!” You waved back to them as they left, sighing and stretching from behind the counter.
One hundred dollars wasn’t enough to pay the lease to keep your bakery open, and though it was good, business had grown slow.
Not to mention that the cake ‘artist’ was working right next door, and you two have had a long-held rivalry ever since he decided to place his shop right next door to yours.
“I asked for a five-tiered cake! Not three!” The engaged woman yelled furiously, her fiance shrinking in the background.
“I’m sorry, ma'am, but the five-tiered cake wouldn’t hold up the way you wanted. We tried every trick in the book, but it’s too hard to balance.” Kylo muttered, as the bride-to-be stormed towards the door.
“You can kiss your money goodbye! 'Vader’s Patisseries,’ I can’t believe my friend suggested me to you! I’m going to another bakery in Coruscant! Maybe they’ll have more compliant bakers!” She slammed the door, as her fiance put a fifty on the counter.
“Look, she’s really super sweet and I love her, just, she wants the wedding to be perfect down to the last detail. She’s really stressed out right now. Thanks though.” He sighed, before leaving the cake shop as well.
“Damn it…” Kylo sighed, placing the fifty into the register as he laid his head on the counter, trying to keep himself from destroying his own kitchen.
He’s about to go out of business. He needs money, and he needs it soon.
“Kylo Ren, how’s my favorite sellout of the baking community?” You asked, teasingly when the two of you ran into each other at the farmer’s market to pick up more ingredients.
“Ah, Y/N, I see you’re still running that poor excuse of a confectionery.” He replied, looking down at your shorter stature.
“At least I didn’t get rejected by the third bridezilla this week because she wanted a 20-tiered cake.” You muttered, as the fellow baker sighed.
As soon as he was about to retort yet another witty comeback, the outdoor intercom beeped, and the two of you looked up.
“Hello shoppers! Just want to remind you that our first baking competition is coming up soon, and don’t forget to sign up for the competition if you want to win $100,000 dollars!”
Yours and Kylo’s eyes lit up. That kind of money could save their bakery and then some, not to mention a steady stream of customers if they win. You exchanged competitive glances, eyes almost creating an electric shock.
“Remember, it’s couples only! So bring your sweetheart, and bake with all the love you can give!” The intercom turned off, and the two bakers groaned. Singles aren’t eligible for the competition, so why even bother?
The bell to your shop jingled at noon, the day after your encounter with Kylo. You re-tied your apron, calling out to the shop. “Coming!”
“Hi, how can I- Oh… It’s you.” You sighed, with Kylo standing across the counter from you. “What is it that you want, Ren?”
“Can you come to the other side? I’ve got to have an important discussion with you.” He spoke, his apron tied around his waist and the top folded over instead of tied around his neck.
“Yeah, sure.” You eyed him, before coming around the counter. Kylo sat at one of your tables, yourself sitting across from him.
“So, what do you need?” You asked, resting your elbow on the table.
He leaned forward, speaking in a more hushed tone. “Remember that baking competition?”
“Yeah, the one from the farmer’s market. Why?”
“We should enter it.” You quirked a brow at the man, not breaking eye contact.
“Kylo, we can’t. As much as we both need the money, it’s couples only.” You bit the inside of your cheek as he nodded.
“I know. We should still enter together.” Your eyes widened, as you sat back up, stiffer.
“Wait.” You shook your head, gesturing between the two of you. “You and me? As a couple?”
Kylo nodded, leaning back into the chair. “$100,000 is more than enough to save both our businesses. Not to mention a higher reputation and more customers. I say we enter as a couple, win the contest, split the money, and that’ll be that.”
You pondered the thought, biting your lip. You did need the money, even if it did mean working with your own rival. “You know what? You’ve got yourself a deal.”
The two of you stood up and shook hands in a civil manner, before Kylo began to walk out the door.
“I’ll see you at the competition, honey!” You joked, waving goodbye and not noticing the begrudging blush Kylo tried to wipe off his face.
The two of you stood at the kitchen, the audience there mainly to root for their families, most of them really here for the free dessert, however.
“Now, each of our couples has prepared a recipe for a large three-tiered cake that they must bake within three hours! After that, our panel of local judges will taste the cakes, and award our winning lovebirds with a check! Then everyone will be able to enjoy the wonderful cakes our lovely couples have created!” The emcee announced a little too cheerfully.
“Hey, you think someone put a little something in his coffee this morning? A little too much ‘sugar?’” You joked, hearing Kylo chuckle.
“He probably got it off of his neighbor. He traded a cup of ‘flour’ for it.” He replied, while the two of you snickered.
“On your marks! Get set!” You and Kylo looked at the makeshift kitchen, determined to beat the other couples and save your businesses.
“Go!”
“Hey, toss me the whisk!” You yelled, Kylo throwing the whisk across the counter to you as you slid the batter seamlessly to him so he could begin pouring it into cake tins.
“Wow! Excellent display of teamwork with the Ren couple! Looks like they’ve been together so long they’ve turned baking into an art!” The host cheered, as the two of you blushed.
Working in close quarters with your rival for the sake of your business for almost two weeks did have its pros and cons. A pro was the plan you had to split the money and avoid losing the shops.
A con was the awkward, growing attraction between enemies, working together as friends, posing as lovers.
“Cake’s in the oven!” He announced, nearly slamming the oven door shut.
You nodded, gesturing to him. “Okay, come here! Help me make the icing!”
“Only an hour and a half left, folks! Can our couples make their masterpieces in time!” The emcee cried, as one of the couples cried out in fury as their fondant cake decor fell and broke into pieces.
Another storming off the stage after they burnt their cakes and sugar glass.
Kylo stood beside you, mixing chocolate icing frantically as you began piping fondant flowers. “Quick, taste test.”
He held out a small spoon to you, yourself quickly tasting and analyzing the icing.
“More cocoa powder, then a half tablespoon of milk.” You replied as your ‘boyfriend’ nodded, following your orders.
You took the cakes out of the oven, after letting them cool, you brought them over to the workspace.
“Here, start frosting! We’ve got forty-five minutes!” You handed him a piping bag and spatula as the two of you got to work on the cakes, the two of you working together like a perfect machine.
“Looks like we have four couples left, people! They better get their cakes done soon, because I’m sure we’re all getting hungry!”
As the two of you finished icing, Kylo began stacking the cakes as you grabbed the edible decor, placing them accordingly as Kylo drew icing leaves next to your flowers, decorating perfectly, yet frantically.
“We can do this! We’re almost there!” You grinned, Kylo becoming distracted by your determined smile for a millisecond before returning back to work.
“Ten minutes!”
“Alright everyone, we are on the final stretch! One more minute! They’ve got to get their cakes to the podium in time or it doesn’t count!” The host called out, yourself and Kylo putting on finishing touches as fast as you can.
“And…done! Thirty seconds, Y/N!” Kylo called, as you threw down the piping bag and got ready to lift your cake.
“Okay, come on! Fifteen seconds!” The two of you rushed to the podium, making sure the cake stayed balanced as the final seconds rang on the clock.
As the buzzer rang, you and Kylo set the cake down and lifted your hands up, looking around and seeing every other couple’s cake at their podiums.
“Time’s up, lovebirds!” You and Kylo sighed, proudly looking at your cake as he pulled you into a tight hug, relieved and resting his chin on the top of your head.
“We can do this. We’re going to win.” You smirked, looking up at him with those stupid eyes he once hated, yet now intoxicated by.
“Couples, leave the area! It’s time to let our judges begin ranking!” Kylo kept his arm around your waist as you left, exhausted and nervous about the results.
“The results are in!” The emcee announced, holding an envelope as you clutched your partner’s hand tightly, as he did the same.
“Our winners are…” He stopped to open the envelope, yourself biting your lip in nervousness as Kylo gulped.
“Kylo Ren and Y/N Y/L/N! Congratulations!” He cried, as tears of joy streamed down your cheeks.
The business was saved, and for once you had to thank your rival.
Kylo grinned, impulsively pulling you in for a feverent kiss, rough and passionate, taking you by surprise.
You were shocked, not kissing back even though he tasted of sweet chocolate icing and strawberries.
As the two of you split apart, Kylo widened his eyes in horror, before acting ‘normal’ as the check was handed to the two of you.
After pictures were taken, the two of you went back to your prospective bakeries in an awkward, heavy silence.
“We won.” He spoke, going back to his deadpan voice as you hopped up, sitting on his kitchen counter in his bakery.
“Yeah…” You sighed, finally asking the question you had wanted to since earlier. “Why did you kiss me?”
“For the act.” He replied, tensing up slightly.
You raised a brow at him, looking at his strangely flustered body language. “That’s not it, Kylo. We’ve worked together on this for a long time, I know your body language.”
He stayed silent, as you stood up, slowly walking over to him. “It wasn’t an act, was it? You kissed me out of nowhere.”
He gulped, looking at you, his hair dusted with flour and bits of colorful icing, as was your own. “It wasn’t an act.”
Kylo took your hand, looking down at your soft, delicate fingers compared to his own rough, calloused hands.
“I don’t know what the hell you did to me, Y/N. I was motivated by the money. To save the business.” He confessed, tucking a strand of loose hair behind your ear. “Then we started working together. You and your stupid little quirks. When you’d wipe your forehead and forget you had flour on it, and it got all over your face. Or when you’d blow your hair whenever it got in front of your eyes.”
You looked up at him, barely believing what he was saying. Out of all people in the entire world, you had to be enchanted by the man next door that you used to hate with a burning passion.
You chuckled softly, looking down. “That explains it, then.”
“I don’t want to go back. To hating each other. Not after what we accomplished together. Especially not after what I just said.” He sighed.
“Hey. Kylo, look at me.” He complied, begrudgingly entranced by your eyes, your lips, your soft pink blush.
“Warn me before you pull a stunt like that again.” You smiled, pulling him down softly to meet in a kiss once more, softer and sweeter, yet just as fiery as before when he picked you up, your lips melding in a perfect unison.
The alarm went off loudly, yourself groaning as the weight beside your bed shifted to turn it off.
“Morning.” Kylo groaned, husky and tired, as you wiped your eyes, wedding bands glistening in the morning glow.
“Morning. You ready for the ‘big event?’” You sighed, slowly sitting up.
Kylo nodded, forcing himself out of bed. “Hopefully the couples this year don’t give us any more cakes that make me puke.”
You yawned, getting out of bed and stretching. “Come on, it’s been five years since we competed. I’m pretty sure you would have thrown up at our old cake.”
“No, I wouldn’t have.” He simply replied as he completed his morning routine. throwing on a suit as you brushed your hair down.
“Why not? We’ve improved a lot since then. We hated each other, we faked being a couple, made a cake, then merged the bakeries and got married. I’m pretty sure our techniques have changed a lot since then.” You reasoned, getting your dress on as Kylo pinned the ‘Judge’ badge to himself, then on you.
“Please, everything we make is perfection.” He noted.
You stayed silent, then laughed as you applied your makeup. “Oh my god, that was so cheesy.”
Kylo scoffed, adjusting his tie in the mirror while chuckling. “Shut up, let’s go to the competition. It’s our fifth year judging, they better make it good.”
“Don’t scare them away.” You sighed, as the both of you left your house and got into the car.
You passed your new bakery, ‘First Order Confections’, smiling at the building before arriving at the competition site.
“Ready?” Kylo asked, as you nodded, getting out of your car and making your way to the judges panel.
“Ready.” He held you by the waist as you sat at the panel, smiling as you recalled the fateful competition, looking down at the exact stage where you and Kylo competed.
The same stage that you realized you were in love with your own former rival.