Characters: reader, Bucky.

Summary: Discovering the cute guy you just flirted with is the heir of a rival bakery, you suddenly find yourself running into him all over the city. Can your small boutique bakery compete? And how do you deal with the guy who seems determined to make your life a living hell? Luckily you're distracted by a secret admirer...But who is he? (Inspired by "You've Got Mail", Enemies to Lovers)

Warnings: none! Mild swearing?

Word Count: 3.3k

A/N: Here we are, my darlings. The very last chapter. It's so surreal to be here. It's hard to let go of these characters and this lovely little world I've created, but it's time to move on to something different. Soon. I can't tell you how much all your love and support means to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. As always, any and all feedback is appreciated. I love you all. <3

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18 Months Later

Shifting the surprisingly heavy, awkward object in your hands, you felt butterflies as the years of stress and hard work all led to this moment. Taking a deep breath, you felt a presence behind you as an arm slipped around your waist. You leaned into him as he helped you support the weight in your hands.

"You did it, babe," Bucky whispered in your ear.

Pride and gratefulness swelling within you and turning your head to meet his eye, you pressed a kiss to his lips. "No, WE did it," you said with a smile.

He returned it with that sweet, toothy grin that lit up his handsome face. "You ready for this?"

Biting your lip, you nodded. "I'm ready."

Bucky lifted his head to face the small crowd that had gathered. "Alright, everyone. Let's make this official!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Two of your new employees stretched the six-inch-wide ribbon across the doorway of the shop and both you and Bucky opened the pair of comically large scissors. With one snip, the now two pieces of ribbon fluttered in the breeze and there was a smattering of applause as you raised a fist in celebration.

Bucky took the scissors as you opened the doors, ushering eager customers inside. Words of congratulations swirled around you as your heart swelled with pride. Bucky was beside you then as you watched customers ooh and ahh over the pastry items and new inside decor.

"I can't believe it," you spoke softly, leaning into his side. "A second location for City Sweets. I wasn't sure I'd ever get this far."

"I did," he replied confidently, placing an arm around you and offering a squeeze. "I never doubted you for a second."

A small burst of laughter left you, considering your past history, but you just let out a contented sigh and place a protective hand on your swelling belly as a band of gold glinted on your left ring finger. Someone called your name then, trying to gain your attention, but the bakery was suddenly out of focus and you were forced into reality. "Y/N...."

A few more moments and the voice pierced your senses.

"Y/N....gotta wake up, doll," your boyfriend said as you groaned in displeasure.

"Mmm nooooo," you whined in protest. "Five more minutes. I was having a good dream..."

"Oh yeah?" you heard Bucky in a cheeky tone as his weight caused the bed to dip beside you. "What kind of dream?"

You let out a throaty chuckle as he knelt beside you and placed an arm on either side of your waist. Swatting a hand against his bicep playfully, you shook your head.

"Not THAT kind of dream," you sleepily replied, then feeling a warmth in your cheeks as pieces of the dream lingered. None of it had come to pass...yet. The second bakery, the ring, or...all the rest. It wasn't something you felt should be brought up just now, so you raised a hand to cup his cheek and tucked a lock of chestnut hair behind his ear. Bucky had grown out his hair over the past year and you thought he looked even more handsome this way.

His brow furrowed in disappointment, making you laugh. "Damn. A good one though? What happened?"

You filtered through the specifics of the dream as they threatened to slip through your fingers. "There was a grand opening for a second location for the bakery," you finally answered truthfully, even if it was the whole truth.

Bucky beamed then. "Oh, yeah? That's got to be a good omen! It's all going to come together, I can feel it!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm and it was contagious.

Returning his smile, you rubbed a thumb against his cheek and then hooked a hand behind his neck, pulling him down toward you. "I hope so, but for now..." you trailed off, wiggling your eyebrows as Bucky caught up to your meaning and he pressed his lips to yours.

"Mmmm. But the shop..." he muttered against your lips, his body language fighting against his words as a hand slipped under your pajama top. Your fingers gripped the front of his t-shirt, pulling him closer.

"They can spare us this morning," you moaned as you trailed kisses along his chiseled jaw to nibble on his earlobe.

Bucky groaned at that, hands searching for more bare skin when he reluctantly spoke again. "I feel compelled to remind you that Wanda needed the morning off," he said while bringing his lips back to yours, "so it's just Darcy opening the shop."

You froze at those words and finally gathered their meaning. "Dammit," you whined, shoving Bucky off you so he landed hard on his side of the bed. Throwing off the covers, you swung your legs off the bed when Bucky caught you around the waist from behind.

"I wish I hadn't said anything," Bucky whispered in your ear, his hands still trying to wander.

"No, you're right," you sighed in regret, turning to face him and pressing a kiss to his lips. "There's a lot to be done and I love Darcy, but god help her, she can't do it alone. At least we have date night tonight," you teased with a grin.

Bucky chuckled and finally released you as the pair of you got ready for the day.

Darcy was in her last semester of culinary school and when she asked if you were interested in taking on an intern so she could fulfill her required hours, you jumped at the chance. She was young, but her baking instincts were excellent. As long as she was focused, her recipes always turned out brilliantly. It was when too much was going on at one time that she got frazzled and made mistakes. Her training and stress tolerance levels were a work in progress.

You had also trained her to help at the counter, but she certainly couldn't do both the morning baking and open the shop simultaneously. Something was bound to burn, get over-mixed, or forgotten up front. She was wonderful help, but still, she needed direction. However, having a designated baker did free up your time somewhat so you could focus on other projects and grow the business.

Dressed with everything you needed for the day in a shoulder bag, you and Bucky headed outside and walked hand in hand down the few blocks to the bakery. Your previous apartment had been the perfect size just for you, but once you and Bucky started dating seriously, he spent more time there and suddenly it felt cramped. Also, business was doing well enough that you didn't feel that timewise you could handle the superintendent job and you didn't necessarily need the discount in rent anymore. It was time for a change.

After a year of dating, you made the jump and got a place together with Bucky that wasn't too far from the bakery. Bucky's best friend and roommate, Steve, ended up moving in with his long-time girlfriend, Peggy, and now they were engaged. In fact, you had a wedding cake consultation with them the following week. You couldn't wait to help design the cake of their dreams, even with so much going on. There was no doubt, you would do anything for close friends.

Life wasn't perfect as your new relationship with Bucky began. There was a lot of patience and communication about what you had both been through and trust that had to be rebuilt. There wasn't just a switch flicked where suddenly it all worked, but over time the combination of the Bucky you knew and the man through text who had slowly won your heart were merged into one.

True to his word, Bucky was completely honest with you and never broke that trust you built. Now you loved him with all your heart and couldn't imagine life without him. He had become your rock and your partner, both in life and in business.

Bucky continued to work for his father as you began to date but slowly he spent more time at your bakery just to be around you and to lend a hand. You worried that while you weren't necessarily competitors, it might be a conflict of interest having him at both bakeries. Bucky felt guilty leaving his father in a bind, but it turned out that his younger sister, Rebecca, wanted to take a year before college to learn the business and find out what she wanted for herself. Now she loved it and had every intention of following in her father's footsteps. After college, that is. Her father insisted.

George Barnes completely understood when Bucky chose to step away and join you at City Sweets. In fact, he gave his blessing and wished you all the best. Now, Bucky handled a lot of the paperwork and finances so you could focus on baking and product development along with managing your growing number of employees.

It had become glaringly obvious after your one year anniversary for the bakery that Wanda and yourself couldn't continue to do it all alone, so now with Darcy baking and Pietro, Wanda's brother, making deliveries, things ran a lot more smoothly.

You felt the growing pains when it became apparently that more space was needed as new opportunities presented themselves. Lucky for you, the small bookstore next to your bakery went out of business, so you decided to lease the space and expand. The renovations took a few months, but having more room was a necessity.

With your blessing, Bucky had reached out to some of the nearby grocery stores and bodegas, asking if they would like to sell your products. It was a lengthy process with a large learning curve, but now your packaged cookies and ganache tarts were sold in several locations around town. Seeing the City Sweets Logo on a shelf gave you a thrill every time and it probably wouldn't have happened without Bucky's help.

Having the extra space next door was even more necessary, with the need for packaging equipment and more freezer space. There was also the thought in the back of your mind that it might be time for City Sweets to expand. The idea was a little scary and finding the proper funding would be a challenge, but when you mentioned the possibility of a second location, Bucky was all for it. He was there to support you every step of the way.

Reaching the bakery, you unlocked the door and Bucky held it open for you. Music blasted from the kitchen and as you entered, you spotted Darcy dancing in place as she mixed some scones, the messy bun on top of her head bouncing to the beat. She didn't hear you enter, so you were nearly beside her before she noticed.

"Ah! Oh, hey, Y/N! Bucky!" she greeted you enthusiastically. "Sorry! I'll turn down the music!" she continued to shout until the volume decreased.

You smiled at her warmly as Bucky waved and headed into the small office you now shared. "Morning, Darcy. How's the baking going?"

"Good! Uh...." she looked around the kitchen a moment before she finally found the list you had given her of tasks to accomplish. The paper was now crumpled with several stains on it. "Yeah, I'm over halfway done. The pastries for delivery are boxed and just waiting on a tray of croissants in the oven for up front."

Nodding, you took a glance at the list. "That's great, thanks. Did you happen to notice the schedule for this morning? Wanda's off today."

Darcy paused a moment, brow furrowed behind her dark rimmed glasses. "No...shit! Did you need me to open the bakery because I—"

You stopped her gently, putting a hand up. "No, it's okay. I should have left you a note, but Bucky and I will take care of it. Go ahead and finish your list. Pietro should be here soon," you replied as your baker relaxed.

"Okay. Whew!" Darcy laughed in relief as she returned to her task.

Stepping into the still-dark bakery, you flipped on the lights and began the process of preparing to open for the day. Stocking up all the pastries and removing the less-than-fresh items for donation as the coffee brewed, Bucky soon joined you as he removed the chairs from the tables.

"What did they say?" you asked in anticipation, holding your breath.

Bucky grinned, still giving you those stomach flutters after all this time. "They sent an email. We have a conference call at 11am. Does that work for you?"

Pausing as you placed the coffee creamers in the basin of ice, you thought through your schedule for the day. "Yeah...that should work. Pietro will man the counter after deliveries and Darcy can be back-up. Do you think they'll say yes?" you asked nervously, knowing Bucky shared your concerns.

Bucky rushed to your side and gathered both your hands in his. "They'd be crazy not to. If anyone deserves this, it's you," he assured you, followed by a lingering kiss before you both went back to work. He always knew how to calm your worries and insecurities. Bless him.

Pietro arrived and grabbed the keys to the company van from your office. As more cafes began to carry your products, it just wasn't practical to keep using your personal car to deliver. Buying a new (okay, used) vehicle for the company was a pricey investment, but a necessary one. You just had to remind Pietro not to drive too fast and keep in mind the precious cargo he was carrying. He always was a bit of a speedster.

Once he was gone, the bakery opened and business was steady all morning. Bucky and yourself took turns helping customers and baking more items when needed. Pietro returned and after his coffee break, he took over the counter. There was a quiet moment, so you left clear tasks for each employee and checked the clock before meeting Bucky's eye. It was time.

Since phone reception was terrible in the office, you didn't have a proper area for such an important phone call. In the past you had taken to either having them outside or at a table inside if the bakery was fairly empty. When Bucky suggested that you take a walk, you were confused at first, but then it made perfect sense. Being able to stay active while talking always helped your thought process and productivity

Sharing the headphones with an earbud in each of your ears, Bucky held your hand as he mostly listened in and you walked and talked to the people who held your future in their hands. Twenty minutes later, you had reached the benches just inside the park that now held so much more meaning for you both. Taking a seat with Bucky beside you, the last details were ironed out and you said your goodbyes, then pulling the earbud from your ears as Bucky did the same. Sitting in the stillness a moment, the shock slowly wore off and elation took over. You turned to the man beside you and saw a huge grin upon his handsome face.

"I knew it!" he joyfully exclaimed, giving your hand a squeeze.

Laughing at his reaction and basking in your triumph, you nodded with happy tears threatening. "We got it. We got the loan for a second location, I can't believe it!" you shouted, throwing your arms around Bucky.

He squeezed you tightly and obviously couldn't contain the excitement, so he shot to his feet and brought you up with him, then twirling you in a circle. "I told you, it's all coming together! I guess that dream really was a good omen, huh? I never doubted you for a second," he grinned at you.

Feeling a flutter in your chest, you remembered those same words he spoke in your dream. "None of this would be happening if it weren't for you," you told him gratefully, looping your arms around his neck.

He shook his head immediately. "Yes, it would. You've always had it in you. I'm just happy to be a part of it," Bucky lovingly corrected you as he pulled you in for a kiss. "Come on. The sooner we finish work, the sooner we can celebrate over dinner!"

You laughed as he pulled you into a ridiculous waltz, twirling in the direction of the bakery.

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"I'm home! I know, I'm sorry I'm late. Darcy wanted to talk about her internship and I got a call from my dad," you shouted into the space of your apartment, dropping your things by the door. "I know we have reservations, I'll be ready soon."

"That's okay, take your time," Bucky replied as he stepped out into the living room.

Pausing in your rushing, you took in the perfect specimen that was your handsome boyfriend. He was wearing a new suit, or at least one you hadn't seen before. It accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs while the dark blue shade brought out the color of his eyes. Bucky's dark hair was combed back and he was giving you that adoring smile that made you weak in the knees.

Temporarily speechless, you finally found your voice. "Wow. You look hot," you blurted which made him chuckle. "Do we really need to go out to dinner? Cause I'd be fine with staying in and finishing what we started this morning," you stepped closer and fingered one of his lapels.

Bucky captured your hand a pressed a kiss to your knuckles. "There will be plenty of time for that, but we deserve a proper celebration. You deserve it, my love," he whispered against your lips before he offered you a much-too-chaste kiss. "Now, go get ready," he urged you with a playful swat to your backside.

Yelping, you smacked his bicep in retaliation, but did as he asked. Thirty minutes later, you were wearing your favorite dress that was only half zipped and searching for a particular piece of jewelry when Bucky's voice rang out from the living room.

"Y/N? Can you come out here please?" he asked.

"I'm coming," you replied as you headed in the direction of his voice. "Have you seen my—"

You stopped short at the sight of him, eyes wide in shock. The lights were dimmed and there was a lit candle on almost every surface. Bucky stood in the middle with hands in his suit pants' pockets, a soft smile upon his lips.

"Bucky, what's happening?" you whispered.

He extended a hand and you approached slowly until he grasped your fingers. "Y/N....you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm grateful every day that my clumsy fingers and a misdial brought us together. You've inspired me to become a better version of myself and every day I fall more and more in love with you. I want to spend my days right beside you, baking, working, laughing, loving...all of it. As long as it's with you. I love you, Y/N. I thought about doing this at the restaurant, but considering how my last attempt at a public display went, I thought I'd learn from my mistakes..." Bucky smiled sheepishly as he got down on one knee and produce a small box from his pocket.

You let out an audible gasp as it all came together. "Bucky..."

Opening the small box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring inside, Bucky asked a very important question with emotion heavy in his voice. "Y/N...will you marry me?"

Tears already spilling down your cheeks, you nodded immediately before your voice allowed a reply. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you," you answered with a smile.

Bucky shot to his feet with a shout of triumph, wrapping you in a tight hug before he released you and slipped the ring on your finger. He pressed a kiss to your lips and brushed the happy tears from your cheeks with his thumbs.

"I love you, Flour Girl," he told you with warm conviction.

"I love you, too, Bernard," you teased, causing him to chuckle.

A few more kisses and excited phone calls later, you finally did make it out the door for your celebratory dinner. There was so much to be thankful for and while life would still have it's challenges, you knew anything was possible with Bucky by your side. Two strangers fell in love, all thanks to a wayward text message.

End.

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Ah!! I can't believe I finished!! It's over!! And now I'm happy/sad/relieved/tired/excited for what comes next. I am so overwhelmed by the incredible response this series has received. Considering that baking is literally my career, I was hesitant to write about it at first but once I started, it just flowed and I wanted to share my little world with you. I hope you enjoyed this epilogue and how things wrapped up. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts. Thank you for reading and I adore you all. <3