Disclaimer:
This a work of fiction. This is not real. It did not/will not ever happen in real life and should not be mistaken as such.
Author's Note:
It's hard to believe that the finale of Era Erotica is here. Looking back on the many, many chapters of this series, I have to thank you, the readers, for all of it. Your words of encouragement and affirmation gave me the will to keep on writing. Comments and feedback showed me you wanted to read more about Taylor and Cole. All I can really say is thank you. Thank you so much. For everything. I sincerely hope you enjoy the finale and that it feels like a proper sendoff for this series. If you've enjoyed any part of this series at all, if you've had a favorite chapter, or even if you are just stumbling across it for the first time, let me know! I'd love to hear from you! And yes, in appropriate Taylor Swift fashion, there are some easter eggs in the finale. Enjoy!
Chapter Forty-Four: evermore
Starring Taylor Swift
Codes: MF, Creampie, Cunnilingus, Oral, Rom
*****
2021
Silence reigned supreme. The only thing he could hear was the beat of his own heart as it pumped burning red blood throughout his tingling body. Standing stock still, his blazing emerald eyes were fixated on the front of the church. On the precise spot where
she
would appear, manifesting as if some sort of angel sent down from heaven to make all his hopes and dreams come true. And doing it all beautifully garbed in white.
Just breathe.
He told himself.
The silence inside the church was shattered as the music kicked in by some unseen cue. It swelled loudly until it filled the very rafters of the church. The band,
her band
, played a country-pop twist on the traditional wedding theme, each and every one of them with an accompanying grin plastered on their face. Happiness for her just bubbling forth. As one, the entire crowd shifted, turning to face the vision in white. The sight of her took his literal breath away. He didn't dare take his eyes off her for even a second, lest she vanish like an apparition and shatter the vivid imaginings of this fairy tale day. If he looked away, it might all come crumbling down and he would wake up thrashing alone in his bed before realizing it was nothing but a fever dream high.
But this wasn't a nightmare. This was one of his wildest dreams, the ending of a love story on how you get the girl. And there she was, his betrothed sashaying her way down the aisle in a dress that would be the envy of the entire world. Not that anyone outside the church would get a glimpse of it. This was a private ceremony, for friends and family only. Wetness formed in the corners of his unblinking eyes, blinded by her beauty. Her gaze found his from across the room, those familiar burning baby blues locking in on him. They were glistening as well. Everything but her faded away as a serene state of grace washed over him. Arm in arm with her father, she moved step-by-step closer to him.
With her hair up, the usual long flowing golden mane was intricately braided and layered into a bun at the back of her head. Flaxen colored bangs cut across her forehead, framing her gorgeous face touched up just tastefully enough to enhance her natural beauty rather than cover it. The dress itself was strapless, the top corset-like and wrapped around her slender figure, which it hugged tightly. It left just a tasteful amount of cleavage on display, and maybe a little bit more than tasteful if she bent over too far. The bottom half of the dress was the showstopper. Voluptuous and enormous, it bloomed like an explosive flower petal cloud that trailed far behind her as she floated through the church. Her world-famous legs were completely hidden from view by the flowing white gown. She was free from jewelry besides a couple simple yet elegant bangles on her right wrist and accompanying earrings.
The distance from the back of the church to the front was a journey that could have taken seconds, hours or years. It was impossible to tell. All he knew was that very suddenly she was there, kissing her father on the cheek and ascending the steps up to the altar until she stood opposite him, her bridesmaids in a line behind her. She, the superstar who had spent nearly all of her life in front of crowds, actually looked nervous. But, the good kind of nervous. The excitable kind.
"Hey Stephens." She whispered through soft pink glossy lips.
"Hey Swift." He whispered back.
"Ok you two lovebirds." Blake Lively said, looking back and forth between them. She was officiating the ceremony, wearing the hell out of a black pantsuit with a flamboyantly white collar. "...Ready for it?" They both nodded, but only had eyes for each other as she began speaking. "You two are in love, and this love? This love is good..."
Her words about love, about their love, echoed in their ears, but they didn't really hear her. The crowd certainly did though. She got a few laughs here and there, especially when she asked for any objections, and if there were, they had better speak now. Mostly though, there were sweet sighs, the occasional sniffle and happy tears ricocheting down smiling faces. When it came time for the vows, Cole took Taylor's guitar-string scarred hands in his and recited what he had toiled over endlessly in the days preceding this. He didn't know how he made it through without breaking down, but by the time he was finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Then it came time for hers, and as she sang them out softly, the poetic prose that dripped from her heavenly lips was almost too much for him to bear. A couple of tissues later and the "I do's" followed, along with the exchanging of rings. While not as flashy as her stunning engagement ring, both rings were a fair deal shinier than any paper ones that would have sufficed.
"I now pronounce you, man and wife." Blake said, clapping her hands together. "Now kiss!"
And right there where they stood, on holy ground, they kissed. They kissed as if it was their last one. And in a sense, it was. The last kiss of their old lives and the first one of their new lives, now tied together by an invisible string. Hand in hand, they left the church to tumultuous cheering that not even a pack stadium could compete with. There was a getaway car awaiting them to take them to the reception. To say that no funny business went on in the back of that car would be a lie, but don't blame them, love made them crazy.
After a quick photography shoot, of pictures they'd never want to burn, out of the woods and down by the lakes, the reception began. It would go on to become the stuff of legends. A whirlwind celebration of love and fun that would long live in the memories of all who attended, going back to December every time it t'was the damn season. It couldn't have been more perfect if this was a movie. Long story short, it was simply, the best day. Yes, there were some silly wedding clichΓ©s, like when they smeared red velvet wedding cake on each other's faces, and maybe even a conga line or two led by the father of the bride. A first dance where they shook it off on the dance floor before slow dancing with their hands tied together under a great big spinning mirrorball. Guests were constantly sneaking peeks at their elaborate gift bags, each one containing a personalized cardigan, an ivy and willow covered hand written thank you message in a bottle, amongst many other elaborate and thoughtful tokens. There were also more than enough inappropriate toasts that had the many of the non-celebrity attendees blushing furiously. Selena Gomez, the maid of honor, had her hands full swatting microphones out of drunken celebrities' hands before they revealed something just a bit too inappropriate for a hall filled with relatives.