the last great american dynasty

It was a lot - all of this right now. Months of not speaking, months of dwelling on the hurt, months of processing what it was like to be just Cora again instead of Cora and Beau. She hated thinking back to the summer, the both of them going through different things and neither one having each other to lean on. There wasn’t anything either of them could do now - it was past that now. All they could do was move forward - together. A slow smile tugged on her lips as his hand pressed on top of her own. She found herself shifting closer to him on the swing, and she could only imagine the things her friends were saying now when they’d realized she’d disappeared with Beau for so long.

But it had always just been Cora and Beau, hadn’t it? Why would anyone be surprised that they’d fall right back to where they were before the start of summer? The smile that tugged on her lips now was a bright one, and the little giggle that escaped her was a happy one. Words failed her, even though she tried. Eyes fluttered shut as his forehead pressed against hers, and for a moment, she enjoyed the silence between them. The dull roar of the party going on inside felt a million miles away. And Beau? He was here, right within her reach. Both her hands moved to cup his cheeks now, and eyes blinked open to lock with his. “I love you,” She repeated after him, words soft as her nose brushed against his own. “Beau, I don’t wanna be without you anymore. I don’t wanna be without you ever again.”

Time apart was a scary thing, but maybe Beau had needed it deep down. He had needed to take the time to look inside himself and think about the kind of person he wanted to be and right now in this moment, he was taking his steps towards that person. He was taking ownership of his actions and trying to be honest. He was finally sharing how deep his feelings ran and he hoped that Cora would take that well too, on top of everything else. It seemed like it was the case, from the sight of that beautiful, bright smile that lit up her face. He could hardly believe it. It was just the two of them, her hand cupping his cheek and her eyes staring right into his. 

This was something the two of them should have done a long time ago. Sat down and talked it all out. She had regrets about her actions now. The way they left things when she went away for the summer, the petty things she did while she was away just to get a rise out of him, the arguments when she returned home that were nothing constructive at all. None of them were her finest moments, and the truth was she longed for him. “I just wish I could have been there for you, Beau.” She furrowed her brows, glancing away for him for a moment. She hated that she wasn’t there for him. Granted, she was hundreds of miles away from home when everything was going on… But she just wished it could have been different. The summer before senior year wasn’t what she pictured it to be at all.

Her focus was on her hands in her lap for a long moment before she willed herself to look at him again. Noting the tears in his eye, Cora couldn’t help but reach out for him. He was here, right here, right within her reach. She didn’t want to go another second without not being there for him. Her hand pressed against his cheek gently as she scooted closer to him. Her thumb brushed against his skin and Cora let out a soft sigh. “All summer, I just wanted to come home to you, Beau. You wanted a break - I was trying to understand and respect that and I… It’s stupid. Even now. Even after everything, I still just want you.”

“If I’m being honest, I don’t think I wanted you to be. I wanted to be strong and deal with it all on my own, but I couldn’t and I took it out on you. And that’s not fair.” Beau would never, ever blame her for not figuring out what was happening before it was too late. He’d sabotaged them, he really had. At the very least, he was hoping for her forgiveness, even if he had to have her out of his life from now on. Making it right with her meant everything to him. She shocked him when she reached out to him, her gentle hand on his cheek, startling him with the unexpected affection. He didn’t deserve it, a voice in his brain echoed the sentiment, but he didn’t push it away. Instead, Beau lifted his hand to press over hers. “Cora...”

He made a fair point and she knew it. She hadn’t really given the impression that she wanted to speak to him after all of this. But still, Cora had hoped he would have. It was okay that he didn’t, but it still hurt. Even now, there was an ache in her chest for him. As she let his words settle in the air, she took another swig from the bottle. This time she made a face and decided to set the bottle on the little table that was in front of the swing a bit. There was a part of her that had longed for him this entire time and the other part of her never wanted to speak to him again. They both could have done things better - she knew that. Beau had been hurting and she didn’t even know. What kind of girlfriend did that make her anyway?

Cora let out a long sigh, and after a moment or so of gathering her thoughts, the blonde turned her gaze to peer over at him. Her eyes wide, her expression soft, and there was almost a smile that tugged across her lips but she didn’t let it shine through. At least, not yet. “Why’d you do that? Why’d you wanna push me away and find comfort in someone else instead? I know I–I know we–We both… We both said things we didn’t mean, right? I just… Why didn’t you want to tell me what was going on?” At this point, what was going on with his parents was definitely not secret. It didn’t seem like there were ever secrets in Fairhope. She’d heard the rumors first, and heard her parents talking about it second. She’d wanted to call Beau at that very moment, but it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like that was something she had the right to anymore. It made sense to her now why he hadn’t called her after all this time.

Watching her put the bottle down, he considered reaching out to take his own swig, but he didn’t feel like he really could right now. He especially worried she was doing it to give herself courage to tell him to leave her alone forever. That was what it came back to every time she opened her mouth. Still, Beau had that horrible fear of her deciding to leave him sticking out in his brain. And why wouldn’t she? He’d done everything so, so wrong. She was looking at him, though and she was asking him about everything that had happened. He’d at least get to share what was going on for him at the time, though she definitely had a clue about it now, considering all the whispers around town. “I don’t really understand it. I wish I could give you some clean cut answer, but I’d have to lie to you to say it all made sense. My parents were going through this rough, awful divorce and it was all supposed to be a secret. I thought... well, I don’t know what I thought, maybe that you’d think differently of me if you knew about the things they were saying and doing to each other.” He said softly. 

She was confused and she hated that too. Cora was usually one who knew what she wanted when she wanted it, but right now? Everything seemed so unstable, like the ground beneath their feet would open up and swallow them both whole in an instant. There was a small huff at his suggestion, mostly just so he knew that she was still upset with him. Her arms moved to cross defensively over her chest as her gaze met his for the briefest moment. Her lips parted, but not a single word managed to come out before Beau began to maneuver through the crowd. Once he was gone, her friends were back and flocked to her side - a million questions about the three minute conversation. Cora brushed them off, and all but stormed off in the opposite direction.

Her first stop: the kitchen. She at least needed a fresh drink if she decided to speak to him. She grabbed a half empty bottle of vodka, taking a swig and cringing at the taste instantly. The bottle stayed in her hand as she made her way to the back door and headed back outside, rounding the corner to find Beau on the porch swing. She stopped a few feet short of the swing, and let out a sigh. “I got your note. Why’d you…” She stopped herself, brows furrowed as she moved closer. “I spent a lot of time hoping you’d call.” The blonde shrugged, slowly taking a seat next to him on the swing.

There was such a big chance that Cora wouldn’t be coming that part of Beau was berating himself for even asking and for waiting there, like a hopeless fool in love. She hadn’t said anything, so he had no indication from her except the fact that she was clearly still mad at him through her body language. He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard footsteps. He imagined who it would be, probably one of her friends telling him to go and never talk to her again. And God, he’d deserve it. Still, that wasn’t the case. The person who rounded the corner wore a pink dress and held a bottle of vodka. His brows shot up as he saw her and he dropped his mask, sitting up straighter. 

Every where she turned things reminded her of Beau, and Cora hated it. Nothing felt right since she had gotten back home at the end of the summer. The rumors that Beau was seeing someone else still echoed through her mind and finding the raven haired beauty answering his front door the very day she arrived home? It still hurt. However, Cora put on a brave face, plastered on her best smile, and tried, somehow, not to let every last thing get her mind thinking about Beau. They hadn’t talked much, not really. A brief argument after she went to his house that day. And then just… nothing. She didn’t want to see him, she didn’t want to talk to him. Frankly, Cora didn’t want anything to do with him. As she geared up for the annual Fulton Halloween party, she was finally starting to feel normal again. Maybe. At the very least, maybe she wasn’t so sad anymore. It was her senior year and what good would it be if she was just being sad about a boy the whole time?

And maybe things were good for her, at least, until the note she found tucked onto her windowsill a few nights ago. Paper damp from the rainy weather they’d been having but Beau’s handwriting stood out like a sore thumb. Her friends insisted that he wouldn’t dare show up to her party, but that little note had her thinking differently. She spent the night anxious, her nerves on overdrive, and when she heard his voice she swore her heart stopped. She’s dressed like she’s right out of a fairytale - long pink dress, glitter everywhere, and crown on top of her head. It was nothing special - a last minute thing when she started panicking that Beau would show up and realized she’d forgotten all about a costume. Her friends quickly scattered, and soon she was left there standing under the lights with him alone. The party went on around them but somehow, it felt like it was just the two of them. It always felt like that with Beau. She was quiet for a few moments, brows twisting in confusion as she looked anywhere but at him. “Beau, I don’t think I want to do this here.” Her voice was soft, suddenly mad at him for wanting to do this in front of all their friends.

Cora Fulton was the brightest spark to light up Beau’s life and now he was listless and lost in the dark without her. Though he’d learned to deal with what was happening with his parents and had a session with a therapist looming on the horizon, he knew that unless he truly tried to make it up to the blonde, he’d never feel fully okay again. He was watching his parents now be the type of people who didn’t communicate and hurt everyone around them, including each other through their choices. Beau didn’t want to be that kind of person. He wanted to be better than them, but that also meant putting himself out there and that was... beyond terrifying. Standing there at the party, his heart beat hard against his ribcage. Cora looked beautiful, as always. The pink dress and the glitter made her look magical and it was hard to not just be in awe of her. Peering around for a moment, he noticed a few gazes noticing them. “I... I know, I... obviously not right here. Let’s go down the side of the house on the porch, where no one is? Or... how about I go and you can come if you want. You don’t have to, if you don’t want to. I promise.” 

Penny worried about a lot in this situation. They were so young, and she wondered ever other minute if this was a mistake. She knew that if they stayed at home they could never truly be together. She knew that if her parents found out she was pregnant, and Dean was the dad? She’d be disowned or… worse. There was a lot of drama there and it was one of the things she was most anxious about. A soft smile tugged on her lips, and she let out a content sigh upon feeling him take her hand in his. She tugged on his hand, trying to pull him closer. “Will you just hold me for awhile?” Penelope questioned, her brows furrowing as she spoke. “I might fall asleep in your arms - I don’t know.” She admitted with a laugh. “There was a flyer in the office when he checked in for a waitress at that little diner we drove passed. I could do that, maybe. Looks like they were just looking for part time.” She didn’t expect Dean to do all the work, even if she was pregnant.

Any thoughts about the high school house party were completely lost on Sadie at this point. Truly, the only thing that mattered right now was her husband. Hands moved quickly as they worked to undress each other. Her lips moved against his, her small frame pressing against him as best as she could. She allowed her fingertips to press against his skin, trailing down the front of his chest. She didn’t really get the time to appreciate him the way he deserved very often… so Sadie planned to make that up to him as best as she could right now. Sadie let out a little desperate whimper, her tongue chasing his as she deepened the kiss. His hand on her breast had her moaning softly against his mouth. Her small hand slipped into his boxers, nimble fingertips wrapping around his length. She’s still half dressed - sat on his lap wearing just her skirt at this point. “Just touch me then, baby.” She murmured, lips moving to his neck. It was childish and dumb - he was her husband, after all - but that didn’t stop her from nipping and sucking against his collarbone, her intention to leave a mark.

There was a low grunt that left him before anything else. It wasn’t that he was enjoying this - kids and animals? Kinda not his thing. It seemed weird to think of someone that you had just officially met face to face - but he kind of liked spending time with her. Of course, everyone on the island knew things about the Fairhope’s. Some good things, he guessed, mostly bad things, really. Most locals weren’t a fan and he got it. Or, he, as a local, was conditioned to get it. But Charlie? She didn’t really seem like what everyone said and he was realizing that. She felt like sunshine and rainbows and he hated that it even made him feel soft. “No one said I was enjoying this… It’s just not terrible.” He shrugged, arms crossing over his chest. There was a quiet moment after they let the newest group in and Landon turned his full attention to her. He didn’t think he ever wanted kids but that wasn’t the point. “You know, I never came to this thing when I was a kid. Maybe I’d like baby animals if I did.” He teased softly.

Eliza didn’t head off to do her tasks to get closed up without a roll of her eyes - but at the very least, it was a playful roll of her eyes. The two of them together got everything done really quickly, and she headed off to the office a few moments before he did. She had grabbed a couple of red bulls from the bar - figuring maybe they’d need caffeine. She returned his smile when he sat beside her, and once he did, she was already rattling off all her crazy and maybe silly ideas. The pair spent awhile brainstorming before Eliza decided to recap what they had so far. She had her legs lifted up on the couch, and she naturally inched closer to him as she did so. She was growing tired but they couldn’t give up now, right? “Okay so,  we need to settle on prizes for the costume contest… a price to get in… And oh, wouldn’t it be fun if we gave a free drink for anyone that comes in costume? Maybe just a small version of one of the signature cocktails or something?” She fought back a yawn as she spoke. Really, they should have started this with fresh minds in the morning… But it was too late for that now.

It was cute, how soft he was being. It was so unlike him but she was enjoying it. From the puppy dog eyes to the whiny tone in his voice, it had Wendy smiling. Her lips continued to ghost against his jaw, and she shifted upwards just slightly, just enough to press a sweet little kiss to his lips. “A massage? I could give you a massage, baby.” She murmured, her hands moving quickly to tug his shirt over his head. Once it was off, she tossed it aside and then shifted so she was on her knees behind him. Hands moved to press against his shoulders gently. Wendy leaned forward, pressing kisses to his neck as her hands began to massage against his shoulders. “How’s that?”

There seemed to be a lot of commotion going on in his family home - which honestly was just like his family. They were always too much and it was part of the reason he hadn’t really made it public knowledge that he and Francesca had broken up yet. It wasn’t anyone’s business but their own except now he was stuck in this place where he had to beg her to come with him here. “You know how they are, Frenchie.” Easton murmured, his little nickname for her rolling off his tongue with ease. When he realized, his cheeks flushed. “They’re so nosy and… what happened between us was just that… between us.” He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. A little frown tugged on his lips as he looked over at her. “What, you don’t think we can handle looking like a couple anymore?” It hurt a little, thinking about that. Sure, they’d been broken up a little while now but Easton still loved her with his whole heart.

Kat couldn’t help but laugh at Marnie’s sweet question. “Babe - c’mon.” She shook her head, tucking her blonde locks back behind her ear. “My family might want me there but I’m not staying there.” She almost let out a little scoff. Back in her family home with all of this wedding bullshit going on? That was the last place she wanted to be. Katrina left her suitcase in the middle of the room and moved towards Marnie. Once she was close enough, her hand moved to cup her cheek affectionately. “Besides, I missed you, Marnie. I wouldn’t want to waste my time home somewhere besides right here with you.”

Theo made a face, shaking her head. “I don’t want kids, Britt. But it’s expected of me. Carry on the Fairhope legacy or something. Any spawn of mine… I feel sorry for them already.” Theo sighed. She certainly wasn’t a woman that should have children - that was for sure. She truly had no interested what so ever. Theodora’s exterior softened for a moment as she felt Britt’s fingertips playing with her hair. “It’s going to be a marriage of convenience, Britt.” She pointed out firmly. Elias didn’t mean anything to her. Nothing more than a friend, at least. They both had things to gain by this marriage. “Besides, it doesn’t matter where he thinks I am. No man runs me.” She furrowed her brows, letting out a low sigh. “I’m here with you, do we really have to keep talking about him?”

If this was anyone else, Jaxon would have never even set foot inside of this bar, let alone dressed in a matching costume and now doing a stupid routine from when they were kids. But this wasn’t anyone else. This was Quinn Becker, the one true love of his life - he was sure of it. They spent too much time apart and Jax would never take the time with her for granted ever again. He hated this - everyone would be talking about this tomorrow and he hated this so much. But once they were out on the dance floor and she was looking at him the way she was? The way her hand touched his, the way her hips swayed to the music, the way she encouraged him to do this stupid little routine? It had him smiling and it had him laughing. His hand took hers and he spun her carefully before pulling her into his embrace. It actually seemed a lot smoother now than when they were just kids. “This is the stupidest routine we ever made up, you know?” He couldn’t help but chuckle as he pulled back from her slightly, only to lean her back in a dramatic dip before pulling her back up to him.

Her climax was building quickly, and the sight of Zelena moving against her in such a way had her whimpering in pleasure each time her hips moved against hers. Moans were muffled by Zelena’s lips, and she let out a loud moan as she took note of her climax washing over her. Though Zelena was encouraging her, Mila didn’t need much encouragement. Knowing that she had a part in Zelena’s climax? It was enough to bring her right to her peak as well. Hips bucked against her, her moans growing louder and louder. Her hips moved a little quicker, and it wasn’t long before she came moments after Zelena, loud moans echoing through the room as she rode out her high against Zelena. “Oh… Fuck…”