[ maple & shades & and you other losers <3 ] -- [ mature ]

[shades]

Bastian Skyes ; ;

Looking sadly, Bastian held Lauren. “He’s gone, it is fine. Don’t give him the sicken satisfaction he is haunting you from hell. Let him die Lauren. It isn’t your fault, there was nothing you could do.” Bastian choked back his own tears, not about to let them fall and show weakness when Lauren needed him most. Bastian smiled, moving her nose to his shoulder; feeling hot tears streaking his neck as she nuzzled into it.

“Everything will be alright in the end.” Bastian prayed, he didn’t pray often because there was always doubt of a higher power, but he did pray. And right now he was begging for a miracle.

[Maple ♥]

Lauren Skyes

Lauren pulled back from him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. "He's dead but still haunts me, Bastian," she whispered, moving herself so she wasn't crushing him again. Even though she moved, her body always stayed in contact with his somehow. Like how she gripped his hand while curlin her legs into a ball. 

"He took him away from us, Bastian," she squeaked, nuzzling her chin into her knees while her fingers still grasped his. "Because of me he took him," she shook her head and her eyes disappeared behind her legs, covering her face again. Her hair was messed and her skin was blotchy with unwanted heat. Her breath was still trying to even out as she came to the realization that her brother was haunting her from the other side. Or maybe it was just her imagination blaming something for her miscarriage and loss of Drew. 

[shades]

Bastian Skyes ; ;

Nodding quietly, Bastian rubbed her back; moving so he was behind Lauren and squirming his arms around her stomach. He ignored the wet feeling which reminded him of his own teenage angst days without her, rocking slightly. “Shh. Lauren, he can’t do anything right now. It was natural, you are not at fault, he isn’t going to touch you if you don’t let him touch you. You are being an amazing mother and protecting your children as best as you can. Drew will come home safe, and without injury, I promise.” Bastian gripped a little tighter onto his wife, reassuring, and holding her from spiraling into insanity.

“Please. I’ll get you whatever help you need, let you be alone or stay with someone, just tell me and I’ll try my best to make it possible.”

[Maple ♥]

Lauren Skyes:

    Lauren let out a shaky breath, not realizing she'd been rocking back and forth in his arms. She stopped the movements of her sore body, tightening herself more in her ball like position. A few tears slipped down her cheeks when she lifted her head, her bottom lip trembling. Her eyes revealed shattered glass, like how she felt. "I thought I'd gotten over that part of my life - and I had. But I-I can't get away from him," she met Bastian's gaze pitifully.

    "He ruined me. I'm so sorry."
    
    She felt utterly exhausted and the scratches on her stomach were still bleeding and stinging. Pressing her finger tip to the marks, she hissed at the pain and moved to get up numbly. "I-I need to clean up," she murmured, moving towards the bathroom, feeling like lead and also like a ghost. Like an oxymoron. That was her life, it seemed. 

[shades]

Bastian Skyes ; ;

Bastian nodded, letting her go. His green eyes traveled up hers, having that look like he’ll listen; hair sweeping to the side in a long needed cut. “Alright.” He said, moving towards the door where Duke was sitting impatiently; whining as his brown gaze traveled at Bastian with a puppy look. Begging, pleading, as Bastian led the puppy downstairs and outside into the gated yard. His hands tightened around his arms, quietly watching the Indonesian moonlight.

[Maple ♥]

Lauren Skyes:

    Drew hadn't thought her parents would be awake, though she guessed it didn't really matter because lolz she was too scared to care about the consequences of her actions. What had first been a rebellious dash into the city easily turned into a night full of scary people and dangers. Somehow she'd made it to the ravine before it'd gotten too late and sat there for a while, hoping her parents had gone to bed. Now it was getting cold and she couldn't stand sitting there with her small sweatshirt and backpack with nothing to do, freezing her butt off. So she started to trudge home. 

    Lauren swept antiseptic over the wounds with a wince at the sting, then bandaged her stomach area with gauze that she wrapped around loosely and tapped off. After so many bad, painful experiences with her and Bastian in the past, Lauren always made sure there was a first aid kit in almost every part of the house. Because, you know. They liked to bleed a lot, apparently. 

    She was pulling her shawl around her shivering body as she went to go find Bastian; her feet silent on the carpet as she approached from behind him, arms crossed too. Her eyes trailed over his dark form, only lit up by a soft light in the kitchen and the moon from outside. Then they traveled outside to where Duke was barking, though it didn't occur to her that he was barking at anything but a squirrel or something of that sort.

    Her hand found Bastian's in the dark, pulling tightly on it and staring out with him. "This is a mess," she laughed sadly, moving some strands of hair behind her ear and still looking out into the night sky with him. 

    Drew was only a few hundred feet from the side of her house; she could see it now. Duke's barks were blowing her cover, but hopefully her parents were sleeping and wouldn't think much of it.

[shades]

Bastian Skyes ; ;

Bastian smiled, “yeah. Lauren, if this does turn out to be more than just Drew running off…” He looked over at her in the darkness. “We’ll go home, safe and sound, no more adventures. We’ll see the world from a safe distance.” Squeezing her hand reassuringly Bastian moved out to find Duke in the darkness. The dog’s whine and increasing scratches as he pulled the pooch quietly towards the door to the house.

“What’s gotten into you?” He hissed in Duke’s ear, grabbing his collar and under his stomach; scooping the dog with effort and fighting back. Wiggling majorly the dog got out of his grasp; leaving Bastian exasperated and giving up. Leaving the dog to his own thing and mentally reminding himself to buy Duke a muzzle.

Grabbing Lauren’s hand again, Bastian looked over at her with a shrug.

[Maple ♥]

Lauren Skyes:

    Drew slipped through the board of fence that she'd escaped from earlier that afternoon, her small frame easily moving past the wood. She stepped into the yard wearily, gazing up at the span of her dark house. Only a small light was on in the kitchen, like it always was, and so she didn't even see her parents standing in the darkness of the back door way. 

    Duke clawed at the door, making her mentally shush him because she was too tired to deal with her parents. She prayed they'd be asleep as she tiptoed towards the door, glancing up at their bedroom window so she didn't see them in front of her until it was too late. Freezing, she stopped in mid-step on the porch, watching them and Duke attacking the glass between them. 

    Lauren was gazing at Bastian sadly when her eyes drifted back to the outside world and she about jumped ten feet seeing a small child on their porch. When her mind realized it was Drew, she gasped slightly and covered her mouth. "Drew!" she breathed out, stepping towards the door. 

[shades]

Bastian Skyes ; ;

His mind was somewhere else when Bastian heard a small gasp of “Drew!” Bringing him back to reality as Bastian was looking down at his daughter safe, sound, scared, dirty, cold; but it didn’t matter. In moments he had already dropped down to his daughters height and swept her into a tight hug with Lauren.

“Are you okay? Where were you, we were worried sick.” He babbled, green eyes gazing into hers in the darkness; he should be mad. Furious. His daughter had ran away, snuck out, and came back. No, he was relieved; glad, happy, she was safe that was what mattered.

Pressing his warm palm to her cheek, “we love you Drew. You were a miracle in troubled times, we will always love you.”

[Maple ♥]

Lauren Skyes:

    Drew stiffened in his hold, but soon was melting into it, starting to cry. "I'm so sorry Daddy."

    Lauren stooped down too, though slower, and waited for her turn to hug her baby. When Bastian let up slightly she dove in and wrapped her arms around Drew, hugging her tightly to her chest and running her hand over her head. "We love you so much, baby. I'm so glad you're safe!" she was crying too, but they were tears of relief this time. Her hand continually ran along her daughter's scalp, pulling her close. "You scared us so badly."

    "I'm sorry," Drew cried into her mom's chest, burrowing there but also keeping one arm perched around Bastian. 

    Duke wagged his tail excitedly, whining a bit but not jumping on everyone. 

[shades]

Bastian Skyes ; ;

Bastian smiled, “it’s alright. You’re safe, that’s what matters.” He was pulling strands of hair getting wet in her tears, wiping her green eyes lightly. His own head resting on Lauren’s as they were a family.

Glancing down at Duke, with a raised eyebrow. “Come on boy.”

The German Shepherd immediately jumped up towards them, pawing at Drew and whining; licking his lips and anyone’s face he could get to with his growing height. Tail wagging like a tornado, thumping on Bastian lightly.

[Maple ♥]

Lauren Skyes:

    Lauren leaned back a little so Duke could get into the ordeal, smiling lightly. 

    Drew's tears were practically licked up by Drew's long, sticky tongue as she hugged him close to her. "I'm sorry for worrying you Dukey."

[shades]

Bastian Skyps ; ;

Bastian wrapped his arms around Drew, with a nod to Lauren, he lifted her up and into his arms. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.” He ignored the still-there mess, noting to clean it up when they woke up; his green eyes flashing to Lauren as he set Drew down near the bathroom. He had a feeling that Drew wouldn’t be too far from Lauren that night, moving to prepare the beds for when they all crashed after an exhausting night.

[Maple ♥]

Lauren Skyes:

    Drew hugged onto Bastian as he took her upstairs and then got down to clean up. After she was in some Princess Sophia the First pajamas and her face was clean enough, she crawled into her parents bed and snuggled into the sheets and comforter; up to her nose, so much like her dad. 

    Lauren sighed at the mess in the kitchen and moved to follow everyone up the stairs, closing off the lights which had been turned on in the process of Drew's arrival and feeling Duke's fur brush up against her feet as she walked. The pup always made sure he was the last one up the stairs during bed time, and this was no exception; he even seemed a bit more relaxed, like Lauren felt now. Maybe it was just how tired she was ( mentally and physically ), or sore, or both. Whatever the case she made her way into the bedroom, slipped into the bed next to Drew and brought her close to her. Lips pressing in for a kiss, she murmured, "Don't ever do that again. You scared me, baby."

    "I'm sorry Mommy," Drew murmured, snuggling into her Mom more. 

    "Get some rest. I love you," she kissed her head again and got comfortable, watching Bastian from the bed to make sure he joined them before she fell asleep.

[shades]

Bastian Skyes ; ;

Smiling, Bastian made sure to make a Drew sandwich; even letting Duke onto the bed and noting as the pup crawled up to be in the space between Lauren and Drew. His one arm wrapped around; grasping Lauren’s hand with a small smile before he lazily reached over to turn off the bedside light enveloping the room in the thinning darkness of morning.

Smiling at them and watching everyone fall asleep; his other arm moving under the pillow comfortably because he knew somehow he would wake up with the dog on his chest or Drew; pfft, bed hogs. But that was family, and the four of them were asleep and peaceful for now on a singular bed.