[ youngest son ; maple & shades & losers ]

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

There was a faint outline of a smile as James knelt to Mr. Dupree and Belle; his Belle. Protecting him all along, loving him despite the horrendous life she had to deal with. He wanted to hold her, but knew Mr. Dupree would rather hold his daughter, so instead he took her hand quietly, reassuringly. Blue gaze lingering on hers, before looking over at his mom and dad dully. Sadly. Pleading. He didn’t know why, but he had to stay with his Belle. For the night. Forever.

He would fight if he had to leave her side when she needed him.

James Skyes needed his music back, and she was wounded like a broken violin. She needed to be fixed. But never be tuned, because her melody was perfect in all her moments, good or bad.

So long as she was safe, he felt better.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle whimpered slightly, but felt comforted by his touch. Mr. Dupree didn't know this boy very well, but saw that he was comforting his daughter more than he could and sadly almost handed her over like a baby into James' arms, sniffling as the ambulance parked at the end of the driveway and paramedics came running out with a stretcher. 

    "Don't leave me," Belle repeated blandly, now in James' arms and curling up into him, crying rather pitifully there, just wanting to be held by him. Her James. Whom she loved more than herself, and all she wanted was him, all of him, for ever. ( Notebook quote I think or not idk hehe) "I don't want to lose you James," she hiccuped and her fingers pulled tightly at his nice dress up shirt and her own dress, though ripped and showing all her bruises around her shoulders, fanned out into the grass around her and his legs. 

    Mr. Dupree got up to stop the paramedics, telling them that she wasn't in imminent danger, but needed to be hospitalized to make sure her head alright and such. In that small amount of time was when Belle had curled into her James and said those things. 

    Matty was still having to be restrained as the cops finally arrived on scene and they were able to hand cuff a spitting, now bloodied from being hit in order to subdue him, Tj and push him into the back of one of the cars. Belle's brother was seething, shouting obscurities at the boy and at one point crying because he was so upset that he'd never seen it, never thought Belle was anything but perfect and being treated that way. But as the car drove away the people restraining him let him fall, which he did, to his knees, and rubbed his face to cope with the guilt he felt. His little sister. He was supposed to protect her, and he'd failed. He'd let his mom down, not realizing she was being abused. So he cried a bit defeated looking, hunched shoulders shaking as some parent from the party comforted him slightly. 

    As for Belle, she was still crying, holding onto James hysterically, rambling incoherent things while her body shook. She felt so cold, the part of her body that wasn't pressed into James, and shivered because of it. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

In his head, James had a notion if he got better, Belle would come back to him. Some call it labor love. Others call it something else. But in fact, James had gone a little mad in his time alone. Here, seeing his Belle sad, lonely, and hurt; it only made the autistic boy’s blue eyes tear up. One arm around her back, the other clutching around the crook in her knees. Holding the girl he loved tight, eyes closed as tears slowly dripped from the corners of his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered to Belle, holding her close to his chest. Looking up at the crowd, wobbly he stood up and walked over towards the paramedics. His gaze traveled to the ground and Belle, ignoring the looks of others and avoiding his own parents’ eyes.

Because he was in love, and his Belle was hurt.

But James was also hurt. Darkness crept on the edge of his vision, the lingering hunger that gnawed at his stomach everyday became unbearable as feeling crept into his body. The numbness he thought had been established over the many months was coming back with the energy flow of everything. James was used to the feeling of aching pain though, and though he staggered slightly, James held onto Belle until someone in a suit noticed his wavering.

He closed his own eyes, letting more tears fall.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    James' absence made Belle feel cold, but who was she kidding? She'd felt like ice since the first slap Tj had given her. But the warmth was soon replaced by a familiar hug; her Aunt Merida. She was crying softly, Belle could feel it through her her tight curls, but when she spoke it wasn't warbled. 

    "Come on baby, let's get you in the ambulance," she soothed and with help from some of the paramedics they were able to carry a crying Belle onto the stretcher they'd set up near by and began rolling her down the driveway. Her father stayed behind, but her Aunt Merida, the strong one, was by her the whole time. It all happened so fast though, that Belle found herself flailing a bit and almost teetering the stretcher altogether. "James!" she called, staring widely at all the paramedics before looking back over her shoulder at James. "Please let James come."

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Leaning heavily on someone—whom he was fairly sure was his father—James watched dully as they walked away. Barely registering the looks back to him as she made her request, the paramedics looking back and even catching a glance of her parents. James looked tired, his hair ruffled, the shirt he wore finally revealing to seem a size bigger than he actually was; or just too large for his small, lean, underweight frame.

Finally realizing someone was talking to him, “do you want to go with her? She’s requesting you.” James blinked up at the paramedic, glancing at his mom and dad before nodding quietly. He hated hospitals. They never were his favorite thing in the world. He was stuck in a room, and when he was out and with the group of people they were loud, obnoxious, and all had problems and made it difficult for him to concentrate. He wasn’t allowed to have his instruments in the hospital, they checked to see if he ate his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They had to exercise to videos and it was dull and long; James hated hospitals, particularly the psych ward which he had been sent to many times.

But he had to do it for Belle, as James followed into the ambulance. His knee bopping up and down in nervousness, glassy blue eyes looking at all the white and making the young man feel nervous. For Belle, he thought.

Just because she asked for him.

He kept his eyes on his Belle, trying to ignore Mr. Dupree and her aunt. Because he was requested to come, he was her friend, he was the dumb kid in class and here he was being dumb in front of her family. They might forbid her from seeing him, he had to say something intelligent. But words wouldn’t escape his mouth, so James opted to be quiet.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle's hand slipped from her Aunt's, who was staring down at her worriedly as her Dad's jaw tightened and the doors shut behind the group, fingers finding James' and large puppy dog eyes found his too. "Thank you," she said softly, brokenly, but the familiar feel of his hand against hers was somewhat comforting from the whirling of too much going on in her head. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

James knocked on the door, having just arrived as Mr. Dupree and the family left; only giving a few words to Belle’s aunt, before smiling and walking to the door. Though she told him to just walk in, it still was polite to knock, as James had learned. Plus, he had never lived in a big house. His family was more down to earth, normal house, and they were content with it.

He felt like he would get lost in the Dupree household. But he had Belle, and had to do this for Belle. So James put on his best determined attitude, and tried to look ready for this. But he wasn’t, there was something about being alone with Belle that worried every parent.

But James wasn’t like that.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle heard the door bell ring and pressed pause on the Tv, sliding up from the couch slowly and shuffling to the front door, toes tickling through the carpet of their large foyer. Recently she'd opted to hiding behind baggy clothing so she didn't have to see the fading bruises on her skin or the cuts she'd obtained from the Final Incident, which was what her therapist was calling it. Since she'd come home from recovery, the night mares had gotten a bit less frequent but were still just as terrible, always waking Belle up in a cold sweat, crying immensely. Sleeping in her own bed was too much, so she'd usually slip from it in the middle of the night and wake up to her tired looking father shaking her shoulder on the couch in the living room or even on the main staircase. Belle also hadn't gone to school in two weeks since the incident, too scared and embarrassed, not to mention void of any want to do those things. 

    Her audition for Juilliard was in three weeks, and yet it was the last thing on her mind.

    Belle moved to open the door, smiling softly when she saw James. "Hi James," she said it quietly, not like her old chipper self really, more just fragile and sadly. She opened her arms a bit to hug him, running her hands along his back until she was cupping his shoulders and pressing herself into him. His familiar feel and smell brought back some of the happy memories she'd forgotten and it made her hug a bit tighter, but not enough to be considered strong or anything. Belle hadn't been strong since the first hit she'd received from Tj. 

    "I missed you," she breathed into him, not caring who or what in the world hated her for loving a different boy. If he was the only thing that made her sane or comforted, she sure as hell was going to hold on to him. Literally, and physically. After a few seconds she realized she was just hugging him and so she back up, cheeks flaring slightly, and back into her house. "Come in," she offered nicely, folding her arms over her sweatshirt ridden chest and staring down at her grey sweatpants. 
    

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

James smiled, welcoming the hug. His own audition for Julliard was a week away; his mother and father were worried about him going to college alone (they never mentioned the fact one of them might not get in) or even with Belle. Though the school was reassuring, knowing many students who were autistic or had a creative form of music to their mental problems.

His mother and father agreed he could try and get in, a dream of he and Belle both; but wanted to check out the school when they were in New York.

Sad for the hug to be over, James stepped in and kicked off his shoes. Following Belle like a puppy to catch up, only to lean down and kiss her cheek where a small, fading purple bruise lingered. Smiling, trying to make his Belle happy. Not caring how she looked, so long as she was happy.

That’s all he wanted, really, more than all the music in the world.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle smiled slightly at his kiss, butterflies tingling her stomach, covering up the dull pain from the bruise on her skin. She caught his hand before he could walk away, lacing her fingers with his and leading him back towards her so their faces were close. "How are you?" she asked quietly, green-blue eyes blinking widely up at him, pressing her lips together and glancing down at his. Maybe it was teenage hormones, maybe it was her just being dumb. Maybe it was the fact that she missed him like crazy. God, she'd missed him. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

“Good.” James replied simply, not a man of many words; simply enjoying Belle’s company. But the girl could make James Skyes talk and he would do it for her. “I missed you though.” He had been eating more regularly, thankfully, and was much more prone to leaving the house and even getting more school done so he could graduate.

He swung their hands, like a child, looking down at them. Noticing a few bruises where TJ must of crushed them before, he lifted her hands to run his lips over them quietly and gently.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle's heart fluttered softly, watching him kiss her hand gingerly, making her cheeks flare with heat. "I missed you too," she almost choked out, feeling his lips on her skin, tickling it like he was, was making her mind whirl and her toes tingle. It was almost too much to handle, so with her other hand she cupped his jaw, pulling him softly from his bent position and up to look at her, planting a small kiss on his forehead. Motherly instincts kicking in, Belle had been the only one to notice his lack of eating while she'd been in the hospital after the incident, knowing very well that James wasn't healthy just by looking at his pale skin and skinny features. So now that her lips left his forehead, her gaze became a bit sterner. "Have you been eating?" it was still kind though, the question, and made her smile ever so slightly to reassure him she was just caring for him. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

“Yes. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.” Though it wasn’t much, it was a start. His frame was still thin, but his clothes were fitting better than before. His mother didn’t want to go buy him all new clothing anyways, so James was stuck with his blue flannels hanging on his shoulder and his belt being tightened. He looked over his Belle, noticing a bruise to her jawline and moving to press his lips to it. “You told me too.” James said quietly, blue eyes casting downwards.

[Maple ♥]

Drew Skyes:

    Drew sighed into the kiss he planted on her neck, tickling the sensitive skin and making her cower away from him with a grin on her face, pushing against his chest. "That tickles," she admitted, but not only did it tickle, but it brought back the memory from how she'd gotten it; that one was from the last punch she'd received from Tj, directly to the jaw. But though the memory stung, James' lips soothed the area and she found herself taking a deep breath, still clutching onto his shirt softly while drinking in the feeling. "I'm glad you're eating," she was trying to change the subject but was very distracted at the same time. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Smiling softly, James pressed his nose into her neck as a silent gratitude. “I’m glad you’re home.” He spoke in his whispering, butterfly voice. Blue eyes glancing up, before finally plopping Belle onto the couch. His arms wrapped around her fragile, small, figure; hugging the girl tightly and not wanting to let go. His heart beat syncing with hers, feeling the pulsing racing throughout his body as blood rushed to tinge his pale cheeks.

But he didn’t care, it was Belle. And he finally felt safe around Belle.