[ youngest son ; maple & shades & losers ]

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle's cheeks flared with heat, blushing slightly as he touched her lip and making her throat itch with the feeling of crying. All his torment, and he felt bad for her? That wasn't fair. She was about to speak to him again when he moved away, sitting back on his bed quietly, and making Belle's vision open up to the span of his room. Leaving the door open (under Mr. and Mrs. Skyes' strict rule) and stepping onto the plush carpet with bare toes ( once again another rule ). Her eyes scanned the span of the room, entranced by all the instruments hanging or perched along the walls, breath catching her breath slightly. 

    Then she remembered he was watching her and that he was too thin and she needed to focus on making him get better. Her gaze swept back to him, a sweet smile playing on her lips. "I like you're room. Can you play all of these?" she asked, not moving from her position in the middle of the room, facing him.

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Looking at her, head tilting, he nodded. Trumpet, flute, guitar (acoustic and electric surprisingly), harmonica, keyboard, violin, drums, this and that, he could play it. It was all his and they engraved themselves in his mind after first touching them and feeling so happy by making a tune out of them. If he could do that forever, he would, but all week he had been silent in body, mind, and music; leaving the house empty of a tune.

James glanced over them, because they were his life and he loved them. Even the piano downstairs in the living room, but his keyboard was a nice hidden replacement for his room. Smiling slightly at his fingers running over the keys or plucking the strings to a guitar or a bow running along and making a melody. Like Belle, music made his heart flutter.

Realizing he must look like an idiot, James glanced away while biting the near-bleeding stump of his nail. His stomach growled, but he could easily ignore it by just setting his mind on something else. Belle, he could ignore the world to look at her.

But he would do anything for her, if she asked, James knew that in the end he would do it.

Just for her.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle smiled as he nodded, gaze sweeping over the instruments once more, happy he had some escape. Happy that she learned something new about him. But also sad, sad that he looked away from her and didn't feel pride about his talent like he should.

    Slowly, and quietly, Belle moved to sit on his bed, not super close to him, not too far away, but comfortably. She slid her purse off her shoulder and set it to the wide, her wavy hair brushing off her shoulder as she looked up at him. Her thumbs pressed into one another in her lap, biting her lip. "Are you okay, James?" she asked softly, her blue eyes wide with worry as she trailed over his skinny appearance and sad expression. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

His head snapped towards her, shocked slightly with parted lips as he moved up from the slight slouch he was in. Closing his mouth again in a silent sentence, because no, he was never okay. To the world he was sick, stupid, and wouldn’t be able to be independent without knowing one wrong move could send him back to the hospital.

But, she cared for him; to tell the truth, or the human lie of yes?

Blue eyes looked her over sadly, shaking his head in an honest answer. No, he wasn’t okay and he didn’t ever think he would be. His knees came up to his chin, feeling his thighs against his chest and arms slithering around to hug himself in obvious distress at the awareness he wasn’t okay and here she was asking.

And he couldn’t say he was normal, because that would be a lie.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    The tightening around Belle's throat grew tighter and she really had to push down the tears. All she wanted to do was help him, show him that someone cared. She cared. Belle really cared. And she wanted to show him that. 

    So she scooted herself closer to his curled up position and offered him her hand. "Can I help you, James?" she asked genuinely, her heart throbbing in her ears and her nose prickling, wanting to cry but also wanting to there for him and strong. If he took her hand, she could take care of him. She promised herself she always would. Forever and ever. Because he didn't deserve to hurt and she knew she had to help. 

    Because she cared about the boy she'd just met, and was falling immensely for already.

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

James looked at the hand, almost afraid it would reach up and smack him like before. But her looks were genuine, her voice calm and elegant, and soon he was uncurling himself and taking it in the instant; looking at her with his own blue eyes, licking his cracked and bruised lips, grip tightening so as he was sure she was there. That Belle, was his Belle, and nobody else’s Belle.

He would trade all his instruments in the world just to keep her happy, and with him, looking at her quietly. He smiled, James smiled a small, tooth-showing smile for once in many years that wasn’t a shadow or just trying to please someone. James was truly happy he had someone who cared for him, mind and body.

His hand creeped up her wrist, grabbing it and tugging her close to him so he could hug Belle; arms wrapping protectively around her, nose buried in her hair. Blue eyes stared at the door, not noticing if any nosy parents were watching or caring if they were. He just wanted her close, her presence, and to hear her heartbeat to make music in every room and with his own. The tapping stopped when she was around, James Skyes knew it was because though his mind was out of tune, he had someone willing to dance with it anyways.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle choked out a breath suddenly, her stomach flourishing with tickling feelings and her heart swelling immensely. She couldn't help the few tears that escaped her eyes, pulling James closer to her as he hugged her. Her chest heaved with the effort of trying to hide her emotions and her heart fluttered at the feel of him so close to her. This boy, this one special boy who no one gave a chance to and hurt and blundered was giving her the single most real and raw feelings she'd ever felt about anything.

    Her fingers brushed over his back, neck nuzzling into the crook of his while some strands of her hair tickled her cheeks. Her eyes closed tightly, not wanting this moment to slip away from her and just wanting to hold him forever. In just one week she'd met someone who had changed her life for the better -

    And she was damn happy about it.

    Little did she know outside the door sat Lauren Skyes, having tugged Bastian Skyes with her was crying too, her heart swelling with the idea that someone cared about her baby boy. Not to mention cared, but was the only one he'd opened up to, ever. Period. Lauren looked at Bastian while swiping a tear away, trying not to be seen by the teens but not wanting to miss anything either. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Wrapping his arm around her, Bastian pulled his wife close; a smile on his lips as the scene tugged his heartstrings.

James lips parted at her sudden intrusion into his neck, but welcoming it as his own hand moved up to brush her hair. Quivering, pink full lips, he murmured to Belle, “thank you,” in his quiet, soft-spoken voice. He wanted to say much more, what she was doing, but it remained unspoken through silence. All he wanted to do was enjoy her closeness.

Blue eyes closing with unshed tears, his Belle.

The Beauty to his Beast.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle whimpered ever so slightly at his words, they cut through her heart like a blazing knife. Her grip tightened around further, whispering into his ear. "You're not what you think, James. You're so so so special," she tried not to choke on the words so had to stop talking and didn't get to tell him everything she wanted to, instead just burying her nose into him more and her fingers curling against his back. 

    With a wipe of the stray tear still left behind, she slipped away from James, sitting in front of him, and lacing her fingers through his, closing tightly around his, not letting their touches separate. Her glazed blue eyes studied him, head tilting, some fingers brushing his cheek kindly. "And you're very handsome. And beautiful. And every adjective that describes amazing," she laughed a little, her hands dropping back to his. "And most of all, you are not what anyone," her voice shook with seriousness. "Says about you besides the truth. What I see, is the truth. Okay?" she said, blinking back tears and licking some of the salty water from her lips. 

    She smiled through the tears though, wiping them with a short laugh. "I'm sorry, I was trying not to cry. I was just worried about you this week," she admitted and looked down at their adjoined fingers, hers were shaking slightly.

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

His gaze drifted over their fingers at her words, listen to Belle, she says the truth. Blue-gray eyes blinked once, then twice, before James looked up at her and nodded. His hand moving to brush away some tears, lingering on her cheeks as his fingers followed one salty one to her lip; wiping it away just as it touched her tender, harmed, skin.

James smile was small, just an upturn of the lips as he looked at Belle deeply; a staring match of the two friends, well the girl who understood and could get into the mind of the boy who was thought to have none.

Looking over the room, the only thing James Skys could hear was a heartbeat through his hears in an excited, hyped up throbbing; but really it was two in-sync.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle leaned into his touch, eyes closing for a second, enjoying his touch and comfort. He comforted her even when she was just a stranger, he comforted her when he was the broken one. James Skyes was such a beautiful person, and Belle didn't know how to get him to understand it. 

    Her hand trailed up to grab his again, blue-green eyes watching him carefully, bringing their hands back down to their laps. "I don't think you know how important you are, James," she said it softly, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she leaned a bit closer to him. "A-And I want to show you..." she said simply, coming closer to him now and to the point where there was no backing down. 

    Belle Dupree was about to kiss James Skyes.

    When her soft lips touched his, it was a delicate kiss, a loving one. Maybe it was romantic, maybe it wasn't. Whatever it was, Belle slid her hand up to cup his chin and continue to kiss the boy. 

    Nothing was in her mind but happiness.

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Feeling her touch to his lips, James knew what this was; his mom and dad kissed because they loved each other, Drew and David kissed because they loved each other, does that mean he and Belle loved each other too? His hand ran up her neck to cup her cheek, fingers trailing into her hair.

When they parted, his mind swirling, the autistic boy formed the words slowly in his head. “I…” His brows furrowed, “care for you.” His blue eyes looked her over, thumb brushing away another fallen tears. Once again, he was trying to talk; mouth opening and closing. “Don’t…cry.” James said, tilting his head, confused why she would be sad when she kissed him.

{ le nosy parents watching with stupid grins }

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle sniffled, smiling through the tears as she wiped them away from her face. "Oh I'm not sad. I'm happy. They're happy tears," she gave him a watery smile though not being able to look at him anymore with her throat tightening so badly. She looked down at their one still adjoined hand, her running her thumb pad over his palm softly while trying to catch bearings. 

    She was completely twitter-paited beyond anything she'd ever felt before. 

    Her toes curled with happiness and her lips tingled with the memories of his lips to hers. She liked him, she did. She really did. He cared for her too, obviously - he'd mustered enough words to actually tell her. But Belle could've guessed by just the way he felt when they had connected, she could tell by the way his eyes shined and just by how fast her heart was beating. She assumed his was doing the same. 

    Belle glanced back up at him with a smile. "I care about you too, James."

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Lips twitching upwards, a bright ray of sunshine smile on his lips as James pressed his hand forward comfortingly; happiness tears, he wanted those. Because you must have to be really happy to shed them and yet he wasn’t crying at all. Internally, it made James a bit sad; but for Belle he would be happy, and smile for her, and eat for her, and not let his fingers bleed from him biting them. If she asked him to jump off a cliff, he would do it; because she was Belle and he trusted her.

His mind was tuning to her lovely figure, just hers, and nobody else’s.

Hugging her again, there was a low grumble through his stomach; really loud, and really embarrassing. James’ cheeks flushed as he pushed them apart, looking down at his torso with a grumpy pout.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle laughed jokingly, pressing her hand softly to his stomach and clucking her tongue. "That just won't do. How about we go get something to eat?" she offered kindly, her blue eyes shining and reflecting some of the light coming into his room from the outside in them. She was happy he wasn't sad anymore, his eyes showing a different emotion of what she thought was happiness, and really lifted her spirits. She moved slowly to slide off the bed, bending over while standing up and rummaging through her bag for her phone. No missed calls from anyone, so she wasn't in any trouble for ditching school that day. 

    Due to her worrying over James all week, Belle hadn't been able to practice for more than five seconds before having to stop.

    And her Dad had started to notice.

    But she let the mind leave her as she turned to look back at James, with a welcoming nod to the door of his room. Whether they ate there or went out, Belle didn't care because she was hungry herself and knew James needed food either way.