What Shadows Leave Behind

Chapter 1: After The Failed Invasion

It had taken a little convincing with April's mum when the 'Bunghole of Time' Squad came to her house with Corakinus, or rather April in Corakinus's body. Charlie had asked Quill to come with them to help April with her mum but Quill had had quite a day with all the shadowkin arse-kicking, consoling/teaching Tanya to fight, and carrying a baby in her belly that was currently slowly killing her from the inside. She was no longer the prince's slave, as she put it. So she went home to get some rest, preparing to die birthing a cross species child. April's mum no longer had the ability to walk. She answered the door on her wheelchair when they arrived with a shadowkin and she was alarmed. After a few minutes of explaining by Matteusz and Tanya, she seemed to believe them and she hugged her daughter in a male alien body. Ram was quiet and nobody could blame him. He'd lost his dad to those things and now his love's body had been swapped with the king of those monsters all because of the alien kid's cabinet.

Tanya called her brothers and she was relieved to hear that they were safe and got a lot of questions in return as to what those monstrous things that attacked them in the school library were and why their mum wasn't answering the phone. Tanya was holding up unusually well for a teenager. Matteusz and Charlie were right behind her not looking at each other. After a few minutes she ended the call.

"What now?" she asked.

"You should come with us. You should not be alone." Matteusz suggested, looking at Charlie for support. Charlie nodded.

Tanya looked at them and she knew they were offering help but she wanted to be with her family right now more than anything, what's left of it anyway. "I appreciate the concern but I should be with my brothers" she said.

Matteusz offered to walk her home but she said she'd be fine on her own. They parted ways near April's house, where Ram stayed behind to help with the ruckus that had been caused when the shadowkin had attacked. Charlie and Matteusz walked in silence. Nothing was left to say. Tears were shed and words were shouted.

Charlie was walking in a daze like a lifeless corpse. He deserved it, he thought, for using the ultimate weapon thinking it'd bring back his people. It'd been a fairytale after all. He knew Matteusz was accompanying him only because he was worried for his safety. It'd all end after they went home.

'Home'

It'd no longer be his and Matteusz's home. He looked sideways to Matteusz who was taking slow steps with him. He seemed to be looking straight ahead. It was getting dark. Charlie wouldn't be surprised if the sun never came up again.

Matteusz rang the bell and Quill opened the door for them. She didn't have any sassy remarks for them. They went inside. Charlie ran upstairs. Matteusz and Quill shared a concerned look with each other. Matteusz ran upstairs too. Charlie had locked himself in the bathroom. Matteusz banged on the door. "Charlie! Open the door!" he shouted. There was no response. This followed a couple of minutes and silence fell. Matteusz leaned against the door. "I'm not going anywhere until you open the door" he said. He was standing there like that for what felt like forever. Then he heard a click and the door opened. Tears were rolling down Charlie's face. It hurt Matteusz to look at him like that. He went inside. They hugged each other tightly. It felt very natural to be with each other. Whatever had happened that day, it didn't matter. They needed each other. Charlie sobbed uncontrollably for so many minutes. Matteusz held him and rubbed his back. Nothing needed to be said. Charlie stopped crying after a while but still held onto him. Matteusz slowly took Charlie's jacket off. They parted from the hug and Charlie stood there looking at the floor. Matteusz undressed him slowly. Then he undressed too. He took off both of their socks. Charlie had not felt this naked even when they'd made love. Matteusz led him to the bath tub and made him stand in it. He took the shower head and sprinkled warm water on Charlie's head. He took some shampoo in his hand and lathered it up on his head. Charlie had his eyes open. Matteusz had asked him why he'd bought baby shampoo when he'd first used the bathroom here. "Why would I buy generic shampoo that'd make me cry when there's already one available that doesn't burn my eyes?" Charlie had responded. 'What have you done, Charlie?' Matteusz thought. He didn't know what future they had ahead as a couple but at the moment he didn't want to leave Charlie alone. Charlie wasn't going to be alone with Quill at home but Matteusz was sure even her newfound motherhood could make anyone not feel at edge around her. She was Miss Quill, mother or not. He washed off the suds. He took some body wash and lathered Charlie all over. He started with his back and moved onto his arms. Charlie didn't respond even when he lathered his waist, where he was slightly ticklish. He'd always giggle when Matteusz tickled him there. Matteusz knew he wouldn't respond in any way right now. So he sped up the bath and lathered himself with the body wash too. He was surprised when Charlie helped him wash his back. Both of them washed up quickly and dried off each other.

They went to Charlie's bedroom. Matteusz put on some comfortable clothes and so did Charlie. Even though they were less exhausted after the shower they were very hungry. "Come, let's eat dinner" Matteusz insisted. Charlie didn't move from his bed where he was laying. "Charlie, you cannot go to bed with an empty stomach. You need energy to sleep soundly. Come on" Matteusz said and pulled Charlie from the bed and they came downstairs. Quill was nowhere in the living area. She was probably reading some dystopian novel or resting for the baby. Matteusz looked for food but Miss Quill seemed to have only made herself dinner because he saw a plate and a pan in the sink. He looked over Charlie who was sitting at the dinner table. He usually would be on his phone looking up pop culture stuff when he waited for food. Not much time had passed but Matteusz was used to cooking Charlie what little easy recipes he'd learned from his grandmother. He knew none of them had the appetite to eat anything after surviving an alien invasion. So he opened the fridge and some leftover pizza which Miss Quill despised along with all other junk food which made humans unhealthy. He heated up the pizza and put it on a plate and sat down with Charlie. They both ate in silence. Matteusz took out the butterscotch ice cream with chocolate chips in it. Charlie liked ice cream. They washed it down with a glass of water. Matteusz would wash the dishes but he didn't feel like it tonight. They went upstairs to Charlie's bedroom. Matteusz heard a video call coming through Charlie's PC. "Aren't you going to answer it?" Mateusz asked, to which Charlie shook his head in response. It was April calling. So Matteusz answered and it was still weird to see Corakinus's face pop up on the screen.

"Matteusz! You're with Charlie. Thank God he's not alone. I called to check on him. I tried calling both of you on your phones" she said.

"Our phones probably died of low battery. We are alright. Are you alright? Is your mother okay?" Matteusz asked.

"Yeah, we are." April said in a dejected voice.

Matteusz turned to see Charlie laying on the bed with his back to him. He turned to look at April still on the screen but not saying anything. He hadn't interacted with her much before even though she was Charlie's best friend.

"Where is Ram?" he asked.

April looked up. "He left after a while. He said he needed to talk to his mum and make sure she's safe and tell her about his dad." she said. There was silence again. "How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I am alright. I am worried about Charlie though. He's barely talked" he said. He wasn't sure if Charlie could hear him.

"I'm sure he'll be alright with you by his side" April said and made a face which probably was a smile but looked sinister. She turned from the screen. "Mum's calling. I've got to go. We'll talk later" she said and ended the call.

Matteusz stared at the screen for a couple of minutes and then turned it off. He was already wearing pajamas. He crawled into the bed and switched off the lights. "Dobranoc, Charlie" he said and was about to close his eyes when he felt Charlie turn in the bed. Charlie put his head on his shoulder and his hand on his chest. Matteusz held him as they drifted off to sleep not caring about the nightmares that could ruin their sleep. For now all they needed was not to be alone.