Should've slept alone (Damon Albarn)

Chapter Eleven

Charlotte suddenly understood why Damon looked as concerned as he did and she couldn't help but wonder if her own face, which she was certain was now laced with worry, matched his.

"It's lovely to meet you" She spoke, forcing herself to smile at them, but she knew she couldn't entertain this "If you'll excuse me"

"You're not going anywhere" His Dad spoke sternly, causing Charlotte's stomach to feel overcome with nausea "You've got some serious talking to do Damon"

Damon walked apprehensively over to the sofa before taking a seat next to Charlotte, he wanted nothing more than to take hold of her hand but he decided that was one of the worse things he could do.

"I'm sure you're lovely Charlotte" Hazel smiled forcefully at the girl before turning to face Damon "But what are you doing here, with her Damon?"

"What are you doing here?" He retorted, Charlotte almost wanted to laugh at how childish his response was.

"Because you did your amazing fucking disappearing act!" Jess seethed at him, walking across the room, before glaring at Damon from the armchair she'd sat down in.

"I didn't do any fucking disappearing act, I just needed to get away" Damon spoke sharply back to his sister, inhaling deeply when he realised how his tone was sounding and who he had sitting next to him.

"But why did you lie to us all Damon?" His dad spoke, out of all of his family, Charlotte had decided that Keith was the most softly spoken "And where does she come into it all?"

Damon looked across to Charlotte, his sudden eye contact making a blush decorate her cheeks. She wished more than anything that she had a bit more of a resilience to his looks, the last thing she needed for his parents to see was her swooning over their son.

"I just wanted some company" He spoke quietly and Charlotte couldn't decide how she felt about him referring to her as just some company.

"Can't you use your girlfriend for company?" Hazel spoke, her eyes seemed to be growing more worried with every word Damon said "The poor girl, she was so worried Damon"

"Oh don't give me all that poor old Justine shit" He scoffed, rolling his eyes before visibly stopping himself from speaking his next words. Though Charlotte felt like she could guess that they wouldn't have been very favourable towards his girlfriend.

"I still don't understand where Charlotte's come from" Jess uttered, before flashing an apologetic smile towards the girl "Sorry I just-"

"It's fine" She tried to reassure with as genuine a smile as she could manage and a nod of her head. Though it was far from fine, this whole situation she was currently in couldn't be any further away from fine if she tried.

"Charlotte's just, ah, she's just" Damon stumbled out and Charlotte wanted nothing more than to take a hold of his hand to try and drag him out of the battle in his head she could tell he had just fallen into "Can I tell them?"

If she wasn't already feeling nauseous, then she certainly was now by his words. She felt her eyes widen as a few feeble attempts at a response fell out of her mouth.

"Tell us what?" Hazel breathed, though Charlotte could see the emotions beginning to grow within her as a million different emotions, no doubt, ran through her.

"She's not pregnant is she?" Jess hissed, causing Damon to involuntary laugh, a bitter, harsh laugh that Charlotte was certain she didn't want to hear again.

"No it's better than that" He grinned obnoxiously, glancing across to the woman next to him "Well, maybe worse than that for you guys but it's definitely better for me"

A cry from Freddie erupted from the bedroom and Charlotte let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. She glanced across to Damon, who just nodded his head, the same obnoxious grin on his face. As she made her way past everyone and towards the bedroom, she had to keep her eyes focused on the way she was walking, she didn't dare look at any of their faces. The look of disappointment from her parents was ingrained in her brain, she didn't need his parents to add to that too.

Damon suddenly felt far more exposed without Charlotte sat next to him, he hadn't realised how much more comfortable he had felt just by having her next to him.

"We're not fucking mind readers Damon" His sister sighed, running her hand through her hair before glaring at her brother again "What the fuck is going on?"

"The cry, the baby" He spluttered out, a feeling of nausea growing in his stomach as he realised what his next words had to be "He's my son"

"Jesus Christ Damon" His dad sighed, momentarily closing his eyes as he shook his head.

"This is a new level, even for you" Jess laughed, though it was the same forced laugh her brother had uttered moments before her.

Charlotte had tried to drag out returning to the lounge for as long as she could, even though Freddie had been put to bed, she decided to take him to the lounge with her. She was feeling, naively, hopeful that she'd suddenly walk out into a happy family, ready to welcome herself and her son with open arms.

Charlotte paused just before she re-entered the lounge, her grip subconsciously tightening on her son as she tried to listen in to the conversation they were having.

"And you believe her?" Hazel questioned, her breath hitched in the back of her throat as she waited for Damon's response.

"Of course I do, Freddie's my son" She swallowed hard at his response, her stomach erupting in an unknown feeling at just how genuine he sounded.

"What about Justine?" Keith questioned him, the feeling of joy that had spread Charlottes stomach at his previous words suddenly tightened into anxiety at the mention of her name.

"I don't know, things are on the verge for us anyway, I don't want to be with her anymore" Charlotte stopped herself from walking into the lounge, she wanted to listen for just that bit longer "And I think I love Charlotte, I've never met anyone like her and I've never felt this way, ever"

A/N

Again, apologies this was short I just wanted to get some groundwork laid before there's a small time skip in the next chapter.

As always, I hope you enjoyed! Comments and predictions for the next chapter are always very appreciated <3