Fallen from Grace

Chapter VIII

After four days of working non-stop on Apollyon's apartment, it was finally set. It looked good, and colorful. The Devil had argued with Eleanora that he wanted dark hues, but Eleanora insisted that he needed some colors in his forever-ly eternal life. They both had quite literally stood in the middle of the paint aisle, bickering like an old married couple over contradictory views.

In the end, Eleanora promised that if he allowed her to decorate his apartment, then she can make him see the night sky from his bedroom ceiling. Intrigued by the preposition, he inquired how she could manage such a feat, as she smiled back at him, and told him to promise her that she could decorate his apartment. In the end, he agreed because the incentive of his love for the night sky overpowered his stubborn will.

Now, Eleanora was teaching him how to keep his apartment clean before the furniture arrived. She handed him the broom, telling him to sweep the floor while she ensured that the furniture could come in. While he worked, she snuck into his bedroom because she had a surprise for him there. Eleanora kept her promise about the star sky on his ceiling as she looked up at it. Smiling to herself, she folded and hanged the remainder of his new clothing articles into his wardrobe.

The doorbell ringing drew her out of the room. Firmly closing the door behind her she made her way over to Apollyon who placed the cleaning utensils away. Walking over to the door, she opened it to find a few men standing in front of her.

"Mr. Masters lives here?" The man in the front inquired while looking down at the clipboard that he held. "We have all the furniture that he ordered."

"Yes, please come in." She urged in response as they all pooled in, some of them holding furniture as more men were bringing other upholstery upstairs. At the end of a few hours, his apartment was set with the furniture, cleaned, and decorated as well.

His lounge had white walls with one of them covered with a bookshelf that housed books and decoration articles. His sofa was a light gray as they had multicolored throw pillows on top, a light yellow rug beneath the coffee table that rested in front of the couch and pictures hung over the couch.

There was an entrance on the wall opposite the couch that led to the kitchen and dining room. The theme of the kitchen was white as it had all the electronics that were required for cooking. The fridge was stocked with all sorts of edibles and cutlery and utensils resided in the over head cupboards and drawers. The dining table-which Apollyon wanted black-was a square wooden table with a checked blue table cloth and light blue wooden chairs. A vase of pink carnations residing on top of it.

Then, finally, came his bedroom. It had light wooden flooring and white furniture-much to Apollyon's distaste. His bed was king sized with white sheets and blanket, with the pillows being blue. An ask gray rug resided on the foot of the bed with a white bench in front of it. There was a white study desk opposite the bed, complete with a wooden chair and enough study space. Upon Eleanora's insistence, some pictures were hung on the walls through out the apartment.

Eleanora showed him around the apartment with great enthusiasm as he followed behind her, allowing her to tell him where everything was. He made it seem as if though he was bothered by all the colors, but he wasn't going to admit to her that he liked them, they brought life to the apartment...and made it seem refreshing. After showing him around, she saved the best for last.

"Come on." Eleanora urged him forward as she opened the bedroom door.

Stepping in, he observed the interior, taking a 360 turn to have complete look around. His bed seemed very comfortable to sleep in, if only he actually ever slept, or ate for that matter. Yes, he didn't eat. He just thought that since his vessel is human, the body would require some sort of fuel. He had to admit, overall his 'room' looked rather cozy, as a matter of fact, the entire apartment seemed rather cozy.

"So? What do you think?" Eleanora inquired excitedly.

"It's...actually not that bad." He relented.

"This isn't even the best part yet." Eleanora revealed as she went over to his window, drawing the curtains to bathe the room in darkness. Apollyon looked at her through the darkness as she stumbled around a bit. Her hands landed on his chest as he looked at her as if though he were seeing her in day light.

"Alright. Lie down." She instructed and pushed at his chest. The gentle push caused him to take a step back, but he stumbled over something behind him, forcing him to fall back and grab hold of Eleanora on the way. The air was knocked out of his lungs as Eleanora landed on top of him. Groaning, he gently pushed her off as she was dazed. Turning over he kneeled on his bed, while rubbing his chest.

"What do you want me to see?" Apollyon asked a little breathlessly as he saw Eleanora laying on her back with her hands folded over her stomach.

"Lie down on your back." She told him, not tearing her gaze away from the ceiling.

"Okay..." He trailed as he turned over on his back, and lay down. A surprised gasp escaping his lips at the sight.

The ceiling was painted a midnight black with hundreds of small glowing dots painted on the paint. It took him a moment to realize that Eleanora kept her promise. In return for allowing her to decorate his apartment, she would allow him to see the night sky from him bedroom ceiling. And this is how. It looked so real, and so close that he could almost touch it. Almost touch Heaven.

"The stars." He breathed out in disbelief. "The night sky. On my bedroom ceiling."

"Do you like it?" She asked softly, turning to look at him in the darkness.

"I...I love it." He admitted. "It looks so real. It feels real. I could swear that I am back in Heaven."

Sudden realization hit Eleanora as the words left his lips and the smile dropped from her face. Turning on her side, she turned on the lamp, causing the white lights to fade into nothing as Apollyon sat up at their vanishing.

"Is that why you love the night sky?" She inquired softly, turning towards him. "Because it reminds you of Heaven?"

"A little...yeah." He spoke honestly. "In Heaven, we watched over everything. The sunrise, the morning, the universe, sunsets, and the night sky. My favorite part was the night sky. It looked ethereal from there. Oh, Eleanora! It was a sight to behold! A black canvas, littered with white sparkling dots that glowed and shimmered in front of your eyes. The stars smiling at you from thousands of miles away in the Universe. It was...It was amazing...and it was...home."

The excitement had grown with every word as his eyes shone like never before, a smile lighting up his entire face as he took her name. However, that smile and excitement soon morphed into wistful spark and a nostalgic smile.

"How about a shower?" She suggested to him as she picked out a dust speck from his hair. "You're all dusty and dirty."

"Okay." He nodded as he was grateful for her changing the subject from Heaven.

"I'll leave you to it then." She informed as she got off the bed and made her way to the door, Apollyon escorting her. "If you need anything, then I'm just down the stairs."

"I know." He smiled softly, as he knew that she was there for him whenever he might need her help.

"And Apollyon." She spoke from the doorway of his apartment. "Your apartment looks great." With that she stepped out, closing the door behind her and walking down the stairs and back to her own apartment. Leaving Apollyon to stand there, a soft smile on his lips as he made his way back into his room and in his washroom, where Eleanora had set everything for him.

Eleanora was enjoying a soothing cup of tea while playing some songs on her sound system, when a knock on her door disrupted her serene atmosphere. Setting the mug down, she walked over to the door, picking Sebastian up on the way while scratching the kitten behind his ear, resulting in a content purr.

Unlocking her door, she swung it open, surprised to find Apollyon standing there with a confused expression on his face whist he held a black bottle in his hand. Making his way past her he stepped into her apartment and held the bottle in front of her.

"How do you use this?" Apollyon questioned while holding the shampoo bottle in front of him. "The instructions say to put it on your head."

"Like this?" He inquired as he placed the bottle on his head, trying to balance it, but failed as it fell into his hands. "But it doesn't stay."

Eleanora burst out in a fit of giggles as he continued to try and balance the bottle on his head. "No, no, no."

"Okay." She giggled. "How about I give you a bath, and teach you how to do all of this?" She suggested.

"Okay." He agreed as he handed the bottle to her.

"Alright, just go and get the rest of your stuff." Eleanora suggested. "Like your body wash and clothes and towel."

Nodding, he disapparated from her apartment while she made her way into her washroom. Putting the plug in, she adjusted the water temperature and she sat on the corner of the tub watching the water slowly fill up. Glancing up, she found Apollyon to be standing in front of her, holding his clothes and towel along with another container.

"Alright." She stated while grabbing hold of his body wash and towel. "You can place the clothes in my room so that they don't get wet. And take off your clothes. Just leave your boxers on."

"Okay." Apollyon shrugged as he made his way out of her washroom and into her bedroom. Eleanora turned back to the tub, placing her fingers under the steady stream of the water as she felt the slightly warm water on her skin.

"What now?" His voice called out as she turned in the direction, finding Apollyon standing in a pair of black boxer shorts and nothing else. Eleanora had to admit, he had a rather toned body and looked hot, the thought causing her cheeks to flush slightly.

"Now, check if the water if fine for you." She instructed while stepping away from the tub to give him space. Apollyon stepped forward, leaning forward as he placed his hand under the stream. His eyebrows furrowed a little as he adjusted the temperature to be a little warmer before turning towards Eleanora, waiting for further instructions. "Okay. Now sit in the tub."

Apollyon stepped into the semi-filled tub with his legs slightly pulled up to accommodate his 6'3 structure. He leaned against the back of the tub with his arms draped over the edges. Eleanora removed her sweater before rolling up her sleeves and turning off the water. Grabbing hold of the removable shower and stepping behind Apollyon with the shower head running.

"Lean forward a bit." She requested as he removed his back from the tub, allowing Eleanora to pour the water over his head, instantly causing his hair to flatten and come on his forehead. They both talked naturally as Eleanora informed him that the shampoo bottle opens and you squeeze some of it out onto your palm. Rubbing her hands together, she lathered the shampoo into his hair as he seemed to enjoy the gesture.

She chuckled lightly when he closed his eyes.

"What?" He asked upon hearing her laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You." She smiled as she grabbed hold of the shower head that lay beside her. "I just not quite understand you. I mean...you are the Devil, and I just imagined you to be-"

"-Red skinned with horns and a tail?" He inquired.

"Yeah." She admitted. "But you're not. You're this hot 17 year old guy whom everyone is dying to get a piece of."

Apollyon chuckled at the way that she put it, as he watched the water he sat in turn from a clear transparent to a whitish opaque color.

"It's a vessel. I know. But...what do you originally look like?"

"Anthony resembles nothing to my true form." He informed. "My true visage is not suitable for humans, nor is my true voice. Like I mentioned a long time ago, I am just a multi-dimensional wavelength of celestial intent, and I need a vessel in order to manifest on Earth and use the complete extent of my powers."

They both fell into a comfortable silence as Eleanora had completely rinsed out the shampoo from his hair. Grabbing a sponge, she squirted some of his body wash onto it before foaming it up. She started at his back, before moving forward.

"You have a question." He inferred. "You can ask."

"Do you...do you have wings?" She questioned softly as she stopped scrubbing, leaving the sponge on his abdomen.

"Yes." He nodded. "That's how I apparate and disapparate from places."

"Can I see them?"

"Not really." He shook his head. "Angel's wings aren't visible to humans because they are a part of our true form."

"Oh. Okay." She nodded before changing the topic to how he liked the shopping that they did in the past four days. He admitted that it was very different and crowded, but it was fun on most occasions. Once Eleanora had completely scrubbed him and washed him, she handed him the towel, informing him to get out of the shower and wrap that around his waist before going into the room.

With that said, she left the washroom and her room, making her was over to her kitchen to make the both of them a cup of hot chocolate. A sudden knock on her door had her leave the task at hand. Going to the door, she opened it to find Elliot standing in front of her, wearing his police uniform beneath his coat with his police cap stuck under his arm.

"Hi!" Eleanora smiled at him.

"Hey." He grinned back in response before walking past her and making his way inside her apartment. "Mom sent me to check on you."

"Really?" Eleanora questioned in slight concern as to what could be wrong.

"Nothing to worry about." He assured as he looked around her comfortable apartment. "She just said that she hasn't seen you for the past few days and was wondering where you were."

"Oh." Eleanora realized as relief coursed through her.

"I'll just tell he-" His sentence was interjected by another voice drifting out from her bedroom doorway.

"-Who was at the door, Nora?" Apollyon questioned as he stepped out the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist as he was towel drying his hair. Lowering it, he was greeted by the sight of Elliot standing in the middle of the lounge, his mouth slightly agape as he looked from Apollyon to Eleanora then back again.

"Oh." He chuckled humorlessly as the soft glow in his eyes turned into a cold glare. "Now I see what you had been up to these past few days."

"Wha-wai-No!" Eleanora spluttered incoherently as she caught onto his meaning. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Really?" Elliot inquired flatly. "Because it seems like Apollyon is standing naked in your bedroom and you seem absolutely disheveled. Gee, I wonder why."

"Elliot! You can't jump to conclusions!" Eleanora exclaimed with a red face, as Apollyon stood still in utter bewilderment.

"Then please do give me a logic explanation to this scene other than what I assume it to be."

Instantly Eleanora's words caught in her throat as she couldn't tell him that she gave Apollyon a bath without him instantly assuming otherwise. She wracked her brain for a manipulative lie before Apollyon just had to go and make it worse.

"She was giving me a bath." He informed as Elliot looked at him with his mouth hanging open. "And if you have a problem with that then you tell me."

Eleanora knew that the last statement just made it seem like what Elliot assumed it to be, and now she was in some trouble.

"Well...Look at that." Elliot growled in disgust. "I'll tell mom that you were slightly...preoccupied with some stuff." He stated while eyeing Apollyon, and with that he stalked out of the apartment, closing the door with a slam.

After Elliot's departure, the apartment fell deathly silent as only the ticking of the time could be heard through out the adobe.

"C-can you just...put some clothes on?" Eleanora inquired meekly to the wet Apollyon, who snapped his fingers, standing in a long-sleeved shirt and gray sweatpants, his entire body dry.

Numbly, she went over to her kitchen, continuing to make the hot chocolate as she saw Apollyon leaning against the doorway of her kitchen with a confused expression.

"Did I say something wrong?" He inquired as she stopped making the drink, releasing the spoon with a clatter. She leaned her head against the counter as she wondered how the hell she was going to tell Apollyon that he made things worse. Straightening, she looked up at the ceiling, and pushed her hair out of her face. Releasing a breath she turned towards Apollyon, walking towards him as he straightened from his leaning posture. He expected some sort of answer, a lecture maybe, but he did not expect what came next.

Eleanora wrapped her arms around his midriff as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. There was only one other time that she had hugged him, and that was the graveyard after he had shown her the happiest memories of her life. Right now, Apollyon didn't understand why she was hugging him, but just assuming that she needed it, he held her tightly against him and heard her release a tired breath.

They stood in utter silence as Eleanora let Apollyon's warmth cocoon her mind, soothing her into a lethargic sort of state.

"Eleanora, you're falling." Apollyon informed in slight concern as she hummed sleepily in response. "

Forget it." He muttered as he leaned down and slid one arm under her knees and the other beneath her shoulders. Lifting her up, he felt Eleanora rest her head onto his shoulder as her eyes were drooping with exhaustion. "You must be tired."

Walking over to her room, he settled her on the bed, and was about to pull away when she grabbed onto the neck of his shirt in slight panic. Eleanora was practically asleep, but didn't want him to leave.

"Okay, I'll stay." He murmured softly as he lay down beside her on the bed, as she instantly turned towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist with her head rested on his chest.

"Sleep." He instructed softly as he stroked her white hair, gazing at the serene expression that rested on her face once she drifted off. Hesitantly he leaned down, and pressed his lips to her forehead, lingering there for a second longer before pulling away. Sighing, softly, he pulled the duvet over the both of them, and snapping his fingers as all the light turned off in her apartment, bathing everything in complete darkness.