Fallen from Grace

Chapter VI

Eleanora leaned against her kitchen counter as she flipped the pages of a notebook, searching for one that was vacant of her writing. Finally having found a page, she grabbed her pencil and opened her fridge and the cupboards, scribbling in the notepad as she went. She heard the silent flutter of wings as a small smile quirked on her lips before she felt his warmth at her back.

"What are you doing?" He inquired curiously as he read her writing on the page.

"I'm making a shopping list," Eleanora responded as she moved over to her washroom.

"What good does that do?"

"It helps me remember all the things that I need to buy."

"Oh...okay." He realized as he peered over her shoulder to read what she had written. "What's 'shampoo'?"

Eleanora stopped writing as she turned around and faced him, looking at him with a raised eyebrow at the question he had just put forward.

"What? In 1492 and in Hell we don't have this 'shampoo'." He defended.

"Apollyon." Eleanor's spoke slowly, seemingly having realized something as those words left his mouth. "Once I'm done with my list, I hope you wouldn't mind showing me your apartment, would you?"

"Alright." He shrugged and stepped back or giving her space to walk out from the washroom. After some while, Eleanora completed her list and grabbed all the things she needed before adorning her coat, looking at Apollyon expectantly.

"Well, show me your apartment." She urged as he stepped in front of her, leading the way up to the fourth floor and towards the apartment that was there. Unlocking the door, he pushed it open to show what was inside.

Eleanora gapped as he opened the door. If she were to describe his apartment in one word, it would be......empty. It was quite literally, the epitome, of empty. It looked like no one lived there, there wasn't even a chair to sit down in. Walking forward, she looked around, opening and closing cabinets, entering the room that was supposed to be his bedroom, and then looking around some more, shaking her head to ensure that she wasn't hallucinating the vacancy of basic necessities.

"Apollyon..." She trailed. "Why is your apartment so empty?"

"I didn't understand what you humans put inside an apartment, and I didn't know where to get everything from." He shrugged as he stuffed his hands into his pocket.

"You have been living here since a month, and you know that I am there for whatever you might need." She started. "And it never occurred to you to come and ask me for help?"

"I didn't want you to laugh at me." He muttered under his breath. Eleanora's features softened at his words, as a small chuckle escaped her lips.

"Apollyon...I wouldn't laugh at you." She assured. "I know that you don't understand the human world because it has been a few millennia since you've been on Earth, and I get that. I wouldn't have laughed at you even if you asked me the most mundane question possible. So come, let me make you a list and then we get you whatever you need."

"Okay," Apollyon grumbled in distaste, but deep inside he was relieved to know that she wouldn't have laughed at him, he appreciated all that she did for him, and couldn't get over the fact that she would sell her soul to be his friend. Crazy, right? He followed Eleanora around the empty apartment as she looked up and down, before taking a 360 turn. Nodding to herself she put the pencil on paper and gave him a nod in satisfaction after a moment.

"So what do we need to get?" Apollyon questioned.

"Not much, actually," Eleanora informed as she showed him the page she had been writing on. "Just...you know...everything."

"Come, let's go." She urged as she made her way out the door, Apollyon hot on her heels before she came to an abrupt halt, forcing him to stop a mere centimeter away from her. She turned around, seemingly having realized something, but her face flushed a delicate pink at the lack of space between them.

"Apollyon..." She sighed tiredly as she took a step back. "I wanted to say that we'll be buying a lot of stuff, so I thought that we'd be needing a car."

"A car?" He confirmed. "Where are we going to get a car from?" He questioned in exasperation as Eleanora gave him a knowing smile, making him feel as if though she knew something that he didn't, which only unsettled him.

***

A knock on the door resonated through the apartment. The wooden surface swung open as Elliot looked out the doorway expectantly, and instantly straightened when he noticed Eleanora smiling back at him.

"Eleanora." He smiled widely. "How are you?"

"I'm good." She informed with a curt nod. "Listen, I needed a favor."

"Sure. What can I help you with?" Elliot inquired as he leaned against his doorframe.

"I was heading out for the store and I need to buy a lot of stuff which I can't carry or put on my bike." She enlightened as he listened intently. "So I was wondering if I could borrow your car for a bit?"

"How long are we talking?"

"A few hours."

"Will you bring her back in good shape?"

"Promise," Eleanora assured with a wide smile as he fished into his pockets and retrieved his car keys, tossing them to her which she caught easily.

"You've gotten pretty good at catching." He noted with an impressed look at she shrugged in response. "See you later, then?"

"Yeah. See you later." Eleanora smiled at the elder man as he retreated into his apartment, closing the door behind him.

"He likes you." A voice spoke up from beside her.

"Shut up." Eleanora retorted as she made her way towards the stairs.

"Seriously," Apollyon informed as they both descended the flight of stairs. "I could hear his thoughts. He thought that you looked cute today and that he wanted to ask you out, but didn't have the guts to."

"You're lying." She narrowed her eyes as they were outside the apartment complex.

"I'm not," Apollyon assured. "He thinks a lot about kissing you."

"Shut up and get in the car." She grumbled in annoyance, her face flushed beet red, as she settled behind the wheel.

They mostly drove in silence as Apollyon watched the scenery pass by them. They soon came to a stop at a large store that stretched on for a few meters before turning into a sharp corner. The sign overhead was blue with a yellow circle at the end with the word "Walmart" written in bold white writing. Getting out of the car, Eleanora led the way towards a large cart which she took before they made their way inside the store, finding it to have a lot of customers as they went about their business, looking for the articles that they needed before going to the cash register, and paying for their purchases.

"So...we will get 'everything' from here?" Apollyon questioned as he picked up an item from the shelf.

"Most of the things," Eleanora confirmed. "We'll have to go to IKEA for the furniture."

"Okay." He nodded in confirmation. "So...how does shopping work?"

Sighing, Eleanora informed him that they'd get her things first because she had a short list. So as they went around the aisles, she informed him that every aisle has it's allocated merchandise. Like in "Bath", there were all the necessities you could need for a shower. In "Food" there were all the edibles divided for easy findings, and so on so forth.

Eleanora glanced down at her list before walking over to some aisle and taking her pick. As she did that, he asked her how she knew which ones to buy. So, in turn, she informed him that she chose that one that suited her the most. For example, if she needed to get a shampoo, she would buy one that is according to her hair, which is soft and silky. And as she had enlightened him about her hair type, he had taken a strand of her tresses and rubbed it between his two fingers, nodding as he understood what soft and silky hair felt like.

They soon finished with her list as she placed all of her purchases into the cart before she started to look around.

"Okay..." She trailed, not understanding where to start. "How about you get a cart, and have your pick. Then we'll go through them once you're done choosing."

"You'd let me do that?" He asked incredulously.

"Well...yeah. I mean it's your apartment, might as well be what you want." Eleanora stated as a smile lit up his face, something that was a rare occurrence but often took place on the most mundane things.

Going to get a cart, he started to choose what he wanted as Eleanora walked behind him, watching him pick up items from the shelves and take a look at them before either tossing them in or placing them back. After about an hour, or so, they were done with his foodstuff. Apollyon had been choosing a lot of sweets and candies, which Eleanora had him place back in exchange for healthy fruits and vegetables. However, she let him keep some of the candy because she simply couldn't say 'no' to his puppy dog face,

Now that they were done with the month's food, it was time for the basic necessities. Walking over to the other aisle, they stood in front of a shelf which housed the shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. Eleanora picked one up, opening the cap as she took a whiff of its fragrance. She put under Apollyon's nose as He looked at her in confusion.

"Take a whiff." She urged. "The products tend to be perfumed, so chose the one whose smell you like the most."

Uncertainty, he smelled it and gave an odd face in response.

"It's too....light." He stated as he picked up another one, taking a whiff of its fragrance. It went on like that for a while, as Eleanora picked out some other bathing requirements. As he was picking out a shampoo, she could place either a soap, deodorant, or body wash under his nose for him to smell. Once he chose the one he liked, it went into the cart. A lot of people watched them go about like that for a bit, before realizing that they had work to do and going away. Finally, after about an hour more, they had everything.

They stood in cue with two large carts as Apollyon watched the cashier ring up the purchases with fascinations.

"We'll put all the things on the metal counter. And the guy will scan them to total their price, and then we pay." She informed. "Wait...I'll have to pay."

"Not really," Apollyon stated as he held up a black credit card. "I realized that these small plastic cards hold immense value in your society. Like you, humans like to say 'money is everything'."

Soon it was their turn as they placed all their purchases on the counter, Apollyon's first, as the guy looked at them with wide eyes, gaping at the number of products.

"Are you buying all of this, sir?" He questioned incredulously.

"No, I'm stealing them," Apollyon responded sarcastically. "Just thought I'd show you first."

The cashier's face flushed a dark red as he started to scan the items and Eleanora stepped on Apollyon's foot.

"What?"

"Don't be sarcastic." She hissed lowly at him.

"Well, he shouldn't have asked such a stupid question then," Apollyon whispered back as he watched the price go up. After some time that the items were all scanned, he was told the total price as Apollyon handed him his credit card. Swiping it through the machine, the required money was withdrawn, and Apollyon's purchases placed into paper bags. Eleanora was done pretty fast as she smiled at the cashier, thanking him and wishing him a good day.

They loaded all the bags into the trunk of the car, as they drove out of Walmart.

"Where to next?" Apollyon inquired as he was enjoying what Homo sapiens called 'shopping'.

"Well, I'm starved, so I thought we'd stop at a nice cafe before going to buy you some clothes." Eleanora enlightened as she turned into the other lane. "Then we can go and get your furniture, and tomorrow we get the paint and decorations for your apartment, depends on what time we get done with your clothes."

"Okay." He agreed. "This is a rather lengthy process."

"It is." She agreed as she rolled her shoulders a bit. "But on the bright side, we should be done in three days."

"Meaning Monday."

"Yes, meaning Monday." She agreed as they continued to drive. Along the way, the silence was feeling rather thick to Eleanora as she turned on the radio, skimming through the channels, before stopping at one that she liked. They listened to the music as she drummed her fingers against the steering wheel in tune to the music. Soon, they arrived at a nice restaurant, and took a seat at a table for two in the corner and right beside the window. A waiter came up to them, handing them the menus before walking back to his station.

"What do you want?" Eleanora inquired as she skimmed through the items.

"I'm not sure." He admitted as he had a look of concentration on his face, his eyebrow furrowed together as he unconsciously jutted out his bottom lip a little. Eleanora had to admit, he looked cute. Silently she took out her phone and snapped a picture of him before placing it away. "What are you having?"

"I'm having Ceaser's salad with their chicken Fettuccine Alfredo pasta." She informed with a smile.

"Huh." He mused as he looked down at his menu again, the look of concentration was back, and this time he was gently nibbling on his thumbnail. "What do you think I should have? There is so much to chose from."

"Their stake burgers look nice." She spoke once skimming through the items once more.

"It does." He admitted absentmindedly. "But their other burgers look nice too."

"Well, I can say that you want a burger, with red meat." She started looking at the menu again. "So I can narrow down the options to Steakburger or BX double. Which one do you want?"

"I think I'll go for the Steak Burger."

"Alright, then." Eleanora smiled as she gestured for the waiter. They both ordered their respective meals as they sat in silence once more. Eleanora was looking out the window while Apollyon observed the people.

He found them so peculiar, and tiny. Or maybe his vessel was tall. Whatever the case, he couldn't understand humans, but he wanted to. He really did. The way they laughed, the way the talked, they way the ate, drank, sat, it was all so intriguing. Especially the emotions. Him being an Angel, he couldn't feel emotions, but he could clearly see them. He couldn't even begin to comprehend how complex one person can be, how many emotions they can feel, all ranging from one extreme to another. But somehow, he was thoroughly intrigued by the White haired girl in front of him.

Despite being soulless, she cared too much. She was so nice and sweet, and he never expected that from a soulless person. She was one of the few on whom the presence or absence of the soul had no effect. These sort of people were special, and very, very, very rare. Maybe, one in a billion. He heard a lot of about them but never had he had the privilege to befriend one. Looking away from the people, he turned towards Eleanora. Watching her with great fascination as she had her eyes closed, her face towards the window as the rays of the sun shone on her delicate features, a soft smile painting her pink lips.

She looked so at ease, but she was so broken inside. Who wouldn't be after what she has had to face? Even after all the hardships life has thrown at her, she made it through them and still smiled brightly. She could easily have become bitter and angry towards everything and anything, but instead, she chose to be gentle and grateful for all the things that she does have and doesn't dwell on what she doesn't have too long. This was something Lucifer considered an interesting phenomenon. Having suffered through times that would make you bitter, but instead choosing to be gentle and hopeful.

He watched her intently, noticing the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose before he felt something tug at his pant leg. Looking down, he was surprised to find a little girl with brown hair in two pigtails and a frilly dress, standing beside his chair, smiling up at him.

"Hi." She spoke in a small childish voice.

"Hello?" Apollyon spoke uncertainly, not quite understanding what he was supposed to do. He looked up at Eleanora for assistance as she was smiling at the little girl that stood in front of him.

"Can I sit with you?" The little girl inquired curiously, her hands behind her back as she shifted from one leg to the other. "Please?"

"Uh..." He looked at Eleanora once more, as she was giving him an amused smile, both her eyebrows raised and waiting for his response. "Okay...sure, I guess?"

"Yay!" She clapped joyously as she placed her hands onto Apollyon's leg, trying to heave herself onto his lap. Uncertainty, he grabbed her and settled her onto his lap. His discomfort obvious with the nervous face he was making.

"I'm not good with children." He informed Eleanora as the little girl in his lap was playing with the table top.

"I think you're fine with them so far." Eleanora shrugged. "A little nervous. But fine, nonetheless."

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Eleanora asked the little girl in Apollyon's lap as she looked up at the sound of her voice, gaping at her with wide eyes.

"Wow." The little girl called out. "You're so pretty!"

"Thank you," Eleanora spoke a little uneasily since she wasn't accustomed to being complimented.

"White hair!" She squealed in delight. "My mommy tells me a story of a white-haired princess, her parents loved her a lot, but a witch sent her to a tower that the dragon watched over, eating anyone that comes close the princess's tower. The princess gets saved by the knight that fights the dragon! You look just like her! The princess has blue eyes and white skin and white hair and very soft hands! Can I touch your hands?"

"Uh...okay?" She spoke hesitantly as she never had gotten such a peculiar request. Pulling her hands out of her pocket, she placed them on the table in front of the little girl. Instantly the child grabbed hold of one of her hands in both her tiny ones. The girl gasped as she rubbed her cheek against the back of Eleanora's hand, much to her surprise. Looking up at Apollyon, she noticed that he was trying hard not to burst out laughing.

"Your hands are so soft and warm." She breathed out in awe. "You are the princess from the story. Is your name Ella?"

"No." She shook her head with a small smile and retreated her hand back. "My name is Eleanora. But a few of my friends call me Ella." Instantly the girl squealed in delight at the revelation.

"I'm Emily." The little girl introduced. "Your Highness."

"Oh no." Eleanora shook her head vigorously. "I'm far from royalty. It's just a coincidence that I look like the princess Ella in your books."

"No, no." Emily insisted. "You're Princess Ella, this is your knight," she stated while pointing toward Apollyon who looked at her curiously.

"Apollyon is not a knight." Eleanora laughed. "Trust me."

"No! You don't understand! You're Princess Ella and he is your knight." Emily spoke firmly.

"Okay, okay." Eleanora backtracked. "I'm princess Ella and he is my knight."

"And you two get married in the end." Emily smiled.

"And we both get marr-wait, we what?" She spluttered incoherently as her cheeks heated to a dark shade of red. "Oh, no, no, no, no. We can't get married."

"Why not?" Emily inquired solemnly.

"Because...becau-we don't like each other like that. Right, Apollyon?"

"Right." He agreed hesitantly.

"See." Eleanora continued with a flushed face. "We're just friends."

"But 'just friends' don't look at each other like that," Emily informed as she scooted off Apollyon's lap. "You just wait and see, you two will get married and have white haired kids." She spoke with such conviction for a 4-year-old, it was hard to believe.

"I hope you two live a happy married life!" Emily called out behind her as she walked away from their table. Eleanora gapped at her back with a flustered face, while Apollyon couldn't decide if he should be amused, surprised, or laugh?

Like he said before. Humans, such an intriguing and peculiar species.