Fallen from Grace

Chapter XIV

Eleanora got the job.

She had come home overwhelmed with excitement and Apollyon was the very first one to hear about it. Eleanora was so happy that day that she was all smiles, and Apollyon found that adorable. He had spend the initial three days with Eleanora, just to give her peace of mind that he was fine and over the critical time period.

After the third day he went back to living in his own apartment. He even started going back to school. Very surprisingly, he was taking the no-Angel-Grace change very calmly, almost as if though he were enjoying it. Eleanora had asked him how he felt about that, and he told her that 'what has happened, had happened and can't be changed'. He was very content with living like a human.

On most nights, Apollyon has nightmares of the day he lost his grace, and they would shake him up greatly. He could seek comfort with Eleanora, but since it would be late at that time, he mostly ended up waking her for her to open the door to allow him entrance. To prevent being extremely sleep deprived she gave him a spare key to her apartment.

Now whenever he has a nightmare, he simply comes into her apartment and falls asleep while cuddling next to her. They both were very content with that arrangement and their general day was very flexible for the both of them. Eleanora worked at the hospital from 3-9 after school gets off at 2. Apollyon generally takes her out for lunch before he drops her at the hospital. The time she spends working, Apollyon spends it with Mrs. Scott.

Mrs. Scott was very sweet to him and he generally spent time with her if he wasn't with Eleanora. He went over to her residence after school and did his homework there. Mrs. Scott was sweet enough to treat him like a son, helping him and giving him cookies and milk, she even taught him how to cook and bake.

Apollyon loved that time of the day, when he would go home to her and learn all sort of new dishes which he'd make in the same night for Eleanora. He missed her during that time, when he was learning how to be human, and he was happy. After millenniums, he was finally happy with what he had.

Eleanora and him had devised a system, in which she was in charge of breakfast and ensuring that they reached school in time, while they went out for lunch and then Apollyon would make dinner for the both of them after her long day at work. They would generally part ways after dinner, heading off to their respective apartments for a good night's rest, but they always end up sleeping together in Eleanora's apartment.

Currently, Apollyon stood in front of the stove with Mrs. Scott as she was teaching him how to boil pasta.

"Okay, now you see that the water is boiling, right." She started while gesturing to the bubbling surface of the liquid.

"Yeah, so now what?" He inquired with his sleeves rolled back.

"Now, take a handful of the pasta beside you." She instructed as he did as told, "Now drop it in the water." Gently, he lowered the raw pasta into the water, watching it soften bit by bit.

"Good. Now, let's work on the tomato sauce while they cook, shall we?"

"Alright." Apollyon smiled as he opened the tomato sauce can. He worked as Mrs. Scott instructed him like a mentor.

"You know, Elliot was never very interested in cooking." Mrs. Scott informed ruefully as she smiled at the teen beside her. "Shame, because I enjoy teaching. Did you know, Eleanora learned how to cook from me?"

"I didn't." Apollyon informed with slight surprise. "No wonder why her cooking is so good, it's all thanks to you."

Mrs. Scott flushed lightly at the compliment as she watched him stir the sauce. "How are you two?"

"Eleanora and me?" He confirmed. "We're fine. Good, actually. She is a little stressed out with things though."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. She worries about keeping up with the class, handing in all the homework on time, then the job at the hospital, and she tutors on weekends. She stressed over my health and her own, and the organization of her apartment. Dinner, food in general. She has a lot on her mind currently."

"Oh, poor thing." Mrs. Scott sighed. "My husband always used to say that you should always take a day or two off for yourself, otherwise you lose yourself in the society and forget who you are. You should always remember what makes you, you."

"Your husband sounds like a wise man." Apollyon noted with a smile.

"Oh, he was." Mrs. Scott laughed. "And very childish, too. An odd combination to have."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to him?"

"He passed away around two years ago, died in his sleep."

"A painless death."

"Better than the alternative." Mrs. Scott shrugged as they both fell into a comfortable silence as Apollyon drained the pasta. "You two remind me of us."

"Who? Eleanora and me?" Apollyon flushed in embarrassment. "Oh-we-uh-we aren't..."

"I know. You two just remind me of Jake and I in the past." Mrs. Scott laughed. "Come, let me help you dish up."

With that, she helped Apollyon get the pasta onto the plate in a satisfying amount before they put a generous amount of sauce on the top, sprinkled with some cheese. Both of them settling down at the table as they talked lively over the meal that Apollyon had prepared. It end up he was very good at cooking and had a natural talent for it, he was eager to learn new things, and Mrs. Scott was very willing to teach them to him.

When Eleanora would get home at 9, Apollyon would be-on most occasions-found laying on her sofa, either reading or watching T.V. The (former) Devil, seemed to have a knack for a good thriller and enjoyed reading.

And now, just like most occasions, Apollyon lay on Eleanora's couch, reading another one of the plenty books available to him while her vinyl record played in the background. The apartment was just as clean as Eleanora had left it, and he was patiently waiting her return. The sound of the door opening and closing wasn't heard by Apollyon since he was seated so close to the vinyl player that he only heard the music.

It wasn't until Eleanora lay down on top of him like a cat, did he realize that she was home. Letting out a quiet chuckle, he placed his bookmark between the page before placing it away as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head back while her head rested under his chin.

"You're so tiny." He teased.

"Shut up." Eleanora retorted instantly. "Pick on someone your own size, Eiffel Tower."

Apollyon laughed at her comeback as he rested his chin on her head, gently rubbing her back to ease the tension in her muscles. They didn't talk, they simply lay in each other's arms as they listened to the vinyl record playing a nice soothing song. Apollyon started humming in tune to the music while Eleanora smiled blissfully, cuddling closer to him.

"I made dinner." He informed once the track finished. "Why don't you take a shower while I warm it?"

"Stay for a little while longer..." He murmured softly as she was being soothed by the warmth he radiated. Apollyon chuckled softly as he knew that she was drained, she hasn't been able to get a decent night's sleep since a week now and she just wanted to rest.

"Hey." He spoke up softly. "I want to try out for a job."

"What sort?" Eleanora inquired while lifting her head up, slowly sitting straight so that she ended up straddling his waist. "Just a random thought, or do you actually wanna pull through with it?"

"I actually 'wanna pull through with it', like you just said." Apollyon smiled teasingly. "And I was thinking about being a mechanic."

"Do you have any experience in auto-mechanics?" She inquired while rubbing her eyes. She didn't sound condescending or taunting at all, she actually sounded genuinely curious.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I ended up being pretty good at it since I fix up the Davidson every now and then, and yesterday I helped Mrs. Scott with her car, there was something wrong with her carburetor."

Eleanora looked down at him with a smile, her head tilted to the side as her hands were rested on his chest. Nodding she gave him a broad smile.

"Alright, I'm heading off for a shower." She informed and got off him before walking over to her room and closing the door behind her. Confused, Apollyon put a hand on his chest, feeling his heart thump loudly in his rib cage, louder than it usually did and it was confusing. Dismissing his bewilderment, he went into the kitchen and started heating the meal he had prepared for them.

He heard her footsteps patter across the hall before she appeared in the kitchen doorway, dressed in flannel pajamas and Apollyon's trademark leather jacket. If he weren't wearing it, then she most definitely was. Her cheeks were flushed, her white dripping droplets as she held a single red rose in her hand, looking at him with wide blue eyes.

"Did you...did you get me the flower?" Eleanora inquired softly while making her way towards him.

"Yeah. I saw this one my way home from the grocery store and it reminded me of how your cheeks flush after you wake up." He informed with a smile. "Do you like it?"

Eleanora smiled broadly back at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. Slightly taken off guard he hugged her back.

"Thank you." She smiled. "For everything."

"It's nothing bi-"

"-No. I mean it. Thank you." Eleanora grinned while pulling away. "You're so sweet and considerate. I mean you ensure that my apartment is clean before I get back home, you make me dinner and listen to me rant endlessly about...stuff, you sometimes choose out my clothes for me, and you get me flowers. You're so supportive and honestly...you're always there for me."

"And I just really wanted to say thank you."

Apollyon's heart was beating erratically in his chest and he couldn't figure out why. Her close proximity gave him the urge to pull her closer and there were the 'butterflies' in his stomach, he didn't know how to deal with it as he felt his face flush.

"Well...you've done things for me too." He murmured in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his head. "I mean...you stitched up all my wounds, took care of me, helped me recover, and you're guiding me through everything, and you're genuinely happy for all my progress and you even bare with my overbearing questions and cooking. To be very honest, when I admitted I wanted to become a mechanic, I thought you would laugh at me, but instead you were happy for me."

"So...I guess...this is a 'token of my appreciation'." He smiled as he finally got to use that phrase.

Eleanora chuckled at him, getting on her tip toes she placed a kiss on his cheek as they flushed a darker red and his heart beat in overdrive in his chest, he felt warm, but a nice fuzzy type of warmth. Like when he was cuddled with her under her fluffy blanket, that type of warmth. Or when he was seated next to the fire with Mrs. Scott, listening to her retell stories about her past, that type of warmth. It was like that, but so much more.

His mind kept on telling him that there was something about this, he became so much more aware of her and every part of her that was touching him. She obviously meant it in a platonic sense, but he couldn't help feel slightly intimate due to it.

Apollyon couldn't understand what he was feeling.

Is this what humans call...attraction?