Fallen From Grace (#Wattys2017)

Chapter XXXIV

"Lucifer." The man hugging him spoke into his ear. "You're alive."

Overcome with sudden protectiveness and the human instinct of danger, he pushed the man away from him, causing his back to collide with the wooden surface of the door as instantly Apollyon had his hands wrapped around his neck, choking him slightly. The face in front of him was one he did not recognise, the man was a few inches shorter than him and had dirty blonde hair with big Hazel eyes, a light dusting of freckles covering the bridge of his nose. He wore denim jeans with a black overcoat over a bright blue sweater.

"Lucifer." The man choked. "Calm down, it's me." He informed with his hands raised in surrender as he didn't try to pry him off.

"Who are you?" He growled lowly as he knew that Eleanora was still sleeping. "And how the hell did you find me?"

The man looked at him in confusion for a minute before a look of realisation came across his face as his lips quirked into a smile. "Of course you wouldn't recognise me."

Suddenly the man in his grasp started to shrink to fit the form of a 14-year-old with black hair and blue eyes. Startled, Apollyon backed away from him, looking at the kid with wide eyes before he morphed back into his 26-year-old form.

"Gabriel?" Apollyon whispered in shock as he looked back at his brother.

"Ding ding ding! And we have a winn-" before he could complete the sentence, Apollyon clamped his hand over his mouth, silencing him.

"Shut up." He hissed lowly. "Don't make so much noise, you idiot!"

Gabriel said something against his hand which came out muffled against his palm as Apollyon released him, allowing him to roll his eyes at his brother before grinning like a trouble maker child. "And why not, brother?"

"Get that grin off your face." Apollyon growled dangerously as the smile instantly vanished from his brothers face. "Just...get to the balcony, I'll talk to you there."

"K." Gabriel shrugged as his form vanished from in front of Apollyon and appeared standing in the balcony, leaning over the railing and looking out at the view. Shaking his head in exasperation, Apollyon locked the door in front of him  before making his way over to the bed, relieved to see Eleanora still sleeping soundly. Sitting down beside her sleeping figure, Apollyon gently brushed her hair out of her eyes as she hummed in content.

"Eleanora, sweetheart." Apollyon gently called out to her to wake her up.

"Hmm?" She hummed questioningly as she blinked open her eyes, smiling up at him.

"I need you to do me a favour." He spoke softly as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I need you to stay inside the room. No matter what happens, don't come out on the balcony, alright?"

"Why?" She asked drowsily as she sat up with the blanket wrapped around her chest. "What's going on?"

"Nothing to worry about." He assured her as he pulled one of his shirts over her head as she pulled her arms through the sleeve. "Just for your own safety, I would like you to stay in the room. Can you do that for me?"

"Whose that?" She asked in panic, as he followed her gaze to be looking out the back of Gabriel swirling the air around his finger. "Apollyon, who is that?"

Sighing in agitation, Apollyon rubbed a hand over his face before placing a kiss on Eleanora's forehead before speaking, "Gabriel."

"Gabriel?"

"Yes. Now I need your to stay here. Okay?" He asked again as he stood up from the bed and grabbed his cigarette case from the side-table. "You can order room service."