#notilluminati
I just wanted to thank everyone for reading My Friend, Satan. So don't forget to vote, comment and share!
This chapter is dedicated to Alina509  just like I promised ;-)

The crisp morning sun streamed through the cracks in the curtains, giving a glimpse of the sky above. It was grey again today, dropping abundant numbers of individual snowflakes onto the pavements down below. Only a few days ago, everything had been snowed-in in the small town of Forget. It took the authorities 3 days to clear the ever growing snow from in front of every doorstep and sidewalk. That had been the first time Apollyon had been snowed in. One couldn't imagine the look of surprise on his face when he opened the door of the apartment complex, but falling back under the weight of the snow that had fallen on him.

Eleanora was by his side in a flash, concerned for him but laughed at the sight in front of her. The fallen Devil, laying on an afghan rug with his body covered in snow. She helped him up and closed the door as he looked at the mountain in front of him.

"What the hell is going on?" He had asked in bewilderment. "This isn't one of the signs of the apocalypse."

"We're snowed in, sweetheart." Eleanora smiled up adoringly at her boyfriend and couldn't help the smile at his look of utter confusion.

"Snowed in?" Apollyon asked as he followed her back up the stairs, still feeling the ghost of the weight of snow on his chest. "What do you mean 'snowed in'?"

"I believe that the word 'snowed in' is self explanatory." Eleanora teased as she unlocked the front door to her apartment. "They must have announced it on the news." She mused to herself silently. "We should watch the news more often."

"Come on!" Apollyon demanded from her as he followed her example and removed all his extra layers. "What do you mean by snowed in?"

"It snowed a lot over night and now every single doorway, sidewalk and road is covered in snow-as you just saw." Eleanora explained. "So we'll be housed in for a few days. Good thing that we did our monthly shopping at the start of the week, now isn't it?"

"So...we can't get out?"

"It's impossible, sweetheart." Eleanora chuckled as she patted his cheek. "The authorities will take care of it."

"B-but....it's going to be boring!" He called after her as she had walked away from the foyer and towards the bedroom.

Currently the young teen lay on his stomach, sleeping in content. He shifted as the limited sunlight hit his eyes before a ruckus sound of pots greeted his ears. Groaning, he lifted his upper body off the bed as he rubbed his eyes drowsily, hearing the sound of clanking pots outside. Glancing at the bedside clock, he wondered why Eleanora was awake so early.

With a disgruntled sound, he flopped back down on the bed with his arms stretched out on either side of him, his eyes fluttering to a close. Suddenly they snapped open as he felt something against his palm. Looking beside him, his eyes widened in panic as Eleanora lay beside him, her face buried under her pillow.

Instant panic and concern welled in Apollyon's chest as he threw the covers off his legs and hastily threw open the bedside drawer. Rummaging through the contents he found the Glock hidden in the back as he opened the bullet chamber, satisfied to see the slots full with bullets. Eleanora shifted behind him, groaning in annoyance.

"Stop making that awful commotion at this ungodly hour, Apollyon!" She groaned into the pillow.

"It's not me." He leaned across the bed to whisper in her ear.

"What do you mean it's no-" Eleanora demanded in a loud voice, but her demand was cut short by Apollyon clamping his hand over her mouth, her eyes widening as he brought the barrel of the gun up and placed it against his lips as if though it were a finger and he was telling her to quiet down. Fear was reflected in her eyes at the sight of the gun as Apollyon slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth.

"Maybe it's Sebastian messing around with the pots?" She suggested meekly as she didn't want to believe that their was an intruder in their apartment. Apollyon silently pointed the gun towards the end of the bed as Eleanora glanced over her shoulder in the direction, finding her black kitten sitting by her feet, looking at the two with curiosity and meowing in response.

"Stay here." Apollyon instructed with a hard glint in his eyes. "I mean it."

With that said, he jumped to his feet, the gun held in front of him as he silently made his way over to the closed bedroom doors. Quietly, he pulled them open as he heard shuffling behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he cursed under his breath as Eleanora stood behind him, completely panicked and disheveled.

"God dammit, Eleanora!" He hissed lowly at her. "Get back in bed!"

"I am doing no such thing, mister!" She hissed back in response. "Don't try to act like a hero who saves the damsel in distress, because this isn't a movie! So hold the gun in front of you and start moving!"

"But you better stay behind me! You hear me?" Apollyon ordered over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." She grumbled as she lightly shoved at his bare back. "Get a move on!"

Grumbling profanities under his breath he shuffled forward and in the direction of the kitchen as his eyes darted around him, seemingly expecting someone to jump at them from a corner. Reaching a hand behind him, he found Eleanora's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as she squeezed back. Inhaling deeply, he held the gun at chin level as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes zeroed in on the intruder-who was staring back at him in surprise with his hands raised in surprise and surrender.

"Whoa, kids." He spoke up nervously. "I didn't know you owned a gun."

"Mr. Lam?" Eleanora asked in astonishment as she looked at her biology professor standing in her kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

Eleanora tried to side step Apollyon and make her way towards her professor, but Apollyon grabbed hold of her, pushing her behind him as he stood protectively in front of her. The gun still outstretched in front of him and aimed at Mr. Lam.

"Apollyon...Calm down." Mr. Lam spoke nervously, his hands still held up in surrender. "Put the gun away."

"What are you doing here?" Apollyon demanded hotly as Eleanora couldn't believe that he was doubting their professor. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"I borrowed Mrs.Scott's keys to your apartment." Mr. Lam informed uneasily as he wasn't accustomed to being held at gunpoint. "And I'm making breakfast!" He made an attempt at smiling at them as he gestured to the frying eggs in the pan and the two plates beside the stove.

"Mr. Lam." Apollyon spoke coldly as neither Eleanora and Mr. Lam had ever seen this side of him. "You do realise that this is a federal offence."

"You are trespassing on private property. Which is against the law. Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't call the police on you? You can be sent to jail for this crime and banned from teaching for the remainder of your life."

"Come now, Apollyon. You're making me sound like a criminal." He chuckled tersely as he took a step forward but instantly back tracked as Apollyon took off the safety of the gun just as Eleanora placed her hand on his shoulder in shock at his actions. "You know me. I am your biology professor."

"We know you as Mr. Lam, our biology professor." Apollyon stated cooly as Mr. Lam relaxed. "We don't know Nathan Lam. We don't know you. We don't know you other than as our professor, we don't share any sort of relation beside Student-Teacher. That isn't even a proper relation."

"Apollyon..." Eleanora called out uncertainly behind him. "Put the gun down."

"No." He stated fiercely as Eleanora jumped at his tone. "Who sent you? What do you want?"

"N-nothing! I don't want anything!"

"Lies!" Exclaimed Apollyon as he placed his finger on the trigger threateningly as Mr. Lam fell to his knees, covering his head in case the gun went off.

"Seriously! Liam sent me!"

"Liam?" Apollyon narrowed his eyes. "Liam Harold? Eleanora's physician?"

"Y-yes!" Nathan exclaimed in panic as he never had to face a fuming 18-year-old with a gun pointed at his head. "Y-you can c-call him and confirm!"

With trembling fingers, Nathan reached into his back pocket as he retreated his phone, holding it up to show Apollyon. He held out the phone in the teen's direction as Eleanora stood in frozen shock. Grabbing the phone from his hand, Apollyon scrolled through the contacts as he selected Dr. Harold's number and pressed the device to his eat as he still held Mr. Lam at gunpoint, glaring at him.

"Dr. Harold. This is Apollyon Masters." He introduced swiftly. "Did you send Nathan Lam to our apartment?"

"You did?" He responded after a moment of silence as Mr. Lam relaxed, but tensed again as the gun hadn't been removed from him. "And why did you so that?"

"You want him to what?" Apollyon snapped into the phone as he lowered the gun in his moment of distraction, Eleanora squeezing her way past him and scurried or the kneeling figure of their biology teacher. "Excuse me. You don't have any right making such a decision - even as her physician you have no right to do such a thing!"

"I am so sorry." Eleanor muttered to her professor as she helped him to his feet. "He is never like this. I don't know what has gotten into him today."

"It's okay..." Nathan trailed as he eyed Apollyon warily, taking a double take on the boy in front of him who came off as shy and trusting, dedicated, but this moment simply contradicted his beliefs. He watched Apollyon's expression darken as his warm brown eyes became cold and dark, a suffocating dark aura exuding from his large form. Growling something into the phone he declined the call, holding it out to his teacher as he eyed him with a scowl and obvious distaste, not making an effort to mask how much his presence caused him displeasure.

Hesitantly, Nathan grabbed hold of his phone, and the moment that his fingers had come in contact with the glass and metal device, Apollyon released his hold on it, and stalked off towards the bedroom. His sudden departure gave Mr. Lam a glimpse of the scarred skin of his back as he let out a sharp gasp. Just as soon as Apollyon left, they heard the door slam shut, causing both Nathan and Eleanora to wince at the noise.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Mr. Lam inquired nervously as he looked down at Eleanora with a shaky smile.

"Yes, I'd like that." Eleanora responded with a forced smile as she still eyed the doorway warily, the events of a few moments ago replaying in her mind. Eleanora settled down at the small dining table as Mr. Lam stuck up a conversation, trying to get both of their minds off Apollyon's behaviour.

"So what do you two have planned for tonight?" Mr. Lam inquired from across Eleanora, who had tucked into the food placed in front of her.

"Hmm?" She inquired after a moment, seemingly realising that he was talking to her.

"Plans for tonight? You know, New Year's Eve?"

"Oh!" She realised. "Well...I was thinking about heading down to the lake with Apollyon for a late night picnic to watch the fireworks-he likes them. I still have to run it by him, though. He just has been busy with the garage and all, says that he is working on something special, and it makes him smile, so...if it makes him happy then I'm fine."

"I'm sure he'd like that." Mr. Lam smiled at her reassuringly as she sipped her cup of coffee. "You know, something new?"

"He..." Eleanora trailed, not quiet sure if she was allowed to talk to her professor regarding her relationship with her boyfriend, the Devil. "He just seems so differents since Christams, not wanting to try new things and sticking with the things he is familiar with...and he is-well was-open to new suggestions....but I don't know..."

"You gave him quiet the fright on Christmas." Mr. Lam stated softly. "He is just shaken by the whole event. Everyone is. One moment you were smiling and laughing, then the next we were hurrying you to the hospital. Anyone would get frightened by whole thing, and regarding the old and new...I guess you'd have to talk to him about it."

"Alright...." Eleanora nodded in understanding. "Say Mr. Lam-"

"-Please, call me Nathan, I'm not your professor here."

"Nathan? Can I ask why you are here?"

"Well..." Nathan squirmed in his seat. "I suggest that you ask Apollyon...I'm sure he can convey to you in a better way than I can."

"Oh...Alright." Eleanora nodded as she stood from her place and poured another cup of coffee, adding an unhealthy amount of sugar into the mug as Nathan stared with wide eyes.

"Apollyon's coffee." Eleanora informed him as she had turned around to be greeted by the wide eyed expression of her professor. "He likes it black with a lot of sugar."

"T-that is enough for an entire village!" Nathan exclaimed, finding his voice again.

"I know." Eleanora chuckled. "But you can't exactly talk him out of his preferences."

With that said, Eleanora thanked him for the lovely breakfast as she made her into their bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she felt that the room was cooler than she remembered leaving it. She momentarily wondered if the heating was broken again, but that thought left her the moment she had turned towards the bellowing curtains. Pulling them aside, she was greeted by Apollyon's back facing her, his posture leaning forward with his arms rested on the railing in front of him.

Just as Eleanora was about to pull open the glass balcony door, she noticed Apollyon bring his hand up. She had thought that he was going to run a hand through his hair, but instead it halted at his face, before he lowered it again, a cloud of grey smoke coming out of his mouth. Eleanora looked at his back in confusion. Surely that must have been his breath fogging up in the cold air, but the 'fog' he had exhaled was a stale grey rather than a pearly white.

Was he....smoking?

Eleanora's suspicions were confirmed as she watched him tilt back his head, a cigarette held between his index and middle finger as he blew out a cloud of smoke into the winter air.

Eleanora's chest constricted painfully as she watched him take another drag of his cigarette, exhaling the poison out once it had made its affect on his system. With shaking fingers, she grabbed hold of the handle pulling it towards her as Apollyon glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the door opening, the cigarette dangling between his lips. His eyes widened slightly before going back to normal as he grasped hold of the stick that was now half gone.

Blowing out the smoke, he turned his gaze away from her, looking down at the street below as he continued to take a drag from the cigarette.

"Apollyon." Eleanora chocked out, her voice sounding shaky to her own ears. "W-what are you doing?"

He didn't answer as he didn't meet her gaze, and instead looked anywhere but at her. Noticing the coffee mug in her hands, he resorted to plucking it out of her palms as she stared at him with wide, innocent, and confused eyes. Taking a sip of the beverage he instantly knew it was his. Eleanora looked at him in shock, how could he act like this? Like it was alright and everything was fine and she wasn't freaking out about the fact that he smoked.

However, a nagging voice in the back of her mind told her that she had it coming. He frequently went for walks outside and sometimes he would slightly smell of nicotine upon his return. Eleanora had always dismissed it, assuming that maybe he had passed by people who were smoking and the...stench clung onto his clothes. But she never bothered to consider the fact that he could have been the one to smoke. 

She watched him take another drag of the cigarette as tears welled in her eyes.

"Stop it." She demanded as Apollyon glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "Stop it this instant!"

He didn't listen. Instead he took another mocking drag from the cigarette, looking into her eyes as he blew the smoke into the air, his eyes hard and cold, telling her that she had no authority over what he did and didn't do. Gritting her teeth, Eleanora made a grab for the cigarette dangling from his lips as Apollyon anticipated such a move and leaned his head back, just slightly out of her reach as he grasped her wrists into one of his palms. 

"Don't do that." He told her as she glared at the floor beneath her. "You can't do that."

"And why not?!" She demanded harshly her gaze snapped up at him. Apollyon simply rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You know it's not good!"

"Stop being so overdramatic." He shook his head as he released her hands.

"Overdramatic? You think I am being overdramatic?!"

"Yes."  Apollyon responded bluntly as she gritted her teeth in frustration, watching him take another inhale from the poison.

"How long?" She asked, shaking ever so slightly. "How long have you been...smoking?"

"A little after Christmas." He admitted after a silent pause.

"Why would you do this to yourself?!" Eleanora demanded harshly as she looked at him with a pained expression. "You are so talented and so good at what you do! Why do you want to smoke it all away? These things are bad!"

Apollyon fell silent as he took a sip of the coffee, looking out at the horizon as he wouldn't meet Eleanora's gaze. Taking the last drag from the cigarette, he threw it to the ground and stomped it out with the heel of his shoes as he blew out the smoke. Choking back a sob, Eleanora leaned her back against the railing as she crossed her arms over her chest, still expecting a response from him.

"I know these things are bad." Apollyon chuckled darkly as he leaned against the wall behind him, taking a sip of the hot drink before continuing. "But my reasons for smoking are worse."

"And what could that be?!" Eleanora bellowed in blind rage.

In an instant Apollyon's stoic expression contorted in anger as he threw the coffee mug to the ground, the White mug shattering into tiny pieces as they were coated in a dark brown liquid. Turning around, he punch the wall as a ferocious growl escaped his lips. The sudden anger sparked unspoken fear in Eleanora as she gasped and pressed her back further into the cold steel of the railing, gripping it as tightly as possible.

Turning towards Eleanora in anger he stalked towards her as she backed away from him. Apollyon leaned down, caging her between him and the body as his arms were on either side of her, gripping the railing as tightly as possible. His eyes were burning with rage as his breathing was harsh and his teeth gritted, a vein throbbing his in neck.

"What could possibly be worse than a cigarette?" He taunted. "You, of all people, are asking me, what my reasons for smoking are?"

Eleanora backed away as fear spread through out her entire body as Apollyon's form radiated pure anger. She looked down at the floor, her hair forming a curtain over her face, hiding the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"Tell me Eleanora..." He growled lowly. "What could possibly be worse than smoking?"

Eleanora didn't respond, not knowing if it would anger him...but her gut told her to keep quiet.

"I'll tell you what could possibly worse than smoking." Apollyon breathed. "The death of a loved one."

"And there is only one person. One person. In this entire world that I love more than my own life. One person. I can't imagine myself without." Apollyon spoke up still glaring at her. "You would know her...hot headed, stubborn, knows what buttons of mine to push, always enjoys little games, but the thing that she seems to enjoy the most, is asking unnecessarily stupid questions."

The tears flowed down Eleanora's cheeks as he genuinely scared her. As the devil, he didn't scare her as much he is now. Her hands trembled as she curled them into tight fists to stop the shaking from being noticed.

"I have done everything you asked from me!" Apollyon exclaimed in a pained voice. "Everything!"

"You didn't want me to talk about the cancer, fine. You wanted me to act like it doesn't exist, fine. You want me to treat you like I would, fine. You want to over exert yourself and expect me not to worry about you, fine. You want me to be completely alright and dandy with the fact that you didn't take your medication like you were supposed to, just to cause yourself unnecessary pain, fine!"

"You want to die painfully? Fine!" He bellowed in rage. "But don't, for one second, think that I agree with any of this shit! Do you have any idea, how I can't live with myself because of this? Do you have any idea, how it feels to watch you deteriorate in front of my eyes? Do you have any idea how I have nightmares of you dying in my arms, crying in pain and pleading me to make it stop? Do you have any idea how I clutch onto you after those nightmares? Do you know how much I hate the person I see in the mirror?"

"I smoke because I want to die." He told her coldly. "Because I deserve to die!"

By now hot tears had welled up in Apollyon's eyes as he released a harsh breath through his nose. Releasing his vice like grip on the railing, he cupped Eleanora's face in his hands, as she gasped at how cold his fingers were against her warm face. Swiping the tears away, he placed a kiss on her forehead, forcing her to look at him.

"You're special, Eleanora." He told her softly. "Do you know that?"

"And not in the way that your parents tell you, that you're special and unique and your own person." Apollyon stated as he wiped the tears. "God made you special."

"Your soul. Jesus." He breathed out a breath as he momentarily threw back his head. "I-it was the truest, warmest, most beautiful, the brightest soul I had ever seen. Brighter than Angel Grace. It was pure. Away from corruption, tucked in and kept away in the confines of your purity."

"Never have I ever seen something like your soul in my entire existence." Apollyon breathed out breathlessly. "The Angels always talked about the purest of pure souls, one that God had granted to the only one that deserved it. You. After everything that has happened to you...you chose to smile and be optimistic rather than become resentful. You maintained a strong faith. You were deemed worthy of that soul."

"God, Eleanora." He whimpered as if though he were in pain. "You are that one in seven billion, whose soul...I couldn't take."

"W-what?" She gasped in surprise, not being able to comprehend what he was telling her.

"Y-your soul..." He gasped. "When you sold it to me, I couldn't take it. No matter what. I couldn't. I was a mere angel, a fallen one, even if I am in full power, I didn't have the ability to remove your soul from you."

"I-I don't know...I don't know why God is doing this to you. Is it some test of faith? See how long you can last before cracking? Seeing how the purest of His creatures reacts? I don't know anymore." Apollyon sobbed as he fell to his knee in front of her. Pressing his palms to his eyes he tried to calm himself. "I don't know if it helps...I don't know...but every night...every night since we found out...I have been praying to God. Asking, begging, to make you better, pleading."

"I've tried everything! Everything!" He sobbed into his palm as Eleanora stood frozen in shock in front of his kneeling figure.