My Fallen Angel

“Can you bring those papers to me?” Ashlandils voice was desperate. “I left them on the coffee table, but I need them at the studio like an hour ago!”

Really?
I glanced around the apartment, disgruntled; I was just about to leave, and this was going to make me late for my rehearsal!
Why was he getting so forgetful lately, anyway? This wasn’t like him.
And it was incredibly annoying.
“Papers?” I sighed as I looked over at them, my dance bag over my shoulder. The coffee table was covered in newspapers and other official looking papers, not to mention some large envelopes he had threatened my life over if I touched; I wasn’t sure what he was up too, but I didn’t want to snoop in case I missed something up and his head exploded“The ones with the big stamp at the top?”

“Yes! Can you bring them to me?” he asked, sounding nervous, and I could hear the others in the background, CC laughing at something, the rest of the voices a hum.

“I’ll be late ---.” I started to protest.

“Kenali, I need those papers!” he interrupted. “And I needed them an hour ago! Come on!”

Yeesh.
I frowned as I stepped back to the table, gingerly lifting them up from the rest of the mess. “Why didn’t you grab them when you were leaving?”
“I was kind of preoccupied,” he responded dryly. “If you don’t remember.”

Well.

I felt my face flushing.
I’d been... very hungry this morning, I hadn’t wanted him to leave at all. I was fairly sure I had made him late regardless, which I knew was starting to wear thin with the guys.
It made me feel guilty.
He was spending most of his time with me anyway, and when he wasn’t, he was at his studio or mine, eyes watchful.
I knew how worried he was about the other fallen angels coming after me, trying to hurt my child for their own reasons, and after all that had happened, I couldn’t blame them for wanting revenge.
Especially after all Ashlandil had done through the centuries; I didn’t know about all of it, I doubt I ever would, and I hadn’t really watched him when I’d still been above.
I’d been too entranced with Andiel.
My hand rose to my face, glad the bruise had at least faded at this point. It had looked awful, a constant reminder that something had happened to Andiel, that he was going dark on us.
And I’d come down here to protect him.
I’d come to protect him and then I’d let that happen to him because... because I had lost sight of my entire purpose, my mission. I had lost sight, succumbed to my own desires, and made such a mess of things.
Being pregnant...
God.
I couldn’t have made any worse of a mistake.
“Yes, Ashlan, I have them,” I sighed, straightening as I tucked the papers into my bag. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, I promise.”

“Thank you, Kenali,” he sounded relieved. “Thank you so much!”

“What’s so important about these papers, anyway?” I asked curiously, locking the apartment door behind me like he’d taught me too, it becoming more of a reflex now.

“Er, just studio stuff, nothing you’d be interested in,” he informed me, and I frowned.

He was lying to me.
He always got that awkward tone when he did.
But I wasn’t in the mood to snoop, so I let the subject drop. “I’ll be there soon, Ashlandil. You had better be glad the theatre isn’t far from your studio,”
“Oh, don’t bitch, woman,” I knew he rolled his eyes. “You made me run for fruit at three AM last night.”

“I really wanted some blueberries!”

“Ahuh. Just get to the studio already?”

“Ugh, fine,” I ended the call, irked.

I stepped into the lobby of his studio’s building, casting my eyes about curiously. I knew I was supposed to go up to the seventh floor, using the magic box --- no, elevator --- to get there, or the stairs.
But I wasn’t going to walk all of those.
I sighed, and trotted for the elevator, twisting my hair up into a bun as I did. I was very aware that I wasn’t dressed like a lot of the humans I could see, all dressed in either suits or nice dresses, though some of them were more casual, leading me to believe they were other musicians.
I squeezed myself into the elevator beside a disgruntled man in a beanie and some other rough looking humans, all of them looking exhausted and like they were suffering from severe headaches.
I could smell the alcohol on them.
I wrinkled my nose as I situated myself into the corner, looking up at the numbers as I felt the elevator move.
I looked down at my phone, texting Ashlandil that I was here.
Well, sort of.
“Hey, you’re that guy from Black Veil Brides girlfriend, right?”

I glanced over, withholding a grimace as one of the smelly men looked at me.
“Yes, Ashley.”

“Cool, I’m Mitch.” he offered his hand, and I took it reluctantly, wanting nothing more then to just stand in the corner. I just wanted to drop off the stupid papers for Ashlandil and then get to the theater and not worry about this.

“Kenna.”

“Ay, that’s right; you’re getting married, right?” one of the other ones asked, and I nodded, trying not to cringe at the word.

Married.
Right.
A fake wedding, according to Ashlan.
“I remember watching the interview with Bryan,” Mitch ran his fingers through his black hair, his dark makeup smeared around his eyes, looking like he’d slept in it. “Congrats on your baby.”
“Um, thank you,” I chewed my lip nervously, my eyes on the numbers as we slowly rose floors.

I didn’t like them for some reason.
I wasn’t sure why, I hadn’t sensed anything wrong with his soul when I’d touched his hand, they just made me uncomfortable.
Which was so odd.
I glanced around the elevator, seeing only two older, business looking men in front of us, one of them on the phone looking away from me.
Someone was giving me bad vibes.
Finally, the doors dinged, and the two business men stepped out. I flashed Mitch and his friends a half-smile as I stepped out after them, relieved.
That had been odd.
My hand coasted protectively to my stomach as I looked around the floor, wondering where I was supposed to go.
I’d texted Ashley, but he hadn’t answered.
I sighed, and my eyes lighted on the desk where a young woman sat, tapping rapidly on a computer. There were a few chairs straight ahead, tables covered in magazines and newspapers that I assumed meant it was a waiting area.
I supposed I should go to the desk lady, then.
I sighed, hefting my duffle bag higher on my shoulder as I walked toward her. She glanced up as I neared, her eyes lingering on my tousled hair for a few moments as her typing slowed.
Well it wasn’t like her hair looked fabulous either!
“Can I help you?” she asked, plastering a smile on her face, though I noticed how tight it was.

Urgh.
“Um, I’m here to see Ashley Purdy.” I hesitated.

“Mr. Purdy is recording at the moment, can I take a message for him?” she asked, stiffening slightly, as if I had just insulted her somehow.

No.
I frowned at her, my eyes flicking down the carpeted hallway behind her.
“Um... how long do you think he’s going to be?” I sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I couldn’t wait here all day.
“I can’t answer that, ma’am,” she shrugged her shoulders. “They stay very busy back there, and we’re not allowed to interrupt. Can I take your name instead?”
“Er. no,” I stepped back. “I’ll just call him instead, thanks.”

The woman blinked at me, her frown deepening.
I frowned back at her as I stepped away, glancing down at the screen of my phone, annoyed that I was even having to go through all of this for him.
Normally it wouldn’t have bothered me, but I really did need to be at the theatre right now, not running his errands.
I sighed as I pressed his name on my screen, lifting the phone to my ear.
It rang a couple times, but he didn’t answer.
Disgruntled, I let the phone drop.
Fine.
That ass.
Why the hell did he make me come up here if he wasn’t even going to be around when I got here?
Huffing, I called CC instead; other then Ashlan and Andy, he was the only number I had, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to call Andy.
Why did it hurt my chest so badly to even think of him?
I wanted to see him, I wanted to talk to him and, and --- I just wanted things to be okay again.
I didn’t want my chest to hurt like this anymore.
Things were well between Ashlandil and I, borderline perfect --- as well as it could be for the two of us, anyway --- but...
I missed Andy.
Before, anyway.
Before I’d realized I was pregnant, and he’d found Kennedi and been with her, before all of this had just gotten so out of hand...
“Kenna?”

“CC! Hey, Ash needed me to come to the studio and bring some papers, and, well, I’m out here in the lobby,” I sounded awkward even to myself. “And, um, he’s not answering now when I call...?”

“Oh, he’s back in recording,” CC informed me, his voice sort of echoing. “You want me to come out and get them?”

“Do you mind? I was supposed to be at the theatre--- ten minutes ago, actually,” I sighed. “I don’t want to leave them at the front desk.”

“Gotcha. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Thank you.”

I ended the call, and twisted, glancing down the hallway.
After a few minutes, I could see CC trotting in my direction, and I sent him a bright smile as he stepped by the irksome desk woman, who had returned to tapping her nails against her keyboard obnoxiously.
It was a really annoying sound.
“Hey, Ken,” he said, and I smiled at him as he gave me a hard hug, rocking me back and forth for several seconds before letting me go, his eyes running over me. “You look good!”

“I’m in my studio clothes,” I sighed, shaking my head. “He’s made me late, that asshole. And all he wanted, was,” I fumbled through my bag, shuffling my extra clothes around as I found the envelope of papers, “was these things. Make sure he gets these, okay? He was really serious about them.”

“Oh, yeah, totally,” CC bobbed his head, glancing down at the envelope in his hand. “He should be out any minute, actually.”

“Well, I don’t have time to wait, I already called him.” I was already stepping back towards the elevator, annoyed.

He could have at least been out here waiting.
He knew how long it took to get from the apartment to here!
Ugh.
“Kenali, baby!”

I glanced over, relaxing as I saw Ashlandil hoofing it down the hallway, his dark hair falling into his eyes by the time he made it to me.
“Did you bring the papers?” he demanded, not even bothering with a hello, and I huffed, glancing at CC.

Ashley glanced over, and then practically ripped the envelope from CC’s hands, cradling it tightly against his chest.
“Thanks!” he sounded so relieved as he looked back at me. “I was... I couldn’t believe I forgot them. Thanks for bringing them.”

“Mhmhmm. But I’m late, so I need to go,” I glanced at my phone screen, the time lighting up the front. “By twenty minutes.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he leaned down quickly to give me a chaste kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you at home?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’ll see ya later, Kenna,” CC sends me a nervous smile, his eyes flicking to Ashley and then back down the hallway.

“Bye, CC,” I smiled at him, following his gaze.

I could see Jake and Jinxx at the very end of the long, gray carpeted hallway, and I tried not to cringe as I saw Andy step out of a room behind them, looking down at his phone, his dark hair curtaining his face on one side. He glanced up, as if sensing someone was looking at him, and his eyes flicked over to where Ashlandil and I stood.
Oh, Andiel...
I felt so...
Sad.
I looked away quickly, CC moving away from where we stood down the hallway. My hand curled through Ashlan’s quickly as it started to clench, no doubt noticing what I’d been looking at.
“Don’t,” I muttered, knowing he was starting to get angry. “There’s no point anymore, we know what the problem was. You said Iriel took care of it.”

“For now, but I haven’t had time to deal with Cronus,” Ashlan muttered, his eyes going almost black as I looked up at him, biting my lip. “And when I do, he’s never going to bother us again. I’m going to rip his shoul---.”

“Ashlan,” I glanced around nervously, not wanting anyone to hear him, and quickly moved him farther from the desked woman who was staring us down with such an intensity I felt like she was mentally trying to melt me. “Don’t speak like that here.”
He scowled.
“I want to get rid of him, permanently.”

“I know you do, but we don’t know why he would do... why he did any of that,” I shook my head quickly, feeling my hair tumble a little more from its hazardous bun.
My throat was tightening, and I could feel the heaviness behind my eyes; it was always there, threatening to spill over, and it was all I could do to keep it back. I was even more emotional now then I had been before!
It was so.... annoying!
Ashlan’s hand rose after a moment, and I felt him gently tuck my hair behind my ear.
I raised my eyes to his.

“Don’t worry about any of this, Kenali,” he murmured, caressing my face lightly. “I’m going to take care of it, I promise you. You just focus on the performance, okay?” he said brightly, tweaking my nose and making me curl it, piqued. “And our little bun in the oven, okay?”

“I don’t understand that ridiculous saying,” I muttered in response, huffing. “There is no oven and it is not a bread!”

He chuckled, and then leaned down, kissing me warmly.
“I’ll see you at home,” he murmured, his lips lingering on mine, as if he didn’t want to pull away. I sighed as he did, wishing I could just stay with him for a few more moments, the need to be around him intensifying the farther he stepped away from me.

It was so odd.
I didn’t want him to leave me at all, and I was feeling incredibly protective today, especially toward the child I carried.
I looked down, my hand pressing against my still flat stomach, though the bump there was steadily growing; just so long as it stayed small enough where I could fit into my outfit for the performance, everything would be fine.
“And don’t work too hard,” he warned me, his hand closing over mine where it laid against my stomach. “We don’t want to stress the little peanut.”

I rolled my eyes.
He was calling it that a lot more often now, ever since the ultrasound.
“What is the obsession of making the babies sound like food?” I grumbled, shaking my head. “Bread and now peanuts?”

Ashlandil grinned down at me.
I tried to resist, but I couldn’t help but smile, leaning up to kiss him again, unable to help myself.
I really did care for him.
He knew that, I hoped.
I hesitated against his lips, feeling a slight... strange feeling.
I stepped back with a frown, my hand tightening against my stomach.

“Kenali?” Ashlandil hesitated, gazing at me, his eyes flicking between my face and back to my stomach. “What is it? Is there something wrong with it?”

“What? I --- no, I don’t think so,” I stammered, shaking my head quickly, not wanting him to worry. “It’s just growing, I suppose. She is, I mean.”

Ashlandil hesitated, then nodded, relaxing and choosing to believe me.
“He is, you mean,” he corrected me after a moment, a playful look entering his eyes. “Because it’s a boy.”

“Ashlandil, we don’t know that,” I scoffed, shaking my head. “We haven’t really picked any names for a girl yet!”

“So? I liked the ones you offered.” he shrugged. “You come up with some good names; besides, you told me I couldn’t pick any, that I was terrible at it.”

“You are terrible at it,” I huffed. “And I’m really late, Ashlandil, by at least thirty minutes --- Francis will be freaking out!” I worried.

“Oh, Francis,” Ashlandil scoffed. “That --- he’ll be fine. Take your time getting there, don’t run out in traffic --- you’re still taking those vitamins, right?” he asked, literally following me towards the elevator. “Like Aiyana prescribed?”

I scowled at the mention of her name.
“I don’t need vitamins, Ashlandil, it’s already provided for,” I muttered snippily; my body was completely prepared to grow a child, it did it automatically; we didn’t need to take vitamins or anything of the sort, it was just there.

It was already taken care of.
Ashlandil sighed, his hand latching around mine as he tugged me around to face him.
“Fine. Just be careful, love.”

“I will, I promise,” I forced a smile up at him, closing my eyes as he kissed me again, as if he couldn’t get enough of me either.

I glanced over as I pulled away from him, seeing the woman at the desk was looking ready to jump over it and tackle us, her face a bright shade of red. She ducked quickly behind her computer screen as she noticed me looking, and I narrowed my eyes.
“Ashlandil?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you slept with the woman at the desk?”

He went stiff.
“Ashlandil!” I gasped, looking up at him indignantly. “Is there someone you haven’t slept with!?”

“Er,” he rubbed the back of his head guiltily. “Is that rhetorical or...?”

I smacked his arm.
“Ow! Jeez, probably not, no. But it’s not like it’s my fault! I need a snack every now and again --- ow! Would you stop hitting me?” he huffed, slapping his hands at me as I threatened to punch him again.

I don’t know why that made me angry at him.
But it did.
The ass!
I huffed at him before turning on my heel and stogging into the elevator, stabbing the bright button for the first floor repeatedly.
Ashlandil chuckled, and his hand closed around the doors before they could close, giving me a look.
“Are you jealous?”

“NO!”

He grinned at me, the elevator lights glinting off his pearly white fangs. “You’re jealous!”
“What would I have to be jealous of!?”

“You have nothing to be jealous of,” he chuckled, tugging on my duffle and forcing me several steps forward. “Absolutely nothing, Kenali.” He pressed a kiss to my nose. “You know that.”

I stared at him stubbornly, but deflated after a moment, nodding my head.
I knew that.
Without a doubt I knew it.
Ashlandil loved me, he loved me and the child I carried, not seeming to care now that it wasn’t his. He was taking care of me like I knew no one else would, had been so patient with me, had already proven he would die for me.
There was absolutely nothing more I could ask of him.
Or of me.
Because I knew, without reservations, I would give my life for him as well.
I leaned forward, kissing him.
I loved Ashlandil, I really did.
And what I felt for him...
Well...
It was almost equal to what I felt for Andiel.
Could you love two different beings?
At once?
Equally?

Notes

My internet is so shitty tonight, ugh!

Anyway, major shoutout to Anathema, who pushed me mercilessly not to neglect this, and I told you I was writing a chapter! :D

She is so pushy.
But in a good way.
XD

Anywho, sorry for the long hiatus, previous chapter issues I do believe have been resolved, so more chapter updates will be on the way!

Plus, I'm writing a lot on my tumblr, which all of you dudes should totally check out, because, yknow, not to be conceited, but --- okay, it's kind of awesome, but I'm biased. Ahem.
Writingismyhappytime

Also, check out this dude who does drum covers! He'sa badass :D
Dylanrangodrums