C.H.E.R.U.B

Chapter Three

"You think I look nice?" the girl asked coyly, flipping her bleached hair behind her shoulder.

"Yeah I think you look really hot." James cringed from the heavy sent of cheap perfume but kept a smile plastered on his face.

James was at the bowling alley with the twins for the evening and was making a time of it by flirting with anything in a skirt and boosting his reputation as a ladies' man so no one in their right mind would question his sexuality.

So far he'd hit on five girls and only been burned by two, James thought that was quite an accomplishment.

Connor and Callum had stuck around for a bit to witness enough of James' escapades to know that they were not needed for the time being, they had then set off to find themselves something to entertain themselves with for the night.

James finished talking to the girl after getting her number, after all there were plenty more girls around to flirt with and if he'd stayed any longer the girl might of expected him to try and get in on with her. Eugghh, what a disaster that would have been.

So far his night had gone good. He'd had fun talking to Connor and Callum for a bit before a girl had approached him, at first he'd wanted to somehow ditch her and carry on with his friends, and then he'd seen the looks and overly wiggling eyebrows both of his guy friends had directed at him. They clearly thought he should go for it.

James had then been dragged into a night of one boring cycle of flirtation.

Step one: approach a girl

Step two: strike a conversation

Step three: compliment her clothes or hair

Step three: she is either interested or tells him to get lost

Step four: flirt shamelessly before asking for or receiving a number

Step five: gently try to remove yourself from her presence before she gets two interested.

Then he would start again on another girl, after the fifth girl he couldn't repress the sigh of exhaustion/boredom.

The night would have probably gone better if Kyle had decided to come along, but he'd decided to stay back and complete his history work. If Kyle had come then James could have stuck with him instead off all these over done girls in heels that kill and smell of weird cosmetics. If Kyle was there then they might have accidently brushed shoulders or their hands could of just touched maybe Kyle might have felt the need to touch him on the shoulder or James could have pinned him to the wall and...

Damn it even if girls did nothing for him all the sexual tension in the air was sure going to James' head.

Another ten minutes later and James was starting stage five by telling the girl that he needed to catch up with his friends, she wasn't letting him go quietly.

"But James, you could take me with you!" she squealed "i would love to meet your friends" she battered her to long to be real eye lashes at him and pressed herself to his side.

James squirmed trying to pry her hand of his bicep; even if the cycle had been monotonous it had been safe! Why wasn't she releasing him?

"Better yet we could go somewhere to be alone together, just me and you" James' eyes almost burned as she thrust her chest towards him and she attempted a sultry tone of voice but instead managed to sound as if she had a bad cold coming along.

Before James could make any more protest and make his way to freedom the girl began to drag him towards the back of the bowling alley where there were more dark corners and places for couples to be 'alone'.

She pressed against him and leaned into him until James was stuck between her chest and the wall.

She attached herself to him like a leech and wound her arms like octopus tentacles up around his neck.

James was hit with the image of some kind of black leech with octopus arms fake hair extensions smudged lip gloss that gave off some kind of repulsive smell. He shivered and thought he might throw up as she leaned closer to him aiming her overdone lips towards his mouth.

James' brain was going haywire, THE MONSTER IS ATTACKING ATTENTION THE MOSTER IS ATTACKING RETREAT! RETREAT! RETREAT!

Just as her lip gloss slimed lips began to touch his James squirmed for all his might before finally shoving against her to make her stumble back.

Not bothering with explanations or listening to her whining James made a bee line for the exit of the bowling alley. On his way he fished out his phone to call Connor or Callum, his dazed mind hadn't figured it out yet.

He hadn't any need to phone them because as he reached the exit they both popped up together and followed him out.

"Dude I didn't think you'd really do it!" Callum exclaimed with a big shit eating grin on his face. He slung his arm around James' shoulder.

"Yeah man, your dating Kerry and she'll totally kick your arse but that was wicked" Connor slung his arm around James' other shoulder and they both leaned in.

James looked at them stupidly before managing out a stunned 'huh'.

Connor shook his head and tutted in mock disapproval. 1.21

"Don't play dumb we saw what you did" Connor explained

"Yeah chatting up all those girls like some Casanova, how many numbers did you get?" Callum tagged on incredulously.

"And we just saw you come out of that very dark secluded corner with glazed over eyes, you might want to rub off that lip gloss before you go see Kerry tonight mate" Connors observation finally got through to James' head as he hurriedly rubbed at his lips to get of the slimy gloss. When he had finished he looked up to see the twins looking at him expectantly.

"What do you want me to say, just happened is all" in James' defence that was a good response considering his brain was still recovering from being under red alert from attack of the leech-opus, just thinking of it made James' brain shudder in horror.

Connor and Callum both seemed to find his blasé way of explaining the situation hilarious and proceeded to burst out laughing. They were laughing so hard that they were holding onto each other and James to keep up right but even with the support they were bent at the middle and fighting for breath between there gwuafffs.

"Dude, dude" Connor took time to catch his breath before continuing, "Kerry is going to kill you if she ever finds out, you've only been going for a few weeks and your already pulling stuff" even if he didn't look that disapproving of James, James still took his warning of Kerry's wrath to heart wincing when he thought of what she'd do when she found out then he hastily began to make plans for his burial.

Callum and Connor seemed to notice his pensive mood and left him to himself as they all waited for the bus to take them back the campus.

Kames was really worried about Kerry, he knew Connor and Callum wouldn't tell Kerry what he'd been up to but there were surly other cherub agents around and one of them might find the need to gossip with their friends.

Not only was he worried for his bodies continued life status but he also didn't want to hurt Kerry. He hadn't thought on it too much but she must like him a bit to agree to be his girlfriend.

He could see a bit of what Lauren had kept nagging him about, about how he was hurting people because Kerry might not only get angry but upset if she thinks he's messing with her and he didn't want that because she was one of his best friends.

But he needed to make sure there was no doubt in any one's mind that he was straight and what better way to do that other than go out with one of the prettiest girls on campus, it was pure genius in James' mind.

The bus came and James, Conner and Callum piled into the seats stuffed with old wrappers and crude drawings on the back.

James had to contain himself from getting flustered and changing seats when he noticed a scrawl on the ceiling proclaiming all who sat in the seat he occupied were gay, what a coincidence, but if he moved it would draw attention to it so he blocked it out as best he could.

SCENE BREAK

Kyle leaned in close to James his breath coming rapidly in puffs of air that blew across the small gap between their faces.

James held his head steady looking into Kyle's eyes with only a hint of panic of the situation he found himself in. Which just so happened to be beneath Kyle, Kyle was on top of him and just thinking about it made a blush spread across James cheeks and Kyle watched in fascination as it continued to spread until it spread under the collar of James' T-shirt.

If he'd known falling on top of James on accident would get him such a favourable reaction he would have done it ages ago.

Neither of them moved which continued to make James' panic more know, though Kyle was perfectly happy to continue straddling James until he made his discomfort known.

Kyle seeing that James seemed to have retreated into his thought leaned closer to James mouth to get his attention back, after all Kyle thought, it only appropriate he be the focus of the younger boys thoughts when Kyle was straddling him.

James who had been pulled into thoughts of exactly what this position could entail had been taken out of his daze when he felt the older boy lean in closer to him and he drew a sharp breath in between his teeth.

"Kyle!" James exclaimed his eyes wide

"Yes James, is there a problem?" Kyle calmly asked keeping his face centimetres apart from James'

"N, ye,n, ye yes yes yes there is a problem, you uh you, your" James began to stutter badly. The sun was setting and the sun shone faintly behind Kyle giving him a faint glow as he sat atop James, the image was causing James' brain to scramble and whirl in a thousand directions making talking a little difficult.

"I'm, what am I doing James?" Kyle smirked and quirked an eyebrow which infuriated James to new heights, it was unfair that he was so calm and collected!

"You're on top of me!"James shouted finally in one brush of air.

Kyle moved backward form James until he was sat up right.

"Well if that all I think I'm-"

Kyle didn't get to finish because James had managed to get enough cohesive thought and coordination back to grab hold of one of Kyle's legs while the other he used to help propel him round and balance as their positions were reversed and James found himself on top of Kyle.

Kyle panted faintly beneath James from the shock of not expecting James retaliation. He looked when the world stop spinning and saw James sat on him with a grin of victory the sun glowing around him lighting up his blond hair strands.

"Satisfied are we?" Kyle purred his chest rumbling beneath James. Causing James to blush realising exactly what he had gotten himself into.

Kyle in a move so fast James couldn't follow reached up to cradle James head to flip them safely again so that James didn't bash his head, he managed to focus as they stopped rolling to see Kyle's face now millimetres from his and the distance was steadily decreasing as Kyle's fingers stayed wrapped in his hair. Closer Kyle moved until-

"James, get your lazy arse out of bed right this instant!" Lauren banged from James' door awaking him from his pleasant dreams.

James groaned and after lifting his head to glare at his traitorous door for allowing the sound through he then flopped back against his pillows.

He buried his head in his pillow planning to ignore his irritating sister and go back to sleep and his perfectly nice dream about Kyle, but Lauren didn't seem to understand no reply meant go away.

"James Adams get your arse out here right now!" Laurens voice bellowed seemingly right next to his ear.

James slowly got up groaning the entire time it was only once he swung his legs over the side of the bed he realised he had an issue he needed to vanish before opening the door to his sister.

He looked contemplatively down wondering if he'd had enough time but the continued knocking at his door answered that question so James thought of as many gross images and watched as his uncomfortable problem withered at the thought of Mr. large in a man-kini.

He huffed and got up to move to his door now trying to wipe his imagined thoughts out of his head, they were good help when in a crisis but otherwise he saw no need to scar his brain forever.

James grabbed open the door to have Lauren instantly barging angrily into his room to stand in the middle of the piles of dirty clothes and rubbish that littered his room, looking ready to rip him an new one.

Lauren noticed the tip that was his room and seemingly changed what she had just opened her mouth to say, she swung her hands to her hips and glared down at him even from her shorter height.

"When are you ever planning on cleaning this pig sty?" she asked incredulously, and turned her nose up when she saw some of his dirty underwear kicked to the corners.

"Eventually, does it matter, now what do you want or get out" James was still not pleased from being woken.

Then he saw the look Lauren sent him and wished he hadn't mentioned anything because that look meant nothing good was going for him.

Laurens hands balled into fists at her sides and her forehead crinkled in a scowl.

"What did you think you were doing last night, Kerry is fuming that you think you'll get away with this." She berated him and felt sickly satisfied as she watched him pale to the shade of a sheet when her meaning registered in his brain.

"You mean she knows?" James asked meekly thoughts of his impending doom running through his head, if Mr. large hadn't helped him with his problem then that sure would have.

"She knows that you spent all last night flirting and getting it on with girls without a hoot or a care for your girlfriend back here" she raised her eyebrows expectantly for an explanation and James felt himself die a little in side, not too much though the rest of him would be needed for when Kerry decided to kill him later in painful imaginative ways.

"I didn't mean anything by it you know that, but Connor and Callum sort of egged me on and, well there's no doubt I'm into girls now." James shrugged his shoulder knowing the excuse wasn't good enough and sat on his bed while his sister remained standing above him still furious.

"The world doesn't revolve around you James and whether you have a reputation as a pig or not, what about what Kerry felt when she heard that you'd been kissing other girls last night!" Lauren was now shouted frustrated with her brother's lack of brains or compassion for others feelings, he was so arrogant!

"It was only one girl and she attacked me! I'm lucky I dint have night mares" James shuddered for effect but stopped as Lauren stared him down and he decided looking at his hands was the safest choice

"Oh boohoo, you had better man up and talk to Kerry before she comes looking for you, you might be forgiven if you explain everything to her" Lauren looked expectantly at him only to see his head shoot up with wide eyes and start spluttering in denial.

"Never, not that no, are you insane-"

"Fine!, but you'd better come up with something because if I were Kerry I wouldn't forgive you easily for playing her like that" Lauren gave up and stormed out of the room and down the hall leaving James to put his head in his hands and wonder how he'd woken form such a nice dream to this nightmare.

SCENE BREAK

After having spent a good few minutes wallowing in his misfortune James had finally gotten himself up and dressed, he now found himself searching throughout the cherub hallways in search of Kerry.

He would occasionally pass some off his friends who had obviously heard rumours of what had happened last night and the looks of pity they gave him didn't make him feel in anyway reassured about talking to Kerry like his sister had said.

He finally found her when he had approached her room, of course her room should have been the first place he looked. James figured either he was too worried and his mind wasn't functioning properly or he had subconsciously willed himself to avoid the quickest room to Kerry so he could avoid the inevitable fight for as long as possible.

James knocked feebly on her door, knowing she was in their but wishing she wouldn't hear him and he could say he had tried anyway.

But sadly the door swung open to reveal Kerry whose face instantly clouded with rage as she took in his pitiful appearance at her door and looking like there was nothing she wished for more than to smash the door into his face and leave him a bleeding mess on the floor.

He opened his mouth to speak but was cutch of by the sharp sound of skin hitting skin and the sharp sting in his cheek as his brain registered that he had just been slapped.

Kerry's hand stayed in the air as she glared into his eyes.

"Kerry please let me in" James pleaded ignoring the blood he felt rushing to his cheek which would have formed a red hand mark the size of Kerry's hand by now.

"Tell me James why should I let you in, what would make me think you won't be an arrogant arse the minute you step in the door and begin to hurt me all over again" Kerry snarled the hurt flashing in her eyes.

James hadn't thought Kerry would admit to having been hurt and was shocked to see her expressing it so openly, but this was the second time today he had been called an arrogant arse and it was starting to rile him up.

"Kerry I just want to come and explain-", James began but Kerry was too furious to listen.

"No James let me explain it to you, you go around flouncing about thinking everyone should do as you ask and acting as cocky as ever not giving a hint of concern to others feelings as if you were a king, but here's a clue James, EVERYONE THINKS YOURE AN ARSE!" Kerry finished shouting in James' face.

James stood shocked for a second because he'd just had one of the biggest dressing downs in his life.

Then the shock wore off and the anger welled up.

She had no right saying these things to him, sure he might have hurt her but he hadn't actively sought out to cause her pain, here Kerry was shouting insults and digging for a reaction trying to make him feel bad, and he did not flounce!

"WHY ARE YOU SUCH A BITCH!" James shouted, because he wouldn't admit it but Kerry's words hurt and he was too busy wondering if everyone really thought he was and arse to come up with a better comeback.

But as luck has it just as he shouted at Kerry Zara came out from the elevator down the hall in time to hear him call Kerry a bitch. She came briskly up the hallway until she stood a few steps from James and Kerry.

"James" she spoke in a deceptively calm voice "my office, now!" she finished sharply before striding back up the hall to call for the elevator again presumably to head toward her office.

James flung a spiteful look a Kerry who snarled and slammed her bedroom door.

James trod down the hallway with slumped shoulders and a bleak mood. Nothing seemed to be going right since he had woken up. He had known Kerry would be mad but he had hoped to make up with her and move on, maybe promise not to do it again, but now he was well on his way to running punishment laps.

By the time James had gotten to the elevator it and Zara had already left so he had to wait for another to take him to the ground floor. Once outside Zara's office he knocked and was sent straight in, by the tone of her voice she was still not pleased.

James walked in to see she sat straight backed behind her desk staring sternly at him, she didn't offer for him to take a seat and he wasn't willing to take the chance and ask so he stayed standing.

"James, I don't think I need to tell you that I am displeased with you" Zara folded her hands one on top of the other on the desk in front of her.

"No ma'am" James mumbled.

"What was that?"

"No ma'am" James said louder and peeked up too look at Zara

"Exactly, this is the third time that I have come across one of yours and Kerry's shouting matches and they are disrupting other cherubs." She explained clearly exasperated with the situation.

James thought it very unlike they were disrupting other cherubs, he had heard them all gossiping about how there was trouble in paradise, feeding on the rumours like vicious vultures.

"I am assigning you one hundred and fifty punishment laps, fifty for each time you have been caught fighting" Zara sent a stern glare James' way when he made to protest but he couldn't keep quiet about the unfairness.

"What about Kerry she's been shouting too, and she slapped me!" James exclaimed.

"Yes but Kerry has not been instigating these arguments from what I've heard nor has she been using vulgar language" Zara reprimanded and James knew there was no hope of getting out of the laps.

"I want them done in a month" Zara then dismissed James.

When James got outside the door he realised Zara was more likely just forcing him not to be around Kerry so much as punishing him, because if he did five laps a day he would be done before his month time limit is up and he would have to work that hard and with running five laps a day on top of all his other work he won't have that much time for socialising, which was gutting but now he had an excuse for avoiding Kerry.

Kerry had been shouting at him a lot lately for not treating her right and being too much of a pig.

It wasn't his fault that Kerry kept dropping hints about wanting him to go further with him until he actually felt pressured into doing it. Then she would shout at him like she had never wanted him to try it when he did it wrong.

It was clear to James that Kerry wanted him to romance her into going further and for him to act the complete gentleman, but the fact was that by the time he had convinced his brain to go forth with it he was too nervous or busy thinking about Kyle to get the thought that he was trying to touch a girl out of his head that he sort of dived right in, which is where Kerry's anger came from.

He didn't blame her really, because he knew what she wanted and that he couldn't give it to her. He also hoped that she wouldn't blame him if she knew what he wanted and that she couldn't give it to him. But he was still narked at what she'd said to him.

It had been hurtful and unnecessary when he had gone looking for her to explain and apologise, she just never gave him the chance to get to the second part.

James looked down at the watch he had strapped on his wrist that morning to see three hours had past since his sister had woken him at half past eight and he still hadn't had any food. He decided to get something to eat from the canteen when they started serving lunch at twelve then try and tick off a few of his laps before the next day when he would have to fit them in around his school work.

Plus what other bad thing could happen to him when he is doing punishment laps, maybe his day could finally reach a normal level of stress even if he couldn't get back to the bliss of his dream.

SCENE BREAK

James' feet pounded along the ground in a rhythmic beat.

He was on his second lap and already he could feel his shoulders un-tensing and his mind clearing like running often did.

James had never liked exercise and becoming a cherub agent hadn't really changed that, now he would do the exercise because it paid off but he still would rather be playing video games and eating burgers.

But sometimes when the day was nice and the field was practically empty like today, it was nice to run because of the good vibes that radiated off the area.

With a light sheen of sweat beginning to form on his brow James was pulled out of his thoughts by the added sound of more feet closing in behind him, he looked around to see Kyle catching up on him looking for all intensive purposed like a god.

Well there goes a stress free afternoon, James would have normally been happy to run with the visage of Kyle in shorts to spur him on, but today after all the mess he'd muddled his way through he just wanted for his brain to relax for longer than a second and with Kyle there it will be whirring a hundred thoughts a second.

Kyle shortened the distance between them in seconds and James found himself now running close enough to brush shoulders with Kyle as Kyle slowed down to match James' pace.

"What did you do this time?" Kyle asked with fake exasperation that sounded more endearing than reprimanding and without a hint of exhaustion from running.

"How do you know I'm not just running for the fun of it?" James asked indignantly knowing that Kyle wouldn't buy it and sure enough Kyle quirked an eyebrow up seemingly not bothering to give that an answer.

Inwardly James was wondering how perfect an eyebrow could be but outwardly he let out a huff knowing he had been found out.

"Zara finally got fed up of me and Kerry being at each other's throats and decided that the best way to split us up would be to keep me busy running in my spare hours, for a month!" James pretended to be incensed but didn't quite manage it, not only because he was getting out of breath from speaking for so long whilst running but also because he wasn't incensed and the feeling wasn't in it.

This caused Kyle to look at him weirdly because Kyle figured if James was punished he would find it unfair whether he kicked a puppy or not.

"You don't seem as annoyed at that as I would imagine you'd be" Kyle now seemed more out of breath, probably because of the talking whilst running instead of the running actually getting to him because of course Kyle was in perfect physical condition.

James shrugged "I'm not really; I think I may be as tired about fighting with Kerry all the time as Zara is from seeing us fight." James explained slowing down a bit in his running so he was mostly jogging.

Kyle slowed down as well his intention to continue talking to James was clear.

"Why have you been fighting so much, I know that you've been acting like a class a jerk and messing Kerry around but id thought you really liked her?" James was glad Kyle didn't sound too annoyed at James, he mostly sounded confused which James thought looked cute as Kyle's eyebrows furrowed together.

"It nothing, just leaves it alone" James wouldn't look at Kyle as he spoke.

Kyle was the last person he wanted t be talking about him and Kerry to, something about it just irritated his nerves. What if he said something accidently without thinking, it wouldn't be surprising when Kyle generally had a way of overriding James' brain.

Kyle took hold of James' arm on his bicep and swung him to a stop so they were facing each other. Where Kyle's hand touched him James felt tingles as his skin became super sensitive, this was not good. James looked up at Kyle hoping he didn't se the flush on his cheeks and only saw the confusion of why he had stopped them.

"It is something when my two friends are arguing enough to annoy Zara, who is normally okay with mindless teenage drama as long as it doesn't affect missions and because you get along worse now that your together than when you and Kerry were just friends, I want to know what your issue is James?." Kyle was getting frustrated and very concerned when James kept avoiding his troubled relationship with Kerry.

At first Kyle had thought James would come out with some answer which showed what a chauvinistic pig he was by saying that one girl wasn't enough or he was just having fun, but it was clearly more than that and James didn't want to say.

After avoiding Kyle's gaze for a bit James realised the taller boy wasn't going to let him go without an answer. So he sucked in some breath and tried to come out with the best bullshit he could to appease Kyle.

"Look, me and Kerry just aren't gelling at the moment" James explained now looking at Kyle, "it's nothing too bad we just can't seem to get along but we'll move past it and everything will be fine." Well at least James hoped everything would be fine. He let out a breath hoping Kyle would let it go.

Kyle knew there was something more than what James was saying but form the way he was acting Kyle felt that he really shouldn't pry into it. James looked really vulnerable at the time and Kyle felt the need to hug him and make him feel better.

James was shocked when he felt arms go around his shoulders and for a moment he tensed before relaxing. It was just a hug, friends hugged didn't they.

No matter how much his brain tried to tell him is was just a friendly hug James couldn't stop the blush from rising to his cheeks as he tried to keep from snuggling into the warmth Kyle offered.

When Kyle didn't feel James reciprocate the hug, he felt a small clench in his chest, which he ignored as he stood back to give James his space. Thought seeing the blush on his friends cheek made him feel better, if not confused him at the same time.

"Just hang in there and know that I'm here to talk to if you need" Kyle felt like he might have done something wrong when James still didn't look at him not knowing that James knew if he looked at Kyle all of his resolve would melt and everything would come pouring out of him.

"Thanks I appreciated it" James managed to say through his chaotic thoughts.

Kyle wanted nothing more than to pry but he gave James his space and felt the need to lighten the mood which was suddenly very heavy.

"Come one then, you had best continue running if you want to keep that stud muffin body of yours" Kyle joked nudging James in the ribs with his elbow before setting off on his jog.

James bemoaned that he wouldn't ever be able to speak to Kyle without becoming red in the face for as long as he lived before setting off after Kyle.

If only Kyle knew what he did to James, James jogged after Kyle his mind going back to the dream he'd had that morning.

(A/N: I know that this hasn't been updated in ages, sorry. Badasschick01 finally got me to knuckle down and here you have it my longest chapter to date for anything I have ever written to make up for it, hope you like it lots of love insomnia-calling.)