A/N—Welcome back to more of this story. "Danger Is a Beautiful Smile" will be wrapping up over the next month, so once that's done you'll be getting this one every week instead of every two weeks. I know it's easy to forget where things leave off when there's so much time in between. Anyway, so in the last chapter James called Logan and Carlos, then napped. That's where this chapter picks up. Hope you enjoy! And thank you very much for reading this.

When Kendall gently nudged him, James awoke refreshed and excited. Finally, he was going to get the kind of birthday party he'd wanted for as long as he could remember—tons of people, loud music, everyone having so much fun that they talked about it for weeks. Months, even. He'd have to make sure to encourage the guests to post about it on social media. Maybe he could get Lucy to invite a few of her famous friends.

Just the thought of them posting a picture with him had James wanting to scream with joy. This would be the best night of his life, no doubt. He sat up and stretched, ready to get it started.

"There is even more life in you now," Kendall commented from behind him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Dude, I slept great. I'm so ready for this party." He twisted back to look at Kendall. "Come on, let's figure out what we're wearing."

Kendall glanced down at his body. "Is this not appropriate attire?"

"Not for my party. Besides, I thought you didn't like those clothes."

"I don't like to wear any clothes, James. Clothing is restricting."

"Right, you said that earlier. Sorry, just one of those human rules you gotta live by." James hopped up off the bed and strode to his closet, throwing it open to peruse the contents. He found his own perfect outfit right away—black jeans, a light-colored tee, and a purple velvet blazer that worked beautifully with his skin tone. Yeah, the girls wouldn't be able to take their eyes off him, especially when he added his favorite suede boots.

As for Kendall...

James spun around to study him. He was still seated on the bed, angled to watch James. He returned James' look with open curiosity.

"Blue."

"Blue?" Kendall echoed.

"Or green, I suppose. You do have striking green eyes. You said this was your original body, right? No angelic additions?"

"Angels do not add to or alter God's work."

James nodded. He supposed that would be blasphemous in their minds. What must they think of plastic surgery? "Okay, if green does wonders for my eyes, I bet it really emphasizes yours. Come over here."

Kendall questioned nothing. He slid off the bed and approached, not wary at all; James had the thought that it was nice to have someone trust his opinion for a change. He held up a deep green satin shirt to Kendall's chest, noting that it did indeed make the angel's eyes seem to glow. His blond hair seemed brighter. In truth, Kendall was quite good-looking. He could probably make it as a model, if all the job took was appearance. James knew from experience that it was about more, though.

"What are you attempting to figure out?" Kendall suddenly asked. "You're staring at me and thinking deeply."

"Nothing." A blush crept up James' cheeks. "Just trying to find something for you to wear." He returned the satin shirt to the closet; couldn't have Kendall looking better than him at his own birthday party, could he? "Definitely blue." James shoved aside a bunch of hangers until he found a long-sleeved navy blue button-down. He plucked it from the closet and held it out. "Here. We'll pair it with black jeans."

Kendall had taken the shirt and was now rubbing a sleeve between his fingers. "It's not as soft as the material I'm currently wearing."

"No, but it'll look good. You can wear a tee underneath if you want, for comfort."

"I still do not understand why I must switch to different clothing."

"Because that's what humans do, Kendall. We change clothes. Usually just once a day, but sometimes more often for special occasions. And this is definitely a special occasion."

Kendall nodded once. "I will trust you."

James was surprised into a smile. "Thank you. I may not be the smartest guy around, but I do know fashion." After finding Kendall a pair of jeans and appropriate shoes, he tossed his own outfit on the bed and started to strip. "Hey, do you need a shower? You haven't since you've been here, right?"

"I do not know if I do. You said humans do it daily?"

"Smart humans do. Bodies are gross, dude. Go shower."

Still holding the shirt and pants James had pressed on him, Kendall didn't move. James was down to boxers when he realized it and spun to question Kendall with his eyes.

"I do not recall the process," Kendall admitted.

"Right." James sighed, trying not to lose patience. "You just turn on the water and get under it. Use soap on your body, shampoo in your hair, and rinse everything off before getting out. Then use a towel to dry off." When Kendall still hesitated, James added, "It's not hard. Go on."

"I do not feel comfortable leaving you."

This again. James wanted to scream. "Listen to me. There's nobody here but us, Kendall. I swear I won't open the front door while you're in the bathroom. It takes like five minutes. I'll be fine."

Kendall shook his head. "Five minutes is too long to leave you alone."

"Oh my god. You really are annoying, you know that? Just...give me a second."

Having already pulled the t-shirt over his head, James stepped into his jeans and fastened them. "I'll do my hair while you're showering, okay? That way I'll be in the bathroom with you the whole time. Does that work?"

Kendall nodded. "I would prefer that. Thank you."

"Whatever." James led the way down the hall and around to the bathroom. He set Kendall's clothes down on the back of the toilet before reaching in to turn on the shower. "See, it's this knob here. The more you turn it, the hotter the water gets. Wait a minute before getting in or your balls will shrivel up and die."

Kendall blinked in apprehension. "My balls? Are you referring to my junk?"

"Yes," James chuckled. "Trust me, cold water is not your friend. Strip."

"Strip what?"

"Your clothes, Kendall! Get out of your clothes!"

"Ah. Yes. You were naked when you showered earlier."

"Exactly. You can't clean your body when you're wearing clothes. I see steam, so you should be good to get in now. But after you get naked."

James turned away to focus on himself. Should he try something new with his bangs tonight? Something perhaps a bit more sophisticated? Maybe he should consider getting rid of his bangs altogether soon; he was an adult now, not a child. Then again, his current look was all the rage. Why mess with something that worked? A trim might not be a bad idea, though. What if—

A sudden yell from the shower interrupted his train of thought. "Kendall? You good?"

"Water is painful!"

"Water is...what? Water doesn't hurt."

"My eyes are stinging."

James rolled his own. "Close them. Always close your eyes when water hits your face."

"I see. Thank you."

"Anytime."

Ten seconds passed before Kendall spoke again. "Water is pleasant when not shooting into my eyeballs."

"Yes, it is. Make sure to use soap. It's the blue bar sitting in the cradle."

"And what do I do with it?"

"Lord help me," James said under his breath. Louder, he answered, "Step away from the water and rub the soap over your body. Not your face, though! Then use the water to rinse away the soap."

"I see. The soap cleanses the body."

"Yep."

"Ingenious. Then what?"

"Just get that done and we'll tackle shampoo next."

James returned his focus to the mirror. He used his fingers to tease his bangs into life, then quickly sprayed them so they wouldn't move. Perfect.

"I'm clean!"

"Awesome. Ready for shampoo?"

"I believe so. That goes in my hair, correct?"

"Correct. Squeeze some onto your hand, then spread it around in your hair. Use your fingers to clean your scalp, too. Then rinse it out."

James had just picked up his comb when Kendall screamed. "James! James, it burns! My eyes are burning!"

"Close your eyes! I warned you to close your eyes!"

"You said when I'm under the water! Help me!"

"Jesus Christ," James mumbled. It was like living with a fucking toddler. He moved the curtain aside and reached in to drag Kendall closer to the spray. "Be careful, the floor is slippery. Flush your eyes with water."

"How?"

"Tip your head back...there you go. Now open your eyes."

"But I'm under water!" Kendall spluttered as water shot into his mouth.

"And now you're choking. Oh my god, Kendall, this really is not as hard as you're making it. Close your mouth, open your eyes, and let the water rinse the shampoo out of them. Here, let me..." James held his hand over Kendall's forehead to keep more shampoo from slipping into his eyes. "That's it, let the water do its job."

"It still burns."

"I know. It will for a few minutes, but then it'll go away. Is it better now?"

"A bit."

"Good. Okay. Now turn around. Slowly."

Kendall did.

"Lean your head back. Wait, did you scrub your hair?"

"I'm not sure."

James shifted the shower head away so that it was pointing at the wall. "Come here." He lathered Kendall's scalp, surprised at how thin the blond hair was. "Next time, use half as much shampoo. You don't have much hair. Are your eyes closed?"

"Yes."

"Good. Keep them that way until I tell you to open them."

"Okay."

The absolute trust Kendall placed in James was unfamiliar; he was never the one who took care of others or knew how to handle situations. Logan had always been the idea guy, the one who solved problems. Again, James thought it was nice to be valued for something other than his looks and voice.

"Your fingers make me tingle."

James' hands froze. "Excuse me?"

"Is that the correct word? The skin on my head, it...yes, I believe tingle is right. Is that normal for humans?"

James licked his lips. "Massaging the scalp helps blood flow, I think. So...yeah. I guess it would tingle."

"It is a rather pleasant feeling."

"I'm uh...I'm glad." What else was James supposed to say to that? He cleared his throat and held his hands under the water to rinse them; he'd need a new tee, as this one was now half-soaked. "Keep your eyes closed and rinse out the shampoo now." He guided Kendall's head under the spray. "Use your hands to get all the suds."

"Thank you, James. I appreciate your assistance."

"Sure. I'm gonna go grab a new shirt." Before Kendall could say it, he added, "I'll run. It'll take me ten seconds."

"Please hurry, because I cannot scan for you with my eyes closed."

"Got it." That was interesting. It might come in handy at some point. James filed the information away.

When he returned, Kendall was still rinsing. James peeked in. "You good?"

"I believe so. I no longer feel traces of shampoo."

"Awesome. And no soap on your body?"

Kendall's hands ran down his body. "I think it is gone."

"Perfect." James shut off the water and opened the curtain all the way. "Always step out onto this towel, okay? That way you don't drip on the bare floor." He passed Kendall a clean towel. "Use this to soak up the water on your body. And in your hair." James watched, nodding as Kendall dried himself. "That's it. Make sure to get around your junk, sometimes water gets caught in the creases."

"Like this?"

James turned away; it felt wrong to watch another man touch his own balls. "Yeah. Don't forget your hair." Of course now the mirror was fogged up, making it impossible to attend to his appearance. James opened the door to let the steam out. "Once you're dry enough, get those jeans on. And the t-shirt, too. I'll help you with your hair."

"Thank you."

Such manners! Another thing James wasn't used to from those around his age. Of course, Kendall was much older in terms of his soul, but the man in front of James looked to be young. It was easy for James to forget that he wasn't talking to a fellow teen.

He reached for a second towel and used it to wipe away steam from the mirror; it helped somewhat. Only time would get rid of it completely. Still, he thought it was clear enough to finish his own appearance. Hair was styled, face was free of blemishes...perhaps just a bit more moisturizer to smooth out his skin.

Kendall's voice startled him a minute later. "What is that you're rubbing into your face?"

"Moisturizer. Makes my skin soft and hydrated."

"Would water not do the same?"

"Not really, water doesn't penetrate the skin. At least...I don't think it does?" James frowned. He honestly didn't know if it did, but thought the point of skin was to protect the inside from things like water. "Anyway, moisturizer works best." Done with his own face, he turned to study Kendall's. "God, your face is perfect."

One of Kendall's brows rose in surprise. "Pardon? You like my face?"

Realizing how that must have come out, James blushed. "Sorry, didn't mean to freak you out. I just meant that your skin is so clear. And it kind of has this...almost like a glow. Must be the angel thing."

"Perhaps." After another ten seconds, he asked, "What should I do once you are finished studying my face? I am clothed."

James shook himself; he hadn't realized he was still staring. "Uh...your uh...your hair. Let's get your hair in shape."

"What shape? A circle, like my skull?"

"No, it's a figure of speech, weirdo. Come over here. To the sink."

Kendall allowed James to pose him in front of the mirror. He watched while James reached for a hair dryer. "What is that?"

"It's to dry your hair. It's loud, so I won't be able to hear you speak."

Kendall looked at the apparatus with suspicion—or maybe it was apprehension. The whir drowned out anything he might've wanted to say, though he did jump slightly when the hot air touched his scalp. James made sure to keep the dryer moving so it didn't burn any one particular spot, and used a brush to style Kendall's hair as it dried. Really there wasn't much to do with this style, as Kendall's flaxen hair was closely cropped, but he did have longer bangs. James focused on those, giving them some body. He liked the way they hung almost to Kendall's thick brows and tried sweeping the strands off to the right. "Don't move," he warned after shutting off the dryer.

"You are right, that was loud. And it was hot! You did not tell me it would be."

"Well it has to dry the hair, so yeah—heat is necessary." James returned the dryer to its place before picking up setting spray. "Close your eyes tight, this will sting if it gets in them."

Kendall obeyed and James started to spritz. "I've learned that the eyes are quite vulnerable. It is easy to—" He suddenly choked and made spitting noises from the spray that was wafting into his mouth.

James couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction. "That's what happens when you talk while I'm spraying, dork."

"You said my eyes, James! You did not warn me about my mouth!"

"Sorry." He wasn't really, though. Kendall was kind of adorable in moments like this. "I'm almost done. Eyes and mouth shut." Kendall complied. James finished up, then stepped back to study his creation. "Not bad," he mumbled. "I might have to be the one keeping girls away from you." He grinned. "I do good work."

Kendall twisted his head left and right to look at himself. He lifted a hand and touched his bangs, which no longer moved. "Stiff."

"Yep. They'll stay in place now."

"Forever?"

"Nah, just until you wash your hair again. Or comb it out. Hang on, just one more thing." James dug in a drawer for a pack of facial cleansing wipes and passed one to Kendall. "Rub this over your face to clean up any leftover dirt or hair spray." Two seconds later he remembered to add, "And close your eyes first!"

"Understood."

While Kendall was doing that, James checked his phone. "Awesome, we're right on time. I'm gonna call Lucy and see if she wants to ride over with us."

Kendall froze. "James, that is not a good idea. The less time you spend with Lucy, the—"

"Oh my god, I thought we settled that! She's not into me! She likes girls!"

"Does that also mean that you can't fall for her? No, because you like girls, too. And she is one."

James' jaw dropped. What would it take to get it through Kendall's head? "Lucy is not someone you have to worry about. I swear, Kendall. I'm aware she'll never like me that way and I'm fine with it. I don't even have feelings for her anymore, not in that sense. It would be weird to kiss her now, after the friendship we've developed. My brain doesn't go down that road. I swear."

Kendall stared back with no expression.

"Okay, look. I get that you're trying to do your job, but I refuse to spend the next year without Lucy in my life. I'd go insane. She's my best friend here, Kendall. I need her. I am not in love with her, I just need her. Please don't take this from me."

"The fact that you are fighting me so hard about her is what makes her more of a threat in my mind. She is important to you."

"Yes, as a friend. Did your buddies up there not explain friendship and how necessary it is to humans?"

"I know what friendship is." Kendall sounded defensive; it was nice to see emotion, even one that didn't help James.

"Then you should understand how much we need it. You understand it in regards to Logan and Carlos. Why can't you do the same with Lucy?"

"Because she is a girl. And she is here."

James' head fell back in frustration as he let out a sigh. "You're fucking impossible. You don't listen."

"I am hearing you. I think perhaps you don't realize how easy it is for friendship to become love."

James shook his head. "Maybe. You might be right about that. But Lucy...no. Not with her. We've discussed it, dude. It's not an option for us. Neither of us wants that."

"I think that—"

"Think what you want. I'm done with this conversation. Lucy stays." James turned on his heel to storm out of the bathroom. He sent a call through to Lucy.

Of course Kendall was right on his tail. "Where are you going?"

Lucy picked up after three rings. "What's up? You on your way?"

"I'm about to leave. Are you already there?"

"Of course, who do you think is in charge of all this? Get your ass down here, Diamond! It's time to party!"

"That's what I like to hear." He already felt better just from talking to Lucy. Kendall was crazy if he thought Lucy was going anywhere. "You're the best. We'll be there soon."

"Cool. Does the killjoy really have to come?"

James peeked back over his shoulder at Kendall, who was in his personal space as usual. "Unfortunately. I dressed him up, though. He looks good."

"Awesome, maybe we can get some girls to distract him."

"That's my hope. See you in like...twenty? Thirty? Is anyone there yet?"

"A few people wandered in from the other offices here. I figured they can stay as long as they don't cause any problems. Oh, and I see some kids from The Palm Woods coming in right now. Hurry up before all the good food is gone!"

"I'm on my way," James laughed. "See ya!"

He hung up the phone and pocketed it, then went to the bedroom to slip on his boots. He tossed Kendall a pair of shoes that would go with his outfit. "Here. Put these on."

Kendall awkwardly got his feet into them. "What is a killjoy?"

Reaching for his blazer, James froze. "A what?"

"Killjoy. That is what Lucy called me, correct?"

"You heard that?"

Kendall nodded. "My hearing is excellent, James. It is an asset to an angel to be able to use his ears as well as his eyes."

"Oh." Crap. "Um. A killjoy is..."

Kendall stared back at James, waiting patiently.

"It was her way of saying you're kind of..."

"Yes?"

"Stuffy."

"Stuffy?"

"Boring. You don't like to have fun."

"Ah."

"Sorry. She's right, though. You need to loosen up."

"I'm not here to have fun, James. My mission is to—"

"Protect me, right. Yeah, you've said that a million times. But you know, while you're here, it's okay to enjoy it. Take a look around, see the sights. Who knows when you'll get to visit Earth again, right?"

"If I succeed in this mission, I should get my next one soon after I return."

"Which will be...a whole year?"

"A year is nothing in my life. It is like a second in yours."

"Well...just do me a favor and try to relax a little. This night is all about me."

"In my mind, everything is all about you. This night is no different."

James knew that for Kendall that was the case. "Maybe not for you, but it is for me. Keep that in mind, okay? For me, this night is the most important of my life. I would like to enjoy it. Can you let me do that? Please?"

Kendall bit his lip, a human sign of nerves that James didn't see often in the angel. "As long as you are not in danger, you may do as you wish. I will be watching, though. I won't leave your side."

"I know," James sighed. He tried not to let it depress him. He'd definitely need Lucy's help to be alone with a girl.