"Hey Thomas you're sparring with me." James said nonchalantly, leaning against his favorite sword.
"What?!" suddenly they were teleported to the training facilities. Thomas shakily pulled out his daggers, sweating as he saw the bloodthirsty grin form on his face.
"L-Listen James! I really really don't want to fight right now." He stuttered, even he was leery of James. The red haired teen had a tendency to be reckless and not care about his surroundings.
"Ready, set, go!" He ran up to Thomas at top speeds. As he struggled to dodge each blow.
Finally Thomas saw an opening and ran, swinging on thin pipes in the training facility to get to higher ground. He panted softly. Where was his pump? He couldn't find it.
"Dammit!"He wheezed.
He had very little time to ponder this as James was quickly climbing to where he was, before pouncing on top of him, knocking him to the padded ground below.
"James…"He could barely wheeze. He rolled out from under him and coughed. Thomas ran farther away, though he was slower.
He didn't notice James coming up behind him until- "Ach!" A gash was cut into his already scarred back.
"Blood drawn I win."James smirked down at Thomas, who glowered up still coughing and wheezing.
"Not… fair."He whispered hoarsely. "Where is Edward? He has my spare pump."
James pointed to the infirmary and frowned confused. Thomas wasn't one to give up without a fight or rematch. That was too easy.
"You good?"
"I feel like I'm about to hack up a lung."He sneered weakly. "Of course I'm perfectly fine."
He limped away to the infirmary. Leaving a shocked James in his wake.
"What just happened?"He asked. Well he couldn't just stand there. He started cleaning up the fighting area.
Later James went to the infirmary to check on Thomas. He was chatting with Edward from one of the beds. Edward was admonishing him for not taking care of himself and he seemed to be feeling better.
"Hey… no hard feelings right?"
Thomas looked up before smiling slightly "Right. Old Eddie here is just telling me off for overworking myself again."He joked.
"You have heart and respiratory problems Thomas. I'm supposed to worry!"
"Heart and respiratory?"James asked confused slightly. Thomas always seemed perfectly fine to him.
"Well as you know I have asthma."He shrugged. "But I also have a heart defect and a generally weak immune system."
James stared shocked at this. He was talking about life threatening illnesses like it was the weather. How many times did he ask for a rest on missions? How many times was he ignored and called lazy?
"My magic." He explained. "It speeds up my heart and overheats it. Edward gave me some ice magic pills to help with that. "
"Sorry for pulling you in that fight unannounced…"He apologized.
"It's fine!"He giggled. "Sorry for being such a sore loser."
Sore loser? "You were hurt, you had a perfectly good reason to be upset."
Thomas' eyes crinkled up in laughter. "I've had worse James~"
He shouldn't have had worse. James decided then, he wouldn't let anything happen to Thomas.
The next day he saw Thomas walking down the stairs with some boxes. It was particularly busy and he was dodging people left and right.
Eventually he tripped. Falling down a flight of stairs. Snickers sounded from the top. They soon had their hair charred and singed.
James walked over and helped Thomas up before whisking him away to Edward. He looked up dizzy. "James? I gotta finish my delivery." He pulled away but James held tight.
"At least visit Edward first?"He pleaded before acting aloof. "It's not that I'm worried about you or anything!But Edward probably is so go in."
Thomas raised his eyebrow. "Alright?"
"Hey Edward!" He greeted walking into the infirmary.
"Thomas?" Edward came from the closet. He was surprised to see him so soon.
"You don't usually come for your check up till around 1."
"No but James wants me to get checked out 'cause I had a fall down stairs."He shrugged nonchalantly.
"Are you hurting anywhere?" He asked getting out a box labeled Thomas. He came in here so often that they kept a box with supplies just for him.
"I dunno nothing hurts really badly." He said looking at his limbs for any bruises. "My arm does hurt a bit though."
"Scale of 1 to ten?"
"Um a 4 maybe?" He clenched it slightly before wincing. "I should be fine."
"Let me see."Edward asked holding out his hand. Thomas stretched his right arm out. Edward rolled up the sleeves to see that the arm had swollen.
He did a diagnostic spell.
"Seems like you bruised your bone Thomas." He went into the box and grabbed an arm brace. "Here wear this, And I want you to take it easy for today." He put the brace on and smiled ruffling his hair. "Alright?"
"Alright." Thomas grinned lopsidedly before walking out the infirmary. James was waiting on him outside.
"I'm coming with you to make sure you don't do anything particularly stupid today." He said with an arrogant smirk on his face.
"Stupid?" He squawked indignantly. James pulled him along the hallway.
"C'mon didn't you say you have a delivery? You still have to do your job."
"Don't you have your own jobs,James?" He asked. "Surely such a splendid fellow like you has more important things to waste- spend time doing." Thomas rolled his eyes as he was still pulled along the hallway to his boxes.
"Yes but you're clumsy and I'm sure the Fat Controller would hate it if his new toy soldier was broken so soon."
"I am not a toy!" He looked insulted at this. Before picking up the boxes. James snatched them from him.
"Maybe not, but you are clumsy so I'll carry these for you." He walked away
"James do you even know where that's going?!" He yelled running after the red haired teen. It was gonna be a long day.
