AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry it took so long with this chapter guys but I was going through a LOT. My boyfriend of 10 years breaking up with me, moving back in with my parents, transferring jobs, just a bunch of hassle! So I'm just going to make these notes short for I just want to post this chapter at last hahaha!

Disclaimer: Thomas and Friends are own by Mattel(who still suck for what they did to the franchise) but the humanize version and some stuff in this story were thought up by me

I would love to give my online sister/friend Goldsaddletank a HUGE thank you for helping me edit this story and for adding some stuff to it as well. Thank you once again, sis! ;-;

Enjoy!

Thomas silently sat at a beautiful dining table, looking over at the kitchen area with a blush.

James softly hummed a song as he turned on the stove, placing a frying pan on a pot stand before walking to the pantry. Thomas gulped as he stared at James's toned back, imagining how it must feel to have his arms wrapped around him. The soft jingle-jangle of the chains on James's jeans hitting his legs as he walked around the kitchen, along with the softest of footsteps, was the only sound either of them made.

As Thomas stared at him, he felt his face burn as he eyed the dragon tattoo on his well-toned arm; each movement made the tattoo look like it was alive. Gulping again, Thomas quickly looked down at the table as he gently played with his fingers. He would die if James noticed him staring at him like a love-sick puppy…no, more like a stalker.

Thomas sighed quietly as he slouched in the chair, trying to figure out how to start a conversation with the social media user.

"Are you allergic to anything?" James asked as he turned his head slightly, startling Thomas.

"N-No." Thomas squeaked, his cheeks red as he looked at him. "N-No allergies at a-all."

"Good." James smirked before looking at the stove.

Thomas felt his heart race as he saw James smirk, which always made his knees feel weak. By Lady, James was slowly killing him.

"W-What are you m-making?" Thomas asked quietly, the smell of cooking food making his mouth water.

"It's a surprise." James chuckled softly before scooping some cooked white rice into a frying pan. "Want anything to drink?"

"W-water." Thomas muttered quietly, looking down. "W-Where do you k-keep your c-cups?"

"I got it." James hummed as he walked over to a cabinet.

"Y-You don't ha-" Thomas protested, not wanting a fuss, but the older boy wasn't having it.

"You're my guest." James smirked as he walked over to the smaller teen, placing the glass of water in front of him. "I gotcha." He winked before walking back to the stove.

Thomas stared after him, his face red, his eyes wide, and his mouth agape. His body felt frozen and hot at the same time as the memory of James winking constantly replayed in his mind. His mind felt like it was on cloud nine before he quickly gulped down some of the water, wanting to clear his head.

'That wink was only friendly, nothing else…' Thomas told his mind, though his heart wished it was more.

"You mind if I play some music?" James asked as he pulled his phone out.

"N-No, I don't m-mind." Thomas said softly, still having an inner battle between his mind and heart.

"Cool." James hummed as he opened the YouTube app on his phone.

Thomas was too lost in thought to truly comprehend what James had asked him. His heart pounded against his ribs, feeling like it'll burst out at any minute. Thomas wondered if his friends and siblings felt the same way towards their significant others, or if it's just him.

He desperately wished he could control his heartbeat, his fear of passing out and embarrassing himself once again rising and bubbling in his chest and mind.

His mind was so focused on his inner crisis that he ignored the music that came from James' phone.

"I want to change the world, Nido to mayowanai kimi to iru mirai, Katachi doreba doko made mo toberu sa, Change my mind, Jounetsu tayasazu ni shiranai ashita e, Tsubasa hiroge hanabatakeru hazu sa, It's wonderland…"

Thomas finally realized James was singing and looked at him; the way the words rolled off his tongue was smooth as honey, making his heart flutter happily.

James continued to sing softly, unaware of Thomas staring at him. Turning the stove off, James scooped the fried rice out of the skillet and onto two plates. Using the spatula, he gently pressed the rice together to form a sphere. Grabbing the frying pan, he used the spatula to place some cooked beef onto the plates before drizzling some ginger sauce over the meat. Picking up the plates, he walked over to the table and set a plate down in front of Thomas.

"Fork or chopsticks?" James asked as he put his plate down as well.

"U-Uhh…" Thomas stuttered as he stared at the food in fascination. The food smelled intoxicated, making his mouth water and his stomach growl. "C-Chopsticks, p-please." He gulped, his eyes never leaving the food.

"You got it." James smirked as he walked over to a cabinet. Pulling out a pair of black chopsticks with a red Japanese dragon painted on them, he pulled out a set of dark blue chopsticks with silver koi fish painted near the top. "I'll give you a fork as well." He hummed as he placed the utensils onto the table, sitting in his seat.

"Thank you…" Thomas whispered softly, gently picking up the chopsticks.

He was mesmerized by the koi fish and the dark blue, which he could now see had some fragments of light blue, making it look like he was holding a small koi pond in his hand.

Sneaking a glance over at James, he watched how easily he used his chopsticks, holding his phone in his left phone as he ate, before looking back at his own plate. His hands shook nervously as he tried to hold the chopsticks. He had never even used chopsticks before and was mentally kicking himself for asking to use them.

He was grateful that James did bring him a fork but was too embarrassed to use it now. He felt his heart race in anxiety as he felt James's eyes on him, the chopsticks constantly moving in different directions as he tried to pick a piece of the meat up. He felt his eyes start to water as he continued to struggle with the chopsticks.

"Here."

Thomas was too lost in his mind to notice that James had stood up, yet alone standing behind him. Before he could look back at him, he froze as he felt the older teen lean over him, his back pressed against his muscular bare chest and his hands over his right hand and chopsticks.

His mind felt cloudy as the strong scent of caramel, spices, and cinnamon surrounded him. Gulping quietly, Thomas slowly turned his head and watched how James' warm hands easily covered his small, cold hands.

"You hold the bottom one like you would with a pencil." James hummed softly as he placed Thomas' thumb and middle finger on one of the chopsticks. "Then place the second one on top of your thumb then place your index finger on top of that to keep it from falling off your hand." He said before placing Thomas' index finger on top of the second chopstick. "It'll take a while to learn it but it's a start." He chuckled lightly before returning to his seat. "I was using mine like a fork to stab with when I was younger. I once stabbed poor Hiro in the hand with one during a temper tantrum." He chuckled weakly, but his eyes clouded over with pain and regret, just briefly - and then it was gone again.

'Please…come back.' Thomas thought as James walked back over to his seat, already missing the warmth that emitted from him. "T-Thank you…"

"Don't mention it." James smirked as he sat down, spinning his chopsticks in his hand before going back to eating. Whatever had haunted him moments ago had clearly been dismissed.

Thomas stared at him before looking at his plate and trying to use the chopsticks. After a few more times of trying and failing, he placed the chopsticks down and picked up the fork, and took a bite.

His eyes widened as the flavors exploded on his tongue, each chew adding more flavors to his taste buds. Moaning softly from the taste, he continued eating while savoring the flavors. Sure he has had Japanese before from restaurants, but they were never this excellent. James looked at the smaller teen, smirking a bit as he watched him melt from his cooking.

"Enjoying it, are we?" James chuckled teasingly as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand, his plate already empty.

The way Thomas froze, caused the smirk to widen on James' face. That reaction was almost the exact same reaction when Spencer first tried Hiro's cooking, embarrassing him with how 'informal' he was. Best day of James' life when he witnessed it.

"I-It's good…" Thomas said softly, his face completely red as he slowly ate at a reasonable pace. "I…I never had Japanese food this good before…" He muttered, too embarrassed to look at him or realize he spoke another full sentence without stuttering.

"I learned from Hiro." James hummed softly before standing up. "And I added to it." He chuckled as he took his plate over to the sink, washing it. "You done or do you want some more?"

"I'm d-done." Thomas said quickly, finishing the rest of his dinner before carrying the plate, utensils, and cup over to James.

"Arigato." James said before taking the kitchenware and washing it as well. "Well, you ready to work on the project?"

"I am." Thomas said softly, backing away from James before following him.

"My bedroom is on the left of the snake room and the bathroom is the first shoji to the left." James said as he looked at him before chuckling softly.

"W-What?" Thomas asked as he looked up at him, blushing that he was once again reminded of how small he was compared to him.

"You're tiny compared to me." James teased, a sly smirk forming on his face.

"I-I'm not that small!" Thomas argued, pouting as his red cheeks turned redder.

"You only come halfway up my chest." James smirked as he placed his hand on top of Thomas' head before moving it towards his chest. "Maybe a bit shorter than my chest. Either way, you are small, like a koneko."

"K-koneko?" Thomas asked in confusion, his heart racing from when James' hand was on top of his head.

"It means kitten in Japanese." James said as he looked at him, the smirk never leaving his face.

Thomas felt like his heart exploded and his mind-melting from listening to him. James just called him a kitten in Japanese and the way he said it made his heart race faster.

He needed to get away for a few minutes, or else risk himself passing out again.

"W-Where's your bathroom again…?" He asked softly, looking down at the ground as he tried to control his breathing.

"Behind that." James hummed, pointing to a shoji. "I'll be in my room." He said before walking towards the snake room again.

Thomas wasted no time walking over to the shoji, sliding it open before sliding it behind him. Now, whilst he had seen pictures of traditional Japanese bathrooms on Pinterest before, but wasn't expecting it to be like this.

The bathroom was simple but also spacious - and surprisingly comforting, due to the smell of sakura blossoms filling the room. To the far right was a low counter with two mirrors on each side, portable showerheads hung up and various types of shampoo, conditioner, and body placed neatly in the middle.

Two wooden stools were in front of each mirror with a wooden bowl and a towel resting on top of each stool. A taller counter was to the far left with a long mirror over the counter with two sinks built in.

The wooden floor was smooth and glistened with cleanliness, and a small sand garden built into the wall containing small stones and three small Bonsai trees resting in the cream-colored sand caught his eye.

Looking around the room, Thomas slid another shoji open and found a smaller room that held the toilet. A rack was screwed into the wall, having various sizes of towels and washcloths. Closing the shoji, Thomas walked over to the other side of the bathroom and slid that shoji open, only to gasp softly. A large and deep wooden bathtub rested along the wall but was surrounded by rocks and a small staircase leading up to it. It felt like he traveled through time as he looked around the room.

Closing the shoji, Thomas sighed softly before taking his phone out and scrolling through his contacts. He needs to vent to someone about what happened before he passes out. Pressing on a name, he held it up to his ear and listened to it ring.

Low music echoed in a dark room, only lit by candles scattered sporadically across the room.

A phone rang on a bedside table as a picture of Thomas appeared on the screen, followed by his name. Picking up the phone, Toby looked at the screen before sliding it to unlock it. He wore tight leather pants and a leather vest with black platform boots. Love bites decorated his neck as he held the phone against his ear.

"Toby here." Toby hummed as he lifted a cigarette to his mouth.

T: "Hi Toby, is Percy available to talk for a few moments?"

Toby grunted in the affirmative before looking behind him at the blonde hair teen.

Percy was held up in the air by handcuffs, only wearing a male leather BDSM harness with a metal ring around his swollen dick. A black ball gag was strapped against his mouth and jawline with a spiked collar around his neck. His eyes were covered in a black fabric blindfold that was tied tightly together. Love bites and bruises decorated his body as pre-cum dripped out of his member. A purple vibrator stuck out of him, the vibrating sound almost blending in with the music. His moans were muffled as saliva covered the ball gag and dripped out of his mouth.

"Yeah, he is." Toby said as he walked over to his boyfriend, turning the vibrator off.

"Mmm mm Mpmm?!" Percy's muffled voice asked as he turned his head around.

"It's Thomas." Toby said bluntly, blowing smoke into the teen's face. "He wants to talk to you." He added before taking the ball gag out.

Saliva poured out of Percy's mouth, his mouth constantly opening and closing to get the feeling back in his jaw muscles. Feeling his phone being placed against his ear, he raised his shoulder to hold his phone in place.

"Hey, Thomas!" Percy greeted happily, still having the blindfold on as Toby leaned against him.

T: "I'm…not interrupting something, am I?"

"Mmmm…not at the moment." Percy giggled nervously, not wanting to admit what he was actually up to. "But enough about me. What about you?! How are things at the Noble house? Have you two kissed yet?"

T: "W-Wha- n-no! I…I'm just here so we can work on our project…"

"Sure you are." Percy teased before giggling softly. "But seriously, is everything alright?"

T: "Yeah…we just finished dinner an-"

"Did he cook it or did you guys order it?" Toby asked, pressing the speaker button on Percy's phone.

T: "He…made it for us…"

"He made it!?" Percy gasped happily. "Dude, he's NEVER cooked for anyone outside of Mavis, Donald, Douglas, and Duncan!" He said excitedly. "That's a step!"

T: "I guess but…he then leaned over me to show me how to use chopsticks."

"Impressive." Toby mused as he firmly grabbed Percy's dick, teasingly moving his hand up and down slowly.

Percy bit his lip tightly, tasting blood as he held back a moan. "T-That's a big step, Thomas." He said, vowing to kick Toby later.

Though he knew his boyfriend would likely 'punish' him later.

T: "He only showed me cause I never used chopsticks before."

"Hey, it's still a big step." Percy smiled, struggling not to moan as he felt Toby's palm rub over his 'head'. "A-Anything else happened?

T: "He…he called me a koneko, which means kitten in Japanese…"

"He called you kitten in Japanese?!" Percy and Toby gasped.

"Thomas, that is BIG." Percy gasped happily, the chain from the handcuffs rattling a bit. He winced before continuing, "He's never called anyone anything that wasn't their name!"

"Besides the people he hangs out with." Toby corrected as he removed his hand, earning a silent cry from Percy.

"I'm pretty sure he didn't mean anything since he was only talking about my height…" added Thomas quietly.

"Look, Thomas." Percy said softly. "As your best friend, I need you to stop doubting everything James is doing."

T: "But he-"

"I know what he's doing doesn't seem like anything but he's talking to YOU." Percy smiled, his eyes shining brightly beneath the blindfold. "Just the other day, you couldn't even mutter a single sentence to him but now you're talking multiple sentences."

T: "I still stutter when I talk to him though…"

"It's an improvement, Thomas." Toby hummed. "Going from a half-stuttered sentence to long, multiple, stuttered sentences. You are slowly improving yourself and feeling comfortable just being around him."

"You're so sweet, Toby!" Percy sang happily.

"Shush." Toby huffed before grabbing the tip of Percy's cock and squeezing gently.

Percy's breathing hitched softly as he bit his lip, holding back a moan. "B-But I agree with Toby. It's a huge improvement for you!"

T: "I guess…thank you for allowing me to talk…"

"Always!" Percy smiled brightly. "You know we'll always listen to you when something's on your mind."

"Or when you want to get something off your chest." Toby stated dryly.

"Thank you…and thank you for being my friends. Bye Percy, Toby." Thomas said, sounding more confident now.

"Bye Thomas!/Later." Percy and Toby said before Thomas hung up.

"Ahhhh…" Percy moaned loudly, happy to finally let it out.

"Toby, you damn tease!" He said, leaning his head back.

Toby smirked as he grabbed Percy's chin, moving his face to look at him. "Now then, where were we?"

"Punishing me, master…" Percy sighed happily, licking Toby's thumb as he felt him outline his lips.

"I think it'll be better with you gagged." Toby hummed softly, tying the ball gag around Percy's mouth again.

"Mmm Ahhh Mmmm!~" Percy moaned as he arched his back once again.

Thomas sighed softly as he put his phone in his pocket before taking a deep breath. He did feel a bit better talking to Toby and Percy but still felt nervous.

Splashing some cold water onto his face, and dried it with his sleeve, before he left the bathroom. He slid the shoji close behind him before walking towards James's room, which was echoing with soft Japanese music behind the shoji.

Thomas slowly slid it open, and walked in. His eyes widened in fascination. The room was identical to a Wasitsu, or traditional Japanese room, that feels like Thomas has traveled back to medieval Japan.

The entire floor was covered in tatami mats, made from chemical fibers to make it last longer. Across the room, two shoji doors were open a bit, revealing the beautiful Japanese-style garden behind the house. Two Fusuma, each side having beautiful paintings of trees, were slid open, revealing how big the room actually was. In the center of the room is a Zabuton with the floor cushions a stunning black color with red sakura blossoms stitched on. In the middle of the four zabutons was a small fire pit with a black Japanese teapot resting on the stand. A red Asain dragon was painted around the teapot with golden trees painted behind the dragon.

To the far right corner of the room was a low table with a zabuton on each side of it. Pads of papers and various books of Ancient Egypt and pens were scattered about the table with a can of Monster resting on the floor. On the left side of the room was a tall tansu with various drawers and cabinets of different sizes. Statues of dragons stood on top of the wooden furniture, acting as guardians as they seemed to stare across the room.

Against the right wall was a partition that was opened, revealing a beautiful artwork of an old Japanese village with a crane flying over it. Traditional Japanese lamps stood in each corner of the room, each one had floral designs painted on washi paper.

"So beautiful…" Thomas whispered as he slowly walked further into the room, looking around in amazement.

"Put your stuff at the table."

Thomas looked around in confusion before eventually seeing James' silhouette behind the partition, blushing as he saw the silhouette removing clothes from the body. Quickly turning his head, Thomas shuffled over to the low table and put his stuff down next to it. Sitting on the cushions Indian style, he slowly picked up one of the books and looked through it.

"Which area do you want to start off with?"

Thomas turned his head and felt his cheeks burn as he stared at James. He wore a stunning red kimono made of pure silk that made him look like he was from royalty. A golden Japanese dragon was stitched around the fabric, looking like it was circling James himself. Thomas wanted to look away, he kept telling his body to move, but he couldn't steer his head away from the god in front of him. James raised a brow at Thomas as he stared back at him.

Thomas felt his cheeks burn like volcanic lava and quickly turned his head away from him. "I-I'm s-sorry…I-I…w-was staring a-at your k-k-k-kimono…" He muttered quickly, burying his face in the book.

"Thanks." James chuckled as he sat on the cushion across from it. "It just arrived today." He smirked before opening the other books, and putting paper and pencils on the table. "Where do you want to start?"

"D-Doesn't m-matter…" Thomas muttered, keeping his focus on the book.

"Very well." James chuckled softly as he started to write notes down.

"Hissssssssss."

"Hey, noodle." James chuckled as he picked Flame up, putting him around his neck.

"Hissss." Flame hissed happily as he coiled around his master's neck.

"How did you get Flame again?" Thomas asked softly, once again surprising himself at his lack of stuttering.

"From what I heard, Flame was actually given to Viper as a baby, thinking Viper would eat him but surprisingly, Viper became protective of him." James hummed softly as he gently petted the snake's head.

"And Viper?" Thomas asked softly as he slowly looked up at him. "You already know the answer to that, dumbass." He thought as he kept mentally kicking himself.

"From a slaughterhouse." James stated, clutching his pen tightly. "They had so many reptiles that they were farming to make accessories and clothes out of." He spat with disgust. "Which is why I went into rehabilitating snakes. And somehow I seem to be able to understand them in general."

"You are amazing…" Thomas said softly, only to feel his burn once more. "A-at r-rehabilitating I mean!" He corrected himself, imagining slamming his head against a wall.

"I know I am." James laughed softly as he leaned back.

Thomas giggled softly as he started writing his own notes down. Hours seemed to have gone by as both James and Thomas worked on the project, taking small breaks every now and then, whether it was to talk, or Janes introducing Thomas to a new song or video he found on YouTube. They also took those breaks to tend to practical needs, such as using the toilet or grabbing snacks.

Thomas was drawing a layout of their poster before looking over at James - seeing him so hyper-focused in reading the history, and making his own diagrams for the poster made Thomas's heart flutter.

Everyone thinks James is just a high mighty badass who could care less about school and, while it is true, Thomas has seen how excited James would get about certain subjects. Most people wouldn't have noticed, but Thomas could see how subtle James's ' face glowed when their classes talked about subjects. James was clearly intelligent and liked learning, as well as a challenge.

…

As the two continued to work, Thomas felt his eyes getting heavy as his head nodded like a bobblehead toy.

Looking at his phone, his eyes widened a bit as he saw that four hours had gone by, even though it didn't feel like it had been that long. Hearing shuffling in front of him, he watched as James stretched and stood up. He blushed as he saw James's kimono slide off his right shoulder, revealing his toned muscles. Flame sleepily opened his eyes from the movement but easily fell back to sleep. Cracking his back, James yawned as he stretched his arms as well.

"Let's call it a night." James hummed as he looked down at Thomas. "Spencer and Hiro should be back soon anyway."

"Y-Yeah…" Thomas said softly as he stood up, wincing a bit from how stiff his legs were.

Stretching as well, he silently gathered his stuff and followed James out to the living room area. Thomas watched as James walked into the kitchen as he sat on the couch and pulled out his phone.

He started to text Edward but stopped as a hand appeared in front of him with a small white ball resting on it.

"Here." James smirked as he handed it to him. "It's mochi." He said as he took a bite from the second one.

Thomas blinked before gently grabbing it, looking it over. "Mochi?"

"Ice cream wrapped in glutinous rice dough." James said as he sat next to him. "A Japanese dessert. " He smiled as he took another bite of his own. "I figured we earned a reward for all that hard work."

Thomas blushed furiously as James sat next to him. The strong scent of spices and caramel once again filled his nose as he quickly took a bite of dessert.

The taste of the small dessert was sweet, almost like candy, that was mixed with vanilla ice cream. James's presence next to him was almost forgotten, but it soon returned when he leaned back, causing Thomas to slide next to him. Heart racing, he could feel James' body heat through his kimono, warming him up. He wanted nothing more than to crawl onto his lap, feeling his muscular arms wrap around his tiny waist and holding him close to his chest. Finishing his mochi, Thomas quickly put his hands on his lap, trying to stop his brain from coming up with all of these scenarios.

"Tadaima." Hiro's voice echoed from the genken, hearing the shoji door open.

"Okaerinasai." James called back before standing up and walking over to them.

Thomas felt his heart yearn to have James next to him again but shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Standing up, Thomas slowly followed him and looked at the genken as well.

"How was your dinner?" James asked as he helped Hiro into the living room.

"It was nice, James." Hiro smiled warmly as he gently petted James' head. "Hello, Thomas."

"Hi, Hiro." Thomas smiled as he waved at him.

"How was the studying?" Asked Hiro.

"I-it went fine, Hiro. We decided to call it a night. And James let me try mochi. It's nice."

"I'm glad you had a good evening." Hiro frowned at Thomas, making the young boy nervous. Had he said something wrong?

Suddenly Hiro put a hand on Thomas's forehead. Thomas was surprised, but he realized what Hiro was doing and wasn't worried.

"Are you alright, my friend? You're awfully warm." Hiro asked, concerned

"I'm fine, Hiro, really." Thomas said. He was too embarrassed to admit the real reason he was blushing.

"Do you want me to call Edward for you?" Asked Spencer.

"No, Spence, I'm fine, just a bit-"

Thomas yelped as he tripped over his toes trying to back away from his friend and his cousin.

Like lightning, Hiro wrenched himself free from James's grip and caught Thomas by the armpits before he could hit the floor - but his old injuries flared, burning his limbs like fire in the blood.

Thomas saw the pain and anguish in Hiro's face and teared up.

...

Spencer helped the pain-stricken Hiro to sit down.

Thomas started to cry - seeing poor, gentle Hiro in pain was too much for him.

And it was all his fault.

"I'll be OK, hachi," said Hiro kindly.

"It-it's all my fault"-

"It was an accident, Thomas." Smiled Hiro, and beckoned Thomas to come closer.

Thomas reluctantly obeyed. Hiro took Thomas's hand in his own and squeezed it gently.

"Little hachi, I do not blame you or hold you accountable for what happened." Said Hiro. "I would do it again, for anyone. I did not want you to hurt your head, Thomas."

"B-but Hiro, you can't move now..."

"But I will, Thomas. I just need time. It's not so bad as the times I first received these scars."

"Still-"

"Shall I give you a hand upstairs, Hiro?" James asked. His voice, once loud, boisterous, and happy, had withered to a husk.

"I'll manage," said Spencer. "I'll take Thomas home after."

Thomas dreaded this. But he couldn't ask James to leave Hiro, so he silently nodded, tears still streaming down his face.

"C'mon," Spencer grunted, helping Hiro to his feet.

"I'll see you later, Thomas." Hiro said gently.

"I'll come check on you later." James said to Hiro.

"I can look after him myself," said Spencer icily.

"He's my brother, for Lady's sake!" Shouted James.

"If you hadn't invited Thomas this wouldn't have happened!" Spencer snapped back.

...

"If you hadn't invited Thomas this wouldn't have happened!"

Spencer's words rang in Thomas's ears. He reddened, his eyes rapidly filling with tears.

…

Hiro was angered, to say the least. And that was rare enough on its own.

But James had never seen his kindly big brother lose his temper with Spencer, of all people.

"How dare you blame the consequences of MY actions on a child!" He hissed, genuinely disgusted. "And to your own family, no less! How could you, Spencer? And don't you dare say honorable intentions, for there was no honor in your words!"

"Hiro, Hiro, I will rectify this. Please, just calm yourself." Said Spencer, worriedly. "I know. I was worried, and-"

...

"Are you alright?" Janes asked Thomas, quietly.

"I just want to go home..." Thomas whimpered trying to tune out the words.

"Do you want me to phone someone for you?" James asked worriedly. "I can explain what happened…"

Thomas didn't answer but was surprised when he felt a warm hand grasp his own and squeeze it.

"Sorry, he said that to you..." James said quietly. "I... I know that was an accident. I didn't want you getting hurt, either. But Hiro reacted before I could."

Thomas sniffled.

"I'll call Edward." James said softly as he gently led Thomas back to the couch, still holding his hand.

Even though he was crying, he still couldn't help the blush that appeared on his cheeks as he looked at their hands.

James's hands were larger than Thomas's own.

And, James's hand was so warm compared to his cold hand…

Still, the words continued to echo in Thomas' mind as he looked down. He knew Spencer was a boastful, smug jerk like Gordon, and was capable of being worse sometimes, he did always try to not act like one around Thomas, or Stanley.

Feeling more tears fall down his cheek, he tried to blink them away but failed. Thomas knew that Spencer was worried about Hiro when his wounds flared up, seeing the worry in his eyes, he knew that Spencer didn't mean to say those words but they still hurt him - deeply.

Spencer was his cousin. Those words somehow felt more awful due to their familial connection.

James looked at Thomas sadly as he gently helped the younger teen sit down on the couch. From what Percy and Stanley told him, he pieced together phrases as the one Spencer said would bring up Thomas' anxiety and depression.

Hell, he felt his own anxiety and depression rise from Spencer's yelling, reminding him of his own abusive father.

Shaking his head, he gently let go of Thomas' hand before pulling his cell phone from his kimono sleeve. Opening his phone, he quickly typed in something before holding it up against his ear.

Edward: 'Angel household, Edward speaking.'

"Hey, Edward. It's James." He hummed as sat next to Thomas. "Mind coming to pick Thomas up? I don't think he wants to ride with Mr. Silver Steam after what happened." He gave a slight sneer in Spencer's direction.

Edward: 'What happened?'

"Uhhh…I think it's best if you get here to tell you the story." James hummed softly before looking at the silent teen next to him. "But you might get pissed, just warning you now…"

Edward: 'I'm on my way.' click

….

"Edward will be here soon, Thomas." James said softly as he slid his phone into his kimono sleeve once more.

"...I didn't mean for this to happen…" Thomas whispered, his body shaking as he cried quietly.

James looked at him sympathetically before pulling out a black silk handkerchief from his kimono before handing it to him. "Here."

Looking up, Thomas's cheeks burned slightly before gently taking the piece of fabric and wiped his tears away. James frowned before leaning back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

…

The air was thick from tension as Spencer silently helped Hiro into his room. The room itself was almost done up the same way as James but a hospital-type bed resting in the corner of the room. Millions of thoughts ran through Spencer's mind as he gently laid Hiro down on the bed and went to grab an IV tube. He stopped when Hiro took it before he could and watched as the other male started to attach the tube himself.

"Thank you for helping me up the stairs, Spencer." Hiro stated flatly, clearly avoiding looking at him.

Spencer flinched from the flat tone of Hiro's voice, knowing full well that he's been avoiding looking at him since the incident in the living room, let alone calling him by his nickname. Sure he's done stuff before that caused Hiro to be disappointed in him, but never like this.

He hated it.

"Hiro…" Spencer started off softly. "I…-"

"I think it's best that you leave, Spencer. You have a job to do tonight." Hiro hummed quietly as he lowered his hands to rest on his lap.

Spencer opened his mouth to say more but stopped him, knowing he already crossed a line tonight. Not to mention burning down the area surrounding the line.

Biting his lip, he gently kissed the top of Hiro's head before turning around. "...I love you, Hiro." He whispered softly before leaving the room, not wanting to stay longer after the mess he caused.

Hiro took a deep breath and leaned his head back, letting out a shaky breath as he tried to calm his nerves down.

…

Spencer sighed as he walked down the stairs and into the hallway, stopping at the living room.

He looked into the room, wanting to talk to Thomas and to apologize to his young cousin - but stopped as he looked at James. The teen sat next to the shaking, smaller boy, his eyes burning with a silent rage as he glared at the silver-haired male. Spencer took a deep breath and sighed before looking away from them.

Perhaps he needed to let things cool down a little.

He only hoped his other three cousins didn't kill him.

….

"I'll…I'll be back in three weeks…" Spencer said softly, not wanting to know if they were even listening to them. "...I'm sorry, Thomas…" He whispered before walking into the genken.

Taking the slippers off, he silently puts them in the cubie he usually uses before putting his normal black formal shoes on. Opening the shoji, he silently walked out of the house before sliding it close behind him. Gasping out a silent sob, he took a shaky breath before walking over to the engine shed. The puffing sound of another engine caught his attention as he looked up, seeing a familiar FR 21/K2 engine screeching to a stop.

"What the hell did you do, Spencer?!" Edward growled as he jumped out of his engine's cab, storming up to his cousin.

Spencer gulped silently as he started to take a few steps back fearfully. Edward may be known as one of the kindest and caring humans ever, but he knew that Edward can be VERY scary when he's angry. There are only a few things that could make Edward angry and he knew he failed the very first thing - never hurt Thomas.

"E-Edward…" Spencer stammered as he looked down at his raging cousin. "I-I…i-it was a-an accide-"

"What did you do to Thomas?!" Edward yelled as he cut Spencer off, grabbing the collar of his silver suit. "I got a call from James saying that you did something to Thomas! What did you do?!"

Spencer gulped as his body shook, tears falling from his cheeks. "T-Thomas tripped and H-Hiro caught him b-but his w-wounds flared up a-again a-and…" He looked away, the guilt eating at his heart. "I-I told James t-that I would h-help Hiro after s-saying h-how he was H-Hiro's brother when…when…" He muttered as he looked away from the rage-filled sapphire eyes. "When…I told James that…if he didn't invite Thomas over, then…then this wouldn't have happened…" He whispered sadly, realizing how drastically he had screwed up.

Edward gritted his teeth - before punching Spencer's cheek hard. Sure he didn't have the physical strength as Gordon or Henry, but he did have enough to cause Spencer to stumble. Plus, he hadn't entirely expected Edward to punch him, so he had the element of surprise.

"I can't believe you even said that, especially in front of Thomas!" Edward yelled before pinching the bridge of his nose tightly, exhaling deeply. "You know EXACTLY how sentences like that affect him and yet you still said something so hurtful!"

"I-I know I fucked up Edward, really." Spencer muttered quietly as he spat out blood from his mouth where he had cut his cheek with his teeth from the blow. "I really am sorry…I wasn't thinking…"

An angry laugh escaped from Edward, causing a chill to run down his spine.

"Just…just go take the Duke and Duchess to Germany." He said before glaring at him. "I literally can't deal with you at the moment, Spencer - physically and mentally." He said before walking around him and into the genken. "We'll talk later, by the way. And it won't be pretty."

Looking down, Spencer silently walked over to his engine and climbed into his engine's cab.

Clenching his eyes shut, he punched the cab door as he let the tears flow freely. "Thomas…Hiro….Edward….James…I'm so sorry…" He muttered as he released his engine's brake, making it puff forward.

Leaning against his tender box, Spencer took his cell phone out and dialed a number before holding it against his ear. "...Hello, Dr. Forest…I…I fucked up again…" He said, and he dissolved into sobs.

…

Edward gave a long sigh after he slid the shoji door closed behind him, trying to calm his nerves. The fear of Thomas going back to his depressive state is always on his mind and he's scared he'll go back to that after everything that happened tonight. Once his hands stopped shaking, he rolled his shoulders before looking for a new pair of slippers.

"Thomas?" Edward called out, standing in the genken after not finding a spare pair.

The sounds of slippers scuttering across the wooden floor caught his attention as he looked up. Thomas quickly ran down the small flight of stairs and hugged Edward tightly, burying his face against his chest. Edward quickly hugged him back, gently rubbing his back and softly whispering in his ear. James silently walked down behind Thomas before handing Edward Thomas's bag.

"Here." James hummed softly as he looked at the older male. "Sorry…"

"Thank you, James. And you don't need to apologize, it's Spencer who owes my brother an apology." Edward said softly as he gently pulled Thomas away a bit, petting his head. "Put your shoes on so we can go home, Thomas."

Thomas silently nodded before taking the slippers off, and picking them up. He looked over at James just as James pointed to an empty cubby next to him. Nodding, Thomas gently slid the slippers into the cubie and put his shoes on silently.

"...Thank you, James…" Thomas said softly before walking out of the genka.

Walking up to Edward, James silently held out a tiny container full of leaves. "This is lavender tea. It'll help Thomas relax tonight."

"Thank you once again, James." Edward said kindly as he took the container. "And, I'm sorry for how Spencer reacted tonight."

"He's a stubborn, boastful jerk." James shrugged before walking up the stairs. "Tell Thomas that I hope he feels better soon."

Edward smiled warmly as he held Thomas' bag. "I will. And I hope Hiro feels better soon too. It's a shame that happened."

"Thanks. I'll pass that on." Said James.

"See you tomorrow, James." He said before leaving the genken, sliding the shoji behind him.

Sighing loudly, James cracked his neck before walking into the kitchen area, exhausted and drained. "Fucking Spencer…" He grumbled as he started to prepare Hiro's matcha tea. "Can't believe he fucking said that." He huffed as he put everything on a tray. "Silver bastard." He grumbled as he carried the tray up the stairs into Hiro's room.

…

James frowned sadly as he looked at his older brother, laying in that hospital bed while staring at the ceiling. He always hated to see Hiro lying in that thing but knew that he didn't have a choice. After everything their father did to both of them, the wounds are still clearly visible on his brother's body, refusing to heal no matter what is done.

Hiro had his eyes closed, his head tilted back as he tried to ignore the pain that shot throughout his body. "I know what you are thinking, James, and, even though what he did and said was horrible, I am not going to dump him." He said. "I heard him thumping his engine from here, and I know he knows he made a colossal mistake."

"He's a jackass with an oversized ego." James sighed as he walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Still in pain, but I will be just fine." Hiro said softly, smiling reassuringly to his younger brother. "How is Thomas doing?"

"He just left with Edward." James said before gently putting the tray down on the body. "Do your bandages need replacing? Another blood bag?"

"I believe I am alright on those, James." Hiro hummed softly as he looked down at his arms. "I think that I only stretched the wounds just enough to hurt but not reopen."

"I brought you some tea." James said softly as he poured Hiro a cup full of matcha tea. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, I am good, Little Brother." Hiro smiled warmly as he gently took the tea, taking a sip of it. "But thank you all the same."

Edward frowned sadly as he drove his engine towards the shed at their house, keeping an arm around Thomas. The entire trip back was silent, only Thomas' soft sniffles heard amidst the soft chuff-chuff of Edward's engine. Looking down at his younger brother, Edward ran his hand through his chocolate brown hair, humming softly as he felt Thomas's arms wrap around him tighter.

"Thomas-"

"It's all my fault…" Thomas muttered, his voice muffled against Edward's shirt.

"It wasn't your fault." Edward said reassuringly as he gently lifted Thomas's chin. "It was an accident and everyone knows that."

"Not Spencer…" Thomas muttered before looking down.

"Spencer is stubborn when he does things, not thinking about the reactions of others until he does something that upsets them. Remember how he was a few years ago, not caring how mean he was towards others?" Edward asked softly as he held him closer.

"Mm-hmm…" Thomas hummed quietly, gently nuzzling him.

"When he first started dating Hiro, we all noticed how he keeps trying to change to be a nicer person, right?" Edward asked again, feeling another nod. "Spencer sometimes forgets that but he does regret doing those actions."

"It didn't feel like he did this time…"

"Trust me, he did." Edward whispered as he kissed his head. "Even though I am still livid on how he acted tonight, I do know that he does truly love and care for you."

"I guess…"

Edward frowned sadly as he slowed his engine to a stop into its berth. "Let's go in." He said softly before climbing out of his cab, helping Thomas down as well.

Thomas looked down and silently walked towards the house, holding his bag close. He just wanted to get to his room and be alone with Sky again.

Entering the house, he heard his siblings' and Stanley's greetings but paid them no mind. Taking his shoes off, he walked up the stairs and into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He felt warm tears threatening to fall again as he sat on his bed, hugging himself tightly as he clenched his eyes shut.

"Thomas sad. Thomas sad."

Thomas sniffed as he opened his eyes, looking at the macaw in front of him. Lowering his arms, he gently picked the bird up and held him close, crying. Thomas smiled as he felt Sky gently 'kiss' his cheek as best as he could and held him closer, being very careful not to hurt him.

Minutes seemed to crawl by before Edward walked into the room, holding a mug of lavender tea. Thomas sniffed and wiped his eyes as he let Sky climb onto his shoulder, allowing Edward to sit next to him.

"It's lavender tea. James said it'll help you relax." Edward said softly, handing the mug to him.

"J-James said that…?" Thomas asked quietly, tears falling as his cheeks burned while he grabbed the mug.

"He did. Even gave it to me for you." Edward chuckled softly before petting his head. "I know what happened tonight was a lot, but try not to dwell on it too much. I know Spencer will apologize. But, don't hide your feelings about it. Please. Talk to us."

"What about the others?" Thomas asked softly as he took a sip of the tea, finding it refreshing.

"Rosie is mad, while Gordon wants to strangle Spencer and Stanley wants to beat him up." Edward hummed softly, smiling a bit as he heard Thomas' small giggle. "We'll worry about Spencer when he comes back in three weeks and when we've all calmed down." Edward said. He sat with his brother until Thomas finished his tea and his eyes began fluttering sleepily. "Now, do try to get some sleep, Thomas. All of us have a long day tomorrow with all of our jobs, including you." as he gently took the empty mug, standing up.

"Alright." Thomas said quietly as he hugged him close. "Thank you, Edward."

"You're welcome, Thomas." Edward said softly as he hugged him back, kissing his head. "I love you."

"I love you too." Thomas said as he kissed his cheek.

Edward smiled warmly as he gently patted his head before leaving the room, closing it behind him. Thomas walked over to his hamper, taking his clothes off and putting on his pajamas. He shivered from the cool fabric touching his skin before walking over to Sky.

Sky squawked softly as he climbed onto Thomas' arm, ruffling his feathers before plucking out the dead feathers. Thomas smiled gingerly as he gently kissed his head, holding his arm to the cage. Sky slowly walked into the cage, climbing up the side and looking at him.

"Goodnight, Sky." Thomas said softly before closing and locking the cage door.

"Goodnight, Sky." Sky repeated as Thomas put the cover over the cage.

Walking over to his bed, he collapsed onto it before instantly wrapping his blankets around him. His eyes burned from his crying but he no longer felt the tears.

Besides feeling upset, he also felt embarrassed for crying in front of James. Sure his crush didn't laugh or tease him and showed concern for him, but the feeling of being judged filled his mind. Putting his pillow over his eyes, he started to count from ten to try to clear his thoughts before sleep eventually took him.

Thomas whimpered as he crouched down in the dark void, numerous voices echoing around him. He hasn't been to this place in years and he wished this place would leave forever.

"You're weak!

"Pathetic!"

"Such a crybaby!"

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't invite Thomas over!"

That one statement seemed to be louder than the others, more so because it was newer. Every comment that affected him greatly always came here, tormenting him. He wanted it all to end, to be rid of these thoughts but no matter what he did, they never went away. Tears streaming down his face, he covered his ears with his hands to try to muffle their shouts.

"Please…stop…" He begged quietly, clenching his eyes shut tightly.

"They're wrong."

Thomas felt his body freeze as that voice caressed his ears, every other voice disappearing like smoke. Slowly opening his eyes, he soon found himself standing in a pond, completely naked. Feeling his cheeks burn, he turned around and felt his face catch on fire. Behind him stood James, completely naked, as he stared at him. The water seemed to slowly slide down his toned body, outlining every muscle. His tattoos seemed to move as the same muscles rippled under his slightly tanned skin.

Thomas felt frozen as he slowly looked up at the male once he was close, once again noticing their height difference. James smiles warmly as he slowly snaked his arms around Thomas' smaller body, gently pulling him close to his chest. Thomas felt his entire body burn from being close to the other's body, feeling relaxed in his muscular arms that he desperately wished he would always be in.

"Never listen to what they say." James said softly, his lips close to his ears before slowly sliding his tongue against his lobe.

Thomas gasped from that touch as he held onto James, his knees feeling weak as he dug his nails into his back.

"They are wrong. You are special to everyone you meet. Especially to me." James hummed softly before slowly sucking his neck.

"J-James…" Thomas moaned softly, pressing himself closer to his body as much as he could.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you. Ever." James said softly as he pulled away, only to kiss Thomas passionately.

Thomas felt tears fall down his face once again as he closed his eyes, kissing back. He knew this was a dream but he wanted to hear those words from James. The words he desperately wished he would hear in real life. Thoughts went out of his mind as he pulled away a bit, their lips barely touching as his breath came out in short, hard pants. Looking up, Thomas stared into the stunning ruby pools that burned with passion and love. He felt tears form as he saw the reflection of his sapphire eyes in his deep red, blending together to form a faint purple hue. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to kiss James with passion as the older one did.

"Please…don't ever leave me…" Thomas thought as they continued to kiss, the water rippling around them.