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She was quiet, so quiet.
Tecna had never been the most talkative of their group, in fact, she might have been among the quietest, but this was different. There was a stillness about her now, an almost blankness in her face as she stared into nothing. It was unsettling to the point that Timmy wished that she would scream or cry or just do anything, just so he knew the girl he loved was still in there.
None of them quite knew what had happened to her while she’d been in the Omega dimension, while she’d been trapped with the worst criminals their universe had to offer. She hadn’t said what happened, but then she hadn’t said much of anything at all, and the healers hadn’t found a mark on her. And yet there was that quiet.
Tecna reportedly hadn’t spoken when Bloom and Sky had found her, just tilted her head in slight curiosity as if she didn’t quite recognise them at first. She hadn’t spoken when they’d met up with the others, standing stock still with her hands by her side while she’d been hugged and squeezed. And she hadn’t spoken when Timmy had reached her and taken her hand in his, had just stared at their joined hands until someone suggested they better get back to Alfea.
And she still hadn’t spoken once they’d gotten back, gotten her up to the infirmary to be checked over, gotten her through the hours after, full of questions and concerns.
Tecna had sat quietly through it all.
Timmy could see the worry in their friend’s faces, in the way they stayed close to the bed, talking to her with near pleading voices as they begged her to say something, anything. But she couldn’t. Or she wouldn’t. Timmy wasn’t sure which it was, but even as worry for her gnawed at his stomach he didn’t say much, just sitting back and watching her carefully. The others might not have picked up on it but it was impossible for Timmy not to see the minute movements, the twitching of her hands, the slight angling of the head, movement in her eyes. Tecna was in there, he knew she was, he just had to reach her.
The night drew closer and the others slowly drifted away, offering to give Tecna some space, promising to be back a little later. Sky clapped a hand on Timmy’s shoulder as he passed hand in hand with Bloom, the last of their group to leave.
Then it was just Tecna and Timmy, for the first time since she’d gone into the Omega dimension.
Timmy reached for Tecna’s hand again slowly, speaking softly as he did, “Is it okay if I hold your hand?”
Tecna didn’t answer, not that Timmy really expected her to, but her hand didn’t twitch away either. In fact, the smallest of sighs left her and her hand rolled over slightly, leaving her palm facing up, perfect for him to slip his own into. Her hand was cool in his, as it usually was, her skin no longer holding the icy frigidness that the Omega dimension had brought to it.
“I missed you,” he told her quietly. “A lot. I knew you were out there somewhere and it killed me that I didn’t know how to reach you.”
Tecna didn’t respond, but Timmy thought her face turned slightly more towards him as if she were listening. Even if she wasn’t, he realised how good it felt to say all this aloud and kept going.
“I thought a lot about us while you were gone, about all the regrets I would have if I never got to see you again. I think that’s why I clung so hard to the idea that I would find you, I needed to have that hope otherwise I think I would have drowned in all my regrets. There’s still so much I want to see with you, Tecna, do with you, say to you. And I realised-”
Timmy hesitated, wondering if it was fair to tell her this now, when she was still recovering from all that she’d been through. But the words thrummed under his skin, and he knew he needed to let them out now while he had the chance. He couldn’t risk losing that opportunity again.
So he squeezed her hand, and plucked up the courage to say, “I realised how much I love you, Tecna. I love you, Tecna. And I don’t expect you to say it back right now, or ever if you don’t feel the same way, and it’s okay if you don’t-” Timmy cut himself off, sensing that he was just babbling now to fill Tecna’s silence. She hadn’t reacted to his words at all, that eerie quiet still ensconcing her and Timmy tried to tell himself that he wasn’t disappointed. “Okay,” he said, squeezing her hand a little. “I’m going to give you some time on your own now.”
When she didn’t give any indication whether she wanted that or not, Timmy withdrew his hand and stood, stooping to press a gentle kiss to her temple. She didn’t lean into his touch but she didn’t move away either and when he straightened he saw that her eyes had slid closed.
“I’ll come back a little later, okay?”
An exhale of a breath was her only response and Timmy nodded a little sadly as he turned to head towards the door. He was halfway across the infirmary when he heard the voice, low and croaky as if it hadn't been used in some time.
“Don’t leave.”
Timmy froze before slowly turning around to stare at her. Her eyes were still shut, looking exactly as he’d left her, and he was just starting to think he’d imagined the words when she spoke again, seeing her mouth move for himself this time.
“Please don’t leave.”
Timmy’s mouth was suddenly dry but he managed to get out, “No- yeah, I can- I can stay if you want?”
Tecna’s eyes opened again as she turned slightly to face him. Then the smallest nod of her head. Timmy hurried back to her bedside and slipped back into his chair. Tecna’s gaze drifted away again but her hand twitched towards him, palm facing up. Watching her face carefully, Timmy took her hand once more, and finally some of that stiff tension she’d been carrying since the Omega dimension seemed to ease from her. Tecna was in there somewhere and Timmy found himself more than happy to hold her hand while she slowly came back to him.