Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Goddard was outside in the Neutron family yard. He clunked along after a yellow butterfly that had managed to evade his constant attempts on its life, the thing now perched in the grass a few feet away from the metal hound. He lowered himself down into the grass, slowly creeping up on the insect. A quiet and low dial-up noise sounded from the metal hull of the dog as he calculated the perfect trajectory for an attack. 

Unfortunately when he landed the only thing he had bit down on was a mouth full of dirt and grass, not the beautiful butterfly he had been hunting. 

He laid down in the grass with a mouth full of dirt, sad at that his persistence had failed him. But just as he was about to give up, he saw the butterfly flitter down to sit on a patch of the dirt that had scuffed his snout.

A chance at redemption! He jerked up and finally grabbed the thing in his maw. 

He bounced his way back to the shed and down into the lab where his creator was sitting and waiting for him. His creator had just recently gotten home from school and had seemed upset, this butterfly would be the perfect thing he needed to brighten his day! 

He happily stepped over to his creator, who was busy angrily scrolling through a list of something. the edge of a NASA coffee mug pressed to his lips but not taking a sip. Goddard laid his head down on his thigh to signal that he had gotten something for him. Jimmy turned to face his favorite creation, happy to be pulled from his thoughts by his dog.

Goddard being a machine didn’t change much aside from tune-ups and other such repairs and upgrades, Jimmy on the other hand had changed a lot since his middle school days. The biggest change was age, the blue light glasses he now has to wear, and him growing into the size of his head. He looks like a teenager now instead of the walking bobble head he was before. He wore a thin red jacket with a plain white tee and regular jeans.

"What'd ya' have for me boy?" Jimmy put his hand to Goddard's plasma dome, the purple strings of electricity move to his palm. After a few seconds of soaking in the affection Goddard picked himself up and stepped back a few feet. Playing a looping drumroll sound effect, he slowly opened his mouth to show off the pile of dirt and the -now dead- butterfly. 'Hooray!' 

To say Jimmy wasn't thrilled wouldn't be scratching the surface, he looked at the nothing that his dog had brought him with poorly hidden disdain as it fell from Goddard's mouth to the floor. 

He closed his eyes and took in a steadying breath. Blowing up at his dog is the last thing Jimmy would ever willingly do. "Thank you Goddard, however I don't think this is going to help me. But it is very pretty." Jimmy said lamely, he didn't truly think anything about the butterfly he was brought, but thankfully, he didn't have to mean the compliment as Goddard wagged his tail and licked his hand, leaving a mix of mud and oil. Gross. Jimmy spun back around in his chair to pull closer a red toolbox on a shelf, he kept all of his dog's necessities in this box. Anything from treats to tools needed for spur of the moment fixing, he grabs a small wrench for his favorite puppy.

As Goddard scampered off, he cleaned his hand and returned to his list of to-do experiments and gadgets. Despite the sprawling list of things Jimmy could put his smarts to, he decided none of them were a challenge enough for him.

Creativity and active creative flow were not something Jimmy was familiar with, he could create a robot to give him ideas but that would probably go haywire in some way that would end up with him being chased around town. He could ask Sheen for help, but he would probably ask for something like a 50ft action figure and not an actual invention, plus that would be a waste of good plastic. Jimmy sure as hell can't go to Carl for creative anything, not only was he just as unimaginative as Jimmy, but he was also being locked up at home because of allergies.

The art-blocked boy genius clasps his hands together and placed his two thumbs on the underside of his chin with his two index fingers pressed to his lips, coming up with inventions was somehow harder than he remembered, well not really, all his inventions previously were purely situational or created for fun. Coming up with an invention to keep him busy was something he usually didn't do as he would just have someone suggest a problem to him that had a simple fix.

“Goddard?” Jimmy called over his shoulder for his dog, but no dog arrived, just the long neck cord of the hound extended out to meet the call. Seeing that would make anyone else shit themselves, but to Neutron it was just his dog. “Ideas for inventions, go." He moves his hands to point at the disembodied head in front of him.

Goddard's head tilts to the side slightly, his neck wiggles a little bit as his body walks back to his head and the long neck that was previously extended around the corner retracts back into his body like a hose or a vacuum cord. 

A screen extended from his chest, the words on the screen read “infinite lug nuts.” Jimmy looked at the screen, the idea didn’t seem appealing. Although he would put that away for later as a birthday present for his one and only dog.

Jimmy shook his head. “Sorry, I don't think that's an idea I'm going to see through today." Goddard changed the message on the screen in response. "Ask the most creative person you know." He wagged his tail. Jimmy couldn't tell who Goddard would be referring to, the most "creative" person he could think of was Sheen but for all the wrong reasons. Wait.

"You don't mean Turner, do you?" His tone was flat, the two boys hadn't exactly left off on a good note but they were able to interact friendly-ish. Goddard nodded happily. Although Jimmy doesn't have many good things to say about Timmy, Goddard had very fond memories of him. Honestly though he probably had fond memories of most people he interacted with, because who doesn't love dogs?

the idea seemed plausible enough, but cross universal travel seemed like a waste of time especially if he had to talk to Timmy- king of never staying on track with whatever the fuck he's currently doing- Turner. 

A blinker on his desktop indicated someone was at the shed door. Jimmy looked back at his monitor, pulling up the surveillance camera outside of the shed. There stood one brown haired, blue eyed, pink hat wearing, colorful outfit having, nervous looking Timmy Turner.

"Speak of the devil," Neutron hissed under his breath, getting up from his chair. He pated Goddard's head as he passed him to get the door above the lab. "and he shall appear."

Chapter Text

The door of the rickety looking shed is opened to a very startled Timmy Turner and an already annoyed Jimmy Neutron.

“Hey Jim, I haven’t seen you in a while.” They hadn't seen each other since middle school and now it's the middle of high school, granted Jimmy would have probably skipped a grade or 3. Point being: It's actually been a long while. 

It was clear by his expression Jimmy knew the visitation gap “Yes, why are you here?” 

“Uh.. can I ask you for a favor?” The buck-toothed boy's voice was small and he shuffled a bit, putting a hand in his pocket and another behind his neck. 

Jimmy was never in all his scientific years an expert on people and how they work, but usually Timmy was easier to read. He looked him up and down. “That depends,” he glanced down at his watch, with an unemotional tone. “I’ve got some time, so shoot.” 

Timmy just froze, suddenly finding it difficult to talk as his nerves got the better of him.

Oh- and also, this is humiliating, asking a genius for tutoring in the subjects that they excel in? In Timmy's mind failing school is already embarrassing enough, but getting tutoring from the fucking boy genius James Neutron? If he wasn't an outcast before, he is one now. Really has nothing to do with Jim himself, but if people back home found out he’s getting help from someone who’s not even in their universe he’d never hear the end of it. 

“So I… um.” He looked around for any reason to get out of this conversation he started. Timmys’ eyes move from a tree to the flower bushes but land on one alloy dog, bent wrench in its jaw, sitting beside his owner without a care in the world. Jimmy watched as his visitor got predictably distracted, he stayed focused for a full 10 seconds before dashing towards the first interesting thing he saw. A new record. 

He leaned against the reinforced door frame, Timmy seemed to be less anxious with Goddard there so he's more than fine waiting. While that was happening he thought back to what the mechanical dog had said earlier, maybe asking Timmy would be worth his while. Most of his concern came from the inter-dimensional portal that he had left to rust for some time, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask Timmy for help since he was already here. So what's stopping him?

Timmy cooed over the dog for a solid minute before remembering Jimmy was there or that he was even in Jimmy's universe. The moment he briefly looked away from Goddard, the dog jumped, knocking him on his ass before either could react. The assailant’s owner couldn’t help but laugh, watching Timmy be attacked by Goddard was something he never knew he needed to see. He let his shoulders relax, all it took was a few seconds and Jimmy's mood does a 180. 

Goddard calms down enough that Timmy can sit up, but still laying it on thick with the affection, and oil, as dogs tend to do. He wipes the dog slobber from his face while also keeping Goddard an arms length away from accidentally biting him. As he does this balancing act of a dog in one hand and oil in the other Jimmy walked up to him. "I'll tell you what,” he held out a hand “You help me out and I’ll do you a favor. Deal?” 

He laughed while being pulled up, Goddard wasn't done playing and kept clawing at Timmy’s leg. "Sounds like a deal!" Finally back on his feet, and in more ways than one, hopeful he could speak without stammering now. “So wha’d you need me to do?” 

Jimmy smiled and turned half way, “Common,” not letting go of Timmy's hand "I'll show you."

Ok, maybe there's going to be more stammering...

Chapter Text

Down in the lab, Jimmy leads Timmy over to the super computer. The list of to-do experiments and gadgets open on the massive desktop just how he left it.

To Timmy the lab didn’t look all that different from how it was last time he saw it a few years ago, most things were still in the same place, organized and tidy with the only noticeable difference being new additions on the shelves. 

“Ok, I need some new ideas for inventions and you’re the most creative person I know who’s free.” Jimmy said as he sat down at his desk and pointed at the long list on the massive Tv-sized monitor. It didn’t have many ideas on it that weren’t disqualified previously based on other experiments, calculations, or not being sufficient enough for Jimmy’s intellectual standard. “Can you think of anything to keep me busy for a while?” 

But when Jimmy turned back around in his chair, Timmy was being distracted by a shelf full of other fancy contraptions. “Do ya ever think about making more a’ these?” Timmy asked under his breath, not really talking to Neutron but still speaking as if he was. 

"Turner!" 

"What? I haven't touched anything yet I promise!" Timmy put his hands up defensively, clearly a lie as there were marks on the edges of the shelf where he had put his still oil drenched hand. Any other time he would be happy to show off his creations, but Jimmy's one track mind wouldn't allow deviations at the moment. 

Jimmy knew this was a bad idea, and it was quickly starting to set what a rollercoaster ride this deal he made was going to be. "Get back here." he said pointing down at the floor beside his chair. "And stop touching things, your hand is filthy."

Timmy reluctantly shuffled his way back to Neutron's side feeling slightly embarrassed. He was always getting into trouble, but he couldn’t resist all the cool objects lining the walls. Neutron watched him closely, tracking his hand with his eyes. That sparked an idea in Timmy's head, and locking eyes with Jimmy he hovered his hand over the desk, which was covered in coffee ring stains. "Oh, you wouldn't dare ." Jimmy looked as if he would just kill him if he placed that muck on his desk, but Timmy with his shit eating grin and no forethought what-so-ever started to slowly lower his hand, egging the genius on.

"Oh, but I would ." 

His hand was maybe an inch away from the surface when Jim dove to catch Turner's wrist before he could actually touch the desk. This sudden movement caused some of it to fall. Jimmy's expression morphed from shock, to horror and disgust, causing Timmy to laugh. "Elgh- Gross."

Jimmy quickly slid a rag across the desk to where the oil was, but as he moved he noticed that the oil had no effect on Tim's pink and green nail polish. Curious, seeing as whenever he had asked Cindy to help him and any kinds of oil were involved -motor oil or otherwise- she would complain about her nail polish being ruined. In that moment he had decided to take her word for it seeing as how he never wore nail polish himself and hasn't since, but on further reflection testing her statements are an order. 

He stopped for a moment, pulling Timmy's wrist closer to his face for inspection. "It didn't do anything to your nail polish?" he said as more of a statement than a question, with the rag in hand he wiped the liquid from his nails, amazed when none of the colors came off on the rag. While Jimmy was conducting his mini science experiment on Tim's nails, Timmy himself was somehow frozen and overheating at the same time. 

Just having his hand lifted away from the desk would have been fine, but this was way too much. It may have been something so small, and completely by accident, but it triggered some sort of flight or flight response in Timmy's head.

And what was his response? To freeze. He opened his mouth to say something but the usual stuttering didn't even come out. Maybe it was the oil, or Neutron's hands, or something else entirely that made his hand feel unbearably hot. 

"What brand of nail polish is this?" Finally someone spoke after what was probably a minute of silence. Jimmy looked up to see Turner's completely red face and fearful eyes, he looked as if he was trying to get as far away from his own hand as possible. Jeez, did the motor oil really smell that bad? Guess he's just gotten too familiar with it. 

"Afraid of intimacy, remember?" A sentiment he echoed from a past adventure, it came out clumsily and uncomfortably. Now instead of being frozen with what is presumably fear, he's trying to wriggle his hand away from his friend.

Jimmy blinked, puzzled as to what that had to do with the nail polish, when he glanced back down at their hands he realized what he meant. "Oh. Right, sorry." Neutron tossed the rag back to where it had been previously as a silence fell between the two. Jimmy looked anywhere that wasn't his friend. And Timmy rubbed his wrist, silently desperate to remove the lingering feeling of touch.

It was a hushed fear he had held close to his chest for as long as he could remember. Over time it took root and spread its reach as far as it could, burrowed itself into every personal part of Timmy’s life. These weeds that drain him may not be pretty but they kept him safe, that's what they had told him and so far they’ve kept their promises and his secrets. 

Jimmy had also been dealing with his own problems, something akin to a broken mirror that he had filed away in a box and lost to time that now had been knocked over by one insignificant interaction. It violently poured from its airtight container and ripped through his veins, the sound in his ears being almost deafening. 

Timmy took in a long breath, finally deciding that the sensation left on his skin had sufficiently faded. “So what was it you needed me for?” he asked, hoping to change the awkward atmosphere in the room. 

"hm? uh- right." Jimmy straightened up in his chair, trying to refocus his attention. In Spite of his own question Timmy started quietly giggling, catching Jimmy off guard "What?" Jim stared at him in bewilderment, a facial expression that caused Timmy to fold into another laughing fit. 

"Now you're the one who's distracted, boy genius." Timmy teased, the discomfort in the room started to disappear as he kept laughing.  

Jimmy rolled his eyes, retorting, "Oh please. I'm nowhere near as bad as you are, fairy boy." They were both desperate for a laugh to clear the air. He looked away from the buck-toothed boy, staring ahead at his monitor instead feeling more at ease. 

Timmy scoffed at his words, put a hand to his chest and another to his forehead. "I'm so hurt." His tone was drowned in sarcasm and sprinkled with sugar that was sickeningly sweet, antics that never failed to get a rise out of Jim. 

"Whatever, drama queen, just keep your end of the deal." The constant back and forth was fun, but the prodigy has an objective to fulfill. Even so, he still feels a little bit of regret for bringing the conversation back around.

"aaannd... that was?" Right. He was distracted the first time around. 

"You come up with invention ideas, 'kay?" On that last word he tilted his head to the side as if asking if Timmy was stupid, which by Jimmy's standards would be an astounding yes, but the fairy boy nodded and looked at the massive screen in front of them both completely oblivious to the implications. Jimmy relaxed a little bit watching his friend think, finally he gets something to play with after a very exhausting three days of his mind being entirely blank of new ideas with no brain-blast to save him.

After skimming the list of inventions on the massive monitor, unable to understand a damn thing, his mind began to wander as it usually did. Naturally his current situation on his education was the first thing to come to mind, maybe if Jim could invent him a way to be smart without the tutoring then he can save that favor for later. 

"Can you invent something to make me smart?" He looked back at his friend hoping for a genuine response and not a joke about his intelligence. 

However Jimmy was off in his own headspace. "uh, I've already made a few things like that and they're really dangerous." he grimaced at the memory of his previous inventions, it seems like anything he made concerning intelligence or any other brain related things backfired horribly. Along with any other experiments he does on someone's biological structure. 

Timmy frowns, whether he doesn't believe Jim or is unsatisfied with that answer is lost on the boy genius. He put his hands in his pink jacket pockets, just to put them somewhere, "Can't I just use 'em anyway?" He asked, his serious tone made Jimmy chuckle at the idea. 

“If you want to explode." He leaned forward on an elbow, speaking as patronizingly as possible. He topped off his stab with an obviously faux-genuine smile. The thought of watching Timmy attempt to use one of his gadgets, and having it backfire on him, while it would be hilarious the damage it would cause to both Timmy and the lab wouldn’t be worth the laugh.

It gave Jimmy satisfaction to watch Tim's face scrunch up "You're such a dick." Tim muttered, though his expression gave away the playful tone of his words.

"Says you." Jimmy leaned back, shifting his weight to keep his elbow on the armrest.

Timmy scoffed, impressed by how much the boy genius had grown over the years. Slang wasn't something he recalled Jim using much of, if at all. "wow. I thought you were supposed to be just smart, not a smart ass." he said, sarcasm plain in his voice.

"I'm the smartest ass in this room at the moment." Jimmy replied with a smirk.

Tim narrows his gaze at the boy next to him "Did you just call me stupid?" He asked, it came out as more of a challenging statement rather than a question. 

Jimmy tilts his head back mockingly. "Did I?" he said, tone equally challenging.

Chapter Text

For a few beats they were locked in a staring contest. To Jimmy, his jab had landed in Turner's side right where he wanted it too. And to Timmy, he needed to come up with a come back that held just as much weight to Neutron. The room was tight, like a fight between the two was imminent, but they both knew that the other wouldn't dare jump for it as they were enjoying the banter. It was a play fight, a game of pushing and shoving to see if the other would throw a punch, but this game is too fun to interrupt with something so boring. 

"How bad do you want your invention?" he moved a hand from his pocket on the desk, this time not being blocked by Jim, leaning with his shoulders to tower over the sitting prodigy. Standing they would  be eye to eye, but here Timmy had the look of intimidation. 

Intimidation that was entirely lost on Jimmy. "How bad do you need that favor?" he lifts a brow, its clear to him this boy is trying to win a power struggle that is far out of his depth, as Turner bunches up his nose bridge a little further its clear to Neutron that he has the home field advantage. 

"Fuck you." He sounded angry, but his buck-tooth grin told otherwise. 

Jimmy scoffed in response. "You wish." The second the words fell from his tongue he immediately regretted it, watching Timmy fall over laughing. Neutron slapped a hand over his mouth, if he tries to justify what he said he knows fairy-boy here would turn it against him. 

He watched as Timmy laughed, half embarrassed, wanting to smash his fuck-ugly teeth into his bottom lip and shut him up to save some sort of dignity that for all he knows hasn't been damaged.

But another half looked on in awe . 

It was something so infectious, Jimmy couldn't help but get sick. He slammed a hand into his desk, folding the same way Timmy did. They spent a minute laughing like that and when they would momentarily calm down to breathe just looking in the direction of the other started the spiral all over again.

"Jesus-" Timmy wheezed, "god damn, I should hang out with you more often." 

"We would never get anything done." Jimmy wiped his watering eyes, trying not to laugh any more than he could handle while talking. His stomach was starting to get seriously sore. While feigning superiority, he shared the sentiment whole heartedly 

"Pfft" Timmy rested an arm on the head of his friend's swivel chair. "Is that such a bad thing?" He said sweetly. If Timmy had it his way, he’d avoid productivity like it was the plague. 

"Yes! You haven't even given me any new ideas!" Jimmy motioned his hands toward the massive monitor and the unchanged list causing the other to snicker. Neither of them were going to stop smiling or giggling any time soon, much to their diaphragms dismay. 

“Alright jeez, you’re no fun.” Timmy said, fake pouting.

Jimmy turned to look back at him, “You just said you wanted to talk to me more!” he reminded.

He crosses both arms over the head of the chair. “But that's boring,” he groaned. “making fun of you is more fun.” Jimmy rolled his eyes. 

Timmy was pushed backwards by Jimmy's chair and just barely managed not to trip and fall over. Neutron looked up at him from the now reclined chair. "Do your job." He said half-jokingly. 

Turner gained his composure before responding to his demand, “Fine, fine, fine.” he huffed. 

He knew this was important and he couldn’t just put this off for as long as possible by making Jimmy laugh, but concentrating was proving difficult. Colorful doo-dads, and so many things all over the walls made it difficult to hold his eyes in one spot, and now that he was fully aware of his surroundings a headache was quickly drilling itself into his skull. 

“Fuck.” He muttered to himself. While the inspiration all around him was nice, straining to stay focused was not. 

“If you want we can leave the lab,” Jimmy offered, seeing the distress on Timmy's face. “You look like you're about to have an aneurysm.” 

“No, no I'm fine. I just need a break from the lights. Don't you have a room down here without all this shit?” Timmy moved a hand over his eyes to hopefully reduce the ever growing headache everything around the lab was bombarding him with. 

He swiveled his chair around from the desk to his friend “Sadly no,” he said, causing Timmy to grumble in response. “I'll have to add something like that. But for now, Vox, turn off the wall lights.” Jimmy tilted his head up and spoke to the open air, a moment later a voice spoke repeating Jimmy's command and the only lights in the room were the ones directly overhead or from the super computer. 

Timmy looked around searching for the voice in awe, while that was probably the coolest thing he had seen all day he was now stubbornly committed to thinking of something cool for Jimmy to make. 

His mind had barely recovered when he had mashed the two ideas together. “An AI room.” He said absentmindedly.

“The lab is operated by an AI, yes.” Jimmy corrected, feeling confused on his phrasing but also somewhat proud of his creations getting recognition. 

But Timmy shook his head. “No, you should make an AI room.” He paused for Jimmy’s reaction, who became more confused than before. “Like one of those rooms you see in sci-fi movies where the main characters have to train their epic showdown.” 

Jimmy put a hand to his lips, “That might actually be a good idea. But I don't think I have the energy to run something like that for long periods of time.” He said thinking out loud. 

Jimmy got up from his chair to walk over to a whiteboard, mumbling and scribbling down a formula that came up exactly how he thought it would. He definitely did not have the money for something like that. 

“Sorry Timmy, but that's not possible.” He sighed, turning back to his friend. 

“Aww, why not?” He whined, crossing his arms and angrily looking at the nonsense on the board. A bunch of math and things he didn't care to understand. 

Jimmy pointed his marker at the end of his equation, some negative number in the triple  digits, “because it would put me in debt, I may be working for the government but I still have to pay my electric bill.” 

“How much energy do you use?” Timmy looked at the board then back at the boy genius. He has no idea the kind of pain that Jimmy's energy usage has put him through.

“Between the house, Vox, the supercomputer, and other things that I use constantly in this lab. Let's just say it's too much.” He inhaled deeply before continuing, “Working for the feds makes it a little less expensive and I've installed solar panels to try and reduce the amount I'm paying for, but that doesn't cover everything here.” 

Timmy listened to his friend's explanation, most of it anyway, but something struck him as odd. So many inventions that were so expensive to make and keep, “Do you ever make things with spare parts?” Timmy looked around, Jimmy's creations answered the question before he could. 

It dawned on him just then that ever since he had got his job making spyware for the government, he hadn't been making anything that was sustainable for his budget. 

He glared at all his creations, the pride they once held being obscured at the moment by embarrassment. All 17 years he had been on this space rock he hadn't once made something using the many spare parts he had around the lab? Something so easy to make, with a power source so easily accessible, and wouldn't drain his wallet. Why did it take him this long to notice? He never really cared about the environment, he would rather be inside running calculations or experiments. Maybe he was just so wrapped up in making things in the moment he never considered it.

After a bit of a pause and Timmy seeing the distant anger on Jimmy's face he decided the silence needed to end before Neutron hurt himself. “I have an idea for something eco-friendly you could make?” He offered.

Jimmy's eyes moved to meet his, but his expression remained unchanged. 

“How about something small that would eat up discarded trash and leave green waste, and its made with scrap metal?” Timmy held a hopeful smile on his face, trying to convince Jimmy that this idea was worth its while.

Neutron slowly moved back to his whiteboard, erasing it to make room for another equation. After a second or two of mumbling and Timmy watching Jimmy expectantly jot down numbers, he finally turned back around to his friend with a brighter expression.

“Ok, so what name do you have in mind?” 

Chapter Text

“Step aside Neutron!” Timmy says excitedly reaching for any color of dry-erase marker. Jimmy smiled and rolled his eyes, stepping away as demanded. He watches as the other scribbles, occasionally picking up new colors and holding others in odd ways just to keep them in his reach. 

“Ok so here's what I'm thinking,” Timmy presents his drawing while bouncing on his toes, “I call it the eco-beetle! Garbage goes in and comes out clean, made with recyclable material. They’re supposed to be small and to be like covert, cause I know you like spy movies, they can look like bugs!” His tone was meant to be something approximating a Tv add. 

Jimmy stares at the drawing for a moment, probably longer than he actually needs to but it was very good, better than anything he would consider average.

It was a mechanical ladybug, the elytra being solar panels with a battery as the abdomen underneath it and the wings. 

This was going to be the blueprint, and as Jimmy looks on his art-block begins to crumble away. “It's perfect.” He says softly under his breath, he rushes back to his desk eager to get schematics out as fast as possible. And as he moves past, Timmy is stunned for a moment. 

It was a simple idea sketch and Timmy had never shown off his art much because he didn’t think it was noteworthy, let alone good enough to get any comment about it from others. But the small lighter sparks under his rib cage suddenly make him happy he has this little hobby. 

Taking a spare stool back to Jimmy’s desk, Timmy watched as lines of what he could only assume to be code or math sprawled out across the monitor, he didn’t try to make sense of them. He hears Jimmy mumbling to himself as he types. A combination of the rhythmic keyboard and the long day he's had at school started to weigh down his head, it wouldn't hurt to rest his eyes for a minute. 

Jimmy continued to type away on his computer. Not being able to map out every minute detail of this project, while annoying, was also a fun challenge. This puzzle was something he definitely needed. 

Things like weight and internal scale could be put to the side until he has the metal outside figured out first, 

Thanks to Vox and his efficiency, Jimmy finished his calculations after 10ish minutes. “Alright, I've got measurements now.” He turns to Timmy with bright eyes,“I'll be making the internal wiring later after I've got the shell. Wanna help me gather scraps?” As he looked over he realized Timmy was asleep. 

It's been a long while since anyone had taken a nap in the lab, aside from Jimmy or Goddard, so the genius was caught off guard. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from the sleeping boy's eyelids and felt something tug at his heart, it felt weird to admit but he had looked so peaceful. 

Jimmy got up from his chair, trying to keep himself on track. He considered for a moment waking Timmy up but Jimmy decided to let him sleep, he left a spare blanket over his sleeping friend and headed to another room to work. 

— —

“Evacuate Lab Immediately.” A booming voice shakes the walls of the lab, or were they already shaking?

Timmy is violently woken by the lab’s alarm system. Dazed and confused, he stares ahead at the supercomputer’s Tv size screen as it flashes a red warning. 

Jimmy walks up to the computer to turn it off. “Yeah, you're a little late.” He's covered in what looks to be soot, “sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.” 

“Oh it's fine, what happened to you?” Timmy motions toward his outfit. Jimmy gives a noncommittal hum and walks into another room that had what appeared to be a thin layer of smoke flowing out of it. “Yeash.”

There's a table near the center of the room where a burnt lump sits, the source of all the damage. “Is that the beetle?” 

“What? No, that’s what came out of it.” Jimmy says “it's usable as fertilizer but I can't have it going around leaving small fires.” He holds something in his hand that looks to be made of copper and aluminum. Timmy watches in awe as he takes the panel off the bottom of the robot.

He knew Jimmy worked fast but he was out for maybe half an hour and it looked as if the beetle was already done. 

“Ok, it should be good now.” Jimmy holds the beetle out in front of him, he shakes it a little bit to signal Timmy to take it. 

The thing fits in his hand, maybe slightly bigger than his palm. When Timmy said ‘small to be covert’ he didn't mean bug size, maybe like a drone or race car toy. But that doesn't matter, the eco beetle was done and sitting in his fucking hand! “Awesome.” 

Jimmy gave a curt laugh at his reaction, “oh you've seen nothing yet.” Timmy looks up to see the smug genius holding what looks to be a remote control, it was simple, but it was a controller. He hit a few buttons and the elytra popped open as it began to hover off of Timmy’s hand. 

Timmy gasps watching it fly from his hand to land on the desk, “Holly shit!” his starry eyes are fixed on it for a moment before moving to Jimmy’s side, “Gimme the controller, let me take it for a spin!”

“Excuse you? This isn't a toy.” he warns, Jimmy holds it above his head before Timmy can grab it from him. Although this does little to nothing to deter the buck-toothed boy who was still reaching for the controller. 

Timmy grabbed his wrist to yank it down, “Yeah whatever, let me play with it!” However Jimmy’s years with metal-working have given him more strength than the artist Timmy was.

“Jesus what are you five?” Jimmy tried to hold him back with his forearm under Timmy’s collarbone. This forced Timmy to let go of Jimmy’s wrist, although he wasn't pushed back very far as his hand was still close to reaching the controller.

“I’m 16!” Timmy doesn’t care to make comebacks, instead he’s stubbornly locked on taking this controller and the beetle for a test drive. He’s almost on his toes trying to grab it. 

“Then act like it -OW!” Timmy bit down the arm that was holding him back, not very hard but just enough to get Jimmy to almost drop the controller.

Thankfully Timmy snatches it before it can hit the ground and turns back to the bug triumphant, he soon figures out the mechanism and gets his new found toy flying off the table, but only for a minute as he had believed he won and Jimmy was no longer a threat. 

Oh how wrong he was. “You’re fucking disgusting!” Jimmy slammed Timmy’s face into the concrete floor like it's a game of cops and robbers. Timmy’s right hand was pinned to his back, the same hand with the controller in it, and as he hissed in pain from the collision of his shoulder to solid concrete Jimmy had taken the controller back. Suddenly this game of tug-a-war wasn't so fun. 

“I didn’t know you actually meant you were a cop when you said you worked for the feds.” Timmy said jokingly, trying to go back to his old strategy of making Jimmy laugh and to laugh off his pain, while he got his desired reaction from Jimmy, it came at a price, he lifted Timmy’s wrist up from his shoulder blades to the base of his neck, leaving Timmy's arm in a precarious position that hurt like a bitch. “OK, OK, I'M SORRY, PLEASE GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” Jimmy lets go. 

Jimmy takes the beetle from the table, it is now laying on its side, “I told you it’s not a toy.” He tried to scold Timmy who was picking himself up off the floor.

Timmy is holding his shoulder as he tries to stand up, previously whenever he had been caught graffitiing school property or shoplifting he had managed to slip away from the police without a scratch and a few close calls. Now after dealing with what looked and felt exactly how it would feel to be forcibly detained by the police, it's safe to say he's going to be extra careful evading the police. 

Jimmy wanted to take the highroad and keep his stance on not breaking his equipment by being foolish, but he felt it necessary to apologize for the almost dislocated shoulder. He's going to regret this later, “ugh, fine. You can test it, But we’re going out to the park so you don’t wreck my lab.” he huffs.

“Thank you!” Timmy said sweetly, holding his hands up in a heart shape while walking backwards and almost skipping past Jimmy to get to the door. Clearly he hadn’t listened to anything Jimmy had said other than ‘you can play with it in the park’ but seeing him rebound was relieving to say the least.

Jimmy brushes it aside and follows Timmy up to the surface, eco beetle and controller in hand.

Chapter Text

“Holly fuck this place is awful.” Timmy was hunched over with his sweating palms on his knees. Back in Timmy’s universe it’s the middle of March, and it seemed to be the same here too, however it didn’t feel like March. While in California it's warm and maybe a little hotter in the afternoons, here in Texas it's burning.

"What's wrong with you?" Jimmy stood in the entrance to the park, unaffected by the god awful heat. 

Timmy looked at him in disbelief for a moment, and when met with no change of attitude is completely bewildered. “Are you kidding? Its fucking hot, I’m dying.” 

Jimmy’s still confused, “Isn’t California just as hot?” he glanced down at his watch to check and compare the temperatures in each state. 

“Not right now it's not!” Timmy tried to fan himself and started to reconsider if the bug is really worth a heatstroke. On the other hand, Jimmy is still unaffected by not only the heat but also Timmy’s bitching. 

“Alright, let's go cry baby. There’s shade over here.” He grabbed Timmy’s upper arm and dragged him through the park entrance to a big tree whose shade covers a lot of ground.

Timmy lied down on the cool grass, it felt nice in contrast with his quickly overheating self. And with the air around him still being very warm, it's almost a wonder that the grass isn't just as hot as everything else outside. mentally he thanked the tree for its protection and cursed the jacket he wore although he had no way of knowing at 8 in the morning that he would be visiting one of the hottest states that day. 

Jimmy was standing over him with his hands on his thighs, “You good now?” he said almost impatiently. Timmy kept his eyes closed for a moment longer just to keep his eyes from cooking in his skull. Jimmy, being given no response, sighs and decides to sit down next to the living heater. “Ya’know you’d probably feel better if you took off your jacket.” Jimmy set the beetle and its controller down in his lap to free up his hands. 

Timmy sat up to do just that while grumbling about Jimmy being a ‘stereotypical Texian’, something Jimmy took minor offense in. “Oh please, I am no ‘stereotypical Texian’ just cause I can handle the heat and you can’t.” 

Timmy tossed his jacket to the side and fell back down in the cool grass, fitting right back into the impression he had left moments ago. “Hiding your accent doesn’t make you any less stereotypical, cowboy.” 

Jimmy gasped, “you’re more of a stereotypical Californian than I am a stereotypical Texian, surfer.” Jimmy crossed his arms and leaned over Timmy, who rolled his eyes in response. 

“‘stereotypical' is starting to not sound like a word anymore.” He groaned and put his hands over his eyes as it seemed that just looking up made his eyes heat up. 

“My statement still stands.” His smug tone made Timmy want elbow his leg, “you’re just angry cause I’m right.” 

“Whatever.” Timmy wanted to come up with some sort of rebuttal but the first thing he jumped to wasn't present in Jimmy from what he had seen, and the more he thought about it the weirder it got that Jimmy didn’t talk with a southern accent. 

As soon as it entered his mind he had to speak on it, “Hold on, you live in Texas but I’ve never heard you speak with an accent.” He turns his head to face Jimmy instead of just moving his eyes. 

“That's because I don’t want people to hear it.” he scoffed, almost nonchalant, however Timmy could tell there was embarrassment there.

“Can I hear it?” Timmy pushes himself off the ground very fast, he’s almost light headed. This stuns Jimmy for a moment who glances around the grassy area.

“We’re out in public.” Jimmy tried to be quiet while speaking. Timmy doesn’t get why he would be embarrassed about his accent, he lives in Texas, surely other people would have them as well, probably stronger than his.  

“There’s nobody here.” he fans out his arms, pointing to the empty park, “the only person who would hear it is me, and maybe a squirrel.” Timmy shrugged trying to reassure him although it's pretty clear by Jimmy’s face it's not working. 

Timmy gave him a begging expression, clasped hands and puppy dog eyes. “Aww c'mon, please?” He leans in and stretches the ‘e’ to be cuter or annoy Jimmy into doing what he wants. 

“HA! No.” Jimmy pushes him back by the shoulder, "also don't do that its weird." Timmy was disappointed, but still giggling just as Jimmy was.

“Whatever, you're just deflecting.” he flashed a faux smile that was essentially a challenge. 

“I am not.” A challenge that Jimmy fell for.

“Are too!” Hook, line, and...

“You act like a little kid.” Sunk. Well sometimes the fishing line snaps, good thing Timmy always has more jabs and jokes up his short sleeves. 

“It's called having fun, you should try it some time. Oh, and speaking of, we still haven't taken this baby for a test drive!” Timmy snatches the bug and its remote from Jimmy’s lap, and as he's chastising Timmy for his brashness and avoidance Timmy himself was busy ignoring him in favor of the beetle. 

Jimmy decided not to argue and waist time, instead just explaining the controls in further depth. Timmy could fly it well enough but he didn't know exactly how everything worked, mainly the eco beetle’s main function, turning trash into fertilizer. Also if the eco-remote were to ever run out of battery then the beetle would be on autopilot, you can also manually switch it into autopilot. For the time being Timmy chose to leave that specific feature alone. 

Eventually after a few hours of ‘testing’– it was more like 3 hours of Timmy doing tricks with it and random garbage, much to Jimmy's dismay. – it started to get dark and the two decided to finally head back to the lab. 

The walk back was full of banter and Timmy finally taking the time to actually look at the town of Retroville. He hadn't noticed how peaceful the place was before, probably because he had been doing everything in his power to make it as un-peaceful as possible. 

After a small detour Jimmy promised to bring him back around town eventually if they could leave, begrudgingly Timmy obliged. 

They had made it back to the lab, somehow without any shenanigans, and had spent a few minutes laughing. Thankfully they didn't have to sit on the hard concrete floor with the old couch that Jimmy had stashed in the lab. “So Timmy, what was the favor you needed?” 

“Holly shit I forgot about that.” Timmy was slumped on one side of the couch, taking up as much space as he possibly could without kicking Jimmy out of his spot on the other side, he had his left hand on Goddard’s plasma dome while his right shoulder was pushed against the back of the couch. 

“Isn't that the whole reason you're here?” Jimmy had the beetle resting on the arm of the couch, wire and servos open for maintenance. Timmy was slowly being pulled back to sleep by the soft electrical noises coming from the bug. 

“Maybe I just wanted to spend time with your dog.” Hearing this, Goddard barked back from his spot on the floor under Timmy's hand. 

“If you don't want the favor, that’s fine.” He smirked before Timmy kicked him in the shoulder. 

Timmy laughed watching Jimmy freak out over the gunk he had smudged on his jacket sleeve. “I never said I didn't want the favor. I need it for tutoring.” 

“Tutoring?” Jimmy turned to him with a questioning look after wiping off his arm, Timmy immediately braced for the worst. “You don't need a favor to ask me for tutoring, I would have done it regardless.” 

“Really?” He says dumbfounded. 

“Yeah, it’s just tutoring.” Jimmy closed up the beetle resting next to him, “I'm smarter than most of the people in my class and the kids I went to high school with, why would I not help you with something that simple?” 

“OK.” Timmy sat up hearing that, if he had been all the way across the couch before he was now in the middle. “One. Its not that fucking simple, I'm not stupid.” he pointed defensively, “Two. are you not also in high school?” really not something he cared about in the moment, but it gave him leverage against Jimmy. 

Jimmy sat stunned for a moment, the fast movement had startled him. “One. I wasn't calling you stupid, clearly you're not, I meant that tutoring is simple. Two. No I'm not.” he stared at Timmy, slightly shocked.

Timmy nodded, “One, good.” He glanced at Goddard for a moment, trying to force his anger to die by looking at the robo-dog, “Two, what do you mean no you're not?” he squinted at the ‘boy’ genius. His tone was now questioning instead of accusatory.   

Jimmy sat up a little straighter, “I’m not in high school anymore, that's what I mean.” He didn't understand where Timmy’s confusion was and the growing scorn on his face was concerning, Jimmy felt like he was going to burst into flames under Timmy’s hard stare. He didn't look angry but he didn't look very happy either. 

Timmy scanned his face over a few more times, trying and failing to do hard math in his head. “How old are you?” 

Jimmy scoffed at the loaded question, “You’re kidding.” It would be funny if Timmy weren’t serious. He made a face that meant ‘just answer the question’. “I’m seventeen.” 

“Then how are you not in high school?” Timmy almost laughed as he talked, although the bounce in his voice was more like nervous laughter than anything else. Jimmy was relieved as Timmy had backed up slightly, still to close for comfort but far enough away for breathing room. 

“I had burned through everything my school had and I got to graduate early,” usually Jimmy would jump at the chance to brag about himself but nothing about today was usual. “I’m in college now.” he said quieter than he meant to. 

“Really?” Timmy echoed his softness in tone and expression. 

“Yeah, I’m working on my masters degree.” Jimmy moved a hand to  the side of his neck. Nobody really cared to ask about his studies and while he was happy to talk on and on about them, it was becoming something rare, it felt almost awkward to be talking to someone who seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say. 

Now it was Timmy’s turn to be stunned, he hadn't bothered to really think about it in depth but when they said he was a boy genius they weren’t kidding.

Chapter Text

“So how was your day, sport?” Wanda asked with a yawn sitting in her fish castle. Timmy looked over at her and Cosmo, who was already asleep. 

“It was great, we made a bug robot and I'm going back over tomorrow for tutoring.” He stopped for a moment to get his godmothers’ response, but she had dozed off while he was talking. “Goodnight guys.” He whispers to the fishbowl as he turns to face away from his fairy godparents. 

He moles over the day's events in his head, and as much as he wants to remember the banter and the testing of the Eco beetle, the one thing that keeps floating to the top of his thoughts is the compliments he got from Jimmy. He wants to feel good about those compliments, because in the moment they felt good but hindsight can twist memories to be unrecognizable.

The dandelions whisper to him as the dim moonlight makes its way past his blinds. He's getting attached. He knows he is, and the weeds do too. 

What happens when you forget him? 

The purslane flowers of pink and yellow eye him suspiciously. They remind him over and over with their gaze that this small feeling, this Zinnia flower, he can’t let it grow. It may be beautiful but this garden he has is only temporary. How could he plant a flower so beautiful in a garden he knows won't last? He doesn't have the heart to do something so cruel.

Thousands of aphids run down his arms and through his veins, carrying the anxiety and “what if” scenarios with them. 

The moths and their buzzing wings pester him, they hover around waiting for him to slip up. 

The hyacinths weep with all the tears he'll never let himself cry, and they mourn the impending death that hasn't happened yet. 

He couldn't possibly let something so beautiful be wasted on something so temporary and so undesirable. It wouldn't fit in amongst the crabgrass and white goosefeet. 

What a nightmare it would be, if only he was asleep. 

—J—

Jimmy flops down on his bed, holding the Eco Beetle in one hand and taking his glasses off with the other. He eyes the thing over a bit, unwilling to remove it from his sight. For something that wasn't built to emit anything It radiates a lot of positivity. 

He says his goodnights to his parents and his dog. shutting his eyes and waiting for sleep to take his mind away from the rational. 

But as he waited, he wandered back through the day's events, he couldn't help but notice the shattered glass sprinkled about the memories. He hadn't noticed those feelings in the moment, but now the second he felt the tiniest splinter the rest of the mirror crumbled away under the weight. 

You hurt him, why are you upset? 

It cuts into his palms and the blood spreads from his fingers. All the bloodied shards reflected back his own eyes that were supposed to be keeping himself in check, never letting himself slip up the same way he had with Timmy. God why didn't he stop himself?

The jagged ends slice through his hands, every cut sends its wave of pain up his arms and its message of regret. It never gets easier to hear them.

The air is thick and impossible to breathe in like it doesn't want to help him, nothing does, who would want to? 

The blood pools under his feet but he knows it's not his blood to bleed, this sad blood under his skin felt like hot iron and so uncomfortable. 

There had to have been something he could have done to prevent this, be more self aware, it's not hard to not make someone feel uncomfortable even on accident. 

He wakes up in a cold sweat, heart beating against his ribs as if it were expanding before it explodes. He knows he's awake and not experiencing sleep paralysis, his hand has a death grip on his shirt right overtop of his heart but he can still see and feel the dream as vivid as anything else he's ever seen.

Goddard is alerted by the sound of Jimmy's gasping. Therapy dog protocol. He gets up onto the bed next to him and puts his snout down on his chest, reminding him to breathe. And as Jimmy slowly stops hyperventilating, he wraps his arms around his dog. 

The metal is cold against his burning face. Like city smoke or gasoline fire it’s not the kind of heat you bask in, it's uncomfortable. So he goes somewhere he knows he’s comfortable, his lab. 

Despite the jacket he lazily threw on the walk to the shed is cold, biting cold. It doesn't feel better by any stretch of the imagination, but in contrast with Jimmy the hypothermia is almost refreshing.

—T—

A small gardening shovel in the hand, not this again .

The squeak and crunch sound of old rubber boots on gravel doesn't ease the tension. 

He stands at the bedroom door for a moment, he's done this enough times to know how it ends.

The forget-me-nots beg for their lives. With feet tied into the floor, he's powerless to stop the weeds.

the room becomes overrun with the sickening green and gray.

It's disgusting, and he let it get this way. He's disgusting. 

—J—

Jimmy sits down at his desk, everything around him is cold but he doesn't soak any of it in and the jacket he took had been discarded at the door. Goddard has been following close by and is seated next to Jimmy's desk where he usually is. 

It's something he doesn't experience often anymore, as a little kid he would feel bad for upsetting others but at some point it became a usual part of the game, just another step tacked onto the formula.

Hypothesize, test, piss off half of Texas, collect data, and clean up.

So why was this any different? He hadn't felt any remorse over the years and years he had used Carl or Sheen as test subjects, and they were who he considered his closest friends. But this was an unintentional casualty. Every other time someone had gotten hurt it was on purpose, at least that's how Jimmy was justifying it. 

But it doesn't matter, unintentional or not, it was Jimmy's fault as things usually are. Payment wouldn't be to different or difficult, people are typically the same. 

In the meantime, he pulled out the cut copper plates and began to keep himself busy by working. Really he just wanted the distraction, but some things aren't as easy to brush aside. 

Chapter Text

March 9th 8:00 am, Monday, school doesn't start until 8:30 am but the buses never change their schedule. Timmy walks to his regular spot for lunch and breakfast on the floor near the door to his first period classroom and eats his breakfast from the little sandwich bag he packed it in. 

Searching for something to do with his hands, he finds his way back to his phone. His hands open messenger, then dig to find Jimmy’s contact, and scroll upwards back through the texts. Texts he hasn't looked at since forever ago.  

He feels a little bit weird during his small trek but justifies it by thinking “it's just for this one joke…” as he continues his journey for a joke he doesn't actually care to read over again. 

At some point during his journey, Chester shows up and dumps his bag next to Timmy. Chester wore his usual jacket but had on a graphic-T under it, he had discovered that pulling his hair back into a mini tail kept it out of his eyes. 

“Wow for the first time ever, you're early to school.” He set his phone face down as Chester sludged down the wall.

“Yeah, I've been walking dogs all morning.” Chester yawns during the middle of his sentence but talks through it anyway. 

“Nice. Might steal your idea, I need the cash.” Timmy’s not actually very interested in whatever Chester is doing but if it means he's here now and not arriving in the middle of second period Timmy's happy for him. 

“Hey!” Chester elbows his friend, “that cash is mine, thanks.” Timmy laughs and almost spits back something about this hypothetical cash and turning it into a dog walking competition, however his phone buzzing stops him. 

Chester watched as Timmy froze for a moment and then whipped around to his phone with a goofy smile. The subsequent sigh of disappointment when he saw the notification confirmed any idea that Chester held in his blond head. 

Timmy looked up at him from his phone, “what?” Chester’s shit eating grin was not a good sign and Timmy immediately braced for whatever was about to come out of his–braces newly removed–mouth. 

“So who were you expecting that to be?” He says in a high pitch that was just as patronizing as it was annoying. Timmy groaned and rolled his eyes, embarrassment turning up the heat in his face. 

“I wasn't 'expecting’ it to be anyone.” He lies. He knows exactly who he was expecting. But admitting it to anyone while at school would be social suicide if they still remember him. 

“Oh please, I haven't seen you look that happy at a notification since that one valentines day where you left your number on a secret admirer’s note to Trixie in middle school.” 

“Why do you only have energy when it's to piss me off?” Chester loved to bring her up whenever Timmy got eyes for anyone else, because being long-time-friends with someone meant they knew exactly how you tick. 

He knew Chester just wanted to push his buttons and really meant no harm but the weight of the cringe Timmy felt was enough for anyone else to grind their teeth to dust. 

As Chester continues to laugh, AJ finally makes his appearance. He kept his usual fancy attire of a sweater and vest, but his baggy blue jeans were a divination he had picked up from Timmy and Chester over the years.

“Good morning, friends. Fill me in on the joke?” He said turning to Chester, Timmy crossed his arms and turned away. He knew AJ wasn't really the type to make fun of someone as relentlessly as Chester was but he still didn't want to hear it from either of them. 

“Timmy's found someone to crush on!~” he said shaking Timmy back and forth by the shoulders.

“For fucks sake, Chester!” 

“Oh, really? Are you sure you're over Trixie?” AJ snidely commented.

“I'm over it! She fucking tossed me in a dumpster, literally!” Timmy's defense did nothing to stop their laughing, if anything he made it worse. 

The bell rang for class before anyone could say anything more, yet Timmy was still a little bit salty about what had been said. And that the others kept making faces at him the entire hour he was stuck with both of them, and Chester continued during second period. Thankfully he was spared the torture of being teased during Lunch as AJ had a club to attend to and Chester didn’t share their lunch period. 

It wasn't a crush, it's normal for an outcast to be excited to talk with a new friend. Chester and AJ should both know how that feels considering their group was one of the lowest socially ranked, the only reason they weren't lower was because people wanted them in the lunchroom to laugh at when shit inevitably went south for them. Despite what AJ and Chester may say about him ‘not being over Trixie’, in truth he had pretty much forgotten her aside from when they brought her up to mock Timmy or make fun of the popular kids. 

Timmy wasn't allowed to have a crush, not now anyway, just thinking about letting someone get that close makes the roots wrap tighter around his nerves. 

Fuck, get your act together Turner. 

— J —

Jimmy doesn't have to be anywhere until noon so he had been using his free time soldering together the copper plates of a dozen or more little ladybugs. It keeps his hands busy but after the sixth or eleventh bug his mind starts to wander as his hands keep their rhythm. 

The alarm on his phone goes off and he realized he needs to get his shit together and leave, otherwise there's going to be hell to pay. Literally and figuratively, the buzzing caused him to flinch and almost burn a hole through his glove and his hand. 

He finally makes his way to school and after barely paying attention to whatever lectures were discussed that day, he heads to a place he usually frequents just to see old school friends and do homework while he still cares about the subject matter. The Candy Bar.

Jimmy steps through the door and feels the usual blast of cold air that accompanies buildings like grocery stores, funny considering this place has no produce. 

“Hey Jimmy, the usual?” Sheen said from behind the candy counter, he had taken up a job there ever since his dad told him he wasn't allowed to use his monthly allowance on superhero stuff anymore as Sheen would forget to buy anything else. Almost accidentally starving himself in the process. 

“Thank you, Sheen.” Jimmy put his money on the counter and walked back to his usual booth at the back by the window. He stares out at the passing cars while he waits as he usually does, but when Sheen takes his break and comes to his seat across from Jimmy with his order and Sheen’s free employee food, Jimmy didn't seem to notice. 

Sheen was very confused, as usually Jimmy would have turned to face him before he even sat down. “Hey, earth to Jimmy!” he had to wave his hand in front of the genius to get his attention, “your order is ready.” 

“What? Oh, thank you.” He says a little embarrassed, pulling his drink closer from across the table he looks back toward the windowsill but doesn't bother looking back out the glass. 

“What's going on? You're never distracted.” Sheen’s glare is about as piercing as a butter knife, which on someone like his girlfriend Libby is entirely lost, however Jimmy was just about as soft as water when it came to hiding things from his closest friends. “Unless this is about-”

“No!- no, it’s not like that this time.” Jimmy was quick to cut him off before he said something that Jimmy would rather not hear now or ever again. But this defensiveness only served to further Sheen’s worry. Jimmy took a deep breath before continuing, “remember Timmy, from middle school?” 

Sheen made a hard face that looked like he was thinking but after a few seconds he gave up and shrugged his shoulders. 

“The person you guys thought was me for a day? The person from the 'Friday the thirteenth dance’? The person that helped me make a supervillain and almost killed everyone?” 

“Are you guys talking about Timmy?” Cindy was listening over the booth seat Sheen was currently sitting on, clearly she had remembered the events Jimmy had mentioned Timmy being a part of, however Sheen did not. 

As soon as she spoke anger filled up the place where Jimmy’s liquified spine had once been. “Not anymore.” He took a long sip from his cup to try and dissuade Cindy from inserting herself further into their conversation. Something she clearly didn't take any notice of, or purposely ignored. 

“Well then why are you bringing him up? Is he here or something?” She said resting both of her arms across the top of the booth seat. Sheen agreed with her and unknowingly aided her in trying to pry at Jimmy, but this time hell had frozen over and there was nothing they could get out of him. 

He swiped up his drink and headed off without saying a word, they weren’t worth the headache.

Weirdly enough, Cindy now knowing Timmy is visiting Retroville—even just temporarily—angered him. This wasn't a competition, but Jimmy wanted to race anyway and no matter what he was sure as hell going to win, and win no prize, but that had never stopped Jimmy before during the science fair(s). Jimmy had his anger in front of him and nowhere to place it, why was he angry in the first place? Is it anger?

As he neared the driveway of Carl’s house, his lifetime neighbor, he realized how fast he had been walking. He hadn't even bothered to take a sip of his drink the entire way, the can was just at his side. 

God, get your act together Neutron.

— T —

The end bell rang and teens were flooding from their classrooms to the campus and out the gates. Timmy was content to do the same, school had been nothing but trouble for him and in return he had done the same. Although his permanent record had remained mostly clean because of one Mr. Crocker who he had actually gotten fired in the beginning of high school for supposed stalking. Really the only thing they could pin on him was graffiti, but he's an art student so it was brushed aside by the art teacher. 

On his way out the front gates he met up with Chester and AJ and Timmy thought they would have their usual conversation concerning comic books, studying, and various nostalgia while on the bus. If only that was the case. 

AJ clicked his pen, starting his homework while waiting for the bus to fill up with kids. "Do you two have any plans today?" It always confused Timmy how he could write with a pen and never make mistakes.

"Dog walking, that's about it." Chester stretched his arms out in front of him to wake himself up before his self-imposed shift. 

Timmy grimaced at the thought of his after school activities, "I got tutoring." Timmy sighed reluctantly, spending time with Jimmy was something he wanted, but over homework? He'd rather be dead. 

Chester snickered, "So who's tutoring you?" Chester's inflection told him everything, everything Timmy would rather not hear come out of specifically his mouth. 

"you're already back on your bullshit?" Timmy crossed his arms and put as much venom behind his words as he could muster without being outright threatening. Chester wheezed at his friend’s irritation. 

"defensive, aren't we?" AJ said with a high and mighty attitude he usually carried, not bothering to look up from the homework he was doing on top of his school binder. Timmy rolled his eyes and looked out the bus window with the rim of his hat against the glass almost pouting. 

"Alright, we'll get out of your love life." Chester slapped a hand on Timmy's shoulder, who in turn forcibly removed Chester's hand and stared at him with more skepticism than he had water in his body. "I'm serious, we'll stay out of it. if-"

"Who's 'we'?" AJ elbows Chester in the side, "I didn't agree to anything." he crossed his arms. Chester sighed and with his left arm he wrapped it around the back of AJ's neck and covered his mouth with the same hand.

" WE will stay out of your love life if, and only if, you do our homework for the rest of the month!" he says with full confidence while trying to muscle AJ down and out of talking. Timmy laughs a little bit watching Chester and AJ struggle to keep and gain control respectively, at some point AJ almost slips off the bus seat. 

Timmy crosses his arms, "Does it have to be a good score? Because I'm getting tutoring for a reason Chester." Realizing this Chester's face falls from its initial confidence, but while he is having his mini crisis over Timmy's failing grades and the loss of a slave to do his homework, AJ gained the upper hand and finally managed to get free. 

Eventually Timmy's stop came up and he had to get off the bus leaving the two fighting on the seat, while he was now thankful to be home and away from school a new anxiety was rising in his chest. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but he knew at the least he didn't want to be chastised for being stupid. He took a deep breath and pushed down his hesitation, turning the door handle the opposite way and stepping into another universe.

— J —

Jimmy placed his can on the coffee table in front of him. Somehow everything in the room was only adding to his building anger, the ticking clock, the muted Tv, or the fan moving a strand of his hair to hit his eyes repeatedly. He fell backwards onto the cushions and pulled a pillow over his face. Sheen had done this a few times when he was frustrated and after a year or two it had spread from him to Carl and Jimmy, he felt childish turning to an old method of self soothing but it wasn’t like there was anyone in the house to judge him. 

“Shoes off the couch.” Judy, Jimmy’s mother, pushed his legs off of the couch where he had lazily tossed them. He jumped hearing her voice but made no attempt to move from the pillow he was trying to smother himself with, instead leaving her a low droaning hum of annoyance. 

Judy crossed her arms, trying to glean what information she could from her distraught son and what he had brought home. He had come straight from the candy bar, and way too early for his usual stops, clearly angry, “Were you talking to Cindy again?” She didn’t really need an answer, but having Jimmy say would be better than assuming.

He sighed, realizing nothing could get past her. He sat up defeated and put the pillow off to the side, “Am I that obvious?” 

Judy tried to be as gentle as possible with her answer, “I’m your mother, everything is obvious to me. Now tell me what happened.” 

He turned away from his mother to resentfully glare back down at the full soda can, “Does it really matter?” 

“Are you still upset?” The silence that followed her question was enough of an answer in itself. Clearly it mattered to someone. 

She looked at him with an understanding expression, ‘now explain’. Begrudgingly, he did, “She didn’t really even talk, she was just eavesdropping on my conversation with Sheen about this guy I’m tutoring. Then, I don't know, I got angry and left." He said curtly. 

She followed his eye trail and landed on the can, “That sounds like a good reason to be angry.” While comforting, this wasn’t something Jimmy wanted to hear. Turning his glare to her made this abundantly clear. 

“Can we not talk about it?” He pleaded toward the ceiling, this discussion was heading somewhere he doesn’t want to go.

But Judy persisted with words she hoped would be helpful, “If it bothers you this much, talking about it might help.” 

He leaned forward on his elbows, pointing in the general direction of the can. “Yeah, but that's the thing. I don’t know why it bothers me this much.” 

“Now you’re getting somewhere.” Just before she could talk him into saying more, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he jumped to check it. 

The look on his face when he read whatever notification he got quickly sent him toward the shed where he spent most of his waking hours, leaving his mother with a quick “I’ve got tutoring, we’ll talk more later.” 

She knew exactly why he was upset.

Chapter Text

Outside the Shed-lab, Timmy stood with his backpack on his shoulders, shifting back and forth on his feet anxiously waiting for the boy genius. As lovely as the Neutron garden is, talking to Jimmy again was weirdly nerve wracking. They had been friends in middle school, and then Jimmy never reappeared on the face of Timmy's earth ever again. it wasn't exactly gradual, they had slowed from friends to acquaintances but that didn't mean Timmy felt any differently about him. In reality, he feels the same way about him now but picking the conversation back up where they had left off would be unwise, to say the least. 

"Hey Timmy!" A familiar voice calls out, while stumbling over the steps on the edge of his porch. Jimmy's foot just barely missed the edge of the first step and his face met the floor. Timmy laughs his way over to the fallen genius who was making sure that his glasses hadn't cracked. 

“Howdy, loser.” Timmy crouched down next to him, getting close enough to see that his glasses were indeed now cracked, "Ouch, wipe-out."  

The sas went unappreciated, “I hope you fail your next test.” Jimmy huffed, pulling up the edge of his jacket to wipe a smudge from his glasses.

“Mmm, Wouldn’t that mean you suck at tutoring if I did?” Timmy retorted with his usual shit-eating grin, offering no help as he stood over his friend. Was he stalling so he didn't have to do homework? Maybe, but Jimmy will never figure that out. He's also currently trying to ignore the feeling of sick in his stomach he got when Jimmy walked out to meet him. 

A scoff came from the genius after deciding his glasses were the least of his problems at the moment, "Whatever, can you help me up?" Jimmy reached his hand out to his standing friend. Timmy stared blankly at his hand for a moment before Jimmy spared him, “Oh right sorry.” 

It was quiet for a moment while they walked to the front of the shed. “So uh, anything interesting happened today?” Timmy wanted to fill the awkward air. 

Jimmy looked down at the ground for a moment. “Eh, not really,” He stated blandly, then he made a quick face of realization, “Hold on I forgot my drink.” Jimmy walked back toward the porch, he turned back around noticing that Timmy wasn’t following. “Are you coming with me or do you want to stand out in the heat again?”

Timmy was quickly brought back to the current situation and away from wherever his mind had wandered away too, “Hm? Oh right.” He followed Jimmy into the Neutron house, on his way through their quaint kitchen he’d realized that he's never actually been inside their home before. Jimmy’s lab was really all that he’d known, that’s kinda sad. The only part of your friends house you actually know is their underground bunker? He’d chosen to pay more attention to their interior to make up for his lack. 

Quietly Timmy ooo-ed and awed at the various duck themed things around their house and all the commemorative photos of not only Jimmy’s parents but also of Jimmy’s achievements, medals, and even some things he’d made were put on the walls. This was a part of Jimmy’s life he’d also never seen.

Timmy looked at all the pictures adorning the walls and all the love that had been poured into every corner of the home. Call it culture-shock, but it was something Timmy had never seen from anyone's parents, except maybe Aj’s but even then they weren’t around as much as Jimmy’s parents appeared to be. Eventually he’d walked toward something interesting he’d seen and forgot he was following Jimmy, however that does not mean a Neutron was not keeping track of him. 

“Aren’t they all such wonderful memories?” A woman with a sweet voice asked with a tone like, she was daydreaming about each picture, but the suddenness startled Timmy. He quickly wiped his head around to see a woman with curly red hair walking towards the wall full of pictures. “Gosh I remember them all like they were yesterday.” She cooed over the photos with one hand on her cheek. The woman did a double take when she’d seen Timmy’s face, “Oh my! Where are my manners, I’m Jimmy’s mom.” 

She had an aura to her that was hard not to trust, Timmy could really only think of one word that described her, motherly. “Timmy, Turner.” He replied, slightly taken aback by her hospitality.

“You two look so alike!” She said with a kind smile, “Although Jimmy doesn’t seem to tan like you do.” She laughed, gesturing toward his arms. She spoke as if she was complimenting him rather than making a dig at her own son, he couldn’t help but think of how his own parents don’t seem to speak like they do. Was that a Texas thing? 

He was stunned for a moment, he fumbled for words now remembering that he had to speak with an adult and not Jimmy. “Thank you uh… Mrs. Neutron.” he said politely.

She raised her hand to stop him, “Oh please, you can just call me Judy.” Again she followed her words with a warm motherly smile. 

“Ok, Judy.” He echoed, again unsure of what to say. “You have so much stuff on your walls.” He remarked in awe at all of the memories that had been framed, each one honored and lovingly placed on the wall for all to see.

She put a hand to her chest, a proud gesture as she looked at the wall again, “Thank you, would you like to see more?” Before Timmy could respond she’d already started guiding him to a bookshelf with a few large binders at the top, “Gosh I’ve been dying to show someone these old photos.” She grabbed one with a purple spine that said ‘0 – 3 years old’.

Oh wow. He thought watching it come off the shelf. I’m going to have so much dirt on him . 

— J —

Jimmy had quickly walked to where he’d left his soda can, it was at half capacity and thankfully hadn’t gone completely flat. He took a sip and as he’d turned back around he was met with the absence of Timmy, something that could only ever spell trouble as Timmy’s tendencies often dictated. He quickly rushed off to find where the buck-toothed boy had wandered away to, hoping he could intercept Timmy before his mom did.  

Unfortunately when Jimmy had found his friend again he was seated in their dining room with the binders of all his childhood photos being pushed under his nose by none other than his mother Judy. “I see you’ve met my mom.” Jimmy interjected, clearly mortified at the situation. 

Timmy continued to flip through the binder he had in his lap, one labeled ‘4–6’, each photo with a little card next to it describing the memory, “Yeah your mom is so nice, honestly I’m jealous.” Timmy remarked, holding each one with such admiration and appreciation for the work that must have gone into each binder.

Judy waved off his praise modestly, “Aww you give me too much credit!” 

Jimmy leaned over to his mom, “What are you doing?” he whispered through gritted teeth. If there was one thing that Jimmy’s massive genius ego couldn’t handle it was his parents doing embarrassing things. 

She waved a hand in front of Jimmy, “Oh shush, just look at him.” Judy whispered back, not taking her eyes off Timmy who was still thumbing through the books. 

He watched on anxiously as Timmy read through his childhood, although it felt deeply humiliating, Jimmy could see just how captivated he was by these memories. The situation was out of his hands anyway, why worry about it? Just look at him . Maybe if it had continued on just like this Jimmy would have actually humored it, sat down and talked about the stories attached to those times in his life. Maybe, but instead he heard the front door open.

A booming voice called out to his family. “Hey where is everyone?” As Jimmy heard those words he felt his stomach fall further and further, pushing his anxiety higher and higher. His dad was home. The most embarrassing of all his family members. He could feel the impending doom as footsteps approaching the dining room. 

Jimmy wanted to spare himself any further humiliation at the hands of his own kin. “Hey Timmy, don’t you think we should head back to the shed and start that tutoring session?” He asked, placing a hand on Timmy’s shoulder and trying desperately to steer out of his oncoming ego death. However by the time he’d finished asking the question it was already too late. 

“Oh! I didn’t know we were expecting visitors today.” A man dressed in a smart blue vest entered the dining room, and with him followed the end of Jimmy's social standing with Timmy and probably all of Timmy's dimension. 

Judy was quick to direct him before Jimmy could say anything to stop it, “This is Timmy, he’s Jimmy’s friend.” She raises an open palm toward the boy with several memory binders on the table in front of him.

He turned back to their guest with a wide smile and a look of almost shock on his face. “Jimmy has a new friend! How rare.” Jimmy dragged a hand down his face hearing his fathers words, “How are ya? I’m Hugh.” He extended a hand toward Timmy for him to shake.

Timmy looked at it for a moment, almost paralyzed. “Ah right, flu season, I understand.” Hugh winked, both boys relaxed slightly as Hugh’s hand was pulled away from Timmy. “You really like those books, hm?” Hugh put a hand on his wife's shoulder, “Well, me and sugar booger here have some plans for later, but I suppose we can stop to have a nice trip down memory lane.”

Knowing they were going to leave and instead are choosing to sit here and disgrace him further hurt a little bit more than the situation at hand. “But what about your plans?”

"We have a few minutes to spare don't we?” Hugh looked down at his wife, much to Jimmy’s dismay. One more slight or disrespectful word and Jimmy would rip off his own skin, meanwhile Timmy was slowly coming to the end of the album currently in his lap. 

Timmy looked on in awe at how well each memory was preserved, not caring about what he was seeing but the fact that he was seeing it.  “You guys are so nice to him, it’s no wonder since he gets such good grades.” He decided that must be the reason they treat Jimmy as well as they do, this isn’t the typical parental actions he had ever seen. 

“Oh, you’re a riot!” Judy laughed, assuming what Timmy had said was a joke. “While it’s nice that Jimmy has always gotten amazing grades, that doesn't affect anything.” She waved her hand as if this was something that was a known fact, a basis of treatment for anyone and everyone. Especially children. 

Her nonchalance only served to further Timmy’s awe, “Really? Never?” he gasped, finally looking at the pair over the pictures they had put in front of him. 

“Obviously dear!” His response concerned Judy deeply, although she didn’t let it show. She kept her tone and her expression light, her usual demeanor.

Hugh decided to chime in, “If he’s failing or if he has straight A’s, he’s doing his chores no matter what.” He laughed, putting an arm around his wife’s shoulders. Quietly comforting, even if he doesn’t yet see what the problem is. 

Timmy was absolutely star struck, and just as he was about to ask the Neutrons ‘would you please adopt me’ he was cut off. “Thank you! Can we get back on track now?” Jimmy grit his teeth hoping his parents would resume their leaving and stop embarrassing him, quickly running out of patients and growing increasingly more scared of what his parents were going to say or do next.

Judy looked at a clock that was hanging on a nearby wall, “Oh yes, sorry honey. We’ll be off.” She and Huge made their exit. As they climbed into the car in the driveway, Judy looked to her husband, "do you think he's alright?" 

Inside the house Jimmy’s frustration was starting to bubble over just as it had earlier, Timmy taking careful note of this decided it was best to just wait for him to redirect the situation. He watched Jimmy’s shoulders stayed stiff as he let out a sign, “I’m sorry about them,” Jimmy turned back around, hoping to just move on as quickly as passable from all of that.

He placed the now finished binder on the table, "I didn't mind, don't worry." Timmy could feel his friends upset, he doesn't know why Jimmy is upset but he's not about to make it worse. It slowly fell quiet between them.

Jimmy decided to redirect before today got any worse for him, "Anyway, let's get back to the shed." He waved his arm and led Timmy back outside.

— T —

They were both sitting at a little round table opposite of each other, Jimmy looked as if he had done this a million times and was just going through the motions as normal. On the other hand, Timmy was hesitant – bordering on fearful – to start this tutoring session but nonetheless he handed his homework over to the genius to look over before he starts. 

“What math class are you in?” Jimmy absentmindedly said, sifting through his friends' homework. Jimmy was met with a quiet mumbled response that came from across the table, “Sorry what?” 

Ashamedly Timmy replied, louder this time, "Applied math." Jimmy thought his tone odd for the situation, however couldn't match his mood to his face as it was obscured by the teen being elbow deep in his backpack. Decidedly, Jimmy dismissed it. Most are embarrassed when asking tutors for help, now is no different although it was odd to see from the confidence radiator that Timmy Turner typically is. 

Putting his nose back to the papers, Jimmy used a bit of scratch paper to make an 'answer sheet', "Ok, so I want you to solve the first problem then I'll look at your answer and assess where you need help from there. Sound good?" Jimmy slid the homework sheet across to his friend, who looked down at the paper with a look he had seen on many student's faces before. 

Jimmy decided to work on his own homework alongside his friend, it usually helped other students when their tutor was silently working alongside them. So Jimmy started writing up a report that his professor had assigned that day, something about the exact meaning behind eco-friendly alternatives and the difference between the solutions. Basically a bunch of data, numbers, and formulas he had to explain. It wasn't due till next month, but a head start now would be nice.

Some time later Jimmy looked up to see Timmy was spaced out and staring off at something beside the table. “Are you done?” he said, lifting his head more to get a better look at the paper, Timmy snapped back to the present and looked down at his paper disappointed and maybe a little annoyed. 

“Not really, but here.” The paper was twisted around so Jimmy could look it over. Timmy watched his face carefully, waiting for something to change. The ‘answer sheet’ was pulled out from the small assortment of papers Jimmy had on his side of the table. 

Slowly he nodded before saying “Everything looks good, keep going.” He slid the paper completely unmarked back to Timmy.

But as the paper was handed back to him, Timmy couldn’t help but think that there's something missing here. "Is that it?" he said before he could think to stop himself.

The tutor looked up from his work, "what do you mean?" 

Panic started to flood through his veins as the genius looked up at him with just pure confusion, why'd I say that? you're going to upset him! Thinking fast, Timmy comes up with an excuse, "uh– I just mean like there's –uhm– nothing I missed or something like that. Ya'know?"

Wow very convincing. 

Jimmy stared baffled across the table, pulling the paper back toward him for a second and doing a double take over the work. "Hmm. Yeah no, everything looks perfect. You're fine." Jimmy tried his best to be reassuring, of course he's seen people breakdown over their homework so Timmy being anxious makes sense. However Jimmy can't shake just how odd it feels to see his confidence be overshadowed in such an uncomfortable way, Timmy seems truly out of his depth here. 

Timmy, while still nervous, tried to refocus on his work over and over but he kept drifting in and out of concentration. He'd managed to get a few assignments done, passing the papers back and forth across the table. Despite his efforts he couldn't shake a lingering feeling of fear that clouded his ability to do his work. 

Why was Jimmy being so nice? Especially after talking to his parents when he’d seemed so angry, he walked past the lab doors and it was like he’d just forgotten that it had happened. Is he planning to bring it up later? This doesn’t feel right. 

Of course as a tutor, Jimmy's job here was to not only correct and help students get onto the right track with their work but to also watch their mood and to help them stay calm and make working easier for them. He watched as Timmy would work for a few minutes, getting decently far, before slowing down and letting his mind accidentally wander elsewhere. Jimmy did as much as he could for his friend, but he couldn't help noticing how Timmy wasn't paying attention. "Are you ok?" Jimmy finally asked, breaking their silence somewhere halfway through the homework. 

Timmy had almost dropped his pencil when he was pulled from the clouds. "What? Oh –uh, I just have a lot on my mind I guess." He fidgeted with the hair on the back of his neck while tapping the table with the pencil in his other hand, keeping his head down Timmy heard a hum of acknowledgement from the opposite side of the table.

"Can I see what you have so far?" Jimmy asks and the paper is passed across the table. Timmy bounces his leg as Jimmy slides the paper back toward him. "you missed that this number is negative."

Jimmy talked but Timmy hardly listened, he hummed a thanks but he'd already drifted a million miles away in the short second it took for Jimmy to slide his paper back. All this happened with Jimmy watching as he applied the corrections but the problem of focusing was still left unsolved. Completely engrossed in something far beyond the problems under his pencil, "Y'know, if there's something else on your mind you can talk about it. It might help you focus if you didn't have to think about it." Jimmy said trying to bridge the gap between them. 

Timmy's eyes flicked upward for a second but he kept his eyes on the page, "Uh- its nothing," He said quickly surprised by the offer, "it's just stuff back in my dimension." he decided to lie, after all it was clear Jimmy was uncomfortable with the situation earlier. why bring it up?

Jimmy nodded, it might not be his place to ask further on maters back home. he'd decided that extending that empathy would hopefully ease something for Timmy, "Alright, but if you need anything, I'm here." 

As the session continued there was no talking, only the sounds of pencils scratching paper and the occasional paper shuffle of homework being sent across the table. While the seconds moved past Jimmy had come up with an idea he'd like to pitch to his friend. 

Timmy slid his homework across to be checked and Jimmy decided to take this moment, "maybe it would help if you had some incentive to finish?" His tone was tentative.

looking back up across the table confused, "What? What do you mean?" 

Jimmy turned his phone out showing Timmy the text exchange in a group chat. "Here."

Cindy: hey guys, some kid is throwing a party on Saturday, wana crash?

^ attached location

Libby: is there a theme?

Cindy: formal I think

Sheen: Saturday is Jimmy's birthday tho :(

Cindy: he doesn't have to go

He continued after Timmy looked up from the phone, "if you finish all of your homework today I'll take you to that party." He was hoping the challenge would be what Timmy needed to power through his slump.

Timmy was shocked, all he could think to ask was "Yeah?" in as confused a tone as possible. 

He shrugged, "I wasn't planning to go, but if it gets you through your homework then why not." Jimmy couldn't control the small tugging feeling on the corners of his lips.

Finally Jimmy got to see Timmy's smile and as his eyes lit up he knew that whatever was bothering him had just become a distant memory. "You're on genius." He scoffed donning his signature shit eating grin. Jimmy happily put his nose back to his report and happily waited for his friend across the table to finish his work. 

Chapter Text

11:23pm, a pink mess of emotions sits under a bridge. A place he had recently claimed toward the end of his Freshman year, thanks to the drought season his spot is clear enough for him to use again. Usually Timmy comes here to vent emotions he can’t at home, or to just be loud in general since his parents don’t want to remember his existence. Also to stash whatever he can’t keep at home. He doesn’t like bringing Cosmo and Wanda here, they don’t need to see his emotional meltdowns. 

A pink bat who’s grip knows Timmy’s hand all too well is removed from its hiding spot under a thick bush and a few bottles are lined up on a large rock. He swings and sends one flying into the stone wall of the bridge above him. As it crashes and falls into the pile of shattered glass beneath it, Timmy is thinking. Not just about today but also any time he’s ever interacted with Jimmy. 

They had started off as rivals, although that had barely lasted a day. They had been friends up until sometime in middle school when Jimmy had gone MIA. Timmy had always assumed it had been him, he had been the reason his friend stopped showing up, as if he needed another reason to add to the list. ‘Reasons Timmy should hurry up and lose his memories’! 

“This is stupid.” he huffed to nobody. He’d tried his hardest and still can’t seem to kill his feelings. It's only been two days of being back in contact with Jimmy and his emotions are hitting him like a fucking bus. Another bottle is kicked toward the wall, “THIS IS ALL BULLSHIT and these aren’t fucking HITTING!” He can just barely hear what he’s screaming over the music playing as loud as possible, whether that was another way to vent his frustration or to drown out his thoughts he couldn’t care to decide.

It was clear to see a certain pink someone was struggling with a crush, and a long running one at that. He swung his bat down on a bag of edibles he’d bought off some sketchy kid at school some time ago, they probably weren't actually edibles and Timmy had been scammed out of ten dollars. Throwing them away would probably have been a better idea, however he decided to toss back the other half of the gummy he’d set aside. 

But as it went down his thoughts quickly did a 180 back to the boy genius. His friend turned inexplicable crush, now problem weighing on his shoulders. And his alone. He looked at the pile of glass lining the stone wall’s edge, in a large shard he saw himself, his tears, and all his mental unrest. — The longing, the anger, the fear, everything wrong with his situation. He grabbed the neck of another bottle, its label gross and muddied by whatever liquid had been in the bottle, He watched it break and whatever remnant of its drink it once held drip off the wall. Feeling just as scattered.

Timmy walked back toward the opposite wall and slumped down, raking his hands backward through his hair, “Why, it's been years. What’s wrong with me?” he whispered as a lump formed in his throat and his voice became raw with emotion. The bridge was silent, the only response he got was the whirr of distant cars and the cold shiver of the breeze. 

At some point the music had stopped and Timmy was left in the silence of the night with only his heartbeat. He’d finally exerted most of his anger, and as it melted away into sadness he allowed himself to dig a little further into what he’s been avoiding — maybe, just maybe his crush is deeper than what he’s seen or wants to see. It was a longing, an aching, for something he can’t really define. Some form of connection and care he’d found absent in this universe. 

Here in this universe Timmy had never been afforded as much care and attention as Jimmy seemingly was by his, was he jealous? Probably, but he knew that wasn’t the root of why he liked Jimmy so much. Maybe if he did know then he’d be able to dig it out of his heart and grapple with his impending doom a little easier. Nobody to distract him, especially not someone he had only met through his fairy’s magic. 

In his fragile state, he reached for his phone and scrolled through their messages. Each text was a lifeline, a glimpse into a time he’d allowed himself to laugh, want, and to love. He found each letter under his skin, burning in a way he wanted but knew he couldn’t have. Jimmy is supposed to be someone he’d long since outgrown, a distant haunting memory he could stand to forget. But seeing him again and feeling those same emotions, destroyed that idea. 

You’re going to forget him. You’re going to forget all of Retroville.

You’ll never know of a universe where you could be happy. 

Timmy looked through all the photos they’d sent each other, remembering the stories attached to each one. He thought about sending something, anything just to talk to him. Sliding his phone back in his pocket, he decides against it. Instead he stood and tucked away the bat and the few bottles he had left, a small unintentional ritual he’d made for himself. A way to hide his insecurities before he faced the world again. His way of tucking away that of which he was afraid to let people know about himself. 

“Cosmo, Wanda.” With the mention of their names they appeared, although dressed as if they had been teleported away from their beds. “I wish to be back in my room.” He said, desperately trying to run from his emotions.

— J —

11:23pm, somebody has been in his lab a little too long. Afraid to go back into the house above ground. He'd sat hunched over his desk with his hands absentmindedly combing through his hair, the infuriating events of the day playing on an endless loop and each second magnified and intensified by his anxiety and frustration. He did what he tried to do on anything he'd failed, dissect and hope you find the answer in the details.

He remembered how awkward it was during their tutoring session, how Timmy wouldn't meet his eyes, the fidgeting, he'd watched as Timmy's usual vibrant self withdrew into that horrible awkwardness. Jimmy had been so powerless, he was thankful his incentive pulled his friend out of that slump—but it was a slump he'd caused. 

What if he never comes back? Is our friendship ruined? Jimmy spiraled, each thought getting darker the longer he let himself fall further down this well of guilt and fear. 

Continuing to dig through the events, every second he spent with Timmy, trying to look for an answer. He'd remembered Timmy had said he was thinking about issues in his dimension, but what if he was lying? Jimmy wished he'd understood people better, maybe then he'd be able to tell or be able to comfort his friend better. His lack of understanding - or rather his  blind spot - made it incredibly difficult to understand when people around him are being truly genuine, most of the time he could catch it but in some cases he isn't able to catch it. 

He let out a groan of frustration, startling Goddard who was sat beside his chair, "why doesn't any of it make sense?" Jimmy cried out to his ceiling, "Why don't people make sense?" truly he was talking to nobody, but his ceiling - Vox - decided to answer. 

The robotic voice responded as if it was reading off the first google search it did, "It's difficult for you to understand and connect with others because of your autism diagnosis-"

Jimmy didn't let the machine continue talking, "Thanks jackass, I knew that already." He again screamed at his ceiling. "I'm just upset." Jimmy couldn't understand why he was so attached to the events of the day. He wanted to keep his friendship and social standing with Timmy as perfect as he could, but why? Maybe its cause all his friends here already know all that embarrassing stuff about him? that doesn't feel right, but what other answer is he gonna get?

everyone here in Retroville he'd grown up with, they had been there to live those embarrassing moments with him and he'd been around for theirs. Timmy was different, he was completely unaware of his past, a fresh start with someone he could actually get along with. Maybe not on an intellectual level but Timmy didn't annoy him as quickly as Carl or Sheen could. That was something he wanted to protect. 

Absentmindedly Jimmy picked up his phone and opened up his contacts. should I text him? Apologize again for what happened? He hesitated, fingers hovering over the letters. He stared at the screen, hoping it would give him an answer, make the decision for him. All he got in response was silence. Maybe I should leave him alone, he needs space and I need to figure out how to make it right. He thought, standing up and slipping his phone in his pocket, deciding it would be a good time to go to bed and wallow there instead of here in the lab. At least it would be softer than his work desk. 

However as he walked through the yard and to his room he couldn't get his mind off Timmy, his stubbornness couldn't allow any of what had transpired go without an apology. If not tonight then eventually he had to make it up to his friend, and he knew the perfect way to do it. 

I have to make this right. I've got to keep him around. 

He said his goodnight's to his parents and his dog, settling into bed but not sleeping for quite some time until eventually his mind wandered far enough that he couldn't stay awake long enough to follow it. 

Chapter Text

Today Carl's able to leave the house thanks to a pill and a mask. After having missed so much school, Sheen is bringing the stack of missed work to the Candybar. 

Sheen lets the solid mass fall from his hand and slap the table, it wasn't actually all that much paper, just enough to be marginally heavy. “Your homework!” 

Carl slid it across the table into his bag, “Where's Jimmy?” He says, not looking away from the shuffling papers.

“Dunno, haven't seen him in a few.” Sheen says absentmindedly, taking a fry from Carl's plate.

He looks across the table, that's fishy. Jimmy doesn't usually break his Candybar lunch visit routine. “Why, what's he doing?” or in other words ‘should I be concerned?’ 

“He said he's hanging out with Timmy, dunno who that is tho.” Sheen speaks with a gross amount of food in his mouth, he kicks his feet up on the table while sipping his beverage. “But like they haven't shown up here so he might be making something.” 

Carl makes a face Sheen doesn't understand or pay attention to, he's too engrossed with Carl's food. 

“Ok, I'm going to check on him.” He sounded almost annoyed, and he has every right to be. If Jimmy's inventing shit for Timmy again there's a catastrophe waiting in the wings for its big moment.

He stomps out of the Candybar with a look of determination on his face. People watched him pass as though military marching music was playing. 

–AJ & C–

Chester was spending the afternoon at AJ’s place since he’d got nothing better to do and a question bouncing around in his head.

He sat upside down in the corner bean bag while tossing a ball up at the ceiling with one arm, “Hey dude,” he smirked, something sly AJ could hear but not see, “Who do you think Timmy’s new crush is?”

He didn’t bother glancing over from his AP physics homework, “Someone who knows how to set and respect boundaries, I hope.” his tone was dry, although AJ would like to be supportive he knows Timmy doesn’t have the best eye when it comes to picking people. 

Chester laughed at the comment, tossing the ball high enough to tap the ceiling and land in his palm again with a clap. “Do you think he’s lowered his standards enough for Tootie?” Chester laughs as the baseball claps his palm again. “I can’t imagine him crawling back to Trixie.” 

AJ brought his fist up to his chin, “Who knows,” he mused, “I mean nobody’s exactly excited to win the ‘Timmy Turner’ sweepstakes unless they’ve got a skull just as thick as his and the same stubbornness too.” 

AJ finally looked over when Chester got up and stood with one foot on top of the bean bag, he held up a hand like a microphone and put on his best game show host voice “Step right up folks! The first to hit the target with their thick fucking skull and dunk the dumbass gets to keep him!” 

They both doubled over laughing. They laugh although they do want someone to find their friend and see his value like they do, but Timmy has some things to work through before then. 

“If he ever managed to ask someone out and not fumble it horribly I’ll eat my homework.” AJ added to the joke, slightly lightheaded.

Chester’s smile widened into a grin, “You’ve got a deal.” He grabbed AJ’s hand with both of his and started shaking it. AJ rolled his eyes, he knows Chester too well to not suspect interference.

Chapter Text

March 11th 7:37 am. Another day another migraine, Timmy thought to himself as he again sat outside his class. He’d gotten to school early today– He wanted to skip out on dad's daily lecture about nothing. 

Yesterday he’d decided on being rebellious, why not continue the streak? Scrolling through Pinterest, Timmy was determined to find a hairstyle that was normal enough he could walk past his parents unnoticed, but also would piss them off if they decided to actually look at him. 

Was this a test to see if they ever actually look at their son when they berate him? Maybe. 

After scrolling for a few minutes he’d found the perfect style: Pink and green tips, his signature colors. It wasn’t a drastic change but that was precisely the point. Timmy knew the look would drive his mom crazy, hair dye was a massive ‘no’ for her. Something about ‘ruining her aesthetic’. As for his dad? He would see it as a direct attack on his masculinity. 

It was perfect. 

If he could speed through the tutoring session with Jimmy he could run to the store, grab some dye, and get to work before his parents get back home. 

Timmy’s thoughts were interrupted as he looked up to see Chester tossing his bag at the wall, “Damn, early again?” 

Chester didn’t respond immediately, if he wasn’t usually messy it would be noticeable how he looked just ever so slightly worse this morning. “Needed a quick cash grab.” He muttered, pulling his backpack between his knees to nap for a moment before class. 

Although concerned, Timmy knew Chester would be just fine. He’s hearty and Timmy has consistently seen the guy get hit with much worse than early morning shifts and come out the other side exactly the same. He decided to be quiet and let his friend get some shut-eye while there’s time.

Soon AJ came strolling up, but before he'd had a chance to greet his two friends Timmy had waved him down and with hand signals told him to stay quiet. Their greetings moved to text.

Thing1: Bro got up super early again :p

Smartass: Ah, I see.

Thing1: btw what do u think ab this? 

^ Attached Image

Thing1: Are you sure your parents wont bury you alive for that style?

Thing1: who cares :/

Smartass: You will when you're not allowed out of the house for a month.

Thing1: when has that ever stopped me? 

AJ decided to physically look over at Timmy, giving him a stern look. He'd always been a moral backbone for their trio– without him Chester and Timmy would probably be dead long before now. He was ‘the dad friend’ of their group, and Timmy was feeling it now under his disapproving stare. 

It didn't matter how quiet AJ & Timmy were though, even they couldn't prevent Chester waking himself up by snoring really loud.

As he jumped awake, he looked to the others beside him for an explanation but they just burst out laughing instead. "Fuck you two" He huffed, burying his face in his bag and sleeves. 

"Hold on, before you go back to your nap, what do you think of Timmy dying his hair?" AJ said, hoping to get backup on team 'don't tick off your parents'. However Chester didn't even lift his head.

Chester yawned before going back to sleep. "Yeah, it looks great."

Timmy laughed, pointing both open palms at the sleeping blond. "See! even he agrees with me."

AJ found it less humorous, "He can't agree with you, he's clearly impaired!" He placed closed fists on his hips, feigning superiority and hamming it up with fancy legal jargon.  

Crossing his arms Timmy spat back playfully, "Oh please, he's just tired. He isn't drunk."

Batting his eyelashes, AJ put a hand to Chester's shoulder. "He's still incapacitated and can't be trusted to make sound decisions." His tone made it seem as if Chester is either a toddler or a dog. “Besides, being sleep deprived is the equivalent of .06% blood alcohol.” 

"What are you, the police?" Just as Timmy finished rolling his eyes, the bell rung and it was time for class. 

— J —

March 11th 7:37am. A certain scientist has not slept in quite some time and is choosing to ignore it.

Jimmy’s eyes won’t focus like he wants them to and his arms feel as if they have six sandbags between the both of them attached at the shoulders, but he’s pushing through the exhaustion to finish a project— just as he usually does.

He’s refined and perfected the Eco-Beetle and now his prototype's fate is to sit on his shelf and gather dust— unless he had plans of giving it away, hence his refusal to sleep. 

This was his apology, and Timmy already loved it. After all, he helped make it, so why not give Timmy his own beetle? 

Jimmy was putting the finishing touches on his apology, a shiny new coat of pink & green paint. That way it would fit right in with his friend’s other belongings. 

As the paintbrush is set down in its cup he feels the exhaustion begin to seep down from his muscles to his bones. Yet, sleep is still out of reach as there's someone knocking on his lab door. 

The door wasn’t answered right away, Jimmy lets his head loll forward and his eyes close a little too long. The knocking starts again, followed by a concerned voice on the other side. “Jimmy? I know you’re in there.” It’s Carl, of course it is.

Reluctantly Jimmy pushes himself up and away from his prototype, his legs were weak from sitting in one position for so long and they wobbled as if they were about to buckle under his own weight. Nonetheless he’d managed to drag himself to the door and greet his best friend. 

Carl stood on the other side of the door with his arms folded and eyes narrowed in his usual judgmental fashion, the kind of look that tells Jimmy he’s in for some sort of speech. “Good morning, Carl.” he yawned.

His eyes narrowed even further, “It's 4pm, Jimmy.” his lips tightened into a line of disapproval. “How long have you been up? Did you eat?” Carl already knows the answer to both those questions, it's clear in what words he chooses to emphasize. 

In response Jimmy drags a hand over his dry eyes, “Look I’m fine, I’ve just been finishing up a project.” He moved his hand out to his side to motion Carl in and toward all his creative mess. 

From over his shoulder Carl could see the scattered scraps, tools, and finished bug on the table, “Is that why you’re about to pass out right now?” Carl looks him up and down as he walks past, eventually stopping a little ways away from the work desk– mostly because of the clutter of random things surrounding the desk's feet. 

Jimmy’s jaw tightened slightly as he followed his friend, “I'm not–”

“Man, just look at you,” Carl cut him off, shaking his head. “whatever all this is for, can wait until you’ve had breakfast.” He lifted his shoulders and motioned around the room. The look on his face was the same as any other time Jimmy had worked himself almost to death over a new invention or something he was overly passionate about. 

Jimmy moved between his friend and his desk in defense of the work he's been burning himself out for, “I’m fine, I just need to get this done.” Jimmy repeated, his words a little slower than before, weariness was beginning to press in on him and the room felt like it was spinning ever so slightly under his feet. 

“I can see you‘re not.” Carl insisted, he placed his hands on Jimmy’s weak shoulders, “Look at you, you’re barely awake right now! That bug isn’t going anywhere, Jimmy!” 

Jimmy blinks, trying to keep his eyes steady. The beetle, Timmy… yeah, it’ll be fine. Timmy will love it, and once its finished—

Before Jimmy could begin to agree with Carl his exhaustion reaches its peak. He doesn’t remember when he’d sat down, but now that he’s down his body is too heavy to lift up off the soft cushioning of his computer chair. 

Carl is still talking, but he’s muffled by the rushing blood in Jimmy’s ears. “You’re going to lie down and count lamas. Do you hear me mister?” He doesn’t answer. His head falls forward and his eyes are already closed. 

Before Carl leaves, he reclines the chair and drapes a lab coat over his sleeping friend.

— T —

The last bell rings and Timmy walks as fast as his feet would lead him to a janitor's closet. Yeah weird but it's the closest door with a handle and not a push bar.

He lifts the handle up backwards, it's a tricky maneuver to do with his wrist but he's getting the hang of it. The portal opens to Jimmy's backyard just as he'd envisioned in his mind.

Surely there's a store in Retroville with hair dye? Just as he steps out, what sounds like heavy footsteps are approaching from the front of the house. 

That's his cue to quickly and quietly run as fast as he can. Once he felt a good distance away he pulled up maps on his phone.

...

Yeah... He should've expected that itwouldn't work. There apparently wasn't even a Retroville in his universe.

He sighs and slides it back in his pocket. He could go back and get Jimmy for directions, but remembering the angry footsteps he'd heard it’s likely he's busy. 

He could ask anyone else he knows here, but honestly he's not in the mood. So Timmy tries his best to remember the street layout and walk to a store. 

Theres a little shopping area near the park, cute little stores line the streets. Many had colorful paint and a distinctly 1950s architecture. It was a lot prettier than the blocky concrete city back home. Just then he'd finally found what looked to be a grocery store. As he walked through the isles he let his mind wander. 

This place has so much character it's inspiring. Its beautiful. 

Maybe someone would let me paint a mural on their wall. A full wall painting with all the creative liberty I could ever want.

Can't be too different from home, right?

What things are different here though? Does fruit still taste the same? Chocolate?

Maybe I'll have a better shot at a job here, no reputation yet... I hope.

Did Jimmy ever shop here, or even work here?

….

He grabbed his items and prayed this universe uses USD and not something random. 

There were hyacinths and white lilies on display. 

— J —

Glass petals and shimmering pixies dance across the stage.

Front row, so close he could almost touch the actors.

Pink dust sparkles within cold glass.

Heating to a molten red and melting. Wilting.

The miror at the back of the stage spins, flipping like a coin.

Someone blue steps out to pour dirt over the glass puddle. 

The pixies gather at their feet, falling and weeping. 

He looks to his side to find a feild of dandelions.

Taking flight with the wind. Blown about helplessly in a typhoon. 

Crashing the surface of water. An ocean. A glass.

Rocking with the waves. 

Soothing...

Jimmy slept his day away...

THUNK

"FUCK!"

He would have if someone didn't sneak in.