Chapter Text
Timmy was a true believer in ying and yang. He knew, from experience, that there was always a hint of evil in the purest of things and likewise, there was always a good side to the most terrible situations. Unfortunately, he usually encountered the first example more than the second.
He learned the hard way that every easy mission would have a setback, that every good deed would have consequences and that every contract included fine print.
So he really couldn't feel resentful when the other shoe eventually dropped of becoming some sort of half-human half-fairy deity. In fact he was accepting it as long as he kept these powers that allowed him to protect his loved ones and the world from the creatures that saved him from a miserable life.
He just didn't expect that other shoe to result in the fairies shedding their skin. Well, not shedding skin per se, more like the outer membrane of his wings, although it was very similar to the shedding of snakes... but 20 times more uncomfortable.
Had he known this would happen now, he would have negotiated with Chloe not to take Cosmo and Wanda this week, even if there wasn't much to do in his situation, simply having their company would be enough. Cosmo would tell him the worst jokes to distract him and Wanda would stroke his hair in that motherly way that filled him with warmth.
But it was too late for that and he knew that brat wouldn't let his parents go using some stupid moral lesson or about being independent, which was most ridiculous. He's the strongest and most knowledgeable magical entity after the goddess Magic herself, for Nebula's sake! Not to mention that he was literally the most experienced godchild in history. Of course, Chloe didn't know that but Timmy couldn't stand how she always thought she was better than him just because she had no imagination or ambition to make a wish that wasn't for the benefit of others (even if many times they went wrong and he had to fix it himself on the sly).
He was pretty sure that this whole "shared godparent" arrangement was a form of revenge from Jorgen because Timmy was like his boss now. Even when Timmy never gave him orders and let him do his job as usual, but apparently the guy couldn't handle the idea of being inferior to Timmy in any way. The only reason he agreed was because he knew Cosmo and Wanda loved being godparents and he didn't think it was fair to deprive a child of having godparents, even if he abhorred the idea of sharing his parents (because Cosmo and Wanda were his parents in every way but blood).
Being honest, Timmy could easily go to the tween's house and take Cosmo and Wanda or just snap his fingers and bring them over, but he knew Chloe would come to his house to get them and he wasn't in the mood to deal with the little Marie Sue.
So that left him alone to get through this uncomfortable and exhausting moment.
His only consolation was that according to the fairy lore in his head, this was something that happened every 50 years (Or so Timmy thought).
Unfortunately that wouldn't make the fire in his back subside or the cramps in his shoulder blades stop, nor would it bring down the fever that was making him sweaty and dizzy. As he felt his mind turn to wet absorbent cotton, Timmy wondered if this was what menstrual cramps felt like, because if it was, then his respect for women had increased because having to suffer through this every month would drive him crazy.
It was a characteristic buzz of static energy that brought him out of his fitful sleep, opening his eyes slowly to see his genius boyfriend emerge from the greenish portal in the middle of his room.
Oh, now he remembered, Jimmy had texted him this morning to remind him that they had a reconnaissance mission on Volcano island. Timmy thought he had written back saying he wasn't feeling good, but between the feverish haze and the dizziness scrambling the letters on his phone (more than usual), he most likely would have ended up sending gibberish of letters and signs, if he even managed to send anything in the first place.
"Timmy?"
All Timmy could offer in response was a low groan.
He felt Jimmy's hurried footsteps approaching his bed, the portal being the only source of light in the darkened room. Timmy didn't even have the strength to get up and open the blinds.
"You weren't answering my messages," Jimmy said, his voice low as he sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Goddart, scan Timmy please. Complete analysis."
He heard a bark and as he felt the almost invisible heat of the scanner, a hand rested on his head, his fingers gently combing through his hair, Jimmy read the result aloud. "Signs of pain in the back and shoulder blade area, temperature of 39.3 °C... no visible injuries?"
"I'm shedding my wings, apparently it's a fairy thing." Timmy muttered, his voice slurred and hoarse. He opened his eyes again, not realizing it when he closed them, and found a frown on Jimmy's face. His lips stretched into a tired smile when he recognized the expression. "Kind of- shedding skin, like snakes."
"I understand..."
Timmy doubted he did, he knew better than anyone the conflict the boy genius had with magic, even if he had accepted its existence very reluctantly and his boyfriend was like the closest possible representation of magic, but he couldn't muster the energy to tease as he normally would and the fingers combing through his hair were melting what little brain he had left.
"Are you alone? Aren't Cosmo or Wanda here?" Jimmy asks.
It took Timmy longer than he would admit to find his brain to form words. "They're with Chloe..."
"I see." Jimmy mutters, it takes mere seconds before the genie gets out of bed without further ado, Timmy laments the loss of those heavenly fingers on his scalp. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."
And before Timmy could formulate a question, Jimmy steps through the portal again, Goddart following.
...
When Jimmy entered Timmy's room again, a small part of him felt good knowing that exactly fifteen minutes had passed, but he quickly shut it off when he found Timmy in the same position face down on his bed, his face buried in his arms as if hiding from any source of light.
"Can you get up?" he asked softly, at the same time leaning over him.
Timmy lifted his face from his arms and looked at Jimmy with cloudy blue eyes. He made a noise that resembled a nonverbal affirmation and slowly began to prop himself up on his hands.
At the first restrained groan, Jimmy hurried to help the toothy boy, trying as much as possible not to touch the area of his back. With a little effort he managed to get Timmy to his feet and after grabbing the phone from the small table, carried him to the portal.
They stumbled into the quiet lab. The silence was barely stifled by the constant hum of all of Jimmy's computers. Carefully, he carried Timmy to the center of the room where he had set up an inflatable mattress. "Lie down here."
Timmy made a whimpering noise and dropped face down on the mattress, making Jimmy wince in fleeting fear that he'd hit himself. Dumbass.
"Did you go buy this?" he mumbled, tilting his head to the side to try to see Jimmy.
"no, I got it for when I'm working on something important and can't waste time going to my room." He replied, reaching over to set Timmy's phone down next to him.
"what did we say about sleeping in your lab neutron."
"You can criticize my sleeping habits later, Turner." Jimmy proceeded to ignore Timmy's complaints as he picked up his own phone and searched through his contacts, Wanda's voice greeting him on the second ring.
"hello dear, all alright with your mission?" asked the fairy as soon as she answered.
"hello Wanda, actually, there was a setback. Apparently Timmy is... shedding his wings?" Jimmy ignored the indignant noises of the boy lying down.
"Oh, my poor boy. Yesterday he said he felt discomfort in his back, but we didn't think it was serious."
"is there any chance you guys can come?" Jimmy asks, now pacing around Timmy in an attempt to release some of the anxiety that was starting to grow in his chest.
"Sorry dear, Cosmo and I are trying to sort out a situation with conscious trees. I don't think we'll get out of it any time soon..."
" Ugh! Chloe." When Jimmy looks down, he's met with Timmy's contemptuous grimace.
He ignores it to go on with his plan B. "Okay, and is there anything I can do to help him? I brought him to my lab, but he doesn't really look good and he has a fever..."
"sure! Listen carefully dear." Jimmy nods, realizing right after how silly the gesture is because he's on the phone, but just the same Wanda doesn't wait for his response before continuing. "First, tell Timmy to let his wings out if he hasn't. Then, get a cold compress or ice pack and put it on his back between his wings, that will relieve the itching and burning."
" okay, yes" he nods again and turns to Timmy. "get your wings out Timmy, I'm going to get a cold pack."
He doesn't stop to answer Timmy's whine as he walks over to the refrigerator in his lab, picking up one of the many frozen compresses he kept for when they came back more beat up than usual on their missions, he walks back with quick steps to the mattress.
He kneels down next to Timmy's side, who had already taken off his old sleep shirt and had his wings outstretched. He slowly places the compress vertically right on the reddened skin space between his wings, completely covering the "magic tattoos" of swirls and stars.
A hoarse sigh comes from Timmy and his body visibly relaxes as soon as the cold compress touches the irritated skin. It is at that moment that Jimmy takes a moment to see properly.
What were normally translucent, glistening wings like frost were now opaque, as if they had been covered with a layer of vegetable paper dipped in a paste mixture that dried and cracked, falling off in places like white crusts.
He felt his skin itch just looking at it, he couldn't imagine how bad his partner was having it.
"uh, ready." He says into the phone as an afterthought.
Wanda calmly followed. "then, get the softest towel or handkerchief you have and soak it in warm water. You'll need to help him get the dead skin off his wings Jimmy."
"...what?"
As if she knew what Jimmy's reaction would be, the fairy woman patiently explained. "he can't do it alone dear, if we were there, Cosmo and I would do it but..."
"no, it's okay. I can do it." Jimmy replies, before he loses his courage and his sensory concerns take over. He stands up, going for the water first.
"good, because a normal fairy's wings are sensitive during shedding, and Timmy's are already sensitive at all times, so it won't be easy." Jimmy frowns and bites the inside of his cheek, but lets Wanda continue as he goes to the bathroom and grabs a bowl to fill with water. "he'll probably squirm and moan, but you must remove all the old skin, otherwise it could stick and develop scabs, trust me, you don't want that. You must be careful, remove the patches carefully, DO NOT pull or yank them off or you could tear the wing. Once you're done, you can put a vent fan nearby on low power so Timmy and his wings can cool off."
" ok, I got it. Thanks Wanda."
"you're welcome, we'll try to get back as fast as we can. Good luck dear."
Jimmy hangs up the phone first and puts it in his pocket before grabbing a soft towel and the bowl of warm water. He returns to Timmy and kneels beside him, carefully setting the bowl down on the floor next to the fairy boy's naked torso, he takes a moment to mentally prepare himself as he rolls the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows.
"Okay, listen Turner." He pauses and clears his throat when he hears a crack in his voice giving away his nerves. "Wanda said I have to help you shed your... skin."
Timmy responds with a soulful whine that ends in a shudder of his wings. Jimmy sighs not sure if the gesture was pain or typical Turner drama.
Instead of continuing to try to get a response that wasn't just noises, he lifts one leg to climb onto Timmy's back, brings his ankles together on the other's hips to help himself from no resting his full weight on the body beneath him. Timmy doesn't complain, but he can see the muscles in his shoulders tense for an instant.
"I'll try to be as gentle as possible" he says, as he soaks the towel and wrings it out to remove the excess. "I'm going to start, let me know if it hurts or anything."