Raphael returned home three days later, having spent the entire time in one of his secret hideouts in the sewers. His mate had sent him many texts and phoned, but Raphael had ignored them all. Raphael had sulked and vented, but it was pointless, he knew. He was carrying a baby and there was nothing he could do about it, because abortion was out of the question. He was a ninja and they had a strict honor code that didn't believe in taking the life of innocents. No, I have ta have it, Raphael thought angrily, as he made his way back to the lair. Am I happy? No. Do I resent the kid? Hell, yeah. Do I want it? No. I'm not even thirteen yet and I'm gonna have baby number two. Dad was right. We shouldn't have got married so damn young. What was I thinkin'? No, I wasn't thinkin'. I was goin' with my hormones, but damn, Leo was hot and we couldn't keep our hands off each other.
Raphael arrived home to find Leo in the lounge. He was sitting on the sofa with their son and watching Space Heroes. Hearing footsteps, Leo glanced up and saw Raphael. "So you do have a home," Leo said sarcastically.
"Listen, Leo..."
"No, you listen, Raphael," Leo said, raising his voice. The baby started to cry and Leo sighed. "I'll put him down for a nap. Then me and you have to talk." Leo went into their bedroom, laid the baby in his crib and returned to the lounge.
"Sit, Raphael," Leo said, pointing at the sofa.
Raphael sat and said, "Leo, I'm sorry."
"You should be," Leo said, looking down at Raphael. "I was very worried. Did you get my messages?"
"Yeah, but I didn't feel like talkin'. I needed time ta think."
"I've done some thinking of my own. Do you love me?"
"Of course I do, Leo."
"Sometimes love isn't enough. Is it enough for us? Can you see us working out?"
"Do ya love me?"
"I never stopped loving you, but I'm furious. You leave without any explanation as to why and I'm..."
"I'm gravid, Leo."
"What?"
"Ya heard me. We're gonna have another baby, Leo. I got scared and I ran."
"You're gravid? Really?" Leo asked, a huge smile spreading across his face.
"Yeah."
"Oh, Raphael," Leo said, sitting down and taking his hand. "This is terrific. We're going to be parents again."
"No, Leo, it ain't terrific. I'm gonna get fat, hormonal, be stuck at home again."
"You're sexy when you're gravid, Raph. Sexier, I mean. Wow."
"Ya just don't get it, do ya, Leo?" Raphael snapped. "I'm gonna be stuck at home again. Just when I could go topside, fight. Hell see somethin' besides these four damn walls."
"Of course you'll stay home, Raph. We decided that you would. You were fine with it."
"Was I really?" Raphael said bitterly. "Or was it decided for me that I would."
"Oh, don't be like that, Raph, my handsome hothead. You know how lucky you are? You get to stay home, watch TV, eat what you want. I'll help you and care for you. I love you. You know I do."
"Ya like controllin' me," Raphael hissed. "That's what I am ta ya. Somethin' ta knock up and control. Fuck. I see a life of endless nappies and vomit ahead. Excite ya? Don't excite me!"
Raphael got up, stormed out of the room and banged the bedroom door so hard that it woke up Leo jr. The baby started to cry, but Raphael didn't care, looking at him contemptuously and crawling into bed, tears running down his cheeks. This ain't what I thought my life would be like, Raphael thought. I wanted kids, but not two within two years. Like one now and maybe one years later. I'd have been cool with that. And Leo doesn't listen ta me! We talk over each other, we ain't communicatin'. Why's marriage so damn hard? Ain't supposed ta be like this!
Raphael once again took solace in eating, scoffing everything he could find. He dutifully stayed home with Leo jr, not arguing, doing the chores like Leo wanted and being the perfect mate, his resentment growing all the time. His belly grew and soon his belt no longer fit him again, but he didn't care. I'm healthy, he rationalized. I'll drop the weight after the baby's born and if I don't, I don't care either. Intimacy between him and Leo was rare, but he didn't care either, having no interest or desire in sex. Raphael begged to go out sometimes, but Leo refused and Raphael's resentment grew even more. He stopped asking, but there was friction between them and he started avoiding Leo. They tried counselling, but it didn't work, because Leo accused him of being selfish and Raphael accused him of being controlling. Their marriage was crumbling and they knew it.
Months passed and the distance between him and Leo grew. They now barely spoke except to have words when Raphael hadn't done a chore or when Leo begged to have sex, but Raphael always said no, claiming he was tired. Leo stopped asking and Raphael could often hear him in the bathroom, beating off. Then Leo would return to the bedroom, his back to Raphael. Not long after that Leo said, "I'm going to sleep in your old room. I trust you won't mind. Not like you care whether I'm here or not."
"Whatever," Raphael said. "Do as ya wish."
"I think we should get a divorce. You aren't happy and I'm not happy."
"Let's wait until after the baby's born and we'll talk 'bout it. But I agree with ya."
"Good!"
Raphael dropped his egg in November and the labor only lasted an hour to his relief. Leo had been there, but they hadn't spoken, except for Leo saying, "You did great, Raphael. Thank you."
"Course yer happy," Raphael snapped. "Now ya have someone else ta control." Then he'd closed his eyes and ignored his mate.
The egg hatched in February and they had another baby boy that they named Kane. Leo held his new son and gazed down at him tenderly. "He's gorgeous, Raphael, and looks like you."
"I see that."
"You aren't going to hold him?"
"Fine, I will." Leo passed him to Raphael and despite Raphael's determination not to get close to the new baby, he smiled. "He's beautiful. We did good, Leo. The last good thing we did together."
"I've been thinking about things, Raph. Don's been talking to me. He says you've felt trapped and that it's unfair to expect you to stay at home all the time."
"Don told ya that before."
"Yes, but I wasn't willing to listen before. He's right. I've been a jackass. You need time to yourself as well. Like I get. You felt resentful of everything, of me, maybe even the babies, because I made you stay at home."
"Now ya get it. It ain't that I don't love the kids. I do, but stayin' home all the time is borin'. I haven't seen Casey in like forever or been on patrol or fought. I even miss fights with Chrome Dome. Marriage is about a partnership, but I've been doin' EVERYTHIN'! Ya didn't even get up at night ta help me with Leo jr. Ya never even offered ta take him for an hour or two so I could rest or do somethin' I wanted. Ya were the selfish one, Leo. Not me. I did everythin' ya wanted. And then ya have the cheek ta be upset when I don't want ta fuck? Well, fuck ya. After lookin' after a baby all day with no help from my mate, I get tired. Last thing I want is sex."
"I get it."
"Bout time. Never figured ya ta be slow, Leo. Heck, even Mikey got it and he ain't the smartest tool in the box."
Leo chuckled. "Raph, I don't really want a divorce. Do you?"
"No, but if we want this ta work, we have ta work together and ya gotta give me my own space and let me go out sometimes."
"I will."
"And no babies for at least two years. Ya know how sore it is layin' eggs?"
"Promise. I promise, Raph. I'll listen to you and we'll be a team. Raise our babies together."
Raphael smiled. "Then yeah, we can make things work. As long as we always communicate and listen ta each other.
Leo pressed a kiss to Raphael's beak. "I love you, Raph, and I'm sorry."
"I love ya, too, Fearless. And I'm sorry, too."
Leo fetched Leo jr from his crib and the happy family snuggled together.
"Aw, beautiful," Don said, walking past and peering in. "You guys kissed and made up then?"
"Uh huh," Leo said, gazing into Raphael's golden eyes. "We're making another go of things."
"I'm glad. Stay there. I'll be back now."
Don returned a few minutes later with a digital camera. Snapping photos, he said, "I'll upload them and send them to your account, Leo."
"Thanks."
Don smiled and left the room. Yes, Leo thought, nuzzling Raphael's cheek. I do have a beautiful family and I love Raph so much. We can get through anything. Nothing will ever break us up again. I won't let it.
